The following is my race report from the Civil War Relay. The event has been reinstated after a few years’ hiatus, and I highly recommend it to runners in the local area. It’s an easy one to manage; you just need 4 friends, one vehicle, and a free afternoon. The legs are short, so they can be run at full speed, which makes for fast splits and lots of bragging. RD Paul Vanderheiden has put together a well managed event that promises to get even better as he gets to know the course and community. I know that I want to come back next year!
My relay withdrawal had been starting to get bad. I found myself resisting the urge to yell out encouragement to the runners I passed on the street. I would pass my kids a water bottle when they hopped in the van after school. I was even thinking about drawing all over my windows with the names of my family members…
Thank goodness I had the opportunity to run in last weekend’s 2009 Civil War Relay, a reintroduction of a popular 50 mile relay run between Albany and Eugene, Oregon. I was especially excited because race director Paul Vanderheiden of Timberline Events would be organizing the race; I was eager to see his skills in action. Would I get the relay fix I needed?
Saturday morning dawned cold and clear. Meeting at 5:45 am to make the drive to Albany, I wondered if perhaps my need to relay was ill conceived. But the Blazer was warm, and our fearless driver Brad made it possible to go comatose as we zipped down the freeway.
Our home for the day. It was so cold, we never decorated (boo!)
The start was at Linn-Benton Community College in Albany. The relay switches direction from year to year depending on which football team is hosting the Civil War game (Oregon State or University of Oregon). Since UO was the host this year, we ran south. The legs are short – between 1.2 miles and 3 miles – and each team member runs five times, for a total of about 10 miles. I was assigned leg #2.
Before we knew it, it was time for Oops Bloody Mary’s Road Rash to get on the road. Robin (aka “Badass”!) started us off, and off we zipped to the first exchange. At less than 2 miles, there was no time to stop and cheer, and only a few minutes later, it was my turn to tackle the first leg. I set off like a woman on fire; it was cold, and I wanted to cover the mileage as quickly as possible. Run time temperature was about 24º, and I was not properly prepared. My face went numb; I felt like I was running on stumps. Strange feeling. I passed off to my buddy Liz, eager to climb back in the car. When I did get back in, I nearly cried as my thumb unthawed. Hmmm. Maybe a summer relay was the way to go…
And so the legs passed quickly. My second was a “long one” – 3 whole miles. We were all amused by the way our minds adapted to the short distances we were running – a long run being anything over 2.5 miles. I enjoyed being able to push the pace on the short distances, and for the new runner, the legs are all a manageable length.
We passed through the quaint town of Brownsville, best known for its appearance in the movie “Stand By Me”. (Boy, did I have a crush on River Phoenix when I was a kid!) The sun was beginning to warm us up, and we were moving right along. I was ready for what the rest of the race would bring.
Now most of the course is flat, through incredible farmlands with the fascinating hills of the Willamette Valley rising above the road. However, there is one hill on the course. That hill was mine. It was cold, the road was slippery, and I wasn’t prepared for the climb. Still, I made it. Note to self: give someone else leg #2 next year!
Gina brings it in near the end of the race.
The rest of the race passed uneventfully. We saw several eagles and hawks scouring the farmland for prey. We saw guys running as fast as eagles pass us as if we weren’t moving. We cheered, we laughed, we ate too much red licorice. (Wait, that was just me.) Our only concern was a lack of porta-potties at regular locations, but the race director plans to add more next year.
Finally, we drove past Autzen Stadium into the finish area at Alton Baker. Our fifth runner, Lori, soon appeared in the park, and the five of us crossed the finish line together in 7:21:43, an average pace of 8:31. Hot soup, cocoa and cookies greeted us – a wonderful way to warm up after the cold miles we had just put in. A few minutes later our buddies, the Skunk Zombies, finished too.
Eventually we landed at the local McMenamin’s for our celebratory pint, as all good relays should finish. As I looked around at all my friends gathered there, faces still pink from hard running, I knew that I had had the relay fix I needed.
Loading ...
