Team TNF at the finish
It's been quite a while since my legs have been so sore that I've struggled to walk. I'd forgotten how rewarding it feels! Usually it takes racing a marathon, or an extremely fast long run, to really damage your legs to a serious extent. The Relay managed to take me to this point.
Over this past weekend I joined eleven other teammates in running 199mi from Calistoga to Santa Cruz. With 36 legs being split among a dozen of us, we gradually wound our way down the coast one leg at a time. Since most have us, including myself, have never done anything like this before it was bound to be an interesting experience. None of us were disappointed. My first leg was an absolute bitch, so much so that I would almost not call it running. The first 3mi encompassed 1300ft of climbing straight to the top of a beautiful country road, after which time I got to scramble down 5inches of steep, mud soaked trails for the next 4mi and it was only after 7mi that I really got to stride out and run comfortably at a solid pace until the handoff at 9mi. Having estimated what would usually have been a comfortable 6:30 pace, I was having to push harder than expected right out of the gates, which pretty much set the tone for the rest of the event.
I have to admit that the idea of spending 28hrs, cooped up in a van with 5 other runners, little to no sleep, and a lot of running left me not really knowing what to expect. However, our team could not possible have gelled any better! Every single photo that I took displays a huge grin of contentment, joy, and and pride on the face of every single individual. Sometimes serious, often goofy, but always optimistic, the six of us proceeded to take over, run, and hand off to our teammates throughout the night until the other half-dozen runners in Van 1 came in to relieve us for a while with their 6 legs. Not even the persistent rain could dampen our spirits.
Despite the after-pain, sleep-deprived and thoroughly basket-case Monday we had, there was not one of us who was not planning on running again next year. It is amazing how events like this can create bonding experiences like no other and it seems like the tougher the challenge, the closer you get. Once I can run again, I'll get back to the business of marathon training, but in the interim I plan on thoroughly enjoying the pain-induced satisfaction that only comes from giving everything you have to give.
Over this past weekend I joined eleven other teammates in running 199mi from Calistoga to Santa Cruz. With 36 legs being split among a dozen of us, we gradually wound our way down the coast one leg at a time. Since most have us, including myself, have never done anything like this before it was bound to be an interesting experience. None of us were disappointed. My first leg was an absolute bitch, so much so that I would almost not call it running. The first 3mi encompassed 1300ft of climbing straight to the top of a beautiful country road, after which time I got to scramble down 5inches of steep, mud soaked trails for the next 4mi and it was only after 7mi that I really got to stride out and run comfortably at a solid pace until the handoff at 9mi. Having estimated what would usually have been a comfortable 6:30 pace, I was having to push harder than expected right out of the gates, which pretty much set the tone for the rest of the event.
I have to admit that the idea of spending 28hrs, cooped up in a van with 5 other runners, little to no sleep, and a lot of running left me not really knowing what to expect. However, our team could not possible have gelled any better! Every single photo that I took displays a huge grin of contentment, joy, and and pride on the face of every single individual. Sometimes serious, often goofy, but always optimistic, the six of us proceeded to take over, run, and hand off to our teammates throughout the night until the other half-dozen runners in Van 1 came in to relieve us for a while with their 6 legs. Not even the persistent rain could dampen our spirits.
Despite the after-pain, sleep-deprived and thoroughly basket-case Monday we had, there was not one of us who was not planning on running again next year. It is amazing how events like this can create bonding experiences like no other and it seems like the tougher the challenge, the closer you get. Once I can run again, I'll get back to the business of marathon training, but in the interim I plan on thoroughly enjoying the pain-induced satisfaction that only comes from giving everything you have to give.
My new friend Sara handing off on my final leg. I really wasn't sure if I was going to make this one, but somehow your body always remembers how to run at the right pace and I stayed right on track despite the pain in my calves and two vicous final miles.
Home for 30+ hours...
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