Six months ago, I decided to try an experiment – running on a relay team who I had never met for a relay I had never run.
This past weekend, my experiment came to fruition. The results – fabulous.
Now I’ll admit that I didn’t quite run this relay without having met anyone; at the last minute, my brother stepped in to take an injured runner’s place. It was the first time we had ever had the chance to run a relay together, so it was another first of sorts. We had a planned pre-race potluck set for 7 pm in Seattle at the home of one of our teammates. We packed up our gear and left Portland at 2:30 pm, planning to have plenty of time to stop on the way up…we were 5 minutes late. (The return trip home would take us only 3 hrs 15 min). But our traffic frustrations quickly melted away as we met the friendly folks who made up the rest of the Odwalla Phire Clownz – Serena, Dale, John, Carey, Leigh Ann, Kimbra, Chris, Jim and Yvonne. (12th runner Michael would meet us in the morning). Our team captain, Serena, was efficient in briefing us on all of the rules and regulations of the race. We heard the amusing tale of an email reply gone horribly wrong (thus lending to the Clownz name), went over our gear for the race, mingled and ate a wonderful pre-race meal. Before we knew it, we were on our way to Jim’s beautiful home and our accomodations for the night. A short walk on the Green Lake trail and I was ready for bed.
Race day dawned early. As I often do, I was up before the alarm, ready to start a fun day of racing. Before I knew it, we were in our van on our way to the start line in Blaine. I had suggested to the team that we go to the start with van #1 – the start line is pretty cool for a first time relay racer. As far as start lines go, it was okay – there were only 15 teams in the start wave, so there wasn’t a whole lot of activity going on. I hoped my team would forgive me for suggesting they get up to the race hours before we would start! Still, it was great to cheer on our first runner as a team, and we were able to have a nice, leisurely lunch in a local cafe.
The 12 pm start wave - our first runner John leads us off
And so began our waiting game. The first set of legs for van #1 total 37 miles, which can take some time to cover. We headed to exchange #6 and checked in. I attended my first ever relay safety meeting, but I have to say that I think it was a great idea. The most powerful moment in the meeting was the photo that they showed us of a runner in the dark without reflective gear – all you could see was his socks. It underlined the importance that everyone wear reflective gear if you are out of the van. I will be using my Brooks Nightlife jacket every time I run a relay now. Ragnar’s safety rules are a smart move for them as an organization; they will help raise awareness of the safety issues that can be so easy to forget when you are having a good time cheering on your runners.
I spent some time wandering the parking lot looking for cool decorations and clever costumes. I found the coolest relay vehicle ever:
Nothing like a decked out "Oo" Bus!
and I met a bad-ass ultra team riding in a tiny Honda Fit. I had the opportunity to meet Will (a blog fan – hi Will!) and his sister – that was super cool! And before I knew it, it was our turn to run.
Our runners came out strong as we left Bellingham. Our first runner, Yvonne, traveled along a wooden boardwalk paralleling the water for some stunning views before she had to turn back into town and climb a gnarly hill. Chris took on the second leg, following a fairly busy road shadowing I-5. I started to gear up for the third leg, eager to finally run after a nearly weeklong layoff. I must have hit the porta-potty four times before Chris arrived. And then I was off.
The first 1/2 mile was a solid downhill, and I felt like I was flying. But the road started to level off as another body of water came in to view. I dodged some blind corners and kept chugging along on my 6.1 mile leg. There was no one around me to set my sights on, which made it hard to push. Before I knew it, I was handing off to Leigh Ann, with my first leg done in 46:47.
Leigh Ann charged up her leg, and then my brother took over, finding himself climbing some tough hills. As we stopped to give him water, we were blessed with one of the most incredible sunsets I have ever seen. I tried to capture a photo, but the camera (or perhaps the photographer!) could not do it justice. It would be just one of many “oh my gosh! it’s so beautiful!” moments of the race. And as the sun went down, our final runner Michael finished up his first leg in his Vibrams. By the time we handed off to Van #1, we were all ready for some sleep.
