Reno-Tahoe Odyssey

 

I'm proud to say I'm a charter member of the Road Slugs, est. 1996.  The Road Slugs are an extremist running group made up primarily of educators, founded on the fundamentals of the bishop Bill Bowers, Shawn Mohammed Al-Len and Judediah Atwater.  Basically, it's a dozen guys running long relay races.

Last week marked the start of our summer vacation and the Road Slugs' annual pilgrimage to the Sierras for the Reno-Tahoe Odyssey, a 36-leg, 178-mile relay circling Lake Tahoe.  

Under threatening skies, we met at Wingfield Park in Reno for what will come to be known as "The Odyssey where we never saw the sun."  The weather was unseasonably cool but we knew the competition would soon heat up as our start coincided with the departure of the Tahoe Trail Babes.

The 2011 Road Slugs. 
Back row: Mark, Joel, Jud, Brian, Jeff, Scott, Nelson
Front row: Shawn, Hector, Todd and Bob

For those unaware, a relay team is split into two vehicles, each with six runners.  While one group is running the course, the other half drives ahead and waits their turn, trying to eat, rest and recover for a few hours.   Mark "Van-One-Ness" led off  for the Slugs this year, keeping a close eye on the Trail Babes, who branded us their "bitches" from the prior year.  The tireless mountain man Mark ran 14 miles and probably drove another 400 during the weekend.

Joel "Fear the Audit" Brandt ran second and would finish as the only Slug who could lay claim to a Trail Babe "road kill."  Alas, the Road Slugs would find no cure for the Tahoe TB's in 2011.  Like Mark, Joel is completely unaware of his nickname.  Rumor has it that the Cupcake Pirates are recruiting Joel for 2012.  Joel's agent would not comment.

Hector Escalante, fresh off another strong finish in the American River 50, ran third.   For those who don't know Hector, he's a true Renaissance man, not only an administrator at a local college but also a gifted dancer.  With his kind permission, I've included a brief video of some of his work below.

"This is Vinewood School Principal" Scott McGregor tackled the toughest leg of the whole circuit, the legendary "Donner's Downfall," a daunting 8-mile run with about 2,000 feet of climbing.  But even the roughest climb of the course couldn't break Scotty Mac. You couldn't blow up Scotty Mac if you tried (well, you can click on the picture if you like . . . go ahead and get a gander at the physique that makes Scotty a "P.I.L.F" among the local elementary school moms).


Like Michael Jordan, Shawn Allen has teased Slugs fans over the years with his retirements and subsequent comebacks.  This year Shawn saddled up for another Odyssey and even the race director paid homage to the original bib #1.  If there were ever a Slugs Mount Rushmore, it would certainly be graced with the pensive profile of the Captain.




Shawn brought the baton out from Stampede Dam to the Boca Reservoir where Bob Calderone took charge.  Bobby C. was all business, sporting original Slugswear as he stormed towards the first van exchange.  And after a few hours in the Truckee "on deck circle," van two was ready to come out swinging.  Sure, we'd had a brief run-in with the local authorities and maybe pizza and beer isn't every runner's idea of "carbo loading," but the boys in the back of the relay were fresh, focused and still under the legal blood alcohol limit.

Mike "Gonna knock on, knock on" Wood ran leg seven, which began with a sharp incline into Truckee.  Reknown for his lightning fast starts, Mike always comes flying out of the gates so we do everything we can to temper his passion early in the event, for fear of negative regurgitations, er, repurcussions.  This year, Mike had perhaps the greatest climbing chore of all the Slugs, as he labored up not only up to Truckee but also up the Kingsbury Grade and out of Virginia City.  And as the roads continued to rise, his lunch, dinner and even breakfast all stayed down.

Nelson Rodriguez again brought some youthful speed to the team.  After playing collegiate soccer for Cal State East Bay, Nelson is becoming a reputable distance runner.  Running in just his second relay, "Nellie"  posted quick splits into Truckee and down the 1,600' Daggett Summit descent.  Nelson earns the Dr. Scholl's "Purple Heart" for his bravery in pounding out his third leg despite the bleeding blisters he suffered from the previous legs. 

Besides running ninth, Jud Atwater now carries the mantle of Road Slugs captain--he even has the pint glass to prove it.  After a blazing run down Kingsbury Grade in the dead of night, Jud came back to school the incredulous crew of "12 Men and a Cup" down Geiger Saturday morning.  Don't mess with a 50 tear-old 3:30 marathoner with a dinged car door.  Grrrrr.

Jeff "Slappy" Palmquist once again brought his minimalist running shoes and luxurious hotel accomodations to the Odyssey.  It's good to know that he and Hector can sell their souls and become administrators without forgetting all the little people.  Jeff also brought his gameface, as seen here while he buries the aforementioned "12 Men Who Could All Easily Fit into The Same Protective Cup As They are All Clearly Tattoed Steroid Cavemen." 

Todd "wooden leg" Oesterman ran 11th.  He certainly showed more balls on his first two legs (and even during a wind-aided B.A. at the first exchange) than he did on his last run back into Reno.  Even when you think you're home free after two quality runs, it's difficult to throw down three kick-ass runs in about 16 hours.   Sooner or later something catches up with you: the elevation, sleep deprivation, injuries, age, beer . . . Trail Babes, Cupcakes . . .

Brian "Trader Joe" Coward once again proved his surname a misnomer.  Like many of us, Brian's training before the Odyssey may have been less than he would have preferred, but come race time, this guy knows how to motor.  It's all pork chops and shaw-sage, baby!  Even after "Kickstand" Oesterman nearly sabotaged the group's hope for a sub-23 hour performance, Brian came through with a strong surge on leg 36.  Maybe next year we order the jalapeno pizza, Brian.  I think you just might have something there.

In any case, we finished happy and relatively healthy.  Did we win our division or set a Slugs course record?  No.  Did we avenge last year's defeat against the Tahoe Trail Babes?  No, not even close.  But like they say, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.  Especially if you have beer.

 

I'm not going to recount each and every leg and exhaust all the individual anecdotes from the Odyssey, I'll let the Slugs tell you their stories.  Besides, those tales tend to grow taller every time you tell them so I invite you to just check out some pictures for now.

 

(Editor's note: The Road Slugs finished 15th overall out of over 200 teams @ 22:56:09. The Tahoe Tail Babes finished 11th, 23:20 in front of the Slugs.

Feel free to comment. 

For those who know Scotty, this qualifies as a frown.

Mike "drafting" behind his fellow runner.

Thanks, Eric . . .

. . . we'll be back for more in 2012!