Dixie 200 Relay -- Race Recap

Dixie 200 Relay Race

Running can often be a lonely pursuit. I often run for an hour or two in solitude with only my thoughts and my music for company. I do have running partners for some of my runs. And you are hardly ever truly alone during a race. Running is rarely a team endeavor. But that is exactly what makes long relay races so special. When else do you get to run and ride for 30+ hours with a bunch of friends having a great adventure? I got to have just such an adventure for the 2013 Dixie 200 Relay from Atlanta to Birmingham.

My wife, Tracy, and I joined 10 other runners to form a team for the Dixie 200 Relay. Our team consisted primarily of teachers and administrators at Homewood High School. Latta Johnston, Assistant Principal, was our team leader. Nivada Spurlock, Wellness Coordinator for Homewood City Schools, is the leader of The Movement which promotes wellness for teachers and students. The Movement is known on Twitter as #hwdmoves (Homewood moves), so this became our team name. And move we did...

Thursday, March 21, 2013

With hours of preparation under our belts, we loaded up two 12 passenger vans in the parking lot of HHS on Thursday afternoon. 6 people, a bunch of running gear, and a mountain of food & drinks were packed into each van. We arrived in the Atlanta suburb of Powder Springs around dinner time to check into our hotel near the starting line. After checking in, the team walked a short distance to Giovanni’s Italian Restaurant for our pre-race, carbo-loading meal. Two of our members, Josh and Allison, ordered the stuffed shells; they expected cheese filling but got some combination of meat and cheese that fortunately did not cause any GI distress the next day. Otherwise, the meal was excellent!

Tyler, Mike, Dean, Allison, Shane, Nivada, Rebecca, Melonie, Josh, Tracy, Kristen,  and Latta.

Friday, March 22, 2013

We awoke Friday morning ready to run. Nine teams were scheduled to begin the race at 7:00, but we were among the seven teams scheduled to start at 9:30 am. So, here’s how this sort of relay works: each team has between 6-12 runners (most teams have 12). Each team must run 36 legs over the course of the 200 mile race with each leg ranging from 3-9 miles. Teams with 12 runners like ours have each runner run 3 legs totaling 15-20 miles. Teams are split into 2 vans.

Tracy and I were in Van 1 with the other married couples, Latta & Kristen Johnston and Shane & Allison Wear. In Van 2 were Nivada, Melonie McBrayer, Rebecca Shields, Mike Hathorne, Tyler Burgess, and Josh Donaldson. Only Shane and Mike had ever run a relay like this before. As Van 1, we got to lead off the race running the first 6 legs. After receiving our instructions for the race, Latta toed the line to run Leg 1. When the horn sounded, he raced into the lead just so we could say we briefly led the race. Once the team saw him off, we climbed into our vans to begin our journey back to Birmingham.

Latta in the lead!

While Van 2 drove ahead to the first transition point, Van 1 drove to meet Latta at the end of Leg 1 which was 7.1 miles long. The race began on the Silver Comet Trail which runs from Atlanta to the Georgia-Alabama state line. From there, the rails-to-trail path continues as the Chief Ladiga Trail until Jacksonville, Alabama. So, the first 15 legs of the race were run on a fairly smooth, flat, paved trail. At the first exchange zone, Latta arrived before his projected time to hand off to Kristen for Leg 2. Thus we began a cycle to be repeated multiple times during the race: drop off a runner, drive ahead to the next exchange zone, witness the handoff to the next runner, wait briefly for the last runner to cool down and get some refreshment, then head out once again.

Latta to Kristen.

It was a cool, overcast day with temperatures in the upper 30s as we began the race. I was scheduled to run Leg 4 covering 6.96 miles. Shane, running Leg 3, and I were a stark contrast in footwear. He had transitioned to running in Vibram minimalist shoes while I had converted to running in maximally cushioned Hoka shoes. Our teammates did not hesitate to make fun of both of us. I had a really good first leg. The trail was exactly like the Lakeshore Trail back in Homewood, so I was right at home. I had planned to run between 8:00-8:15 per mile pace, but I felt so good the first mile that I pushed that down to between 7:50-8:00. Despite my good (for me) pace, I heard footsteps in the middle of my leg. I was about to be passed! In the parlance of relay races, I was about to be “killed.” I suppressed my competitive nature and refused to let it bother me when the 20-something female blew past me offering some almost-condescending words of encouragement. And I refused to let it bother me when the next guy flew by me at an even faster clip. I just concentrated on holding my even pace for the whole leg. As I rounded the last corner onto a straightaway, I could see my teammates at the exchange zone in the distance. But my Garmin said I had 0.75 miles to go. Gradually, I made my way down the long straightaway until I could hand off to Tracy. My Garmin read 6.95 miles in 54:52 for a pace of 7:54 per mile. This was pretty good for me especially knowing I had 2 more legs to run in less than 24 hours.