We arrived at Exchange #18 to find the rest of the race. We were already behind the majority of teams, but in some ways this made the race easier. We did not have to worry about exchange congestion, and our timing helped us experience some amazing moments on the course. We found a comfortable spot and shut our eyes.
We woke to an empty parking lot. Our runner was only minutes away. Scrambling wildly, we threw on running gear and barely made it to the exchange on time. Yvonne ran an amazing leg, and then Chris barreled through his. After witnessing a rare Washington seagull making strange calls in the early morning, I was off – only to be passed immediately by a speedy dude. It was a short 2.7 mile jaunt, and then I was done.
Dawn at Exchange #22
The sun began to rise on beautiful vistas of the sound. My brother decided to “borrow” someone’s deck to sneak a photo – only to realize the neighbor was up and gazing out in the same direction. Leigh Ann ran a strong leg, and then Jon began his narrow and harrowing climb to Deception Pass. The narrow road leading to Exchange #23 was one of the most hair-raising of our legs, but it was beautiful. Ragnar did do a good job of placing cones on the road so that cars were at least aware that we were on the road.
Our 6th runner Michael took off through yet another beautiful section of road, and then we hit Deception Pass. Because it was later and few teams were around us, we were able to park and take some great photos of him crossing the bridge. It was another incredible moment in the race.
Moments before Michael ran the bridge
Van #1 looked awake, perky and ready to run as we got them going for the last time. We drove ahead to Exchange #30 and waited until we could bring it all home.
Finally it was time for us to finish up the race. It was about 11 am, and the sun was growing hot. Yvonne started us on a route that brought more gasping as she ran through Ebey’s Landing National Historic Preserve. Chris’ leg was less exciting as he ran down Hwy 520, and then I was up for another run. I had decided that I would run conservatively for the last leg, but how it would play out, I wasn’t sure. I had 6.8 hilly miles ahead of me, and it was warm.
Not long after I started, I had to cross the busy highway. After waiting for a good two minutes, the cop at the crossing took pity on me and climbed out of his car so he could stop traffic. Immediately after crossing, the hills began and wouldn’t let up for quite some time. I focused on running strong and happy. But I also had a secret weapon.
Yvonne had shared her Anti-Fatigue Caps from Hammer, and I had loaded up my pockets with them. I took my first right before I started. I noticed that my tired legs were feeling… peppy. About halfway in, my legs started dragging again, so I took another. Once again, they started to revive. I’m a believer in those darn Anti-Fatigue caps now.
Still, it was a long leg, and the heat was beating me down. I was expecting a final climb before the last descent, but I eventually realized that I was heading down and had passed the One Mile To Go sign (a really wonderful touch!) The course turned (again, well marked) and then the horizon opened up to the jewel blue of the sound. ”Oh my God!” I yelled, “This is so beautiful!” I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes as I celebrated the joy in being alive and able to run on such a glorious day.
And then I was done. Leigh Ann took on a monster climb, and then Jon had a short, hot jaunt down the 520. Michael took on the last leg, and then we were at the finish line, greeting our teammates. At 4:09, twenty-eight hours and 9 minutes after starting, we crossed the finish line together.
Because we finished late, the end party was about over. We grabbed our medals and headed for a celebratory dinner. And as if the relay had not been beautiful enough, our ferry ride home was right at sunset.
The Odwalla Phire Clownz were the best team a person could ask for. I was a stranger only for a moment – and in the process, I gained ten new friends. They welcomed my brother and I with open arms. Relays bond people in ways you can never imagine, and I was sorry to have to say goodbye. I would jump at the chance to run with these fine people again if my schedule permits.
If you have been considering running a new relay but don’t have a team, give a team of strangers a try. You’ll only be strangers for a moment.
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