Going to Ragnar

Today I head to Tennessee for the Chattanooga to Nashville.  I get to meet my team of super heroes this evening. We are the Mighty Power Strangers. It is exciting. Racing in the streets.

Did I mention cold?  Cold temperatures are expected up in those mountains. This means you got to pack more running clothes to layer up with. Everything in my suit case is something that I can run in.  Three pairs of shoes, two in the suite case and wearing one. We start Friday morning at 7:30am and should finish about 1:30pm Saturday afternoon. My three legs are about every ten hours.  My last one is about 8am on Saturday and it is really going to be cold then.  That is also the leg that I will question my sanity. Cold, tired, and mentally whacky; sounds like it could be the basis for a PR

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Looking forward to meeting this group of strangers.  I am runner 7 and in van #2. All new team mates except for one member who will be in van one. Meeting and running with strangers brings an extra air of mystery and excitement. You spend a lot of time with your van mates, cheering them along and sharing tales. You can bond into a strong and a fun team.

Follow the fun on Twitter at #powerstrangers and #ragnartn.

Talk to you on the other side.

What do you think?

Zippy

Ragnar Week

The excitement builds! It’s Ragnar week. Just a few days left.

I am going to Tennessee for the Chattanooga to Nashville relay with beautiful scenery and some challenging legs to run.

Run/fun/team mates/vans/road kill/tagging/hundreds of runners/decorating/cheering/parking lots and schools/run/coffee/Digital Running/Christmas tree lights/sleeping bags/cow bells/maps/head lamps and tail lights/slap/suite cases/trash bags/masks & costumes/honey buckets/slap bracelet/team mom/bonding/snacks/sweat/power gel/crazy team names/run times/water/gps/run/sleep not

The excitement builds.

Runner number 7 (of 12). 3 legs. 19 miles.

The Might Power Strangers.

What do you think?

Zippy

Run Like Hell 5K

This weekend was the annual Run Like Hell 5K with a start and finish at the historic Oakview Cemetery in the city limits of Atlanta. It is a fun race with many costumed runners of all ages and abilities. This one always sales out and it was a crowd, I would guess, of close to 1,500.  Besides the multiple runner awards there is also a costume award. The little kids have a race within the cemetery and it is a blast to see all the costumed ghouls, ninjas, and super heroes racing along.

Race morning was cool and rainy which is also kind of suiting for a cemetery.  The majority of the course is along Grant Park and the residential streets around the park.  This translates into a very hilly course that is a run out and back. It is a challenge with all those hills and the crowd.  The cool weather helped but the drizzly rain did not.

Post-race festivities were fun and there were quite a few characters shaking their bones to the music. As mentioned there are many awards given out.  My time was 24:13 and I took my age group.

What do you think?

Zippy

Ragnar Ready

It is now time to get ready for my next Ragnar Race.  It is a 200 mile relay with a team of 12 runners, each completing 3 legs. Maybe you know this already.  If you do then let the fun memories fill your head.  If not, open a new tab and Google Ragnar. It is a race and a blast.

   

Part of my training includes training runs separated by short intervals.  I do this by doing a morning run, an evening run, and the next day doing an afternoon run.  These are various lengths based on how much time I have to run.  This helps me to get ready for the turnaround of the legs that I need to run for the race.  I try to work these in in the weeks before the race. This time I have had to substitute an upper body work out at the gym for one of the events in the sequence (also quite exhausting).  All Ragnarians say you can train for the turnaround but not for the lack of sleep.

This one is the Tennessee Ragnar from Chattanooga to Nashville.  Tennessee is a beautiful state and weather wise it is such a good time of year to run in Tennessee. It is my 5^th Ragnar. I find marathons to be a bit boring (sorry marathoners, I still respect you) but a Ragnar is definitely not boring.  There is plenty of running; I usually log around 20 miles, and also plenty of time to socialize.  There are many things going on along with the running that add to the experience; such as road kills, van decorating, and mixing with runners from all over the country.

All of my Ragnar races have been run with strangers.  That is teams of strangers that have come together with the Digital Running Club (open another tab right now and Google Digital Running).  They take care of all the organization and planning and it takes a lot of planning and organization to make your team be ready and enjoy the race.  Because of their great planning and execution all you have to do is get yourself to the race and run and enjoy. It is fun to come together with the new teammates and over the course of 200 miles you form a great bond. Everyone is there to support each other and cheer you on.  With each race I run into some team members that I have run with in other races along with the new faces.

You must give it a try no matter what your level of running is.  These teams (they are from Digital Running but all have a unique and clever name) are not concerned about your time or winning the race.  The completion is left to each individual runner and what they want to accomplish.  I really think that is really one of those (cliché alert) that everyone that participates is a winner.  You gotta do one of these.

This team is called The Power Strangers. So, you have 12 individual runners, from all over the country, going through their own training and preparations for this right now.  Very exciting!

I will keep you posted with my postings.

What do you think?

Zippy

Race: Allstate 13.1 half

It starts so very early on race day.  This autumn Sunday began with the alarm going off at 4:45AM.  I needed to crawl out and eat my pre-race Simple Square bar by 5AM so that I had two hours before the start time of 7AM. Got dressed quickly and quietly trying not to disturb my wife and the dogs. Then out into the cool morning air and away in my truck.

