Crewing for WS100

I can see that I am not going to find time while on vacation to get a post up about Western States. This post is for those who haven't seen the good news on Facebook. I'll cut right to the chase: FINISH! Eric finished at 27:23:51. It was an awesome experience all around - crewing was a blast! I can't begin to explain how great it was to have Margaret and Steve there to help crew and pace. It wouldn't have been nearly as fun without them, and Margaret's mad map skills and midnight driving saved the day.

Highlights for me: hiking three miles down to the river at midnight under a full moon, then getting to hike back up with Eric and Steve, and pacing Eric the last mile to the finish line. It was one of the best moments ever - I teared up then, and I'm tearing up now thinking about it. I also can't believe the relief I felt when we heard he'd passed the Devil's Thumb checkpoint - where he dropped the last time. Once he passed that point, I was certain of a finish. He went into this race with bruised ribs from a fall the week before on a quick little five mile run, and he battled blisters for 70 miles, but he pushed through it all. Amazing. There are so many amazing stories in this race, each runner has one to tell.

We spent the two days after the race with friends at Lake Donner, and are now in Redding, soon to be leaving for Grants Pass, Oregon. Tomorrow we'll begin a three day hiking adventure on the wild and scenic section of the Rogue River. Yep, despite blisters that cover the entire ball of the foot on both feet, Eric is ready to hike. Unbelievable! Anyway, that's it for now - have a great week!