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Ute 100 # 37 Moab, Utah

Writer's picture: Rosie Nanette GagnonRosie Nanette Gagnon

Ute 100 #37



Ute. An experience of a lifetime! I came across this run when it had it's inaugural in 2018. It was far beyond my experience level, but being the most scenic, highest altitude race in Utah, the state I grew up in and where most of my children including Dexter, were born and lived their early lives, I put it on my dream list. When you spend the majority of your life living at the base of the Rocky Mountains, they are in your blood forever. I signed up in 2019 to run the 2020 race. I had a few 100s under my belt by then and thought I would be ready for the challenge. Sadly the race was canceled in 2020 due to COVID, then 2021 due to a massive wildfire on the course. August 2022, the day of reckoning was finally upon me after waiting 3 years. I'm grateful I had the delays because it took every bit of my experience and more, to accomplish a finish and earn the huge beautiful buckle at this raw, untamed and stunning course.



After running in Leadville Co I hoped to summit a few peaks for some final training before we went to Moab, Utah for Ute. I was concerned over the knee pain I'd picked up after the double summit of Hope pass, but weirdly when I was sleeping I strained my hip flexor muscle. Ha! With just over a week before the race of a lifetime I was pretty anxious about it. I'd done some recovery training runs and hikes and it wasn't getting worse but not improving either.

Jason and I had the wonderful change to get to the Denver LDS temple, and then attended a little LDS chapel in Frisco Co the Sunday before the race. I got to share during a testimony meeting a little about running for veteran suicide awareness, losing Dexter and my feelings about our faith. After the meeting I met a guy from the congregation who had lost 2 adult children to suicide. Though I hate speaking in public, I was glad I took the opportunity and we were able to connect and give each other some words of comfort and understanding. Jason got the missionaries there and one of the clergy to give me a blessing for my race. The biggest thing that stood out was that if I had faith, I could finish this race, but that I needed to rest and relax and let my body recover.


I took that to heart and stopped running the entire week, if you know me, that's a big change from my usual 30+ mile taper week lol. Jason and I did a few easy 2 mile hikes and I did a lot of swimming and hot tub recovery. We just tried to enjoy the stunning scenery and our condo was at 10k altitude, so I had some altitude adaption going on. It was a great week of recovery from RMH 100.


The day before we left Colorado I loaded up a full pack and did a 3 mile hike on a steep paved trail straight up from the foot of buffalo mountain to our condo at the base of the summit climb. I wanted one last confidence boost that I could do a strong uphill hike. Felt great and with some melancholy we left beautiful Colorado and headed to Utah, feeling humbled by what was ahead but confident.





The RD for Ute, Sean, in a conversation we had a few days before the race said to me, "Don't let fear get into your brain. This is something we GET to do for fun. Don't forget that!" I really appreciated those words and tried to just breathe easy and soak in the sights as we spent a day with my family in the aspens at the base of the La Sal mountains.






The pre race scenery was spectacular! I had a pacer drop out last minute but I have family in Utah and my sister Angie & niece Lyndsay both wanted the experience of pacing with me. Neither had any ultra experience but Lyndsay runs and hikes and Angie bikes so I figured they'd probably have stamina for a late ultra pace. Wonderfully, 2 more sister's, Susan and Valerie came from the Provo Utah area to Moab to spend the day with us. My daughter Hannah & grand-baby Ellie, also living in Provo, Hannah 8 months pregnant, drove down with my son Peter who we flew out a few weeks ahead, came to spend time before the race. She had to go back home though, crewing this race was gonna be a tough job most likely in heat, not the best conditions for a pregnant mom and toddler! We had a really fun pre race day with everyone, Valerie **tried to teach me to ride a mountain bike, ha ha, but I'm a total chicken...and we rode around and checked out some of the roads & trails I'd be running on, in her all terrain vehicle. I was thinking, craps gonna be real, the rocks and ruts and little climbs in this exposed desert was gonna be rough, and this was the "easy" part of the course! Hannah had gone the 3.5 hr drive back home and I thought Valerie was leaving too, but my sis & niece pacers were staying and raring to go. We did a quick bag check just to make sure they had all the required race gear. Managed to get to bed by 8pm after a yum dinner with the family in Moab which is a clean, fun, delightful little tourist town. We also got in a little coloring, thrift store and fossil store shopping with Hannah & Ellie, some of our favorite things to do.
















worried abt that sun. lol







During dinner there were some insanely wild thunderstorms that came through the area. We saw rivers flooding, hail & heavy rain in town and up near my sister's camp just a mile from the start line, there was flash flooding, rocks washing onto the road, thunder, lightning, heavy rain and a little snow! Crazy!



