In spite of my lack of desire to run at the time of the relay, I packed up my parents' Honda Pilot and traveled to Southern Utah with a few friends. Since I was part of the second vehicle, we decided to spend the night in Provo and head down that morning. We met up with our teammates around 10am and quickly joined the party. I didn't realize how much fun we would have cheering one another on and supporting one another as a team. We survived blistering heat, rain and hail, frigid temperatures, and a few miscues between the two teams. My first run was right when the storm subsided. It was a bit chilly at 10,000+ feet but it made for an easier uphill run. I felt energized and excited for the next run.
We made it into Cedar City, passed off the baton to the other team, and grabbed a bite to eat. I tried to grab a bit of sleep but it was too light and a former student saw my Facebook check-in and wanted to see me. These two girls met me at the SUU campus and we caught up on life. It really was fun to see these girls grownup and doing well. An hour later we were off again. My next run was another uphill route but I had trained for hills so nothing I couldn't handle. It was weird running through the mountains with no one around me. We were close to the Mountain Meadows Massacre site and it was a bit spooky knowing the background of that story. After I was finished, I continued driving while everyone else slept except the runner who was out at the time. I did miss our runner once because I fell asleep but we we found him at the next check point.
Finally we were off to Washington to the last checkpoint, which happened to be at the local rec center. I found a lounge chair by the pool and grabbed an hour or two of sleep. Around 6:30am, we were off again ready to finish the last 38 miles. My last leg was extremely hard for me. I had a couple of large, rolling hills and the heat was setting in. I was getting discouraged but was able to push through by remembering an email from my boss: Just take it one step at a time. (I really do have a great boss!) After one last push, I handed the baton off to my teammate. I was finished!
The last few hours of running just got hotter. I felt bad for my teammates. We stopped more frequently and offered water to all the runners who passed us not just our own. We finally met up with the first vehicle and ran the last 50 yards together. Such an accomplishment! It required a very different mental endurance than any of my half-marathons. I enjoyed my night run and the beautiful scenery during the day. Simply breathtaking!
On Monday when my boss asked me about the relay I replied, "It was fun, in a sadistic sort of way." I still believe that. It required a physical and mental toughness that I thrive on. Even though I hadn't had a good training schedule between my July half-marathon and the Red Rock, I felt such a sense of accomplishment. I'm up for another one if any of you ever need a teammate.
I brought my camera hoping to snap a shot or two. My teammates went camera crazy and took over 500 pictures! I've posted a few of them here but if you want to see a a lot more of them, then visit my Facebook page. For those who are looking for cheap therapy, I recommend running. It's been a lifesaver for me.
1 comment:
I am sooooo jealous. I did the Ragnar (way back in the day before everyone and their dog did it) and it was one of the funnest things I have ever done. Ever.
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