Blue Ridge Relay 2019

F3 South Wake PPMH – 9-man team

Pre-race:

1. Van 1- we all met at Flanigan’s house to depart to West Jefferson for a team dinner and packet pickup. Had to wait for the captain who was sightseeing to gather John Hancock’s. We departed towards our cow cabin to be as close to the start line as possible. Several locals were kind enough to tell us that it’s “cold up there” in our quest to find instant coffee and beer. Blue hen successfully got both at a premium made it to the love shack to find no cable and no internet, minimal cell service. We hit the hay early. 
2. Van 2 – West Jefferson: UTI did a way better job this year on securing a place to sleep.  Football, Sleep in (sorta), coffee, breakfast, and copious amounts of anticipation

 

Leg 1 – Van 1 – Flanigan

Leg	Rating	Elev + (ft)	Elev – (ft)	Distance	Max Elev. (ft)	Min Elev. (ft)	Runner
Leg #1	Easy	21	-1031	3.9	4919	3901	Flanigan

This pic was taken by blue hen. Not sure what was on his mind.

Flanigan has leg one. Early morning was clear, stars fading with the rising sun. Nerves a bit on edge ready to begin this journey. I was told not to go all out and save my quads. Don’t be first and don’t be last. It was a 4 mile 99% downhill march that certainly got the heart going. I found myself staying with the lead pack. When my watch told me I was sub 7 pace, I decided to dial it back a touch although I felt great. I had a lot more to accomplish. Vans passed me in both directions. Ones coming down excited since it began. Ones heading up nervous not to run anyone over and start their own pilgrimage. It was on like donkey Kong. I saw breach at the EZ, slapped his wrist with our precious and away he went

 

Leg 2 – Breach

Leg	Rating	Elev + (ft)	Elev – (ft)	Distance	Max Elev. (ft)	Min Elev. (ft)	Runner
Leg #2	Hard	406	-1539	7.5	3933	2774	Breach

 

Leg 3- Nemo

Leg	Rating	Elev + (ft)	Elev – (ft)	Distance	Max Elev. (ft)	Min Elev. (ft)
Leg #3	Moderate	400	-479	5.2	3107	2690

I don’t know what the deal is because this is not really like running a traditional race, but the nerves still were getting to me.  I was pretty anxious to get those first few miles behind me and I vaguely remembered Leg 3 from driving it last year. Most of that memory was the long steady climb on the gravel road so I was letting myself get a little psyched out about it.  What I had forgotten about was the nice level start, gradual downhill finish, and excellent lack of traffic along this leg. I took the handoff from Breach and was off and running. Not that I was feeling great, but just about everything that could have gone right, did.  Good night sleep the night before, Foldgers instant coffee had done the work I needed, and felt pretty good about food and drink. The first mile was fast, weather was perfect. Was surprised by how spread out the teams were already and ended up only seeing 2 other runners along the way.  The climb was tough. It was an instant reminder of what I had signed up for. No matter how many sets I had done of the hills along Lockley and Crossway, and the climbs around Bass Lake and Sugg, there is just no way to really prepare for these long duration 1 mile+ climbs. That said, I really focused my training this year on working the hills – my form, pace and endurance on climbs, and it seemed to pay off.  Pace was not what I wanted, but pretty close, and I did not burn myself out. Last year, I had Leg 1 and I flew out of the gate and ran a crazy fast pace on the long downhill. It was great, but I left myself in a bad spot because my quads locked up and I had to run sore the other 2 legs. This year, starting on Leg 3, kept it steady, felt good overall, and was in good shape for the rest of the day. Nice to get the 1st leg done, quick transition with the 4-man van on the move.

Leg 4 – BlueHen

Leg	Rating	Elev + (ft)	Elev – (ft)	Distance	Max Elev. (ft)	Min Elev. (ft)	Runner	Pace	Start Time
4	Hard	755	-379	6.9	3125	2584	BlueHen	9:34	9:54 AM

 

This was my first leg and first go at the BRR. Our van stayed about 10 minutes away in a cabin, so I felt well rested and ready to roll.  The pre-race nerves were either strong, or the instant coffee helped get things loose as I hit the porta-johns along the way leading up to my leg.  I typically have a problem coming out hot and had told myself to start slow, but after watching Flanigan, Breach, and Nemo crush their runs I couldn’t hold back.  The first mile felt good, 7:51 pace, mile two I settled back to 8:56, mile three 8:49, and then I was slapped in the face with what this race is all about – hills, hills, and more hills.  I had a steady include for mile 4 (10:01 pace, mile 5 (10:29 pace), and mile 6 was just an all out crusher (11:58 pace and steep elevation). I settled back in for the last .9 mile (8:46 pace). It helped that I could see Flanigan and LipSync from  the bottom of the hill cheering me on, however the bottom of the hill was .9 miles to go. I finished with an overall pace of 9:34. I didn’t expect it to be this hot with minimal shade, but was happy I had made the decision to go shirtless for this run and carry water.  I quickly realized two things – 1.)I hadn’t trained enough running during the day (heat) 2.) crossways wasn’t enough to prepare for these hills. I really wanted to start things off under our team goal of a 9 minute pace, but felt this run gave me a good baseline of what I had ahead. 