Concern abt the weather became a new worry, but it was just gonna be what it would be, and I'd deal with whatever came, hoping I was prepared for every condition. Hannah ended up texting me from home in Provo, saying she missed us and was really sad not being able to crew my race so she talked her awesome amazingly loving husband Ben, into driving her back down, 3.5 hrs, so that she could be there for me through the night! She is the sweetest most loyal daughter, such a blessing in my life. That got me really excited. And I'd get to see Ellie on the course!



Alarm went off at 2:30 am, we had to be out the door by 3:30 to make the 50 minute drive up the mountain to around 8000 (?) altitude at the race start by 4:30 am. I was a bit overwhelmed at what was facing me, but I just tried to focus on the little things I needed to get done and not think of the race ahead. Shower, lube, taping legs & feet, putting on a little makeup, hoping I wasn't overdressing. I was expecting 90 degree temps but still wore pants and cooling sleeves. In the desert air I felt protection from the sun would help me stay better hydrated and cool instead of having sweat evaporating instantly and sucking all the moisture out of me. Luckily the rain brought in some humidity, more like what I'm used to in Virginia.



You know you're about to have an epic experience when the race director warns " If you don't have your required gear, you might F-ing die." Ha! !!! This was serious wilderness area where we could experience some extreme weather conditions, wild animals, extreme temps etc. I was grateful for the warning and felt prepared. Conquering Hope in Colorado 2 weeks before took away a lot of my fear.






The first 3 miles of the race were just plain fun, running a steep paved road down to where we'd pick up the miners loop trail. This would be one loop out, then turn around and come back. My knees and hip felt great and I felt well rested, full of energy. People in the race went charging down the hill but I knew I had a heck ton of miles to cover and would need strong legs to the end so I didn't want to burn out.


As soon as we hit the trail, race got real. I was poking along the back of the pack. The trail was a rutted, somewhat muddy, rocky downhill, then a moderately technical steep climb up to the aid station, then we ran back the way we came, hit the road and hiked 3 steep miles back to the start finish. When we started out it was dark and cool. I caught the sunrise over the valley as I climbed back up to the 11 mile mark. It was breathtaking Just 5 miles on the rugged terrain got me off any confidence pedestal I was on, and I knew I was gonna be fighting this whole race, but I determined to find joy in every beautiful mile.







After I looped back to the start/ finish aid station we had another mile of road climb then jumped on a fairly technical but run-able single-track through tall scrub oak. It was really pretty and reminded me of hikes with my sister's when we were young on the Wasatch Front up by Salt Lake City. The trail took us to the edge of Porcupine Ridge, moderate technical trail without much climbing but a lot of sand and slick rock. It was only around 8-9 am but the sun had come up and already I felt really hot!! I lost my neck covering at a quick roadside pit stop but I was wearing a buff so I covered my neck and ears, I could already feel the sun baking me! I had to be careful on the slick rock. Some of it was fairly steep and one misstep could screw up my race. Had a stretch of beastly rocky jeep road then made it to the AS. I had some watermelon, oranges and guzzled 16 oz of Gatorade. I knew in the heat I was gonna need probably 16-32 oz fluid per hour. The rain the night before left big puddles on the rocks so I was able to scoop some up and dump down my shirt and on my cooling sleeves. Porcupine Ridge had some mad views of the valley.




After Porcupine Ridge I had a bit of a breather heading to the Jimmy Keane AS. There were some steep little rocky road climbs but overall the trail was fairly smooth and easy to run. There were several really irritating cattle grate 'stairs' we had to climb over, and this was also the most exposed section so nearing late morning it felt really hot. I was really pushing to get to Warner Lake before mid afternoon, a little higher elevation would cool things down. I was afraid of snakes but only saw a lizard, cows and lots of cow pies :P



I said a prayer asking the Lord to temper the heat for us runners out today, so that we'd all have a better chance at meeting our high aspirations of getting a buckle on this course. I may have prayed a little too fervently. Within about 20 minutes a heavy gray cloud cover blew in and rain was threatening going into the aid station. I refueled quickly out of my ammo can, drinking some nesquick & apple juice and the volunteers gave me a yum grape Popsicle. I knew I had a solid 10 mile climb ahead so I tried to pack the right amount of calories in candy, fig newtons, gu's & applesauce. I didn't carry extra water besides my two 16 oz bottles because a storm was blowing in and it got cold.


