Reno-Tahoe Odyssey 2017 (Lake Tahoe, Nevada and California)

The first weekend in June means one thing to 250 teams in the Greater Reno-Tahoe area - The Odyssey. The Reno-Tahoe Odyssey is 178-mile relay race that starts in Reno, runs through Truckee, down the western shores of Lake Tahoe, up into the mountains above South Lake Tahoe, through Washoe Valley, into Carson City, up into the silver-rich hills of Virginia City, and finally through pretty much all of Reno Proper to end, near where we started along the Truckee River flowing through Idlewild Park in Downtown Reno. This is the 13th anniversary of annual event and it has become quite a big deal in the area for around 3000 runners and another 1500-2000 volunteers and supporters of the event.

Generally, each team is comprised of 12-runners who each run three legs over the course of 20-30 hours. There are some exceptionally hard-core teams who try to run the distance with less than the recommended twelve members, but those people tend to be a little crazy, lol. 

Last year, I was luck enough to join the most amazing group of people in the world to tackle this monumental event. Nice Asphalt is actually two teams, meaning we have 24-runners, we don't shorten the distance, we simply run in pairs. So our team actually runs two Odyssey's simultaneously, making it all the more fun since each runner nearly always has company along the hard road miles. 

Each year, the members of the team change a little bit as life can get in the way and alter each individual's availability, but the team core remains strong. Tragically, we lost one of team captains, Suzanne, to a traffic accident shortly after last year's event. She was the heart and soul of the team, and her loss has been felt by each and every one of us. Instead of being the end of the team though, her absence seems to have strengthened our bonds of friendship, which is a great tribute to the kind of person she was and the impact she had on the world. I truly believe that her spirit was running with each and every one of us along the race this year.

Preparation for the event begins many months in advance, as we figure who can participate in the coming year, begin to organize, and start putting in those hard miles to train. The night before the event, we met to prepare the two 15-passenger vans that would care us and our supplies to each leg of the event, as well as support the runner currently pounding the asphalt.

Finally, the morning of the event arrived and the entire team met at Wingfield Park in Downtown Reno to cheer our first runners on. As each runner progresses along the course, one or both vans provide invaluable support in the form of water, super-soakers to keep the runner's cool, and perhaps most importantly, moral support. Nice Asphalt is without a doubt the absolute greatest team with regards to van support.

This year, my legs to run were 7, 19, and 31. The combination of these three is the most difficult set, according to Race178 who organizes the event. As I have not been training nearly has hard as I should have after my marathon in March, I was a little concerned. Mostly, my worry was because the last two legs, while short, are up some of the steepest inclines along the course. Nevertheless, I was going to give it my all. If I had to walk some of the steepest sections.

After the runners in van 1 finished the first six legs of the course, they handed off the 'baton' and went off to rest for a few short hours while my running partner, Mike, and I kicked-off the first set of van 2 legs. Leg 7 is 7.4 miles long and is considered 'more challenging' for a number of reasons. The majority of the trail runs along dirt roads instead of pavement and cannot be supported by the van due to the remoteness. There is a lot of uphill, but nothing terribly steep. However, the dirt roads lead to a great amount of dust, making it challenging to breath at times as dirt bikes and OHVs drive by. Making it worse, my digestion system decided to get a bit angry towards the end of the leg and I had to take it easy to avoid having a 'messy accident'. When we finally reached the exchange point, I headed for the provide porta-potty and took care of that problem. We didn't make great time, but we had a great run as we passed through some beautiful wide-opened meadows and even saw a deer along the way.

While the other runners in my van ran their legs, I did my best to provide support. Every quarter-mile to mile, depending on where suitable pull-offs where available, I and others hop out of the van and offer water, take unwanted layers, and provide a water soak for our the current runner. After we finished our legs and van 1 took back over, we headed to South Lake Tahoe, grabbed some food at the local grocery store, and then parked at the next van exchange near Heavenly Ski Resort to catch some much needed sleep.

