We were off to a good start. Much of our ride to the Ragnar Relay involved laughing at everything from Jim Bradford's plan to save 50 cents by pumping van 1's tires with a bicycle pump to the silly headlamps each of us had to run with.
Soon, we're getting close to exchange point 6 where the 2009 Washington, DC Ragnar Relay starts for van 2. Ellen points out a lone runner, and says that we have just come upon part of the course that Deedee is going to run. We look at the modest strip of concrete serving as a sidewalk on a bridge and comment, "there's really not much room to run". Little did we know that there were many portions of the course where a two foot wide portion to run on would be a luxury.
We drive past our first exchange point, exchange #7 where Bruce will finish and Deedee will start. Two orange clad officials in a restaurant parking lot with a few vans and a few people. Not particularly impressive. Then, the van starts tilting down with the road as the serious hills hit. The shoulder of the road disappears only to be replaced by orange cones every 25 yards or so. Some of the cones are knocked down by traffic. There are some severe curves with blind spots around mountains. There doesn't appear to be enough room to run safely. We talk about a Plan B -- continuing the relay after Bruce has been hit by traffic. We see the occasional runner chugging up a hill, but they are few and far between. What kind of race is this?
Major exchange point 6 is a mini--Woodstock without the music, drugs, bellbottoms, and tie dye shirts. Lots of white vans, lots of people milling about. We've reached our initial destination. Now, we wait for van 1 and their leg 6 runner, Brian Kent. Like the watched pot, time slows down. Van 1 feels like it should be here by now and we should be getting ready to start. But, in reality, there is plenty of time and not a lot to do.
We have a great group of people. Strong runners and interesting personalities who get along with each other. A good mix of experience and talent without any of the prickliness that can derail a fun time. We're here to run, but more importantly, run and have a good time. So far we haven't run, but we are having a good time.
"There they are". Yes, the most exciting point of the day so far as we spot van 1 pulling up. Jim and Anna Bradford have stepped up like champs to provide both vans for the race. We are not destined to win in the best decorated van category, but we do scratch the team name and some other trite things on the vans which identify them as part of the relay. Van decorations are not our forte. Hugs and handshakes abound as Jim, Anna, Harold Johnson, Jim Ratzenberger, and Tim Smith hop out of their van. Tim mentions that the leg he ran was harder than anything at the Hood to Coast relay. At 1,709 feet of elevation gain in a little over 8 miles, no one is surprised. Tim runs it in 1:10:31 or an 8:36 per mile pace. Seemingly pedestrian by Tim's standards until you look at the profile and realize a 10 minute mile is heroic. Harold mentions he was pleased with his run, but he started out too fast. Harold conquers the 4.5 mile portion of the C&O canal that he ran on in 0:39:23 or an 8:45 per mile pace -- always strong for a trail run. Van 1 is at or near predicted pace and doing a solid job. Legs 7 -- 12
Bruce has seen the enemy and is ready to go. Festooned with a head lamp for the coming dusk, the wait is always longer than it seems. Relays are nice because in the back of your mind, you always have the feeling of the team with you. They support you. You support them. Don't let them down. Brian came into the exchange point moving smartly after his quad burning leg. Wrist baton transferred, cries of "Go Bruce" along with cheers and applause. Van 2's race is underway.
We say our goodbyes to the van 1 crew, pile back into our van and head to the next exchange point. Bruce has one tough leg to run, but we pass him further along than we anticipated and he's looking both smooth and businesslike. Upon arriving at the next exchange point, it is Deedee's turn to get ready to run.
Deedee will run the first all dark leg. It's along a busy 45 -- 55 MPH road with a good deal of traffic on it. Runners are still sparse although Bruce will end up passing 3 on his 6 mile leg. He ends up running very well on a very difficult leg. Cheers greet Bruce as he closes in on the exchange. So does a competitor's van which has no intention of giving Bruce the right of way as he races forward. A nice chicane to avoid the van and Bruce slaps the wrist baton onto Deedee having started off van 2 on a high note.
