Blue Ridge Relay (ultra) and facial hair

Yes, the Blue Ridge Relay starts tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. in southern Virginia. I and my team of 6 total runners will be tackling a 207-mile course along the Blue Ridge Parkway down to Asheville, N.C. This one is actually going to hurt worse than my last relay at the Hood 2 Coast relay, which hurt enough. Here are a few of the reasons why it will hurt more than Hood 2 Coast (and yes, it hurts so good):
1. I’m running 36 miles total miles (20 miles farther), and running 6 different times (instead of 3 legs)
2. The downtime is only 2-3 hours, which will not matter that much, but will suck because I my legs will tighten during that time.
3. The weather in Southeast sucks (hot and humid) compared to the cooler west coast.
4. The course in North Carolina is hillier than Oregon

I do not want to go into too much detail, because I will have a whole write up about it after this weekend. Just know the logistics and van experience will be the same (food everywhere, sweaty runners, no sleep.

Now on to the other part of my title. So yeah, our team name is called “Shaving Time.” I was invited onto this team this year not knowing I would be encouraged to grow a mustache. I was told I did not have to, but I did not want to be the only guy that didn’t and look stupid. Now growing a mustache is something I can do, but have never tried to do. I have been recently told that I look a lot better when there is nothing more than scruff on my face. Now that I have been growing a beard for about two weeks, I am primed and ready to shave this thing down to its stache status and lose the rest of this hair.

According to Wikipedia, “in the course of history, men with facial hair have been ascribed various attributes such as wisdom and knowledge, sexual virility, masculinity, or high social status; and, conversely, filthiness, crudeness, or an eccentric disposition, such as in the case of a bum, hobo or vagrant. In many cultures beards are associated with nature and outdoorsmen.”

Not sure about most of that claim, because in present day most of my friends and classmates probably thought I was being lazy and some stated I looked like a mountain man. But you know what, I liked the facial hair while I had it, and I will rock the stache during the relay this weekend.

Side Note: Luckily, we plan to finish the race around 11 a.m. so we can drive back and still catch some tailgate action before the Tennessee/UCLA game, which starts at 4 p.m. I have my priority before I catch up on sleep. Go Vols!