How A Bunch of "Kidz Who Whiz" Worked It OutThe Story of the 2010 Ragnar Relay NY (Part III)

Catching Some Z's

It was almost midnight by the time we handed off to Van 1 for their overnight adventure. We were tired, hungry (at least I was) and had only a few hours before we'd be back up again for our next leg. I suggested we stop off at a diner for food, but since the rest of my van felt sleeping was more important, we drove off to the next major relay in search of some z's. We eventually found ourselves in the back of a high school parking lots with lots of cars and people and teams moving to and fro. Although the atmosphere was very lively, we were a bit too tired to take pictures or enjoy the festivities. BS and CK offered to stay in the van while the rest of us pulled out our sleeping bags and found an open spot amidst the crowd to lay our heads. I pulled out a few of the fruits that I had brought from home and re-carbed a bit before I hit the sack.

Amidst the noise, lights, and random chaos, it was a bit hard to actually fall asleep. I don't think I got more than 30 minutes of total shut eye time when my phone rang. It was BS informing me that van 1 was running ahead of schedule and was only 45 or so minutes away. Dang It Van 1, why you gotta be so damn near efficient! I yelled under my breath as I reluctantly packed my bags and loaded them back into our van. We all got ready quickly to await the arrival of our fearless captain with the pace bracelet to begin our second leg. As we did, we chatted with the other Flyer teams who were also there for the exchange as well as other local runners and friends we recognized who were there, just hanging out. Everyone seemed to be having a good time, enjoying the commaderie and commiserating with one another on all the tough hills we've encountered thus far.

Legs 19-24

It was around 2:30-3am when DC appeared like a flash in the dark and handed off her bracelet to SE beginning our second round of duty. Unlike the previous set of legs for our van which was all long and hard, this set was going to be short, still hard but fast. We tried to still stop off in the middle of each runners legs to offer support and fluids if needed but because these legs consisted of 3, 4, or 5 miles each, there was not as much need of a need for hydration mid-run. Everyone ran well and had good results as our road kill totals crept up higher and higher. To be honest, we did have some difficulty in the middle portion of this set of legs, as BS was led off course for about 1.5 miles by a dysfunctional road sign and a set of runners who had no clue where they were going. (He was eventually picked up and driven back to the exact point where he was led astray by another team. What a show of sportsmanship!) CK also had a tough leg here as her injuries caught up with her and she had to walk/limp the rest of the way after cramping a half mile into a 3 mie run. We didn't lose too much ground though as JT brought us right back into the thick of things with a solid run of her own.

My description of my second leg, Leg 24 can be found on the previous post.

Breakfast and Sleep Some More

After I handed off once again to JPM in Van 1 again, we headed off in search of gas, coffee, and food. We had been resorting to the assorted mix of cookies, bagels, fruits and candies for the past 24 hours and we were all craving for some real food. Luckily, after finding a gas station near the next major exchange locale, we found a little deli across the street serving breakfast food. Score! I had a bacon/egg breakfast panini (I was hungry...don't judge) and Earl Grey tea while others had their assorted sandwiches and loaded up on their coffee. It was close to the best breakfast I've ever had.

We still had about an hour to kill when we arrived at the next exchange point. By now, the sun was out in bright force and what was once a brisk and chilly morning had completely given way to a beautiful day. Some of us used the excuse to lay out in the sun and nap. I stayed awake with CK helping to tape her knee and talk through her injuries with her (felt like I was the on call Ragnar doc for some reason). We came to the conclusion that it was probably not a good idea for her to run her third and final leg in the state that she was in and so we tele-conferenced with Van 1 and asked for a replacement volunteer. To no one's surprise really, our fearless captain, DC came through and offered her services for more miles.

Legs 31-36

These last set of legs were completely joy for us. The weather was perfect. The scenery was spectacular. Everyone ran strong. Everyone ran well. SE/MT randomly got to drive by the church where they were married. BC ran hard, looking for redemption for when he got lost. DC ran her extra 4.5 mile leg like a champ. JT got her wish of running on some real trails while I got to run the anchor leg and finish off the course for our team. The best moment was when we all gathered 100 feet before the finish in our team shirts and crossed the line together, hands held high, knowing that no matter how tough the course was, technically and logistically we all "worked it out" got it done effectively, efficiently, and with smiles on our faces the whole entire way.

