RTB, Part I

So here's my attempt at a mobile post as we're currently enroute to finding some food and rest after our van's first segment at the RTB. For more info on the relay itself, check out the right hand side for a link to their website. But the gist of it is that groups of no more than 12 people run approximately 200 miles in total as fast as they can. We've split our group of 12 into 2 vans, and I'm in the second van which takes legs 7 through 12 initially, 19 through 24, and 31 though 37.

I ran leg 9 which was 3.5 miles. Before I took off, as we were trying to get to the transition are where I would meet Artie who's running before me, we hit some traffic in the small town. We thought we might have been late, making Artie wait, but as we pulled into the parking lot I jumped out and sprint towards the transition are to catch Artie and get our wrist band to continue on. It was a much better hand-off then the American women's 4x100 team has been doing of late.

The beginning of my run was fine, nothing remarkable, though I did pass a nice looking restaurant w/ outdoor seating called "Almost There" and then caught my first runner. As I kept chugging along, I saw my first hill and was ready to eat it alive. After getting 100 or 200 meters up the hill, I realized there was someone honking. At first I thought they were honking at me to let me know that I had dropped a blinker from my night gear, which I wouldn't have cared about since we had plenty of extras. But then looking back I realized they were honking at me because I had missed the turn and was running the wrong way! D'oh! I didn't feel too bad after my leg was done, which I ran @ a 7:19 / mile pace, and my team said they missed the turn too, but ended up driving the wrong was for about 3 miles. Glad someone helped me out - I owe them a beer.

We're back home and have about 3 hours to get some food and rest. Not sure how much I'll be able to sleep as I'm not much of an on-the-spot sleeper, but hopefully the Harpoon Brown Ale I'm enjoying now will help tire me out as much as the run. I've got a 7+ mile run tomorrow @ 4 in the morning... So until then.