Green Mountain Relay: Race Recap

Last weekend, I competed alongside runners from 51 other teams in the Green Mountain Relay, a 200-mile, 24(ish)-hour adventure relay from Jeffersonville to Bennington, VT.

The race was amazing in so many ways – amazingly beautiful, amazingly fun, and amazingly difficult. By the end of the weekend, I was sunburned, sweaty, sick…and exhausted. But would you believe me if I told you that I was also extremely happy and incredibly proud – of both myself and my team? No, we didn’t win any awards or run unbelievably fast. But my team of misfits came together, bonding over cramped quarters, crazy running schedules, everlasting hills, and intense heat – and successfully made it to the end, more than a full day after we started. But let me back up for a bit and try to recap the weekend…

The Start

On Friday evening, EC, HOTR Sister #4 (Sarah) and I met a teammate in Boston for the long drive up to Vermont. When we finally arrived at the hotel, I immediately collapsed into bed, knowing it was going to be my last full night of sleep in a long time. But between the rock hard mattress and my pre-race jitters, I just couldn’t fall asleep. I think I tossed and turned all night, and before I knew it – it was 5:45am and the wake-up call jolted me from my groggy semi-consciousness.

After throwing on some clothes, I met the rest of my team (and I literally mean that I met them, since they were complete strangers before this weekend) for a good breakfast before heading to the start. Since our team was scheduled to start at 8:30am, we arrived at 7:30 to check-in and decorate the van.

Our home for the weekend

At 8:30am, our first runner was off – and the 200 mile journey had begun!

The little one on the left was our first runner (#7)

The Wait

I was in Van #2 with 4 other runners  — normally there are 6, but our 5th guy would be running 2 legs back-to-back (an impressive feat as it was, but he was also running one of the hardest set of legs in the entire race – including running up Mount Okemo!) The disadvantage of being in the second van is that you have a long wait before you even start to run. We decided to drive down to the first exchange point to cheer on our teammates. The first leg was a little over 4 miles and our runner was moving pretty quick, so we expected him to come in just after 9:00 am.

Exchange 1

But the half-hour wait slowly turned into 40 minutes…then 45. And suddenly we started to get nervous. To make matters worse, we couldn’t reach our team members in the other van, so we had no idea what was going on. If you’ve ever spent any time in Vermont, you know that cell reception is spotty – sometimes you have it, sometimes you don’t. And for a long time at that exchange, we just didn’t. When we were finally able to get in touch with them, the news was not good — our first runner was lost, and they were still out looking for him.

Taking advantage of the extra time by making a pit-stop…or two

Apparently one of the signs really early on the course was missing, and several runners made a wrong turn. Since our guy was in front, he ended up going out of the way for miles before realizing there was a problem. To make matters worse, not only was this his first relay, but he was also the youngest member of the team.

When he finally showed up, looking shell-shocked and exhausted, we had to go through the same desperate process of trying to get in touch with the other van (which was still driving around looking for him). After what seemed like an eternity, we were able to connect with them. Finally, almost an hour behind schedule, we were back in the race. At that point we all knew we had to run wicked fast to make up for that lost hour we weren’t exactly in the running for a competitive place, but were just going out to have fun. Lesson #1: next time, bring walkie-talkies!

After solving the “Mystery of the Missing Runner”, myself and my fellow Van 2-ers still had a long wait ahead of us. So we drove to the first van exchange and ate lunch. I split a small salad, a pesto veggie burger, and some sweet potato fries with my sister. Not exactly the best pre-race meal, but I had hours to digest…and those fries were just too dang good to pass up.

And then we waited…

And napped…

And waited some more.

Finally, at 2:30 pm (6 hours after the start), the final runner in Van 1 came in and it was Sarah’s turn to start.

The First Legs

Our first legs took place right in the heat of the afternoon – from 2:30 to about 8:45. It was sunny, humid, and over 80 degrees. I felt a little lethargic from sitting around all day, but once the other runners in the van started, my adrenalin started pumping and I got excited to race.

