Without further ado... RACKSMAN...and Friends takes on Ragnar Adirondacks 2014:
Most of the group came in together to meet at the Community Court of Something Garden (terrible name for a hotel, but it was cheap and less than a mile from the start of the Ragnar) to get comfortable, hang out a little bit and get to know each other a little more. Not that it's necessary for us to get more acquainted since we have known each other for more than a decade but the uniqueness of the Ragnar brings people together more than most realize.
See, running gathers people together who share the same trials and tribulations of training and running with a full list of responsibilities. That same connection is magnified exponentially when partaking in the Ragnar.
We have 11 people with us this go around (10 runners, 1 driver) for Ragnar Adirondacks and we will become roommates for the next 48 hours.
We did this race last year and it is by far, the toughest course we have done, so naturally, we had to do it again. This is actually the first one we have repeated and the 6th total for RACKSMAN...and Friends.
The team has 5 new runners this time around, which is the most newcomers we've had since we all lost our virginity to Ragnar over 4 years ago in Washington D.C. Needless to say, I am excited to see how they like it.
Two of the new runners, Chris "Mandark" Larson and Jon "LT" Lin, are friends from my close friend's engineering fraternity. I stayed at home and attended the local community college so I needed somewhere to party. A lot of my high school friends attended Rutgers and a few of them entered the engineering school. After I found out my friend was in a fraternity, I had to party with him since I thought the parties would be accurate realizations of the countless movies I have seen depicted.
Strangely enough, they weren't too far off and I got to meet a bunch of people due to the fraternity. LT and Mandark were just a few of the guys I got to know. However, I mostly hung out with them when we were under the influence, which doesn't represent any of us and who we really are. So, I was excited to get to know them through this rare experience.
When we got together, we discussed our legs in our van, it became clearly apparent that this was not going to be easy. Frankly, it's going to be our toughest challenge yet. I would be lying to you if to say I wasn't nervous entering the event, but that's part of the lore of Ragnar.
It's different.
It's relaxed.
It's enthralling.
Let's Go!
(Conflicting Ideologies, yes, but if you have done one of these, you would understand.)
When we arrived at Saratoga Springs State park, something was different. Ragnar Village didn't have the same energy it usually provides.
In the past 5 Ragnars, we have started between 9:00-10:00 am. The race directors staggers the time so everyone arrives at the finish line (Olympic Park in Lake Placid) in a relatively similar time zone, theoretically anyway.
This year, we are the last wave to go off at 1:00 pm. So when we arrived to Ragnar Village, over 275 teams have already started.
The way Ragnar sets up the waves is simple. The slower you are, the earlier you start. The faster you are, the later you start.
Not rocket science
With our collective group, we average 8:30 minute/miles, which is respectable in it's own right, especially with 5 new teammates, but we should not be starting in the last wave. That wave is for teams that average a 7:30 min./mile or below. That is a huge difference when spread out over 197 miles.
We obviously do not fit the bill.
So right then and there, we knew this was going to be tough and the odds were stacked against us. However, it did present a wonderful opportunity to pass people but this may be too late of a start to really do some damage.
The problem with our wave time was that they usually go off in 15 minute increments. The first group went off at 5:00 in the morning and then every quarter hour, the next group of runners go. Well, the last group to go off before we did went on our merry way was at noon, so the hour difference brought the following two issues up:
1. The beauty of the Ragnar is socializing with the other runners because you see a lot of the same people over and over again at the exchanges. Exchanges is where you hand off the baton (the baton is a 90's style slap bracelet...cheesy...yes...but very effective) to the next runner, so naturally, they become little parties since every van has to meet there to get their next runner started or at least cheer for the runner if they are passing through for a double leg or more.
When you meet the other runners, you easily build on a similar trait and start to support each other. A very rare sight in this day and age. With the later start and a big time gap to boot, it made that very difficult.
Connecting with the other runners is awesome. We all work countless hours at our respective jobs and running supplies us with the little reprieve from the daily monotony. Trading running stories with the other runners is one of the biggest draws of the event and I was afraid the newcomers were not going to experience that so that really bothered me.
