Cabot Trail Relay - gory details

Well here goes, just because you asked for it. It's now 4 days full days since the race I still can barely walk, let alone run. I was trying to decide whether it can be classified as an injury, recovery or just plain stupidity (taking a leg that I knew would destroy my legs). I guess I'm in a stupid-injury-recovery mode getting rested up for this weekend's 10k race....

So the relay race. The party started the night before with our trusty team captain laying down the law while his support staff plyed us with after dinner cocktails. The party and loud music went on until almost 11pm when to complaints to the front desk shut down Disco Rob. The relay race starts at 7am which required a 545am wake up in order to get out to the start area about 1/2 hour from our hotel in Baddeck. First up for leg 1 (17.0km rating 3.5) was Michelle who had a fabulous race beating her time for this leg from last year by almost 7 minutes! No wonder she did a little dance at the end! The leg also had a cool Flintstone's theme water stop complete with theme music.

A note about water stops. Teams are assigned water stops and there is a prize at the end of the race for the most creative as voted by the runners and the competition is fierce in this event. Wait until I show you the winners, they blew us away!!

Leg 2 (17.92 km rating 3.5) had one of our newbie's on deck and she looked very worried at the start. "What the hell have I got myself into ?" was the expression on her face before the horn went off. In fact while discussing clothing options with Cool Rob, the horn did go off and the poor girl missed the start. And then at the end Suzanne was so much in the zone that she ignored the flag person with the nice butt (he blows his horn for each runner and had a different costume for each leg) and kept on going down the road despite screams from the gathered crowd. After getting her stopped it was the old "what was I thinking out there".

Next up for leg 3 (13.46km rating 2) was Rob-The Man, back to claim fame and glory once again. The guy is so cool, he didn't even break a sweat and here is the evidence from the end of his run!
Leg 4 (20.01km, rating 5) with 2.1 km of extremely steep grade climbing up Cape Smokey and our esteemed team captain in the drivers seat. He had lots of cheering along the way including the Viking team who were in full horns all weekend.
He was even rewarded with a victory kiss from his beautiful and charming wife at the end despite his sweatiness.Next up for leg 5 (17.5km, rating 3.5) was our Angela and we gave her a good send off with most of the team gathered to see Anthony's finish. She had a great run on a long rolling section of the trail.
Leg 6 saw another newbie Rick, take on a 17.5k leg with rating 4.5 (5 is the max). It was a tough go but with teamwork and lots of support Rick had a great run and a strong finish going up the last of many long hills. He was then so excited that in a moment of weakness was ready to do another leg when he heard that we had an injured runner on deck.
Leg 7 (13.1km, rating 3) with injured runner Jason going despite protests from all around the team. No fear said Jason, with my magic spray all is healed and he was off and running! Methinks he just liked all the pre-race feminine attention he was getting! Jason had a strong race and didn't even look hurt. Nice work, man!
Leg 8 (12.3k, 2.5 rate) with injured runner number 2, Murph ready and raring to go despite even more protests from all concerned. What a dedicated group we had to risk life and limb for no monetary gain or glory! The big guy looked smooth and easy despite the leg brace he was wearing and finished without too much difficulty.
Leg 9 (17.8k, 5 rating) with a 6.2k climb from the start over North Mountain and a pounding finish down the other side. It was now getting dusk and time to put on the reflective vests and glowsticks.

I seem to be having blogger errors now...