5:30pm – Just woke up from a comfortable rest in an absolutely fabulous “cabin”. It’s more like a wondrous chalet in the clouds. But let’s talk about legs 1-6 and 6-12
5:41am – The first leg kicked off with Lonnie, ex-marine and all around funny guy leading the way followed by Sean, Chris, Ann, and Emily. I confess now that I know little about the specifics of what is happening during van one’s legs, but needless to say they are all running fast and doing great. Legs 1-4 were pretty level with gradual inclines, but legs 5 and 6 were starting to get pretty steep and damn it’s getting hot. I didn’t sign up for hot. My old man says to me, “Ben, it’s because we’re so much closer to the sun.” Thank you Captain Obvious.
9:00am – Runners (7 – 12) all meet up to ride to the first check point at Livermore High School. The anticipation is killing me. I get all nervous when before a race, some butterflies but more heart racing and dry mouth. My leg (7) can’t get here fast enough. All the runners are in good spirits and the camaraderie is fantastic. Such a tight click and great people; I couldn’t have been luckier to get asked to participate. If you get a chance to run this, do it, but I digress.
9:30am – We thought I would be running by now but leg 6 was very hard and very hot. Van one joins us and is talking about how much harder it is than they expected. Damn. Sean comes up to me, with some spreadsheet to tell me my anticipated time. Sean is an excellent runner, and very prepared. He came with a plan to meet our times. On the other hand, I had no idea how my body was going to handle the altitude, but it didn’t really seem to matter. I was thinking around 27:00 minutes for 3.7 miles would be a strong time. He says 24:30 is my projected time, I about shit myself right there but that’s Ann’s forte. So I have to get away. I pace and stretch, pace and stretch and walk to the exchange zone. My Dad, Ruby, my nephews, Jack and Alex, are all there to cheer us on. I get the word that they can see Emily. I get ready…and I’m off. Like a jackrabbit into the thin air it feels good but again, damn it is hot. My first leg (7) is downhill for 1.85 down and 1.85 up. If I can get a good cushion I will be okay. My lungs are burning but my legs feel good, I see the one mile sign and know this one is almost in the bag. I make the exchange in 23:10, pretty fast, but I’m burning up. I make my way to the van, find out sweaty runners get shotgun (sweet), and on we go. Awesome.
10:00am to 2:30pm – Leg 8 starts good as Todd pounds it out and gets in right where he needs to be. The finish is an uphill and he makes the exchange. You know he is glad to be done and we all laugh because he walks right by us and lays on the ground. He gives us the, “don’t talk to me, leave me alone look" and we all keep our distance. He managed to only get passed once and passed three people. He said if he’s not passed once per leg it’s not the Wild West Relay.
Leg 9 –April takes this one and she has a pretty hard hill right off the bat, but she hustles along and makes a good time. She is much more jovial and pleasant than our previous runner at the finish. She has a few hard legs to go on this relay but she seems like pretty serious runner. April stepped up and took Colleen’s spot after her injury. Anything she brings to the table is a bonus and she is a very capable replacement.
Leg 10 - is Laura Lightning and it’s around five miles straight uphill. She is a trooper, it’s hot, and we’ve been having scattered rains. She makes it in a fantastic time and makes the exchange with a big smile on her face. Colleen told us that Laura has a tendency to get very red but not too worry she’s okay and not dying. Whew. We are waiting this time at the Boy Scout exchange. They have Gatorade Snow cones and a fully stocked aid station. Hands down the best aid station so far and we give them our consideration for best aid station but we shall see.
Leg 11 - is Kara and she runs like a deer. Literally, we call her our little deer or “prancer” works as well. Nice and loose with her hands dangling from her sides she strides away. We pull off at mile 2.2 so we can see if she needs anything. It was raining pretty hard and earlier she said she might cry and need a tissue from all the emotion of running. This lady is hilarious and provides the levity we need. She spends more time talking about what she might need to do before each leg than she does running but good God it’s great. We make it to the next exchange and wait for Kara. She runs in smiling and hands off to Beth. We are almost to our first rest break.
Leg 12 - is Beth and it’s 2.5 miles straight downhill. It’s funny how the universe seems to make things equal because it might be easy but the rain is a “gully washer” and over her last half mile it starts to hail. Mountain weather is radical. While we are waiting at the exchange zone, this tiny little thing comes sprinting in from another team and looks like she is running a 400 meter dash. You can tell that her appearance is much more important than her performance but hey you do what you can. I mean I have great hair. We all look at her and laugh. Beth rolls in and we made good time as a group almost hitting all of our times. Beth tells us she could hear that girl about to pass her and said hello but the runner didn’t even say hi. She had a terminator like disposition and was all business not even eye contact, she was obviously taking this way to serious. We hear that Chris has managed to get a ticket in van two and we have a laugh at that one too. I am having so much fun I have almost forgot I have to run 8.8 miles from 7400 feet to 9200 feet. It is the hardest leg in the race and I’m nervous, but we roll into Crystal Lakes and hit the cabin. We get our grub on and catch some zzz’s, then six pm rolls around and we are out the door to meet up at the next exchange.
Previously Mentioned Traffic Ticket – So someone on our team texts Ann to let them know we are almost at the finish of our last leg. They hadn’t estimated we might run at our paces, or you could say they think we are slow, so they were all lying around and resting. Ann managed to quickly bring it to van one’s attention that they need to hall balls and they pack up quickly and leave. Where they were staying was the cabin I mentioned earlier and it’s in a private community about a half hour from the exchange zone. Chris hops behind the wheel and gives it hell. The roads are dirt and bumpy and Chris is probably driving too fast but whatever, there is a race to get to. Well, right when they are about to get to the entrance of Chrystal Lakes there is a security hut. This is where the trap has been laid. Deputy Dick and his sidekick Barney clock Chris coming through. The sidekick walks out and holds up a stop sign, kind of like you see in road construction. Chris blows right past him but decides to stop down the road. He rolls down his window and Chris says, “Did you need something?”
