High Desert Ultra: Report and Videos

Tanya and I decided to get up early and drive to Ridgecrest the day of the race. That meant leaving home at 4:30am, the drive is 2 hours and the race start time was 7:00am. The drive was nice, and we made it there without incident at 6:30am. I ran into race headquarters and picked up our bibs and goodie bags. The weather was very cool, so we had to decide how many layers to wear, but we didn't want to over dress. There is nothing worse than carrying to much stuff; but it is also no fun when you are under dressed and it is freezing!



Just before the start we saw so many friends, this race brings everyone out. Depending on how you look at it, this is a great race to either end your race season, or mark the beginning. Tanya and I decided to really start out easy, our goal was to average 5 miles each hour, then try to run a negative split on the second half of the race. Breaking six hours was the ultimate goal for today.


Tanya and Dorsh



The miles where just rolling by, it was such and incredible day. The desert is such a beautiful place, you can see for miles and miles. The mountains in the distance are the beginning of the High Sierra's. The weather was cool the skies were over cast, just perfect for trail running.




It just doesn't get much better than this, some people run for speed, some for competition, some for enjoyment. At times I run for all of those things, but this day I was running for enjoyment. No pressure, just me, Tanya, trails shoes and this beautiful desert.



20 miles down and 10+ to go. The Temps began dropping at this point, and rain was threatening. Nothing worse than being cold and wet (Ugh). Luckily we made it to the finish before the skies opened up!



One of the rare occasions I finish before Tanya, I just had a little more in those last five miles. We both finished under the 6 hour mark so we are pleased with that. The High Desert Ultra is a great race when stepping up to the Ultra distance; no mountains to climb, and the people are great!
Finishing times: 5:45 (Marc) 5:50 (Tanya)2009 here we come!
MJ