| Author |
Topic: Great River Relay RR |
johnmaas
Cool Runner |
 posted Aug-28-2007 09:48 AM
  
Ragnar Great River Relay Race report:
Short version:
1st place Team out of 99 teams
21:25:50 Total time 208.6 miles (6:10/mile pace)
My contributions:
Leg 4: 7.6 miles 49:55 (6:34/mile)
Leg 16: 5.0 miles 31:18 (6:16/mile)
Leg 28: 4.3 miles with a 1.2 mile 300 ft climb at the end 29:12 (6:47/mile)Here is the elevation chart from the Ragnar web site, except that there were a few last minute changes to the course.  I got asked to run in this relay by a 30 yr old running friend. The rest of the team ranged in age from 19-26 years old, so at 46 I was the “old man” by a long shot.
These guys had some lofty goals, they wanted to win the race! Start times on Friday ranged from 7AM to 2PM. We started at 2 PM) along with 5 other teams. Four of these other teams were in the “Ultra” division, which meant that they were going to do the relay with 6 runners rather than the standard 12.
Early on, we found out that the “Michelob Ultra” team from Terra Haute, IN was for real. These guys went out fast right from the start. After Leg 3, it was my turn to run and we were behind by 3 minutes. I made a bold promise to my teammates that I would “catch them” and went to work. I could see the runner ahead of me on the straight sections, but would lose sight of him on the corners. It was a 7.6 mile leg, so I just concentrated on staying strong and steady. The van met me at mile 5 and hollered at me that my target was starting to weaken. I pressed onward and passed him with 0.25 mile to go. Our team went ballistic!
Our Van #1 (Runners 1-6) continued on and handed Van #2 a 3 minute lead, and moved forward to Exchange 12.
Later on, we learned that our Van2 runners had some problems… one of our guys had some GI issues and had a terrible time. Also, our opponents had 2 of their strongest runners (like 2:22 marathoners) going at 5:30/mile for 2 consecutive 15 mile legs, giving “Mich Ultra” a 15 minute advantage at the end of leg 12. We thought we were toast, but we agreed that we would continue to run to the best of our abilities.
It was our turn to take over for legs 13-18. We were really passing a lot of teams now that started earlier than us and we kept getting reports that we were gaining fast on the “Michelob Ultra” team. By the end of leg 15, we were down by 7 minutes.
I got to run now, and had a nice leg with slightly rolling hills. It was 12:30AM, nice and cool, and my legs were turing over nicely. Kept the pace steady and strong and got myself 7 “roadkills” on the leg. By the time I handed off, the lead was now cut down to 3.5 minutes. Our next runner went out on a mission. Leg 17 is rated “very hard”, and Tom cracked out a 5:57/mile pace over the next 7.6 miles. He passed the Mich Ultra runner at mile 5, and we were going nuts! Our next runner ran a phenomenal 7.5 mile leg at 5:26/mile pace to make the lead a full 7 minutes as we handed off to Van #2 at Exchange 18.
Van2 took over for legs 19-24. They ran much better this time, and held on to the 7 minute lead, which was now a minor victory considering they lost 18 minutes to them the first time!
We now knew that we were back for sure! Our legs 25-30 were very good, and each runner extended the lead further. I had a 4.3 mile run for leg #28 that ends with a 1.2 mile 300 ft climb out of the river valley. This one really made me dig down deep, but the cheers of my teammates at critical points up the hill helped a lot!
At exchange 30, we handed Van #2 a huge lead. We stuck around for 25 minutes and did not see any sign of the Mich Ultra team. Van #2 continued to run strong to finish the race.
We met up with our final runner before the finish line in Minneapolis and ran across the finish as a team.
We found out later that we won by a margin of 40 minutes….
Here’s our team picture (I’m in the front row, in the middle).  I did get to visit a bit with Hermosaboy on the course, as he was running with a mixed team from MN RED. I also visited with him and his friend Brian after the race and we shared a few stories. Hopefully, Hermosaboy will write up his perspective on the Great River Relay also.
This was my first relay, but certainly will not be my last. Thanks for reading,
John
[This message has been edited by johnmaas (edited Aug-28-2007).]
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Ileneforward
Cool Runner |
posted Aug-28-2007 09:59 AM
Holy cow, johnmaas, nice guns! I mean, great racing!  What a good looking team you were on as well. You make it very tempting to run a relay race.
Congratulations!