 

Leg 5 – Van 2 – Warbucks

Leg	Rating	Elev + (ft)	Elev – (ft)	Distance	Max Elev. (ft)	Min Elev. (ft)	Runner	Pace
Leg #5	Moderate	404	-325	4.8	3162	2912	Warbucks	8:05 actual/9:00 for course

This was my first leg and my anxiety was way up there.  It didn’t help that I needed to pee and they bathrooms were locked due to a water leak.  I contemplated taking my phone with the cue sheet on it, but was assured by Van 1 that the course was well marked.  Blue Hen came in hot, slapped me with bracelet and I was off. I came out fast for the first 3 miles through town, then hit downtown West Jefferson when I got off course.  After a few minutes of running in circles, passing the loft we stayed at the previous night, and taking a trip around Backstreet Beads; I flagged down a car to help. This very nice old couple knew the church which was the next EZ and offered to let me ride with them (which I unfortunately had to decline) before letting me follow them back to the course.  I was running fast to make up time, but that quickly ended when I hit the final climb, a .1 mile stretch at 10-13% grade. This was my first big hill and I was not prepared for these steep climbs. I ran/walked up the hill and finished strong and handed off to Lipsync. I ran my 5.5 miles at an 8:04 minute pace, but for the leg finished right on the target of 9 minute miles due to getting off course.  Leg 1 down.

 

Leg 6 – Lipsync

Leg	Rating	Elev + (ft)	Elev – (ft)	Distance	Max Elev. (ft)	Min Elev. (ft)	Runner
Leg #6	Hard	979	-989	6.8	3563	2987	LipSync

Leg 7 – UTI

Leg	Rating	Elev + (ft)	Elev – (ft)	Distance	Max Elev. (ft)	Min Elev. (ft)	Runner	Pace	Start Time
7	Easy	165	-148	2.3	3226	3095	UTI	8:02	12:49 PM

I had waited all morning for a shot at running and my first leg was the shortest one of the entire race.  Oh well, that just meant I was gonna light it up! The anticipation had me pacing as I waited for LipSync to make an appearance in the distant treeline on the edge of the Christmas Tree Farm.  There was one false start as I lined up between the orange cones but the runner approaching was not our LipSync but a similarly dressed imposter. A bit later, there he was and it was time to get ready to GO!

This being my first of 4 runs and the shortest of them I don’t recall much of anything notable.  It was mid-day so the sun was cooking. I was, of course, #skins and had applied sunscreen so I would not burn.  At mile 2 was the one and only turn that I had to navigate and that turn gave me my first hill. No matter how long the run, it’s always a bitch to turn the corner and be faced with a hill.

I made it to the top and handed off to Bacon.  The rest of van 2 were busy being good Samaritans, another team was having van trouble which they thought was a bad ignition but turned out to be the wheel being locked and needing to be unlocked before it would turn-over.  

 

Leg 8- Bacon:

Leg	Rating	Elev + (ft)	Elev – (ft)	Distance	Max Elev. (ft)	Min Elev. (ft)	Runner
Leg #8	Easy	326	-378	3.1	3343	3061	Bacon

First leg, first blue Ridge Relay, and super stoked that I got an “easy” 3.1 miles for my first BRR Leg experience. However, I quickly got humbled during this leg when I hit a ¾ mile uphill arse kicker after about 1.5 miles into the leg. I hit the wall quick and wondered that if this was an “easy” leg then what was I in store for during the moderate and very hard stages of the BRR. 

 

 

 

 

Leg 9 – Wiggly

Leg	Rating	Elev + (ft)	Elev – (ft)	Distance	Max Elev. (ft)	Min Elev. (ft)	Runner
Leg #9	Easy	186	-401	4.6	3134	2904	Wiggly

Leg 10 – BlueHen

Leg	Rating	Elev + (ft)	Elev – (ft)	Distance	Max Elev. (ft)	Min Elev. (ft)	Runner	Pace	Start Time
10	Easy	315	-166	5.3	3085	2918	BlueHen	9:33	2:17PM

 

Our van had accidentally gone to the leg 11 exchange zone as we waited for van 2 to finish their legs. Fortunately, there wasn’t much going on at this EZ and it had a nice picnic table area with shelter and a bathroom.  We also figured out quickly that we were in the incorrect location, but decided to stay and head back to EZ for leg 10 when we needed to. Lunch consisted of a triple decker PB and honey sandwich and I rested the legs in a hammock.  We had traveled the leg I was about to run so I knew what was in store and wondered why this was considered an easy leg. The last mile or so was up hill and much of the section was gravel(with road construction) and not much shade. Breach let me use his calf compression machine (although I struggled to figure this thing out).  After the rest, sandwich, compression, sink shower, and dude wipes I felt ready to roll. I really wanted to get under 9 on my average pace, but the sun and hills at the end got me. We ran into our SouthWake 12 man team while resting at the incorrect EZ and they warned us to head back early due to the construction traffic – not what I wanted to hear. We made our way back down passing Crosby on the long hill towards the end of leg 10.  Many were walking this part, but Crosby looked strong. My man had on a black hoodie – now that is some hardcore gear. I had planned to once again go shirtless for this run. I had mentally prepared myself for the sun, road construction, dust and tar and felt ready to go. I started out too fast again, but battled through this run. This leg gradually got hotter, dustier, with continued elevation. I also ran alongside a river. At one point a family came by in rafts.  I remember seeing the kids floating in front of their parents about the length of a football and the adults floating with a cooler and having a great time. I remember this vividly because it was about this point that I was calculating how much time I would lose to jump into this river and enjoy one of their cold refreshments, jump back out, and continue with my run. I was eyeing a good place to jump in and the story I would tell my team for coming in with a 15 minute overall pace  – I decided against this and made my way to handoff to Breach. I still have no idea how Crosby did this leg in a black hoodie – I wasn’t meant to run in the heat. 