After I left the aid station within a mile had to stop to put on my rain jacket. We had a fierce cold deluge that turned the rocky single-track trail into a muddy cesspool of running water mixed with cow manure and clay soil. It was like thick sloppy stinky muddy paste, every step your shoes picked up a huge glob of mud and it made even a slow hike difficult. I was trying to step from rock to rock. There were several miles of this, trying to hike single-track cow poop slime. Slowed to like a 30-40 minute crawl! Had my first cry of the race on this climb. It was hard. 2 days before Hannah inspired me to put "It's quiet uptown" on my playlist. It's a song about Alexander Hamilton and his wife after their son dies. A beautiful treatise on grief, and forgiveness.

"If I could spare his life, if I could trade his life for mine, he'd be standing here right now.... Have pity, they are going through the unimaginable. "


Man , that shredded my heart and I had as many tears as raindrops on my face.

Along this tough messy climb I had a strong feeling of presence, Sgt Jacob Gray. I don't know why him at that moment but I just felt strongly he was there pushing me uphill through that mud. I talked out loud to him and told him how much I loved his mamma. It was a gentle firm quiet presence and it lasted until the rain stopped, I made it to a plateau of wildflowers and mountain views and found a heart rock. Special miles and it got me through the toughest part of that climb.








After I crested the hill above the lake and headed down the trail there was one small unmarked fork, so of course I took the wrong way and went probably a third of a mile, then realized it felt wrong and headed into brush so I had to backtrack. I could see the parking lot from above, when all of a sudden I heard whoops and hollers and I said..." Those sounds like Mounteer yells. Is my family here?" With happiness coursing in my veins I picked up the pace and ran back up to the trail and then the half mile or so to the crew parking lot. I could hear cheers and Jason's cowbells, and sure enough I saw everybody! My sister Valerie stayed in town to help crew, Jason and Peter were up and Angie & Susan. My heart was so full of joy! I was so happy they would come to support and cheer me on and nobody complained how nasty I was ha ha Jason nabbed me before I could talk too much and went through the routine at the crew car, dry socks, arthritis cream, lube, electrolytes, chugging choco milk & apple juice, stocking up my pockets with circus peanuts, candy, applesauce, gels. Still had 6 miles to go to reach Mann's Peak.

















The sun came back out and was shining so hot I took off my jacket but kept it in case rain came back. My fam was fishing in the lake & my cute little nephew Nate was swimming and looking for frogs. They gave me big cheers and I headed to the aid station to begin the climb to the summit. About 3 miles between the lake and climb were easy and beautiful, shining green and white aspens, sparkling blue skies, some of the trails still flooded from rain but so green. Sean the RD at the aid station warned there were reports of bad weather, lightning at the peak so it was no longer required to go all the way to the peak if conditions up top were too dangerous. There is a pass just below Mann's peak at 12,300 altitude we needed to climb to. Well the sun was shining and I was comfortably ahead of cutoffs so I determined I was gonna get to the peak. I said that to my sister's and my wise, spiritual sis Val counseled me to follow the spirit and don't try it if it was too dangerous.




I had a beautiful climb for a mile or two, soft trail, aspens, beautiful little creek, mountain Meadows. A 4 point buck stepped out of the woods, gave me a long look, then wandered along. I had a soft impression he was meant to send a hello from Nate to his sister Sally. At a trail turn & bridge there was a guy I stopped to chat with who wasn't sure he could make the climb, he was already nauseous at 50k. Tried to help but he said he had everything, he just needed to sit. After the bridge the trail turned into a beautiful but STEEP rocky single-track heading straight up to the summit. About 1.5 miles from the top it suddenly clouded over. Within 5 minutes we went from sun to a heavy downpour! By the time I took off my pack and pulled on my rain jacket I was soaked to the skin with cold rain.

