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2021 Desert Rats Stage Race - (Chapter 1 of 7)

I could feel a bead of sweat drip down my back as I drove home from another long day at the office. I looked at my car thermometer. The temperature outside was 87 degrees. Inside my car, the temperature was hovering around 110 degrees and the heater was blowing hot air into my face.


I was less than a week away from the Stage One start of the Desert Rats 150, one of the historically hottest stage races in North America. I had been training since December for the run and it was almost go time.

Cramming in all the heat exposure I could was essential to preparing my body for the elements. Sitting in a hot car was just another component of training. In addition to big weekly run mileage, I was working in hot baths where my core temperature would reach 102 degrees, 90+ degree day runs in layers of clothing and some passive sun exposure.

I took the week leading up to the race catching up on sleep and getting my packing list down to a manageable size. For the entire 6 days, I was allowed one 50L pack so it wasn’t a ton of room. Even with all the prep and coordination, I felt ready for the race. The normal nerves that come from the unknown outcome ahead graced my mind but I worked to stay positive.

Flying into Moab with a fire in the distance

I decided to fly into Moab so I could spend Father’s Day weekend with my family. I arrived in Moab Sunday afternoon at the airport, and the temperature in Moab was 105 degrees. A couple of the medical volunteers were kind enough to come pick me up at the airport and drive me to my hotel.  After checking in to my hotel, I headed over to the race check-in.

Pre-Race Check-in

The check-in was at the hotel next door so I walked over. At race check-in there was a line of people formed that spilled out into the hotel lobby. The nervous energy was tangible and you could feel it in the air like a blanket. Lots of smiles and introductions and pre-race chit chat filled the room. I slowly snaked my way to the front of the line where the race staff checked me in and made sure I had my mandatory gear for the race:

  • Flashlight with extra batteries
  • Compass
  • Mirror
  • Knife
  • Salt tablets
  • Emergency blanket
  • Capacity to carry 140 oz of water
  • 1000 extra calories
  • First aid
  • Glow sticks
  • Strobe light
  • I was given a t shirt and a race bib and I headed back into the heat.

We had a couple of hours before the pre-race briefing so several of us decided to go grab dinner at a local pasta place in Moab. The group was super fun and there was a ton of laughter coming from our table.

After dinner, we all piled into a conference room at the hotel for the pre-race briefing. The meeting was lengthy. Logistics were discussed, the medical staff spoke, the chefs spoke, and the rules of the race were laid out. It was all necessary information, but it was also quite a bit to digest all at once.

“My job is to make you suffer” Was the quote from the race director that stood out as the foreshadow of what was ahead.

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