A little more RAGNAR

Because it is just so much fun! 
Ragnar in large part becomes less about the running and  more about the craziness of the whole adventure, but run I did - and since this is supposed to be a blog about training and running - even if it is part of a nutty overnight relay - is training. 

My portion of the run started at 2:26pm on Friday - sun high in the sky - about 85 degrees and humid.  Not a bit of shade along the entire 5.25 mile course and no shortage of climbing.

Leg 8 for the team - Leg 1 for me....

I actually welcomed the headwind - as any breeze was better than none.  Thank goodness the van would pull ahead and sit up on the hills to wait for me with cold water and ice for my bottle and sports bra.  Anything to keep cool.  I was happy when this stretch was done, crawled into the airconditioned van, careful to sit on a towel so not to leave a big wet splotch on the seat.  My next leg would not start for another 10 hours - and I would be running in the cool of the night.  Something to look forward to. 
There isn't much opportunity for rest as you go along supporting the other runners.  It is stop and go along the way to make sure they have water etc and then hurry on up to the next exchange to get the next runner ready.  Things slow down a little when you get to a major exchange - where you hand off to the other vehicle.  While those 6 ladies run, you can grab something to eat, stretch out a bit or whatever time allows.  You do still have to move on to the next major exchange and get ready to start again.  The major exchanges are bustling with activity, teams pulling in and out, horns honking, noise everywhere - and the 5-6 hours before the other van comes and meets you to hand off go by incredibly fast.  You can grab a catnap here and there but that is about it.  At this time we were all wide awake too - it wasn't really time to sleep yet even though our day had started fairly early and we all had expended some energy running. We found a pasta feed at the exchange and sat down to eat some real food - tired of snacking on bananas and pretzels.  The food was good and timing was great - about 4 hours to my next run.   By the time I got really tired and would have liked to snooze, it was time for round 2. 

Leg 2 - 12:48am - somwhere in Wisconsin.  I really didn't look at the maps much.  I figured that when it was my turn I would get going and run until it was time to stop.  The prospect of running in the dark is not scary to me, having done it before and the course was well marked so chances of getting lost were slim.  We all did agree that we would carry a cell phone for the night run portion just in case.  My leg was to be around 9.25 miles.  During the safety briefing we had been advised that the van can't shadow us, meaning it is not allowed to drive alongside your runner to hand them stuff, but you can leap frog.  I figured that if they went about 3 miles and waited for me and then 3 miles again that would work. 
It was nice and cool when I started - upper 50s I guess.  Nice change from the afternoon heat.  I headed off into the night.  I have a great headlamp and had good visibility.  The one thing running with a headlamp does is restrict peripheral vision.  It almost appears as though you are wearing a diving mask.  Sort of a tunnel effect that feels mildly claustrophobic and takes some getting used to.  Also, while you can see a little ways ahead of you - that is all it is - a little ways.  You can't see far enough ahead to see if you will be going up or down hill or if a turn is coming up.  You have to be able to just react to what comes at you.  Including insects - who are madlly attracted to your headlamp.  You get relief from the occasional vehicle passing you - lighting up the area and giving you a glimpse of the road further ahead for at least a brief moment.  They also are a curse though - particularly on a stretch of gravel we had to run - the dust in the air each time a van passed you made it appear as though it was really foggy out.  I could see the dust particles flying in the beam of my lamp and wondered how much of that I was sucking into my lungs as I was chugging along.  I was glad to leave the gravel.  The van met me around mile 3 as promised and provided water and cheer.  I had asked them to stop at 3 as long as it wasn't a downhill :) I don't like stopping when gravity and momentum are in my favor - or keep going a bit if it was.  I asked them to meet me again a few more miles down the road.  This time the van was pretty quiet - understandably so - we had been up and moving for many hours now.  I grabbed my water and let them know that I would be ok to the finish now.  I watched the tail lights until they were swallowed up by the dark.  It started to rain - a nice mild summer rain - enough to help wash the air clean and knock the pesky insects attacking my headlamp out of the air.  I was really enjoying myself.  There was some climbing of course, but there also was a lot of nice downhill which left me with a huge grin on my face as I churned my legs and pounded the pavement.

With about a mile to go, I had a little run in with a drunk guy.  I was on a bike path by then, headed to River Falls, and this guy was standing right by the 1 Mile To Go marker, swearing at someone on his cell phone.  He had been difficult to see until I was right on him as he was wearing a grey tshirt and jeans - nothing reflective.  I passed him but continued to hear him talking right behind me.  Looking over my shoulder I realized that he was now running next to a Ragnar runner right behind me.  I let them pass and as they did I hear him swear as he hits the ditch next to the path and does a face plant.  He popped back up immediately and was back on the trail.  I ran past him not even slowing down as I yelled - are you ok?  Receiving no answer except an ongoing stream of profanity, I went on my way.  So that was the only wildlife I encountered during my late night/early morning run.  The drunk River Falls college student.  Go figure.
After I reached the exchange and our next runner was off, I told the volunteers about the guy up the road.  As I did, a guy on a bicycle came riding up, proceeded to crash into a garbage bin and fall over.  He, like the ditch surfer, got back up, sat on his bike and pedaled right through the exchange chute.  The fumes emanating from that one were enough to make a bunch of us loopie.
While the next few runners ran their legs I dozed on and off in the back of the van.  Then it was time to hand off to van 1 again. 

At our next exchange there were pancakes!  Coffee eluded us as it was always gone when we went looking and eventually I just gave up.  There were real bathrooms though and sinks to wash our hands.  Little things you know.  There were showers too but the lines got pretty long.  Standing behind the van, wiping down with baby wipes and brushing our teeth right there in the parking lot would have to do for now.  After we ate and cleaned up a bit we found a sunny spot on the grass and grabbed some zzzzs.  Again, it is more just stretching and resting the bones than actually sleeping.  I lost count of the car alarms going off.  There also was a guy playing bagpipes.  I thought - geez, I am not dead yet so quit the funeral procession music.  I wonder how many of us wanted to put a hole in the darn bag.  sigh. Eventually you get so tired you do zonk - but that is short lived.  Van 1 was coming in and we needed to get ready to go.

Final leg.  Somewhere around Oakdale. I rolled out my quads.  All of that delicious downhill pounding had left them sore and stiff.  I chucked back a handful of ibuprofen - something I never do when running but felt for once I needed to get me through, especially knowing that I would have some downhill stretches along the way.  On the schedule were 6 miles and then all I had left to do was cheer for the last 4 runners and then cross the finish line with my team.

About half of this run was through urban areas with lots of traffic and the corresponding intersection stops.  Kind of tough at this point as I really just wanted to keep moving and get it done.  It was getting warm again too and the aches and pains from the previous mileage and the lack of sleep definitely were catching up with me.  At some point then I entered a park - a trail away from traffic, along a creek and with abundant shade.  There were quite a few turns and sharp little downhills that just made my quads scream and my brain beg for an uphill section - insane, I know.  Before I knew it I was at the 1 Mile to Go marker and soon after I could hear the cheers for people coming into the exchange.  I pushed on and finished leg 3.  My work here was done.  All that was left now was to get the next 4 girls running and supported and then on to the finishline to meet our final runner.  The last leg was pretty short so we had to hustle to get there, get parked, and then get all of us to the finish area.  We met up with the girls from Van 1 and stood and waited for our final runner to come in.  As she came we fell in behind her and ran to and across the finishline as a team. 

In the end, no one cared about pace, finish time or place - it was all about the fun and experience.  A great way to run some miles and make new friends.