NERelay Race Report - Part 3

NER Race Report Part I is HERE

NER Race Report Part II is HERE

Sleepy, sleepy, sleepy...

That's pretty much the theme of this third section.

We all woke up around 3:30AM Sunday morning after having parked around 1:00AM.  Having slept for a max of 2.5 hours scrunched in an SUV, we got out and stretched a bit before making our way over to the start of our next leg.

Once we got there, I got out and walked around for a good 20-30 minutes trying to keep my legs as loose as possible.  There were a lot of vans at this transition - all the other teams just waiting for their runner to come in.  It was pitch black out except for the occasional street lamp every 100 yards or so.  I walked around while a few of our runners nodded off again.  I chatted with the transition official who told me that the runners had been a lot more spaced out than he expected at this point in the race (transition 24 of 36).  There was a bend in the road just before the transition, so we couldn't see a runner coming until they were about 200 yards away.  As it got closer and closer to the cut off time, more and more people gathered at the road awaiting their runner.  After a few minutes, our other vehicle came up and said our runner would be here in about 5 minutes; time to get ready!

Just before 4AM, our runner came in, handed off the "baton" and Van #1 was on it's way to finishing its last leg!!

I will admit that I don't recall a lot about the first of our legs.  I was again nodding off in between cheering sessions.  Like I said, SLEEPY!!  I do recall that our first runner had to run through a bit of trails to make it to the transition area while we drove around.

Once at transition, I hopped in a port-a-potty (which by this point had taken on the expected odor) and changed into my running shorts.  I also had a "meeting" with my teammates.  I told them that whenever I run past them, I am required to drink water.  I had gotten dehydrated in the last leg and I didn't want to let it happen again.  Then, since it was early morning and I was extremely tired, I figured I'd wear a shirt.  The reaction from my team was "I don't recognize you with a shirt on."  I guess I'm the topless runner!  I tossed on my long-sleeve tech and then spent 10 minutes searching for my racing belt.  Just as I found it, I hear...

"Kuuuuuurrrt!!!  Kuuuuurrrtt!!"

I guess our runner had made it into transition.  I close the door to the car, jog my way up to the road yelling "Our time in transition doesn't count against us, so hold your horses!!"  One guy from another team had a good laugh at that.  haha

I get up to the road, grab the baton and lights/vest from our runner and then look at the road.  I look towards the cop standing in the road and ask "Ok, which way do I go?"  He points down to the right and says "Follow the yellow signs."  I laughed and headed off at what felt like a very slow pace.

Two minutes later, I get a little surprise.  Rain!!

Again, I laugh, throw my hands and head up like the escape in Shawshank Redemption and just keep trudging on.

There's a runner a ways up ahead of me and I decided I wanted to keep him (or her) in my sights.  That lasted an entire two minutes until I rounded a bend and "Hey, where'd he go?!"  Oh-well.  Then there was a runner that came up behind me; I could hear her footsteps.  I figured that'd be just as good a push, so why not try to keep her behind me.  I gauged how far back she was and pushed on.

About two miles in I see a blinking red light and figure maybe I had caught back up to this guy in front of me.  A minute later I find out it's just a light that got dropped.  I run up to it and pick it up.  I handed it off to my teammates and told them to drive ahead and give it back to the guy in front of me.  Turns out it wasn't his, so we hung onto it.  Whomever it belonged to, Thank you for the light that will now be used for my night riding!

When my teammates did come by, they handed my water bottle out of the window.  I stopped, grabbed it, took a swig, handed it back, and ran on.  I asked for a Shot Blok next time around and they drove off.  While I had stopped to drink, the girl behind me passed.  I wasn't upset about it - I needed the water for sure - but it turned out that trying to stay ahead of someone was easier than trying to stick with them.  In time she pulled out ahead and lost sight of me by the end of the leg.

Before that thought, I ended up being passed by another girl who not only passed me, but did so at quite the click.  She passed, said "Awesome job," and I couldn't even utter a response.  I came to a conclusion during this run that I have never used my arms so much during a run than I did during those 7.5 miles.  At times I felt like walking would have been quicker, but I kept trudging on.

About a mile down the road after the second girl passed me, I hit a roundabout which I knew was only 0.2 miles from the finish.  I had never been so happy to know I was almost done!

I took a glance at my watch - 59.  "Oh, you have to be joking me!!!"

I pulled into transition, dripping wet and ready to fall asleep on my feet in yet another ONE HOUR FLAT.  I passed off the baton, kept the night gear (because it was just after 6AM and we no longer were required to wear it), and just laughed.  "This really was a crazy idea; thinking we could run this."