Victory

It wasn't until we were all home later that night, passed out on our couches and beds, that we found out that we actually won 3rd place in the Mixed Open Division with our time of 24:28! Holla! It was all so unexpected but very well-deserving at the same time. To me, the award validates the fact that we all killed it out there and really worked well as a team. A special thanks and congrats goes to team captain DC who assembled and organized this bunch of speedy bandits and worked out all the logistics so we could all run our hearts out and have fun. Special mention to all my "Kidz Who Whiz" teammates who banded together and got the job done! You all are ROCK STARS in my book!

How A Bunch of "Kidz Who Whiz" Worked It Out The Story of the 2010 Ragnar Relay NY (Part II)

The Day Before The Race

The crew met up at the supermarket to shop for food, drinks, and bare essentials that we'd need for the trip. That was the plan anyway. But in addition to Gatorade, water, peanut butter, and assorted trail mix, my van 2 mates (SE, MT, BS, JT, CK) and I individually and collectively searched the aisle for cookies, candies, and assorted treats that would serve as "rewards" during the ride. That's when I knew this was "my crew" and that's when I knew we'd have a fun, fun trip.

We were introduced to the rest of the crew over dinner later that night. SE and MT (the couple in our group) were gracious enough to open up their apartment and serve us homemade pasta and garlic bread after our shopping trip. Van 1 consisted of DC (captain), BH (Flyer VP and 2:52 Boston marathoner), JPM (speedy North Bklyn runner), EC (ultra-specialist from London), SN (good fast running friend of captain), JG (good fast running friend of BH). It became fairly obvious that while Van 2 is all about fun and games, Van 1 was all about business!

As we ate our "Last Supper" prior to race day, we went over leg assignments and our roles and responsibilities in our respective vans. DC also presented us with awesome team shirts that she'd designed and made for all of us. She also handed out colored sunglasses that were supercool and went with our outfits for the trip. As a group, we, "Kidz Who Whiz," projected we'd finish the relay in about 24 hours. We knew this because someone in Van 1 had taken the time to determine an approximate finishing time for each of the 36 legs based on the runner's average race pace, the length of the leg, and the difficulty of the leg. "Beat the Grid" became the rallying cry for all of us running our legs during the next 24 hours.

Race Morning

Because our team race start wasn't until 2pm, and the trip to Woodstock, NY was not going to take more than 2 hours, we had plenty of time to drive upstate from the city the next morning. Still, being the troopers that we are, we all met up early at SE/MT's apartment for breakfast, loaded up our two vans with our food and gear, and was on the road by 9am. The drive to Woodstock was uneventful, although a sporadic thunderstorm with heavy rain midway during the trip had us worried. For the most part, we listened to a mixed CD that MT prepared, collectively came up with nicknames and spirit animals to be used during the relay, and joked and laughed about what it'd be like running in the dark for the first time. Would we see stars? Would we get lost? What if you looked up with your headlamp and found a pair of animal eyes staring back at you? Would you keep running, stand still, or run back in the opposite direction? Haha! We were all already freaked out even before we got there.

Pre-Race Festivities

It had turned into a pretty sunny and warm day by the time we got to Woodstock at around 11:30am or so. We were all excited to see the starting area fully functioning and operational and other teams with their colorful costumes and vans setting up shop at various spots around the parking lot. Because Ragnar uses staggered starts beginning at 9am in 30 minute intervals, we got to witness the starting ceremonies for some of the other teams as we waited around for race registration to take place. Many of us also recognized friends on other teams around the city who had made the trip upstate as well, which is always fun.

After a brief tour of the staging area, it was back to business for us. While waiting for van 1 to register and attend their Ragnar safety class, van 2 took the opportunity to decorate our Rag mobile. Some of us drew our spirit animals while others of us just wrote down every inspirational phrase we knew with the words "Kidz" or "Whiz" in it. It's a shame I don't draw well myself but those in our group who did really turned our ride into a mobile work of art!

After van 1 came back, we took some pictures and helped them decorate their van. We also practiced the slap bracelet transfer and held an impromptu dance party right there on the parking lot! (Hey, we needed to show the rest of Ragnar we're here to kick their race AND have fun doing it!) Soon it was time for one last meal (Mexican - we made do), one last pee stop (at the one municipal restroom in town), one last round of pictures, before the race would officially begin for us.