Onto the next exchange point. No sign of Deedee until Ellen says, "there she is up ahead. I'd recognize that bounce anywhere". Like Bruce, Deedee has made far more progress than we thought. We get to witness first hand her first "road kill" as Deedee passes by another runner with seemingly little effort.
Unbeknownst to us, a mini disaster struck as Deedee got off course. Ragnar was not real good in the signage area and Deedee continued on the main highway while the course turned right. She was the first of three van 2 runners to get off course. Fortunately, a competitor's van spotted her, picked her up and returned her to an area back on course. This act of kindness was appreciated, but had later repercussions.
To get my legs loose, I decided to jog out to meet Deedee on the course and run back with her. I don't know what I was thinking. The jogging out part went great. The running back with her was never going to work. To run with someone, you at least need to be as fast as them. As soon as I turned around, I knew my plan was faulty. Deedee was running like a woman possessed and I was falling further and further behind. The best I could do was yell, "only about a quarter mile to go, then you turn right".
By the time I got back to the exchange area, Deedee was done and Mary was on her way down the darkest rail trail I have ever seen. It's a good thing that Mary is both tough and fast. Not too many runners would be happy running into such an abyss.
It appeared that the extra mileage and complimentary van ride in Deedee's run meant more than just minutes on the clock. Deedee's calf was shot. She had run a very fast leg, but her calf did not appreciate the mid--run break and then the request for finishing speed. We had hit the low point of the relay. Ice, compression and a brief rest were not enough. One of our fastest runners was on the sideline.
Mary stormed the longest leg of the entire rely (10.3 miles) at an average pace of 7:37. It was a lonely leg with her seeing only 1 or 2 other runners in 1 hour and 18 minutes that she was running. The time was about 9:40 PM when she finished, but it seemed like midnight. Most importantly, she made it back safe and ready for future legs.
I took off on leg 10 which was a leg that was just not my thing. Over 700 feet of elevation gain in 4 miles. You don't send a Mack Truck up a hill hoping it will go fast. The flats were fine. The dips were fine. The ups were not so fine. I had to be careful not to step on my tongue. Plus, I saw no one during the leg. No one in front, no one behind. It was really Twilight Zone--ish. I was just hoping I wasn't off course. Funny things enter your mind in such desolation. Fortunately, most of my thoughts were, "you gotta be kidding me -- doesn't this stupid hill ever end?" Finally, some downhill at the end and I was able to regain my breath and my stride. I could see the exchange point in the distance and I was never happier. Not only was I through the leg, but I didn't get off track and there are actual people around again.
I laid the wrist baton on Kevin Hart and calculated that I ran a pretty mediocre leg. No worries, my hilly leg is done with and I'll do better next time. A bit of stretching, a few sips of water and we're off to the next exchange point. Kevin seemed to be flying and we had to move with dispatch as he would be at the next exchange point in 26 minutes. Bruce pointed out a biker bar on Kevin's route and expressed hope that Kevin wouldn't stop in and swap stories for awhile.
Ellen had an inauspicious start to her leg as she just fell down prior to lining up. Nothing tripped her, nothing hit her, she wasn't even moving at the time. Just boom. Strange goings on out in the hinterlands. But, she was a trooper and dusted herself off and got ready to go. Kevin ran a fabulous leg going well under his predicted time and slapped the bracelet on Ellen at around 10:40 PM. He ran at a 7:42 pace per mile. Very impressive.
Ellen ran well as always completing her 3 mile leg in 21:45 or a 7:15 pace. It seemed like we just blinked after sending her off and she was finishing. We had alerted van 1 in plenty of time to meet her and affect the transition to them. It was good to see the van 1 people again and get an update from them. It was now their turn to keep the baton moving.