2. I love passing people............that's it.
After we check in, attend the safety briefing, and gather our gear, we approach the starting line. Kaz is the first person to go and their couldn't be a better individual to do so. Kaz hits every leg he does out of the park and feasts on any prey along way. He is a straight up beast.
RACKSMAN...and Friends
The race starts and Kaz kills his first leg and ended up passing 8 people.
This has to be noted though, the other vans are really talented. It is immediately present this was going to be an arduous task. Two of the runners ran a sub 6:30 mile, which is just insane.
Challenge set and accepted.
Kaz slaps the bracelet on my wrist and I start my leg. I immediately feel the 90 degree heat, which no one expected this weekend in upstate New York...in the fall... and in the mountains. In a short amount of time, I become nauseous and never felt really comfortable. It was miserable. This was not a good start since I had over 20 miles still ahead of my 10k run. And to add more pain, I was passed, easily may I add, halfway through the leg, so my kill total is a whopping -1 by the end of my first leg.
Lovely
Then, I pass the baton off to the surprise of the Ragnar.
Christopher J. Baron has been training for a half marathon but I did not expect the pace he was thrashing the course with. He volunteered to start off the double legs by attacking the 9.2 mile layout. To say he took it on with vigor and exuberance would be disrespecting the man.
After watching him move through the streets of Saratoga Springs with swift joy, I feel embarrassed to admit I terribly underestimated his running acumen. Baron cruised through the 9.2 miles at a blistering 7:27 pace.
Next was Jason, who was a week removed from destoying his personal record in the Half Ironman distance by over 18 minutes, setting a best time in each respective discipline to running our second double leg of 8.4 miles. I was afraid to ask him initially because I know how long it takes to truly recover from an Ironman 70.3 and didn't want to pressure him. He put that unease to rest quickly with a simple nod and then, he was on his way.
Jason cruised at a 7:20 pace.
He's an animal.
Jay handed the baton over to a Ragnar veteran, Brendan "Nanners" Cyrus. Nanners comes to these events on minimal training and without a care in the world. I envy his ability to do so. He attacks every leg the same way: I am going to get it done my way and enjoy myself.
He gave me a little shit for giving him a 9.4 mile leg, which I believe is a personal long for Nanners in the Ragnar, but we both knew he could handle it and he did not disappoint.
While we were enjoying ourselves in downtown Lake George, eating Pizza & Falafel (Holy Shit that was a good falafel...yes, I had to capitalize Shit as well as Holy...it was that good), playing some arcade hoops, and getting owned by Deal or No Deal (Yeah, Fuck You Howie Mandel), Van 2 was killing their legs.
I even went wine tasting....Yes!
John Andrae, who is an accomplished marathoner and triathlete, destroyed his run. No surprise.
Kendall Green, LT, Katie Ackerman, and Mandark attacked their respective trots and held up really well for their first Ragnar. It's an interesting ploy on one's mind when you are running while knowing you have to run at least two more times in the next 16 hours with minimal sleep in the back of your mind (Yeah, I know that is a run on sentence but I thought it was fitting due to the topic of the post). Yet, all of the newcomers handled it with a calm zeal.
When we came back from our tomfoolery, something was odd at the exchange. It was completely empty. We were the only van left. Besides the cars from the Ragnar and Volunteer staff, we were the only competitors left in the massive parking lot at Million Dollar Beach (not a misprint...that's the name of the beach). The 1:00 start was literally killing us and altering our experience.
The second to last van just left when Van 2 arrived giving themselves a 16 minute cushion on us.
The odds were stacked against us.
This was going to be tough.
Mind you, it's 10:30 pm, pitch black and we have our toughest set of legs right in front of us. We are going to be running by ourselves in the middle of the night with zero to little van support. Three of the legs we were going to have zero cell phone service.
We have some work to do.
Little did I know, this would be a night I will never forget...
Stay tune and thanks for reading.
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