The trail was very steep, steeper than anything I have climbed. As I neared the treeline rain turned to sleet and hail and there was thunder & lightning. I was less than a mile to the turn around, there was no way I was gonna turn around. I still wanted to summit. The switch backs are tight and narrow, if you slip you're gonna go sliding halfway down the mountain, it was open ground with nothing to stop you. I'm afraid of heights so it was definitely scary, I just glued my eyes to the trail and kept working my way up, pausing to let other runners come back down the mountain. I got to the pass all alone. For about 1 minute I considered going to the summit and took a couple steps, but the wind was frigid, with sleet temps were probably in the high 30s, and there were high winds and thunder & lightning still close by. Gut said play it safe and follow the RDs council to not risk a summit in extreme weather. I thought maybe I'd do it on my second loop and headed back down the mountain. Felt incredibly elated having gone up to the pass. It was incredibly difficult and really tested my climbing and determination. Descended in light rain to Imagine Dragons Thunder and Kansas Wayward son, felt like victory miles with my Dexter.




I was feeling pretty good thinking I had the worst behind me. Ha! Heading back to Warner lake part of the trail had turned into a river. I was trying to step on the rocks but one place my foot sunk up to my knee in mud! I was kinda stuck and my shoe was sucking off but I used my poles and got myself out. Luckily there was a knee deep creek like 5 feet from the mud so I was able to rinse off all the mud but I was soaked. Luckily wearing some sweat wicking leggings that dried out quickly. I was on my own at the next aid station but had everything I needed in my drop bag. Ate a few pieces of bacon and started the last 11 miles of the first loop. Immediately the trail began a steep rocky climb. I was just ahead of a husband and wife running the 100 together and we encouraged each other on. After about a 2 mile climb through the woods on a rocky trail the pine opened up a bit and I could see Gold knob, the next high point at 11040 feet. The trail broke out of the woods and I climbed on a steep switchback trail in a high mountain meadow then did an even steeper push to the top on some loose rocks & rubbly trail. I made the summit at sunset. It was a breathtaking view and I took a moment for pics and a prayer of thanks, then started back down. It was getting close to dark and I was a little chilled and exhausted after the 2 climbs.





I had a few miles of soft but steep descent in the fading light, a couple creeks and flooded trails, a stretch on narrow steep pine / aspen forest trails, then finally hit the last 3 miles of the loop, a jeep road, rocky and rutted, slow going, fairly steep descent. It felt like those miles on the rocks lasted for hours, I slipped twice and almost sprained my ankle and fell forward once and bruised up my hand. I really wanted to hurry but I thought I'd better take it cautiously on the rocks, still another 49 mile loop to go! When I finally rolled into the aid station my whole family was there cheering and yelling and were saying how great I was doing and how they were all so proud of me. I thought my heart would overflow! It's kind of a blur but I do remember my sister Valerie helping to pull off my wet socks and put new ones on my feet, helping me get the knee braces off cuz they were giving me welts, Peter made me a ramen which I tried to eat but I was struggling taking in any solid food so I just drank the broth. .was sticking to juice & choco milk. I grabbed a bag of cherries that looked pretty delicious and headed down the road with my sister Angie ready to pace me, Peter and a couple others ran along for half a mile or so. It was a party!



When I finished my ramen Angie and I continued quickly down the steep 3 mi stretch of paved road to the trail. It felt great to actually run with no rocks. The moon was just rising as we hit the jeep road which was more of a challenge on 54 mile legs in the dark. The night was beautiful though and was a perfect temp. We turned off our lights a few times to see the super moon lighting up the desert & had a great time talking. We took it easy because Angie had never done a technical night trail, and it was good for me to kind of leg my legs recover from all the climbing and descents. I loved introducing her to trail running under the stars, full moon and

mars! It was great to talk about spiritual things and life's struggles and similar challenges we've faced. I loved the time with my sister .She did a short loop with me then we met Lyndsay and traded out pacers for the porcupine ridge trail.



