Time 8 hrs, 17minutes - 43 seconds - (9:43 pace) 51.22 miles
Lake to lake relay, gunlock to Sand Hallow - some doubts about the relay, sitting in the truck for 8 legs, no fun, etc. Just the opposite, way fun. The team = myself, Sylvie, Taylor and Bonnnie (step son and his wife) a Tammy (friend). We discussed the night before, which legs to take, hard to know how you will recover from leg to leg. I had the 5th and 9th leg. It was settled, give the Mexican mountain goat leg 9. The green opps team was ready.
The start at gunlock was crazy with all the costumes. Now, what would expect if a prize is being given for the shortest shorts? Well, lets say the there was some southern exposure.
Leg 1 - Sylive, good downhill runner, got us off to a good start under 9 min miles for her leg. It was fun to cheer along the runnners as we knew this is the last time we would see many of the faster teams.
Leg 2 - This was Taylor's leg, he got worried about this leg with the uphill coming up from the river botttoms, switched him legs and took leg 2. Very good start, was rollout along, almost missed the turn off on highway 91, was in the zone, my support team had a gu and drink for me every two miles, passed 6 and had 2 pass me, happy with the leg, pace was under 9 minute miles.
Leg 3 - Sylvie, tried to talk her out of this leg and take a later leg, give her most rest, nothing doing, she wanted a hard workout. This leg is where we met America's team, crazy team with a cow bell, air horn and best cheerers on the road and beard power, hooked up with them a couple of times. Sylive had forgot the long uphill back to Snow Canyon Drive, she was beat after a hard effort. She was done.
Leg 4 - Off was Bonnie, gave her the shortest and fastest leg, she ran well, under 9 min miles.
During these legs we stopped to cheer on runners, and gave our runners what they wanted, gus, bananas, gator aid, water, etc.
Leg 5 - Taylor - leg half on city trails and half on the road, good fast leg. Bonnie was worried we would not make the cutoff times. After this leg we were almost two hours, pace, ahead of the cutoff time.
Leg 6- Tammy, not sure how much she has been training this winter, she seem pooped, about 11 minute miles. Anyway, she was tough and held the pace.
Leg 7 - Bonnie, she started out great climbing a hill then we were out of touch with her, this leg we gave back more time, her knee started to bother her and she walked much of the last two miles of this leg.
Leg 8 - Tammy, steady with the pace, slowed and walked parts of the tough dirt and up Dam Road, pace was over 11 min miles.
Summary to this point, hate giving time back to the course on relatively easy legs, but, it was just for fun, adjusted my attitude, just have fun, you will break the 10 hour time limit.
Leg 9 - my leg had heard stories, prize being given for team members running leg 9, what the heck, I could see the dirt road climbing up from the exhange, it did not look too tough. Tammy, arrived, apologizing about being slow, told her she did great and as off to tackle the hill. The hill was not real tough, it was the darn rottem footing, deep ruts, loose rocks, etc. Yes the leg was tough. Nascar pit crew was geat, when the trail shifted from dirt to pavement, changed shoes with my pit crew getting me going in less than a minute. Changed from clown trail to clown road. The crew was great.
Leg 10 - Taylor, cranked out this leg, passed 7 othe teams, we finished 77 out of 97 teams.
We all ran with Taylor ot the finish, joked with America's team.
It was great fun, and pace did not really matter, everyone tried real hard, happy with everyone's effort. We may do this next year, who knows.
Stay Kool, B of BS Rools out
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