I rarely write anymore. But, when I do, I still enjoy it. Below is my newsletter blurb about my running team's experience during a 50-mile relay race last weekend when temperatures were in the mid-90s with through the roof humidity. Or, rather, humility.
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I don't want to make this an apocalyptic story, though that word easily sets the tone for this year's Need for Speed Relay. It was hot, it was scary, and more than a little absurd. Family and friends were worried about us and they had good reason to be. But, fortunately, all four Flyer teams made it back safely, so our grim tale has a happy ending.
What struck me as remarkable, though, was how our team, Flyer White, called off the competition long before the authorities did. "Go slow. Walk. Be careful." Those are some of the last words one expects to hear at a relay race, but that was our motto.
Last year I ran for the team, motivated by pride and friendly rivalry. This year it came down to me. So, when the heat stopped me dead in my tracks, somewhere around Mile 4, my thoughts were not about time, or rank, or ego; they were about survival. At that moment running came full circle for me: from an individual pursuit, to a team effort, to being stuck in the woods, not even halfway through my journey, left completely to my own devices…until JS from the Flyer Diamonds came along and motivated me to finish my leg. I didn't care what my watch said. I had stopped it at some point. I just didn't want my team to worry about me.
Separately, we're all accomplished, competitive runners. ES and JT ran exceptionally well given the conditions. But, as eight, Flyer White channeled our collective aggression into a fierce protection for one another. And that's a winning team.
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