(Continued from Friday)
12:00 am. I wake our team, call van #1 and get ready for another day of relaying. It's 51 degrees, dark, and raining quite hard. Van #1 has had a long night. They were ready for down-time in the hotel. Cindy spent 1:48 minutes covering her leg in pouring down rain. (just over 14 mpm). This again put van #1 about 25 minutes behind schedule. Again, Arnie led us off starting at 12:56am. He cranked out a 22 minute 3.5 mile leg. (6:23 mpm pace). I was next. My leg went straight up US 127 with a nice wide shoulder 5.7 miles. I had a 5 mph headwind, but net slight downhill.
Leg 20: 6:34, 6:54, 7:25, 7:42, 7:12, (5:42) 41:05 or 7:13 mpm
http://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/610894447
I then picked up the extra leg after Tim and Heidi had run. This was on Kentucky backroads. kind of narrow and right in the middle of the night. However, the moon was very bright. 3:30 am start in the middle of no where; finishing at the beautiful Four Roses distillery. They had bourbon balls for tasting. They were great!
Leg 23: 6:40, 7:05, 7:22, 7:44 (1:04). 29:58 for 4.13 miles or 7:15 mpm
http://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/610894473
We finished our leg a little after 5 am and handed off to van #1. Again making up 23 of the 25 minutes that we were off. My team ate at the huddle house while I slept in the van. Gel shots and bourbon balls at 4 am were doing a number on my stomach. We then went back to the Danville hotel for a shower and a little down time.
9:30 am: back up and to the van we go for the last exchange. Arnie, led us off scorching his first leg again. Shannon picked up the additional leg this time giving me a little time to prepare for a difficult 7.8 mile hilly run through horse country. By now, the faster teams are catching the slower teams. There are literally over 500 15 passenger vans at the major exchanges now. Roads are full of vans and runners. The weather is a very nice mid 50 overcast day. The long night is paying dividends with great scenery and lots of excitement. There are runners with all abilities mixed together on the road now.
It's now 12:57 pm 55 degrees and an 11 mile per hour head wind. I'm standing on History Main Street, Midway, Ky. I see runners in costume, carrying an American flag, and a guy in just a speedo pass as I'm waiting for my handoff from Shannon. I pick a runner that I would like to pass out of the crowd as I take off. I'm quite stiff from the prior three legs and van rides. I decide to dial back my anticipated pace to 7:30
Leg 33: 7:01, :40, :11, :15, :48, 8:02, 7:29, (5:47). 7.79 miles in 58:17 or 7:29 mpm
http://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/610894507
I never catch the runner I wanted to pass. He finishes about 100 yards in front of me. His time had to be almost identical to mine. Tim, Heidi and Shannon finish their legs. We join Shannon for the last block of the race and finish together. I had calculated that we would finish at 4:05 pm on Saturday. We finished at 4:17pm. There is Bourbon sampling and a huge block party in downtown Lexington at the finish line. 3 of our members stay. I however drive the runners back that are tired and just want to go home. Heidi and I get home around 9pm.
I would love to run this relay again. It was so much fun. There is so much to see and do. If you get a chance to compete in this event, do it.
| 