Trailer Trash

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Race Report- Tahoe Ragner Relay which is really no where close to Lake Tahoe. (Read 19 times)

Queen of Nothing


Sue

    Short Version-Not my thing.

     

    Longer Version but still short:  I was ready to thoroughly enjoy a couple of nights camping with running friends and racing a couple of loops.  Then my husband tells his friend to visit us at the same time.    My husband was in Portland and arrived home Wednesday along with his friend Tim and 16 year old Timmy.  Mike also had another friend stop by for the night.  That night we all went to my office picnic and proceeded to wake up a little hung on Thursday but then we all went boating.  So come Friday morning when I got up at 5 am to meet my Team time I was a bit worn out.

     

    Here is a picture of our group minus Ken.  We are all old farts except for the blond who is 21 years old which forced us out of the masters group.

     

    We had come up here 2 weeks ago and ran all the legs so there was no surprises for us.  Our first leg was at 8:30 am and I didn't start until around 3:30 PM and had to do the shortest leg which is 3.3 miles.  So I really could have slept in but then what is the point of doing a relay if you don't show up to cheer everyone on.  So after seeing Jennah off than we just kind of hung out.  All of us were a bit nervous about timing and getting to the hand off on time.  We had created a proposed schedule based on pace which was pretty accurate during the first 9 hours but started to fall apart in the middle of the night  but still only 1/2 off.

     

    My first run was a 5k and it hurt. The evaluation in Soda Springs is 7,000 feet so even though the legs felt fine the breathing was hard.  I did pass a young stud which always makes this old cougar happy.    Between lack of sleep and evaluation I pretty much had indigestion the whole time. 

     

    So now it's 4:30 and I do not plan on running until midnight.  So I bought a pizza and drank a couple of beers, ok 4.  I was going to take a cat nap but decided to just stay up.  So I went to the village and people watched.  They have a village set up where some of the more fun folks had themes going on.  But they were camped in 30 sq feet of dirt.  Our camp was down in the meadow.   As you can see, those who have run are drinking beer.  Those who have not aren't.  Makes partying hard when you are all on different schedules.  Mark had a bottle of tequila that was never opened. 

     

    So at 12:30am I set off for my 7.5 ish.  This run in the day time is beautiful when you reach the ridge.  I started behind a guy with a loud stereo playing.  Really!  I wasn't too pleased with that.  A lot of folks did this at night to scare bears.   but I really didn't want to hear that shit.  So I passed him.  The trail is a run to a top of the ridge where maybe the last mile you need to hike.  We had a nice moon so it wasn't too dark.  When I reached the ridge I stop to enjoy the tranquility of it all; that is until I heard the music coming up the hill.  You run along the ridge for a mile and then have a good 2 mile down hill.  All the trails meet at the bottom and finish the same last 1/2 mile.  This section of the trail was boring.  It was a wide trail covered in bark.  Sure is hard to run on that stuff.  So I finished around 2 am and headed off to bed.  Even though I took my sweaty clothes off I never could get warm and barely slept.

     

    Next morning and still cold.

     

    My next run was planned around 9:30 but I still crawled out of bed at 6 am since nature was calling and I wasn't really sleeping.  This was a 5.6 run.  It contains two very steep climbs and some nice views.  I left with a young girl (under 30) who sprinted ahead of me but I caught her later.  We were doing good until 4 miles.  Then we started a walk run routine.  Two weeks ago I ran this after running 13 miles so why was it so hard today.  I think it was the lack of sleep really takes the toll on your ability to push yourself hard.

    So I finished...

     

    Although my team was happy and expressed doing it again next year, I will not.  I may show up but don't want to pay $140.  It was weird having to run and  then 8 hours off and run again.   Waiting around and not knowing the exact time you needed to take off again gets old.  It's also strange racing when other people are relying on you; yet we are a slow group so what does it really matter how fast we go.  It also didn't help that the whole time I was there I kept thinking of the guys off having more fun camping.  I had to remind myself many times to enjoy the present.

     

    After reading DD and Jamie's reports on 12 hour race I would have rather done one of those.  It took less time and they got more running in.  Of course if I would have seen Keystone drinking beer I may have joined him too. 

     05/13/23 Traverse City Trail Festival 25K

     08/19/23  Marquette 50   dns 🙄

     

     

     

     

     

    TrailProf


    Le professeur de trail

      Nice job.

       

      I have to say all that waiting around does not sound like fun.  Maybe less runners on a team would make it more enjoyable since it would force more running.

       

      Although I said I am now a fan of timed events, when you think about it, it's crazy to run in a circle for hours on end.  But then again most any running is crazy.  Why do we do it?

       

      I read someone else's report (a young man I believe) and he talked about a cougar sighting.  

      My favorite day of the week is RUNday

       

       

      AT-runner


      Tim

        Nice job, Queen   Sue  Cougar.

         

        Ragnar has a race set up like that around here, and wasn't sure I'd like to sit that long either.  The 24hr relays have 4 people and run every 4 hours, and that even seems like a long rest to me and after talking to my friend, he said he really tightened up his last 2 times from the long rest.

