Race Report: Ragnar Relay - Great River (Part 2)

To read Part 1, go HERE.

We left off after Van 2 handed off the slap-bracelet baton to Van 1 in Stockholm, WI.  Van 1 headed out to follow their first runner.  Those of us in Van 2 headed into the tiny Wisconsin town to find something more substantial to eat besides pretzels, fruit, energy bars and Gatorade.

Gelly's Pub had a great Ragnar special going on: $10 each got us a pulled pork or chicken sandwich, pasta salad, chips, fresh fruit, and a homemade oatmeal chocolate chip cookie.  Yum!

We left Stockholm after we walked back to our van after supper.

Leaving Exchange 12.  Everyone is sporting their reflective vests, as "nighttime hours" are now in effect.

A couple of us in the van tried to nap, but most stayed awake as we drove through rural Wisconsin.

We drove through an area where we hit so many bugs with the van that it sounded like it was raining outside!  Eww!  At the next available gas station, we cleaned the carcasses off the front of the van.

Jack and Jim clean off the windshield

We drove a little longer until we made it to the Pierce County Fairgrounds in Ellsworth, WI, the site of Exchange 18.  Here, we would wait and try to get a little sleep before Van 1 rolled in and Gregg handed off the bracelet-baton to me.

Jim and I took up space in the van to try to get a little shut-eye, while the rest of the van took their sleeping bags and pillows outside in the designated sleeping areas.  I was smart enough to bring earplugs this year to drown out the background noise, but I still couldn't sleep.  I didn't sleep a wink last year, and it looked like I might follow suit again this year.

Around midnight, Van 1 rolled in.  Gregg handed off to me, and I was on my way.  The nighttime leg of Ragnar is by far my favorite leg.  Running at night is surreal and scary at the same time.  Ahead of you are runners, their vests illuminated by the light of your headlamp, bouncing up and down.  The crickets are out and chirping, creating their own soundtrack.  Everything is, in its own way, so peaceful.  And then you see shadows in the distance and you wonder what else is out there that you can't see!

The temperatures were in the mid-50s (degrees F) by the time I started running, and I definitely appreciated the break from the heat.  I felt light and fast as I ticked off each mile of my 4.5-mile leg.

Mile 1 - 8:11
Mile 2 - 8:19
Mile 3 - 7:43
Mile 4 - 8:14
Final half-mile - 7:59 pace

Everyone in our van sped up during the nighttime leg due to the cooler temps.

In this video, Jim hands off to Jack.

Mark B., the speed demon in our van, said his average pace during his leg was around 6:49/mile!  Boy, I wish I could run that fast!

We had gained about a half-hour of time compared to our projected pace by the time we made it to Exchange 24 in Stillwater, MN.  Once Dain passed off the slap bracelet, the first thing we did was look for showers at Stillwater Junior High School.  I knew I'd feel a lot better after showering, and I did. :)  Then, we tried to get a little shuteye once again.  I wasn't successful.

Keep your eyes peeled for Part 3 (the final portion) of this race report! :)

Race Report: Ragnar Relay - Great River (Part 1)

For the second year in a row, the Salty Nuts ran Ragnar Relay - Great River.  We had five veterans (myself, along with Jack from Van 2, and team captain Mark, Ralph and Tom from Van 1) returning and seven newbies.  Those of you who noticed my frantic post last Tuesday know that our team had a major complication just days before the race: future hubs was unable to get time off from work to run the relay!  I posted a notification here and on my Facebook page, but I had no takers (er rather, those who were available to run the race).  Fortunately, I turned to my old college friend Mark B., who I ran into at the Red, White and Boom! half-marathon, and he was available to run the race.  Problem solved!  But after I announced to the team that we had a replacement for my fiance, our van captain told me that another one of our team members was injured.  So, I scoured through my list of running friends on Facebook to determine who was already running Ragnar and who wasn't.  I came across Jim, a fellow Team Ortho volunteer, and asked him if he'd be willing to fill in for our injured runner.  Jim had already been asked twice to be a substitute on other friends' Ragnar teams, but for some reason, he picked mine.  Our team was so fortunate that he did.  We finally had a full team!

