Ragnar Del Sol - 10th Anniversary Edition Race Report

On February 19th and 20th I participated in what was the first of 3 adventure relays I will be running this year.  It was the 10th anniversary of the Ragnar Del Sol here in Phoenix.  I was looking forward to this one as it would be the first time I got to share this crazy passion of mine with one of my kids.  Nathan had decided to join me on this run across the desert.  I was hoping that he would enjoy the challenge and the friendships you build when you participate in these types of races.  Plus I was hoping he would want to do more of them with his friends.

Nathan and I left the house at 3:30 a.m. to make it up to the office to meet the rest of the Hustle Sprouts team.  Both of us were thinking about what was ahead.  I had the advantage of knowing what was in store.  Nathan was worried about the final leg.  But both of us were excited about the race.

Once we had gathered everybody up, we jumped into the vans to head out to Wickenburg.  I wanted to get there in plenty of time to stretch a bit and use the bathroom before I had to get to the starting line.  It was pretty calm at the starting line area at 5:30 a.m. when we arrived.  We went through the safety training and got our bib numbers.  Then we had time to snap a few team photos before I had to start mentally preparing for my 8.6 mile first leg.

They called all of the 6:45 a.m. teams with 10 minutes to go.  Andy and I headed over to the starting line.  We had agreed to run this leg together.  We had decided to run at a 9:00 per mile pace.  The route was going to be hilly and challenging.  They announced our two teams and we got a big cheer from our teammates.  Then right on time the horn blasted and we were off.  Andy and I settled into a nice even pace as we made the turn on to Vulture Mines Road which would take us to the first exchange.

Once we passed the 2nd mile, we had a steady uphill climb.  The sun was just starting to rise and it was overcast.  The temperature was 54o which was perfect.  The scenery was spectacular along the route.  As we ran, we started to pass other runners without picking up the pace.  We chatted the entire way which made the miles go by quickly.  Before I knew it we had reached the 7 mile point.

I thought that after the 7th mile, it was downhill to the exchange area.  I was wrong.  As we got close to the 8 mile mark, we saw a short but steep incline.  I was a little disheartened.  But I knew I had only 6/10 of a mile to go.  I dug down deep and pushed myself up and over that hill.  As we turned the corner and saw the exchange, I saw Nathan waiting for me.  I picked up the pace and ran into the exchange and handed off to Nathan.  I had finished the first leg in 75+ minutes which was an 8:48 per mile pace.  I hoped that meant that I would be able to run even better in my final 2 legs.

After my teammates had all finished their first legs, we headed over to Babbo's to grab lunch.  We figured that a little pasta and or pizza would be good carbo loading for the rest of the race.  When we finished, we headed over to the big exchange area at Willow Canyon High School.  They had a field where Nathan and I could lay down and grab some sleep to recharge our batteries for the next set of legs.  Try as we did, we could not really get any fitful sleep.  But just having a chance to lay out helped.

We got the text from Van 2 about 7:30 p.m. that Amber was on her way in.  I got myself together and headed over to the exchange area.  Both vans were there to see me off.  Amber came in strong and handed off to me at 7:59 p.m.  We were doing really well so far.  I didn't want to let the team down.  So I took off hard.  I thought I had a 4.9 mile leg so I didn't push the pace all the way to an 8 minute pace at first figuring I needed to hold a little in reserve for the last mile.

I was feeling really good and I was hitting all of the street crossings as the lights changed that I decided to keep pushing the pace.  Then I saw the 1 mile to go sign and I had only run 2.9 miles.  While I was confused, I just put the hammer down and ran hard to the exchange.  There was Nathan ready to take the hand off.  I handed off and then started to walk a bit to cool down.  I had finished the leg in 31+ minutes at an 8:01 per mile pace.  Needless to say I was pleased as I headed to the van.

All of my teammates had great 2nd legs and we were doing really well.  I figured we would finish between 30 and 32 hours.  We were all a little tired since we hadn't slept much.  We decided to head over to Cactus Shadows High School so we could grab some sleep before we had to run our final legs.  It was really quiet when we got to the exchange.  We found a spot without a light over us and all settled in for some much needed sleep.  Nathan and I slept in the front seats.  For the first time I was able to really sleep.

We got the text that Amber was on her way around 3:00 a.m.  I got out of the van to get ready for my final leg.  I only had to run 3.9 miles.  Based on my last leg, I wanted to really go all out.  Amber came in strong and I headed up the hill to the turn onto 64th St.  What I didn't know was that 64th was unpaved. The dirt road was fairly even so I was able to keep running at a faster than normal pace.  The moon was out and the stars were shining.  It was a perfect predawn run.  I settled into my pace and just let my mind wander.