 

Leg 11 – Breach

Leg	Rating	Elev + (ft)	Elev – (ft)	Distance	Max Elev. (ft)	Min Elev. (ft)	Runner
Leg #11	Very Hard	680	-551	8.4	3411	2959	Breach

 

Leg 12 – Nemo

Leg	Rating	Elev + (ft)	Elev – (ft)	Distance	Max Elev. (ft)	Min Elev. (ft)	Runner
Leg #12	Hard	661	-547	6.1	3506	3139	Nemo

This leg for me was like the forgotten run.  I was just so happy about not having to run Leg 13 as that kicked my ass last year.  Breach had to tackle a tough climb and clouds of gravel dust in the heat on Leg 11. As we waited on Breach to finish, the 6 man team caught up and we had a chance to talk with Skidmark who would also be running Leg 12.  This leg was a bit of a climb to start as we made our way up to the Parkway. If you have never had the chance to take a leg on the Blue Ridge Parkway, here is what you need to know – there are usually some long climbs, you do get some great views, and the traffic sucks.  There is no shoulder and most drivers are either relentless or oblivious to the runners. You spend quite a bit of energy just focusing on the oncoming traffic. Oh, and also, the vans are not allowed on the Parkway so there is no opportunity for support. This leg was not too bad.  Traffic and the climbs on the beginning of the run were tough, but the last 2 miles were pretty nice running. The last mile or so is an out and back to the EZ so you get to see some runners heading out to take on the hell that is Leg 13. Toughest part of this leg is the final climb to the EZ.  It’s not too steep or long, just enough to piss you off after having a decent 6+ mile run as you have to fight your way up to the handoff. Was nice opportunity for some added camaraderie as the 6 man team was at the EZ waiting on Skidmark, who managed to close the gap and finish just a few mins behind me.  Was nice to catch up with them and see how they were holding up. Was also getting excited because I knew there was a good chance the showers at next EZ would be open and I was looking forward to rinsing off, ordering some pizza, and celebrating being halfway done.

 

Leg 13 Van 1 – Flanigan 

Leg	Rating	Elev + (ft)	Elev – (ft)	Distance	Max Elev. (ft)	Min Elev. (ft)	Runner
Leg #13	Very Hard	946	-687	9.4	3840	3205	Flanigan

I had to longest break of the crew resting from leg 1 to 13 to help offset my last leg. It was getting to be later in the day, sun still blazing though. I had a very hard leg on the blue ridge parkway heading from the first major EZ to Blowing Rock. Nemo killed leg 12 hoping to save the kill from skidmark on the 6 man beast squad. He succeeded and gave me little to prepare and I was caught off guard to get the hell out of dodge. Blue hen gave a holler and I was trying to powder myself. No time to pamper. I had to leave

 

Geared up with gu, tailwind and diluted pickle juice, I was off cheered on by high school marines. They lifted my spirits only To push me out in a 7:20 first mile. I quickly became tired on the first hill out of the 9.4 miles mainly on the BRP. Very little space to run and I knew lipstick wouldn’t be far. Cars raced by in both directions as I climbed and climbed and climbed my way up. Never walked for more than 10 seconds, I gave it my best until I turned and saw the blue F3 shirt. sh*t, I was a dead man. Lipstick cruised besides me. Chatted for a minute and bailed. I knew he was possessed and didn’t bother to keep up. Ate my gu, rinsed with some pickled water and went on

Admiring the views and continuing my pace at 9:30 or so, I realized I was at the 7 mile mark. I thought that I only had a simple EC run till the end and yelled out “let’s go”!!!  About 20 seconds later, I was passed by an older man who said good job…. and let’s go! I didn’t even have an ounce of embarrassment in me. I had to get it done. The leg finished with an up hill 0.7 mile run into the town of Blowing Rock. Legs tired, had to keep plowing. I made it to the EZ to see a shirtless and ready UTI. Passed off the Wristlet and heard a let’s go in the distance…. still, no shame. Grabbed a cold shower and we headed to grab pizza and some rest at the dreaded EZ 19

 

Leg 14 – Van 2 – UTI

Leg	Rating	Elev + (ft)	Elev – (ft)	Distance	Max Elev. (ft)	Min Elev. (ft)	Runner	Pace	Start Time
14	Hard	532	-539	6.2	3874	3451	UTI	9:02	7:09 PM

 

First one out of the van this time!!!  We had been “resting” at the EZ in Blowing Rock up until my run.  The rest of the van enjoyed a shower and we got to grab lunch with some of the 12 man team around the corner at The Speckled Trout.  Warbucks and I debated over the offerings as we were the next 2 runners up. “A burger would likely be too heavy, Fish might be too weird, fried chicken is too greasy… ”  We ultimately ordered the grilled chicken sandwich and played it fairly safe. Sitting outside we also got to watch runner number 13 from various other teams stroll by on their way to the EZ just around the corner.  One of which was none other than our own Peeping Tom.

Lunch took a little too long for my liking and pushed me pretty close to my run start.  Not good, didn’t want that in my belly so close to the run but fuel was required.  

Back at the EZ we met the 6-man team who had now caught us and likely had passed us on leg 13.  187 was lined up with me as we awaited our runners so we could start 14. Always good to chat with that dude.  Nerves or just not considering the time it takes for water to fill up the bladder forced a decision as I awaited Flanigan’s arrival.  I had to pee! I checked with the S. Wake guys surrounding me and got confirmation that it was likely safe to peel off before Flanigan would arrive.  I sprinted to the pool house and AAHHHHH!!!! That’s the stuff!

