Red Rock Relay 2011: TEAM LEG-IT

While I was in England, I attempted to run a couple times. It didn't really work out. I probably have more fingers than number of times I ran. Needless to say, it didn't even come close to preparing me for what came two weeks after I got back from Cambridge.

I ran the Red Rock Relay September 9-10th with a team of eleven people. The Red Rock Relay is a ragnar-type race, that goes starts up in Brian Head, goes through Cedar City, St. George, and through Zions National Park. It's 187 miles long. Each team member runs three separate legs, ranging from 3-8 miles and varying in difficulty.

Team Leg-It.

Back row: Carter Zufelt, Andrew Martinson, Jeremy Robbins, Keven Mcfadyen,
Jenna Bothwell, Kyle Smith, Tyler Dalton
Front Row: Me, Trent Mcfadyen, Spencer Johnson, Katherine Pendleton.

Awesome people, every single one of them.

It was hard. Summer in England + running in Utah elevation meant my lungs were crying. Actually, lack of training meant all of me was crying. We were all so tired. Exhausted. Starving for real food (I lived off cliff bars, energy bars, and Gatorade that entire weekend. And grapes. I brought grapes. And cheeze-its). Uncomfortable. Stomach problems for everybody up the wazoo. It hurt to walk. We were sleepy and couldn't sleep. We ran through and over forests, canyons, mountains, and desserts. We ran in rain, snow, hail, and blazing sun. To top it off, the last day one of our vans broke down, and me and half the team were stranded in the middle of some little town in southern Utah. We didn't even get to all run through the finish line.

Yet, it was one of the most epic experiences of my life. It was SO beautiful. My team was so awesome. The runs were exhilarating (except for maybe that last one...which was miserable). Something about running is so meaningful to me. Sometimes you hate it--because your legs are screaming at you and your lungs somehow can't seem to find any oxygen in the air and why did that 55-year-old man just pass me like nobody's business and you can feel the sweat running down your forehead and it's not even mile two yet and where the HECK is some water?!?

I figured out halfway through the relay that drinking water while I was running made me feel sick to my stomach. But I digress.

But then you get the flip side of the coin. Sometimes you push through all that mind-crap and all of a sudden you open your eyes. And you can literally feel your heart pushing your blood through your veins and you can make your legs go faster. And you're breathing in the cold night air and you can just begin to see the beginnings of the sun creeping up behind the mountains. And there's nobody in sight. Just you, and the mountains, and the sound of your feet hitting the pavement again and again and again. And suddenly everything is back in perspective and it all just makes sense and you've never felt quite so empowered before in your entire life.

Those moments are what I love about running. And experiencing that with a team was amazing. You've got support. You're all in pain, but that's the beauty of it--because you push through it for the sake of the team, even if you wouldn't do it for yourself.

I mean, LOOK at this!!
How can you not be inspired?

PRE-RACE
1) Jenna and I. Such good friends.
2) Snap bracelet we passed at each transfer. And my trusty running shoes.
3) Spencer and I under the start line.

Our team was short a person, so some of us took extra legs. All of my legs were pretty short, so I took a fourth. My first leg was 3 miles, second leg was 4.7 miles, third leg was 4.5 miles, and fourth leg was 3.1 miles.

My first leg was the first leg of the entire race and I got to take a ski lift up to the top of this mountain. I thought it was going to be a piece of cake...and then I saw that the path was about a foot-wide, steep, and rocky. I still tried taking it too fast and I biffed it trying to turn down one of the switchbacks. The elevation also got to me and I was panting so hard, considering I was running downhill. Not my best run.

First Leg
1) Taking the ski lift up the mountain.
2) Running down the mountain.
3) Right after having passed the bracelet to Andrew.

Second leg ended up being all right. However, I had taken two extra-strength excedrin about two hours before my leg because I was having a really bad headache...it was a terrible decision. Not only did that mean that I spent the two hours I was supposed to spend sleeping wide-awake in my sleeping bag with nothing to do but listen to my heart beat extraordinarily fast, I was also really jittery when I had to go run and my heart rate was still going crazy. It just felt weird. I've sworn off excedrin. However, after the first mile and a half, the medicine either wore off or I'd gotten it out of my system, and it ended up being a good run. I don't have any pictures specific to any of my runs after my first one...so the rest of the pictures will just be conglomeration of the entire experience.

More scenery.
And Andrew and I--earning our Red Rock stripes.
You get one after each leg. 

Third leg was my favorite leg hands down. I was booking it down the mountain--made really good time; it was maybe the best time I've ever made on a run. It was around 3:30 in the morning, I believe, and I just felt so alive. It was a fantastic run.

1) Snow van (my van)
2) Kevin in the exchange passing the snap bracelet on to Tyler
3) Trent (what you feel like during your run)
4) Trent (what you feel like after your run)

1) If you're thirsty...you gotta drink while you run. We refused to stop.
2) Carter booking it.
3) How you doing? You need water?
4) Spencer getting a pep talk during one of his legs.

Fourth leg came only 35 minutes after my third leg and it was awful. Kevin (the team leader) offered to switch me out, but I turned him down. Even though I was still tired from the last run, I just wanted so badly to be done with all my legs so I could just sleep. Dumb decision. It ended up being uphill for the entire three miles. Not only was my time not so hot, I wanted to die the entire time. I staggered up to the exchange, slapped the bracelet on Andrew's wrist, walked around for a bit, ate half a bunch of grapes, leaned my head against the car window, and was out for about three hours. I don't remember anything. But I was done. I had done it. I woke up and I still couldn't believe it.

Twenty-nine hours and six minutes after I had crossed the start line, our last runner crossed the finish line--and our entire team was done. We celebrated by eating at Wendys...and chilling out in a parking lot while the boys tried to fix the radiator of the broken-down van.

1) Trent's back. ha.
2) Jenna and I post-race. Pre-shower. Gross.
3) Carter wid da RRR medal.

1) Post-race. DONE.
2) All three RRR stripes.
3) Repping those hard-earned stripes at church the next day.

If I thought I was sore after hiking Mount Timp....I was wrong. I learned what sore meant after the Red Rock Relay. I got home late Saturday night, thanks to the entire broken-down van adventure. I actually debated sleeping on the couch because 1) I didn't want to climb the stairs up to my bedroom and 2) I didn't want to have to get on the top bunk. I eventually decided to sleep in my bed after all. I could barely walk down the stairs the next morning. I hurt so badly for the next couple of days. But with a smile on my face. You betcha.

Red Rock Relay 2012, here I come.