Each person ran 3 legs (except those that ran extra). My legs were 5.3 miles, 4.8 miles, and 6.6 miles. Total mileage: 16.7 miles.
we left here on Thursday evening for Clearwater. We got there a little after midnight, stayed the night in a hotel and got a total of about 5 hours of sleep...
We started the race on the beach at 9am - van #1 was running first, so we (van #2) got a good breakfast and then...waited...at about 2pm, our van started their first runs - Cory first, then Jerry, Bryson, me, then Muriel... Scott ran Neil's first leg. Fortunately, I started running as it was starting to cool down and the sun was beginning to set. I started running just after 5pm - and ran 5.39 miles in 50:49...not too shabby with stifff legs.
then...we waited... and attempted to get some sleep on the floor of a middle school library, but it was unsuccessful. I think I fell asleep about 5 minutes before my alarm said we had to get ready to wait for the other van's runners to pass off the baton (or, should I say slap bracelet) so we could start our second leg of the race. So the cycle continued...into the wee hours of the morning...Cory, Jerry, Bryson, me, Muriel...and Virginia ran Neil's second leg. I think I started running this one at about 2:30-ish am. It was the hardest leg for me as far as elevation goes. Lots of pretty good hills - 2 really big ones. But despite all that - sleep deprivation, big hills, etc...I ran my best leg of the race - 4.59 miles in 42:04.
I finally got about an hour of sleep in between the second and third legs of the race...which I desperately needed. Everyone slept where they could - picnic tables, the ground...Then, it was off to run! Again we went through the whole cycle of people. My last leg was 6.6 miles at around 2pm in record-breaking heat of almost 90*F in mid-November - let's just say it was the hardest leg of the race for me. But I finished well - 67:05 - considering the circumstances.
Bryson ran Neil's last leg - which we thought was supposed to be like 6.5 miles. Turns out it was 7.9!! Props to Bryson for running the most mileage of anybody on our team - about 29 miles total!! He finished off the race, and he and Scott ran together for the last stretch toward the finish line...joined by the rest of us for the last 20 yards or so.
Our team finished the race in Daytona Beach between 5 and 6 pm. We finished 39th out of 57 teams in our category. But hey - we finished! And that's really all that matters.
Here's some pictures - thanks to Muriel - because I left my camera battery plugged in at home!
Our team hangin' out and getting ready for the race to start:
This is me running to the finish of my last (and hardest, heat-filled) leg of the race:
Our team at the finish-line: (back to front/left to right) Wayne, Bryan (driver), Virginia, me, Renee, Debbie, Amy, Jerry, Cory, Scott, Bryson, Muriel.