As I was running, the  peacefulness of the night allowed me to reflect on not just the race but what it means metaphorically.  I realized that while I was physically handing off the slap bracelet (baton) to my son, I was also passing the torch to him.  I was sharing my passion for running and connection to the whole running community which is something I cherish.  More importantly I was able to let my son see that I am a goofball in all aspects of my life.  I’m think it is always fun to just goof around and be silly with my friends and family.  I have fond memories of goofing around with my dad and his bad Dad jokes.  I always thought that it is only my sense of humor that makes me a little goofy but I’m already seeing the same sense of humor in both of my children.

As I handed off to Nathan and he headed out for his last leg, I knew that he now understood my obsession with the sport and these crazy adventures. Because of his years running track in Junior High and High School, I didn't have to explain what the finish line means to me. He truly understands my passion because he too has laced up his shoes and run.  If I could have seen myself, I know that I had a huge grin on my face as I watched him run away from me.  Pride was oozing from my body.  For some reason, I knew that my desire to live each day to the fullest is now a part of who Nathan is as a runner and a human being.  It is also something he shares with his sister as well.

As I walked back to the van, I looked at my watch and noticed that I had run my last leg at a faster pace than my first two.  I had run 3.9 miles in 30:48 which was a sub-8 minute per mile pace.  I had only had at best 2 hours of sleep since getting up at 3:00 a.m. on Friday.  Somewhere deep inside me I had found the reserves to absolutely crush this final leg.  What was even better is that I felt great.

After we grabbed breakfast, we headed to Riverview Park and the finish line to wait for Van 2.  I had bought a 6 pack of Abita Turbo Dog to celebrate our finishing our portion of the race.  We threw some blankets and towels down on the grass and enjoyed a well earned brew.  We finally heard from Van 2 that Amber was on the course.  Van 2 arrived a little while later and we headed over to the finish line to wait for her so we could run across the finish line together.

When we figured Amber was close, I walked about a 1/4 mile to run in with her.  She rounded the corner and looked strong despite the heat.  We settled in together to run over and meet the rest of the team.  They joined in and we hooted and hollered as we ran across the finish line.  We had completed the race in 32:11:37.6 (9:40 per mile +/-).  We got our medals and had our picture taken.  Then we headed over to the beer garden and pizza area.  It was a lot of fun sharing stories of our legs and what we had experienced.  Then we all hugged goodbye and headed back to return the vans and head home.

It was another great adventure and I look forward to the next one in Austin in April.  Nathan said he had a great time but that it was a tough challenge.  He felt the third leg was really hard (his was 4 miles straight up a tough hill).  I told him that even though he may be thinking that this was a one and done kind of event, that after a few days he would think about running another one in the future.  My prediction was correct.  He told me a few days later that I was right.  He was thinking he may want to run one again.  I just smiled.

Ragnar summed up the reason why we all choose to participate in these types of races.  It is a fitting way to end this post.  I am a Ragnarian!

"We believe that being a Ragnarian is about more than being a runner; that misery loves company and happiness is "only real when it's shared"; that there is a badass inside all of us; that everyone deserves to be cheered at the finish line; that tutus make you run faster; that what happens in the can stays in the van;  that adventure can only be found if you are looking for it; and that a little sleep deprivation is a small price to pay to watch the sun rise with our friends.  Together we ran 200-ish miles.  Together we can accomplish anything.

We are Ragnarians."

Feb. 15 – 6.20 miles (1:03:27, 10:14 pace) - Hill Repeats
Feb. 16 – 5.20 miles (45:46, 8:48 pace)
Feb. 19 – 8.60 miles (1:15:37, 8:48 pace) - Ragnar Del Sol
Feb. 19 – 3.90 miles (31:29, 8:01 pace) - Ragnar Del Sol
Feb. 20 – 3.90 miles (30:48, 7:54 pace) - Ragnar Del Sol
Feb. 22 – 6.20 miles (1:04:24, 10:23 pace) - Hill Repeats
Feb. 23 – 7.10 miles (1:07:08, 9:27 pace)
Feb. 25 – 8.20 miles (1:17:32, 9:27 pace)
Feb. 26 – 5.50 miles (49:41, 9:02 pace)
Feb. 27 – 10.20 miles (1:26:49, 8:31 pace)
Feb. 28 – 9.60 miles (1:33:42, 9:46 pace)

Total Miles:  74.6 miles
2016 Total Miles:  324.4 miles

Lighter and Faster

I have been training hard for my next adventure race.  What I have noticed is that I am able to go out at a fairly quick pace for my ability and hold it throughout my training runs.  I added hill repeats to my running routine some time ago but don't believe that it has had a significant impact on my running.  Though it has allowed me to attack hilly runs with more confidence.  I decided to go back to my running logs to see if anything has changed in my training that would make my ability to maintain sub-9 minute miles with relative ease.

