The 2009 Texas Independence Relay (March 6th-8th)

I admit, in the months leading up to this year's TIR, I found my excitement waning for the run. I had a busy first few months of running and I didn't allow myself to look beyond the events I had lined up ahead of the relay. Also, the fact that we again struggled to put together a full team roster took away some of the enthusiasm. I was starting to think that we'd have to do the relay with as little as 6 runners, and I was not thrilled about having to run so many legs. Fortunately, our efforts to get the word out finally piqued some interest and we managed to bring together a team of 11 runners and 7 supporters.

Runners:
-Ashley
-Bob
-Peter
-Long
-Phi
-Huyen (new)
-Shaundae (new)
-Heather (new)
-Johnny (new)
-Julio (new)
-Sheila (new)

Support Team:
-Thuy
-Tina (new)
-Andre (new)
-Charlie (new)
-Zhahan (new)
-Dan (new)
-Jess (new)

As you can see we had a lot of new faces this year. As the team started to become more concrete, I found my enthusiasm spiking again. In the last month, we worked out much of the planning and logistics of the race. We learned a lot from our previous experience and worked hard at refining our plans. We wanted to make sure we maximized the amount of sleep for each runner. I think we did a good job at this, however, I knew Julio and I were going to be getting the short end of the stick. The way the leg assignments had sorted out, it would be a miracle if either Julio or I got more than 2 hours of sleep during the race. I was very nervous about this, but I looked forward to the challenge.

The first night, we stayed at this budget motel about 40 minutes from Gonzales. It was certainly no Olle Hotel (the fantastic Bed and Breakfast we stayed last year). We felt this was a suitable location for our first night, since we weren't going to be there very long and it was a short drive into Gonzales. We got up around 4:30 that morning and were on the road before 5:30. Our start time was at 7:00 am so we had an hour and a half to drive there and get ready. We got in with no problem and had plenty of time to get our bibs and swag bags. At about 5 minutes till 7, we walked to the starting line. Our team was announced on the loud speaker and my wife fired the historic cannon to officially start our race.

After finishing the prologue leg (1.15 miles) as a team, my brother Long headed off on leg 1 (4.26 miles). We wished him well and headed to our two 12 passenger vans to meet him at the first exchange. We got to the exchange point shortly thereafter and kept our eyes on the path that lead up to it. He finished well and passed the running bracelet to Julio, who sped through leg 2 (4.85 miles). Now it was my turn on leg 3 (8.78 miles). It was ranked as the most difficult leg due to terrain, distance, and elevation. Despite that, I had a lot of confidence I could do it at a very strong pace. Boy did I underestimate it. The terrain was a lot tougher than I had expected. It was mostly large rocks and loose gravel down this narrow and winding farm road. I knew it would be hilly, but the combination of loose gravel and big elevation changes took its toll. The wind was also gusting so I was caked in dirt. The views of the rolling countryside were really impressive though and I'm glad I took that leg.

My second run wasn't going to be until the night time so I had hours to hang out. I tried my best to catch some sleep, but the task proved nearly impossible. It was great seeing many of the small towns and exchanges I had missed the previous year though and the team did great running throughout the day. By the time my turn was up again, I had started getting nervous about the long night I had ahead of me. Leg 19 (5.5 miles) was mine. That would have been no problem, but I also had leg 27 (6.51 miles) soon after that. At the exchange for leg 23, we had a support team swap. I was so happy to see my good friends Dan and Jess there. At this point, my body was spent. I was exhausted. The long night was wearing on me and it was great to see them out there in the wee hours of the night. They injected some fresh energy into the team and carried us through the night. With the teams encouragement, I managed to soldier through my third leg that took us back to Katy. I was so close to home, I could smell it. We were using our house as the resting stop over the night for the runners and supporters. Julio and I were the last ones to get there and we would only have a couple of hours to clean up and rest before we had to head out again. After Julio finished leg 28 (3.6 miles), we had a van exchange and headed back to HQ (our house). As soon as I got through the door, I tip-toed to the kitchen, scarfed down two slices of cold pizza and went to my room. It was around 7:30 am and it was great to finally shower and sleep! It wasn't long before Andre woke me up to tell me we had to head out. I was still completely burnt out, but at least I was clean. My fourth and final leg was leg 40 (5.32 miles), the last leg of the race. I had some time before then, but again couldn't get any additional sleep. My body didn't feel at all rested, but I still had enjoyed hanging out with the rest of the team. As we made our way to the last exchange, I started trying to get amped for the last leg. My body was tired, but at least I wasn't fighting off an injury like I was the previous year. My muscles weren't very sore, despite already running 22 miles. The biggest obstacle was overcoming the lack of sleep. You know that feeling of exhaustion where your body feels totally achy. That's pretty much how I felt. But with the team behind me, I had to put in a strong performance. That last leg turned out to be my fastest of the weekend. Thanks team!

I have to say, everyone did an outstanding job running, supporting, and planning. An event like this is a logistical nightmare. Fortunately, my wife loves this sort of challenge so she was a big reason why we could be as organized as we were (I love you!). Thank you all for making it such a memorable experience!!!