“Yep, I need you to drive back here to my vehicle so I can give you a ticket,” says Deputy Dick. Chris obliges and drives back.
“What’s your name and where are you staying?”
“Do you need my license?”
“Nope.” At this point it could go one of two ways. You say your name is Bob Jones and you are staying at the Johnson place and give the address or you tell them who you really are. Chris chose the latter and rightly so. He was in a hurry to get out of there and the time it might take to banter on with the Deputy here isn’t worth it. Plus since it’ not a “real” ticket and more like a bill all he is out is some cash.
“Any more of you guys that I should know about up here?” Chris asks the Deputy. While in retrospect this was Chris trying to be funny and the van was cut up, but I just don’t think the Deputy found the humor in it. Anyway, his answer was no.
2:35pm Leg 13 – Lonnie just took over from Beth and is looking at Dead Man’s Hill, pouring down rain, and no running for three weeks prior to the race. Lonnie has a bad knee that has kept him from training for the past three weeks. It was put not so subtly to him to suck it up and don’t be an ass, you are running. The ladies tell it like it is. Come to find out later, he was about a mile in and the van passed him while he was muddling through the madness. The hail was pounding down and about two inches deep on the windshield so Chris decided to go back and see if he was okay. To Lonnie, the cavalry had arrived. He was able to hop in the van and get a ten minute reprieve. His bald dome was getting blasted and he said it was starting to hurt.
3:45pm to 10:30pm Legs 14 to 18 – These are some of the longest mileage legs of the relay. Ten and eleven miles are the average and they are in Larimer River Valley which is very windy and cold. We have left our wonderful cabin and are attempting to catch up with the other van. We pop in Office Space on the DVD player and roll down the roads. We are about an hour from where we need to be and Beth whispers something to Colleen who is driving. None of us know what she said but by the rate which Colleen accelerates I’m sure it was something like, “can you please drive faster.” The next corner is rounded with us sliding around the bend. I prefer to just get there but why not get there fast.
We catch up with the group at the exchange between 15 and 16. Amazingly our paranoia of being late was missed place so we are around two hours early. Great, that means extra time for me to think about what lies ahead. Van two is doing well time wise but we are kind of worried about how they feel. They appear more uncomfortable than we do. It could be the fact we have a plethora of snacks and food, a very low key vibe, and a laid back group of people. They are running low on water, have ate all there snacks and are generally worked over. We indulge them and drive off to the next exchange zone. On the way there the scenery is fantastic. The sun is setting, the wildlife is all over, an antelope runs across the road, and we are all just feeling at peace. We look off to our right and see a rainbow. Not a double rainbow but, “oh man wow………” is how we are feeling. Kara looks off to the left and says, “oh my God is that snow on that mountain?” Actually no, it’s a white cloud against the dark setting sky. We all die laughing. Holy shit, that mountain would have been like Everest but in Kara’s mind she was more worried about all the potential snow. A classic line, for a classic race provided by our very own prancer, Kara might get worked up about things and be a little wacky but she has nothing but love for all of us.
10:00pm – Exchange zone. We meet up with van one and wait for Emily to come in. We are all getting kind of amped up for our second legs. Van one is getting excited to be done and ready to get some sleep. Both groups are hanging out and chit chatting discussing how everyone feels and expectations for the rest of the race. All the while, Kara has about three to four hours before her next leg but you would think she is up next. She is buzzing around asking if she should eat, should she rest, can she pee, is it okay to get some coffee. As she sits there questioning the group, Chris has decided to put an end to it. “Kara, calm the f*&K down.” We all erupt in laughter and decide then that next year we have a new team name. “Everyone calm the f*&K down.” Perfect.
10:30pm – Leg 19 is 8.8 miles uphill the entire way. I’m not joking. I start at 7400 feet and end at 9200 feet. It’s pretty brutal as I head out and keep wondering if it’s ever going to get easier. The answer is no. I have my leg maps memorized and I know it doesn’t get flat but I can only hope things change. There is a saying about not going into a dark alley alone, which is similar to your brain. The strange and bizarre things you can think up while you are by yourself on a mountain road, surrounded by darkness, with nothing around but your thoughts, is fairly astounding. This is the first and only time that I get passed during the race. An ultra-marathon team runner and two high school kids pass by quickly and quietly. I keep plugging away and am praying to see the one mile to go sign. The solace and comfort every runner takes in seeing that sign is wild. When you get to that point you know the pain is almost over and nothing will stop you then. Unfortunately, the persistent head wind I was running into blew the sign over so by the time I realize I’m not going to see it the exchange zone is in sight. Who cares, I run in and pass to Todd and thank God right there that one is over. Around nine miles in 76 minutes, not too shabby.
12:00am – Leg 20 Todd has a fairly flat leg but it is at altitude and it is midnight, not your typical running time but not your typical race. We get to the exchange zone and at this point the team is more likely to hang out in the van between runners than get out and cheer. Plus it’s kind of cold and windy, and it’s late for all of us, but I already ran so I feel obligated to get out and support. As he hands off to April he asks what his time was. Around 40 minutes for four miles. He is pissed. He says he felt like he was really going hard and fast and the time must be wrong. As much as I would like the clock to be wrong, no such luck. The darkness makes you feel like you are really moving sometimes but hey he finished, his time was fine and we are on the road again. We are all our own worst critics and we can be too hard on ourselves sometimes, many lessons are there to be learned on this race if we are open to them. Once we hit the van he asks me how many shooting stars I saw during my run. I just laugh. I thought he was joking, but I tell him zero, I didn’t look up once, I was in pain and it was all I could do to just look down. Next time, I will take more time to look around.