Late Friday morning (August 19), I picked up Mark B. and Jim and we headed over to Jack's condo in St. Paul, where we would meet up with the rest of our team and pack up the van.  For some reason, it seemed like we had less room in the van this year than last year, but maybe it was my imagination.  By 11:30, we were on the road, but we snapped a quick van photo before we left.

L to R: Dain, Jilena, Mark B., Jim, me and Jack

Van 1 of the Salty Nuts had started at 9:00 a.m. in Winona, so they were well underway by the time we headed towards Wisconsin.  The rest of our team had fun getting to know the two replacements on our drive, and we also checked in with Van 1 via cell phone to see how they were faring.

Once we crossed the Minnesota-Wisconsin border, we started seeing evidence that a Ragnar Relay was in progress:

Van 2 of "Ricky's Dirty Dozen"

Passing by Exchange 7

The sign says it all!

Leg #7 runners pounding out the miles

Finally, Exchange 6 was in sight!  This is where Van 1 would hand off the slap-bracelet baton to the first runner in our van (me!) and everyone in our van would run their first leg of the relay.

Exchange 6 in Modena, WI was a like a small city!

Our van went through the mandatory safety training and also picked up our bib numbers and road crossing flags and waited for Van 1 to show up.  I changed into a tank and shorts because it was hot and humid.  Yuck!

Van 1 eventually found us while their sixth runner was running, and dropped off Mark L., our team captain, who had a bunch of goodies for us.  We all got our race shirts and van bag loaded with Clif bars, Gu gels, temporary tattoos, car decals, and even a Ragnar cowbell!  Once the van called Mark back to tell him where Gregg (runner #6) was located, I headed to the exchange chute to wait for him to show up.

For the second year in a row, I chose to be runner #7.  No one wanted to tackle the nasty hill during the first leg except me.  My total mileage increased this year from 13.2 miles to 17, but I figured if I ran smart, I would be okay.  I was even looking forward to tacking that hill again.  Me and the hill had some unfinished business! :)

Gregg made his way to exchange #6 about 3:00 p.m. and passed off the slap bracelet baton to me.  I was off and running!

Jack, our van captain and main driver, keeps on the lookout for me

Jilena is excited, but Mark has no idea what he's getting himself into!

I'm keeping up a nice pace so far.

I'm feeling good at this point, but the heat and humidity would take its toll.

Like always, the first mile felt easy.  The Red Dragon clocked an average pace of 8:18 for the first mile.

By the second mile, I had already taken a couple walk breaks due to the heat and humidity.  It felt even hotter than last year, and last year was HOT!  Fortunately, my van had a fresh bottle of water waiting for me.

Heading towards Dain and a fresh bottle of water

Mmmmm... so refreshing!

Continuing on my way!

Mile 2 - 9:33

The last part of the third mile contained the dreaded hill: an incline of 400+ feet over the course of less than a mile.  I remembered it from last year, but that knowledge only made running the hill easier with the fact that I knew I had conquered it before.  I did slow to a walk three or four times while making my way up the hill, but I kept trucking up it all the same.

Mile 3 - 11:20

Another team's van passed me as I was making my way up the hill, and the driver shouted to me, "You make running up that hill look so easy!"  That comment definitely motivated me to run my best!

Once I crested the hill, it was all downhill from there.  Scaling the hill, along with the hot weather, had left me worse for the wear, but my pace quickened some.  I still took walk breaks here and there.  I needed to!

Mile 4 - 9:27
Mile 5 - 9:22

Finally, I could see the exchange chute!  I couldn't wait to be done running and pass off the slap-bracelet baton to Jim.

Almost there!  Mark B. cheers me on from the sidelines.

