the eternal student

Sawtooth Relay 2009 - 62 miles!

Back in January I started training for the Sawtooth Relay, a 62 mile race with 6 man teams. The race is an incredibly scenic run from Stanley to Ketchum Idaho. We camped out at Sheep Trail campground amidst wet weather for most of the weekend, but it didn't stop the fun. I got to run legs 6 (Galena Summit) and leg 12 ( the finishing leg). Galena Summit nearly killed me as it is a 1400ft elevation rise over 5.35miles and in the freezing rain. I nearly broke down with a half mile to go but forced myself to keep going. Keep in mind this is at just over 8,000ft elevation so oxygen is a bit tight as well. I managed to do it in 53minutes, just under a 10 minute/mile. Not bad for an uphill freezing battle.
My last leg was the last leg of the race. I managed to do the 2.6miles in 18 minutes, just under the 7minute/mile pace I wanted to break back in January. At the end was a great party with grilled trout, beer, sausage, and strawberry shortcake.

Our team managed to finish in just under 9 hours. It was an awesome experience and I loved the competition. I can see why people run 5Ks and such. From what I've seen, runners have such great attitudes and mental clarity. Who wants to run next year?

And a great side bonus is that Lynn has now worked up to running 3 miles! I never thought I'd see the day when Lynn actually chose to run. She's getting ready for the Williamson 5K and is going to smoke her family.
Posted by andyp at June 18, 2009 4:44 AM