Kristen to Shane.

Shane to Dean.

Tracy took off for her Leg 5, and I took a few minutes to cool off. I knocked back a Muscle Milk (contains no milk) protein shake and was ready to climb back into the van. It was during the drive to the next exchange zone that I learned Tracy had had a mini-adventure while waiting for me. This was one of the few stops that had no bathroom or porta potty. So Tracy was relegated to seeking shelter in a nearby pasture guarded by her friend and lookout, Kristen. The place was dubbed Mrs. Poindexter’s Pasture for Peeing. And we wondered since I had been “killed” twice on my last leg -- did that make me a “zombie?” The punchiness that was to come to full bloom later in the night had begun to blossom already.

Dean to Tracy.

Tracy released her inner child, yelling for echoes as she ran through an old train tunnel. At the end of the leg, Tracy passed off to Allison who was running Leg 6 our final leg for this section. Up ahead we would meet Van 2 and make the transition to them. When Van 1 arrived at the transition point, they found that Van 2 had been waiting in the park for hours. Some runners napped, some joked around, other paced nervously. When Van 1 arrived, Van 2 sprang to life getting ready to run. Allison ran into the softball park where we were waiting. She handed off to itching-to-run Melonie. And, thus, Van 2 was on the clock while Van 1 could rest for awhile.

Tracy to Allison.

Allison to Melonie.

Ready for lunch!

We drove on to the small town of Piedmont, AL the site of the next van transition point. We planned to have lunch in a small restaurant recommended by the race director. We toured the entire “downtown” area of Piedmont before finding the Solid Rock Cafe (after realizing we had passed it earlier). We ate a very nice lunch of sandwiches and chips followed by cookies with coffee or hot tea. While we dined, another team came in for lunch while we saw yet another team drive around the block a few times.

After lunch, we headed over the the transition point at the Eubanks Welcome Center. (It took some driving around to find this place, too). Once there, we were able to relax for awhile and recharge our phones. Soon, Van 2 arrived after dropping off Tyler who was running Leg 12, the final leg of this section. Josh, who had run the long 9.5 mile leg at a very fast pace, came hobbling up with an ice pack on a swollen knee. We worried about his ability to continue. But he is young and tough. Kristen prepared to run her second leg. Because it was almost dusk, she donned her reflective vest, her headlamp, and her flashing lights (required by race officials). Once the handoff was made, we said goodbye to Van 2 and drove to the next exchange zone. 

Tracy was next to run. By the time Kristen arrived, it was almost nightfall. Tracy took off back onto the trail into the fading light. As we waited at the next exchange zone, she texted me: “A little unnerved...” Apparently the trail had veered away from the main road into the woods. The darkness, the solitude, and the sound of nearby dogs freaked her out just a little bit. But all that made her run a very fast leg!

Tracy at twilight.

Tracy to Allison.

Tracy handed off to Allison who got to run on the trail through the campus of Jacksonville State. Allison then passed to Latta who took the race off the trail onto the back roads of Alabama. As we waited for Latta, we met the nicest volunteer on the course, Pastor Greg of Lloyd’s Chapel Baptist in Anniston, AL. Shane took over for Latta and ran to the next exchange point which was Pastor Greg’s church. The church had coffee and snacks available for the runners as we passed through about 10:00 pm. As Shane handed off to me, I began my second leg, 8.4 miles from Anniston to Oxford. The first section of road was a dark, divided, four lane highway with not-so-gentle rolling hills. A mile or two into the run, I began to hear the dogs. We had been warned about dogs along the nighttime legs on the course. And now my imagination started to run on its own. Fortunately, I never actually saw a dog, but I ran a little faster. Another mile or two later, however, I ran past a trailer park. About the time I ran by, a very loud gasoline engine started. It was either a motorcycle or a chainsaw. I had visions of an Alabama Chainsaw Massacre. I ran even faster. Halfway through my leg, I turned onto an even busier highway. There, my van was waiting on me on the side of the road, just to make sure I was safe -- a welcome sight. After I ran by to their cheers and encouragement, the van sped off into the night. Four mostly downhill miles later, I was tired but almost done. I was happy to finally reach the van transition point to hand off to Melonie so that Van 2 could begin their second legs. I finished my leg at about 11:15 pm. I had covered 8.41 miles in 1:08:08 for a pace of 8:06 per mile.

Dean into the dark.

At about 11:30, our van headed from Oxford to the Comfort Suites in Pell City. We quickly checked in, took short showers, and tried to settle into bed. Three married couples managed to share 2 double beds and a sofa bed. I managed to drift off to sleep around 12:30 a.m.