The hand-off to Jim

Mile 6 - 9:27

I was so glad to be done running!  I ate some pretzels and grapes and drank some Gatorade while I cooled down.  We continued driving along the course to check on Jim, as he ran over seven miles during his first leg.

Lookin' good, Jim!

Jim still looks good even after cresting the first hill of his first leg

The rest of this "Part 1" post will consist of photos.  Enjoy!

Jim had to walk up part of the second hill.  It was too tiring!

Team "Ragnar 911" was back again for the second year in a row!

We leap-frogged Team "Shuffle Zombie Shuffle" throughout the course of the relay.

Jim hands off to Jack

Of course Jack is feeling good... he is only running 2.9 miles!

Jack heads towards the exchange point

Jack hands off to Mark

Mark added a much needed jolt of speed to our team.

Mark clocked an average 7:27/mile pace during his first leg of the relay!

Team "Ernst-Young Tax Titans"

I wonder if anyone from this van dressed like William Shatner...

Mark heads towards the exchange, where Jilena is waiting

A few members from Ragnar 911 "rough up" a fellow Ragnar participant

A couple members from Team "Off Like a Prom Dress"

Residents who lived along the Ragnar course had the best seat in the house!

Jilena is about to hand off to Dain

Dain said he pushed himself during his first leg.  The cooling temps definitely helped!

I liked this lady's costume

We had some pretty scenery along the course

Dain is still looking strong!

Uncle Rico's van makes an appearance at Exchange 12

Four of the members of Van 1: Ralph, Gregg, Josh and Mark (team captain)

Team "Running Wild"

I loved seeing all the clever van decorations the teams created!

Again... Team "Running Wild"

At Exchange 12 in Stockholm, WI, Dain handed off to Chris from Van 1, meaning that our van had a few hours of break time.  It was time for supper and, hopefully, a couple hours of rest before we started running again.

Stay tuned for parts 2 and 3 of my 2011 Ragnar Relay experience!

Help! We need somebody!

I found out today that future hubs will be unable to run the Ragnar Relay this year due to a work scheduling conflict.  Our whole team is devastated, but none more so than Mark because he was greatly looking forward to participating in the event again this year.  That means that we are short one runner.  If you are reading this and you live in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area and would want to join our team, please contact me ASAP at richelle(dot)maciej(at)gmail(dot)com.

Thanks!

Race Report: Run for Blood Quarter-Marathon

On the morning of July 30, future hubs and I ran the Run for Blood Quarter-Marathon.  Our friend, Luther, is a financial planner, and his company was the title sponsor.  He'd spent the last couple years persuading us to do his race (the quarter-marathon was added this year; before, it was just the 5K), but Mark and I always had something else going on the day of the race.  This year, we made sure we added it to our race calendar early!  Plus, the distance was unique... an instant PR! :)

The race started at 8:30.  With the hot, muggy weather we've been experiencing this summer, I was hopeful that we may catch a break with a nice cool day, but the weather was not in our favor.  There were few clouds in the sky, and it was plenty warm by the time we started the race.

We arrived early enough to chat with Luther, as well as other people we knew through Team Ortho (e.g. Kim, Lisa, Don, and John).  We also made sure we got our photo taken with the local Elvis impersonator.

Photo courtesy of Wayne Kryduba Photography

I also participated in the group warmup, led by Lois Tiedemann Koffi, a personal trainer and race sponsor.

Can you see me off to the left in the yellow Adidas singlet?  Photo courtesy of Wayne Kryduba Photography.

As the runners congregated before the start, I positioned myself between the 8:00/mile pacer and the 8:30/mile pacer.  I have a tendency to start out too fast and fade at the end, but I thought that I might be able to keep an 8:20/mile pace going.  Mark was back by the 11:00/mile and 11:30/mile pacers.

At 8:30, Elvis started the race with a "One for the money/Two for the show/Three to get ready/Now go, go, go!"  Best race start ever!

