After a busy Thursday, our Friday started out sometime around 4:30 AM as we readied our selves and took Talon over to Aunt Joanna's House. Olivia would be at the Hatches for Erica Sweetnam to pick up for school. Ellie, Bryson, and Mason slept at the Rudd Cousins. It was one of those times we knew that all the effort would be worth the fun in the end, but we were tired. Nonetheless, we made our way over to The Bogles after unsuccessfully tanking Talon up. We hugged Jared and Michelle Cox who were staying home from the race (sadly enough) to be with Monica, Michelle's sister who was in the ICU and ended up passing away that very afternoon at 4:30 PM. Our van consisted of we, The Bentleys, Mitch and Amanda Bogle, Jennifer Hall, and Drew Stewart. There is no way we weren't going to have a memorable and great time.
Our Relay was from Prescott, Arizona to Riverview Park in Mesa, Arizona--A total of 202 + Miles. 12 Runners, 2 vans, lots of sugar and fun!!!
After some shifting, I was runner #1 and started the race off with my easiest leg...and wondered why if it was so easy was I working so hard. Then Mitch ran a hilly run leading up to the most beautiful and difficult leg of the whole relay, Brian's. It was never ending up hill with the most beautiful mountians and views of the race. Brian did awesome. Not sure how he pulled it all off as under trained as he seemed to be.
Brian passed off to Drew Stewart, our last minute fill in, and he ran awesome after hardly training at all. Drew passed to Amanda who was awesome and ready. Then Jennifer ended our first runs with her competitive and hilarious ways! It was such a fun van. We sure missed the Cox's and appreciated that they brought us all together.
The second leg was at night. We were able to shower and even rest a little between the legs, which did not happen last year. It was nice to feel like we had closed our eyes a little. My second leg was tricky as it was on a very bumpy, poorly marked trail. By the end I had been scraped by several bushes, cactus, bob wire fences and sprained both my knee and my ankle. If it weren't for Brian getting a hand held flashlight for me I would have really gottten it! I kept my pace around 8:30/mile when I wasn't crawling under trees and in ravines to find the trail. However, my overall time did not reflect this as many of us runners got lost. It was fun...other than the injuries. Brian was looking forward to his downhill run after his first brutal leg. However, they detoured his leg up and around a mountain. Just a 1/2 mile detour uphill, but it was mentally challenging as he was geared up for an easy leg.
We once again got to rest after this leg. When I woke up to get ready, I couldn't move my leg due to my knee. I wasn't sure I could make it for the 8.7 mile leg I had ahead of me. I knew the first 6.7 was uphill and already was going to be challenge. I said a prayer that I would have strength, both to endure and move forward and to make a wise decision. I woke Brian up when the other van called and told him I'd be running with my cell phone in case I needed to be picked up. That mentality didn't last long. I decided that walk or run, I WOULD FINISH!!! I took some of the ALEVE that Jennifer had and took Brian's advice to start slow. The first few miles I was still not sure how I would end up. Then about mile 3 my knee loosened up, the medicine kicked in and I decided to finish tired. No excuses! It was fun. Even when the skinnly little scantliy clad runner passed me with just a few yards to go (grrr!!!!)
