One Last Adventure: The Road to the Moab 240

Saying goodbye after another amazing adventure to the one true community of people I felt a bond to was saddening. Tears filled my eyes as I got on my plane and made it back home. The first couple days back home were tough, as I felt isolated. My body was in shambles due to the more rugged terrain of Bigfoot 200. Accumulation of fatigue from all my training and two 200-mile races was also setting in. After a full week of rest, I was back to moving again. Slowly but surely, I put together easy runs and hikes. One last adventure was on the horizon. 

Shift Gears

Now, the training would shift gears to more flat miles. Coach Pete had seen enough from me to know I was ready for any sort of climbing, so vertical gain was dialed down for this training block. Once September hit, I had 21 days to put together my last big training block of the year. This training block consisted of flat road and hard dirt miles to simulate Moab’s winding flat roads. A few of the sessions would bring some climbing to keep that part of my brain engaged. 

The First Week of Training

The first week of training for Moab brought a massive heat wave to Southern California. For me, this was an opportunity. Strapping on my hydration vest with the amount of water and gear I’d carry at Moab, I did run after run in the exposed heat. With temperatures in the triple digits, calling it difficult was an understatement. The next week, the weather cooled down, and I felt strong on my runs. 

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Balancing Act

Pulling off a 20-mile run and two hours run for vertical gain in succession grew my confidence, but also reminded me of my balancing act. The training blocks were not perfect because soreness in my feet reminded me of the accumulation of fatigue from my long year. Utilizing my knowledge of strength work and recovery, I kept balancing on that tight rope, but called runs early when I needed to. 

Peak Week

Finally, the peak week arrived. Despite a stressful week with life that further led to a lack of sleep, I only missed one session. When the time came, I successfully hit my objective on my 25-mile-long run, hammering the last 5 miles with just enough in the tank for the next day. The next day, I had about 16 trail miles on the calendar but had to jog or speed hike the uphills. Though it was a battle, I succeeded, putting together my strongest week since May. Now, it was taper time.

I Was Ready

18 days went by quickly. Between athlete engagements for my GORE TEX sponsorship and my other responsibilities in life, time moved quickly. My body recovered and I felt ready for the big dance. Eventually, I flew out to Salt Lake City Airport and made the drive to Moab. With a rockstar crew consisting of my amazing girlfriend Briana Wilford, my friend Tereza Guzman, my business partner Jason Bahamundi, and Andrew Marvin, I felt confident. The last time I did Moab, I stood alone. This time, I was a different beast altogether and I had an amazing team behind me led by my girlfriend. Soon, it would be time to for one last adventure in the year 2024. This time the adventure would go from deep in the canyons to high up into the La Sal Mountain range. And I was ready for one last adventure this year.

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