As I paged through almost 10 years of training logs, I couldn't find anything significant.  I have been using the same routine I learned through the Brooks-Hanson training regimen with a few minor tweaks here and there.  Nothing stuck out.  I decided to look back on my best race times to see what else might equate to faster paces.  I found it there.  In addition to distance and pace, I keep track of my weight.  My best race times and training runs correlated to my lightest weight.  I went back and looked again at my logs and it was true.  When I am running at a body weight below 175, I tend to run faster and have easier recoveries after races.

I am 5' 10' tall and have been upwards of 205-210 at points in my life.  I never seemed to be able to get below 185.  Then in 2009 when I was at my heaviest, I decided to try Weight Watchers.  The program showed me how to eat smarter and control my portion sizes.  The weight came off with relative ease as long as I followed the program.  When I toed the line in Hopkinton in April 2009 I had lost over 30 pounds and was at 167.  I ran my PR that day in Boston.  Since then my weight has hovered around 175-180.

About 6 months ago I decided that I wanted to get back to between 170 and 175 because I felt it was my ideal weight.  I was able to drop the extra 5 pounds I have been carrying around recently.  As I look back on my training logs,  I can see my training times and heart rates have dropped.  Overall I feel like my training and recovery is much easier.  It is a wonderful feeling to be able to truly enjoy every training run and feel like I am actually improving at the same time.  Not something every 54 year old runner can say.

It made me wonder how much the weight loss truly affected my running.  I found author Joe Henderson who writes about running.  He wrote that "The loss of a single pound doesn't mean much for a single mile, but the effect multiplies nicely. Ten pounds equals 20 seconds per mile, which grows to a minute-plus in a 5K, more than two minutes in a 10K, nearly 4.5 minutes in a half-marathon and almost nine minutes in a marathon."  While the math didn't quite match up, I had reduced my best marathon time by 26 minutes after having lost 30 pounds.  This equated to almost 1 minute per mile for each pound lost.

I have to confess here that I don't always eat right.  Partly it is due to all the travel I do for my company.  But it is also that I love food.  Once I learned how to eat and what a proper portion size should be, I was able to stop obsessing about everything I ate.  I could splurge from time to time without fear of unhealthy weight gain.  I had learned when and what to eat to fuel my body properly for my running.  I know that I can treat myself at times and still maintain a healthy weight.

I have learned a lot from looking back on my training and how it is affected by my weight.  I found that when I made my health a priority I was able to drop the weight.  When I lost the weight and found my training to be easier and more fulfilling, I was much happier. Then I realized that my happiness depended only on me.  I have decided that going forward I am going to take the harder road and listen to my body.  Hopefully that will mean that I will remain a happier and healthier runner.  Armed with this knowledge, I am excited to see how I do in the Ragnar Del Sol next weekend.

Feb. 1 – 6.10 miles (1:00:46, 9:58 pace) - Hill Repeats
Feb. 2 – 6.90 miles (1:07:31, 9:47 pace)
Feb. 4 – 7.00 miles (1:07:39, 9:40 pace)
Feb. 5 – 6.10 miles (51:58, 8:31 pace)
Feb. 6 – 8.20 miles (1:13:21, 8:57 pace)
Feb. 7 – 9.20 miles (1:28:35, 9:38 pace)
Feb. 8 – 6.10 miles (1:03:21, 10:23 pace) - Hill Repeats
Feb. 9 – 7.10 miles (1:07:06, 9:27 pace)
Feb. 11 – 7.20 miles (1:07:32, 9:23 pace)
Feb. 12 – 6.20 miles (54:48, 8:50 pace)
Feb. 13 – 6.20 miles (50:40, 8:10 pace)
Feb. 14 – 11.00 miles (1:42:24, 9:18 pace)

Total Miles:  87.3 miles
2016 Total Miles:  249.8 miles