A guy from another team handed me a water (thank you dude!!) and we were off.  I felt so much better at the end of this leg and I think my pace was the reason why.  I finished in 8:06 pace.

From here, we followed our next runner through a small little down in NH.  At one point we stopped along the road to wait for her and she surprised us by running by on the right side of the road!  In our surprise, we turned the key for the car and... *click*click*click*     *click*click*click*   SHIT!!  Our battery was dead.

We tore everything out of the back trying to find jumper cables while one of my teammates ran around to all of the cars parked around us.  No luck.  We made a call to our other vehicle - if we couldn't make it to transition, maybe they could.  But in the middle of that call, we tried the car again and it started!  PHEW!  We sped off and made it to transition before our runner did.

The voicemail we left for the other team went something like this - "Hey.  We nearly had an emergency.  Just letting you know.  Bye."  I bet that raised some eyebrows!

As one of my teammates said, "I don't need an energy drink, just a scare to wake me up!"  haha

After that, it was rather smooth sailing.  We also came to realize what truly made our team; a cowbell.

Throughout the race, we had used the cowbell for cheering our teammates and anyone else on.  But it wasn't until the final set of legs that we started arriving at the transition areas and ringing it non-stop once a runner was in sight.  Even the other teams began making comments about the cowbell.  Some runners were thankful for it.  Others (You know who you are... Red Beard) made fun of it.  We figured it was the final beacon telling them that they were almost home.

For Red Beard, however, it was a taunt.  In one transition, he kept trying to determine whether the cowbell was actually making people faster or not.  He concluded "no."  So when we passed him on the road during his leg of the race, we slowed right down and rang it for a minute straight.  His response...  "Oh come on.  I have eleven miles.  You're not going to ring that thing the entire time are you?"  Unfortunately, a car came up behind us, so we couldn't.  However, when he finished that leg, his teammates specifically requested that we ring it just for him.

Another guy who saw us at one point without the cowbell surprised us with "Woah!  I didn't even recognize you without the constant ringing of that bell!"  We were happy that it had made an impression. 

Our team name next year might have to be COWBELL.

The last leg for every runner in our vehicle was sweet!  It was a little celebration as you ran into transition knowing that you no longer had to worry about another run in 4-5 hours.  After our final runner pulled in, we cheered on our other vehicle for a bit and then decided to grab brunch!  My teammates all pulled out their fancy touch-screen, interent-access phones and began debating over where to go.  All I remember is pulling onto 101 East and then we parked.  I woke up and saw we decided on the Sunrise Grill.  The waitress was one of only a select group that knew what the New England Relay was.  She also was not surprised when we ordered an incredible amount of food.

After eating, we headed off to do just that, eat AGAIN.  We made our way to the NER Finish Line where they were serving Lobster Rolls!!!

Let me just say that they were delicious!  We unfortunately couldn't wait around for our second vehicle to finish because one of our teammates had to catch a plane home, but we did get a final Vehicle #1 team photo.

And there was a little bit of playful team rivalry.

That's Red Beard's team van, FYI.  ...Which now says "You've been cow-belled."  They were a great group of runners among many many other awesome teams!

This concludes the Inaugural New England Relay Race Report.  But don't worry, more will be coming soon.  If I have my way, I'll be doing 1 or 2 more by the end of this year!


Stay fit.  Stay healthy.  Stay safe. 

NERelay Race Report - Part 2

NER Race Report Part 1 is HERE

Leg #1 was an easy run for all involved.  We may have complained about changes in distance and the hills, but little did we know that even downhill runs after zero recovery would seem much worse.  haha

After all six runners in Van #1 were finished, we hopped in the SUV, did some cheering for our teammates in the other vehicle while they ran, and then our hunger got the best of us.  We pulled up to what I believe was the town of Amherst and parked nearby the Farmer's Market.  We didn't hit up the market, but we found a nice local Italian restaurant called Pasta E Basta.

We opened the door and what do we see?  Stairs.  Ugh!  "We can do this everyone!"  So we trudged up the stairs, asked for a table for six, and were shown to the upstairs dining area (yes, more stairs).  We sat down and looked at the menu while we all debated what we should eat.  Tomato based sauces seemed to be out for the acid content, so it was cream sauces.  We didn't want to eat too much either because we had to run again in what we thought was 2-3 hours.  After the debate, most of us went with a sub while a couple went with pasta/vegetables.  I got a prosciutto sub and a Caesar salad, but only ate half the sub.

