Colorado Relay Recap: VAN B

Oh what a night of sleep can do for a gal! Let me start saying my team rocks! These 10 girls I ran with are strong and amazing and wonderful and if you see any one of them, pat them on the back, because they are ROCK STARS! So are our volunteers, Dale and Kristy and our pacers, Jamal and Chris and our drivers, Jeff and Rod are the most amazing, patient, loving, helpful guys around! We couldn't have done this race without them. They made sure we were where we needed to be when and they made sure we were safe! AND they put up with all of the lovely things that comes with having 6 wet, cold, tired, sweaty, stinky, sleep deprived women in their car. THANK YOU GUYS!

When we got to Georgetown at 5:00 Friday morning. we had all been up since 2:00. Most of us were going on 2-3 hours of sleep the night before. The weather in George town was steady rain and 42*. The wind was blowing and things were not looking fun! Garret, the race director, said teams would look at it as either a race or an adventure, and he suggested the latter.

And, oh, what an adventure we had! I wish I could have been in both cars, but I couldn't. Van "A" was the home for Lisa, Amy, Victoria, Wendy,and Yvonne, driven by Rodney(maybe NEXT YEAR, husbands and wives will ride in different vans.) Van "B" was home base for Jeanine,Jessika, Janessa, Erica, Pegi and DeeDee. Jeff was our driver. And Corny, the unicorn was our mascot.

I have so much to say about the race, but I can only talk really about my car, so Amy will post later for her van's point of view.

As I was saying before, it was raining in Georgetown when we left. We all went out to the start line to cheer Lisa on. She had a long run up Guenella Pass and though it was raining in Georgetown it was snowing on the pass. At the start they announced that we were currently in first place for fund raising. We didn't like the use of the word "currently".

After Lisa took off, her van started up the pass, so that Amy could be at the next exchange point. Our van hopped in our car and headed to Starbucks! We had to drive from Georgetown to Grant, which is off of 285 near Kanosha Pass. It was a 70 mile drive, but we had 5 runners and approximately 6 hours to wait till we were active. We got to Grant really early, so we sat in the car and tried to get some rest. We also had the first of many encounters with the hated port-o-potty. At 9:00 we headed to the exchange point. It was pretty cool because My Mom and Dale were our team volunteers and this was the point where Yvonne handed off to me, so I got to hang out with my Mom before I ran. It was raining and sometimes snowing up at the exchange point near Burning Bear. This was the first set of legs for Van B, so all of the teams were there waiting for runners. There was the most amazing view of the snow covered peaks as the clouds parted and the sun poked out. We truly live in the most amazing place! Yvonne came in in the middle of the pack running strong down a steep, wet, slippery, slope. I took off into the back country. My leg was tough with the highlight being a crossing in the beaver pond. The pond was rather large and it was slushy because it was snowing and COLD. I was prepared to run through with my flip flops I packed in, but as I ran I decided to just power through. And then as I approached the pond a guy right in front of me ran through and I realized the pond was not shin deep but rather butt cheek deep, and I opted to put in the flip flops and skirt the edge. Not that it did a lot of good, because my tushy got wet, and let me tell you....pond water at 10500 feet in September after a snowfall is CHILLY.. On I went. As I came to the end of my leg I finished downhill. The next point was running up the hill I ran down, or I should say they were walking. Lots of them were walking. It was a hard core hill and Jessika powered up it on her leg. Can you say SHE RA! It was such a tough leg and she just pushed through.

We arrived at exchange point #7, at the base of Georgia Pass, the point where Jessika handed off to Janessa and there were cars everywhere. And a herd of racers standing around. What we learned was they had stooped the race while they sent the Marine team and Search and Rescue over the pass to make sure it was safe and to cut a path, because there was snow and wind. It delayed the whole race by about an hour and a half, but the pass was reopened just as Jessika came in so Janessa got to take off in the pack. Which was good, because it was cold, wet, wind and VERY TOUGH! She is amazing for taking it on and following through. She had to carry a pack with a full set of clothing and gear to be prepared for being stranded. She ran in exhausted, but strong.

Exchange points are interesting places. Your standing out there with your runner, making sure they have everything they need, hyping them up. Giving them all the encouragement your team can muster up. And then, your runner comes in and you no longer care about your outgoing runner. It's all about the person that just came in! It seems sort of wrong, but that is how it is. I know in our car, Jeff was a complete GEM! He made sure that the outgoing runner was pumped up and ready and he made sure the incoming runner was taken care of. He was the man and he has the photos to prove it.

Janessa handed off to Erica. Erica is our PRO. She is a triathlete and she is a very strong runner. She took off and ran her 5.5 miles in 43 minutes. About 5 minutes faster than she told us she would. WOW! We'll talk more about Erica later.

Erica handed off to Pegi and she took off like a rocket and ran strong. She pushed and finished with a great time, even though the course wasn't well marked and the written directions that we were required to carry didn't match, which caused Pegi to run 1/2 to a full mile out of her way. She came in strong, but ticked off. I think it made her run harder! :)

Once Pegi finished up we headed to the condo in Frisco. Mike and Kay Neiman... You are our heroes! We needed sleep, we needed real food and we needed showers and you met all of our needs. Mom and Dale thank you for feeding us and cleaning up after us! I love you guys!


