REDROCK RELAY 2011

12 PINK TACOS.....to go!

We had to come up with a team name and I don't remember how this one stuck but there ya go.  We all had to come up with a name that describes/represents a part of your life in one way or another.  At the end of the race the dudes who put this race together did say we were the most talked about team!  That was the goal ;)

Melissa-Tasty Taco
Biz-Tan Taco
Marisa-Dirty Taco
Sam-Jersey Taco
Sunshine-24 Hour Taco
Shareen-Talkin Taco
Jen-Weeping Taco
ME-"Run"ning Taco
Shannon-Never Ending Taco
Cassidy-Vegas Taco
Annie-Twinkle Toes Taco
Kristen-Turbo Taco

Here we all are beautiful and PRE-tired, sweaty, injured, stinky, sore, hungry, dusty, cold, hot, wet, thirsty and I can't think of anymore terms to describe what we went through.  All I remember is just a blur of 24 hours but I know it was good enough that if I were asked to go through it all again tomorrow my answer would be, heck yes!

I was in Van #1 and we started off this 187 mile long Journey.  Start time was 10:30 for us while Van #2 started up at TJMAXX and more back in St. George.  And they got to sleep in......not cool.  Here we are at the top of Brian Head Resort ready to send Sunshine up the ski lift.

These are pictures of us running our leg or exchanging to the next runner.  It was our only run in the daylight.  Shannon got the worst of all first 6 legs.  She ran in sun then turned thunder & lightning, to rain, snow, hail, wind.....it was nuts!!!!  It all stopped just in time for Marisa to take off.  My first leg was nuts as well.  They called  it the "Diablo"  It is basically an all uphill run.  2.8 miles is all I had to do but in that short distance I climbed 1100 ft.  and we were already at 10,000 ft. elevation.  There was no air and it just plain sucked!!!!  I have nothing else to say, I just want to forget about it!  

And then we handed off to Van #2 (I'm just glad they showed up and were not still shopping).  We got to rest.  Change our clothes and relax on the grass and eat our munch! LOVELY!!

Our 2nd legs were at night and 3 of the 6 legs were on dirt roads.  We had to wear headlamps and reflectors.  Marisa suffered the worst this time around with the "Dirty Devil"  It was nothing but dust.  It was just awful and I am pretty sure she wants to forget about that one too.

Our 3rd legs started after getting some quality 45 mins. worth of sleep on a church sidewalk around 4am or so.   They were quick and easy.  It was the longest of all my legs.  About 6.2 miles.  It was a fun one because there a little more congestion with other runners so I had 12 "kills" (people I passed). 

These are some of my very favorite pictures of the whole race.  Yes, lots of me and my sister but that's just how it is.  I'm so glad she got into running a few years back cause now we will always have fun things to plan for and look forward to together.  And we can keep on each others toes.  She put this whole thing together.  So much time and organizing she invested.  She is the Never Ending Taco for sure.  And on top of it all in my opinion her legs were the hardest!!  If you could have only seen what she ran through in her first leg for over 8 miles you would have been saying like we all were, Glad it's not me....no really, I was super duper proud.  I mean check out that top left picture.  I am telling her the hills up ahead just are not going away and she just kept running but by the look on her face she was praying someone would just shoot her.

 And these next three photos are probably my favorites!!!  Well not favorites but they sure caught my eye.  I have never dared to run/workout in just shorts (in public, by other runners) prior to my vein surgery.  It was the most embarrassing thing for me ever!! I love these photos of me at redrock......they just mean a lot :)

At the finish line.....yes, we all made it there and ran in together as a team.

We had these cute tanks made with each of our Taco name printed on the back.  LOVE IT!!!

What an amazing accomplishment and experience.  I can't wait til next year to run again with all these ladies.  So that means some of you need to hurry up and have your babies and heal your bodies cause the Pink Taco's have got to return! 

                                                              That is one filthy Taco!!!