An Epic Finish

The adventure continues.....

Darkness had fallen in the town of Scio.  Shops were closed, things had quieted down, and most people were settling in to sleep.

But for Monkey Butter Express van two, the night was just getting started...

Ready to run my final leg!

After running our first legs of the Epic Oregon Relay in the hot afternoon sun, my teammates and I were looking forward to a cooler experience for leg two.  After finishing my second handoff, I slipped into the darkness following the main road through the sleepy town of Scio.  The first mile, through the center of town, alternated between sidewalk and wide gravel shoulder.  Then, leaving the city limits, I found myself on a very narrow shoulder of a minor highway.  Although the traffic was light, it was nerve-wracking every time a vehicle passed by.  Since I was decked out with headlamp, reflective vest, and enough glow bracelets to light a small city, I knew people could see me.  And most cars moved over to give me more room.  But still, one very fast car, and another huge semi blasting by did shake my confidence a bit.  That, and I nearly tripped over something lying in the shoulder (likely roadkill, but I wasn't about to stop and check!)

Another reunion with Van one's sleepy monkeys

At 5.8 miles, this was the longest of my three legs.  And it had a big hill near mile 2.  But one of the good things about running in the dark - you can't see how steep the hills are!  Although it was tough, I put my head down, kept a fairly comfortable pace, and chugged away. 

The longest port-a-potty lines all weekend

The relay had a rule that vans had to keep their runner in sight during the nighttime legs.  That meant I was continually being passed by my van.  They'd drive ahead a short distance, wait for me to pass, and then go a little further.  At first I thought this was overkill.  But I have to admit, once on the highway, alone in the dark, I was thankful every time my van drove by.  It was nice to know people were looking out for me - and the continuous cheers of my teammates really helped too!

Karl finishes his last leg in style

In each relay I've done, the night legs by far have been my favorite.  Running in the countryside, I could see zillions of stars shining brightly.  The air was cool, the night quiet and peaceful.  When the "one mile to go" sign came into view, I was almost sad my leg was done.  Well....almost.

Coming in to the exchange, I hurtled a roadkill deer (yep - more roadkill!) and passed the wristwrap off to a waiting Myron.  Yahoo, two down, one to go!  Time to relax and cheer my teammates.

Farmland scenery on my third leg

The next two legs followed narrow country roads, with little traffic.  Constantly keeping track of our runner meant the vehicle was in motion much of the time.  That, and the fact it was pitch black dark, made me decide not to even try to get photos.  So - sorry no night shots this time!

The handoff to runner number four occurred in the larger town of Lebanon.  Denis was the lucky teammate who got to follow busy state highway 34 for over 8 miles, to the west side of  I-5.  Then, after another quick switch, Eric continued the trek down this same road, nearing the college town of Corvallis.

Eric has a pensive moment

By now, it was after 2 am, and everyone was feeling the effects of this late hour.  I took over driving duties, and kept awake by honking the horn and cheering at the other runners.  I'd drive a mile, wait for our runner to pass by, and then continue for another mile. 

Eric finished his leg, and handed off to Brandi.  Brandi's leg would take her into the town of Corvallis, to Corvallis High School, where van one was waiting.  We called our other teammates to let them know it was almost their turn.

Myron killing his final leg

We followed Brandi as she navigated through the dark streets of Corvallis.  Luckily, the route was well signed, and I happily pulled the van into the high school parking lot.  But.....where was the exchange?  After circling numerous small lots that ringed the school (and getting lost in the process) I finally located the correct spot and picked up Brandi.  Briefly reuniting with van one, they told us their tale of bedding down on the school's lawn, only to have the sprinklers turn on and douse everyone!

Brandi readies the tp!

Now that van two's second legs were done, it was time for our carload of tired monkeys to get some rest.  But first we decided to drive to our next exchange point, a church in the tiny town of Harrisburg.  We'd sleep there, and be ready to go once van one reached us again.

This guy ran the entire relay - by himself!

It was nearly 4 am by the time we arrived at our destination.  The local Methodist church had graciously allowed relay participants to crash on their lawn for the night.  Happily, my teammates and I spread out a couple of tarps on the grass, unrolled our sleeping bags and hit the sack.  Waking at 7 am, I noticed the lawn around our group had filled in with lots and lots of sleeping runners.  I'd slept so hard, I didn't hear a thing.