 

Back at transition, I watched 187 take off like a gazelle and Flanigan soon arrived to send me on my way.  6.2 miles ahead of me, the things I recall about this run are the very sharp turns on the course that made me pause with caution.  They were so tight, no car would have seen me if they took that corner too fast. Also, the sun started to set and I had decided to go #skins again.  The wind was blowing and it got pretty chilly on the course. Overall though this was a very pleasant run with nice gradual downhills for the most part.  I feel like the gut was my biggest downfall on this run. I was burping for most of the run trying to relieve some of that bloating feeling.

 

Handed off to Warbucks looking tough in those chops!

 

Leg 15 – Warbucks

Leg	Rating	Elev + (ft)	Elev – (ft)	Distance	Max Elev. (ft)	Min Elev. (ft)	Runner	Pace
Leg #15	Very Hard	1222	-493	10.5	4311	3560	Warbucks	9:01

This was the leg I was dreading coming into the race, 10.5 miles of climb up to Grandfather mountain park.  Even though our van had time to stop for a late lunch and time to rest, I was very unprepared for this leg to start.  We ate too late and I had too much liquid in my stomach, I also waited until we got to EZ 14 to start getting ready for my run.  So I was rushed and that added to the nervousness. Finally ready, I waited at the EZ for UTI and nervously stretched and tried to get warmed up for this long leg which was now going to happen mostly in the dark.  At 8pm UTI slaps me with the bracelet and I’m off. I felt okay for the 1st half mile, then hit an unexpected climb for the next mile. I thought the climb started later. The van passed me and asked how I was doing and I yelled “THIS SUCKS!”.  Apparently they said they would meet me at mile 6, but I didn’t hear them; more on this later. On top of the full stomach, I turned my new Tracer vest on blue and when darkness set in this I realized it was waaay to bright after seeing spots after looking down at it.  I switched my vest to red and I could see again. Once I finished the first mile of climbing, I settled in and felt pretty good. I got my first kill and was about ran off the road by an angry Jeep driver telling us to get out of the road. Continuing up the switchbacks I had a few more kills and was killed a few times myself.  Although this was a long leg, it wasn’t lonely due to all the vans going to the EZ and the unexpected number of runners on the course. I started to fade about mile 8.5, but started running with a guy from Knightdale. I wanted to stop and walk, but he was running strong and I knew it wasn’t much further to the finish. So I hung with him and finished strong.  As I came into the EZ I started yelling for Bacon as he was the next man up. But when I got there, no Bacon. I started yelling louder “BACON!!! BACON!!!! BAAAAAACOOOOOON!!!!!!!!!!”, but still no Bacon. About this time Emeril makes a snarky comment about my team not being there. Midget also appears, but is much more helpful. He quickly texts UTI to see where they are at and offered me some water and a jacket.  Apparently the van was concerned about me after telling them how much I hated running at mile 1. They pulled off at mile 6 and waited for me to pass. I’m sure I spoke to them as I passed, but they didn’t realize. Probably because I changed my vest color and at that point I had settled in and was focused on finishing the leg. After a very long 13 minutes of waiting at the EZ, van 2 comes in hot and Bacon comes running to the EZ.  I slap him with the bracelet and down the hill he goes. I finished this leg right on target with a 9 minute pace, much better than I expected with 1200 feet of elevation gain. Leg 2/4 done.

 

Leg 16-Bacon

Leg	Rating	Elev + (ft)	Elev – (ft)	Distance	Max Elev. (ft)	Min Elev. (ft)	Runner
Leg #16	Easy	15	-675	3.2	4286	3618	Bacon

This was the second leg I had run on day one of BRR, but it did not start as I would have imagined. This is the leg where we all thought Warbucks was stopping at mile 6 of his 10+ mile leg up grandfather mountain. Well, he never stopped, he greeted us along the way up the mountain as he passed but we had no idea it was him and continued to wait. Finally, after an hour and 30 minutes, we all agreed it was too long and drove back to mile 4 of his leg (15) to make sure he had not DFO’d (done fell out). It was at about the 4-mile mark of this leg that we are searching for him the Midget calls us and tells us that he is waiting for us in the exchange zone. So we hurry back up the Mountain to the exchange point, I jump out of the van and hear everyone yelling “BACON“! Also, I really had to pee, but no time to do that after the debacle with the exchange. 

 

As for this leg of the run, I got to experience my first time peeing while continuing to run (Warbucks fault).  No, I did not pee my pants, but I did hang it out there and let it go. I had a time/pace to keep and would not compromise it for anything. This leg of the BRR was not only my first time peeing while running, but was also my first time running at night and first time running down hill more than a quarter of a mile. The leg was a 3.1 mile downhill.  

 

No here is the funny part, as I entered the exchange zone for leg 17, I enter to find out that Warbucks had lost the van keys. Can’t make this up… I then asked UTI how long Wiggly had to go and worried if we would find the keys before he finished. When UTI told me it was a 2.9 mile leg I almost fell out laughing. We ended up finding the keys on someone’s flip flop, but it would have been funny if we had runners waiting for our crap show van two exchanges in a row. 

