Park2Park Relay: Race Report Part 3

So I never got around to writing this post last night. I fell asleep in my work clothes around 8:20 and never got up again!

You might be wondering why my first picture is of the mini van. Well, I didn't have a single  picture of me on my 3rd leg of the race, so I decided I would just post a picture with my name. For my 3rd leg you are just going to have to use your imagination (picture me as someone much skinnier than I really am:) My third leg started in some park. I didn't realize I was going to have any trail running on this leg, and so I was a little surprised when the volunteer told me which direction I was going to be running once Ryan tagged me. The trail part was very short and just lead up to the main street, but I did at one point stop on the trail and make sure I was still going the correct way b/c there were no markings. Someone was running behind me so I figured I must be right or at least won't be lost alone so I kept going. Once on the road it was a straight 3 miles until the next exchange. A straight 3 miles in 90+ degree weather with no shade, no clouds and what, at the time, seemed like never ending hills. I really thought I was going to have to walk on this leg... but I didn't. My overall pace for my 3rd and final leg of this race was 7:48/mile. I was thrilled to be done and be able to just enjoy watching my friends finish there last run. Pressure was off me::))

Here we are on Lisa's final run.

Here Lisa is giving us the thumbs up sign. Doing awesome.

Here she is rounding the corner to her finish where she will tag Jacque. You see that huge smile on her face. She is loving this but totally happy to be done with her run. I guess it was .3miles longer than it said it would be so that last little bit was torture when you look down at your garmin and think you should be done.

Jacque is running and Amy and Jaime are standing in the street screaming for her. Goooo Jacque!!

Here she is looking amazing!

Now before Jaime started her last leg she had asked me to run the last mile of it with her and under NO circumstances let her walk. She was really worried that if she did it alone she would give up and walk. I told her I could do that. Here is a picture of her starting her leg. Jacque...time to stop.

This I think was when we pulled the van up to her and Jacque got out and gave her some water to dump on herself and ran up a hill with her.

Here was where I think I asked Jaime if she wanted me to run with her but she was doing great all on her own and feeling much better than she thought she would. She didn't need me after all.

I will throw in another picture of her near the end just to prove she NEVER walked. She rocked this last leg despite the heat and hills.

Jaime's running for the day was over and Amy was starting her last run. While waiting at this exchange I could hear the volunteers talking about how EMS was called for a runner. I thought..that stinks for that person but then let that thought go.

Here is Amy running down a gravel road with dust flying in her face from all the cars driving along it at the same time. Ryan is giving her the big thumbs up as he is ready to enter McCloud Park finish this relay out. His run was all trail with lots of vertical climbs. No problem!!

Here we are waiting to direct him to the finish line. While there are no pictures our entire team crossed the finish line together. We completed 63 miles in 8:28:40. That was an overall pace of 7:50/mile. We took 4th place for the open division. AWESOME.

Such a cute picture of Jaime

May I present the ROAD RUNNERS!!! Such an incredible group of of people. Such a fun day!!! So proud of this team. 

 Here is a picture of Clark so that alone tells you he was not the runner who went to the hospital during the race. His text to me after his final run was, "7:19 pace on the last leg. Too hot!!!!"  What I learned when we hooked up right before the final exchange was that it was in fact someone on his team who got so dehydrated that he was taken by ambulance to the ER where his blood pressure was scary low and creatinine scary high. He got IV fluids and some other tests for good measure and ended up having to stay overnight. That heat was NO joke!!! His team continued on after taking care of their teammate. They never did catch us (which was our main goal for the day). They finished their race in 8:02:40 for an average pace of 7:26/mile. They were second in the corporate division.  Like a good team should do they all went to the ER after the race and paid their friend a visit and gave him his medal. His teammate is now fine and rehydrated:)

 As for the Ultra man, Keith......here he is finishing his race looking a little like death but still moving! Kind of crazy that we were actually finishing at the same time. I guess that staggered start really worked.

Here his is trying after 56 miles to run it in across the finish line. You can see from the clock in the picture it took him 10:21 to finish. He was FIRST in the ULTRA division (by a LONG shot). So proud of you Keith!! His running and determination to push his limits never cease to amaze me. 

 Here he is again looking a little like death while his children play in the background. I think he said he lost 6 pounds during his run. He could have used an IV at this point but there wasn't one so he settled for Gatorade (at least that is what the picture shows). I know he was in a lot of pain that night but quickly recovered and by the following day was already out running a 2 mile recovery run! INSANE is his middle name.

This will probably go down as one of my all time favorite races EVER. I loved the group of people I got to hang out with all day. I loved having a team and being part of something again. I love to race and loved that this was something different that I had never done. Obviously if I could have changed the weather I would have, but having survived it and doing fairly well in comparison, it gives us bragging rights and stuff to talk about.  If you like to run...do this race. Get your friends together and make a day of it. If you don't have enough... give a complete stranger a chance b/c if they are a runner like yourself, you will likely get along just fine. Amy was a perfect addition to our team. Huge thanks to all the volunteers who helped make this day such a wonderful experience. Huge thanks to Ryan, Jaime, Jacque, Lisa and Amy for allowing me to be part of such a fabulous team and giving me a day I will never forget!!