After we rested, van B headed out to Eagle so Pegi could meet up with Yvonne for the hand off. It was 38*, windy and the air was thick with moisture. When we pulled in at 12:50, there were 50 or more vans in the lot waiting for runners. At about 1:00, Pegi bundled up and started preparing for Yvonne and Jamal to come in. We expected them at 1:00-1:15. By 1:30 we were concerned, by 1:40 we were worried and at 1:50 we were prepared to go look for them. At 1:58 Yvonne and Jamal came in. An SUV, parked on the course in Vail, had sent them the wrong way. The signage was a little confusing and they ended up off course and had a hard time finding their way back. They ran an extra 4-5 miles on top of the nearly 8 of their leg, and it cost them 40-50 minutes. They came in cold, wet, exhausted and spewing venom. This was not their fault. They both ran through it and pulled through for our team. I was so proud of Yvonne. That night run was her biggest fear and even though it was really bad, she did it. For herself and for her team.


Pegi started her leg at a disadvantage. It was now nearly 2am, she had been ready to go for an hour and there were only 3 vans left in the lot. Pegi ran with one runner behind her. She refused to let the girl from the 'Window Licker' team to pass her. This would be a very important part of the race for our team.


Pegi handed off to Jessika and after a little wardrobe change, Jessika took off behind WL team. However, Jessika is determined and she passed that girl and ran hard enough to give me a minute lead over the next runner. Again very important because what I learned while waiting for Jess, was that 7 teams had dropped and Mental in the Mountains and Window Lickers were the last 2 teams on the course. We were it and they were sweeping up behind us.


I started leg 18 determined to stay in the lead. Our pride was on the line. I started off and ran with everything I had. Within a mile Miss WL passed me like I was standing still. She left me alone on the dark highway 6, with 5 miles to go and not a soul in sight. I still gave it my all and finished 6.19 miles in 54 minutes. My personal best ever by 6 minutes. The WL runner finished in 42 minutes. I didn't have a chance.


Erica was the next to run. She woke up, grabbed her stuff and rolled out of the car. She started off 13-14 minutes behind the next runner. Our team was discouraged because we were now in dead last place. We didn't expect to see another runner for the next 11 legs. We just wanted to run and do what we came to do:FINISH. Erica took off for an 11 mile run, with no one behind her and the closest runner 13 minutes ahead. It was a cold, long lonely road. Although race rules say no pacing your runner, we refused to just leave ours out there alone. So we drove ahead and kept her headlamp in our sight. Erica started off slow, or slow for Erica and we wondered if she was disappointed to be on this team of newbies. But then she started to wake up and warm up and she found her groove. her pace picked up and the next thing we knew we came up on another runner. We were ahead of them and it was hard to tell what was happening. We were watching in our rear view mirror and we thought Erica was passing Miss WL but we weren't sure. So as the runner passed us, Janessa rolled down her window and offered a half hearted "good job", then we realized the runner was Erica and we went crazy. She came from 13 minutes behind, passed the runner and ultimately finished 7 minutes ahead. The other team had no idea what happened! Erica became our hero. She gave us something to work for. She renewed us. She gave DeeDee a reason to push herself and get out there.


DeeDee hates running. She didn't really want to be out there. She was scared to run at night, she was scared of the distance and she was doubting herself. Erica gave her what she needed to get out there and just do it. She took off determined. Chris, Dee's brother paced her and so as the sun came up on the western slope, they ran. DeeDee may not be our strongest runner, but she is part of our team and she has heart and she ran with all of it. She overcame her fear, and she completed our team, but she wasn't strong enough to hold off the strong runner on WL team.

We handed off to Lisa again in last place, but not out of it. At this point our van decided to not go sleep but drive point to point to cheer on our team, so we got Dee cleaned up and headed to the next exchange point.

Running at night on a lonely hiway, in between towns is tough. There is very little light and when cars approach, their lights blind you, and it is very hard to make out landmarks. You truly feel like you are all alone, and you have no idea how far you have gone or how far you have left to go. Everyone that ran at night gets extra kudos, because it is tough stuff, and you did it anyway.


Lisa ran hard and when she handed off to Amy she had shaved about 9 minutes off our deficit. The look on Lisa's face showed that she had ran with 110% of her all. By now we were battling it out with 3 other teams: The Hot Mamas, Third Hard Leg and Window Lickers. We were usually at exchange points together waiting and we all cheered for each others teams and offered encouragement. Probably not something the top 3 teams were doing for each other.

I personally love to run with Amy and watch Amy run. I know that when she goes out she isn't going to run like Erica, but she is always persistent and she never quits. Her outlook is about the same when she ends as when she began. Her feathers don't get ruffled she just runs. With the exception of some issues when she tries to remove clothes and almost hanging herself in her ipod cords, she is steady. i always know what to expect! So Amy ran, like Amy runs and then she handed off to Victora.