Andrew hands off to Denis

Checking in with Brandi, I was told van one's last runner, Karl was due to arrive around 8:30.  I wolfed down some food, changed my clothes (Brandi and I took turns ducking behind an open car door while the other person held up a blanket) and hit the porta-potty.  And this exchange was the only place in the relay I encountered any type of bathroom line.  But the potties still had tp!  (So different from Hood to Coast)

Hangin' out by an abandoned farm

Van one arrived in high spirits.  After Karl finished, they were done!  I was mildly jealous - especially when I heard the group planned on stopping for breakfast. 

But....I had a leg to run, and I was ready to make it history.  Waiting at the exchange, someone glimpsed Karl's blue team shirt.  Ashley and Lindsay rolled out the toilet paper finish tape (now a Monkey Butter Express tradition - you get to cross this upon completing your last leg).  I got a quick photo of Karl as he approached the tape, and then the wristwrap was in my hands, and I was on my way.

Denis gives us his "monkey face"

My last leg was a super-short distance of 2.34 miles.  After running twice in less than 24 hours, I was more than happy that my final leg was so easy.  Feeling rather sluggish, I willed my legs to get moving.  But running on three hours of sleep, and eating at odd hours, I knew this wouldn't be anywhere near my best performance.  My goal was simple - keep running and finish strong.

The handoff to Eric

Luckily, the early morning chill made for perfect running temps.  My route took me out of Harrisburg, and through some beautiful farm country.  And before I knew it, there was the exchange up ahead.  Brandi had rolled out a tp finish tape for me, and I happily broke through it, and for the last time, surrendered the wristwrap to Myron.  Woo-hoo!  My relay was done!

Eric heads in to Eugene

While waiting for Myron at the next exchange, we learned there was a solo relay participant.  One man was running the entire 187 mile relay by himself in an effort to raise money for a charity that supplied school clothes to kids who couldn't afford them.  My teammates and I watched as the man's support van pulled in.  The runner came in to the exchange, was briefly tended to by his support person, and then continued on his way.  We were all awed by this guy's effort!

Our final handoff - to Brandi

Myron passed off to Andrew, and he took off down a scenic farm road.  This was Andrew's first ever relay, and when he finished his final leg, we congratulated him on his accomplishment.  Then Denis was up.  He blazed through his leg three, and before we knew it, it was time for Eric to run.

Despite the toasty temps, Brandi is all smiles

Eric was another one of my amazing vanmates.  The past Sunday, he'd run a marathon.  Here Eric was, not even a full week later, running in this relay.  And although he looked tired, and the day had begun to heat up, he completed his last leg like a champ!

Van reunion at the finish line

On our last two exchanges, my teammates and I were amazed to see only two or three vehicles, and just a handful of people.  So different from the crowded exchange points we'd dealt with in Hood to Coast.  One of the relay volunteers remarked that we were only the 8th team to pass through their exchange.  Wow - none of us had realized we were doing so good!

Finish line in sight!

After a slight mishap (Eric missed a turn, and we had to hunt him down and redirect) we approached the final exchange, at a school in the town of Eugene.  Brandi took the baton for our final leg of the Epic Oregon Relay.  Woo-hoo, almost done!  We could practically taste the finish line beer.

Happy Monkeys model their medals

Our team reunited for the final time at the finish line - Alton Baker Park in the heart of Eugene.  We barely had enough time to mingle, when Brandi was spotted barreling down the bike path.  All of monkeys joined her for the final 400 meters through the finish arch.  Everyone was stiff and sore from running, and we struggled to keep up with Brandi, who, eager to be done, had turned on the afterburner.

The REAL reward!

What a wonderful feeling to complete another relay!  After receiving our finisher medals, team Monkey Butter Express headed to the beer garden to collect our real reward.

Our team came away totally impressed with the Epic Oregon Relay.  We all loved the small scale.  With only 60 teams, traffic was nonexistent.  Exchange points were uncrowded.  The course was absolutely beautiful, well signed, and the volunteers were all fantastic.  We had cell phone service the entire time.  And, most important of all, there were plenty of porta-potties, hardly ever a line, and no worries about running out of tp.  Compared to the Hood to Coast Relay, this was heaven!  We all agreed the Epic Oregon Relay was......wait for it......EPIC!

