Get Up On Again It!!!...Again! Would 'Ya?

Yeah, don't ask me about that title. That was something that someone on my team came up with and thought it should be our slogan. But not a single one of us could get it right, and it just kept getting longer as we went.

Mel, Skyler, Annie, Marcos, Adam, Ike, Jenna, Colleen, Jaci, Kira, and ME

On August 12th and 13th, I did the Epic Cache-Teton Relay, which is very similar to the Ragnar except we ran from Smithfield to Jackson instead of Logan to Park City.
What can I say? I just love Relays! I said after this one that if this was the only reason I ran, it would be worth it.

This picture is our whole team in Preston. Half the team had already finished their first legs, and our van was getting ready to go. (Yeah, I look super ready to run, right?)

Yeah, after 2 days of consistent sweat, Annie didn't know quite what to do with her hair.

Yea! for the only picture I have of Ike!

Somehow we convinced Skyler to wear my pink shorts because he had the last leg of our team into the finish line. I think he might love them, wouldn't you say?

We realized we hadn't taken any pictures, so we made up for it in a matter of about 5 minutes.

Annie and I

Annie and Skyler

Skyler and Mel

Here are a few of the funny moments that happened probably as a result of no sleep, dehydration, and inadequate nutrition...

-After the first time we tried to sleep, we were all comparing notes on how many hours (or minutes) of sleep we were able to get, Annie said, "My zipping bag wouldn't sleep up!" And when we all questioned her about it, she looked at us totally seriously as if to say, "Yeah, it wouldn't!" She didn't even realize what she had said.

-Skyler pretty much got the raw end of the deal in our van. He was the last runner, so by the time it came his turn, we were all tired, and ready to sleep or eat. He was always very nice to us, and brought us water during our legs, he offered to run miles for us, etc. etc. So we were talking about how nice he was and that he was like the team cheerleader/mascot. He said, "Yeah, I'm here for you guys. I'll do whatever I can to support you. Even you Ike." (It was just funny that he felt like he needed to clarify that.

-On that same note, we were joking about how sad it was that he was always so helpful, and there were times that we were asleep in the car when he ran by, and we never had his water ready etc. So we were totally kidding, and said that it would be funny if rather than get out of the car to give him water, if we just ran by and threw his water at him. Well, we took it a little too far. As we were driving past him, Ike slowed down, we rolled down the window, I yelled, "We're supporting you!" and Annie chucked a water bottle at him. The poor kid was so happy to finally get water that he went chasing it down the road. We decided to be nicer from then on. :)

-There were so many funny moments. It felt like we were laughing the whole time. But that's all I remember a month later.

So this is where I ramble on about details of the race that nobody but me cares about. So feel free to skip ahead.

My first leg was 4.7 miles-sounds simple enough? Uh...no. I ran at about 2:00 in the afternoon in August, on a highway in-I don't know where Idaho, straight uphill for about 3 miles straight, where the only scenery was sage brush and the I could feel the sun beating down on my back. That was tough, but at least I got it out of the way. (That's why I say Ike was our MVP, he ran 12 miles in the exact same conditions, and he killed it!) I think our van was done with all our legs at like 7 or 8 or 9... who knows. We stopped and got Subway, and tried to get a little sleep under the stars in a random parking lot-also in I don't know Idaho. Actually, come to think of it, the Subway may have been in Soda Springs. Shout out to Hope!! :)

My next run was at about 3:00 in the morning and it was 7.5 miles. I had mixed feelings about running in the pitch dark. But, that was by far my favorite run, and went by the fastest even though it was the longest. But my mind was kind of playing tricks with me. I kept thinking that I heard something behind me but it was really the echo of my own feet. And I thought every single thing I saw was a bear. Whether it was a cow, or a bush, or a rock-to me, at 3:00 in the morning, it was a bear. I even thought to myself, "What would I do if I saw a bear? I obviously couldn't hide because my stink at this point would carry at least 20 miles. I can't run away, because I'm obviously exhausted. And no one would ever hear me scream, so I guess I'll just let him have his way." Luckily, my team was keeping a very close eye on me. In fact, they would pull off to the side of the road ahead of me, and then when they saw me coming, they would turn their head lights on-which also scared the you-know-what out of me! Luckily the last mile and a half or so of that run was downhill-and I have never loved a downhill so much in my life.

After our van's legs were done, we drove into Jackson and got breakfast at McDonald's. I just have to tell you a little story... My last leg was so cold, that for hours after I felt like I couldn't get warm. So I had black tights and a white turtle neck on for my run. Then I put purple capri sweats, and an orange t-shirt over that. I was still cold so I put on a white jacket and wrapped myself in a green blanket. I didn't understand why everyone at the McDonald's was steering clear of me until I went into the bathroom. Oh, how I wish I had a picture. I have worn some embarrassing things in my life but that may have been the worst, and add that to the fact that I had matted hair from my head lamp, and I stunk (for at least 20 miles.) I'm sure that even homeless people would not have taken me in!!! Ha Ha!

Then we found another parking lot that we tried to get a little more sleep. I was so tired that I didn't care that bugs were crawling on me and in my sleeping bag. It was all worth it for the hour of sleep that I got.

My last run was 2.9 miles. But I tried not to think of it that way, because I knew that I was going to overlook it. And I did. I was seriously tired by then. I ran at about 2:00 in the afternoon and it was pretty flat, and shaded, but it was still tough. BUT I MADE IT!!

We all ran in at the finish line, and it was great!

Skyler, who made up our "team motto" also, every once in awhile would just look out the window and say, "Guys, we're really doin it!" I loved that, because that's how I feel about running sometimes. I hate it in the moment, and I wonder why I do it to myself. But every once in awhile I have to remind myself where I came from and that this was a goal of mine for so long, and now "I'm really doin it!"