The Race Begins...And We Wait

As a team, we all gathered right next to the starting gate and cheered for all the Leg 1 runners as they were individually introduced representing their respective teams. There were some funny teams and costumes out there! Some of the more memorable ones were the Flying Borgines (out in full fledged Viking headpiece and dresses) and Post-Fontaine (with headband and knee high socks). It was really a spectacle to behold. Soon after the introductions, the runners, including our very own JPM, took off to a smattering of woops and cheers, and the relay race was ON!

We watched the runners streak down the sidewalk and wished good luck to our Van 1 mates as they drove toward the next exchange point to meet JPM and prepare for their own runs. As we weren't due to run for another three to four hours, our van had plenty of time to kill. So we loitered around a bit, took our time to drive to Relay Station 6 (where we would receive the handoff from van 1), underwent our own safety training, and ate and relaxed for the next several hours. I also took this time to familiarize myself with the driving directions since I'd be taking over the wheel while SE (our main driver) ran the first leg for us.

Leg 7-12

At around 5:30pm, DC came through like a gazelle to our relay station looking as if she was just back from a light morning jog. She handed off the slap bracelet to SE, who took off down the dusty road and we were officially on duty! We went back to the van, and took off after him. He had a tough and hilly 8 mile run to start and we wanted to support him the best we can. We stopped at mile 3 and mile 6 to offer him water/Gatorade as it was getting pretty hot and humid out. He worked the course like a champ though and got a few road kills early for our van as he handed off to MT, his wife, for Leg 8. We repeated the same process for her as we did for SE, stopping about half-way or so to provide cheers, water/Gatorade and support. We also tried to cheer for other runners when we drove past them on the road, knowing we were all out there running the same course and suffering the same hot weather. MT ran well, ran strong, and ran happy as she came through our exchange all smiles from a good hard effort.

Leg 9 went well too, as BS blistered his 10K run at a 7:05 pace as he would tell me later. He looked strong, fast, and really had fun out there. He also scored a few road kills for us which was always very motivating. The only trouble we had in the early going was in Leg 10 when CK started to have calf/knee issues early in the first mile. We all knew prior to the race that CK had been dealing with injuries off and on for the past several weeks, but like her, we thought (or hoped) that her body would be kind to her during the race. As we drove past her, she already looked as if she was limping a little. We really got concerned when a stranger came up to us as we were waiting for her at mile 3 of her 6 mile leg and asked if we knew the runner limping badly a little further back. However, by the time we drove back and found her again, her muscles had loosened and she was running more comfortably than when we last saw her in mile one. Yes, to a man, we were all proud of her that she'd "worked it out". We gave her some water and she had no further issues on the rest of that leg.

Next up was Leg 11, which went to JK. It was almost completely dark by the time she suited up with her reflective vest and headlamp for her run. Although I didn't know her before this trip, I could tell she would handle herself well on this course. The woman had just run a 50K out in Long Island five days before, so her 4 mile leg was probably not even enough to be a warmup run for her, even if it was a bit hilly. She did not disappoint as she held a good form, a good pace and handed off to me a little before the expected time.

Refer to the previous post for the story of my leg 12.

By the time I was done and handed the bracelet back to van 1, we as a group were all a bit exhausted, though happy and satisfied that we didn't die, didn't get lost, and made it through Day 1 with our bodies intact, ready for the challenge of Day 2.

How A Bunch of "Kidz Who Whiz" Worked It OutThe Story of the 2010 Ragnar Relay NY (Part I)

Wow! What a race! What an experience! What a fantastic running adventure Ragnar proved to be. I think I just fell in love with running all over again! Not that we ever broke up or anything, but there were times in the past few weeks when we were drifting apart. So I was definitely in need of inspiration/motivation to come back again, and boy was this relay race EXACTLY what the doctor ordered.

I will try to recap this race from the team as well as the individual perspective because none of this would have been possible without the collective efforts of my 11 other teammates and a super volunteer (who worked a crazy overnight shift at one of the relay checkpoint stations). So I want to start by handing out a hearty fist bump to all the members of my Ragnar "Kidz Who Whiz" team who pulled together, rallied each other, and showed those who didn't know how to RUN and have FUN at the same time!

But more on that later in the race report. For now, I want to start off by sharing my experiences on each of the three legs that I ran in the Ragnar relay.

