Transalpine Race 2011: Day 8

DAY 8     TRANSALPINE COMES TO AN EXCITING END in LATSCH, South Tyrol, Italy

A CELEBRATION ALL THE WAY TO THE FINISH!
As I finished my last pit stop at the final Aid Station...the anticipation and excitement started to well up.  I shoved my final round of tomato, cucumber, salt and banana in my mouth and off we went!  Always when we see the 10 km mark, it is home stretch.  This was a pounding 10km downhill all the way into the apple orchards of Latsch......The last few days, I felt stronger and stronger as we approached the finish and better everyday...but now I was feeling it!  For the first time in awhile the heaviness set into my legs, knee twinging, crampy muscle in  adductor...and Simone with her taped up shin....ignoring any tweaks she may  have....we decided to go for it....Or as we say to each other ' Give it Hell, Babe!'  As we got onto an open stretch, it was our chance to pass and pass lots we did (hard to pass on the technical downhills)....with 3km to go...I hear a Arrrrgggggghhhh thump!!!  Simone fell hard....must have hit a root on the  ground....it knocked her for a minute...as heart rates and adrenyline were  pumping.....with a scaped up shoulder and the breath knocked out of her....she
got right back in.....she was having her strongest day....we both felt  good.....Now the home stretch.....As we appoached the finiish....Andy ran out to  us with huge Sunflowers and sprayed us with a bottle of Champage....the crowd  was roaring....We swooped each other up, got on the ground and rolled over the
finish (Simone's idea)...then I picked up my girl and swung her around......The  Elation at the finish was like no other..We got a little glass of Champagne as we crossed the finish and received the medal around our necks.....It was unreal to fathom what we had done over the last 8 Days....With the highs and lows, grumpiness, impatience, aches here and there....we just had to get up and do it....and the body and mind so adapted and now ...I just need to absorb everything I just did and take in this very emotional moment....just awesome....No matter what place...how slow or how fast.....it is sticking it out to the end, getting up when you fall, supporting others who are there, taking in the awe of the land we get to cross, being your own best coach to give it your all each day and appreciate the energy and the pain and exhaustion, ...it's about  turning off the mind and just
running...being purely in the moment....(well the great space in between aid stations at times sure tested my patience...)...and the support from everyone....from high up at 3000m in the cold to the finish line just blew my
mind and highlighted everything......Can't say enough about this experience.......Words will never give it justice....It just has to be experienced....What is absolutely crazy is I feel somewhat fresh and want to keep going, like I am just getting into it....will keep it up until I come home anyways....TEAM ENERGI ended up 10th overall for the women out of 36 Teams........10 Teams of the women had pulled out...We completed the 8 Stages in over 45 hours - Our higher placing days were the Mountain Sprint and the last day....

The CELEBRATION continues into the night........FOOD, PICS, VIDEO, MUSIC, DANCING will miss our Portugese Brothers (who we always ended up running with), will miss HOSE - the crazy spanaird...who would rub my bruised eye everyday.....will miss Ingrid and Seppe in their Magic Bus (an old Mercedes Trailer) always driving us around and taking care of us....I will miss them all.....UNTIL NEXT YEAR!OK I am looking for a male....who loves to run fast downhill......any takers on this? The fatigue has set in today in the middle of my little hike....I think tomorrow is a chill, write, pack, make some goodbye visits around Rietz, and
espresso day...Home in 4 Days....OK my friends  

BIG HUGS
Karbear