Epic Cache-Teton Relay 2010

Since I had such a good time doing the Wasatch back this Summer I easily got talked in to run another relay. My neighbor/friend decided to get a team together to run the Epic Cache-Teton Relay. This Relay is 195 miles from Logan UT to Jackson Hole WY.

A lot of convincing and begging was involved in getting a team together. Not sure why it was so difficult rounding up a bunch of crazies but it was. We were able to get our 6 girls and 6 boys together and seriously had the best time ever! Our team name was "Remember the Tetons" since we were running to the Tetons.

Race Morning: Van 1 met up at Annie's house. We loaded up the van and headed off for Logan at 6:30 am. We were scheduled to start the relay at 9:55am sharp. We arrived in Logan just in time to pick up race packets and take pictures.



Van 1
1. Katie aka: Ca-Caw
2. Raylene aka:Flash
3. Don aka: Hammie4. Annie aka: Slugger
5. Blaine aka: Daddy Long Legs
6. Rory aka: Nacho Peaches

Runner 1 (Katie) was off. It was getting hot already! Not sure if we calculated our team pace wrong but we were running with some seriously fast runners. I was runner 2. We handed off around 11:00am. It was getting pretty warm out. My run was only 3.3 miles through Logan. My pace was a little slower than I had planned but I didn't want to burn myself out on my first run. Luckily one of the teams had a "well fed" runner and I was able to pass him up. Yeah my first roadkill out of the race! We all exchange through our first runs and hand off to our amazing van 2. We ran 35 miles out of the 195.



Driving to our next major exchange Hammie decides to take a detour off roading to some hot pools. Seriously, we are going to die! He is the craziest driver ever! (Sorry Don but it is true). We end up at a river and Annie and Rory decide to go bridge jumping to cool off. It looks so fun, I wish I knew how to swim so I could join! Maybe next year. We get to Grace ID for our next hand off and try getting some rest. Hours later our Van 2 arrives for trade off. Off we go again. It is getting dark so we have to gear up with our reflective vests and headlamps. Katie runs her 5 miles and hands off to me to do my 5 miles. I end up running on a main highway (30). They have me running with traffic on the shoulder. It is a little scary running in the dark, with nobody in sight, with huge Semi-trucks speeding by. Every time I got passed by a semi it would push me off the road. I enjoyed running in the dark but was a little freaked out I was going to get hit by a car. Van 1 rotates through runners and finish around 12 or 1am. We meet Van 2 at the next major exchange in Freedom ID to rest.




We lay out our sleeping bags on the grass at the park and try to wind down for a rest. We are all so tired all we can do is laugh. We are in the state of no sleep where everything and anything is so funny. We are looking up at the stars and it is awesome. Out of nowhere we start hearing raindrops! Seriously are you kidding me? We get in our bags cover up our heads and fall asleep while it rains on us. We wake up around 6:00am to get ready for our last runs. It is so freaking cold! It is 35 degrees outside. Our sleeping bags are wet and we are cold.



Again Katie starts us off and it is COLD! She has 5 1/2 miles to run and then its my turn. We hand off around 7:00am. I have just over three miles to run. I feel great and am enjoying this last run. The sun starts coming up. It is so pretty out here! I am so glad to be able to be out here running. I hand off to Hammie and am done! Hammie runs his last leg and then hands off to Annie. She has a long 7.75 mile run along the snake river. It is beautiful! Annie hands off to Blaine for his last 7.5. Rory (Nacho Peaches) is up last. We are almost done! We hand off to Van 2 and head off for Jackson Hole.

Van 2 meets us at Teton Village for their last runner (Brett) to finish the last of the 195 miles. When we see him coming we all together run up to the finish line. We end up finishing 23rd out of 42 teams. Average pace of 9:15. 30 hrs 3 minutes.

Our group of runners where some of the funnest people I have ever got to hang out with. We had the best time! I am for sure up for next year. You never have to ask me twice.