After lunch, we went back to the car and drove to our next vehicle switch transition.  There were a number of vans all awaiting their runners.  We double checked our cut off time and found we didn't have to start up again until 1.5 hours later than we expected.  BONUS!!  Sleepy time!

We had spent 12 hours in the SUV at this point, so we were all getting tired and cramped.  I took the opportunity of extra time to get the only stretched out of the entire trip.  I spent some time foam rolling my quads and stretching my calves, took a bit of a rest, and then with an hour to go before send-off, I got up and walked/jogged around to wake myself back up. 

The rules for the NERelay state that all runners who expect to be on the road between the hours of 7 PM and 6 AM must wear 1 reflective vest, 1 flashlight or headlamp, and 2 blinking lights (one in front, one in back).  Since we weren't sending off our vehicle's first runner until nearly 6 PM, that meant that I would be the first runner to wear the night gear.  So while Runner #1 got ready, I tried it all on.

I found quickly that attaching the blinking lights to the vest was not going to work; they'd bounce everywhere and annoy the shit out of me.  So I attached them to the strap for the head band.  I was going to ask one of the transition officials if that was okay, but I figured I could get away with it if I didn't draw attention.

5:48 PM - Runner #1 is off and running.  It's only 2.7 miles, so we quickly head off to the next transition.

It was starting to feel cooler.  I'm not sure if it was my lack of sleep, fatigue, or simply the weather, but I debated wearing my sleeveless jersey while I waited to run but decided not to.  While I waited at the transition line, I chatted with another runner.  He had on full CEP Compression socks while I had put on my CEP Calf Sleeves.  We both weren't compression believers until after trying our first pair.  They really are amazing.  He wished me luck as his runner came in and said he'd see me soon when I zoom past him down the road; I guess I looked speedy with my short shorts and no shirt.  

A minute later, our runner came around the corner and handed me the "baton."  I was off.  Another 8.1 miles.

I ran down the road, around the school, took a right onto the road, and headed straight for the next 7 miles.  The shoulder was pretty small, so all the runners relied on the oncoming traffic to be generous and kind (it was obvious at this point in the race that no one in New England other than the race officials and runners knew what the heck so many runners were doing on the road). 

At the start of this leg, I tried to hold back a bit.  I knew my first leg was faster than I wanted it to be, so this time I wanted to start slower and not drop off towards the end.  I felt great for the first half mile.  Then the fatigue set in and I knew it was going to be a struggle.  I passed the CEP socks guy about a 1.0-1.5 miles in and wished him luck.  I was holding a comfortable pace and doing well.

As I mentioned before, as Runner #2, I got to cross two of five state borders.  Leave it to Team Comrades in Legs to be waiting for me at the border for my requested photo-op!!

That was the last time they saw me doing "well."

I crested the next hill and saw another runner off ahead of me, maybe half a mile down.  "Awesome" I thought.  "That gives me something to work towards and keep myself occupied with."  I checked my watch and figured out I was about 1 minute back.  I'd give myself 20-25 minutes to catch up to her (don't want to push it).  It only took me 15.  Hmmm... am I still going too fast?  Eh, it feels comfortable.

I hit a small incline after passing the second runner and saw a long straight road; torture!  I hate straight roads. I focused on the scenery and tried not to look ahead, but I could start feeling the fatigue setting in even more now.  "How far had I gone?  Was I 5 or 6 miles in yet?  How far in was the third hill supposed to be?  I knew the "bear right" was 0.4 miles from the finish, but I wasn't sure how far that right turn was from me.

I hit the end of the straight away and saw a bend to the left.  Maybe the bear right is just around this bend.  Nope.  "Damn, where is it?"

"Ok, hold on Kurt.  What's your time?"  I checked my watch.  If I was going to hit 7 minute miles again, I'd be done in about 56-58 minutes.  I was only at 45.  "I've got some time.  But how much time?  If the bear right is at 0.4 miles from the finish, I should hit that with 3.5-4 minutes to go, which means around 52-54 minutes in."  I check my watch again - 50 minutes in.

Another bend comes up in the road.  Again, it's not the turn I'm looking for.  My legs are tired and I know it, but I kept it up.  I knew I could hold out.

54 minutes in.

"Where the hell is this bend?!"