Lyndsay and I have been pretty close. She lost a really close family friend Kayson to suicide and I've run for him a few times. She was also a friend and cousin to Dexter. She had her hair adorably dyed blue and purple for suicide awareness and had a pic of Dexter on her pack and others she has lost. She does fundraising and volunteering for AFSP so she and I have a common goal raising awareness. It was so special to hit the trail with her. She's super cute and spunky, free spirited and fun. She was worried she would hold me back but she was so solid, kept me moving quickly over the technical terrain and slick rock in the dark. We made quick time and met Jason, Peter and Angie late night at the Porcupine Ridge AS. Jason helped out a sick runner with some stuff in my drop bags and Angie and I headed into the dark. This was the easier section of trail from Porcupine to Jimmy Keane. The climbs felt rougher in the dark. We made good time on the flats and downs. Angie was really quick and kept us at a good pace, a bit slower on climbs but it gave me a chance to get ahead and poop. LOL I started struggling with dehydration and GI issues along this stretch so I ended up having to stop like every mile. It was very annoying. I don't think you can call yourself a true ultra runner until you have to use sticks to wipe your butt. TMI. Hah! Id run out of TP long before and now I actually needed it in crisis, there was none and it was a long time till the AS. We got kindof lost in the dark a bit thinking we were off the trail, we had a guy close behind us through this section so we all kindof kept an eye on each other through the dark under the moon. There were coyotes howling all night. I was starting to feel nauseous and the cold air of the story day and chilly night was hurting my lungs so I was wearing a mask.


It was probably 5:30 am when I rolled into Jimmy Keane. Hannah had come out with Peter so she helped me get refreshed and re-geared up for the 10 mile climb to Mann's Peak, Warner Lake Aid Station halfway up. I LOVED seeing her, she drove all those hours to see me and it was the first time on the course I'd actually had a chance to give her a hug. I LOVE my girl! Hit 100k somewhere overnight. Hannah after helping me get ready to leave the aid station said the sweetest and most powerful prayer with Lyndsay and I, that my stomach would settle and I'd finish the race. She also sent me off with a couple packs of tissues which was very pleasant after the sticks! Nausea did calm down after that until after we were almost down from the pass @ Mann's peak. There was a full moon and a meteor shower, I only got to see one falling star though because I was trying not to fall on the rocks. :P I picked up Lyndsay again for the final 50k or so.




She had fresh legs and though the climb to Warner's Lake isn't super steep, my legs were pretty beat up so we mostly power hiked the steady climb, it was such a pretty sunrise with the full moon still out, and thankfully the awful mud from the storm on Friday had dried up so we made pretty good time up the mountain. We ran into a pack on hunting dogs that wanted to follow us up the trail, and a HUGE bull who was happily more interested in his cows than us, he was pretty intimidating though!. The wildflowers just before the lake are so beautiful!








We stopped to talk for a few minutes to the RD for next years Ute 100, and refilled bottles & got calories to take on the climb up to Mann's I was really relieved we made it up past the lake and into the aspens before the morning sun started to get hot. Legs were pretty tired but we made good time through the woods to the bridge where the trail begins to get steep for the climb to Mann's I was still feeling dehydrated and though I'd been trying to drink a lot was still behind on hydration. We stopped at the river and I took a big drink and refilled my bottles. I I didn't worry about a water filter ha ha, but there had been so much rain I figured the water was probably very clean. It was crystal clear and cold and so good! Then we just pressed on towards the pass just below the peak, we hiked through high alpine meadows, then finally hit those awful steep switchbacks with breathtaking views. We would hike to a bend in the trail, stop to take in few breaths, then hike to the next bend, over and over, all the way up. This was such an intimidating climb on 65-75 mile legs! But we pushed through and conquered the climb.






We stayed at the top for a bit for pics and victory cheers. I was sorely tempted to finish the trip to the summit, but after I talked to to the new RD earlier at the aid station, he said no one was doing it so not to worry. I figured I'd save it for incentive to comeback and run next year. I did have the time to do it which I was happy about, Lyndsay was a kick butt climber and kept me going! My favorite is when she'd just pause in the middle of a painful stretch and do a little gangsta dance of joy. Talk about living in the moment, I love that girl. We took time to just soak up how bad a$$ we were for making the climb haha. Talk about a natural high.











We descended quickly and the descent was great except that it got really hot. I prayed for cloud cover. We stopped at the river by the bridge again and I drank a full bottle of river water, then refilled both my empty bottles and splashed water over my face, down my arms and down my shirt. It was so refreshing! I don't think water ever tasted as good as that ice cold mountain stream. I had to show Lyndsay the quicksand mud hole Id gotten stuck in, and we had alot of exhausted fun trying to get back to the AS, singing Imagine Dragons "Whatever it Takes" loudly even though we were passing people, haha. That will be a favorite memory!


