"I just felt like RUNNING!"
I always proclaim at least once during these silly Ragnars that I'm never doing one again. Funny how these things work out. For good measure, I agreed to be a captain this time around - and rest assured, team "Lieutenant Dan's Legs" had more fun than you did and discovered very quickly that there's a gratuitous Forrest Gump quote for almost every situation.
"Two standing orders in this platoon. 1 - take good care of your feet. 2 - try not to do anything stupid, like gettin' yourself killed."
LEG 1 - 6.9 miles, ~1:45pm
This leg involved just over a mile up Avon Pass, before cresting the top and plunging down hill, then flattening out for the final mile or two into the first major exchange. Cool temperatures and overcast skies with periods of rain had greeted us throughout the morning, which we were quite thankful for. ("and sometimes rain even seemed to come straight up from underneath!) Then right on cue, the sun came out and the mercury went up considerably at the tail end of the 5th leg. Perhaps it was the combination of narrow roads, being early in the race, and a small exchange space, but exchange 5 was a total disaster. There was over a mile of backup from vans trying to get in, which lead to many runners being stranded and waiting on their vans. It became apparent about a mile out that our runner was going to beat us to the exchange, so I got out early and hoofed it up there for an extra bonus mile (even picking up a few kills along the way!).
After the actual start, I kept a slow, but steady pace going up the hill, noting that was considerably warmer and also humid out, which I never do well with. I got into a nice rhythm on the downhill, dropping a couple 7:30ish miles and picking off a few more people - including a guy was a sword, who thankfully didn't impale me in response. But by the time we hit the flats for the closing miles, I felt really sluggish and just couldn't really get myself going. I kept moving as best I could into the exchange and was mostly just happy to be done. Picked up another 5 kills along the way.
I really like being the last runner in the van, because we're on our down time and can typically get something substantial to eat pretty quickly, also there's no needing to rush off and meet the next runner. After eating, we made our way up to snowbasin for the next major exchange. While waiting for our team, I also got to watch Fritz crushing the latter part of the snowbasin climb and then leg 12, which was fun to see - and also made me slightly jealous, having suffered through runner #11 last year.
LEG 1.5 - 1.5 miles, ~10:30pm
Had to fill in the latter part of a leg for our 3rd runner, whose foot issues had flared up on her. Nice short stroll through some neighborhood streets at night and even picked up a couple more kills for good measure. Creepy moment was when a speedy guy came up on me breathing heavily to the point where it sounded like he was growling (just imagine hearing quick footsteps and growling behind you at night when there's nothing else around). Felt bad for teammate, who's a bona fide ragaholic and pretty tough runner - she's battled PF and seemed to be doing pretty well, but apparently it got the best of her. Hoping it doesn't end up being too serious.
LEG 2 - 8.3 miles, ~1:00am
This was to be my "fun" leg, with 8.3 miles of uphill, climbing to East Canyon Reservoir. I really enjoy the night legs of Ragnar - especially WB. Very quiet and peaceful with being out in a relatively remote area, along with a more scattered field. I didn't get the chance to have a night leg last year because of how the timing worked out and was happy to have the opportunity this year. The first half of the run was fairly manageable, with lots of gentle rollers. I think it also helped being dark and not being able to see what was ahead of me. I saw vans and other runners from time to time, but for the most part, was left to my own thoughts and musings. At one point, I saw a pair of eyes gleaming at me from out of the brush. After a few tense seconds, I was relieved to see that it was a small deer as opposed to something interested in eating me.
The second half was definitely a battle, with the effort beginning to weigh on me and mentally starting to lose focus. Soon the road began to climb substantially, which eventually lead to more power walking than running. In the last 2 miles, both of my calves also seized up sharply, which has been a problem in the past. ("Something BIT me!) Inconveniently, this kept happening just as I was passing or about to pass people and I probably freaked quite a few folks out - just imagine heavy footsteps and then a loud moaning sound behind you at night (yes, I totally became "that" creepy guy from my previous run). At one point, I was essentially frozen in place and had to wait for my calf to stop spazzing before I could keep moving. Mercifully, it did and I was able to finish up. Despite my struggles and the scattered field, I was still able to pick up 9 kills while only getting picked off myself twice. #moralvictories
Temperature-wise, I was ok during the run, but quickly became freezing cold to the point of visibly shivering afterward. Fortunately our team had access to a trailer that one team member owned, which we conveniently situated in front of another teammate's relative's house which was right along the course. This allowed us a heated space and beds for 4-5 hours of uninterrupted sleep, which is practically unheard of at ragnar. The result was being just 'exhausted' and not 'deliriously exhausted' at the finish.
LEG 3 - 2 miles, ~2:30pm
Van 1 was having several injury issues of their own, putting us well behind pace and at risk of falling behind cutoffs. As a result, we had to do some creative engineering and 'leapfrogged' over some of our last legs. I opted to take one for the team and complete my highly arduous 2 mile final leg. Through copious stretching, rolling, and walking around, my calves felt ok and were able to withstand another couple miles without biting me again. I even managed a negative split, going 8:40-8:30. I was just happy to be able to maintain my normal easy pace at this point.
"I'm pretty tired. Think I'll go home now."
EPILOGUE
We finally got done around 8pm and after taking care of all that needed to be taken care of, hobbled back to Wyoming and arrived around 1am, before having the most glorious 11 hours of sleep ever. This whole experience was mostly enjoyable, except for the actual 'running' part of it. I don't know what's been going on with my running lately, but the motivation to keep going just hasn't really been there.....which usually means that my tolerance for discomfort decreases exponentially. It could just be my perception, but I feel like the pace projections for WB are pretty....ambitious compared to other Ragnars. (I kind of had a hard time believing I'd be able to run 8.3 uphill miles at 8:40 pace if my 10k pace is 8:30, especially after already having run once that day) I've finished well under my target times at the other two that I've done, but light-years behind them at both WBs now. I suck at heat and I suck at hills, so WB doesn't exactly play into my strengths. Nonetheless, it's disheartening to be that far off my projected times. I'm debating whether some time off is needed for a little mental break - I feel like the running just hasnt been enjoyable lately. Meh. Will that stop me from doing another Ragnar? Probably not. I have a "Saints & Sinners" and "Deuces Wild" medal to earn in Vegas anyway!
"I'm not a smart man - but I know what chafing is"
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