12:40am – Leg 21 is April; this run starts uphill and then rolls a bit. The finish is downhill and she can cruise in and feel good. She pounds out a good time and managed to see a few shooting stars. It’s around 1:45am and she hands off to Laura. In the van she tells us she screamed out loud a few times when she was passed. Many times runners will say, “Passing on your right” as they prepare to pass you but a few times the runners just blaze by you like thief in the night and can startle you pretty good. April said she literally screamed out loud each time. She also said she is starting to get a little loopy which is true considering she has called Laura, Emily repeatedly as we go along.
1:30am – Leg 22 Laura Lightning on the course again and she has a pretty good uphill road to run. It’s really late in the evening or early in the morning and we are all getting a little fatigued and loopy considering. She has a leg of around six miles and her goal is to come in under an hour. She comes in smiling again and is happy to be done. We all know we can get some rest after these legs but more importantly we each have only one leg left after this section and then it’s all over.
2:30am – Leg 23 Kara is at it again. She has a little over four miles and only has one real uphill to deal with at the end. The organizer of this event likes to put a little pain on you right at the end just so everyone suffers. An equal opportunity sadist. For all the fretting Kara put in before this leg started you would think she would be a wreck but the running calms the nerves and puts the fears at bay. We stop a couple times in her run to make sure she is okay and see if she needs anything. She gives us the okay with a wave and a smile each time we ask so we tell her we will meet her at the end.
3:30am – Leg 24 Beth is our anchor for all of our sections and she has a four miler to end this section. She gets the handoff or high-five and heads out into the night. The end of our sections are fun because we get to meet up with van one, exchange pleasantries and go get some rest. This time, Beth and Colleen are the only two who get out of the van. We are all pretty tired and know that our hotel is located about a half mile away right in Walden, CO. I must confess, my team has done this race before and made reservations for a hotel and arranged the cabin as our rest area breaks. Most teams are sleeping in vans or on the side of the road but nowhere in the rules does it say you can’t take advantage of modern amenities and we do just such. So we hit the hotel some take showers and some of us just hit the pillows. I have never fallen asleep so fast in my life and I am in dreamland before my eyes are shut. Seriously.
6:00am – I actually have the schedule to sleep longer but when I opened my eyes its daylight outside and I am immediately awake. You know when you wake up and you are convinced you overslept, I had that moment. Actually, I have about a couple of hours before we have to leave so I shower and walk over to the shell station to get a Rockstar and a banana, which has been my prerace meal for quite some time now. The sun is slowly starting to creep up with just a little dew on the ground. It’s a brisk fifty degrees outside compared to my usually blazing 85 degree mornings in KC. The rest of the gang is one by one taking showers and starting to stir. I am almost done with said Rockstar and banana and managed to finish a couple pages of this blog when it’s time to go to breakfast.
7:30am - As we head out the door we get a text from Lonnie informing us that they are on schedule and would like some cold beers waiting for them at the next van exchange. When they complete these legs all that will be left for van one is waiting for us to get to the end so we can all cross the finish line together. We make our way over to the local café so the rest of the team can get their grub on. I come along but will be passing on breakfast due to my championship diet I already partook in. After our order is taken Beth and I head out for our beer run. As we enter the Shell Station, we are greeted with a “hello ladies” from the woman behind the counter. I reply with my best baritone “hello” but she is unaffected. We buy about a case worth of assorted goodness and head to the counter. “What are you ladies up to this morning?” Beth is doing her best not to crack up but replies, “we are in the Wild West Relay and he has to run next.” Not so much as a “oh sorry sir forgive me” she just looks at me and smiles. Crap I guess I have to get a haircut, unless I am just a very pretty man.
Legs 25 – 30 Are just a little behind schedule but completed and all the while they get watch a beautiful Colorado sunrise.
9:30am – We hook up with van one at the final group exchanged and Emily is about half an hour out. Plenty of time for me to get ready and stretched out. For the first time, since the race started my legs are slightly fatigued and that could be problematic. Leg 31 is Rabbit Ear Pass, one of the most talked about legs. The starting elevation is around 8400 feet and summits at Rabbit Ear Pass located on the Continental Divide and 9450 feet. It’s only 5.7 miles with two flat miles to start and then a pretty sharp grade to the top. Don’t take pity on me, I asked for the hard legs and the team was happy to oblige. For my last leg I busted out my favorite running gear. Adidas Marathon 10’s with the florescent yellow highlights, Banzai socks pulled up to my knees, blue shorts, Beer Run team shirt covered by an orange safety vest, American flag banana folded as a headband, and samurai pony tail pulled back on the top of my head. You gotta let the freak flag fly every once in awhile and what better time than my last leg. I talk to my sister and she estimates an hour long leg. With the grade and altitude I will be lucky to hit ten minute miles. I concur.
10:12am – Leg 31 starts with Emily coming into the runner exchange crying and about to hit the wall. She is hot, tired, feels sick, and the icing on the cake occurs when she breaks her iPod as she drops it when high-fiving me. I take off at what feel like a sluggish pace, my thighs aren’t feeling very good and I can’t up my stride turnover. I settle in and decide I won’t push the flat first two miles to save it for the inclined final four. I have been trying to catch two runners in front of me and as I am about twenty yard behind they reach highway 40. You have to have one of the race marshals clear you to cross and they are flagged through right away. As I approach, a line of cars from the North and South appear and I have to stand on the side for about a minute. In retrospect I think this is the best thing that could have happened. When I am able to cross I already feel better, my legs are feeling good and my spirits are high, only four more miles and my portion of this race is over. SWEET JESUS! I manage to get going and my Dad appears driving down the road he yells some encouragement and the usual “go faster” and I keep it up. He turns around, drives ahead, and pulls over. He runs over to my side of the highway and ready’s himself for some pictures. At this point I have passed one guy and have taken off my shirt only rocking the reflective vest on the top. He snaps some hot pics, wishes me well and is off to the top. I am feeling pretty strong and have a runner from team Pretty Hot Doctors in my sights. I stride up to her, run side by side for a moment, tell her good job, and then move ahead. Then like an oasis in the desert, I see the one mile to go sign. Incredible, I thought I had a few miles left and as I glance at my watch I realize I have ten minutes to break fifty minutes. That means I am going to run around an 8:15 mile or so. I manage to pass another runner who informs me his legs have quit on him and I surprise my team who wasn’t expecting me so soon. Todd runs up to the exchange and I do my best to kick in a strong finish. I cross the line in around 49 minutes to high-fives, way-to-go’s, and some pats on the back. It feels so good to be done but the sense of accomplishment and happiness that I made my expected times and didn’t let anyone down fill me with contentment. The fear of failure is a motivating factor in my life and I’m glad I was able to uphold my end of the bargain. Also, my baby girl, Ruby, is at the top waiting as well and she gives me a big hug and say’s, “I love you”. It’s been a good run.