We got back to the Warner Lake aid station 2 1/2 hrs ahead of cutoff. Peter and Jason hiked out on the trail to meet us. Little grand-baby Ellie met me coming in and I was so excited to see her. All my whole family who had come to the race were there to cheer me into that final aid station and I thought my heart would burst with joy (and pain, ha!) . The creek stop hadn't done much to re hydrate me, I was stopping frequently behind bushes and feeling nauseous again. The rest of my GI system had chilled out at least, ha ha





When I heard I was plenty ahead of cutoff I lay down for a few minutes to settle my stomach, my family restocked my pack & refilled bottles. My sister Valerie who is literally a saint, pulled off my filthy wet socks, shoes and gaiters and started massaging my feet & legs! Heavenly! It really helped work out the pain in my feet. She rubbed in arthritis cream and lube, then got fresh dry socks on. Honestly the most selfless, kindest thing ever! Ellie sat by me stood by me worried about grandma! It was so nice to just take a full 10-15+ minutes to rest and recharge for the final difficult push.







Sean the RD chatted with us for a bit and even though we could only have 1 pacer since I was in the back, he said Valerie could come run the remaining 11 miles with Lyndsay and I. I was so excited to have her along, I knew I could finish strong with that support and that we would have a great time! After that brief rest and hugging everyone especially my precious Hannah and Ellie, Jason started the climb up the trail with us and when we had some privacy around a curve in the trail, he gave me a blessing that my stomach would settle and I'd be able to finish. I started crying and gave him a big hug, then headed out with Lyndsay and Valerie.



We had a pretty solid climb on fairly steep technical trail through the pines. The sun came out and it warmed up especially coming out of the trees after a pretty big climb. I started praying the Lord would send us clouds again to temper the heat so the other runners and I could finish. Literally 10 minutes later the sky clouded over as we hit the switchbacks to the Gold knob summit! It was pretty miraculous.











So steep but we kept climbing and summit , singing 'The Spirit of God' ...about the same time as a guy named Tom who was being paced by his daughter that I'd yoyod for hours. We were so elated to hit the top ! Congratulations all around. I was overcome with emotion and thanked the Lord for His strength and cover.






It was such a difficult climb on 90 mile legs! The 4th climb in this race so far to 11,000k altitude. At the summit I had the pics of my Marines, Sgt Jacob Gray SSgt Taylor Wilson, LCpl Jacob Crewson, Nate and my Dexter, and Lyndsay was carrying pics of some she's lost to suicide including Dexter and Kayson. We said their names, and put their pictures on an altar that had been built at the mountain top which felt special and spiritually significant. We found some heart rocks we put around their pictures and I tucked a few into my pack. Lyndsay also brought some of grandmas (my moms) ashes. We sang her favorite mountain song together "High in a mountain top" ... The feeling was so incredibly powerful there on the mountain. It felt like we were surrounded by love and unseen beings, celebrating with us and loving us as we remembered them. I was so grateful to experience it with Lyndsay and Valerie because I know it wasn't just me hallucinating ha ha, we all felt it. It was a powerful and transcendent experience.



















Eventually we had to come down, some 8 miles or so left to go. As we descended into a steep but soft run-able pine forest trail it started pouring rain. Luckily we'd brought trash bags because both my rain jackets had already been soaked! Prolly rained hard for 40 min. We wound our way down the mountain though pines, puddles, flooded meadows and across creeks.






Valerie kept offering to carry stuff for me so I had to keep reminding her of the no muling rule. She probably felt sorry for me, going so slow and struggling up the hills ha ha She'd have carried ME up the mountain if I'd let her! We moved along quick enough to stay warm in the downpour and luckily it didn't last too long. Felt amazing and gently warm when the sun came out again, except it was just as we reached the very last climb, a steep mile or two of crap rocky road trail. About this time both Lyndsay and I started feeling nauseous



h/t to Sean Run Bum the RD for actually getting out with a chainsaw and removing all these bad boy trees from the trail. Outstanding work.






Mine came and went and was pretty mild but poor Lyndsay completely lost her corn and fish dinner. ha. Funny pic of us on the trail together both trying to barf.


I hydrated a bit and it stayed away. Lyndsay was sick till we finally crested the hill and started the 5 mile or so descent to the finish! We were so close but it was by no means easy. 2 miles of narrow, steep moderately rocky downhill trail that comes out on a 3 mile jeep road that was fully exposed in the afternoon sun.