First stop was the nearby McDonalds for a cup of black coffee to drink on the way.  The race was in Brookhaven and only about a 15 minute drive at that time of day.  Once I got there I hit bad traffic trying to get into the shopping center where the start and finish lines are.  Every year it is more crowded (my 3^rd year) and this time it was a little scary. I get anxious before start time and that is why I like to get there early. Maybe I did not leave early enough this time. My parking spot was on the next to the top floor of the parking building.

While getting myself together and stretching I had some conversations with the other racers that were doing the same kind of things as me.  We all have our pre-race routines and procedures. So, then it was time for the trip to the porta-johns with about 20 minutes before start time. Whoa, the lines were incredible and would take up my entire pre-race time. But, on the way in I had spotted 3 johns that were in place on the main road in so I decided to take a chance on them. Second in line when I got to them, so now I am feeling lucky for this race. After taking care of business I had plenty of time for a warm up run.

At the starting area they have corals for the under 1:48:00 run time.  I am not in a coral, but in the throng. There are pace groups and I did not sign up for a group.  That seems like too much pressure or on the other hand an excuse. I find a spot with the 1:50:00 group and get ready to go.

This is a really hilly race run primarily through neighborhoods.  There are plenty of distractions to look at along the way and I need them. Hills are supposed to have an upside and a down side.  These hills only seemed to have the upside. They are tough.  There are a lot of runners out on this course and over 13 miles you get to see a lot of running styles and abilities. There was much enthusiasm out there, at least over the first nine or ten.  That’s when your mind questions your sanity for about a mile before you realize that there is not much farther to go and you can and will make it.

   

The last bit to the finish line is a downhill and I kicked it with all I had left.  I read a long time ago that if you kick it in it makes it easier the next time.  So, I leave it all out there.  My miles were all run at a pretty consistent pace and my time was 1:47:29.

What do you think?

Zippy

Prep for a Half

This week I prep for running the Allstate Insurance 13.1 race early on a Sunday morning.  Training for this actually began 2 ½ months ago when I started getting in long runs on the weekends.  Most often these would be squeezed in on Sunday.  It is better if I don’t wait till the last day of my running week to finish off my 30 because it puts extra pressure on me to get it done. But, that is how it seemed to work out.  Maybe, on the other hand, it ensured that I would get a long one in.

Starting early to get those long runs in are very important to getting myself ready for a half marathon.  By long I am talking about 10+ miles. That pretty much stretches me out and gets my brain wrapped around the distance. If my brain knows I can do it then I should be good.  I worry more about it giving up more than my body.  Sure, I could have an injury.  Pull a hammy.  But as you get into mile 9 or 10 it is your brain that could cause you trouble.  Questioning your reasons for being out there, your abilities, your pace, your pace; all are what our brains will challenge us with.

These long runs also help to pick out what shoes work the best for these long runs.  Because I keep a few pair going at the same time, all usually with different feels and support, I want to get out the pair that will make me feel good start to finish.  Cushioning is important when I am racing more than 9 miles.  I can also see what running socks and clothes work for these runs.  Not to forget my hydration system which I have already blogged about.  No need for me to carry water for shorter runs, but certainly important for the long run.

For the week heading directly into a half, I have to scale down my mileage to some 3 milers and one 6 miler.  At race time I want to be at 16 to 20 miles of my 30.  That week I will also only work out at the gym once and I try to do it mid-week.  This makes me feel good and my legs fresh for race day.

The night before I usually don’t sleep great and have to get up so early anyway.  I try to get some extra snoozing in the night before the night before. Since I am usually operating in sleep deprivation mode, this is really important. Then a good light dinner the night before with something easy to digest and that will provide energy.  I like having a protein shake. (I will speak about my strange eating habits soon.)

What do you think?

Zippy

The Beltline 8K Race

OK, I’m late for my review of the race.  Work can be inhibitive to my life as a runner and blogger. But, rest assured, I still remember the race.

It was a cool morning and really nice outside.  Another cool thing was that the start line was close to home so no need to drive.  Instead I decided to use a run to the starting line as my pre-race warm up.  It was nice but turned out to be 2 ¼ miles and farther than I thought.  Along the way I had to keep slowing myself down and reminding myself that I was simply warming up for a run to come. This resulted in another change in my routine that I had not considered.  When I arrived at the starting area I went through my pre-race stretches. Usually I stretch and then do the warm-up run.

The word I used and heard used after the race was “hilly.”  And it certainly was.  Hilly. Up and down and up and up.  This part of Atlanta, around Grant Park, is very hilly. The race, while called a beltline race, was actually around neighborhoods and parks that will become, or be near, the beltline.  It was scenic running through those neighborhoods.  There was plenty to gaze at along the way and up the hills. We went through or by three parks, one of which was a big surprise.  It was where I used to play and practice baseball and football as a kid in elementary school.  It was also the park I would go to and run around to get myself in shape when I started high school. It was really cool to go by and see.

The last 2 miles were all up hill, but the final .2 was a downhill strip.  I flew down that last bit and passed two along the way.  I finished first in my age group and afterwards one of the volunteers at the awards tent said he remembered me and I was flying.  That was nice to hear.

It was a good race and I enjoyed it.  You should give it a try next time.  Two negatives: it started at least 15 minutes late (OK 3 things: terrible rendition of national anthem) and the music at the post-race activities was incredibly loud so that you could not talk without yelling. 

What do you think?

Zippy