So long summer, hello Blue Ridge Relay

Well I guess Labor Day was the unofficial end of summer and as much as I love summer and everything about it - I'm about over it...

I rarely complain about the heat because I'm all about some summer.  I love to sweat, I enjoy heat training, and usually the sun beating down on me doesn't bother me too much.  Sure, it slows me down to a crawl but for me the heat beats the bone chilling cold air of a winter morning.  I've even convinced myself that all of this heat training will pay off this fall but we'll have to see about that.  Overall this has been a great summer, running and otherwise.  I've got P.R.s in the 5K and 10K and a Charity Chase personal best plus I feel really good going into the Blue Ridge Relay. 

Last Saturday was a big day for me - I bought my first running shorts.  No really I did, like from a real running store and all.  Most people that know me or have ever seen me running know that I'm not a big fan of the traditional running shorts.  I certainly wasn't made for the 2 inch inseam and even the 5 inch inseam is less than flattering on me.  At least I think so and as usual, that's really all that matters.

But it seems that I might have found a winner among the short shorts.  A lonely pair of New Balance shorts were on the clearance rack so I decided why not.  Every time I look at, or even think about running shorts I hear this voice in my head, well it's actually Tyler Matthews from Fleet Feet saying, "they'll make you run faster" with a smirk.  While I believe he was genuinely sincere my smirk in return means something along the lines of "I'm not fast enough for an inseam to really matter."  But anyway, the inseam is longer than the outseam (if that's even a word) so they sort of shield the lack of muscle on my inner thighs while exposing my chiseled outer thigh.  And yes, that was a joke, but I seriously feel a few seconds faster.  Plus they don't have those stupid pockets on the side, and I'm not talking about the handy zipper pocket that's perfect for some Gu. 

I also have a confession to make that's been weighing on me lately.  I added Taylor Swift to my playlist.  I know, I should be stripped of my man card and that's fine but seriously, I hear it as a running anthem and it just puts a little bounce in my step......as much as I hate to admit it.

But I keep cruising
Can't stop, won't stop moving

'Cause the runners gonna run, run, run, run, run
And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate
Baby, I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake
I shake it off, I shake it off

I never miss a beat
I'm lightning on my feet...... (repeat - over and over and over again)


So if one other person gets this damn song stuck in their head like I have then good.  Otherwise it's off my chest.  That's how secure I am in my manhood.  Anyway, this has been a crazy busy week for me.  I started this blog on Tuesday somewhere in the general vicinity of Colorado or maybe Arizona at 30K feet on my way to California for work.  After dialing back the clock 3 hours and meeting some other west-coasters and a late dinner I was up until midnight pacific time which was 3:00 am my time.  Once again I'm at 30K returning home feet and I have no idea where I am - Oklahoma maybe?  Hopefully I'm in bed by midnight and in time to get another few hours sleep before heading to Virginia tomorrow for 24 hours of running the Blue Ridge Relay.

For those that don't know, the BRR is a 208 mile relay race from Grayson State Park in Virginia to Asheville.  That's are team from last year with all but one making a return trip.  There are about 160 teams this year with most consisting of 9-12 members sprinkled with a few ultra teams running with 4-6.  The race itself is amazing and traverses the Blue Ridge Parkway so obviously it's one great big roller coaster on foot.  The real challenge isn't the mileage or the course but running three or more 'races' in a span of 24 hours with very little (if any) sleep while living on Power Bars.  I don't recommend a two day cross-country trip the day before but it can be done if necessary.  For me the the big draw is the runner camaraderie which is like nothing I've ever experienced at any other event.  I'll try to provide a fairly detailed account of our journey through the mountains this weekend so my apologies in advance if you get sick of hearing about it.

Even though there are a handful of teams comprised of some serious runners, as in well under sub 3 hour marathoners and 14 minute 5Kers the majority of the teams are comprised of people that just love running.  Teams are seeded by their 10K average pace with staggered starting groups every 30 minutes.  The slower teams start first with the faster teams starting later so that the the finish times are mostly within half a day of each other.  Last year the Charlotte Running Club set a course record in 19 hours and 58 minutes.  That's a 5'46" pace through 208 mountainous miles if you're keeping score.  Of the 155 teams that ran last year, 75 of them ran under 30 hours which is about an 8'40" pace.  Our team, Hey Jack! finished a respectable 15th in 26 hours 11 minutes / 7'33" pace with an 11 man team.  It's really a foregone conclusion that the Charlotte, Asheville, and Knoxville track clubs are competing for the overall win but make no mistake, there are a number of serious competitions going on below that top tier.

Anybody giving thought to this race should jump on it, and jump before it sells out because it does every year.  It is a bit pricey at $1,200 for a 7 - 12 man team and $600 for an ultra team but with enough runners the cost is manageable.  I've even noticed a few teams attempting the 'GoFundMe' route but I'm not sure how that's working out (my guess is not very well).  Most teams rent two cargo vans - a 'running' van and a 'rest' van.  Since runners must remain in order for all 36 legs of the course, runners 1-6 travel in van 1 from leg to leg while van 2 spectates, grabs a nap, or a bite to eat.  Legs 6, 12, 18, 24, and 30 serve as transition areas where the rest van becomes the running van and the running van gets some time off.  There are a few teams that choose not to rent vans but I can only image how funky those vehicles are at the end of the race.

Well that's all I've got for now.  Run on.