Today I’m thankful for being party of an awesome Rainier 2 Ruston Relay team a few weekends ago.

There is something special about cramming 6 runners into a vehicle for 11’ish hours. It gets smelly, and hilarious, and deep, and silly again. But we all have each others back, and do everything we can to make sure each runner is successful.

I was so thankful for their support along the way during my last leg of the race. It was hot, and  ugly (through industrial & construction areas), and just overall not the leg that anyone really wants to run.

Given my struggles with heat stroke while running I was stressed about it. But, my team found extra places to stop along the way so that I always had fresh water to drink & dump on my head. I finished that leg with soaking wet clothing, drenched to the point of water running down my butt crack…hahahaha, but I felt pretty amazing! It’s the best I’ve felt running in heat, that 5’ish miles went by so fast, and I feel like I killed a route that has sort of haunted me for years (since running it as support with Elya years ago). I’ve dreaded the possibility of being assigned that leg for years, but now it’s been conquered and I can’t wait to see what next years relay brings my way!