EndeavorTeamChallenge, Keep on keepin on, continued

Yes, We felt good.
  We completed our rappel, scrambled back down to our kayak, on the way manging to pass another team.  We raced across the lake, pretending that time meant anything.  We just wanted to look like we knew what we were doing.  We hit shore, grabbed our gear and ran up to the finish line.  Yes. We were done.  In the last 3 hours we ran 11-12 miles (including our mis-cue), paddled 2 miles and rappelled down a 80' cliff.  We were glad to be done.  The teams ahead of us managed to make a little space under the pop up shelter to get us out of the sun for a minute.  we grabbed a luke warm bottle of water and gatorade and tried to savor the moment.
  As we were sitting there Jack noticed a new sign posted just in front of us.  It annouunced the team results as of the OPT challenge.  We were still in second place, but Team 7 had jumped ahead to 1st place and Team 1 had dropped to third place.  They must have known that.  That  must have been why team 7 was in our shadow the entire run.  If they could stay even with us they stood a chance of remaining in 1st place.  Oh well.  They didn't stay with us on the paddle.  That meant new standings...We'll find out at the awards ceremony later this afternoon....
  After a few more teams finished, they announced that a the bus would be departing the lake shortly and we would be transported back to the competitor area dn Bear Valley.  As we loaded up we noticed that there were 6 of the seven women in the race on board the bus.  One all woman team and 4 of the 5 co-ed teams finished and finished in the top ten on Sunday.  That shows some amazing woman power.
Upon our return to Bear Valley village we were greeted by the missing cowbells.  All of Bear Team supporters and another handful of recruited othr fans were lining the intersection waiting for and cheering for us!  Ross, our diver, noticed Nancy running out of the crowd with fresh icy cold coors lights for us.  Yes! just what the doctor ordered.  That felt soo good going down.  A nice reward for a race well run.
As we all limped off the us and gathered out stuff, we congratulated each other on our accomplishment.  The forty year old Team 7 guys spoke highly of us saying, they wanted to be like us when they got old.  That felt good.  Jack and I headed over to the rented condo for a shwer and another beer.  YES.  The BBQ was in full swing when we arrived.  BBQed turkey legs, corn on ght cob, potato salads, fresh fruit and veggies, burgers, chicken.  The town of Bear Valley came together for our grand finale.  Thank You very much.
  As the race directors, Greg and Kent were recognizing and congratulating each team we felt we were being ignored. ..... In fifth place team 37, in a tie for third place, Team 46 and Team 7, and in second place Team 8, the Bear Team, Jack and Dave Edney.  In first place Team 1.
  I was to find out a week or so later how close this entire race was and how close Jack and I were to finishing in the top spot.  As it turned out Team 1 and us were in a virtual tie at the conclussion of the event. In the race directory they had decided that if two teams were tied at the end of the final event the team placing highest in that event would be winner.  Sounds fair.  The thing was if we had earned one more point somewhere along the way. If we had found one more target, grabbed one more brick, say brick #2 that we passed once we discovered I had led us off the right trail we would have won.  If we had found brick target #2 I would been made aware of this alternate route than my 'normal' route and we wouldn't have lost 3-4 places in the final run.  Oh well Say La Vive as they say somewhere...We had fun, we still kicked ass (sorry mom, but we did).  We did well for 'old guys', we did well for 'common citizens'.  we are happy.
 
This is the best story I could come up with, 2-3 weeks after the fact.  As most people know about me I never let the facts get in the way of a good story, but these are mostly the facts as I saw them.  Jack probably saw things a little different and I am sure all other teams saw things their own way.   am also sure all of them are right, as right as I am.
  Forthose of you ready to take my 'man card' for being honest and relating my feelings, you might want to skip this part.  I was intimidated upon seeing the teams checking in for this race.  I thought I may be in over my head.  ButI thought, what the heck, we'll have fun, maybe finish top 10 if every team shows, maybe top 25%.  We did way better than that.  We were way more inexperienced than most.  We had way more fun than most, if not every team.  We were still laughing and talking to one and other at the end.  We both want to do this again.  My kids both want to do this.  I think they would make fine 24 hour plus adventure racers.  It suites us Edneys.  I can foresee Caleb and Nathan teaming up and winning this.  I try to convince myself I am not that competetive.  I still try to convince myself I was only doing this for fun.  When I read these blogs back I find my self competing with everyone.  Maybe I am a little competetive.  No ones likes to lose.  But I think we won, I know I won.  I learned I am as tough as I want to be. I could have been a Navy SEAL if I had wanted to.  I could have bee an Army Ranger, if I had wanted to.  I can compete with the best this country has.  I have no reason to hang my head as being inferior to anybody.  At least physicaly.  When it comes to being a good parent and provider I still have issues but then what good parent doesn't...

Thank you for bearing with me.  I enjoyed doing this and writing this.  Lets all hope for more...

dave Edney  Endeavor Team Challenge, Competitor.