THE RED ROCK RELAY!
We had 12 people on our team to run a total of 186 miles. They gave me all the short legs, since I was one of the "slow" runners on the team.
I ran leg 9 - 2.9 miles at 10,000 ft. elevation - in 29:29. It was SOOOO hard! I felt like I was dying the whole time - it was really surprising to me. I guess that elevation really makes a difference! Plus, the whole run was on an incline, which didn't help the matter. I had a pounding headache when I was finished, but I didn't want to let my team down, so I pushed it harder than I usually do. I was disappointed by my slow time, but it was the best I could do.
Leg 20 was 3.21 miles in 25:53. By then we had dropped down to around 6,000 ft., and what a difference that made! It was around 1:00 AM, and the temps were about 45 degrees, so I really enjoyed that run! I felt fantastic and didn't get too hot, so I was able to run better. The hardest part of that run was that it was pitch black, and I had a hard time seeing, but luckily the road was good and I didn't have any problems.
Leg 29 was 5.02 miles in 40:28. At this point we were back in Saint George, so I was at my "normal" altitude. I began this run at around 6:30 AM, and ran up an incline of about 200 ft. in the first mile, then descended around 490 in the next 4 miles. It was a great run, and I'm pretty sure it was the fastest 5 miles I've ever run! My garmin said my heart rate max was 196 - Ouch! - but I don't know if that is even possible! I felt fantastic at the end of this run, and even did an all-out sprint at the end to "kill" one more person just before the finish. This was the only leg where I was passed during this race.
I had a total of 13 "kills" and was only passed once by one of the BYU guys. Our van alone had a total of 101 "kills" and was only passed 3 times! Our results? 186 miles in 23:51! :D | 