I had mentioned a few years ago that the idea of doing an ultra for the RTO could be interesting. Fast forward to completing my 12th leg in 2024. Then looking at year 13 (2025) and not necessarily wanting to be done. I do like the memories. I do like the people I hang out with. I do enjoy that’s Bridget and my thing. But, she was done… until she realized she liked to recruit people.

So she decided to get:

  • Jill (ran Boston, competed in the Hawaii ironman)
  • Ryan (trying to run 3 hr marathon, also ran Boston),
  • Matt (sub 6 miler)
  • Brandon (sub 6 miler)
  • Rob (well, he also did an ironmen too).
  • = Then there’s me. I did run two 50ks, so that works, right? But it was great. I prepped by running the Avenue of Giants. I also had legs I wanted. I enjoyed leg 7, and was interested in doing it again.

So, Where’s the Other Six? was formed, complete with some awesome stickers.

This team was one of my favorites. Just the kindness and support were a lot of fun. Bridget also was our captain, and she drove, which was a huge win. We ended up getting a van, which allowed for more room and more fun.

  • First round of Leg 5 and Leg 7 | This was the toughest leg. Leg 5 went well. I liked my time, but it felt hot. I then rebounded quite well with the break and started Leg 7 strong. But it got hotter, and the shade went away. These two legs were half my mileage. 13 miles, and I felt it right at Leg 9. I started to walk. I couldn’t talk myself into running. I struggled and pushed through. I drank all my water. I ate all my Honeystickers… I just struggled to finish, and my heart was racing. However, it was a really pretty run, but it killed me. I finished not knowing if I could do another 13 miles (but I could!)
  • Second round of Leg 5 and Leg 7 | With a bit more body rest and food. The weather was cooler, but still warm. It was the first night run that I was still in shirt and shorts. This one became my power legs. Leg 5 was somewhat easy. I did get lost unfortuntaly for a mile, but I found my way back. Leg 7 was powering up the hill. That was cool because I didn’t stop at all. I do need to compare my previous leg 7 to see how I did.
  • Third round of Leg 5 and Leg 7 | The last two legs gave me joy because I was close to being done. Leg five went fast, but Leg 7 was what I was excited to do. The funny thing is that I started with … err. Rob came in to hand me the baton at exactly 7am. This was the same time all the relay teams started. Also Dave too. Dave and I chatted for the first .25 of the race, but it was literally like starting a whole new race. It gave me some inspiration to power up and rock the VC hills. It was beautiful and great to finally be finished1

And then we were done. The hardest part was not getting any sleep throughout the race. We made I through but that was rough. The best part was seeing the entire race. The camaraderie. The compassion. That part was really neat, and I really enjoyed. It truly felt like a team. I loved it.

Bridget is out for future races, which makes me sad. And we’ll see if year 14 will ever be a thing. More to come! More to come to Zion?