"Wait.  Relax Kurt!  Are you running the same pace as your first leg?  No.  You're running slower.  Maybe you're closer to 8 minute miles.  What would that be for time?  8.1 miles at 8 minutes per mile.  64 minutes with an extra 0.1.  With 0.4 after the right turn, I would hit the turn around one hour flat.  Damnit!!"

Another bend in the road.  A car comes up behind me and I see them hit their brakes at the edge of the bend.  I'm getting anxious!  Then I see it, a yellow NER sign pointing to the road on the right.  I check behind me for traffic and cross the road.  Only 0.4 miles to go and I'm 56 minutes in.

Unfortunately, most of the last 0.4 miles are uphill, but I trudge up it and hit the transition at another one hour flat!  (Technically, it was 1:00:28, but who's picky).

Time for Three Surprises!!

Our next runner tells me to take off the baton and right then I start noticing it.  My fingers aren't as coordinated.  I pull off the baton and hand it to her.  She puts it on as I hand her the vest and headband with all the lights.  As she's getting geared up I ask for some water and my teammates look at me.  OMG, my speech is slurred!

SURPRISE!

At this point in the race I have thoughts going back to my half marathon last October where I became dizzy at mile 11 and collapsed at the finish line.  I had been dehydrated and in need of fuel at that point.  I was there yet again!!

At least I was able to walk this time, but my speech was slurred, I could feel my lips were acting funny, my fine motor skills were dulled, and I began being surprised at how well I had calculated all my possible finish times while out on the road.

While our next runner took off, my teammates informed me that they were pretty sure my leg was actually 8.5, not 8.1, miles.  At the same time, another runner comes over and tells us that even his running GPS - which he wore on that leg - had told him the same, 8.5 miles.  So wait, that means I pretty damn near kept the same exact pace as my first leg.  Wow!  I would have bet my entire savings on that having been slower.

SURPRISE!!

I foam rolled my ITB because it had started bothering me part way into this leg (I ran probably 4 miles in the smack dab middle of the road to avoid the incredible slope at the edges).  Then I chugged a couple bottles of water, hopped in the car and said "Let's Go!"  My teammates reassured me that we could take more time if I needed it, but already knew that if I had already had trouble out on the road, that our next runner may very well be having issues too.  So I urged them to check in with her and from here on to check in more often with every runner.

We stopped and cheered our other runners on, made sure everyone had water when they wanted it, and at least asked them about it at every stop we made.  At this point in the day, I was beginning to fall asleep in between cheering stops.  My body was crashing and everyone else was feeling quite the same.

We stopped at a gas station to use the bathroom and I got my final surprise - my legs were so tight that I could barely walk.  And I mean, barely walk.  My calves were on fire and each step felt like I was in danger of tearing something.  I was not looking ahead to my next leg with much hope.  I didn't want to tell the team that I couldn't do it just yet (maybe I'd get better in a few hours), but I doubted I could do more than walk at 20 min/mile right now.

SURPRISE!!!

After a few more legs of running, one of my teammates turned to me and said "Ok, get in the back of the car.  We've got to fix your legs."  Let me tell you right now that I owe my entire final leg and the fact that I can walk right now to one of my amazing teammates!!  THANK YOU!  It was a painful next twenty minutes, but she eased enough tension out of my legs with a massage and Biofreeze to let me walk well enough and after 20-30 minutes of walking around, even think running was a possibility. 

Once our final runner was done (it being around 11:15pm now), we hit our vehicle transition, took a partial team photo...

... and were greeted by volunteers.  These were not just any volunteers.  They were volunteers making free Ramen!!!

Ramen, bottled water, and Coke.  I know I'm not a carbonated or caffeine beverage person, but I knew I needed some sugar.  I downed a Coke and two helpings of Ramen.  Ramen has never tasted so good!!

Mmmmm... Ramen!!

After the Ramen, we headed straight for the next transition.  All I remember is waking up when we arrived, we cracked the windows, and then everyone went to sleep in the most comfortable position they could find for having six people and bags in an SUV.  It was the longest rest any of us had, about two hours.

To be continued...

NER Race Report Part III is HERE

Stay fit.  Stay healthy.  Stay safe. 

NERelay Race Report - Part I

As I've said before, the whole idea of doing the New England Relay (NERelay or NER), was hatched by two of my teammates early this year.  I doubt they even thought they'd find enough crazy people to do it, let alone thought it was sane enough to do themselves.

After a few questioning emails sent out to a few friends of theirs, several forwardings of that email, and a text in my case, it seemed that they did in fact know enough crazy people to form a 12 person relay. 