Run #1 (Fri 5/14 9:42pm)
Leg 12 - 8.1 Miles
Difficulty - Very Hard
Time - 57:14 (6:56 min/mi)
Road Kills - 4

Because I was the anchor runner on our team of 12, I actually didn't get to run until almost eight hours after the race start at 2pm. This only meant that I had more than enough time to freak out about this night run. I knew all along that this would be the most difficult leg of the three for me, not only because it was the longest by distance, and hardest in terms of difficulty, but also because it starts off at night with a 3/4 mile steep uphill climb through a series of turns at mile 0.5. I toyed with the idea of running with my Droid phone, but since I've never raced with it before and it was running low in battery regardless, I ditched the idea and just went with my memory of the race course and my general sense of direction. I was still contemplating what I'd do if I got lost when I grabbed the slap bracelet from JT and started off on my eight mile adventure.

I took off at a fast and controlled pace down a spiraling street with my headlamp, strobe light, and reflective vest ready for action. My teammates came up, cheered, and drove past me after a quarter mile. Because this was a non-support leg, which meant that the team was not allowed to stop at any point to cheer on or aide the runner, I was now left to my own devices and would not see my team for the rest of the leg.

Soon after the team van disappeared, the horror of the hills began. For about three quarters of a mile, they came hard, they came steep, and if it wasn't someone reminding me before the race that "There's no walking and there's no crying in Ragnar!", I would have likely done both! They reminded me of the hills at the heart of San Francisco where steps are needed along the sidewalks just to go from one street to another. Omigosh, they were brutal. And the worst part was that after I scaled the monstrosity, I still had 6.5 miles left to run. I was already so exhausted! I did pass by 2 runners who allowed themselves to walk up the hills. Easiest road kill ever.

After the climbs ended, I scaled back the intensity and had a fairly good run. Because the turns on the course were well marked with flashing lights and there were not many of them, I didn't get lost on this night leg like I had feared. Most of the route ran along a major highway which became a nuisance by the end because the high beam headlights from the constant oncoming traffic blinded my vision and prevented me from experiencing tranquility and nature like I had expected.

Lots of little things bothered me about this leg, which was why I was happy yet a bit frustrated when I finished this run and handed off to teammate JP at the next major exchange. Did I mention how hot and humid it was? Temps were in the 70s with humidity in the high 80s. I was sweating buckets of water by the time I was done. There might have been a huge outburst of language not suitable for PG audience upon my crossing the finish which probably shocked many of my teammates. Woops! I don't usually cuss and use bad words like that out in public but if you ran what I ran and saw what I saw, perhaps you'd understand.

Run #2 (Sat 5/15 6:19 AM)
Leg 24 - 4.2 Miles
Difficulty - Hard
Time - 27:49 (6:37 min/mi)
Road Kills - 4

This leg was the most fun for me. It was short. It was downhill. It was fast. Well, at least for the first 2.5 miles it was. I kept a sub 6:10 pace and felt like I was completely flying, almost at the edge of losing control. The humidity had broken over the course of the night and gave way to a pleasant and cool morning. I hadn't even much since the last run so all I could think about while running was getting it done quickly so my team and I could handoff and get some real food for breakfast.

The second half of my leg were once again over some massive hills that humbled me. I cursed my life at every turn as I saw my heart rate and pace climb higher and higher with every step. There were runners walking these two, which I picked off easily and claimed as my motivation to keep battling. I must have climbed over 200 feet just in the last half mile alone! Even the transition area was located on the top of a giant hill. By the end, I was again exhausted and just glad to be done.

Run #3 (Sat 5/15 1:57 PM)
Leg 36 - 4.5 Miles
Difficulty - Moderate
Time - 30:26 (6:46 min/mi)
Road Kills - 2

When I first saw the profile for this third and final leg, I thought I would kill it. For once the course was flat with not much change in elevation, so why wouldn't I take full advantage and run my fastest time as I take my team across the finish line? Indeed, at the last exchange, I told my team that my goal was to break 30 minutes, and take us across in less than 24 and half hours (we started the race at 2PM the previous day). What I didn't account for though was that I would develop a major side stitch which crippled me for about a mile and that the majority of this route would be on trails and not roads. Darting across rocks, branches and other obstacles was fun, but again was not conducive to the fastest time. Since this was the last leg of the race though, I tried to have fun with it and not worry about my pace so much. I still wanted to keep my promise though of making it through in less than 24:30, so I ran as fast as I could, trying hard not to fall and break a bone in the process.