This year my legs were much tougher than last year (overall, they were rated 10th out of 12 in terms of difficulty…last year I was #6). My first leg was 6.8 miles and rated Hard (all pictures of the legs are from the GMR website)

I knew there was a long hill more than halfway through the course, but I had been waiting all day to run and I was excited. So I started out quick, figuring I’d deal with the consequences later. Not long after starting, I spotted a runner up ahead of me, which only encouraged me to go quicker. The funny thing about a race like GMR is that by the time you get several legs in, you sort of lose track of the people you started with. So even though you see someone running on the course ahead of you, it doesn’t mean that person’s team is ahead. They could have started an hour ahead…or hours after. But that doesn’t take away the feelings of friendly competition, especially in a race as small as this. It’s one of the things I love most about GMR — you end up seeing certain runners/teams multiple times during the relay as your runners pass each other (and then get passed) over the course of the day.

By the time I started running at 4:30, the day had turned cloudy and it looked like it might rain. The clouds helped lower the temperature a little, but it was still extremely humid. Despite all this, I felt great. My first leg was beautiful. Most of it went along a dirt road, with amazing views of wooded mountains on either side. Plus, I got to go over 2 covered bridges. With the exception of miles 4.5 – 5, when I was convinced the hill would never end and that I might possibly die before making it to the top, I think I was grinning like a mad-woman the entire time.

Getting water around mile 3.5 – right before the never-ending uphill

My 1.5 mile climb was rewarded with a wonderful downhill, and I ended up running the first leg in 52:20 (or an average of 7:40/mile).

Sadly my camera died after the first legs of the race (Lesson #2: charge camera before the relay!). But here are some other pictures I was able to snap before its demise.

An exchange area

Second Legs

Around 8:45 pm, our final runner finished up his 2 consecutive legs (for a total of 16 miles – he was a machine!!), and we handed off to the first van once again. At this point, I was starving. The only thing I had eaten since lunch was a bunch of snacks and some Gatorade (because I was feeling extremely dehydrated). The only solid food nearby was pizza, so I hungrily scarfed down a slice. But by the time we had driven down to the next van exchange, however, I regretted eating it. Its greasiness made my already upset stomach even worse, and I started getting nervous about my next leg.

This waiting period was a strange one. I was afraid that sleep would only make me more groggy, but I was extremely tired and knew I’d have a hard time staying awake. I ended up lying down in the van, but never really felt like I fell asleep. Before I knew it, it was after midnight and Sarah was gearing up to run once again.

Despite feeling gross before the start, I actually felt the best during the second leg (maybe it was half that energy shot that did it). I ran at 2:00 in the morning – 5.7 miles, also rated as Hard.

Running so late at night was a strange experience. It was incredibly dark – we’re talking pitch black, not a soul in sight dark. At first it was really neat. I ran along, following my own little beacon of light (my headlamp), and feeling like I was flying. I started off conservatively, since the first 3 miles were all uphill, but then felt great and was able to pick up the pace. It was still super humid, but without the sun it didn’t feel quite as hot. And there’s something to be said about not being able to see the hill you’re running up. It’s almost as if you’re not running up a hill at all!

But then around mile 1.5, I started getting really creeped out. Usually there are at least a couple of other runners around at all times, but I saw no one. Every single noise put me on edge as I started to create awful scenarios that ended in me screaming and no one being around to hear.

By the time I saw our van around mile 2, I wanted to yell at them…and hug them at the same time. They assured me that other runners were nearby, and that they would stay close. But I still didn’t see anyone until 3.5 miles in. It’s amazing what a difference that made. Even though they were ahead, those little blinking red lights were enough to put me at ease again – and of course make me want to speed up to catch them. I flew through the final miles, and finished the 5.72 mile (according to the GPS) course in 41:49 (7:18/mile).

By the time our final runner finished his two grueling legs (sometime after 5am), I was ready to crash. We drove down to the next van transition area, set our alarms for 8:15, and immediately fell asleep. I slept really deeply for about an hour, and then jolted myself awake. I spent the next hour or so restlessly waiting to get up.