Finally, after plenty of emails sent around about "what should I bring?," "what is this going to be like?," "how do I train for this?," and "are we really doing this?," the week came where this would actually happen.  It wasn't even real in my own mind at that point.  It was still months of random emails about entry fees, required items, thoughts on food, car arrangements, etc.

The Friday before the race, everyone met in Boston; everyone except me that is.  They met up at one person's apartment, met one another, and went over the items needed for each car, what everyone had, and divied up the items as needed.  A few hours later, everyone split up, went wherever they were crashing, and tried their best to get the last good amount of sleep for the next 48 hours.

As they were leaving to get sleep, I had just left work in CT.  I got a call from one of my teammates while on the road to Boston letting me know that I could crash on her couch (yay, I didn't have to sleep in the car).  When I arrived around 11:30pm, I officially met the first of eleven teammates (I had only ever met two of these eleven people before), transferred my stuff to the team vehicle, set my watch for three hours, and crashed around midnight.  As I laid there, I kept thinking "This is actually happening.  When I wake up in three hours, I will be heading to Rhode Island to run 223.5 miles with nearly complete strangers.  This isn't just an idea anymore."  I got at least a good 2.5 hours of sleep and I was quite thankful for every second. 

Around 3:45AM, we headed over to another teammate's apartment, picked up 4 or 5 of our teammates, and cruised over to Whole Foods to meet the other vehicle (PS, Whole Foods is DEAD at 4AM).  Finally!!  All twelve crazy ass runners connected only be previous associations and email were in one single location about to realize that they had signed up for a lot more than they realized.  haha!! We did a bit of transferring and were off at 4:15AM.

I fell asleep in the car on the way up and hadn't actually caught everyone's name yet.  I figured "Eh, I'll figure it out soon enough."  We chatted a little, more about what everyone did for school/work, where you're from, who you knew in the group, etc. as we drove.  Eventually, we pulled up to the state park we were to start the whole shindig at.  Wouldn't you know it, there are no signs!  Where are we supposed to go?  You would have thought they'd have a sign - "Crazy people enter here" - or something.  Apparently they attempted the "secret club" feel for the inaugural race.  We drove through and found a couple pop up tent covers.  Hmmm... those must be it.  Our team captain jumped out and verified that we had actually found the right spot.  We got our tech tees, hit up one of the last actual bathrooms we'd see for the next 33 hours, took a team photo, and Runner #1 lined up for the start.

Team #7, Comrades in Legs

They only had four teams starting at 7AM, so it wasn't crowded at all, but we were in the very first group, so for at least the first few legs, we would be the race course virgins!  The first leg ran for a little less than a mile through the woods and then popped out on the road which is where 90% of the race was held.

Our first runner lined up at 7:00AM and we were off!

Our car, Van #1 thought it was technically an SUV, followed Runner #1 as the other vehicle, Van #2 (actually a van) drove ahead to meet us at the Leg #6 transition.  As per every following leg, we stopped along the route to cheer our runner on as well as anyone else who happened to come by (even non relay runners who just happened to be out at the same time).

We got to our first transition and I suited up!  I had 8.5 miles and I felt ready.  After weeks of runner's knee, and tension in my foot, I was pumped to feel ready to run; it's a feeling I never thought I'd have but I live for it now.  Despite having not really trained for the upcoming distance, I was ready to throw caution to the wind and see what happened.

Runner #1 came up over the crest of the hill and I got in place.  She had held first place until they hit the hills and was in 2nd place by about 50 yards, which signaled to me that I need to make up ground.  If only I had thought about that for a second (what's 50 yards over a 223.5 mile race?!).  She came in, passed off the "baton" (a red rubber "New England Relay" bracelet), and I was off.  We had a slight incline at the beginning of the leg and I had overtaken the leaders before I made it half way up; man, I felt good!!

RAIN!!!

Mother nature's way of telling me to slow down?  Maybe.

If you don't live in the Northeast, you should know that after a full week of a scorcher, the entire weekend was on and off rain.  Great racing weather!!

I knew that the first of my three legs was going to be the hilliest, so I figured I'd push myself a little more.  I eased up on the inclines, but not as much as normal.  Every time I crested a hill, I pushed the pace to make sure I wasn't slacking in order to rest; I know my body can rest on the run.

Before I knew it, I turned around and there was no one in sight.  Had I gone out too fast?  Were the other runners just the slower teammates of the other teams?  Who knows, but I wasn't going to slow down and waste precious time while I felt good.