At a half mile before the finish, the route went back over the roads for the home stretch. Lots of bars and restaurants lined the sides of the busy streets. It was a beautiful sunny day out so many folks were taking their food and eating outside. Some of them clapped and cheered for me as I ran by. As I geared up for the sprint towards the finish, I passed by a couple of twitter friends having ice cream on a park bench. They didn't see me, and I wanted to say hi, but I had no breath to spare and I had a team of 11 others waiting for me at the finish. So I bypassed the opportunity to say hi and ask for a bite and just ran hard instead. I breezed through a long and steep descent towards the parking lot overlooking the Hudson where the finish line would be. At about 100 feet from the finish, I see my teammates all dressed in our snazzy "Kidz Who Whiz" shirts. I slowed down, waited for them to all join me, and crossed the finish line with our arms raised in victory.

(Part II and Pictures to come...)

Ragnar Relay Time

Thanks to all of you who commented on my last post and gave me more food for thought than an all-you-can-eat buffet on a Carnival cruise. I gather that the public consensus is for me to give up my pipe dream of running a marathon in late May, and for all intents and purposes, I think this is what will end up happening. But there's still the kid in me who believes and who wants to believe in miracles and I'm going to hold on to that tiny possibility, no matter how small, for as long as I can because honestly, I don't think I am ready to deal with the alternative just yet. (C'mon, am I really the only one who thinks it's absolutely ridiculous to lose that much fitness, strength, speed AND endurance from one week of sickness? It's just so so hard for me to believe. Sigh!)

Luckily for me, a final decision on this dilemma isn't due for another week or two because right now I've got my hands full preparing for an awesome running adventure this weekend. For those who don't know, I'm participating in a 12-runner, 24 hour, 200+ mile relay race, affectionately known as Ragnar NY, this coming Friday and Saturday. I'm not sure about the rest of my teammates, but I for one am completely nervous yet excited. For one thing, I've never participated in an overnight relay before, so running multiple times in the span of a day, running in complete darkness, and running without the benefit of much sleep, are all completely new and foreign experiences for me. For another, I'm signed up to be one of the drivers on this trip so trying to find my way around the course while looking for teammates and avoiding other runners will also prove quite challenging. Finally, did I mention how much I suck at staying on course during races? I've gotten lost each of the two times I've participated in off-road relays, both in bright daylight. I've gotten lost in a practice trail race last fall in Westchester. Heck, I've even gotten lost in a half-marathon in my own park! So what do you think it's going to happen when my first leg calls for an 8 mile run up the side of mountain in the middle of the night? I might as well bring along camping supplies with me while I run!

Yet, even though I am completely freaked out right now, I know I will have great fun. I will be surrounded by many friends, some old, some new, and all of us will have a grand ol' time cracking jokes, telling stories, and sharing in the craziness of our runs. Our team name is "Kidz Who Whiz" and our team motto is "Work It Out!". We have all already chosen nicknames to be used exclusively on this trip and our t-shirts are all made and ready to go (or so I've been told). We have a very strong team as we're lead by a guy and gal who've each done 50 milers earlier this year and the Flyer VP who just ran a 2:54 marathon in Boston! Others have run 50ks and marathons in the past month and have all done well. So if you get the impression that I'm the weak link on this team, you're probably right! Haha! My job, as far as I'm concerned, is to bring up the back of the pack (I'm Runner #12), and try NOT to fall too far behind and NOT to get lost! If I can handle that, I'll be golden. (Oh yeah, and maybe I should make it a goal not to crash the van or hit other runners either...)

Okay, yes, so somewhere in the 23rd hour or the 199th mile, I'm going to yell out "Yes, I'm having fun now..." if I make it back alive, I hope to have a good recap and maybe some pictures and videos of our race for your viewing pleasure. In the meantime, I better recheck my clothes, my supplies, my shoes, my headlamp, and everything else that I will eventually not find in my bag. If any of you have experience with this, feel free to let me know what I shouldn't forget or leave any tips/suggestions on how to survive an overnight relay. (If I sound like a totally newb...that's because I am!) Otherwise, have a great rest of the week and I'll catch you all on the flip side!

Ragnar, I'm ready for you...are you ready for the Lam? Woohoo!