 

Leg 17 – Wiggly

Leg	Rating	Elev + (ft)	Elev – (ft)	Distance	Max Elev. (ft)	Min Elev. (ft)	Runner
Leg #17	Easy	247	-225	2.9	3871	3618	Wiggly

 

Leg 18 – Lipsync

Leg	Rating	Elev + (ft)	Elev – (ft)	Distance	Max Elev. (ft)	Min Elev. (ft)	Runner
Leg #18	Moderate	570	-379	5	3562	4071	LipSync

Leg 19 – BlueHen

Leg	Rating	Elev + (ft)	Elev – (ft)	Distance	Max Elev. (ft)	Min Elev. (ft)	Runner	Pace	Start Time
19	Moderate	31	-966	5.8	3837	2869	BlueHen	7:52	11:25PM

Woodstock EZ.  Both Breach and Flanigan had suggested we go to leg 18 EZ to rest because they remembered this EZ being a disaster last year.  Our van tried to find a spot at leg 18, but didn’t try hard enough and made our way to leg 19 EZ. We quickly realized we had made a mistake as it was a complete cluster.  I don’t recall what time we made it here, but believe it was around 8 or 9. We devoured the pizza on the ride here that we ordered from Mellow Mushroom and I felt full and clean from the shower I had at previous EZ in Blowing Rock. Breach and I set up cots behind our van and Flanigan and Nemo camped out in the van.  Vans came in and out with high beams on, parking attendants yelling, and van doors slamming shut. I rested the best I could and was excited to be running at night (no heat) with a gradual downhill the entire leg. I was determined to get after this run and give it what I had. I used some of our Monkey ball powder prior to this run and casper was ready to go! I  ran each of the 5.8 miles under 8 except mile 4 (8:05). I felt really good during this run and managed 3 kills, but also got killed twice. I came in to the finish and handed things off to Breach. Emeril was waiting on M4L to come in(glad he didn’t catch me!). One more to go and plenty of time to rest!

 

Leg 20 – Breach

Leg	Rating	Elev + (ft)	Elev – (ft)	Distance	Max Elev. (ft)	Min Elev. (ft)	Runner
Leg #20	Easy	148	-184	3.8	2895	2763	Breach

 

Leg 21 – Nemo

Leg	Rating	Elev + (ft)	Elev – (ft)	Distance	Max Elev. (ft)	Min Elev. (ft)	Runner
Leg #21	Very Hard	1019	-985	8	3209	2710	Nemo

Sh*t. This was the one I had been waiting for, training for and had been talking to myself for weeks. This was the leg that led me to a brief period of dark self doubt. 8 miles, 3 big time climbs with the last being the most challenging. I had been told by others who had run it before that it might be just short of goat status. By the way, I am still debating with myself if 21 is harder than 13.  I think the fact that 13 has a climb that basically keeps going for 4 miles puts it a nose ahead, as well as being in the heat of the afternoon. Let me say this, in terms of getting my money’s worth, this run had it all. The start was a nice flat 1.4 miles down the road. I had been getting pretty anxious about this run, and the legs ahead of it were pretty fast so it was bad I did not have more time to prep but probably really good I had not much time to overthink. The EZ before this, I was fortunate to find a row of mostly unused porta johns and I took care of any lingering concerns from the slices of pizza I had thrown down just a couple hours before. Breach came flying in hot and in a surprisingly crowded grouping of runners. This was great because I knew I would have some company along the dark climbs. Off I went on the flat 1.4 miles to warmup for the climbs ahead. At this point my greatest concern was not missing the turn so I zeroed in on the runner ahead and stayed within reach until we hit the turn. It was freaking dark and my 25-year old Petzl headlamp was only a little more than me holding a lighter in front of my face (I need something stronger if I run BRR again). I got passed/killed twice in the first half mile of the climb. One guy was clearly elite, the woman who killed me I would later pass again only to find her struggling to walk on one of the steeper sections. I stayed focus on keeping my head up and feet moving. A steady flow of van traffic was a welcome distraction. There was a great section somewhere in the middle of the run when we cam down a pretty good slope and into a valley. A brief flat section included a bridge over a stream and offered some decent recovery before the climb started again. A few more runners here and there as my final tally on this leg ended up being 3 kills to half offset being killed by 6. I was generally pleased with my first 2 climbs. I was planning on a “walk 1, run 4” but instead I worked in some brief stints walking on the steeper slopes. There were sections of switchbacks and I did my best to get to the outside, but some poorly timed van traffic kept me on these ladders around a few turns. This all came down to the final climb and it was brutal. My effort was inspired by a couple vans that had pulled off the road and offered strong words of encouragement. I kept expecting the climb to be done as I thought I had really studied the leg and was well aware of distance milestones, but I ended up with about 3 extra turns and sections before things broke wide open. I had told myself I wanted to get this leg done in 1:20. Once I knew the climb was done, I had a little over a mile downhill to the EZ so I decided to pick up the pace and close the gap I had created by some excess walking on the last climb. I felt surprisingly good and other than being caution about overworking my quads, I picked up the pace as I could see the lights from the EZ as I was coming down the side of the climb. Ended up cruising in to the EZ just a shade over 1:20. This was likely a top-10 run for me in terms of challenge, but it was cool running across the mountains in the dark. Had to get moving fast because Flanigan had just launched on a short downhill leg and we knew he was gonna fly. Always nice to load up in the van with a strong sense of accomplishment, and although I knew I still had 1 leg to run, this was pretty much the point I knew the toughest was behind me. Was pleased to arrive about an hour later at the EZ where we rested. Just the chance to lay down flat was much needed. I threw down a towel next to the van, got in my sleep sack and quickly drifted off to the sound of the creek we parked next to.  Other than some jackass trying to get people to eat the rest of his pizza at around 3:45am, I probably scored a solid 2 hours rest.

