The distance relay experience has almost nothing to do with running — its essence lies in cheering your teammates along and getting to know each other. It is figuring out how in the hell to get where your van needed to be about ten minutes ago or where the goddamned Cheez-Its disappeared to. It’s about ordering salmon and rice with a nice dark beer at your first stop-over meal — and then realizing the rest of your teammates ordered bacon cheeseburgers with two race legs to go. It’s about hauling ass on a two-lane US highway in the middle of nowhere at 10 PM, missing a turn and dealing with panicked “do I keep going or do I turn around?” thoughts on the shoulder of the road while semi trailers speed by.
The race is about surrounding yourself with friends, depriving yourself of sleep, and running every now and again — essentially a slumber party on wheels that requires a little bit of sweat and a whole lot of caffeine. It’s about enjoying your company, having fun, and doing something outside of the norm.
—I wrote about the most fun I’ve ever had in a running race over at Stride Nation today. Who all wants to run the Bourbon Chase?
(Source: stridenation.com)