11:00am – Leg 32 ends with Todd charging in hard. He started with a rolling hill and then back down for a few miles. He managed to find a running partner with one to go and holds on with her for the last part in. He passed off to April who is ready to get this thing done. Todd informs us that he is ready for a beer, and shortly thereafter another. At this point it is a needed rewarded.
11:40am – Leg 33 starts with a rough uphill and down, another slight uphill and then fast down. We came up one side of the mountain and have to go down the other to arrive in Steamboat. People think running downhill is easy but it hurts your toes and puts a lot of stress on your knees and hips. An hour later April is in done and happy. By this point our families are starting to make their way up to the checkpoints to cheer us in and see their loved ones. I think between the twelve team members there must be twenty kids. It’s awesome and the example being set by everyone is something you wish you would see from all walks of life. Next up, one of our speedsters, Laura Lightning.
12:40pm Leg 34 – Laura lives up to the name, which she gave to herself when she found out I was writing a blog. This is a wicked downhill with around with an elevation loss of around 1800 feet. That may sound appealing but it’s getting really hot, you can’t have van support in these last legs and running down hill is a real challenge. She tells us she would like to be at the exchange between 40 and 50 minutes. That would be either an 8 minute pace or a 10 minute pace due to the five mile distance. She comes across in 39:50. Lightning has struck, damn girl that’s a sub 8 minute mile and she is putting in some good work. She comes in prancing like a ballerina, you can see the happiness and relief with the knowledge that she is done. She and Kara nail a double jump high-five and we are down to the final two.
1:20pm Leg 35 – 4.3 miles almost all flat or downhill. This should be a piece of cake but Kara has no water bottle to run with and is pretty worn out. She takes off well and we pass her with about one mile and she gives us her, I’m okay smile and wave. Thankfully, Sean shows up with around two miles left and gets out and runs with her for almost the next two miles, he passes her a Gatorade which she chugs and a water to pour on her head. It is around 85ish, this is hot for this part of the country and these mountain dwellers can’t take the heat as well as us flatlanders. It might be the only advantage I had coming into this race. Dan, April’s husband, goes out and shows up at our van with smoothies for the six of us. A very thoughtful and appreciated move, if I didn’t say thank you enough, Dan you were a godsend. At this point the majority of the kids have gathered at the final exchange to cheer Beth on for her final leg and congratulate Kara. It’s a pretty memorable scene.
2:00pm Leg 36 – 5.0 miles and it’s not a cakewalk finish. It hot down in Steamboat and she’s running on an open, mixed use paved trail. I can only imagine what the daily exercisers are thinking when they pass these struggling, hot runners who look like the ass end of creation and just want the pain to stop. There is a pretty good grade for the last few miles and she is behind a few teams that we want to pass, Pretty Hot Doctors, More Cowbell, Embrace the Suck, and Drinkers with a Running Problem. Creativity is not lacking in the naming conventions during these races and as I mentioned before, Everybody Calm the F*&K Down just might be our moniker next year. Like a vision at Magigoria, we see Beth about two hundred meters away and the celebration is about to begin. Beth managed to pass Pretty Hot Doctors and More Cowbell our triumph is nearly complete.
Finish – 2:52pm By this point we have been running for 33:12:14 about 10:00 minutes a mile for 200 miles. We all met with Beth and ran the last 100 meters together and crossed as a group. It is finally over and some strong emotions swept over me but I actually managed to keep them in. We get our medals and meal tickets and have an impromptu picnic. The kids are going crazy running around everywhere being themselves and having a blast. One kid didn’t make it from the condo and it caused fifteen minutes of madness but his parents went back and got him and rejoined us for our final group picture. Later on as I’m getting ready to pack up and leave with my old man, Jan, and Ruby, Lonnie says to me, “You’re not missing any kids are you. You better take a tally. Did I say that out loud?” Man, pour some salt on the wound Lonnie, nice parting shot.
There was one final story I wanted to tell involving a bee, a womanly like freak out by Sean, a fast acting Ann to capture and rid the van of said bee, and Sean pleading for Chris to pull over and Lonnie telling Chris, “keep driving”. That my friends, was van one.
The memories from this race will last me a lifetime. I got to know ten people I had never met before and consider them friends. I spent over thirty hours in tight quarters with six people, including my sister, whom with I would run again with any day. The rigors and pain that come with this relay have only enforced my sense of accomplishment and mental toughness that is a trait of all of my teammates. Life teaches us lessons when we are open to take them in and this relay was chock full of learning experiences. I can say with confidence, I have memories that will last a lifetime, friends that I will never forget, and a sweet bib number and medal to hang in my garage.
I would like to say thanks to the race organizer, the countless volunteers, (Boy Scouts you got our vote for best aid station), supporters, friends and family who gave up their time to watch our kids, follow us on the road, and give us shelter. Without your help, we couldn’t have done any of this and a big thank you is necessary.
