Des Moines Marathon Relay

The IMT Des Moines marathon was today and they have a very fun opportunity for relay teams to participate. You put together a team of five people - the first four people run 5 miles, the last runs 6.2. The rest of the team is able to jump in at mile 25 and run the last 1.2 in to the finish if they want. We put together a relay team from the Governor's office late this summer and have had fun giving each other a hard time about our training program (or lack of) ever since.

Our team - 'IGOV Running' before the race.

The race itself is very fun. They set up relay transition areas at mile 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25, so we spent the morning driving all over the route shuttling team members into and off of the course. We really felt like we got to be a part of the action and enjoyed seeing the runners at the various stages - including a woman who ran the race 7! months! pregnant! (And by the way, beat our team time) I took the anchor leg (6.2 miles) not because I am fast (I was the slowest member of the team) but because I was the only one willing to cover the 6.2 mile distance in one pull. And I was the only girl on the team.

Here I am at mile 20, taking the handoff from Jamie, who ran the fourth leg...

And I'm off!

Bo and Jamie decided to hop back in at mile 25 so we could cross the finish line together. Our team posted a 4 hour and 17 minute time, just a little under 10 minute miles. I did the anchor 6.2 leg in 1 hour and 3 minutes plus a few seconds and had a ball crossing the finish line with Jamie and Bo.

I ran the race in awe of those who were covering the whole 26.2 mile distance. Just after mile 24 (4 miles in for me) was kind of a killer hill coming out of Gray's Lake park heading into downtown for the finish. I was kind of grousing to myself and then I looked around at the people who had been running for nearly 25 miles and I got over it. What an accomplishment for them! I'm glad I got to be a part of it...