Ragnar DC 2012

Our team, Lickity Split, has a start time of 11am on Friday September 21, 2012 for the Ragnar Relay from Cumberland, MD to National Harbor in DC. Here is one account of our adventures!
(For a review, here is the account of my first Ragnar in 2010 from CNHB!)

Thursday 9/20/2012:
4:30pm - I've left work on a mission to get the few things I need. The list is made!

6:30pm - The last of my things have been acquired, a wicked sweet sleeping bag and my own headlamp to protect me in the woods at night. I've also put in new batteries, so no one will be blamed for me being stranded in the dark! (thank you!)

7:15pm - off to kickball! All my clothes are packed in ziplocs, by outfit and clothing type. Toiletries and running accessories too!

9:45pm - Dinner, packing, organizing. Hydrating. Thanks to LD for talking me through my food supplies. We've got peanut butter for days!

10:52pm - An email from NDH that simply says "you are awesome". That's all I needed to hear. Until tomorrow!

Friday 9/21/2012:
6:52am - Am awake. I'm surprised by the lack of panic.  This is going to be fun!  Time to tackle this morning's to-do list: shower, dishes, trash, bake muffins, pack snack cooler, and the elusive playlist!

7:43am - Cooler of snacks is packed. Gatorade, coke zero, chocolate slim fast, bagels, peanut butter, apples, bananas, and power bars. Seems like way too much food but you never know!

8:08am - AHHHHH!  iTunes has died and apparently "can't save my library file for unknown reasons" in the midst of making a new playlist.  NOOOOOO!  PANIC!

8:27am - iTunes is back and running, phone is charged and playlist has synced (save for 8 songs that won't go, but I can't care about that now.

8:35am - BANANA CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS REQUIRE EGGS (or applesauce).  PANIC!  I don't have either

8:47am - oil it is, muffins better bake quickly.

9:38am - muffins are done. Bags are packed. Am restless and pacing. Let's do this already. Still 20 minutes until my ride comes.

9:54am - Call from C.J. And we're off to Frederick MD to meet up with van 2!

10:24am - we've arrived in Frederick at a house full of bags, kids, dogs, and decidedly no serial killers! Ty tells us our start time has been pushed up, and the other van was off at 10:30am

11:10am - they tell me the other last minute runner they picked up is "Ronnie the runner" (and he has a website ronnietherunner.com). He's an ultra marathoner who is apparently pretty energetic. I'm hoping they're not disappointed with acquiring slowpoke me!!

11:22am - we get word that the first runner exchange went off without a hitch. Runner 2 is off!

12:22pm - Our van is loaded and we're off. For food!

2:34pm - We've arrived at the first major exchange and headed to safety check-in.

3:13pm - no service at this exchange, but we've heard word that the last runner in van 1 is out and on the way. 30 minutes and our van takes over.

3:15pm - All tatted up!

3:47pm - CJ, our first runner is off!

5:05pm - our second exchange is over. And I'm getting nervous! My bib is on my vest ready for a "night time" leg.

5:36pm - In the middle of a leg called "what the hill?!" As far as I can tell its the only leg with a name. Rightly so, holy hill - but Erik is rockin' it!

5:37pm - my phone needs some serious charging, particularly if I'm going to use it for tunes and gps. I'm determined not to let this team down and get us behind our projected time.

6:00pm - third hand off, Patty's off on her 4.5 mile run. Which means I'm next. And nervous!

6:12pm - I'm taped up, laced up, vested, head lamped and butt lamped. And ready to (wait a bit more before its my turn to) run!

6:34pm - headed to the chute, see you on the flip side.

7:41pm - and my first leg is done!! In at a solid 11 min pace. First four were 10:15 splits even. Then I lost it a bit. Great run along the trail from Hancock MD. Ended in the dark, course lined by glow sticks and Holocene in my ears. Perfect!

8:33pm - changed into my sweats and awaiting Ty to finish up and do the last hand off to Raleigh!

