Date/Location: | December 2, 2018 - Sacramento, Ca |
Distance: | 7.3 mi (Leg #1 of the 26.2 mi Marathon Relay. CIM relay races started in 1995) |
Time: | 3:37:34 (4 person relay) |
Place: | 11th out of 175 Female Open |
Relay Teammates: | Leonie Alesci, Liesbeth Brouwer, Megan Sebra |
Other Teammates: | Relay *FCA Endurance: Troy Soares & Isaac Josifek Track/Local Friends *Pacers: Jim Kepfer, Lee McKinley, Melissa Johnson, Michael Cook, Austin & Tim Twietmeyer *Racers: Carrie & Steve Chavez, Helen Martin, Genna Scott, Karen Nickel, Liz Schultz, Martin Sengo, Melissa Penwell, Tia Walther |
The “Soares Shuttle” to the start is off at 5:30am! This will be the first time ever that Troy and I have run the same leg of the relay. Anna is joining us too! She’s got her own relay team made of her 7th grade cross country teammates. Karen NIckel is joining us too along with pacers Austin and Tim Twietmeyer.
This is Austin’s first marathon. But he’s run 100 miles and has experience pacing since he was a kid running with his dad.
We park at Beal’s Point and which is less than a mile away from the start.
Love this secret spot! Private bathrooms instead of porta-potties! We all head down together. It’s cold out here! Austin and Tim head off to the pacer area.
Karen and us get a chance to go the bathroom again but more importantly we get to pray for each other. Karen has had terrible hamstring pain and Troy has had a very sore achillies tendon. We also pray for others like Melissa Penwell and Nicole Lane (friend Lori Bergenstock’s niece). Both gals are elite runners.
Our bags full of our warm-up gear are checked. Time to get to a good spot on the starting line. We say goodbye to Karen and head up to the 3:10 pace group. There is no way I can ever run that time but for a relay I can just about do that. I’m hoping for 7:30 pace or faster, Anna is going for 7:10 and Troy somewhere in between. As we are waiting around to start, I point to some bright NIke shoes and say, “wow, those are bright!”. Anna says “they’re everywhere!”. We look around and we can count 20 pairs right next to us. Popular shoe! The crowds are huge this year. I’ve never seen it this packed!
After an amazing Star Spangled Banner on trumpet, the race starts. It takes us 2 minutes just to cross the starting line. Wow, usually it’s less than 20 seconds. Anna and Troy are off. As we run the 0.9 miles down Auburn Folsom to Oak Ave, I can see them the entire time. So grateful that Troy can still keep up. Those days are over for me probably up to the 1/2 marathon distance. I feel comfortable at my 7:30 pace. I hope I can pick it up the last few miles!
By the time I turn onto Oak Ave, my core feels pretty warm and have to pull up my sleeves. Gloves and beanie are still needed. At the first mile, I’m averaging 7:30. I can just barely see a glimpse of Troy’s yellow shirt and then he disappears.
At the 2nd mile, I’m averaging 7:30. Staying steady! Further down Oak, houses line the street. It’s so neat to see people come out of their homes on a cold morning like this to cheer for all of us. I am following a girl in a bright orange tank top. There is a hound dog howling at us. Reminds me of Oscar’s howl.
At the 3rd mile, I’m averaging 7:27. The miles are going by fast thankfully. I can hear a roar of people cheering up ahead. Sounds like a football game! I see a bunch of cheerleaders and lots of spectators. This is a boost! The girl in the orange tank has pulled away but I can still see her. I’m going to try to catch her by the time I get to the exchange.
My head is feeling toasty! I pull my beanie off my ears to let off some heat. So weird that other parts of me like my hands are cold.
At the 4th Mile, I’m averaging 7:26. Glad that I am able to pick it up. I know that the old relay exchange just after mile 5 is coming up. I’m over the halfway point now. A young girl in black flys past me. I look down and see a timing chip on her ankle…relay! Only us relay folks have those timing chips. I actually am still getting past by some marathoners though. That’s impressive!
I start to get serious about catching the girl in orange and push harder.
At the 5th Mile, I’m averageing 7:25. I’m feeling good but ready to wrap things up the in the next 2 miles. I am getting closer to the girl in orange. Another girl in a bright pink tank goes by, a marathoner. Wow, I cannot match her pace but try to let her pull me to a faster pace.
I see the big 90 degree turn in the road ahead and recognize the old relay exchange spot. Yay! Getting closer! There is a huge wall of people here. It’s cool and gets me pumped up!
At the 6th Mile I’m averageing 7:24. Troy and Anna must be close to finishing. Hope they’ve been able to run together! Getting closer to the girl in orange but she seems to allude me still!
