Basically a team of 12 runners. 2 vans of 6 people each run a relay over 170 miles taking about 24 hours to complete. You can check out the website for details on that if you want. Here are the complete stats of our run. Click the image to see the details:
I was nervous about this relay as I had runners knee issues the past few weeks. This run was great for me because I didn't have any issues whatsoever with my knee. I didn't wear the band I bought because I wasn't having problems. I had it in my pocket in case I did. I was the second runner in Van 1. I got my hand off from Cathi. She ran so strong.
My first leg: I started my run at 10:04 am and ran 3.8 miles. It was relatively flat. I ran it in 32:04 which was exactly what I had projected it would take me. I really pushed it on this first leg and was sweating like a pig. It was pretty hot and I sprinted at the end.
I handed off to Kyle who ran great. He was the speed demon in our van. Kyle was fun to get to know. He had a good sense of humor, had a very laid back and humble way about him. I was very impressed with his endurance and speed. Overall he was the fastest person in our van.
Kyle handed off to Stacy. She had run I believe the San Diego Marathon and was a good distance runner. Her first leg was brutal. It was uphill and it was hot! Her other two runs were faster cause it was dark (cooler temperature), flatter and shorter. Her experience with running was a great asset to the team.
Stacy handed off to Kristen. Kristen's goal was to get faster than 10 min miles on her run. She did well under that on the first two legs. The last one had a fairly good headwind. Plus the worst leg for everyone as far as running under fatigue was the last leg. We had to run that one at 3:00 am after only getting a couple hours sleep at a park with boy scouts running and shouting. Not the best conditions for a speedy run. Regardless she did well and didn't end up walking on her portions. She was great!Kristen handed off to John. John had the hardest 3 sections in our van. The first two were considered "Hard" with the last one "Easy". He really endured through all of them and the numbers don't really give him credit. The runs he did were truly hard and he was brave to take that leg on.
John then handed off to Ele who was in Van 2. Once they had the handoff we would then move to our next station which was about 26-40 miles up ahead on the course.
In between our first and second runs we waited at Lake Mead. I went for a 2 mile swim.
My second leg was run in the dark. It was my hardest run. It had some good rolling hills and it was 4.8 miles. I saw a light way up ahead of me and I was determined to pass that runner. The van kept going ahead and waiting with water. I was convinced that I could pass that runner and turned down any water until I had accomplished that goal. I could tell that I was gaining and ended up passing him within 2 miles. I then was glad take a good drink while running. At the hand off I had to go up a hill and then handoff to Kyle who cruised right ahead.
In between our second and third sets we tried to get some sleep at the last exchange for us. Kyle, John and Kristen and I all slept in sleeping bags over on the grass next to a baseball diamond at the last exchange. Cathi and Stacy stayed in the van and slept on the benches. Kyle woke me up around 2:30 and said that the van 2 just texted them and that we needed to get moving. I woke up Cathi and helped her get ready as she was the most crucial runner to be ready for Van 2 at the hand off.
On my last run I had to run a straight path the whole time. I was on a paved bike trail along a major road. It was flat and dark. I was glad to have the headlamp. I could see a runner about a half mile up ahead and nobody behind me. I was hoping to catch the runner, but only was able to close the gap just a little. Passing someone on a race like this is called earning a "roadkill". I collected six roadkills on this race and was not a roadkill victim to anyone on this race. So that is a first for me in a running race at least.
Kyle was able to pick up my slack and was able to pass that team within the first half of his run.
I was so glad to be done. The last leg our team really worked together and cheered at the early hour of the morning. We helped Kristen with her run as it seemed to take a toll on her. What a great experience to do a race like this! In other races I've been in, it's all about yourself. You either achieve or fail by yourself. In a relay, you really help each other and support each other in a way you just don't get in any other kind of race. It really builds lasting friendships and I'm so glad that I did this. I will definitely do this again next year and preferably with the same group of people we went with this year. It was a true pleasure!Here are all the pictures.
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