Butte Kicker 2015

I feel so strongly about the importance of teaching my children they are capable of doing hard things. This is one of the reasons I love running the Butte Kicker relay as a family.  It's also a very telling sign of the ease of our life that we have to manufacture hard things for our kids to do.  But I'm not complaining.

This year we were thrilled to have enough family participate to make up a team of Madsen/Clayson family members.

The day went as follows!

Every year the Butte Kicker race seems to take on an unplanned theme, or story.  I think Nate was this year's story.  This little race doesn't see running like that and it is something to behold.  Beautiful running, like Nate does, can make you emotional.  It can also make you want to hit the runner with your car. 

This was early on in the race right after everyone had gathered and while we were waiting for Nate to finish his 20 miles.  Not that we had to wait long.

Miles running from his Daddy.  Nate has some competition as fastest runner in that house.

Nate, Miles and Grandpa.

Dad finishing up his second of many legs.  I don't know what he came to the race planning to run, but I think he surpassed all our expectations.  And when I say run, I mean run.

Sport and Mom.  The angle of this picture is deceiving.  Grandma has to drag Sport along, but he really wanted to do a portion of this leg with her and she was patient enough to slow down her normal furious pace to let him.

Angie handing off to Kazlee and Brady.

Angie and Kazlee running.

This is one of my favorite pictures.  Kazlee high-fives her Dad after she finishes her leg.

Brady is a trooper who jumps in whenever and wherever needed.

This is the whole dang gang at the half way/turn around point in the race.  

Colt running up to Boe.  I like this picture because it is a good illustration of the long, upward sloping hill we all battled.  You can see the van and Dash in the background.  We tried to break hills up as much as possible by scattering runners every couple hundred meters or so.

Dad running the hill to Jill.  Another example of team work in action.

Brandan and Sis finish a short leg before handing off the Uncle Dan.

Dad running up to hand off to me.

The hand off.

Handsome.

Kamber! This little gal just goes and goes and really doesn't like to be cheated on her miles.  If she says she is going to run 1 mile you best not try and switch off at anything short of 5280 feet.

Dan was a construction worker warrior this year.  He spent two days previous to the race on our roof literally destroying his feet, but he slapped them together with some Duct tape and ran every mile he had committed to. 

In the early afternoon we crossed paths with the Micheli team who were taking turns eating a picnic lunch at the kilns along the course.

Brandan to Dash.

Dash to Colt.

Colt is literally the happiest runner I have ever seen.  But his Cheshire grin goes with the eye of the tiger.  He runs full on and puts in his miles.  And I mean miles. He likes to run his share as much as the next guy.

Mom handing off to Dad.  We were all so grateful to have Grandma and Grandpa race with us this year.  They try to claim they didn't do much, but it honestly isn't true.  They both were regulars in every rotation and helped break up those long last 20 miles.  My kids were very proud of their grandparents!

Kazlee is a future bi-athlete, biking and running!

Throughout the day, all the kids bounced between vans and the back of trucks.  Here Sissy and Reecelyn are sharing grapes while lounging in comfy chairs in the back of Brady's pick-up.

Towards the end of the race, Sport surprised us all by running nearly a full mile by himself.  Well, actually he wasn't by himself at all.  Several of us hovered around him telling him he could stop when he was tired, but he trudged on until he reached the goal he had set in his mind.  Later, he told me when Uncle Dan told him he would take the hand off when he was tired, he had lied to Dan and told him he wasn't tired. He was tired, but he just wanted to finish!

Kamber to Dan

Angie.  Last year Reecylyn was pretty young and Angie didn't get to participate as much.  This year, she came ready to rock and roll.  Angie was a regular contributor and much needed help.

Snacking and chatting while waiting for our runner.

Good thing Tag is practically a perfect baby.  This is a long race and a long day, but he was so good and so content.

Sis sweaty and hot in the van.

Transporting.

Our team ran in first place for over half the race, but we fully expected and accepted that we would inevitably be passed and beaten by a team of Lyman cross country runners.  Dash was the exception. He neither expected nor accepted that we would be anything but first place and he was willing to do all in his power to make that happen, including run ridiculously fast miles.

I love this picture of Boe because it is so indicative of him as a runner - powerful.  He is great to have at any time, but particularly on hills where his strength is so so needed.  Boe started the day by puking through his first mile, but he didn't let that slow him down and he never missed a turn in the rotation.

Brandan had a physical summer full of hard labor.  He worked incredibly long days on the house and never had a minute to give to jogging, but you would never guess it by the way he ran at the race.  And my favorite part - his signature flapping garments.

Sissy helping her Daddy cool down after his leg.

Jill had a heck of a time at the Butte Kicker last year.  Every time she stepped out onto the road to run the sky opened up and the heavens laughed while she ran uphill in a rainy windstorm.  As you can imagine, she wasn't coming to the race this year with the best of memories, but she put her past behind her and was a full and valuable contributor to the team.

Jill to Kamber

Dad running up the final roadside hill before turning onto the ranch road to the finish line.

All the kids helped run the baton into the finish line.

Bringing it home.

Kazlee came across the finish line in style.

Kamber packed Tag in.

If we look tired its because we were.

The team at the finish line.  

It might seem a silly thing to so many people, but I love doing this race and spending the day with our family.  I love the sense of accomplishment and camaraderie.  I'm grateful I live in such luxury that I get to enjoy my man-made trial.