Will we do it again next year?  Heck, yeah!

And.....how did we do?  Well, Monkey Butter Express ended up 15th place among the 60 teams.  Not too shabby for a team that was thrown together literally at the last minute, and had no intentions of being competitive.  (We do this purely for fun - that's what I love about MBE)  And the icing on the cake?   We won the prize for best van decorations! 

So will Monkey Butter Express be back next year?  Heck yeah!  Wouldn't miss it for the world!  As a matter of fact, Brandi's already signed us up.

The Monkeys Go Epic

Running is almost always a solitary sport.  That is, unless you gather a team of crazy fun people and sign up for a relay!

For the past three years, I've been a proud member of the Monkey Butter Express (MBE).  As a team, they've conquered four Hood to Coast Relays (I joined them for the 2011, '12 and '13 events).

Time to get out the blow-up monkey!

Hood to Coast is such a popular relay, participation is determined by random drawing.  Although Monkey Butter Express had been chosen for the past four years, this fall our luck ran out.  We were rejected for Hood to Coast 2014.  Bubble burst.....What's a bunch of monkeys to do?

Find another event of course!  Enter the Epic Oregon Relay.....

Brandi and her friend

Brandi, our fearless head monkey, signed up MBE for a small relay that none of us knew anything about.  To be held in mid-June, the Epic Oregon Relay traversed 187 miles of Willamette Valley farm country, from Beaverton to Eugene.  Instead of battling with over 1000 teams that participate in Hood to Coast, this race was puny - only 60 teams total.

Van two crew

For those of you new to the whole relay thing, this is how they work:  Most teams are made up of 12 people, split between two vehicles (usually large vans).  The first six people each run a segment of the route, handing a baton off to the next person as they finish their leg.  When all six van members have each run once, they pass off to the second vehicle.  All six people in van two take a turn running a portion of the route, again handing off to each teammate in succession.  When everyone in van two has run a leg, the torch gets passed back to van one, and the whole thing starts over again.

In most relays, every team member gets to run three legs of the route.  The race goes on through the night, and into the next day.  Midnight runs and lack of sleep are all part of the challenges of these crazy events.

Eric gives us all monkey nicknames

Race day dawned, warm and sunny.  Assigned to van two, I got to sleep in and didn't have to meet up with my teammates until late morning.  Meanwhile, MBE van one began their journey in a bowling alley parking lot on the outskirts of Beaverton.

MBE van two arrived at the first van exchange, located at a high school in the small town of St. Paul (famous for it's 4th of July rodeo).  While waiting for our teammates to arrive, we passed the time by decorating our vehicle.  Wacky decorations are a huge part of the fun of relays.  In no time at all we had our black Tahoe adorned with paint, signs, and plenty of blow-up monkeys.

Michael Bolton stopped by for  a run

Van exchanges are great places for people watching.  It was fun to check out the other van's decor (most were pretty minimal compared to our team).  One team had a Michael Bolton theme going.  They carried a full-size Michael Bolton cutout with them wherever they went, and blared his music from their vehicle.

Lovely farmland

My vanmates included our team captain Brandi, Eric, a founding team member, and three newcomers we'd recruited - one at the very last minute.  We had Myron, a tall lean running machine, his friend Denis, another blazing-fast runner, and Andrew, a triathlete and our newest team member.  While hanging out in St Paul, we tried to acquaint ourselves with the people we'd be sharing a van with for the next 30-some hours.

My van passes me by

I was the first runner of our group.  We got a phone call that Karl, van one's last runner, had started his leg.  When van one pulled in to the exchange, I knew my time to run was near.  It was almost one o'clock in the afternoon, and the day was starting to heat up.

My first leg was a relatively short distance of 3.8 miles.  It followed straight down the main highway south of St. Paul.  Hanging out with my teammates at the designated exchange point, we spotted Karl striding down the roadside.  Showtime!  Karl passed me the sweaty wristwrap that was used as a baton.  Then, with a deep breath, I began my first leg. 

Cowbell time!

Since breaking my rib in early April, I'd only been back to running for about three weeks.  I was a little worried about how my body would fare.  But my run was great.  No side pain whatsoever.  I passed through some gorgeous farm country.  My vanmates drove by, horn honking, cowbells ringing and pulled over halfway through my leg to cheer me as I passed by.  Although I did get a bit warm after the first mile (I ran by a field full of huge sprinklers, and was sorely tempted to run through them) the time passed quickly, and before I knew it the next exchange came into view.  Happily, I passed the baton off to Myron.  First leg in the bag!

