I woke up yesterday ready! I was beyond excited to be part of a team that would collectively run 26.3 miles. We were in the trails of Letchworth State Park and the course elevation was insane. Combined with roots, 90 degree weather and the humidity level, this sure was going to be a very interesting day! The buzz of this race started for me last year, when James took on the challenge of running this as a marathon. I'll never forget the feeling of him crossing that finish line and supporting him at each checkpoint. The buzz in the air was amazing and I was stoked to actually be running it this time around.
Ralph started us out strong. He conquered that leg and everything that was thrown at him. He came out of the woods with a smile on his face and set the tone for the rest of the day. I'm so glad he was on our team. He knows the entire race route, and was key in helping us strategically place our runner order. We had a conversation about the Segahunda race last fall, and it was that conversation that fueled my desire to do this relay race! I was honored to have Ralph be part of our team.
James ran the second leg. It was the longest in distance and would secure the chance that our team had enough time to finish the race before cut-off. James is two weeks away from his second trail marathon. He's in great shape. He was actually supposed to run 12 miles yesterday (per his training plan) but he said "If I run a hard 9, it will be equivalent to the 12 in distance I need". I'm sure he was eating those words during the 90 degree heat we endured yesterday!
After James, it was Pina's turn to carry the torch. I knew prior to the start that nerves were getting the best of her.
She was a little shaky when we saw her at her first checkpoint, 2 miles in.
After a quick pep-talk from the team (including a reminder of the flower in her hair, and the goal to go follow a guy with nice calves), she seemed way more confident to go back out in the woods. We saw her again a little later and boy did she look AWESOME. A quick water break and piece of watermelon was all she needed and she went back in for the final part of her leg. And then, It was my turn!
As runner 4, I had the coolest job of crossing our timing bib through the finish line. I wasn't as nervous as I could have been. I previewed this course a few weeks ago. Even though I saw it in a different way, it held away many of the butterflies that would have been in my stomach. Because I ran this route backwards during the preview, I had less elevation gain, not to mention there was no humidity and it wasn't the hottest day of the year.
As I stood there, waiting to see Pina float out from the wilderness I had so many things racing inside my mind. Did I drink enough water beforehand? Did I eat enough? Did I have to pee again or was it just nerves? Were we going to see Pina smiling and strong or did a snake swallow her up whole and she'd be gone forever? Crazy-scared-excitement flew through my body and the moment I was waiting for all day was about to happen. A light rain fell over us as clouds covered up that exhausting sun we'd been enduring all day. It was a brief break for everyone I think... which felt calming and exactly what I needed. Soon Pina flew out of the woods and I was off.
My leg started off downhill... and not to long into it, I noticed the "nervous pee feeling" was actually real. I went off the course for a few seconds, took care of that issue, and continued on. Rocks filled the center of this slope and it seemed easier to run on the side. Watching others pass me up and down was pretty inspiring. I was running right beside people doing the full marathon. People ... who had been out there all day... experiencing these conditions and weather.
"Great Job" ..."You can do this"... filled the silence as runners passed by. It was an awesome feeling watching the encouragement everyone had for one another. I was humbled when they returned those encouraging words back to me! Me... a runner that only had a small fraction of distance ahead... when they had been running 22+ miles already.
When parts of my leg got tough, I looked around and took in the beautiful scenery. I tried to ignore the heat and the fact it took way longer to acclimate to it. I walked when I needed to and pushed myself to run more than I may have wanted to at times. As I fought off the bugs and the negative thoughts, I reminded myself that this is one of the reasons why running is so crazy cool and I'm living through it right now.
As a runner, you can only control so much. You can follow a training plan. Run the distance you need to. Eat right. Get comfortable on whatever terrain is needed..etc... BUT, there is one thing you can't control. The environment. Whatever elements you are faced with on race day... are the elements you run in!
As I approached the gravel road up the hill, I tapped into the words Ralph told me right before I took off. "Walk a few steps before, catch your breath and then run to the finish". And I did just that. I saw that gravel road coming up to the end of the greenway. I took one last breath and started the trek up the road. Seeing my kids, James, Ralph, Pina and the rest of the friends in this awesome running community, felt AMAZING! I turned the corner and sprinted to the finish line.
I couldn't have asked to on a better team! What a great day!
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