We were split into two vans; I was in van 2 and was runner 8. Therefore, I wouldn't be running for at least 5-6 hours after the start. We all met at Beam to see our team off, check-in, etc. While there, we ate some lunch, picked up a little Beam swag then made our way toward Maker's Mark after a dinner stop, where van 2 would be starting after the first 6 runners ran their legs. We picked up our t-shirts and began getting our night running gear together as we would be running our first legs after dark.
I was running 11.8 miles total over the 3 legs with the longest being just over 4 so I decided to keep working on my speed with a goal of staying at about 9 minutes a mile or better. I started my 4 mile run at 8:54 pm, in nice cool temps with a touch of mist. Almost perfect running weather. I ran the first mile in 7:22, my fastest mile ever. I guess the excitement and waiting for so long made me take off like a fool. I ended up averaging 8:03 for the leg. By far my fastest run ever.
After our last van runner finished, we headed to Danville, the next major exchange point and grabbed some grub at The Hub near Centre College (nothing like a big spicy omelette at 2 in the morning) and tried to get some sleep. That didn't work out so well and I think I slept for maybe 45 minutes at the most. Long story but no need to air dirty laundry here.
My next leg started at 6:54 am and totaled 3.5 miles. Again tried to be fast and was hoping to be running into the sunrise. But with the heavy cloud cover, the sun didn't quite appear as I was finishing up the run. On this one I averaged 8:42 a mile. Pleased again, and we were off to Four Roses Distillery for the next major exchange in a few hours. They were passing out bourbon balls made with their small batch bourbon which were out of this world. No doubt, the best thing I ate all weekend.
My last leg was a bit more difficult, being rated at moderate and a total of 4.3 miles. I knew being very fast with the climbs was going to be a bit harder and it was also much warmer than my first two legs. My leg started at 3:55 pm. I pushed it as best I could and averaged 8:51. So I met my goal of keeping it under 9/mile while having a great time with a great team. The last thing to do was head toward the finish, meet up with the other van and wait for our last runner. We all gathered and crossed the finish together. The total for the team was 28:48:34 or an 8:40 pace. So much faster than my team last year. We finished 53rd out of 179 male/female teams and 104th of 287 total teams. No complaints there!
Last but not least, another gorgeous medal to add to the rack:
The last event I have scheduled for this year is a half-marathon on November 3rd. Nothing else officially planned but I'm sure something else will catch my eye!
No comments:
Post a Comment