Parting ways

As Tex said, we had some problems with keeping signals to update the blog and even keep contact between vans. We had planned to keep the site up to date with goings on during the run. I'm sure as we all return home, that there will be numerous postings on this site as we all record our thoughts here.

I just want to say that I had a blast! It was great meeting some more Nike+ peeps in person and being able to run with and challenge each other. I just wish we had more time. Some of our runners have already started the trek home. The rest of us will be leaving bright in early in the morning.

The experience was great and it was surprising how well everything came together. We had 12 people throughout the US coming together on one weekend to run 199 mile together. We came and we conquered! We had fun, and we were challenged. In the end we became the team Waiting for Runs!

We crossed the finish line on the beach and a sense of accomplishment filled everyone. We had just ran non stop as a team for 199 miles. The awesome thing is that we guessed our time would be 32:09 and our total time was 32:16, pretty close!

I would like to give a special thanks to GGPRunner for really showing hospitality to our team. She provided lunch and a meeting place when we first arrived, and she supported us all throughout the race. She gave van 2 a place to shower, sleep, & eat as we waited for van 1. She even escorted van 2 to the van relay late Saturday night so that we would be ready for the handoff from van 1.

I will write more tomorrow, I'm dog tired. I may have some time to kil as I wait for my flight tomorrow.

too much to report

I have no idea where to begin. We lost phone signal for the better part of the time between our second set of legs and the third. I think what I will do is go back later and talk about that, but for now I want to talk about van 1 and the third set of legs. After a long night of running that was spectacular in many ways the team was spent and we lost energy as the night went on. We committed to bringing back that energy and foo turned out a solid first leg, that guy can move and has an great sense of humor, he collected 4 kills to total 11 I believe. Mrs. Foo walked at a speed that I had not thought possible (fast!) and turned in a third gutty performance. Next smlbtmty threw down a phoenomenal leg with 17 kills to total 37. Noel's report can be read below this post and it was good to see him save the best for last, he totaled 30 kills. Mawz began the last two legs of our van and they were tough! I'm so impressed with how well she manages her runs, she really knows how to negotiate a tough run and finish it right, it was awesome being in her van. My last leg was nothing short of spiritual in the realm of my running career. It was 3 miles with a winding rise of 1100 feet. There was no flat and no downhill just a long struggle to the top. It was so gratifying to finish and collect 12 kills. It was like running under water; it was as if we were all fighting to jog against a greater force of gravity. I finished with a total of 33 kills to edge out 1Mile for 2nd place. More later. I'll post the primal screams video when I get home.

Primal screeeeeeaaaaaam!!

Much has happened inVan One since we checked in last. It seems as though far more than a day has passed since we last blogged.

So, after picking up a few calories and some down time yesterday afternoon, we headed up to the van exchange point, located in a wireless dead spot next to a cheese factory. We toured the cheese factory, sampling its wares, and then we settled in to enjoy a few hours in the van, getting acquainted. Mostly we played "name that tune" and made pointless but entertaining observations about strangers and consumed empty calories. It was quite enjoyable.

Finally, it was time to run. The hot topic was what to wear; we saw lots of people returning in shorts and short-sleeves, and they looked comfortable, but we'd been freezing out in the hurricane winds for several hours and were more inclined to layer up. I layered up and regretted it; the weather was quite pleasant, once I got moving. My second leg had significant uphill, and I was definitely off my target pace.

After our legs,we each returned to the van to get what sleep we could. I am never more grateful for my short stature than during a relay. I found a nice spot of the van floor, curled up in my bivy, and caught a few hours of sleep. When I awoke, it was time to pound a cup of coffee and get ready to run.

My third leg was exactly what I love: perfect sports bra weather and lots of kills. Thanks to a couple of ill-timed red lights, I just missed my target time, but I collected enough kills to earn a safe lead among my van-mates.

Texasbuckeye, noels71, and I somehow came up with the idea of ending our last legs by emitting a primal scream as we entered the excahnge. This proved very entertaining, and an excellent way to finish our part of this mad adventure.

Our team finished our rotation high in the mountains and let the other team take over. Our work was finished. We descended a terrifying one-lane road to Santa Cruz, where we devoured beer and pizza and are now chilling out in the van waiting for the big finish.

My gosh, this has been fun! We're already thinking about next year. I can't wait.

nap time for van 1

with two rotations on the shelf it is time for some well deserved rest and Canada college. I just came off an AMAZING leg which I ran over the golden gate bridge and collected 15 kills! It was awesome and the sights were majestic, getting ip some nasty hills to the bridge was tough but it was cruise control time as I crossed it, about 1.5 miles and finished strong. Looking forward to our last set of legs and the immense challenge they will bring. My last leg is a beast.