As Runner #2, I got the privelege of running over two of the five state borders and I wasn't going to go home without pictures of it!!

About fifteen minutes in, my teammates drove past cheering and then stopped about 0.5 miles up the road.  I ran past and just from their expressions I knew I was holding a quick pace.  The next time I ran past them they asked "Do you know what pace you're at?"  I yelled out "Not sure.  Something under seven?"  "Yeah!!"  I guess I went out a bit faster than I had planned.  Eh, who needs race day plans anyways?!

This is where I started feeling bad for another teammate.  The NERelay had to reroute some of the legs the week prior to the race because of tornado damage.  This meant that two runners would run this one leg of the relay and a later leg would be skipped.  After running past my teammates a couple of times, they didn't seem to be sticking around to wait for the other runner.  I really hoped that he was doing ok.

I came within sight of the next transition and glanced at my watch; 59:45.  I broke out in what I had left of a sprint.  I crossed the transition cone and hit my watch; 1:00:03.  Darn!!  But still a respectable time!

Once I caught my breath, I learned that my team had given our other runner his water bottle to hang onto, which worked out well for him.  Thankfully he didn't seem to require the additional cheering stops though I still feel bad he had to run without them; they're a big boost!

The remainder of the first set of legs were a mix of a taste of what the NERelay was going to be and an introduction to everyone's personal running style.  Our third runner spent fifteen minutes figuring out which way to go at a crossroads because there was no sign.  Another runner started bleeding and later discovered the incredible benefits of bodyglide.  Another runner fell in a ditch and then got lost on a section of trail due to another confusing set of directions while the rest of us in the car got nearly accused of trespassing on a used car parts lot in the middle of the woods.  This was going to be a crazy day!

It was an eventful Round #1 of the NERelay.  And it had only JUST begun!!


NER Race Report Part II is HERE
NER Race Report Part III is HERE


Stay fit.  Stay healthy.  Stay safe.  

How Did I Do?

I'm sure you're all dying to know how I did running around New England for some 30 odd hours.

Danny @ A Quest for Running Perfection posted quite a detailed prediction of how he thought I would perform on race dayS and I will leave it up to you to decide whether that influenced me or not.

If you hadn't seen the elevation maps for my runs, you can check them out HERE (Yes, I put up leg #1's map as well now that I have it). 

Leg #2 

8.5 miles in 1:00:03

7:03 pace

This was pretty early in the race, so I was obviously the most rested and given that it was still early in the race and I knew the first leg was run at a pace slower than I knew I could keep up, I really wanted to put some distance between us and the other teams.  I would pay for that down the road though. 

Danny, I'd say your 7:07 pace prediction was pretty spot on here.

Leg #14

8.1 (OR 8.5) miles in 1:00:28

7:27 (OR 7:06) pace

Coming into this leg, I could already feel the fatigue in my legs.  I questioned how well I could do and when I finished, I was convinced that I had run something around an 8:00+ pace.  The course was written out as 8.1 miles, however, both my vehicle's odometer and another runner's GPS clocked the run at 8.5 miles.  So despite feeling horrible on this run, I may have very well maintained my original pace; Awesome.  However, dehydration had me slurring my speech after I finished.  =\ 

Danny, as long as I give you the clocked mileage, you were again spot on!  Impressive.

Leg #26

7.5 miles in 1:00:49

8:06 pace

Going into Leg #26, I was lucky to be able to walk (more to come on that).  The entire 7.5 miles felt like a shuffle and a complete lack of sleep both hurt (no recovery) and helped (hilarious tangent thoughts while running kept me entertained) me here.  I rounded a corner that I knew was only 0.2 miles from the finish, looked at my watch, and thought "No fucking way!  I'm going to hit one hour flat again."  Haha.  I was even MORE surprised at my pace this time around.  More importantly, I was just happy to be finished.  

Danny, it looks like your predictions finally broke down.  But two out of three ain't bad at all. 

It's always odd for me to come back to "real life" after this kind of activity.  30 hours in an SUV with five other people I had never met before running around New England at all hours of the day and night, depending on one another constantly...  It's a situation not many people would put themselves in, but I'd do it again in a heartbeat!  And without doubt, we are all very close friends now.  On top of that, events like this reinforce the idea that if I ever get good enough to have a shot at going pro, I would drop EVERYTHING to do it.  I never feel more alive than when I'm in a race and I am glad I had the opportunity to participate in a TEAM based race this time.  It was an experience that words will never live up to. 

Stay fit.  Stay healthy.  Stay safe.