 

Leg 22 Van 2- Flanigan

Leg	Rating	Elev + (ft)	Elev – (ft)	Distance	Max Elev. (ft)	Min Elev. (ft)	Runner
Leg #22	Easy	23	-358	2.6	2867	2494	Flanigan

I was looking forward to this one. My second easy leg of the event which balanced out my 2nd and 4th legs. 2.6 miles mainly down hill. I waited at the EZ for Nemo who was battling a nasty leg 21. He killed it in classic Nemo style and got there earlier than expected. I was ready this time. Bracket on and sprinted down the hill. The first turn got myself and two others a bit confused. Needless to say, we overran it and had to backtrack losing 30 seconds. No worries here. Kept fighting the quad pain from the down hills I had already tackled. Bacon had a few hours of ear hole filling from his teammates, we knew he’d be ready after what happened on leg 15. 2.6 miles here wasn’t a homerun, but I kept it around 7:32 pace and handed off the baton. Next goal was to find sleep 

 

Leg 23-Bacon

Leg	Rating	Elev + (ft)	Elev – (ft)	Distance	Max Elev. (ft)	Min Elev. (ft)	Runner
Leg #23	Moderate	513	-328	4.8	2727	2504	Bacon

This was about a 4.5 mile “moderate leg” and absolutely crushed my soul. I began my leg expecting this leg to suck and even wondered if this would be the first time I ever shat in my pantalones on a run. Overall, for me, it was the hardest of my 4 legs and I immediately smashed two uncrustables and a G2 Gatorade or three after I completed this leg. I also promised myself to never tell my teammates how many times I had been passed along the route. Pretty sure i kept a decent pace on the route though, maybe a 9:30 ish. 

 

Leg 24 – Warbucks

Leg	Rating	Elev + (ft)	Elev – (ft)	Distance	Max Elev. (ft)	Min Elev. (ft)	Runner	Pace
Leg #24	Moderate	338	-598	5.8	2917	2436	Warbucks	7:49

With my hardest leg behind me,  I was ready to make up some time for the team on this leg.  I got about 2 hours of sleep at the previous EZ and woke up feeling good.  I quickly got ready for my third leg. It started with 2 rolling hills in the first 2 miles, then 3.8 miles of downhill.  Bacon hands off to me and I’m off. About 4 runners all started about the same time as me and I was leading the pack up until the 2nd big climb.  The runner who was just behind me kicked it into another gear as we started the final climb. I got a little down and slowed my pace to get up the hill and recovered on the first half mile of downhill.  Still seeing the runner who passed me, I made it a point to catch him. So I kicked it in gear for the next 2 miles of 7:19 and 6:50. I accomplished my goal just before the EZ and caught the runner. He gave a lame excuse that his calves were on fire.  Just after passing him, we came to a fork in the road. I briefly stopped and asked him which way to go and he pointed left. I saw the blinking blue light and knew he was right. I thanked him for the directions and made my way to the EZ. This was the EZ I was most looking forward to as it was at a fire department with baked potatoes.  I slapped UTI with the bracelet, and finished up this leg at a 7:49 pace. Lipsync guided me to the potato bar where I quickly got a tater before getting to the next EZ to wait for UTI. That was the best potato I’ve ever had!

 

Leg 25 – UTI

Leg	Rating	Elev + (ft)	Elev – (ft)	Distance	Max Elev. (ft)	Min Elev. (ft)	Runner	Pace	Start Time
25	Moderate	287	-244	4.3	2492	2290	UTI	8:21	3:56 AM

 

This run was set to launch from one of my fondest memories of an EZ from the 2018 BRR.  A firehouse with a big grassy field for sleeping, showers, and food. We had just finished up our “rest” at the Ingles parking lot a few legs prior.  So sadly we did not get to relax here at the firehouse and since I was running a shower wasn’t happening and I wasn’t going to eat before a run again…  grumble grumble… I decided to sit at transition and wait for Warbucks to arrive. Honestly it was a good thing I did. He was flying on leg 24 and when he showed up I wasn’t expecting him at all.

 

I ran away from the firehouse and took my first turn about a block away.  After turning left, I second guessed myself and had to do a double take to make sure I was going the right way.  A friendly yellow sign assured me I was on the right path.

Out on the dark road I was alone.  Headlamp and vest were might only sources of light but off in the 

distance in front of me was a lone blinking/bobbing blue light…. A runner… I made that light my target and kept my pace slightly higher than what I could sense the runner out in front was doing.  Slowly, the gap closed and I caught him around mile 3.

 

I dont have a great picture of this part of the race… It was dark I guess… so here is one of me getting cleaned up in my poncho after my run 😉

 

Leg 26 – Lipsync

Leg	Rating	Elev + (ft)	Elev – (ft)	Distance	Max Elev. (ft)	Min Elev. (ft)	Runner
Leg #26	Moderate	503	-572	4.4	2570	2187	LipSync

 

Leg 27 – Wiggly

Leg	Rating	Elev + (ft)	Elev – (ft)	Distance	Max Elev. (ft)	Min Elev. (ft)	Runner
Leg #27	Hard	371	-474	9.1	2513	2071	Wiggly

 

Leg 28 – BlueHen

Leg	Rating	Elev + (ft)	Elev – (ft)	Distance	Max Elev. (ft)	Min Elev. (ft)	Runner	Pace	Start Time
28	Hard	625	-254	7.4	2721	2332	BlueHen	10:03	6:47AM

We found a great place to rest at this EZ in the back of the parking lot.  I rigged up my hammock in a carport with the sleeping bag and got a couple of hours of sleep.  I woke up at 5:45 and prepared for the final leg. I wasn’t looking forward to this leg, but ready to get on with it.  I was happy that it wouldn’t be in the heat like my first two runs and thankful for the couple hours of sleep. Wiggly came in and seemed very excited to give me the wristband and I was off.  The sun was coming up and although I started with my headlamp it really wasn’t needed. I knew my legs were done at this point and I wasn’t going to start off fast. I wanted to stay around 9:30 pace and managed that for the first three, but moved up to around a 10 and then11 minute pace.  I really didn’t see many people on this run and it was a little boring – a lot of long straightaways with gradual uphills. The last 2 miles of this leg sucked. The final mile was on a main road uphill. I could see the exchange zone on the top of an overlook about .75 away, but it seemed like it was forever. I was thankful to hand off to Breach and wrap this thing up. 

