Vail to Beaver Creek - Bringing It Home!

When Friday morning came around, there were mixed emotions.  The Transrockies run was wrapping up...if we could slug it through another 20 miles - so on one hand I was happy.  On the other hand, the run was wrapping up...if we could slug it through another 20 miles - and that was leading to sadness.  And if I had a third hand, I would have been using it to pull up any covers over my head because I was freezing again in my tent!!!  WOW - it sure does get cold in those mountains!

Vail was a nice location to stay in, but we didn't get the opportunity to see much of the town.  After our run ended on the 5th stage, we were shuttled to the end of town to our tent city, and only got a passing look at "condo" city - very nice.  We were treated to a wonderful steak, potato, corn on the cob dinner that night and once again turned in early in preparation for Friday.  We started to learn some tricks throughout the week of camping and one of those was to get all our stuff ready for the next day while it was still warm and light out.  Another I did was to sleep in my running clothes for the next day, and then layer the sleeping clothes over that just to stay warm.  Friday morning brought about the coldest day yet, because there was no place to go inside like the previous days at Camp Hale to get warm.  We had to eat breakfast outside in the early morning light, as well as pack up.  We were shuttled back to the main part of Vail for the start, and were fortunate to be able to wait until our 8:30 am start inside a public area of town with VERY NICE RESTROOM FACILITIES.  Finally, no porta potties to go in!!  What a nice treat.

I was tasked with carrying a special package that day, which I will get to later in.  Couldn't lose this one on the run, otherwise there wouldn't have been as special a finish this day.  We got to run through downtown Vail on flat road for the first two miles, before we started what would be about a 5 mile uphill climb to our 1st aid station of the day.  As was our routine for the week, Lynn was quicker out of the gate than I was an went on ahead, while I hung farther back.  Once we hit the trail for the climb, it was single track (about 18 inches wide), and there was no opportunity to pass.  So you pretty much get to know who is in front and behind you on the climbs, in between breaths. I happened to be behind Angie from Baltimore, who was a road runner.  She just completed the Lake Placid Ironman Triathlon a month earlier, and was in great shape.  It was pretty cool to hear her say that this event was much harder than that - because of the multi-stage approach requiring so much more mental focus.  Made me feel good that this was indeed a challenge.

At the first station Lynn and I caught up again, and had the chance to take a photo with Dean Karnazes - Mr. Ultramarathon.  He is well known in the long distance running community, and once ran 50 marathons, in 50 states, in 50 days.  Each day we was running a stage with a different person to help raise awareness around this event.  I told him I would race him to the finish line, but he wanted no part of me....you can understand why after following along with me for months.  I was in peak form.

For the next few miles I pulled ahead of Lynn as we moved into some of my favorite downhill single track.  This was unlike some of the other terrain we traversed over the week, as the grass, weeds, growth (whatever) was quite high, making it quite difficult to actually see the ground we were running on.  But boy, was it beautiful anyway.  Steeper downhill, more rocks to move over.  Lynn said she fell about 4 times on that part of the run.  That would make her the week's winner in getting a close up look at the ground!  I loved that part of the run and moved through it well, and on into the town of Avon, where Jeff and Julie would be staying that night.  We ran a few miles into town before heading to the last aid station of the event....and another hard part of the run.

The Transrockies staff did not make Stage 6 any easier than the rest.  This one may have had the most elevation climb of the week, and there were still 5 miles to go to Beaver Creek, with the first 3 of those uphill again in about a 1300 foot climb.  It was slow going, and mostly walk. I was behind a German (Ralph), and not a word was spoken between us.  I didn't think now was the time to try to improve my foreign language skills, and he probably wouldn't appreciate my sense of humor 115 miles into the run (I know - how couldn't he???).

With two miles to go, we could see Beaver Creek approaching from above, and began our final single track descent into the city and the finish line.  At this point, I was smiling pretty big, and started to have the emotions kick in again.  I made my first camera video of the week for Brenda and the kids during the run - so they could see, and hear, how this was.  You could hear the announcers at the finish line calling off the names of the participants who were coming in just around a bend ahead.  I was still a few minutes ahead of Lynn at that point, so I stopped and got the package ready that I had carried for 20 miles that day, and began to unfold it.

Once Lynn arrived, we jogged together around the final bend and over a bridge into Beaver Creek towards the finish where a modest crowd was waiting and music was playing.  Together we held the package by its ends as we approached, and I could see Jeff there with a video camera ATTEMPTING to capture the moment.  Around the final bend we went and crossed under the Finish sign in 5:15.  Relief, joy, sorrow, and many other emotions flooded through at that moment.  A video crew was there filming our finish as we hugged to celebrate our accomplishment.  We were presented with our finishers medal and t-shirt, and handed some cups of cold water and recovery drink.

I looked around and found Julie waiting on the other side of the spectator fence smiling at me.  We had a great moment together with no words.  How could you say anything when you don't know the right words?  This run was done for so many reasons, and I know that Emmah was there with us throughout it all making sure we'd see it through safely.

Jeff and Julie brought a number of items with them to the finish.  One was their own sign, which we never saw while running in, but others did so they could learn the story.  They also presented us with our own trophies for finishing - that means so much more to me than the medal!  Jeff was also prepared to escort us across the finish line in style if we needed it....when he brought a wheelchair and the musical soundtrack to Chariots of Fire!!! Funny man, real funny!  I also got a replacement KEIYH bracelet to replace the one I "left behind" on the mountain.

And they brought Emmah. So I could have a moment with her as well. 

113 For Emmah mission accomplished....now we could celebrate and reflect upon what we had done.

More to come over the next few days around the celebration dinner that night, thoughts on the entire event, and other final thoughts, along with links to photos from the event.

KEIYH