Exchange Area 18
The Gateway Ministries Church of God somewhere around Hagerstown served as our resting spot for the next 3 hours. Mini--Woodstock reconvened. This time with multi--colored sleeping bags and even some tents. The white vans with writing on them were ubiquitous. I splurged for the $5 fried chicken dinner with green beans and cole slaw. It was wonderful. The canned green beans were just like the ones Mom used to open for us as kids. It was a nice contrast to the not so real food I'd been eating since the race started.
The sleeping arrangements were pretty comfortable for a non masters team. Once you hit 40 years old, words like van, tent, and sleep shouldn't be used in the same sentence. But, there we were. Deedee and Chris in sleeping bags. Ellen sleeping in the shotgun seat. Mary sprawled on the floor amongst the relay debris. Bruce stretched out horizontally on the back bench, which left Kevin trying to snooze in the driver's seat. The weather was perfect. Sleeping was not. I think the average sleeping time was less than an hour. I slept through Bruce's departure, but he had another lengthy leg (8.4 miles), so we didn't have to rush off. I don't recall seeing the van 1 people, but I heard they headed off to an all night Denny's to enjoy an early breakfast.
Legs 19 -- 24
Bruce had another killer leg. This time all in the dark with 1,079 feet of elevation gain and an 8.4 mile leg. The roads were a bit sketchy when we traveled them, but we began to see more runners and more walkers. Bruce was looking very strong when we passed him and ended up passing 7 other runners on his leg, an excellent performance.
With Deedee's injury, there was some reshuffling to be done. Mary volunteered to give up her downhill 3.2 mile leg and pick up Deedee's uphill (869 feet of elevation gain) 5.6 mile leg. That's sorta like agreeing to take Jason Campbell on your fantasy football league team instead of Peyton Manning. But, Mary's inner strength came to the fore and she ran another outstanding leg passing 4 more runners. It was a decision best for the team and Mary made it a good one.
I was next up with the easiest leg of the whole relay -- 3.2 miles with a drop of 577 feet. It was just a tumble down the hill. My main concern was not to burn myself out on the leg because I was doing the next leg also, a relatively flat 3.5 mile gem. It was about 4 AM when I started. After the first leg, Deedee met me with Gatorade, a gu, and took my hand flashlight. It was a real pick--me--up. Despite the disappointment of being injured, she was an integral part of the team, navigating, driving, and advising throughout the race. Generally not her strong suit compared to her running prowess, but critical nonetheless. I felt strong throughout the legs and slapped the bracelet on Kevin having passed my first 4 runners of the race. We were also nearing civilization as I recognized much of Frederick, Maryland from a previous half marathon there.
We tailed Kevin briefly in the van and he looked like he was having a party. Sprinting, jumping, and dancing around the van, Kevin was passing a lot of runners now and seemingly having a great time. This was Kevin's longest leg and he was making the most of it. At its conclusion, he had passed another 7 runners on hi leg. There were a lot of non--Master's teams that didn't have his energy.
Ellen started our last dark leg at around 5:30 AM. This leg rolled and rolled. There was little flat surface as it either went up or down. We saw that Ellen was closing in on some runners and her road kill count for the run of 5 confirmed that she passed anyone within reasonable distance of her. It was the typical solid, solid run you expect from Ellen and as always, she made it look easy and effortless.
Exchange Area 30
Our final layover for the race was the Grace Episcopal Church in Libertytown, MD, somewhere ENE of Frederick. Many more sleeping bags than before and even more vans than we've seen previously. It was a very nice place for a respite and I'm guessing some of us slept although it was getting light now and I don't think I slept for more than a half hour. Upon rising and surveying the scene, the word hobos came to my mind. I bet the fine people of Libertytown were wondering whose idea it was to bring all these homeless people to their fair town. We didn't quite calculate the arrival time of Brian accurately and ended up waiting longer than we thought. We kibitzed a bit with both van 1 and with Kevin Apsleyand his team, and put away our night gear as we would now be running in the daylight. Eventually, Brian showed up after running a swift leg and passed the baton to Bruce who finally got a reasonable leg to run.