To my teammates, thanks for cheering me on, keeping the mood light, and not being van one. I will remember you forever. 5:30pm – Just woke up from a comfortable rest in an absolutely fabulous “cabin”. It’s more like a wondrous chalet in the clouds. But let’s talk about legs 1-6 and 6-12
5:41am – The first leg kicked off with Lonnie, ex-marine and all around funny guy leading the way followed by Sean, Chris, Ann, and Emily. I confess now that I know little about the specifics of what is happening during van one’s legs, but needless to say they are all running fast and doing great. Legs 1-4 were pretty level with gradual inclines, but legs 5 and 6 were starting to get pretty steep and damn it’s getting hot. I didn’t sign up for hot. My old man says to me, “Ben, it’s because we’re so much closer to the sun.” Thank you Captain Obvious.
9:00am – Runners (7 – 12) all meet up to ride to the first check point at Livermore High School. The anticipation is killing me. I get all nervous when before a race, some butterflies but more heart racing and dry mouth. My leg (7) can’t get here fast enough. All the runners are in good spirits and the camaraderie is fantastic. Such a tight click and great people; I couldn’t have been luckier to get asked to participate. If you get a chance to run this, do it, but I digress.
9:30am – We thought I would be running by now but leg 6 was very hard and very hot. Van one joins us and is talking about how much harder it is than they expected. Damn. Sean comes up to me, with some spreadsheet to tell me my anticipated time. Sean is an excellent runner, and very prepared. He came with a plan to meet our times. On the other hand, I had no idea how my body was going to handle the altitude, but it didn’t really seem to matter. I was thinking around 27:00 minutes for 3.7 miles would be a strong time. He says 24:30 is my projected time, I about shit myself right there but that’s Ann’s forte. So I have to get away. I pace and stretch, pace and stretch and walk to the exchange zone. My Dad, Ruby, my nephews, Jack and Alex, are all there to cheer us on. I get the word that they can see Emily. I get ready…and I’m off. Like a jackrabbit into the thin air it feels good but again, damn it is hot. My first leg (7) is downhill for 1.85 down and 1.85 up. If I can get a good cushion I will be okay. My lungs are burning but my legs feel good, I see the one mile sign and know this one is almost in the bag. I make the exchange in 23:10, pretty fast, but I’m burning up. I make my way to the van, find out sweaty runner get shotgun (sweet), and on we go. Awesome.
10:00am to 2:30pm – Leg 8 starts good as Todd pounds it out and gets in right where he needs to be. The finish is an uphill and he makes the exchange. You know he is glad to be done and we all laugh because he walks right by us and lays on the ground. He gives us the, “don’t talk to me, leave me alone” look and we all keep our distance. He managed to only get passed once and passed three people. He said if he’s not passed once per leg it’s not the Wild West Relay.
Leg 9 –April takes this one and she has a pretty hard hill right off the bat, but she hustles along and makes a good time. She is much more jovial and pleasant than our pervious runner at the finish. She has a few hard legs to go on this relay but she seems like pretty serious runner. April stepped up and took Colleen’s spot after her injury. Anything she brings to the table is a bonus and she is a very capable replacement.
Leg 10 - is Laura Lightning and it’s around five miles straight uphill. She is a trooper, it’s hot, and we’ve been having scattered rains. She makes it in a fantastic time and makes the exchange with a big smile on her face. Colleen told us that Laura has a tendency to get very red but not too worry she’s okay and not dying. Whew. We are waiting this time at the Boy Scout exchange. They have Gatorade Snow cones and a fully stocked aid station. Hands down the best aid station so far and we give them our consideration for best aid station but we shall see.
Leg 11 - is Kara and she runs like a deer. Literally, we call her our little deer or “prancer” works as well. Nice and loose with her hands dangling from her sides she strides away. We pull off at mile 2.2 so we can see if she needs anything. It was raining pretty hard and earlier she said she might cry and need a tissue from all the emotion of running. This lady is hilarious and provides the levity we need. She spends more time talking about what she might need to do before each leg than she does running but good God it’s great. We make it to the next exchange and wait for Kara. She runs in smiling and hands off to Beth. We are almost to our first rest break.
Leg 12 - is Beth and it’s 2.5 miles straight downhill. It’s funny how the universe seems to make things equal because it might be easy but the rain is a “gully washer” and over her last half mile it starts to hail. Mountain weather is radical. While we are waiting at the exchange zone, this tiny little thing comes sprinting in from another team and looks like she is running a 400 meter dash. You can tell that her appearance is much more important than her performance but hey you do what you can. I mean I have great hair. We all look at her and laugh. Beth rolls in and we made good time as a group almost hitting all of our times. Beth tells us she could hear that girl about to pass her and said hello but the runner didn’t even say hi. She had a terminator like disposition and was all business not even eye contact, she was obviously taking this way to serious. We hear that Chris has managed to get a ticket in van two and we have a laugh at that one too. I am having so much fun I have almost forgot I have to run 8.8 miles from 7400 feet to 9200 feet. It is the hardest leg in the race and I’m nervous, but we roll into Crystal Lakes and hit the cabin. We get our grub on and catch some zzz’s, then six pm rolls around and we are out the door to meet up at the next exchange.
Previously Mentioned Traffic Ticket – So someone on our team texts Ann to let them know we are almost at the finish of our last leg. They hadn’t estimated we might run at our paces, or you could say they think we are slow, so they were all lying around and resting. Ann managed to quickly bring it to van one’s attention that they need to hall balls and they pack up quickly and leave. Where they were staying was the cabin I mentioned earlier and it’s in a private community about a half hour from the exchange zone. Chris hops behind the wheel and gives it hell. The roads are dirt and bumpy and Chris is probably driving too fast but whatever, there is a race to get to. Well, right when they are about to get to the entrance of Chrystal Lakes there is a security hut. This is where the trap has been laid. Deputy Dick and his sidekick Barney clock Chris coming through. The sidekick walks out and holds up a stop sign, kind of like you see in road construction. Chris blows right past him but decides to stop down the road. He rolls down his window and Chris says, “Did you need something?”
