Antelope Canyon 55K: It’s Go Time!

Oh man. I’d like to say I’m as calm as a cucumber and hardly thinking about the Antelope Canyon 55K this Saturday, but that would be a lie.

Truth time? I’m kinda terrified.

Thankfully, I’ve been swamped with life so I haven’t had time to stress too much about the upcoming miles. Will and I flew to San Diego this past weekend to celebrate a family birthday, so that kept me preoccupied through Sunday. Sunshine, birthday cakes and ocean waves? Yes please!

Once we landed back in Denver, a fantastic snowstorm swept through the city, blanketing our house in a solid five inches of snow. It’s not quite what the East coast is receiving but I’ll take it! It gave me time to catch up on four articles that I have due, along with some wedding housekeeping and general preparation. I saw my ART doc yesterday to get some maintenance treatment and per usual, my back was all sorts of wrong. If you live in the area, definitely check out Dr. Scott at Cherry Creek Spine and Sports. The man works wonders and I highly recommend him!

Needless to say, all of that has kept me from completely melting down. However, as you read this, I am likely in my car, driving west!

And totally panicking.

PC: Will Rochfort

I’m beginning my drive early so I can swing by the Western Slope on my way out of the state. That’s where Will and I are getting married so I’m hoping to take care of a few tasks on Thursday morning. From my parents’ mountain house, it’s just over seven hours to Page, Arizona. Near as I can tell, that gives me seven hours of solitary freak-out time.

For awhile, I couldn’t figure out why I was so nervous. When it comes to races and whatnot, I don’t usually do nerves. However, this time around is different and I pinpointed why: I have absolutely no idea what to expect!

PC: Jason Gebauer Photography

I’m aware that I’m undertrained and my race prep was not what I had hoped. That said, I also know that I’m in good shape and am one of the most stubborn individuals on the planet. My goal is to simply finish this race under the 11 hour time cap, and I am fairly confident that I will be able to do so. However, the unknown for me is the pain. How much is this going to hurt? How hard is it going to be? How bad will the suffering be? Those questions are driving me nuts!

We received an email from the race director last week, giving everyone a word of advice: don’t expect an easy course just because there is minimal elevation gain {only 3,000 feet for all 34 miles}. He highly advised gaiters to combat the thick sand we’ll be tromping through. Y’all, I never run in sand so here’s to hoping that lots of climbing will prepare me for running through the desert!

PC: Jason Gebauer Photography

Stress aside, I’m really excited for the first 24 miles of the course. These miles cover some desert trails as well as the viewpoint to Horseshoe Bend. We also run through Water Holes Canyon, a beautiful slot canyon that looks absolutely picturesque. A lot of these trails are not typically open to the public; the race has hired Navajo guides that allow us on the land with their presence. A local Navajo woman is also hand-making the post-race tacos. Yum!

I’ll be updating my Instagram and Facebook accounts regularly over the next five days, so be sure to check in there for photos and {hopefully} survival stories. Wish me luck!

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