Skip to main content

Ragnar Relay, Part I

So, never mind that earlier stuff about taking it easy with the running and not worrying about speed. I am currently en route to Miami to run a 199-mile group relay race to Key West.

I was "called in," as I like to think of it, to join some friends' group after one of their members had to back out at the last minute.

After some hours of contemplation, research, and Q&A, I decided to go for it. The physical challenge would not be too demanding; I'd be running no more than 3.6 miles in one leg, and the three legs would be separated by hours in between while the other 11 members ran.

What I was more concerned about was sharing very close quarters for hours on end with running friends I've been slowly getting to know over the past eight months. This would be a fast-forward in our relationship that I wasn't sure I was ready for. I like to control the pace of my relationships, and this trip would surely take some control away from me. In the end, I decided it would be good for me. And now I'm glad I'm doing it.

Now, however, I'm concerned about my running pace. Since the legs I'm running are all short (comparatively), I'll be expected to practically sprint them. This isn't something I'm particularly comfortable with, as speed isn't my forte, nor have I prepared for it, given the day-before notice.

But I will do my best. Knowing that 11 other team members will be waiting for me will help propel me through the runs.

As we near Miami, I look forward to a good night's sleep in a hotel and a morning shower before I spend at least 24 hours in a van with smelly runners and little room to stretch out.

Go Flatwood Degenerates!

(Race report to follow.)
Labels:

Comments

CM said…
Good luck! You'll do fantastic, I know you will. Try to enjoy the scenery, too :).
January 5, 2012 at 8:21 PM
Post a Comment

People Liked to Read...

Surgery Chronicles: 12 Weeks and Progress

I'm now more than 12 weeks recovered from my second (and final!) foot surgery, and life is starting to feel a little more normal. When I l ast wrote an update , seven weeks ago (still blaming Irma for all of my delays), I had just gotten off of crutches but would wear my boot for two more weeks. I've been out of the boot and walking in shoes for just over five weeks. The constant discomfort I've felt in my foot from swelling is finally starting to wane. I work in the office now, I do my own groceries, and I even attended a work conference recently, which meant lots of walking at airports and the conference hotel, frequent standing, and few opportunities to elevate and ice. I was very concerned about how my feet, particularly the left one, would endure. And while it wasn't comfortable, I made it through, no worse for the wear in the end. I joined a new gym/community center recently, with a new and beautiful outdoor pool, and I'm so happy that I'm able to use ...
2 comments
Read more

Play of Summer

Even though it is still technically spring time, the summer college semester begins in one week, the weather is consistently sunny and mid-80s, and baseball season is in full bloom. I embrace this time of year as a time to extend my outside activities beyond my nightly walks, to bike rides, benefit runs, beach days, and a newfound interest in softball. Yesterday Joe and I began the day with a 7:25am 5K run to benefit the Child Abuse Council . One of Tampa's largest and most regular 5Ks, the Gunn Allen Financial May Classic brought out over 1,500 of Tampa's athletes and do-gooders. Since it was a last-minute decision for us to register, we did not have a a chance to train, but we had both been keeping a somewhat regular exercise schedule in the weeks leading up to the run. Our goal was to finish, preferably to finish running. And we did. 36 minutes of concrete pounding, rhythmic breathing, and humanistic awareness, and we had completed our first 5K together, having run th...
7 comments
Read more

Clearwater Marathon: Race Report

This past Sunday, I completed my third marathon at the Clearwater Running & Fitness Festival . Not only that, but it was my second one in just over four months. And even though I knew I had prepared and was capable of running another sub-4, I wasn't sure I'd have it in me to push through all 26.2 miles by myself. I had nobody to pace me, like I did at  Steamtown . But in the end, I was able to pull off a PR by 1 minute, 49 seconds (and FYI, I had to use a time calculator to figure that out). Here are my stats: Race:  Clearwater Marathon (Clearwater, FL) Date : January 19, 2014 Gun Time :  3:53:54 Chip   Time : 3:53:34 Average Pace : 8:56 Overall Place : 79/472 Age Group Place : 6/32 My biggest conundrum prior to this race was how to dress for it. I knew it would start out in the upper 40s but would end up, for me, possibly in the low 60s with full-on sun. That's a significant difference for racing-wear...
4 comments
Read more