“Yep, I need you to drive back here to my vehicle so I can give you a ticket,” says Deputy Dick. Chris obliges and drives back.
“What’s your name and where are you staying?”
“Do you need my license?”
“Nope.” At this point it could go one of two ways. You say your name is Bob Jones and you are staying at the Johnson place and give the address or you tell them who you really are. Chris chose the latter and rightly so. He was in a hurry to get out of there and the time it might take to banter on with the Deputy here isn’t worth it. Plus since it’ not a “real” ticket and more like a bill all he is out is some cash.
“Any more of you guys that I should know about up here?” Chris asks the Deputy. While in retrospect this was Chris trying to be funny and the van was cut up, but I just don’t think the Deputy found the humor in it. Anyway, his answer was no.
2:35pm Leg 13 – Lonnie just took over from Beth and is looking at Dead Man’s Hill, pouring down rain, and no running for three weeks prior to the race. Lonnie has a bad knee that has kept him from training for the past three weeks. It was put not so subtly to him to suck it up and don’t be an ass, you are running. The ladies tell it like it is. Come to find out later, he was about a mile in and the van passed him while he was muddling through the madness. The hail was pounding down and about two inches deep on the windshield so Chris decided to go back and see if he was okay. To Lonnie, the cavalry had arrived. He was able to hop in the van and get a ten minute reprieve. His bald dome was getting blasted and he said it was starting to hurt.
3:45pm to 10:30pm Legs 14 to 18 – These are some of the longest mileage legs of the relay. Ten and eleven miles are the average and they are in Larimer River Valley which is very windy and cold. We have left our wonderful cabin and are attempting to catch up with the other van. We pop in Office Space on the DVD player and roll down the roads. We are about an hour from where we need to be and Beth whispers something to Colleen who is driving. None of us know what she said but by the rate which Colleen accelerates I’m sure it was something like, “can you please drive faster.” The next corner is rounded with us sliding around the bend. I prefer to just get there but why not get there fast.
We catch up with the group at the exchange between 15 and 16. Amazingly our paranoia of being late was missed place so we are around two hours early. Great, that means extra time for me to think about what lies ahead. Van two is doing well time wise but we are kind of worried about how they feel. They appear more uncomfortable than we do. It could be the fact we have a plethora of snacks and food, a very low key vibe, and a laid back group of people. They are running low on water, have ate all there snacks and are generally worked over. We indulge them and drive off to the next exchange zone. On the way there the scenery is fantastic. The sun is setting, the wildlife is all over, an antelope runs across the road, and we are all just feeling at peace. We look off to our right and see a rainbow. Not a double rainbow but, “oh man wow………” is how we are feeling. Kara looks off to the left and says, “oh my God is that snow on that mountain?” Actually no, it’s a white cloud against the dark setting sky. We all die laughing. Holy shit, that mountain would have been like Everest but in Kara’s mind she was more worried about all the potential snow. A classic line, for a classic race provided by our very own prancer, Kara might get worked up about things and be a little wacky but she has nothing but love for all of us.
10:00pm – Exchange zone. We meet up with van one and wait for Emily to come in. We are all getting kind of amped up for our second legs. Van one is getting excited to be done and ready to get some sleep. Both groups are hanging out and chit chatting discussing how everyone feels and expectations for the rest of the race. All the while, Kara has about three to four hours before her next leg but you would think she is up next. She is buzzing around asking if she should eat, should she rest, can she pee, is it okay to get some coffee. As she sits there questioning the group, Chris has decided to put an end to it. “Kara, calm the f*&K down.” We all erupt in laughter and decide then that next year we have a new team name. “Everyone calm the f*&K down.” Perfect.
10:30pm – Leg 19 is 8.8 miles uphill the entire way. I’m not joking. I start at 7400 feet and end at 9200 feet. It’s pretty brutal as I head out and keep wondering if it’s ever going to get easier. The answer is no. I have my leg maps memorized and I know it doesn’t get flat but I can only hope things change. There is a saying about not going into a dark alley alone, which is similar to your brain. The strange and bizarre things you can think up while you are by yourself on a mountain road, surrounded by darkness, with nothing around but your thoughts, is fairly astounding. This is the first and only time that I get passed during the race. An ultra-marathon team runner and two high school kids pass by quickly and quietly. I keep plugging away and am praying to see the one mile to go sign. The solace and comfort every runner takes in seeing that sign is wild. When you get to that point you know the pain is almost over and nothing will stop you then. Unfortunately, the persistent head wind I was running into blew the sign over so by the time I realize I’m not going to see it the exchange zone is in sight. Who cares, I run in and pass to Todd and thank God right there that one is over. Around nine miles in 76 minutes, not too shabby.
12:00am – Leg 20 Todd has a fairly flat leg but it is at altitude and it is midnight, not your typical running time but not your typical race. We get to the exchange zone and at this point the team is more likely to hang out in the van between runners than get out and cheer. Plus it’s kind of cold and windy, and it’s late for all of us, but I already ran so I feel obligated to get out and support. As he hands off to April he asks what his time was. Around 40 minutes for four miles. He is pissed. He says he felt like he was really going hard and fast and the time must be wrong. As much as I would like the clock to be wrong, no such luck. The darkness makes you feel like you are really moving sometimes but hey he finished, his time was fine and we are on the road again. We are all our own worst critics and we can be too hard on ourselves sometimes, many lessons are there to be learned on this race if we are open to them. Once we hit the van he asks me how many shooting stars I saw during my run. I just laugh. I thought he was joking, but I tell him zero, I didn’t look up once, I was in pain and it was all I could do to just look down. Next time, I will take more time to look around.
