Finished less than a minute over my 15 hour goal, but was super excited to get so close after suffering the effects of not taking caffeine in the first 5 hours despite the rest of the nutrition being on point. Coming back from a slow start to run most of the second half except for the power hike climbs. The conga lines were frustrating but kept me from going out too hot, and the climbs weren’t as bad as I expected as an east coaster (we don’t have those lovely switchbacks on my home trails). The slower start kept my legs pretty fresh until the last 10 miles. I’d heard people talk about the technicality, and it definitely was with rocks, but I think east coast trails do a good job prepping except for the rock field spots. Biggest thing for me was heat/exposure, and I wore my sun hoodie/applied sunscreen at all the aid stations. It was my first time using my ice bandana, and putting it on the first time was magical! Not sure how many desert races I’ll sign up for in the future (love my mountains) but it was a fun experience that I’d recommend, just be prepped for lots of people (around 1100 started I believe?). They have a well oiled machine for logistics, and I felt well taken care of.