Today I started out with a stomach ache and I thought I was going to roll myself into a ball and cry. I kept telling myself, "Not today, not today." After a bran muffin I started feeling better. Things got much better.
We drove up to Park City to the Canyon Ski Resort to meet the team, "Dude, Where's My Van?" What should have been a twenty-five minute ride turned into an hour or so. With 13,000 relay racers on the hill and who knows how many spectators and friends cheering them on, the place was packed. We wandered around the resort while we waited for the team to get there so we could cheer them across the finish line. When we first got there organizers had everyone park at the bottom of the hill and take the tram up the mountain. My discomforts had long since passed and being outdoors in the clean fresh air riding over the grassy terrain was awesome. Looking at the cars parked below us gave me an idea of how many people were waiting up above. I was feeling anxious, knowing that when the team came in I would join them for the last part of the race as we all ran in together to cross the finish line.
We had been waiting for the better part of an hour when the team finally showed up. Sadly some of them had to leave earlier and there were only six of them. Amy D. informed us that the last runner that we were waiting for was her sister, Dani. Twenty minutes later Dani came around the corner and we all gathered on the sidelines so that we could join her.
A couple of days ago I didn't know anything about this race. But I was learning. I had read the history of how the race was conceived and got started and how those men who had put it together had turned it into the biggest relay race in the world. I had learned about the man called Ragnar and who and what he represented. The attributes of his character were now a part of all these racers. Endurance and strength. A conqueror and explorer. A free spirit and wild man. And although I didn't run this race, for a moment I was going to step in line with those who did. It was invigorating and humbling.
As Dani approached I hooted and hollered. She asked Amy, "Is this Beaux?"
We drove up to Park City to the Canyon Ski Resort to meet the team, "Dude, Where's My Van?" What should have been a twenty-five minute ride turned into an hour or so. With 13,000 relay racers on the hill and who knows how many spectators and friends cheering them on, the place was packed. We wandered around the resort while we waited for the team to get there so we could cheer them across the finish line. When we first got there organizers had everyone park at the bottom of the hill and take the tram up the mountain. My discomforts had long since passed and being outdoors in the clean fresh air riding over the grassy terrain was awesome. Looking at the cars parked below us gave me an idea of how many people were waiting up above. I was feeling anxious, knowing that when the team came in I would join them for the last part of the race as we all ran in together to cross the finish line.
We had been waiting for the better part of an hour when the team finally showed up. Sadly some of them had to leave earlier and there were only six of them. Amy D. informed us that the last runner that we were waiting for was her sister, Dani. Twenty minutes later Dani came around the corner and we all gathered on the sidelines so that we could join her.
A couple of days ago I didn't know anything about this race. But I was learning. I had read the history of how the race was conceived and got started and how those men who had put it together had turned it into the biggest relay race in the world. I had learned about the man called Ragnar and who and what he represented. The attributes of his character were now a part of all these racers. Endurance and strength. A conqueror and explorer. A free spirit and wild man. And although I didn't run this race, for a moment I was going to step in line with those who did. It was invigorating and humbling.
As Dani approached I hooted and hollered. She asked Amy, "Is this Beaux?"
Winded and tired, she ran next to me and said, "I just kept saying your name!"
Today was a perfect day. And see that medal around my neck? That belongs to Amy.
Amy and me.
Posts
Nice
ReplyDeleteWonderful! Congratulations to Amy, and to you for having had such a great experience.
ReplyDeleteAwesome! I saw on the route that they actually ran through Paradise on one of the first legs of the race. I can't believe I didn't know about this before!
ReplyDeleteP.S. Happy Father's Day!