Legs 31 -- 36
Bruce closed out his 2009 Ragnar running with a 7:38 average on his 4.6 mile leg. We had definitely entered Suburbia because traffic and street crossings became a factor. Suddenly, there were delays on street corners and delays running on the grass rather than the street. It cost Bruce some time, but he still recorded a very fast split. Bruce was one of our stronger runners and came through with a sterling performance after we thought he might not even make it past all the trucks and traffic of his first leg. Ellen volunteered to run the 8.8 mile leg 32 starting in Gaithersburg. As with Bruce, there were lots of suburban streets, and lots of traffic. She was passing someone as we went by her and later said she made sure she passed and kept ahead of another runner who was not at all social when Ellen attempted to exchange pleasantries. I've seen Ellen's demeanor at Einstein Bagels when she perceives there has been an injustice. I am sure there was no way this runner with the poor behavior was going to have any chance of passing Ellen during the run. Ellen finished strong, avoided getting hit by the heavy traffic and passed the wrist strap onto Mary for yet another healthy leg.
Mary's leg of 7 miles or so involved interpreting the course without proper signage. And, not only were there a paucity of signs, they were deficient in places like trail intersections where there are not any clues where to go. Mary did a yeoman's job to complete the course in under an hour and to refrain from kicking the Ragnar finishing sign. For the race, Mary ran the most miles of anyone in van 2 on some tough terrain and under stressful circumstances. It was a job well done.
I continued to feel a lot of energy on my last leg as I steamed through the Rock Creek Park. The trail was very pretty and a mix of asphalt mostly, but also with dirt and mulch trails. I had directions pinned to me, so I thought I was in good stead. Early on, I was redirected back on the course after I passed a nice runner who yelled directions ahead to me when I was momentarily confused at an unmarked trail intersection. I could have used the gent later on because no one was around me at another unmarked trail intersection and my directions had become so sodden that they had fallen off of me unnoticed. I took what I thought was the right trail only to come out onto Connecticut Avenue after about a mile. My heart sunk. I knew this was not right. I retraced my steps and tried to control the rising anger. I got back to the questionable intersection and thought about waiting until I saw another runner to confirm that the other way was correct. But I just got more irate with every second I stood there, so I started to run again. Eventually, I did see another runner ahead of me and felt that I could just about do a sprint to the finish because of the adrenaline pumping through me. After that, I was very unhappy with the Ragnar people. I ran in the street because the street was faster than the sidewalk. I jayran through intersections dodging traffic to make up time. It wasn't sane, but it was my mindset at the time. I came to the finish as unhappy as ever, slapped the bracelet on Kevin and expressed some disapproval of Ragnar's course markings. It was a bit childish in retrospect, but as my Dad used to say, sometimes you get your Irish up.
By this time it started to rain. Traffic was at a standstill. If we had maintained our normal, injury free rotation throughout, we would have been in trouble. Our van would have never made it to the final exchange point before Kevin did. Kevin was flying and the van was crawling. Perhaps it was fate that Anna and Jim Ratzenberger decided to run the final leg. Kevin closed out an awesome day of running for both himself and van 2 by streaking down Georgia Avenue in a much better time than predicted. I would certainly not select Georgia Avenue as a prime running spot, but Kevinx adapted very nicely and pulled into exchange 35 just after 3 PM.
The Finish
We slogged our way to the finish and got there in time to see Anna and Jim R coming towards the finish at a brisk pace with big smiles. How fitting that Anna and the team captain, Jimx were the ones to carry the baton home.
We crossed the finish line as a team, received our medals, and got our picture taken. We won our division and finished in the top 10 overall out of 156 teams. The promised refreshments were either gone or didn't arrive, but this was more about the twelve of us who comprised the team rather than a few pieces of pizza. Everyone ran well. In fact everyone ran well above expectations. There were setbacks. There were problems. But, nothing that would deter the Dirty Dozen from having fun and doing well. Thanks to each of you for a wonderful experience. Perhaps Deedee said it best, "I would do it all over again even if I knew I'd get injured on the first leg"