I was able to get maybe an hour and half of sleep in my sleeping bag on the hard asphalt of the Raley's parking lot. It wasn't good sleep, but it was better than nothing. Waking at about 12:30 AM, I threw on some cold-running gear, as my next leg, 19, would climb the steep incline of Kingsbury Grade as it rises out of the Tahoe Basin. It's already cold, but at the top, it is sure to be much colder on this dark night. As our leg 18 runners approach the exchange point, Mike and I take off down the sidewalk. The first mile or so is relatively flat as we pass by through the shops of Heavenly Village and then cross back into Nevada and run by the late night party crowd leaving the local casinos. Some are well on their way to drunkenness, but others know what is going on and cheer us on. 

Finally, we hit the stop light and the uphill begins. It's cold, it's dark, and it's steep. Leg 19 is considered one of the 'most difficult' as it rises over 1000 feet vertically over the last 3 or so miles. The run organizers require all runners to wear reflective vests, flashing lights, and head lamps through the evening, late night, and morning hours to help keep us safe from traffic. Additionally, local and state law enforcement in both Nevada and California are out in force to help keep motorists honest to the speed limits and raise awareness of the runners along the roadways. As I pass through the dark twists and turns of the course, I can hear and occasionally see a creek flowing below and beside the road. I keep an eye out for black bears, who are extremely prevalent in this area, but I never see one. I'm not very good at running up such steep grades and a few competing teams pass me, but I persevere and finally reach the exchange point at the top and hand off to our next runners.

This time I leave van support to my fellow runners and attempt to get a little more sleep while curled up in the passenger seat of the van. It's cold and uncomfortable, but get a few more minutes of rest over the next couple of hours. As the sun starts to rise, I begin to stir and start providing more support to my teammates. Finally, we arrive at the next van exchange and head to some hotels rooms in Carson City we reserved for a bit more sleep and much needed showers. By this point in the night, the aroma in the van is a little funky, lol.

The twelve of us quickly shuffle into our three rooms and figure out furniture to sleep on. The rest is short-lived though and as the 10 am hours approaches, we reload and head to our next van exchange in front of the Bucket of Blood Saloon along historic C-Street in Virginia City, Nevada. 

Mike and I launch and start leg 31, which is also rated as 'most difficult' as it rises out of the Virginia Range north of Virginia City and climbs into the silver-rich mountains. Luckily, this is a short leg at 3.2 miles. The sun beats down on us, but perhaps fatefully, there is a fair amount of cloud cover today. It's still warm, but it could be much, much worse. The nature of the curvy road doesn't offer a lot of pull-outs and so van support is somewhat limited, but my team does everything they can to cheer me on as Mike and I climb the steep hills. My ankle starts to hurt quite a lot and I'm forced to walk some of the leg, but I eventually reach the hand-off and pass the torch to others. Finally, my running legs are done. Now it's time for the remaining runners in van 2 to bring us home.

As the day progresses, the heat intensifies and we do our very best to keep our runners hydrated and cool. Around leg 34, van 1 catches up and we start offering double support to our current runner during the hottest part of the day. Now the course passes through the residential and commercial areas of Reno. As one of our runners begins to succumb to the heat, others jump out to run portions of her leg and allow her to cool down. That's what is so amazing about these people and about this event. It's not about running the fastest time. It's about seeing every one on the team cross that finish line - healthy and happy.

Finally, the last leg is upon us and as Raj and Jen enter the Idlewild Park, our entire team joins in dressed in our team shirts to cross the finish line together. And there you have it, Nice Asphalt has put another RTO on the books. Now it's time for food, beer, and relaxation. There is no substitute for the feeling of accomplishment and team spirit that each of us has for this great event and for our brothers and sisters who pounded that asphalt all along the way as we ran 178 miles through some of the most beautiful country on earth. I can't wait for next year!!!