RTB Week....target 35 miles, actual 38 miles. I was feeling worn out at the beginning of that week, so every run I did was at a really easy pace (over 9 min miles) with no tempo or speed work. I was accommodated the long (runner #1) runner miles (~22 total) but the legs are fairly accommodating. Prior to leaving, our captain delivered us our race gear, which for the guys consisted of a slick singlet and ss top, as well as a Beacon Jacket, which retails for close to $180,
NB is the main sponsor for RTB, and they actually sent 9 teams (2 vans of runners each) to the race. The put us up in ski condos near Mt. Washington the night before the race, and basically covered every expense we had. Pretty sweet deal! I didn't already know any of the other runners on my team (well) so the ride up was a good chance to get to talk to people about the race (which most of them had run at least once previously) running, work stuff, and nice chit-chat. They proved to be a really nice/fun group of runners!
Also we rocked at pyramids!
They stagger the starts for every team based on expected pace/finish time, so that the fastest teams start the latest in the day on Friday. Our team started with the other 2 NB Associate teams at 10am from Cannon Mt, and I had the first leg. I told our team captain that I would be good for 7:30 min miles over the 22 mile duration, but in my head I was thinking I should be able to run 15-20 seconds faster than that. The first leg (8.1 miles) was almost all downhill, so I cruised down the mt at a nice even 7:15 clip...it flew by and I was feeling good at the finish. The nice thing about running first was that I knew then that I wasn't going to run again until the other 11 runners finished, which wouldn't be until around 7pm, so I was able to eat lunch on my normal schedule while cheering on the rest of our van. It proved to be a GREAT day for running: cool in the AM, sunny with a nice breeze. Our van flew through the mostly downhill sections and finished something like 40 minutes ahead of our expected pace when we turned the race over to Van 2.
That left us with 5-6 hours to refuel ourselves (second lunch for me was a light spinach salad and a beer) and stop at the grocery store for essentials, as well as the NB outlet store to get some warm clothes for what was forecasted to be a pretty cool night.
We made our way to the second VTA with enough time for me to change, warmup with a job and some leg swings, and then to get all lit up for my run. After 7pm, until 7am, the race requires runners to wear a) reflective vests, b)a blinking light on the front and back and c) a headlamp. My run started just after dusk, and finished in the dark, and it was great. On my first run, there really weren't any runners to pass, but by this (the 13th leg) there were LOTS of runners for me to pass, and I passed them all. One guy passed me at the start, but I caught him and probably close to 2 dozen (maybe more, actually) runners as I climbed 9 miles up hills towards Moultonborough, again at a nice even 7:15 pace.
After that wrapped up, it was my turn to sit back in the van, cheer on the other runners and stay stretched and hydrated. I was feeling good...I could have pushed harder in both earlier legs, but I wasn't really sure how that would have left me for my third leg, which looked short and brutally uphill. So, I was in a good place.
Our van turned it over to Van 2 a little after midnight, and then we had about an hour and a half drive to the next VTA, where we would have 3-4 hours to sleep. We got there at around 2am, threw a tarp down on the ground, got our sleeping bags out, and tried to get some sleep under the open sky in a pine forest. I didn't get a ton of sleep before my phone's alarm went off at 5am in advance of my expected 6am 3rd leg start. My third leg was shorter, less than 5 miles, but entirely uphill. My garmin captured 435 feet of climb! That's pretty steep! I pushed harder on this, my final leg, and kept my pace at 7:24, staying well ahead of my 7:30 pace for the run(s) and also not driving myself to extreme fatigue. Sadly, wiht about a quarter mile to go, I was passed for the first time.
At the finish (Hampton Beach) we had a few beers in the van while waiting for Van 2 to finish, and then we headed out onto the beach to all run across the finish line together.
Afterwards, we came to find out that we finished in 1st place for the "Mixed Corporate Division" (out of 8 teams!)
The race was an amazing time. There were over 500 teams of 12 runners each (and plenty of ultra teams as well) and our team had a blast together-3 weeks after the race and we're still making jokes together like we all just got back from summer camp or something similar. Great, great race...and tema NBNO BEAT THE COWS!
Through 6 weeks of training, I sit at 233 miles run vs 215 planned (and 203 through the Boston actual-thanks to the Norovirus)
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