At the 7th Mile I’m averaging 7:23. I can see the relay exchange…yay! I almost caught up to the girl in orange…close enough. I surge and look for Liesbeth. There she is! We make a pretty quick exchange dispite the timing chip falling off the band. She throws me some clothes and she’s off. Go Liesbeth! Time to find Anna and find out how she did!
RELAY HISTORY
| Year | Team Name | Relay Div | Place | Time | Teammates |
| 2018 | Catch Us If You Can | Open Female | 15th | 3:37:34 | Robin Soares (Leg #1), Liesbeth Magna (Leg #2), Leonie Alesci (Leg #3), Megan Sebra (Leg #4) |
| 2017 | Catch Us If You Can | Open Female | 11th | 3:38:23 | Robin Soares (Leg #1), Leonie Alesci (Leg #2), Liesbeth Magna (Leg #3), Megan Sebra (Leg #4) |
| 2016 | Catch Us If You Can | Open Female | 10th | 3:34:22 | Leonie Alesci (Leg #1), Liesbeth Magna (Leg #2), Robin (Leg #3), Megan Sebra (Leg #4) |
| 2015 | Catch Us If You Can | Open Female | 8th | 3:32:27 | Megan Sebra (Leg #1), Leonie Alesci (#2), Robin (#3 & #4) |
| 2014 | Catch Us If You Can | Open Female | 8th | 3:27:15 | Robin Soares (Leg #1 & #2), Leonie Alesci (Leg #3), Megan Sebra (Leg #4) |
| 2013 | Catch Us If You Can | Open Coed | 10th | 3:31:23 | Liesbeth Magna (Leg #1), Kevin Magna (Leg #2), Robin Soares (Leg #3) and Megan Sebra (Leg #4) |
| 2012 | Catch Us If You Can | Open Coed | 6th | 3:32:57 | Leonie Alesci (Leg #1), Robin Soares (Leg #2), Kevin Magna (Leg #3) and Liesbeth Magna (Leg #4) |
| 2011 | Catch Us If You Can | Open Coed | 3rd | 3:05:14 | Robin Soares (Leg #1), Troy Soares (Leg #2), Liesbeth Magna(Leg #3) and Leonie Alesci (Leg #4) |
| 2010 | Catch Us If You Can | Open Coed | 2nd | 3:13:32 | Robin Soares (Leg #1 & 2), Richard Alesci (Leg #3) and Leonie Alesci (Leg #4) |
| 2009 | CATCH US IF YOU CAN | Open Coed | 3rd | 3:08:47 | Kevin Magna (Leg #1), Robin Soares (Leg #2), Richard Alesci (Leg #3) and Leonie Alesci (Leg #4) |
| 2008 | CATCH US IF YOU CAN | Open Coed | 21st | 3:27:28 | Robin Soares (Leg #1), Courtney Loveday (Leg #2), Richard Alesci (Leg #3) and Leonie Wynhoven (Leg #4) |
| 2007 | RIONIE AND SOARES | Open Coed | 3rd | 2:58:55 | Robin Soares (Leg #1), Troy Soares (Leg #2), Richard Alesci (Leg #3) and Leonie Wynhoven (Leg #4) |
| 2006 | CATCH ME IF YOU CAN | Open Female | 1st | 3:00:54 | Robin Soares (Leg #1), Megan Canova (Leg #2), Liesbeth Brouwer (Leg #3), Leonie Wynhoven (Leg #4) |
| 2005 | DAM GIRLS & GUYS | Open Coed | 2nd | 3:00:36 | Robin Soares (Leg #1), Dick Kirkpatrick (Leg #2), Liesbeth Brouwer (Leg #3), Leonie Wynhoven (Leg #4) (?) |
| 2004 | DAM GIRLS & GUYS | Open Coed | 14th | 3:32:15 | Troy, Robin, Liesbeth Brouwer, Leonie Wynhoven (?) |
| 2003 | DAM GOOD RUNNERS | Open Coed | 21st | 3:06:50 | Troy-Robin-Leonie Wynhoven-Liesbeth Brouwer |
| 2002 | DAM GOOD RUNNERS | Open Coed | 76th | 4:13:14 | Robin, Dave Funston, Kristin Funston, Leonie Wynhoven |
| 2001 | DAM GOOD RUNNERS | Open Coed | 21 | 3:56:56 | Robin Heidt, Dave Funston, Kristin Funston, Leonie Wynhoven |
| 2000 | Un-Named | Open Coed | 49 | 3:48:04 | Kristin Matthews, Liesbeth Brouwer, Leonie Wynhoven, Robin Heidt (?) |
| 1999 | DAM GOOD RUNNERS | ?? | 8 | 3:44:09 | Kristin Matthews, Liesbeth Brouwer, Leonie Wynhoven, Robin Heidt |
| 1998 | DAM GIRLS | ? | 5 | 3:28:58 | Kristin Matthews, Liesbeth Brouwer, Leonie Wynhoven, Robin |