12:40am – Leg 21 is April; this run starts uphill and then rolls a bit. The finish is downhill and she can cruise in and feel good. She pounds out a good time and managed to see a few shooting stars. It’s around 1:45am and she hands off to Laura. In the van she tells us she screamed out loud a few times when she was passed. Many times runners will say, “Passing on your right” as they prepare to pass you but a few times the runners just blaze by you like thief in the night and can startle you pretty good. April said she literally screamed out loud each time. She also said she is starting to get a little loopy which is true considering she has called Laura, Emily repeatedly as we go along.
1:30am – Leg 22 Laura Lightning on the course again and she has a pretty good uphill road to run. It’s really late in the evening or early in the morning and we are all getting a little fatigued and loopy considering. She has a leg of around six miles and her goal is to come in under an hour. She comes in smiling again and is happy to be done. We all know we can get some rest after these legs but more importantly we each have only one leg left after this section and then it’s all over.
2:30am – Leg 23 Kara is at it again. She has a little over four miles and only has one real uphill to deal with at the end. The organizer of this event likes to put a little pain on you right at the end just so everyone suffers. An equal opportunity sadist. For all the fretting Kara put in before this leg started you would think she would be a wreck but the running calms the nerves and puts the fears at bay. We stop a couple times in her run to make sure she is okay and see if she needs anything. She gives us the okay with a wave and a smile each time we ask so we tell her we will meet her at the end.
3:30am – Leg 24 Beth is our anchor for all of our sections and she has a four miler to end this section. She gets the handoff or high-five and heads out into the night. The end of our sections are fun because we get to meet up with van one, exchange pleasantries and go get some rest. This time, Beth and Colleen are the only two who get out of the van. We are all pretty tired and know that our hotel is located about a half mile away right in Walden, CO. I must confess, my team has done this race before and made reservations for a hotel and arranged the cabin as our rest area breaks. Most teams are sleeping in vans or on the side of the road but nowhere in the rules does it say you can’t take advantage of modern amenities and we do just such. So we hit the hotel some take showers and some of us just hit the pillows. I have never fallen asleep so fast in my life and I am in dreamland before my eyes are shut. Seriously.
6:00am – I actually have the schedule to sleep longer but when I opened my eyes its daylight outside and I am immediately awake. You know when you wake up and you are convinced you overslept, I had that moment. Actually, I have about a couple of hours before we have to leave so I shower and walk over to the shell station to get a Rockstar and a banana, which has been my prerace meal for quite some time now. The sun is slowly starting to creep up with just a little dew on the ground. It’s a brisk fifty degrees outside compared to my usually blazing 85 degree mornings in KC. The rest of the gang is one by one taking showers and starting to stir. I am almost done with said Rockstar and banana and managed to finish a couple pages of this blog when it’s time to go to breakfast.
7:30am - As we head out the door we get a text from Lonnie informing us that they are on schedule and would like some cold beers waiting for them at the next van exchange. When they complete these legs all that will be left for van one is waiting for us to get to the end so we can all cross the finish line together. We make our way over to the local café so the rest of the team can get their grub on. I come along but will be passing on breakfast due to my championship diet I already partook in. After our order is taken Beth and I head out for our beer run. As we enter the Shell Station, we are greeted with a “hello ladies” from the woman behind the counter. I reply with my best baritone “hello” but she is unaffected. We buy about a case worth of assorted goodness and head to the counter. “What are you ladies up to this morning?” Beth is doing her best not to crack up but replies, “we are in the Wild West Relay and he has to run next.” Not so much as a “oh sorry sir forgive me” she just looks at me and smiles. Crap I guess I have to get a haircut, unless I am just a very pretty man.
Legs 25 – 30 Are just a little behind schedule but completed and all the while they get watch a beautiful Colorado sunrise.
9:30am – We hook up with van one at the final group exchanged and Emily is about half an hour out. Plenty of time for me to get ready and stretched out. For the first time, since the race started my legs are slightly fatigued and that could be problematic. Leg 31 is Rabbit Ear Pass, one of the most talked about legs. The starting elevation is around 8400 feet and summits at Rabbit Ear Pass located on the Continental Divide and 9450 feet. It’s only 5.7 miles with two flat miles to start and then a pretty sharp grade to the top. Don’t take pity on me, I asked for the hard legs and the team was happy to oblige. For my last leg I busted out my favorite running gear. Adidas Marathon 10’s with the florescent yellow highlights, Banzai socks pulled up to my knees, blue shorts, Beer Run team shirt covered by an orange safety vest, American flag banana folded as a headband, and samurai pony tail pulled back on the top of my head. You gotta let the freak flag fly every once in awhile and what better time than my last leg. I talk to my sister and she estimates an hour long leg. With the grade and altitude I will be lucky to hit ten minute miles. I concur.
10:12am – Leg 31 starts with Emily coming into the runner exchange crying and about to hit the wall. She is hot, tired, feels sick, and the icing on the cake occurs when she breaks her iPod as she drops it when high-fiving me. I take off at what feel like a sluggish pace, my thighs aren’t feeling very good and I can’t up my stride turnover. I settle in and decide I won’t push the flat first two miles to save it for the inclined final four. I have been trying to catch two runners in front of me and as I am about twenty yard behind they reach highway 40. You have to have one of the race marshals clear you to cross and they are flagged through right away. As I approach, a line of cars from the North and South appear and I have to stand on the side for about a minute. In retrospect I think this is the best thing that could have happened. When I am able to cross I already feel better, my legs are feeling good and my spirits are high, only four more miles and my portion of this race is over. SWEET JESUS! I manage to get going and my Dad appears driving down the road he yells some encouragement and the usual “go faster” and I keep it up. He turns around, drives ahead, and pulls over. He runs over to my side of the highway and ready’s himself for some pictures. At this point I have passed one guy and have taken off my shirt only rocking the reflective vest on the top. He snaps some hot pics, wishes me well and is off to the top. I am feeling pretty strong and have a runner from team Pretty Hot Doctors in my sights. I stride up to her, run side by side for a moment, tell her good job, and then move ahead. Then like an oasis in the desert, I see the one mile to go sign. Incredible, I thought I had a few miles left and as I glance at my watch I realize I have ten minutes to break fifty minutes. That means I am going to run around an 8:15 mile or so. I manage to pass another runner who informs me his legs have quit on him and I surprise my team who wasn’t expecting me so soon. Todd runs up to the exchange and I do my best to kick in a strong finish. I cross the line in around 49 minutes to high-fives, way-to-go’s, and some pats on the back. It feels so good to be done but the sense of accomplishment and happiness that I made my expected times and didn’t let anyone down fill me with contentment. The fear of failure is a motivating factor in my life and I’m glad I was able to uphold my end of the bargain. Also, my baby girl, Ruby, is at the top waiting as well and she gives me a big hug and say’s, “I love you”. It’s been a good run.
