Running Tired, Endurance and ... Do Mustaches Help You Run Faster

 This weekend was the Colonial 200. A 200 mile relay (well, actually it is 206.8 but who is counting) that starts in Charlottesville, VA and ends Williamsburg, VA. Teams trekked across Virginia with signs along the way stating "Marathons are easy; try running without sleep" and "Only 95 miles to go...you're over halfway there!". I know. Crazy, but someone has to do it. I was on the team The Shallow Water Runners, a running team/club on the Coast Guard base. It was made up of 12 brave/crazy souls posed for greatness and glory, and I was one of them...until the toe thing happened... insert sad face. I still wanted to participate, so I volunteered to ride a bike as safety at night with the runners. I thought to myself that this could be my test of endurance. This could be the litmus strip for how my training was going. We had two vans. Each van had six runners in it and we staggered vans. Example: Race started at 0830 and van 1 had the first six legs then had a break while the next van did
six legs and so on and so forth. Bike safety riders were only at night so I had the day off, so to speak. I drove the van to drop runners off at their leg, cheer for support, and hand out water.

At night, lit up like a Christmas tree, I rode in front of the runners to run interference with on-coming traffic; only had to dive for the ditch twice. I trekked with the runners all six legs handing them water and waving off cars. We headed to the hotel for a few hours, 1.5 to be exacted before having to be at the next set of legs a 0206 in the morning. I rode with the runners until 0830 in the morning, covering 60.48 miles of the 206.8. It was tiring and I was riding tired. Imagine that these runners were running the same 60.48 miles I was biking- down and up hills-some with crazy grading. At points my legs burned and my lungs hurt, but all in all I was able to do it pretty easily. I was tired, but I think it was more to due with the fact I was moving on 1.5 hours of sleep. I endured, I rode, and I supported those souls running to show to themselves and others they could do it.  I think I proved to myself that I am doing it. I am able to do the things I want without doing a crazy training schedule. Something every person can do and I am able to do it with only a 10 min workout on some days. Pretty incredible!

So here comes the real question...does a mustache make you run faster? Hold on, think about it. I have more forward weight, forward momentum moving me forward faster. Also, it breaks up wind patterns in front of me allowing me to break wind tension much easier than someone without a stache. Vote in the poll at what you think, but on a parting note, look at what the fastest guy on the team and I have in common...just saying...