I kept the 8:00 pacer in my sights for the first mile and tried to reign in my pace.  I didn't want to start out too fast, but I noticed my pace dip below 8:00s a couple times.  The first mile always feels too easy.

Mile 1 - 8:09

The quarter-marathon circled twice around Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis.  I run around Calhoun a lot during the summertime, particularly during my long runs, and plenty of local races are held at the lake each year.  It was nice to run a familiar course.  I'm glad I reigned in the pace a little more.

Mile 2 - 8:20

For such a short race, there was plenty of on-course entertainment.  Besides Elvis at the start line, bagpipers, belly dancers, Minnesota Vikings and Minnesota Timberwolves cheerleaders, and a cheer squad and drumline from Eastview High School in Apple Valley lined the course.  Plenty of distractions!

Mile 3 - 8:13

The leaders from the 5K race, which started five minutes after the quarter-marathon, had passed us by this point in the race.  For a split-second, I wished that I had done the 5K because the mercury was rising and I was sweating buckets.

Mile 4 - 8:35

By this point in the race, I lost the 8:00 pacer.  The heat was getting to me, and I noticed I was spending more time lingering at the water stops.  I was taking a few more walk breaks than I wanted to as well.  Why is it so difficult for me to acclimate to the heat?!

Mile 5 - 9:03

At this point, the 8:30 pacer had caught up with me.  I stayed on him for a while and passed him, but he passed me again when I took a walk break, and I never caught up with him again.  However, I did keep him in my sights for the rest of the race.  He proved to be a nice carrot for me, the rabbit, to chase. :)

Mile 6 - 8:31

My gosh, I couldn't wait to be done running!  The sun was beaming down on us runners and there was barely any breeze.  The finish line couldn't come soon enough!

Last .55 miles - 8:18 pace

I finished strong across the finish line, but immediately after I finished the race, I thought "Where are the porta-potties?"  I had to go to the bathroom so bad!  This never happens to me at races!  I got my finisher medal and headed straight for the race village.  Fortunately, there were no lines for the porta-potties, but I certainly wish they smelled better!

After my potty break, I picked up a bottle of water, a cookie and a sample of a sub from Subway.  I was mostly thirsty, but also hungry.  Starbucks also had a booth in race village, so I picked up an iced tea and headed back to the start line to wait for Mark.

Kim crossed before Mark and mentioned that he twisted his ankle.  Immediately, I was concerned and asked if he was okay.  Kim said that he was walking a lot, but that he was doing okay and that his ankle had been bothering him yesterday.  That's funny... he never told me about it before the race.  Perhaps he thought that my knowing his slight injury would make me worried or stressed out.  I kept my eyes peeled for him as I watched runner after runner finish the race.

Finally I saw him, running across the finish line in 1:22:18.  I accompanied him as he made his way through the finish chute and on to the race village to get some food and beverage.  Mark said his ankle was bothering him, but he walked a lot just to be safe.  He appeared to be walking normally, so my concern lessened.

Here are my stats:

Official finish time: 55:42

Average pace: 8:35/mile (according to the results site; The Red Dragon listed a faster pace)

Overall place: 48/208

Gender place:13/123

Division place: 2/23 (25-29 age group)

Yes, I won second in my age group!  Trust me, no one was more shocked than I was.  I felt like I didn't run the race as well as I could have, and I definitely had one of the slower age-group-winner finish times.  However, I did the best I could in the weather.  I won a $50 gift certificate for a personal training session at Fitness 19.  Too bad it expires on the 15th of this month!

The swag: shirt, medal, bib number and coupons!

Close-up of the finisher medal.  We liked the medals!

Overall, Mark and I liked the race and hope to participate in it next year.  I just hope they start at least an hour earlier next year because of the hot, humid Minnesota summer weather!  We also hope to donate blood at the Bloodmobile they have at the race site.  We didn't want to this year due to the wedding shower that was hosted for us later that day, but we'll plan on it for next year. :)