This was the section I'd almost sprained my ankle in and taken a few falls so we just stayed at a moderate slow jog. About 2 miles left I felt a sharp pull in my hip flexor, it finally had had enough. I mostly ignored it & said a quick prayer and rubbed in some pain cream. I was also out of calories and fluid and dehydrated so started feeling more nauseous and was peeing like every 20 minutes the last 5 miles. Lots of pit stops behind bushes till I gave up & was just kinda peeing in the middle of the road haha. I think just the altitude, climbing and thin air were hard on my body. I was so grateful for the rain and cloud over we had or I really would have been struggling.








Rounded the curve of the trail and saw the happiest sight ever, my sister Susan and Angie running to meet me and run to the finish! Susan had her big umbrella and shaded me while I ran in, it was the cutest and sooo sweet! Then Angie grabbed my hand and ran with me, and I lost it, it hit me like a ton of glorious bricks, I'd done it. I finished Ute 100. I got my buckle from the RD, almost collapsed into her, then just bent over and wept. It was surreal. 3 years I've been looking forward with anticipation and dread, and with the help of my incredible amazing family and my Marines, conquered the beautiful beast!













This race was especially for my Dexter. I beat the cutoff by 2 hours and 6 minutes. I'm on top of the world.

I hope I'm living life big enough for the both of us, precious son. <3



Heroes of the weekend, my tremendously amazing, wonderful family!!





After we left the course, I threw up out of the car over a stunning view on the valley ha ha, and again in the hotel. Had a final dinner with the family and was so hard to say goodbye! Took us 36 hours to drive home to Virginia. My legs were cramping badly from sitting in the car and my hip flexor was in a lot of pain, I had to pick up my leg to get in or out of the car. We were all exhausted so we had to make frequent stops to nap at rest stops and gas stations and take bathroom breaks. Thankfully a few days out my hip recovered quickly, we made it home and I'm recovering and catching up on a lot of gardening & barn work that needs to get done, very puffy but feeling good.

Facing Tuscazoar 100 in Ohio in 2.5 weeks, I think it's the hardest race in Ohio. I wont be overconfident going into it, but dang, after the climbs at Hope, Mann and Gold, I am not afraid of it. :)


#37/100 100s for veteran suicide awareness


PFC James Dexter Morris

SSgt Taylor Wilson

Sgt Jacob Gray

LCpl Jacob Crewson

Nate Dogg

Always loved, Never forgotten
















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Lyndsay Privett
Lyndsay Privett
Aug 18, 2022

You are absolutely incredible. Your journey with these boys is so touching. Thank you for creating something beautiful with the pain we were left behind with. What you do keeps their sweet souls alive here with us. You do so much good. And I do know that you do amplify your sweet babies life. I miss talking to him- black sheep to black sheep 💔 I love you so much. Thank you for all you do to keep these kids alive. Love you so so much.

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Rosie Nanette Gagnon
Rosie Nanette Gagnon
Sep 06, 2022
Replying to

Thank you Lyndsay, for helping me turn that into the race of a lifetime, you were just what I needed to push through those crazy late race climbs, and I know Kayson and Dexter and Grandma were right with us. So so special! Love you so much! You keep being the strong, courageous, beautiful, fun, warrior that you are!

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scrisp
Aug 18, 2022

Wow! Wow! Wow! What an amazing race Rosie! Congratulations on handling it so well, and being able to enjoy it with all of your family. And what an amazing race report. I feel like I was there cheering you on, and occasionally crying with you ❤️.


I don't know if it took all 36 previous 100s to get you into the shape and give you the experience needed to so handily beat the cut off time, but I'm really happy for you.


And thanks for all of those photos, taken by so many folks. They really convey the experience of what you went through and this wonderful result. Congrats Rosie. You can clearly tackle anything that comes your way.


All…

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Rosie Nanette Gagnon
Rosie Nanette Gagnon
Sep 06, 2022
Replying to

Thanks so much my friend, sorry for the delay in response, my laptop got flooded in a household 'incident.' I was reflecting after finishing this Ute 100 course that I've dreamed of for 3 years, on how I was so anxious that I wouldn't be able to complete it after knee surgery. Ironically, all the cross training & hiking on the elliptical I had to do post surgery, when I couldn't run, made me a much stronger climber and I think actually made me a better runner for this type of course. It's crazy how sometimes life can turn our weaknesses into our strengths. Thanks for sharing the journey with me. That was truly a once in a lifetime experience!…

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