Myron hands off to Andrew

Myron was an amazing runner.  He ran for over 5 miles at a sub 7-minute mile pace, and made it look easy.  My teammates and I marveled at his smooth stride.  Although we stopped halfway to cheer and offer water, our van had to hustle to the next exchange, so we didn't miss the handoff.

Denis awaits his handoff

After Myron finished his leg, it was Andrew's turn to run.  Andrew had a long distance, nearly 7 miles, and the weather was heating up.  But he ran like a champ, crossing over I-5 to the east side of the freeway, where Denis was waiting to relieve him.

Now it's Eric's turn

Denis took off like a shot, blazing along the winding country roads.  Our route followed lots of gorgeous farm country, winding through a small town or two.  It was a quick run for Denis, and before we knew it, he was handing the wrist wrap off to Eric.

A droopy monkey

More backroads travel, chasing our runner.  Every time we passed our teammate, the driver would honk the horn, and we'd all hang out the windows cheering and ringing a cowbell.  Heck we did that for all the runners!  It was very friendly competition.  Because this was such a small-scale and unknown relay, our decorated vehicle got lots of funny looks as we drove along.  But we passed one cop who smiled and gave us a thumbs up (totally made Eric's day!)

Eric passes by a field

Finally it was time for our last runner, Brandi.  The exchange was at a gas station close to the town of Silverton.  Eric, looking beat from the hot afternoon, happily passed off the baton to Brandi, and we all piled into the van, heading for Silverton.  After this leg, we got a well-deserved break!

The gang waiting for Brandi

At Silverton High School, both MBE vans reunited.  Ashely, van one's first runner was prepping himself for leg number two.  It was near dinnertime, and all of my van two teammates were looking forward to finding some chow.

There goes Brandi!

Finally we spied Brandi rounding the corner, heading towards the school.  She gratefully passed the wristband into Ashley's waiting hands.  The torch passed, van two now had a break.  Time for some food and rest!

Both vans reunite in Silverton

We found a great brewpub in Silverton.  With two more legs yet to run, my teammates debated whether to drink a beer with dinner.  In the end, everyone but Denis decided to imbibe.  Checking over the beer list, there was even a special beer perfect for our team of monkeys!  Do you see it on the photo below?

Although we all wanted to try the "Monki Love" our waiter said it was a stout with 11% alcohol content.  Realizing this wasn't the wisest move to drink such a strong beer and then run, we all opted for the pale ale instead.

This brewpub had the perfect beer for a bunch of monkeys!

After a great meal and beers, we piled into our monkeymobile and headed to the next van exchange, located at the tiny town of Scio.  The local high school opened their locker rooms, charging $3 for a shower.  Oh, it was the best three dollars I spent!  It felt great to wash the afternoon sweat off.  Fueled and cleaned, my teammates and I spread our sleeping bags out in the grass and tried to get a little bit of rest.  We were due to start running again around 10:30.  It was going to be a long, sleepless night.

Nap time in Scio

It was still early, and the people around us were noisy, so I don't think anyone really slept.  But as the sun was sinking low, our van two monkeys shook out their sleeping bags, and prepared for the start of leg two.  I laced up my running shoes, and put on a headlamp and reflective vest (required for running at night).  In addition, I adorned myself with lots of glow bracelets and necklaces.  I'd be running down the shoulder of a highway, and wanted to be sure everyone could see me!

Then Brandi and I stood at the exchange trying to determine which runner was Karl.  By now it was dark, and all we could see were headlamps bobbing in the distance.  We thought one person was Karl, but after whooping and hollering until they came in, we realized the woman we'd been cheering at was definitely NOT him!

Time to run again!

Finally I spied a lone headlamp.  I called out "Is that you Karl?"  When he cheered in response, I readied myself for the hand off.  Wristwrap in hand, I headed out into the cool darkness, through the town of Scio, and into the unknown night.

What adventure would leg two hold?  Could we find our way through the dark countryside?  Would our team of monkeys survive running through the night?  These answers and much more fun photos await you in my next post.  Go Monkeys!