morning - 5 Las Vegas. Everybody took it nice and easy on me as we went 5 to stretch the legs out and breathe some fresh Vegas air! The run was good though and the legs seemed to feel a bit better. I really worked on stretching and trying to work out the kinks. (Stratus red 176.85 I had traveled down to Vegas with Steve "Papa Bear", Clyde, Logan, Nick, Adam W., and James B. Stayed the night at the luxurious Sahara and ate my first of three tasty pancake meals late that night. Plan was to get up and run in the morning (see above!) and then head on down to Wickenburg/Phoenix. After the run we headed out as quick as possible and headed out. Eventually got to the start of the race and watched a few start times head out and began to get nervous. afternoon - 1.5 Warm up with Clyde and Logan. They helped me calm my nerves a little and get ready. (Startus red 178.35)
Stretched out a lot more and said a little prayer that the leg would hold up and we would all be safe and tried to get myself mentally ready. I was feeling a bit nervous going first, as I really wanted to get the team off to a good start. evening - 5.45 LEG 1. Race got started off with a little confusion as I was told by one race director that I didn't need my headlamp or vest, then told by the other that I did with about 3 minutes before the race. So I raced up to the van (which was locked!) eventually got in and got back to the start with about 15 seconds to go. My headlamp wasn't adjusted right, so I just held it the whole time. Let Google take the lead as he looked like he might want to push the pace, but another guy (the Tuscon running store team) and I just settled right behind him. Mile 1 - 5:27 a solid start and things were just rolling along on a slight grade up out of town. 2-5:36 About a half mile into this, I moved around Google and we took the lead, never to give it up (but I guess he did tie me for a little). 3-5:24 I hoped that around the end of this mile the grade would turn to the downhill that was shown on the elevation map. The first major incorrect assumption of the race! No downhill! Never downhill! 4-5:29 I could tell now that we were just going to keep climbing up toward the top of this pass and do the exchange up there somewhere, so I just kept plugging. The Running Shop guy was a mystery to me, I couldn't tell exactly what he was up to, but I think he was fading a little and would drop off about 5-10 feet and then work to get right back up on my shoulder. In my head, I thought he was a bit tired, but was telling himself to hold on and keep it tight so that their next guy would go blow us away. So I laughed to myself thinking, "Should I tell this guy that I am the worst of our first 4 and the next three are going to just hammer them?!" 5-5:24 The whole run is just feeling very consistent. I am happy with my knee - its a little tight, but okay. And my pace is just like I am on a treadmill (which of course is stuck on an incline). 5.45-2:19 (5:22 pace). Saw the handoff coming up and wanted to just hammer it down and kill the guy next to me, but I decided that wouldn't be the wisest of moves and just let him settle in beside me and give it to "The Man". The second Logan took the handoff, I knew it was over!
We took off to the next start and I cooled it off about 1 mile. (Ohana -6.45
| 