Last Monday some of the girls I run with called me up and said they had a teammate drop out of their relay this weekend and asked me to join. I was able to get all my work done over the next couple days and join them on an epic adventure at the 2014 Cascade Lakes Relay last weekend!
The central OR relay runs nearly 217 miles from Diamond Lake to Bend. I filled in for runner #4.
We drove down to Diamond Lake on Thursday afternoon. It was great to stay right next to the start line, and also have some time to hang with the whole team and get to know everyone a bit better. We decorated our vans as it was getting dark out.
In the morning, our start time was 9:20am. We got our van packed up, and headed to the start. We took some team photos, and prepped for our our turn to get going.
For me, the weekend was more about getting to know some great women better than worrying too much about the running. My three legs of the relay were 7.2, 6.9, and 6.1 miles. The first was in the middle of the day on Friday with no van support or shade. So Hot!! The overnight leg was awesome temps — around 50 degrees at 11pm. And my final leg was at about 10:30am, starting to get warm, and was upward rolling hills. Due to be heat and elevation, I ran a little slower than I had hoped, but still had a lot of fun. The other girls were also total rock stars. Battling hot legs, hills, sandy trails, long distance. Seriously tough ladies. No wonder we were a super hero themed team!
In the end, our team finished first in our division (women’s submasters) with an overall time of 30:09. Apparently this was only a minute slower than last year, and everyone said this year was much more difficult! Pretty awesome!!
It was so fun to see more of Oregon and explore the beautiful countryside. So thankful for the friends I am making here, and for many wonderful miles on my feet.
So excited you got to do this! I’ve been craving a relay ever since FLK Ragnar. I’m totally pumped for next June. You look awese in all your pics but especially strong in the profile one!
So jealous! Looks like you had a blast! I can’t wait to do another relay. Glad you gals rocked it and placed 1st in your division! Woo hoo!
Love CLR but good god it’s a hard one. I was the same way last year, ran slower than I had planned because the sun + altitude = running through quicksand. Hope you enjoyed Bend – my favorite OR city! Congrats on 1st place, looks like a fun group!
We had fun last year! But it was so hot and the elevation makes for hard running!! Glad you guys had fun!! 1st place! Total rockstars!!
Nothing like agreeing to a relay last minute, eh? So fun to meet you and see you a couple times out there. Your team was cruising. It looked like you had a fun group of women and I loved the little capes that accessorized your outfits. We definitely had a different experience at the finish and did not get to take any pictures with the big blown up features. I’ll let you know the next time I am in Corvallis!
Pingback: Race Recap: Scandia Run 10k | Defy Your Limitations
Pingback: The Marathon | Defy Your Limitations