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Since we had to meet the other van at about 4:15, our alarm was set for 3:30 am. But due to the excitement, I was up at 3:00. As quickly as we had rushed into the hotel, we rushed back out again. Only now, the skies had opened up with rain and distant lightning. As we pulled into the parking lot at the van transition point, there were several other vans already there waiting for their teammates. As we waited, the rain and lightning increased. At around 4:15 a.m. Van 2 pulled up beside us with the news that the race would be halted after this leg was completed. Poor Josh was running through a downpour on a swollen knee while dodging lightning bolts. As he passed the wristband to our van, he looked almost defeated. But only almost. Van 2 soon departed for the showers and beds of the hotel we had left just a short time ago.

From 4:30 to 7:00, we waited in the van. We waited for the storm to pass. And we waited for the race directors to make a decision about how to proceed. As we waited, the silliness in the van began to overflow. We told stories and jokes; we watched the dawn’s early light. we made fun of eachother; we made up a Jimmy Buffett song. Around 7:00 a.m., the director made the decision to have us skip several legs to get south of the storm. So we drove the van ahead 4 legs expecting to run at any time. But the storm would not go away. So, we sat for another hour. We took turns making a dash to the porta potty in the rain. Finally, around 8:30, the rain let up enough for the race to resume. Since we skipped a few legs, teams were allowed to double up runners on some legs so that everyone got to run their 3 legs. Shane, Allison, and Kristen only had about 10 minutes to get ready to run before we resumed the race. It was interesting to see many of the teams back together again after running solo for most of last legs. Our 3 runners took off, beginning our third legs after a 4 hour delay.

Waiting.

Rain.

The next exchange zone was at Lighthouse Community Church which was providing a pancake breakfast for the runners. We had each paid $5 in advance for the breakfast. But Van 2 had gone back to the hotel, and no one else in Van 1 felt like eating at that time. So, I decided to eat a single pancake without syrup as my pre-run fuel. It was the best $60 pancake I had ever eaten. Tracy and I decided to run the next leg (Leg 30) together. We were running on fairly flat, country roads. When we started it was lightly raining, but it quickly stopped, allowing us to remove our rain gear for most of the run. We ran at a decent pace, but the effort of the previous 2 runs and the lack of sleep took away our top gear. Compared to our previous runs, we struggled through this 5 miles. About halfway through our leg, we were the victims of another kill. But shortly thereafter, we were able to return the favor another team’s runner. Our first kill! We needed 2 county deputies to stop traffic on US 280 in Harpersville to allow us to cross the road safely. As we ran into the exchange zone at Morgan Creek Vineyards, we were relieved (but couldn’t believe) our portion of the race was over. We covered 5.05 miles in 44:44 with a pace of 8:51. As Latta took off for the final leg of Van 1, Tracy and I went to change into some dry clothes.

Ready for the last leg!

Kristen & Allison to Dean & Tracy.

Tracy down the road.

Finished!

We hopped back into the van to head to the last van transition point. We passed Latta on a hilly dirt road. As we drove slowly by, he used our van as a shield against a loose dog on the side of the road. We then passed several runners up ahead and felt confident that Latta could pick up a few kills before the end of his leg. We reached the next van transition point to find 10-15 vans waiting for their runners. We got to joke and laugh with Van 2 before Latta handed off to Rebecca. Van 1 was done! But Van 2 faced some long, very hilly legs before they reached the finish line at Oak Mountain State Park.

Latta to Rebecca.

Since we were finished and Van 2 would not finish for 5 hours, we decided to drive home to shower and change. As we drove home we realized just how bad the van smelled. We chalked up to our running clothes. Until we remembered the brown bananas in the back of the van. We began to talk of the smell of “banana and stink.” Once we had cleaned up, we headed to Oak Mountain to greet our teammates. Their van took longer to arrive at Oak Mountain than we thought, but we chalked that up to the toughness of the final six legs they had to run. They reported that everyone had survived their runs. They also said Josh was hurting but was going to give it his all. Nivada was going to run the final leg with him.

As we waited for Josh, several other teams saw their final runner cross the finish line. Each one look tired. Eventually we saw Josh running down the road through the woods. He was hobbling a little on his swollen knee, but he pushed through to the finish line. We were done! #hwdmoves had finished the Dixie 200!

Josh crossing the finish line.

#hwdmoves

But where was Nivada? She did not come in shortly after Josh as we expected. We feared that she had missed the final turn into Oak Mountain State Park. Latta took off in his car to look for her. He eventually found her a mile away having already added 3 miles to her run. But she got to cross the finish line. We were now able to take our final team picture and receive our finisher medals. We were not concerned about our time; our main goal on this adventure was to do our best and have fun. But #hwdmoves managed to finish in 7th place. Not too shabby!

We were tired and hungry but energized and fulfilled. The phrases “next year” and “when we do this again” were thrown about here and there. Each of us will take away something different from this experience, I am sure, but we can all agree it was an unforgettable time of physical exertion and fellowship.