Texas Independence Relay 2017 Beginning

This is year #3 for the Texas Independence Relay for Vic and his team called "Don't Stop, Give 'em Hell!" It is this weekend, March 25th and 26th. Friday night, the DFW guys came down to spend the night. This year, from DFW was Charley and Matt Ange, and two new guys, Wes (Vic's cousin who ran it last year, loved it, but didn't have a team this year), and Coleman, a friend of Charley's. The next morning they met up with the other College Station guys (Lucas, Mike and Wei and Lucas's dad, Ronald, who was driving this year). They all left at 7:45 in their 15 passenger van to head to Gonzales for the start of the race. I decided I wanted to take the kids to see them off this year so we left about 8:30 and headed that way as well. My plan was to corral kids, take pictures, and see them off. We arrived to see that the Air Force crew had arrived as well from the San Antonio area (Dave, Jeff and Aric) and that Geoff (Jill's husband) had also gotten there with Steve and Janice. Since he has to come from Orange Grove, Steve and Janice brought him because they were going to Houston anyways, and he can't leave his vehicle in Gonzales, if he came alone, because the race ends in Houston. Such crazy logistics! And, since Steve and Janice were there, it ended up making it much easier on me, because the kids wanted to run and play with them while I followed the team around to take pictures! Thank you Steve and Janice!

So, the guys were organizing vans and stretching and hanging out by the junior high school. Their start time was 11:42. I went with them to the starting point and we took some pictures and had to wait around a little bit. Then, their team song came on (no idea what it was, something to pump them up!) and Vic lit the cannon and off they went! So, the first mile of the 200 mile race is run by the entire team. They make a big block and come back towards the start. The person running the first leg continues on and the rest of the team gets back to their vans to start the next 24+ hours of making their way resting and running through the race to the San Jacinto monument in downtown Houston. It is just such a fun event! I am so proud of all of them and so glad Vic has continued to form a team every year. Every year, Vic is so happy with the group; they all are such great guys!

I should also mention that just 2 weeks ago, Vic's terrible back pain from 2015 came back. He mopped for me one night and that is what threw his back out of whack. Boy did I feel bad; I keep up with the normal cleaning, but really don't love mopping and our floor really really needed it. So, I asked Vic to mop the whole house if I took the kids out for a couple hours and of course, he did it for me. The next day he was sore and then we spent the weekend out of town, for many hours on the road and sleeping in a bed that was not our own (so of course you are never as comfortable when it's not your own bed and Vic swears by our tempur-pedic) and it didn't help him at all. It was the exact pain that he had back in 2015 for months before he got a steroid shot that took the pain away completely. In fact, back in October, he had a minor flair up. By the time he got into the doctor a couple days later, the pain was gone but the doctor gave him a steroid pack of pills to take the next time it happened. Vic started those when we got back into town and a few days later, the pain was gone. Oh my, we were so thankful. I hate for him to have that pain and it was such a bad time, with the race coming up and especially when you are part of a team relay. But, all worked out and he felt great for the race! Anyways, I am so off track. First, here are pictures from the start of the race!

 The kids played in the big van while the guys loaded it up!

 Loading up! And check out their team shirts!

 I love to match these girls when I can!

 Here is the sheet Vic left me with so I would know who is running and when and where they are their entire race! Then, we headed to Gonzales!

 Geoff & Vic

 Wei, Charley, Matt

 Matt, Coleman, Wes, Charley, Geoff & Vic

 Monument in Gonzales.

 Dave, Wes, Vic, Coleman, Charley, Matt, Wei, Aric, Jeff, Mike, Geoff, & Lucas

 My handsome husband!

 Lighting the cannon...

 I think this is so funny because that cannon is SO loud. Aric was prepared!

 And they are off!

 Lucas brought lots of great flags for them to carry...a "Come and Take It" flag, a Texas flag, an Aggie flag, and the flag that matches their shirts that I had to look up....it's the Lorenzo de Zavala flag that was possibly the first flag of the Republic of Texas.

 Away they go for the first mile together!

 After the first mile, they run through this tunnel.

A quick Seidel family picture, but where was Geoff? Actually, I hadn't planned to be in it until Wei offered to take it! :) And off they went! I'll blog what happens after this as soon as I can! (and as soon as I know!) As of 11:38pm, they have completed about 92 miles, in about 12 hours with a 7:30 pace. I only know this because I follow it online. Vic has run a total of 2 legs for 12.17 miles. Yikes!