I captained The Reservoir Dogs Masters team in my first RTB. We had 8 men and 4 women of mixed ability, our oldest runner being 56 and our youngest 30. As we were short of women we ran as a men's masters team.

Fashion report:
I wore (different) red team shirts and black shorts on all 3 legs along with dual-lined Wright socks and new Asics Gel-Nimbus shoes. For the wet and cold night run I wore long-sleeves.

We had a fairly late start at 1pm under bright, sunny skies. Our mixed open team (under-30s) started 30 minutes later.

I was in the second van. Due to the sore right quad I had rested during the week, I took the shortest legs. I didn't really have a plan. Maybe 8 minutes / mile for the first 2.8 mile leg, then see how it goes?

Leg 9 started in the twilight. Clint, who is super fast, ran down a couple of runners in the closing stages of leg 8 and screamed at to get going. I slipped in behind other runners and started the ascent of a steep hill.

I had forgotten to pack my heart-rate strap, which is probably just as well, as I was pulled along the first half-mile at 7 minute pace.

We rounded a bend and I saw that the hill was becoming even steeper. I let the guys in front of me go and slowed to about 9 minute pace finishing the 220 foot climb in the first mile in 7:46

The was some relief in mile 2. A gentle downslope followed by another rise. Another runner passed me. As he disappeared over the crest of the hill I was on my own with no-one in front or behind.

As we hit the highest point of the leg my Garmin checked off mile 2 in 8:09. From there there was a 250 foot descent over the last 0.86 of a mile which I covered triumphantly at 6:47 pace as we headed to the transition at Madison.


Our other team passed us in leg 11. My next leg was 7.29 miles from nowhere in particular to nowhere in particular. It was 60 degrees, pitch black, windy and pouring with rain. Perfect running weather!

I started with a fairly steady and slightly disappointing 8:23 downhill mile which seemed uphill at the time. We turned on to a quiet country lane. A lady boomer passed me and I let her pull me along for a mile booking (a term that seems popular with the youngsters) a 7:36 for mile 2.

By now we were running uphill along a quiet country lane with no shoulder. In the light of my headlamp I could see raindrops, the steam coming out of my mouth and very little else. The road surface would occasionally change as you hit a patch of mud.

The lane was lined by trees above a small bank. Wit my heightened senses I smelt the wet grass I could not help but think that this was just like running back in England. Mile 3 - 8:06.

Eventually we turned right and started running along the shoulder of route 28. Mile 4 - 8:27. I could see quite a few runners ahead of me and for the first time in the relay I started passing people.

One runner passed me, the last person to pass me in the whole race. Mile 5 - 8:19. I started to feel more and more exhilarated, mile 6 - 8:00, as we continued along the shoulder. The hills were no longer worrying me. Mile 7 - 8:04. At this point I could not remember whether the leg was 7.2 or 7.8 miles. Then I saw the transition. Last .28 of a mile in 2:05 as I sprinted in and handed the baton to Ms eX.


I slept for about 20 minutes while van 1 took over. By now my hunger was suppressed and I just snacked on a few rice crackers. I kept myself going with lots of Gatorade and water which meant lots of queuing.

Leg 33 was a 4 mile leg in starting in Exeter. The first 3/4 mile was through the town center and most drivers were very courteous. The lady in front of me was actually confronting one driver as I passed her.

We turned on to a nice street lined with houses and started heading, you've guessed it, uphill. My plan was to go flat out and see how long I could sustain it. I don't normally run like this so this was a new experience.

Mile 1 - 7:36. I heard footsteps coming up behind me. Rather than cede passage I stepped up my effort and started reeling runner after runner on the hill.

Mile 2 - 7:48. As the 2 mile split flashed up I saw another hill ahead and figured that it would be about half a mile before I reached the peak. Fortunately the course turned left and we headed downhill under the Exeter - Hampton Expressway.

Mile 3 - 7:33. I have certainly run faster than this but probably never run as hard. As we turned off the road to head up towards the transition I saw some runners about 50 yards ahead.

The footsteps I had heard in mile 2 had dogged me the whole way. I started running flat out with about 400 yard to go finally opening the gap between myself and my pursuer. I think a lot of people were fading at this stage and I flew past the two runners ahead of me. Mile 4 - 7:42.



On completing my leg it was straight in the van and off to the next transition. We arrived in Hampton Beach in time for the ones of us who could still run to complete the final half mile with our last runner.

The whole experience was more fun than I could possibly have imagined. Even the rain didn't dampen our spirits. That evening we met up with our open team and partied through the night, well at least until 9 pm by which time we couldn't stay awake.

My summary:
Leg 9 - 2.86 miles at 7:39 pace
Leg 21 - 7.29 miles at 8:05 pace
Leg 33 - 4.14 miles at 7:38 pace
Overall - 14.3 miles at 7:52 pace

Team result:
206 miles (due to a bridge closure) in 27:04:01, pace 7:53
66/351 overall, 10/30 in men's masters division.

Team 2 result:
25:33:55 - 7:26 pace (they beat us by 1:30)
25/351, 5/24 in mixed open category.

Congratulations to everyone who took part. This was a wonderfully organized relay. Obviously there were a few glitches, but overall I have to give Mark and the RTB team 99/100.

Now I'm starting to think about next year (no BAP, no!). Who knows? Maybe we'll do H2C as I heard there were no serious ascents


http://This message has been edited by bigapplepie (edited Sep-17-2007).