 

Leg 29 – Breach

Leg	Rating	Elev + (ft)	Elev – (ft)	Distance	Max Elev. (ft)	Min Elev. (ft)	Runner
Leg #29	Hard	360	-377	7.7	2825	2602	Breach

 

Leg 30 – Nemo

Leg	Rating	Elev + (ft)	Elev – (ft)	Distance	Max Elev. (ft)	Min Elev. (ft)	Runner
Leg #30	Easy	205	-43	4.4	2861	2680	Nemo

Before I say anything at all about this leg, let me say this: last year I recall standing on top of the goat Leg 31 and hearing Flanigan say he was taking it next year. Hat’s off to a guy making a commitment, putting in the work, and getting it done. And yes, he is correct, he did not complain a single time about it. He just went out there and took care of business. As for Leg 30, let’s face it, I was fortunate to draw a final leg that was just slightly uphill through a valley, A little over 4 miles, a bit on the warm side as the sun was now pretty solid. I started out with a steady pace and slowly but surely closed on a guy in front of me who was battling some cramps and doing some walk/run. He had a speaker and was playing some good songs so I welcomed the idea of running near him. Once I caught up he was a bit better and we got to talking. Our teams had been pacing real close for the majority of the race. He was a Charlotte area F3 guy but he was the only F3 guy on his team. Stayed with him through mile 3 but he bowed out and urged me to move along so I was not holding up my teammate anxiously waiting to start the goat. Picked up the pace, EZ in full view for about the last ¾ mile. Was a pretty rewarding home stretch as I made the pass off to Flanigan. 4th of 4 in the books.

 

Leg 31 – Flanigan

Leg	Rating	Elev + (ft)	Elev – (ft)	Distance	Max Elev. (ft)	Min Elev. (ft)	Runner
Leg #31	MG Hard	1398	-1	6.5	4263	2861	Flanigan

Well, you can ask my van mates about this one. The entire trip, I never complained about my run or the final. The goat. 6.5 miles of up. The first 1.25 was a very gradual up, last 5+ had zero down hills. Not unless you fell off the road. 

I had nothing to complain about since I wanted it.  I watched John Deere tackle it last year and I thought, what a badass run. What a nightmare to accomplish. I needed to do this. For me and for my team

I hated the way my legs felt, but I actually trained for this the best I could. I quickly realized that unless I could sh*t off 80-90 lbs of body weight, it was gonna be a struggle. 

Wasn’t ashamed to walk once it veered off the main mountain road. It was what it was. One runner passed me and encouraged me to keep my head up. Great tip since it helped be get back and focus. Run and walk. Keep the feet moving. I came up on what I thought was a couple walking like locals. Then I saw their bibs and they flat out were prepared to walk the entire goat. I joined them for a few minutes and then took off. The man, F3 couch potato said he’d join me but the elevation was getting to him. He lives in Emerald Isle with a net elevation of 5 feet. His house was just hit by Hurricane Dorian. He was content being in the mountains and would be happy if he could breathe better. He asked me to join him in a run walk and we kept at it

With 1.5 miles to go and constant switch backs, I felt pretty good. The talking got my mind off of things and I wanted to push. He asked if I would partake in half a beer since we got close to his van… why not?  We split a Stella over the next ¼ mile and handed to cups off to his passing van. Onto the final mile. 

Not a huge fan of Stella, but it was cold and I got a great surge. The end was near. I ran the final mile making up time and finished the goat strong. I was met by a small crowd cheering us on and van 2 ready to take on the final legs. My boys in van 1 decided to grant my wish and head straight to Sierra Nevada 

 

Goat finish 

Leg 32 – Bacon

Leg	Rating	Elev + (ft)	Elev – (ft)	Distance	Max Elev. (ft)	Min Elev. (ft)	Runner
Leg #32	Very Hard	1	-2073	9.4	4264	2185	Bacon

This was a 9.4 mile, classified as a “very hard”, downhill adventure for me. It was the funnest leg of the 4 I ran and was an absolutely beautiful run. I did eat a lot of van dirt on the way down the 4.5 miles of gravel and did almost get hit by a car (showed my arse hoping guy would turn around, but he didn’t) during this leg, but it was my favorite leg of the 4 I was responsible for. The best part of the whole thing was putting my feet in the creek and the end of the leg. I also remember being glad I was not UTI and that I did not have to run the MG next. His leg looked brutal as we drove up to the top to meet him at the “nipple”. Oh yeah, this completed my portion of the BRR. I was so happy to be done and felt super accomplished for what I had just done. 

Leg 33 – UTI

Leg	Rating	Elev + (ft)	Elev – (ft)	Distance	Max Elev. (ft)	Min Elev. (ft)	Runner	Pace	Start Time
33	MG Hard	895	-664	5.3	3097	2188	UTI	10:32	12:52 PM

 

This was it…  Bacon was out on leg 32 winding his way down from the end of leg 31.  He was running to meet me and kick-off my Mountain Goat. I had ended up with low mileage as a result of taking on this goat and at this point my legs felt pretty good.  By this point #vanlife was real and getting ready for a run was pretty easy. The checklist of things and prep-steps was second nature. The 9-man ride had definitely been an arch for me.  Mid-day run, evening run, night run, and now mid-day run again. This time, unfortunately, it wasn’t a nearly 3 mile run. This time it was a 5 mile run that went and abrupt 895 ft into the air and back down another abrupt 664 ft.  “The Nipple”

 

Bacon came towards the EZ to get me started.  His runs were now over, he was in “Donesville”, population 1 (for PPMH van 2 anyway).  I took off at about ~8 min/mi pace to start. The ground was flat and I knew it wouldn’t be long before it started to angle up so I took advantage.  Then came the inevitable tilt towards the sky. A single runner had passed me a half a mile or so before the climb started and I watched as he slowed down to a walking pace out ahead as the terrain changed.  He continued to walk out ahead and I was able to catch him on our way to the top. I did some intervals which gave me some speed in bursts. Mostly I ran to get to the next patch of shade. It was hot!