8:57pm - left our last exchange, Raleigh is on his own for this leg again - the last three have been non support legs along the rail trail. On our way to the next major exchange, to meet up with van 1 and finish our first set of runs!

8:59pm - thanks nanio for your endomondo recommendation. Here's the break down of that first run. What the heck is a 7:34min max speed doing in there. Must be why I lost my pace at the end. Good news, my legs are attached!!

9:29pm - we've arrived at the next major exchange and are waiting for Raleigh so we can call it a night! We've been tagged for the second time. This teams van says "everyday I'm shufflin'!" I love their magnets too!

9:51pm - Best exchange ever! We're here at the second major exchange. Which means van 2, anchored by Raleigh, had to pass off to van 1, lead off by Taryn! In keeping with team tradition (save for me) Raleigh is also a sandbagger and got in about 11 minutes early. The chute volunteers yelled out "272!" but we were not quite ready, Taryn was in the bathroom. Raleigh was coming in fast, so Ty yells out "slow up Ral, like A LOT!" as van 1 members are telling "TARYN, FASTER!" Taryn comes running up a hill from the port-a-potties, jumps the fence at the chute, and makes it just seconds after Raleigh arrived for the hand-off! Taryn drops her bag of stuff in the chute and is off! Nice work, Lickity Split!

9:56pm - We're off now. For pancakes I do believe!

10:25pm - Pancakes!

11;32pm - we're headed to exchange 18, where we will hopefully catch some sleep. Van 1 is doing great, we are now 51 minutes ahead of our projected time - so maybe only a little sleep. I've taken over the role of navigator for now. My first question upon getting into the front seat "um, guys, where are we going?" A+ for effort!!

11:35pm - In Hagerstown, MD. 77 miles from Bawlmer.

Saturday, September 22nd:
12:22am - we're at the major exchange for some sleep. We've parked near a small playground with most of the van in sleeping bags under the slide. Raleigh and I have opted to sleep in the van (despite my wicked awesome sleeping bag)! G'night y'all.

12:51am - Not asleep. In fact, very awake as Patty is back at the van, knocking on the window to make sure we have her phone number so she's not lost.

1:23am - Not asleep.

1:59am - Not asleep.

2:05am - We're up and getting ready for our on time! Seems everyone else has slept a bit.  First song on the radio when we turn the van on says "I'm wide awake!" Raleigh and I disagree.

2:43am - CJs off, and we're back to the van. Ty has resumed driving and I'm back as navigator. Second legs for van 2!

2:54am - driving through Middleton MD. It looks like it would be a cute town, were it light outside.

3:20am - No one tell my mom, but I just changed my complete outfit in a scary dark corner of a shopping center, behind the dumpster. Exchange 1 over. Erik's out for his second leg!

3:32am - breakfast of champions: coke zero and a bagel.

3:43am - my peoples back home are all asleep and no ones around to hear me be nervous. Erik's leg is almost over and Patty's up next. And I don't feel ready.

3:45am - bang, crash. "what was that?" "I think that was my Gatorade!" CJs Gatorade just rolled off the roof of the van as we pulled to a stop sign. Nice driving Ty, we went about 5 minutes without it moving up there!

4:25am - Patty's in the midst of her second leg, 6.7 miles. CJ says it was this leg last year where he nearly kicked a possum while running. Awesome! Wildlife!

4:26am - I'm ready. I think. Maybe. Probably.

4:32am - I'm now wondering if I should switch the outfit I am wearing for this next leg. It dark and chilly. I should save this pair of shorts an tank top for my daytime run. Crap. Is there time to change?!

4:44am - Yes, time to change. On the side of the road. Now I'm wearing capris and will save my shorts for the last leg! We've also just seen Patty, who is half way done!

5:08am - NDH is up and checks in with me just as I'm heading to the chute. I decide I wish I'd had time to use the bathroom, and am now unsure how this will go!

5:13am - official hand off Patty to me!

