Still Standing...

Ungh! What? 12:27 a.m. We ran into members of New Balance White (W) and whichever New Balance tam had the letter A. They are all employees/store owners and found out four weeks ago that they were the winners of a drawing to get an all-expenses paid trip to run RTB. ("Winners") We also learned that the CEO of NB was on the team with A, luckily in van1, because I totally jacked van2 during nap time for our final letter of the scavenger hunt... He would have loved it, I am sure. The CEO was not at the bar, weak. All the NB folks disappeared just before this picture was taken. (No member of their mixed open team was present at any time.)

Back to BTV

It was a painful 3 hour drive back to Burlington from Hampton beach, but the vans were safely returned at 8:16 pm.

We traveled just over 1000 miles in our rented vans in 48 hours.

Average per mile time was 6:25 for 209 miles. great work everyone!

Happy Ending

As if we weren't sleepy enough, Pollock and Sammy convince us to stop in at SLU-favorite Red Bones for a feast of meat. And of course no post-RTB outing is complete without finisher medals! Let the festivities begin...

Beach Is Reached

Finished. 12th overall, 2nd...shocking... in mixed open.

Waiting at the beach

French to Farrell hand-off. Leg 31 to 32.

Van 1 = Done

Van 1 is on it's last leg, literally. One more runner, then we meet van 2 at the beach.

it's a hold up!

Sammy & French just spent 15 minutes planning a hold up for letters from two new balance vans that we just happened end up behind! They used bananas as pistols and their best broken spanish to get us a c and an l! The girl Jon went after was not amused but the 2 guys Sammy attacked were totally entertained! Hold on we got another one! This one will involve more screaming: "GIVE HIM THE LETTERS!"

The sun is coming up...

Gobbling up chum

French caught forty-seven (47) people in nine miles and change. Oh, and he averaged 5:42s... He is a one-man wrecking crew. Farrell is now out and about to wrap up leg 21, circa six a.m.

sandwich ain't no picnic

not when sammy's hell bent on killing us with the van again. Had aagreat stay and meal at the olafsen homestead and now where off to vta 3! He's pushing the limits of this 12 passengar beauty as we tear through sanndwich nh. Smithy's quote was I'm terrified in a van in the middle of new hampshire! I may blow my left rear tire on the next leg :(

A couple of those hills had me thinking, "I want my mommy."

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"NH is not even in my top 50 states" -Folsom

Starting Set #2

Getting ready to roll out of VTA2 at the Brett School in Tamworth as e.Barr hits the road rolling.

BRRRrrrrrrr

Forty-eight degrees, and I tell my van, 'Please, gimme sumptin' with some sleeves, or you'll get none of these.' At ease, as we roll toward Hamton, in the cool night breeze...

But seriously, the National Weather Service says its going down to 39 tonight. Damn, Gina!

PS- new @rtb this year, phenom 3G cell service, tout la monde.

just me, the moonlight, a coyote, & an ultragay

Smithy is ready to unleash the cheatah. Roarrrrr

Finished Leg 8

Frenchie just finished leg 8, @ 8:57pm. We are exactly 10 minutes ahead of pace. (French ran sub 5:30 for 6+)

The SLU Alumni Allstarz are killing it! Up about 6 minutes on our projected time for this point in the race.

Uhn! What?

...meanwhile, back inside...

Smithy puts the MEAL back in pre-race meal with this 2lb sub at the deli in the midst of Leg2. Her first leg has a projected start time of 9:50 pm (5hrs from now). Let's see if this is a beginner's mistake...

Folsom Attacking Leg 2

Git Out Now Norris!

Team Cheer

"We learned this in college!" - Amy Lawton Redman

Spirit squad awaiting team orientation

Sun is shining on the Saints!

Just passing Woodwork and the sun has finally come out! Sammy is cruising and barring any more bathroom breaks we'll be at the start by 1:00. We haven't seen many vans, must be that we're too intimidating.

I've made arrangements with the team should Holly go into labor while we're racing. Our arrengements are... We'll finish the race then go see Holly and Grace.

45 minutes into the drive...

amy lawton barr redman had to pee. After a little harassment sammy obliged and pulled into a nice gas station with 2 sweet porta johns and a stream of gunshots. Live free & die new ampshire. French already moved to the front of the van away from the beautiful ladies :)

from the backseat...

they're trying to crush our spirit with heat. Sammy quickly told abarr that she had to tae it down a notch so wen we entered the van with pep discussing the benefits of the diva cup he cranked the heat. It's so hot that lagos just said it was singeing his ankles. He's also driving like a complete maniac and it makes me want danica, I mean tora, to take the wheel. Theres a lot of oh god! Oh god! Oh god! I love it, love it all

Arrival in Exeter

i would be lying, and you would know, if i told you i was shocked that no one from boston was at here when i arrived... so me folsom and amy are sitting her, enjoying the sweet aroma of a wet lou, amys dog.

i have driven the length of the western side of nh, and through the green mountains, and the entire region is wrapped in a layer of fog and on and off shit mist. it is supposed to burn off, so the later start time may play into our favor. the temperature is most pleasurable.

and in the course of this, amy, smithy, ryan, tora and lagos have arrived. french called around nine thirty to say the were departing logan, so everything is coming together...

Boston crew heading out!

On our way to pick up our token non-SLUser, Lagos, and then sailing past southbound traffic on our way north out of the city. Can't wait to get to the start and rock this year!

- Tora and Ryan

Up & @ 'em! Van1 headed to the rondezvous.

Stay thirsty my friends.

Welcome to Burlington. Beautiful RTB weather awaits you!

Testing out mobile blogging

Are you ready for RTB?

Coach Howard- watch out for some calls during the race!


The SLU Banner had a rough winter in the barn at the pink house.


After a pre 100 on 100 sewing repair session the banner is back in action.

#6

Reach the Beach 2010- Race Date- September 17-18, 2010

Start times are posted; we go off at 3:30pm with 4 other teams (2 in the Mixed Open division).

Eric Barr, Steve Folsom, Jon French, Pete Lagos, Ryan Pollock, Sammy Wilcox

Amy Farrell, Tora Olafsen, Amy Redman, Amanda Watters, Sarah "Smithy" Zentack, Liz Hollenbach

Our oldest runner is 33, youngest runner is 26.

The farthest one of our runners is traveling for this race - Texas.

Estimated per mile times range from 5:30 minutes to 7:30 minutes.

Home States- 1 Vermont, 3 New York, 5 Massachusetts, 1 New Hampshire, 1 Washington DC, 1 Texas

11 SLU Grads and 1 Colby Grad (thanks for the correction Maswick)

Results: 2010 ???, 2009- 7th , 2008- 6th , 2007- 3rd , 2006- 3rd , 2005- 9th