The day was perfect - Temps reached up into the 60's and the sun shone down, warming our skin. A gentle breeze tousled our hair, but didn't add much resistance while we were running. I've run this race for the past three years, and this was most definitely the nicest day so far.
The start time for our team was a 9 am. The race begins in waves, with new teams starting every thirty minutes from 7 am - 9:30 am. Before hand, we had to give an estimated pace for our team, so that we could be assigned to a wave. As the morning progressed the waves got faster and faster.
Each team includes seven members, and each member run three legs over the course of the day. The first runner will run legs 1, 8, and 15; the second will run legs 2, 9, and 16; and so forth. This year I was runner #7, so I ran legs 7, 14, and the final, 21, for a total of 10.9 miles. (My goal is to someday have finishers medals for all seven places. So far I have 1, 2, and now 7.)
Just before our wave was called to the start line, as a team we gathered together to pray. Years prior we ran for fun and for a bit of friendly competition with each other, trying to ran faster and faster with each leg, out-doing the person before us. While we did have fun this year and we gave it our best, the race wasn't so much about the competition as it was a race for Ev, and part of the healing process for us - all close friends or siblings of Ev. So as we huddled in a group, we remembered Ev, and we thanked God for his life, and we asked that our hearts would be touched throughout the day with reminders of faithfulness and goodness and mercy and strength.
With the countdown at zero and the cowbells clanging, we were off! Runner 1 racing on foot, and the rest of us in the SUV on our way to the next checkpoint to meet him and switch runners.
There is a slap bracelet we use throughout the day, and at each checkpoint the current runner passes it on to the next runner, who then takes off on foot, running the course, while the remaining team members crowd into the SUV and drive - cheering and screaming, as we pass our team member - to the next checkpoint, where we wait for our runner to come in and do the same thing all over again, just with different members.
The relay takes most of the day. But, surprisingly, it goes by so very fast.
As the final runner (me, this year) comes in to the park, nearing the finish line, the rest of the team members join him/her and together we cross, sweaty and grinning large, because we've just conquered all 77.7 miles of Lake Seneca in a day.
We high-five each other, huddle for one good picture, and fill ourselves on the chili and cornbread and cookies and fruit juices all provided by local establishments, just for us.
This year we came in 17th place out of 223 teams! It's such an honor to run year after year with these people, my childhood friends, but even more than that, it's such an honor to do life with them. We've been through a lot together, especially in the past 6.5 months. I am so thankful for all of my friends, but this year I have been especially thankful for the friends I grew up with - the ones who share a lot of the same memories of Ev.
This team makes me so proud!
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