Victoria ran through Glenwood Canyon and so we couldn't see her the whole time. She left into the canyon and then she appeared in the canyon. Victoria handed off to Wendy and Wendy took off into the canyon.


We all headed to No Name, where we sat out in the sun and soaked up the warmth. It was the first real sunshine we had seen for the entire race. Our whole team was there and we just chatted and watched for Wendy, it was a nice time to recap the entire previous 27 hours or so. As Wendy came in to view we all started cheering. She was having a tough time so I went down to run her in. She said her leg was beautiful and amazing, but it was very hard. A personal challenge and she persevered! That's how our team is!


So then Yvonne was off, she just had over 3 miles. She ran from No Name, through Glenwood Springs and up to the Community Center. As she ran past the pool, RJ and Lalo went out to run with her. I wish I could have seen that. Yvonne had wings on those running shoes, she was speedy and I think Christy might have been there with them all, cheering her on!


Yvonne passed off to Janessa, who ran in perfect form, and super speedy, completing her 1.25 miles in 11 minutes, even with 2 traffic crossings!


Janessa handed off to Jessika who ran her 2.5 miles quick and strong. I love Jessika handing off to me, because she is so positive that she just gives you a little pep when she gives you the wristband.


I took off feeling less than prepared. Completely depleted, tired and ready to cry. I had 4.4 miles up 4 Mile Road. We were back to being 5 minutes behind the last runner and my team was looking to me, because everyone else had run their guts out! I ran with everything I had, crying at times and forcing myself to keep going. I didn't feel like I had anything left to give, but I dug down to my toenails and kept plugging away. The 4 miles were all up a steep hill and I refused to be caught walking. There was so much traffic, I never got to walk. The view of Mt. Sopris was stunning and the sun was shining, it was Colorado at its very best. Lisa and Victoria met me on the final stretch and ran in with me. I was so happy to be done! All of my boys were there waiting for me. I love seeing their little faces when I'm done running. All of our families followed that last little bit. My mom and Dale, Victoria's husband and kids, Lisa's Fiance', Yvonne's husband. We had our very own cheering team. What a lucky group of girls we are!


We were back to Erica. Once again she had a deficit to make up. We were behind by 15 minutes. But, she took off and powered up the hill She had 5 miles to run, and we had 12 miles to drive. We were afraid she would beat us to the exhange. When we got to the final exchange point, there were 3 other teams waiting for their runners. One runner came in just as we got out of our cars. As our whole crew stood there waiting, Erica peaked the hill first, pumping her fist in the air. We were all so energized. We just started cheering. I can only imagine how the whole scene played out, because I can just imagine them in her sights and her picking them off one at a time. She is amazing. I want to see her complete her Ironman. Watching her race is better than watching Michael Phelps! Erica handed off to Dee Dee. Pegi set out with her on this leg, because our whole team finishes together, so that can be the last 4 miles or the last block. We decided to stagger and run the entire way with Dee to encourage her. Pegi ran for a bit and then got back in the car and Erica hopped out and ran beside her, about 2 miles out Jessika and I joined them and then about a mile out came Lisa and Wendy and then 5 blocks away Janessa, Yvonne, Amy, Victoria and Pegi fell in. We crossed the finish line, together as a team, in dead last place, and as happy as if we finished first. DeeDee signed the log and officially closed our relay race. We had raised over $6000 for Judy's House, and we finished. We actually finished unlike 9 other teams that had started on that wet rainy Friday morning.

All of our families: Amy's husband, Lisa's fiance', Victoria's husband and kids, Yvonne's husband, Jeanine's Mom and step Dad and her boys, Jessika's kids, husband and cousins, Janessa's Mom, Pegi's husband, and DeeDee's Mom, brother and sister, they were all there. As well as Molly, RJ, Lalo, and Norm. They were all there. They were all there waiting for us. We still don't know who raised the most money, but we know we raised the bar and pushed another team to fight for the top prize. We know we ran with all we had. We are a bunch of girls and we are awesome!



I learned a few more things in the last few days, with and from these 10 great ladies:

You truly can do anything you set your mind on.

You can dig deeper than you ever thought possible and persevere.

No matter how pretty you are or how much make up you wear, or how cute your hair is, after you run many miles and ride in a car for 30 hours, you stink just as bad next chick.

You really can live on cheese and bananas alone.

Absolutely everything is humorous after 36 hours of no sleep.

Coffee fixes almost everything.

It takes a whole team to run a 174 mile race, and it takes the heart of every single team member.

There is no such thing as a clean port-o-potty.

Never underestimate the power of a roll of toilet paper.

Never trust someone that doesn't say bless you when you sneeze.

I could go on and on and on. But I know Amy has so much to add to this.

Thank you all for your donations and your support. I hope we have inspired you all to go out and do something crazy, something tough, something you never dreamed you could achieve. Just remember, you never know what can change your life and if you don't have to work for something, it's not worth having!

Much Love,

Jeanine