The Final Stretch

The final legs were tough on all of us. The day had dawned hot and humid, and I was feeling sicker than the night before. My breakfast consisted of pepto bismol, diet coke, and a little piece of a Clif Bar. Truly the breakfast of champions. I drank the diet coke to settle my stomach – I know it sounds weird, but it was a trick I learned on the last relay, and it really does help.

Sarah started running around 9, and by the time my turn came to run (around 10:45), it was already over 80 degrees. Right before running, I had a little more of the Clif Bar, a few sips of Gatorade, and about half of one of these babies.

The sun beat down on me as I took off on what was supposedly my easiest leg. This 5.7 mile leg was rated Moderate, and had less of an incline than my previous two.

It started off okay. My legs were tight, but the scenery was beautiful, and I made it through the first mile quicker than I expected. But once I hit the hill section, things started to fall apart. This incline seemed so much steeper than my previous leg. I was already wiped out from the running and lack of sleep, and the heat seemed to zap any remaining energy I had. I felt like I crawled up the hills, and it was all I could do to hang on at the end. I finished the 5.69 miles in 44:17 (7:47/mi) – 2.5 minutes slower than my previous leg.

Then EC took off. His leg consisted of many rolling hills and had absolutely no shade. We checked on him several times during the run to give him water. He seemed tired, but okay. Half a mile from the finish, the heat and exhaustion became too much for him. He passed out for a few seconds, stumbled, and threw up. By this time, we were long gone – waiting for him up at the finish. Fortunately, another team saw him staggering and offered him water. By the time they also got to the finish and explained what happened, we could see him walking toward us. We tried to yell to him and encourage him on, but it was all he could do to just keep walking. He finally made it to us, and I ran out with some Gatorade and a bagel.

Why did this happen? Lesson #3: even if you’re feeling sick, it is important to properly fuel before you run. This is especially true if you’re running several hours after you wake up and in extreme heat. I later found out that he had not eaten anything that entire day. He felt nauseous when he woke up, so choked down some pepto and water. By the time he ran around noon, his body was out of fuel.

Finally, it was time for our last runner to go. At this point, he had already run close to 30 miles, and was looking a little worse for the wear.  We weren’t sure if he was going to make it through both of his legs so I stayed in my running shoes just in case he needed someone to take over. Sure enough, about three quarters of the way into his 4.7 mile leg, he declared, “I’m done.” I reluctantly got ready to run again.

The final 5.2 mile leg had a steep 1.75 mile uphill that started a half of a mile into the course.

It was brutal. I was exhausted and hot as I plodded (literally plodded) up the hill. My team was waiting near the top, a little over 1.5 miles in. They told me that I was done, and the next runner was going to take over for me. As much as I wanted to have the reward of getting to run  down all the hills, I was too tired to argue. I handed off to the next runner, who ran about 2 miles before handing off to Sarah, who would take us in. With about a half mile to go, I met a very tired Sarah with some water, and then ran with my sister in toward the finish. Lesson #4: your body can always do more than your mind thinks.

As we ran up the final hill, the event staff radioed the rest of our team, who met us for the final run across the finish line. After 29 hours, 29 minutes, and 1 second – we were finally done!

I wish I had a picture of the finish. If I did, you would see a bunch of strangers who came together as a team, supported each other across 200 miles, lost runners, extreme heat, sickness, and exhaustion. I was extremely proud to be a part of that and so happy to have been given the chance to run the relay.

In the end, I ended up running a little over 20 miles. My quads were definitely sore the next day, but it wasn’t anything awful The tougher thing to deal with was the sleep deprivation (Lesson #5 — don’t start a new job the day after running a 200-mile relay). I’m still feeling like I’m not completely caught up yet. But that doesn’t mean I’m not excited to do another relay as soon as possible.

And for those of you who are wondering — I’m not the only crazy one. My youngest sister had an incredibly tough time (she got sick and didn’t feel properly trained beforehand), but now she can’t wait to do another. There’s something about the relay that draws you in and convinces you that you’re having fun, despite all the pain and discomfort.

And GMR — you’re still my favorite.