5:50am - Holy Fuck Yes! (sorry Mon!) but that was the most fun run ever. That's why I did this this weekend. 3.6 miles, me, a head lamp, and a road between corn fields and farms. I passed 7 people, had a negative split (for the first bit), swallowed a massively huge bug, and finished well under my projected pace.

6:07am - after a bit of banter about what the appropriate thing to say when passing someone in a race, N is off to sleep and I'm going to try and do the same. Ty's in the midst of his 9+ mile run, then Raleigh has the same.

6:45am - I have been asleep in the middle seat when the van stops suddenly. I open my eyes to see a runner hunched over and CJ is out to help. At first I think it's Ty, but quickly realize its not and we're taking him in. To my seat. Quick maneuver to the back seat and we've got the downed runner. We are very close to the exchange where we drop him to his team and move along to meet up with Ty for the last exchange of this round.

6:59am - And Raleigh is off.

7:04am - And now I'm driving....

7:39am - hi!

7:43am - Ty hands water off to Raleigh 6 miles into his 9+ run.

Ty's got excellent flag skills, and Raleigh is almost too fast to catch on film. Almost time for breakfast, guys!

9:58am - Nap Time! (oh ya, somewhere in here we ate breakfast at panera.)

12:44pm - after a team nap, some food, water, stretching, and the like van 2 is out for the last 6 runs of this thing! Most people have short runs, CJ leads us off with 2.2. We've left him early so that poor Erik can get ready for his non-short 6.9 no van support leg!

1:14pm - lots of confusion at the last exchange. Teams without bracelets, runners over-running their runs, runners under running. But not us, CJ was in in record time and Erik's off on his last one!

2:09pm - Erik's done, it looked rough - 6.9 miles in the blazing sun, uphill. "A hill that got so steep it had to end in stairs!" Patty's off on her last 2.7, and I'm up next. I'm awfully stiff right now, with some interesting low back pain. Hopefully I can pull out this last 4.4 without too much trouble. I'm back in a trail for this one - along the Potomac! See you when I'm done.

2:19pm - the van has taken a wrong turn, we're running the risk of being late to meet Patty. Not making me panic at all!

2:25pm - we've found our exchange point and see Patty coming in strong. Ty barely has enough time to stop the car; I'm out, carrying my belt, and running into the chute in the same direction as Patty, confusing everyone.

2:26pm - off to a discombobulated start I am thankful for the don't walk sign right away at a huge busy intersection so I can start endomondo, iTunes, interval timer and situate my belt.

2:35pm - this is really the most beautiful run of the whole race!

2:43pm - the trail narrows and a sign indicates that bikers should get off and walk. The biker in front of me tries, but crashes into the trail railing, falling off her bike and basically flipping over the railing into the street. It was a little ordeal to help clear that up before I was back on my way.

2:55pm - it is hot. My skin feels like its on fire, my water is gone. I am barely moving. But, I'm running along the Potomac, I can see the Jefferson memorial, the planes are landing at National directly in front of me. I try to ignore that I am dying!

2:56pm - a fork in the trail and no sign. I choose incorrectly. I'm back on the right course a few minutes later.

3:22pm - I finally hand of to Ty. It was a rough rough leg, however pretty! It ended in a little park where people were taking wedding pictures!

4:07pm - at National Harbor! Off to find Raleigh, van 1, and finish this up right! More from the beer tent

4:25pm - Raleigh finishes his leg, with a "Fist Bump Yeah!" from the whole team as we crossed the finish line, got our medals, and a few team photos. I think this makes our time about 29 hours and 55 minutes! Nice work Lickity Split!!

7:04pm - Monica, Ronnie and I are headed from Frederick to Hagerstown to drop Ronnie off when we realize one of the car magnets is missing. On the way out to I70, I spied it in the road face down. We stopped quick to rescue it, one small crack but perhaps salvageable!!  This finally makes me feel like I've contributed something useful to the team that let me join them the day before Ragnar!  Thanks Lickity Split, it was great fun!