11:00am – Leg 32 ends with Todd charging in hard. He started with a rolling hill and then back down for a few miles. He managed to find a running partner with one to go and holds on with her for the last part in. He passed off to April who is ready to get this thing done. Todd informs us that he is ready for a beer, and shortly thereafter another. At this point it is a needed rewarded.
11:40am – Leg 33 starts with a rough uphill and down, another slight uphill and then fast down. We came up one side of the mountain and have to go down the other to arrive in Steamboat. People think running downhill is easy but it hurts your toes and puts a lot of stress on your knees and hips. An hour later April is in done and happy. By this point our families are starting to make their way up to the checkpoints to cheer us in and see their loved ones. I think between the twelve team members there must be twenty kids. It’s awesome and the example being set by everyone is something you wish you would see from all walks of life. Next up, one of our speedsters, Laura Lightning.
12:40pm Leg 34 – Laura lives up to the name, which she gave to herself when she found out I was writing a blog. This is a wicked downhill with around with an elevation loss of around 1800 feet. That may sound appealing but it’s getting really hot, you can’t have van support in these last legs and running down hill is a real challenge. She tells us she would like to be at the exchange between 40 and 50 minutes. That would be either an 8 minute pace or a 10 minute pace due to the five mile distance. She comes across in 39:50. Lightning has struck, damn girl that’s a sub 8 minute mile and she is putting in some good work. She comes in prancing like a ballerina, you can see the happiness and relief with the knowledge that she is done. She and Kara nail a double jump high-five and we are down to the final two.
1:20pm Leg 35 – 4.3 miles almost all flat or downhill. This should be a piece of cake but Kara has no water bottle to run with and is pretty worn out. She takes off well and we pass her with about one mile and she gives us her, I’m okay smile and wave. Thankfully, Sean shows up with around two miles left and gets out and runs with her for almost the next two miles, he passes her a Gatorade which she chugs and a water to pour on her head. It is around 85ish, this is hot for this part of the country and these mountain dwellers can’t take the heat as well as us flatlanders. It might be the only advantage I had coming into this race. Dan, April’s husband, goes out and shows up at our van with smoothies for the six of us. A very thoughtful and appreciated move, if I didn’t say thank you enough, Dan you were a godsend. At this point the majority of the kids have gathered at the final exchange to cheer Beth on for her final leg and congratulate Kara. It’s a pretty memorable scene.
2:00pm Leg 36 – 5.0 miles and it’s not a cakewalk finish. It hot down in Steamboat and she’s running on an open, mixed use paved trail. I can only imagine what the daily exercisers are thinking when they pass these struggling, hot runners who look like the ass end of creation and just want the pain to stop. There is a pretty good grade for the last few miles and she is behind a few teams that we want to pass, Pretty Hot Doctors, More Cowbell, Embrace the Suck, and Drinkers with a Running Problem. Creativity is not lacking in the naming conventions during these races and as I mentioned before, Everybody Calm the F*&K Down just might be our moniker next year. Like a vision at Magigoria, we see Beth about two hundred meters away and the celebration is about to begin. Beth managed to pass Pretty Hot Doctors and More Cowbell our triumph is nearly complete.
Finish – 2:52pm By this point we have been running for 33:12:14 about 10:00 minutes a mile for 200 miles. We all met with Beth and ran the last 100 meters together and crossed as a group. It is finally over and some strong emotions swept over me but I actually managed to keep them in. We get our medals and meal tickets and have an impromptu picnic. The kids are going crazy running around everywhere being themselves and having a blast. One kid didn’t make it from the condo and it caused fifteen minutes of madness but his parents went back and got him and rejoined us for our final group picture. Later on as I’m getting ready to pack up and leave with my old man, Jan, and Ruby, Lonnie says to me, “You’re not missing any kids are you. You better take a tally. Did I say that out loud?” Man, pour some salt on the wound Lonnie, nice parting shot.
There was one final story I wanted to tell involving a bee, a womanly like freak out by Sean, a fast acting Ann to capture and rid the van of said bee, and Sean pleading for Chris to pull over and Lonnie telling Chris, “keep driving”. That my friends, was van one.
The memories from this race will last me a lifetime. I got to know ten people I had never met before and consider them friends. I spent over thirty hours in tight quarters with six people, including my sister, whom with I would run again with any day. The rigors and pain that come with this relay have only enforced my sense of accomplishment and mental toughness that is a trait of all of my teammates. Life teaches us lessons when we are open to take them in and this relay was chock full of learning experiences. I can say with confidence, I have memories that will last a lifetime, friends that I will never forget, and a sweet bib number and medal to hang in my garage.
I would like to say thanks to the race organizer, the countless volunteers, (Boy Scouts you got our vote for best aid station), supporters, friends and family who gave up their time to watch our kids, follow us on the road, and give us shelter. Without your help, we couldn’t have done any of this and a big thank you is necessary.
To my teammates, thanks for cheering me on, keeping the mood light, and not being van one. I will remember you forever.
