W100: Ode To My Support

Date: September 4, 2018

Distance: 0 miles (ouch)

Purpose: supporters deserve much more praise than they get

While I’m on my soapbox about something I feel athletes place too much emphasis on (gear), let me continue the thread now and share my feelings about something I feel athletes pay too little attention to.  (Can you tell I am itching to finally start this race and not feel so idle and restless here in “taper mode???”)

I speak now directly of the support from my amazing, selfless, dedicated, patient, fun-loving, creative crew members. I would like to take some white space here and talk about my support crew for this race, one-by-one. I would not be doing the W100 in 3 short days without them at my side.  They deserve this recognition.

Dominion Energy

Relationship: my full-time employer

Nickname: my own 9 to 5 (actually 7 to 6, but it doesn’t sound as cool)

Role: provider for my family

Core Strengths: incredible work schedule flexibility, providing a 9-80 work schedule instead of the traditional 10-80 work schedule, which created a 3-day weekend every other weekend so I could have those Fridays off to go train. It was so very nice to have a 3-day weekend every other weekend!

Greatest Training Support Memory: Let me just say it - "thank you Dominion." That is all. 

Rebecca Hegewald

Relationship: wife, a very rad wife.

Nickname: Bexilein

Role: crew chief

Core Strengths:  patience on Saturdays when I came up sweaty, stinky, dirty, and ornery after long runs

Greatest Training Support Memory: amazing support at the finish line of the Squaw Peak 50 Miler, squealing as I crossed the finish line and hugging me big-time, even though I was VERY stinky.

Becky and I up Bells Canyon back in 2013

Eliza Hegewald

Relationship: oldest daughter

Nickname: Lil Sting Rae

Role: joke-teller and story-teller

Core Strengths: always has creative stories and likes to sing “Hamilton” a lot

Greatest Training Support Memory: holding her hand as we crossed the finish line of the Squaw Peak 50 miler

Rory Shober

Relationship:2nd oldest daughter

Nickname: Roar Mega Roars

Role: sign-maker and hug-giver

Core Strengths: compassion for me when I’m in pain

Greatest Training Support Memory: really grumpy for the first 3 miles of hiking Grandeur Peak, then became an unstoppable energetic force for the last 3 miles

Colter Hegewald

Relationship: only son

Nickname: The Coal Train

Role: service-provider and toilet-paper holder outer for a finish line

Core Strengths: not complaining

Greatest Training Support Memory:  running 400 yard speed laps around the perimeter of Oakwood Elementary School next door.

Avonlea Shober

Relationship: youngest daughter

Nickname: Av Meister

Role: song-writer

Core Strengths: writing a good running song for me with Colter

Greatest Training Support Memory: “just keep on running and running for 100 miles. You are the boss, the extra extra boss, bang-bang-bang!”

Art Van Wagenen

Relationship: friend from kindergarten

Nickname: Pig Heart Art

Role: Pacer #1, Big Mountain to Lambs Canyon (14 miles)

Core Strengths: telling stories of old college girlfriends

Greatest Training Support Memory: hiking the loop from Lone Peak to Bells together.

Art and I yurt-skiing in the Lasal Mountains, March 2017

Shawn Grant

Relationship: friend from Rocky Mountain Power’s Team WattSmart

Nickname: Shawn The Mon

Role: Pacer #2, Lambs Canyon to Brighton (24 miles)

Core Strengths: very even running pace, unflappable

Greatest Training Support Memory: running the track at West High for brutal (but so necessary) lunchtime speed workouts.

Shawn and I leaving Lambs Canyon in our very-cheesy Team WattSmart Race Shirts, September 2018

Arie Leeflang

Relationship: veteran ski buddy

Nickname: Fleischmann

Role: Pacer #3, Brighton to the top of The Wall (23 miles)

Core Strengths: 3-time W100 finisher and therefore he is full of battle-tested, hard-fought, much-appreciated race-course wisdom

Greatest Training Support Memory: skiing West Monitor Bowl with him.

Arie and I strategizing the race over lunch, August 2018

John Curtis

Relationship: long-time back-country ski buddy

Nickname: Lingo!

Role: Pacer #4, The Wall to the Finish Line (10 miles)

Core Strengths: fantastic story teller, always has a smile on his face

Greatest Training Support Memory: lots of great powder days and facial shots, especially skiing off of Pioneer Peak into Catherine Bowl in winter 2011 after a huge storm and digging a hasty pit together to monitor conditions.

John and I on a beautiful morning training run to White Pine Lake, August 2018