At the top, my van waited for me.  LipSync yelling encouragement, Warbucks capturing the moments with his phone.  I got to the top and went down for a burpee to “kiss the nipple”. LipSync called out that he had messed up catching the action on camera by walking in front of it so I 

puckered up and went down for seconds.  Warbucks ran up with some water which was welcomed. He also offered me a flower from the top of the mountain. I yelled at him that I didnt need a flower –

 this was a run! And I continued on down the mountain.  I wondered if I was too hard on Warbucks, he meant well, and look at those chops!

The run down was very pleasant but cautious.  I didnt want to trip or slip but it was an opportunity to make up some time.  I dont remember much about the run down, I think I was in shock that I had actually made the climb on the first half.  Before I knew it, I was at the EZ handing off to Wiggly.

 

Leg 34 – Wiggly

Leg	Rating	Elev + (ft)	Elev – (ft)	Distance	Max Elev. (ft)	Min Elev. (ft)	Runner
Leg #34	Moderate	282	-271	4.5	2431	2182	Wiggly

 

Leg 35 – Lipsync

Leg	Rating	Elev + (ft)	Elev – (ft)	Distance	Max Elev. (ft)	Min Elev. (ft)	Runner
Leg #35	Very Hard	920	-244	4.2	3363	2427	LipSync

 

Leg 36 – Warbucks

 

Leg	Rating	Elev + (ft)	Elev – (ft)	Distance	Max Elev. (ft)	Min Elev. (ft)	Runner	Pace
Leg #36	Very Hard	324	-1323	8	3432	2182	Warbucks	8:37

This was it, the last leg of the BRR.  I wasn’t supposed to run this leg and was not mentally prepared for it.  I didn’t even realize it was a Very Hard leg until after I finished (I’m kind of glad I didn’t know).  Wiggly tweaked his leg back on leg ___ and said he wasn’t able to run uphill. I knew I had the easiest of the last 5 legs and offered to trade.  He initially resisted, but as we became the active van (and a story from Breach on hernia surgery) he decided it was best to trade legs. I was kind of jealous that everyone else was already done and my legs were killing me at this point.  But this leg was all downhill right? Well mostly downhill. Lipsync comes rolling in from leg 35. I welcome him to Donesville, he slaps me with the bracelet and I’m off. The first mile had some climb, which I wasn’t expecting. I need to do a better job at reading these elevation maps.  The first runner I approached was walking on the last bit of climb and I decided to walk with her when I got there. Just as I approached, she started running again and I resisted the urge to stop and kept on trucking. After this first mile, I was in for 4 more of straight downhill. This is where I made up some time with an 8:01 mile, then 3 miles in the 7’s.  The first part of the leg was all on the parkway and the scenes were pretty awesome and most of the parkway was shaded, which was nice because it was HOT! After feeling like this descent would never end and questioning if I ran too far, I see a sign telling me to turn left. I make the turn onto a highway and quickly notice it is uphill as far as I can see. My legs were completely trashed at this point, so I ran/walked up the hill then took another turn and it was another bit of downhill until I get to a park.  A runner flew by me on the downhill and I wished him luck. I saw he made a turn, but didn’t see a sign. As I got to the turn, I realized it had fallen over so I was tired and decided to stick it back in the ground. I got a good job from the approaching runner (the one who kept me from walking back at mile 1), so I got back after it to avoid giving her a kill. Just after making this turn, there was .3 miles of climb. I ran/walked up this hill, running through the sun and walking in the shade. I got to the top and there were about 5 kids who asked me if I saw the ice cream truck coming their way.  I explained that I heard it near the park, but never saw it. Just beyond the kids, I saw 2 volunteers and knew I was getting close. I dug down and found a little more in the tank to finish strong. I rounded a corner and saw a volunteer and he was directing me to the right, but I didn’t see a path that way. As I got closer, I realized this was a path through the woods and I was hoping this was it. The path was lined with caution tape and festive flags, so I followed it until I saw my team. They handed me the F3 South Wake shovel flag and I carried it through the finish. I was greeted with lots of congratulations and high fives as I tried to catch my breath.  I finished up at an 8:37 pace.  I planted the shovel flag in the ground and it nearly knocked my hat off (still not sure how this happened). Regardless, we did it. We ran 209 miles from Virginia to Asheville through the mountains. It was hard, it was fun, and lots of memories were made. I didn’t want to do it, but I’m glad I did, I’m glad we did it.

 

Donesville!

Shenanigans/other off topic stuff worth capturing:

• “I got two words for you”…Dont F*** Up My Pace
• LipSync’s coffee addiction
• Warbuck’s face
• General S. Carolina culture lessons (noodling, slip ‘n slides)
• Cat Tard
• Sex noises due to leg recovery apparatus
• Backstreet Beads, Alright!

 

Post-Race:

1. Where did the 6-man team go?
2. These Tacos are amazing
3. So much better ending at the brewery this year