Wasatch Back 2015 - Part II

After our first legs of the race were done, we headed to Exchange 12 for some rest and food. We started off with our annual van selfie. This year's photo had 7 of us in it because we were spoiled and had a dedicated driver. 

We ended up not being able to get very much sleep at this exchange, because it was still pretty early, and a lot of people were up talking and walking around and not considering the fact that some of us picked a spot off the beaten path so we could zonk out for a couple hours. Rant over. But we really didn't get very much rest, which was a bummer because we got up so early and we were already pooped after one run. Plus, Matt still wasn't feeling well and really could have used some good sleep. We didn't start our second legs until it was dark, and as usual, I didn't get hardly any night time pictures this year. We did snap a few at the exchange waiting for Brian to come in from his first leg. 

This photo gives a good idea of what the chaos looks like at a major exchange during the night time hours. Flood lights, people everywhere, and a lot of blinking lights and reflective vests.

Our night runs felt longer this year, and I'm sure it was partly due to not getting much sleep after our first legs, as well as the heat sapping our energy. This was my 7th Wasatch Back, and it was by far the hottest year yet. I would even venture to say that it was hotter than either of the Vegas Ragnars I've done. In addition, the whole course had major changes made to it this year in an attempt to alleviate traffic problems that were not able to to be successfully addressed with the old course, and in an effort to just make it better overall. It was really fun to be on a different course, and it threw an element of surprise into the event as well. I had run the old course enough times that I knew where the exchanges were, how long the legs were, and what the terrain was like. So imagine my surprise when right before my second leg, I realized that I was about to run the same leg that I did last year. Last year I was runner 7 and this brutal hill was my second leg, about 3.6 miles. This year, I was runner 3, and ended up running that same exact 3.6 mile section. That just shows how major some of the route changes and leg changes were that this section of the course used to be Leg 19, and this year it was leg 15. That leg was tough, but I felt better on it this year than last, so I considered it a victory. 

We made it through our night runs successfully - and Matt was even feeling well enough to tackle his 4.3 mile run to start us off. Everyone did a great job and we made it to Exchange 24, where we were all able to get a couple of hours of sleep and recharge a bit. When we woke up, the sun was shining and runners were swarming everywhere getting ready to start their third and final runs. 

More on the final leg/day of Wasatch Back to come soon!