So the AR was yesterday. We camped out Friday night and got our mandatory meeting at 9PM, getting our map at around 10. We went back to camp, figured out the UTM coordinates, and camp went quiet around 11. Everyone started to wake around 3am for our 4am start time where we got our first leg's map.
Out with headlamps looking for 4 checkpoints was fun. Staight out of Blair Witch, but not spooky... just alot of fun with other insane people.
So after 10 1/2 hours we finished trail running, biking, trail running/hiking and then back on our bikes, covering over 20 miles and elevation gains starting at 642' elevation and going to over 2000'.
What I learned from the AR was that my fears were justified, but my team got me through this. I couldn't have done this whole thing without their physical and emotional support. So thanks for that. I had my emotional breakdown between Eagle Rock and Hub 2. Bob was towing me and I was having conversations in my head. Poor Bob. He was so good about asking me questions just to make sure I was coherent. So when I was asked if I was OK at the Hub, I couldn't help just breaking down and crying. I could feel it coming on, but I couldn't stop the emotion from coming though. I had to just sit there and cry. I sooooo wanted this to be over. I was sooooo tired and I hurt. I hurt all over. My quads, my feet, my calves, my shoulders, even my abs. I was hot and uncomfortable.
But what I learned was that I can rely on others, on my teammates, and that its acceptable to have that help. I didn't want to rely on others. I've always been taught to stand on my own two feet. Sound familiar? There's no giving up when its a team and their victory of completion depends on EVERYONE on the team completing. If I quit, they would all get a DNF. And it would be my fault. THAT is not acceptable. I couldn't let them down just because I was tired, sore, hot, uncomfortable because I also knew they also were and they were all willing to finish this.
So knowing that and the fact that we only had 3 checkpoints left, I had to go on. At least we were on bikes again. Didn't think I'd ever think that after the first bike leg.
After 10 1/2 hours of this torture, my pour Dave-O only wants to come up and hug me and congratulate me and all I could say was "Not Now!" If he did, another emotional breakdown would have happend right then and there. I needed space after finishing this grueling race just to put this all into perspective. He's now seen me enough after being exhausted that my bark MAY be worse than my bite and he endures it. After 3 years, he's willing to understand my emotions, or at least parts of it. Just another reason we are "us."