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rochrunner
Cool Runner |
posted Aug-28-2007 10:14 AM
Great results, john! These massive team relays seem to really be getting popular lately, or maybe we're just hearing more about them. You were on a good-looking team and don't look any older than the guys around you. Well, maybe a little more mature-looking.  ------------------
- Runnin' in Rochester Rochrunner
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ksrunr
Cool Runner |
posted Aug-28-2007 10:41 AM
Great report and great race. You certainly carried the boomer banner well! I am running my first relay in March '08 called the Texas Independence Relay (TIR) with a 50+ team of 8-12 runners. Your report stokes the competitive fires. ksrunr
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TammyM
Cool Runner |
posted Aug-28-2007 11:59 AM
I'm sorry, I got totally distracted after seeing your photo . . . what was this thread about again???
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mcsolar99
Cool Runner |
posted Aug-28-2007 02:18 PM
congrats on a great race johnmass! way to come through on that first leg and show the kids how it's done. sounds like you had some real hot shot runners on your team, and you guys blasted some of those legs... wow, great job.relays are really fun. after finishing a marathon or even a half marathon sometimes, my first thought is "man, i'd rather not do that again for a while". at the finish of a relay, i'm thinking about the next one right away.
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tselbs
Cool Runner |
posted Aug-28-2007 02:18 PM
john, reading about these relays has me wondering if I should look for one. They sound like a lot of fun. Congrats to you and your team for being #1.TomS ------------------
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mbelongia
Cool Runner |
posted Aug-28-2007 05:49 PM
Holy Toledo, Batman! A 40 minute win!!?? You and your team are unbelievably fast...very nice job.As others have said, your report makes running a relay sound like so much fun (even if one isn't on the winning team )
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evanflein
Cool Runner |
posted Aug-28-2007 06:36 PM
Wow, amazing relay... nice photo... wow.... You guys are awesome. I agree it seems like we're hearing more and more about these big team relays. None that I'm aware of around here, but I could sure think of some great places to hold them! Thanks for this post, it's really amazing.------------------
evanflein
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John2635
Cool Runner |
posted Aug-28-2007 11:54 PM
So that's what it's like to be on one of the elite teams. Great job and a 40 minute win, awesome. I agree, those team relays are great.
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mariposai
Cool Runner |
posted Aug-29-2007 12:07 AM
We found out later that we won by a margin of 40 minutes….I am speechless... great job. Boomerville is proud of you, johnmaas. The young ones must have a high respect of you in order to have invited you to their team. Congratulations.
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SkipAZ
Cool Runner |
posted Aug-29-2007 02:05 PM
John, I'm looking at the picture thinking "where's the old guy?" - What an awesome performance by you and your entire team! Your performances this year have been stellar! Congrats!Skip
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Tramps
Cool Runner |
posted Aug-29-2007 02:39 PM
Great report and amazing performance. You guys really took it to another level. Congratulations on that convincing victory!
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Twocat
Cool Runner |
posted Aug-29-2007 03:19 PM
Hmm, running to actually win a race? Wouldn't know anything about that. Terrific job!
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Fortunate One
Cool Runner |
posted Aug-29-2007 04:06 PM
What a fine race. Number one first itme out. Wow. You sure have a talent for being in the right place at the right time, finding a spot on a team with talent distributed throughout, not just in a couple of speedsters. It's going to be hard to beat this experience, but I'm sure you'll have fun trying.------------------
Fortunate--a volleyballer with a running problem
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choover
Cool Runner |
posted Aug-29-2007 04:13 PM
Hey, we need to see more pictures of you (errr... I mean the TEAM.. yeah, that's what I meant to say.)Your team set the bar high and you rose to the challenge. Way to go John! You are a speedy guy. Nice running and congrats to everyone on 1st Place  ------------------
choover
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JJJessee
Cool Runner |
posted Aug-29-2007 05:10 PM
That's some fantastic running John. Cangrats to you and the team on 1st place. Excellant report.
jjj
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Sans Souci
Cool Runner |
posted Aug-29-2007 06:47 PM
Yeah, aren't relays the best, John?I'll let you in on a sekrit, though (shhhhh): You'll have more nap time if you slow down. Apparently it worked for our team ... that is, if you can sleep in those conditions. Speedy, speedy. Congratulations on the win. Did I miss it somewhere ... did you have fun?
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millbot
Cool Runner |
posted Aug-29-2007 10:28 PM
Wow, that was a convincing win, John + team. You certainly did your part, "old man". Congratulations!This report is alarmingly free of the irreverent happenings in the van. Then again, you guys do look pretty wholesome.
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Econo
Cool Runner |
posted Aug-29-2007 11:21 PM
(tugging at my t-shirt, fanning face with hand)
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smpankowski
Cool Runner |
posted Aug-30-2007 05:29 AM
That race sounds like a good time!!! Thanks for sharing it with us.------------------
Never regret anything that made you smile, SteveP My User Profile
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