         

        You guys look antisocial all out in the high grass. Anyone else near you, or were you the only group out there? Did they have a big bonfire?

         

        I've had encounters with people blaring music before,and it drives me crazy. Once told a guy it was a" problem when his enjoyment interfered with my enjoyment", then asked him to "put on ear phones or turn the shit off".  I got a round of applause from the 6 -7 people that were near us.

        “Paralysis-to-50k” training plan is underway! 

        LB2


          Nice report, Sue. I know I, and others, have given you a hard time about the relay stuff, but it sounds like you had a good time. I'm surprised you didn't jump on that "young stud" and devour him, Crewgar style.

           

          In my first trail race, a 50K, I planned to run with music, but it was in a terrible rain storm. So, I left my iPod in the vehicle. Then, I had the same plan in subsequent races, but the weather was not good then, either. I haven't run with music since, and I do get a little annoyed when people have music out that I can hear. I don't want to hear that, and I love music. I don't have a problem with headphones/earbuds, even if it distracts the runner. I am aware of my surroundings, so another runner rarely causes me a problem. But Kelly and I came up on a guy at Cajun Coyote last year who had his phone strapped to his hydration pack and music blaring. We sped up to get away from him.

          LB2

          Queen of Nothing


          Sue

            Actually we were with two other Teams form our county which is small. We were also next to the dirt road in which all the runners crossed so it was actually a nice spot.  But yes...we were away from most. 

             

            Nice job, Queen   Sue  Cougar.

             

            Ragnar has a race set up like that around here, and wasn't sure I'd like to sit that long either.  The 24hr relays have 4 people and run every 4 hours, and that even seems like a long rest to me and after talking to my friend, he said he really tightened up his last 2 times from the long rest.

             

            You guys look antisocial all out in the high grass. Anyone else near you, or were you the only group out there? Did they have a big bonfire?

             

            I've had encounters with people blaring music before,and it drives me crazy. Once told a guy it was a" problem when his enjoyment interfered with my enjoyment", then asked him to "put on ear phones or turn the shit off".  I got a round of applause from the 6 -7 people that were near us.

             05/13/23 Traverse City Trail Festival 25K

             08/19/23  Marquette 50   dns 🙄

             

             

             

             

             


            Ultra Cowboy

              Sue, Did you see any of my running mates out there wearing Blue "Taylor Mountain Tuesday" shirts?

               

              Looks like they placed pretty good!

              WYBMADIITY

              Save

              Daydreamer1


                Nice write up and pictures.   Music in the woods just always makes me shake my head. Enough good sounds out there.

                 

                I bet that Cougar in training, er 21 year old got a good education.  About running that is .

                 

                BTW. Great finishing form.

                Sandy-2


                  Nice job and thanks for the write-up.  The waiting part (and the photo of you guys sitting under the pop-up) reminds me of crewing for my DD horse rides or crewing/pacing friends at ultras. Lots of waiting around for them to come back from loops, then a flurry of activity followed by more waiting. It's still fun though.  At least you got to run the three loops.

                   

                  Congrats to "Team Cougar".

                  2/17/24 - Forgotten Florida 100 Mile, Christmas, FL

                  mtwarden


                  running under the BigSky

                    Interesting

                     

                    I'd be the guy who drank too much beer between relays and then probably have the music cranked up pissing everyone off 

                     

                     

                    2023 goal 2023 miles  √

                    2022 goal- 2022 miles √

                    2021 goal- 2021 miles √

                     

                    Queen of Nothing


                    Sue

                      somehow I doubt that! 

                       

                      Interesting

                       

                      I'd be the guy who drank too much beer between relays and then probably have the music cranked up pissing everyone off 

                       05/13/23 Traverse City Trail Festival 25K

                       08/19/23  Marquette 50   dns 🙄

                       

                       

                       

                       

                       

                      mtwarden


                      running under the BigSky

                        somehow I doubt that! 

                         

                         

                        you're right- two beers and no music, damn- can't get away with anything here 

                         

                         

                        2023 goal 2023 miles  √

                        2022 goal- 2022 miles √

                        2021 goal- 2021 miles √

                         

                        XtremeTaper


                          Hey Queenie.. is that you there flying towards the finish. Sweet! You are a blur in the camera's eye.

                           

                          So, for this relay did all the segments start and finish at the campground you were staying. Yeah, that's a lot of sitting around. I ran a road relay a few times up in New Hampshire but it was point to point from the mountains to the beach. So when you were sitting around, you were moving down the road in a van to the next relay point. It sort of made you interface (ie. make fun of the other runners and teams) and that sort of the fun part. Not my thing anymore either though... it's easier just to go run 50 miles, stop/finish and be done with it then wait around.

                          In dog beers, I've only had one.

                          FSocks


                          KillJoyFuckStick

                            I was just talking to a friend about the trail Ragnar in the Phoenix area come November.  I've done the road Ragnar so I'm familair with all of the waiting around; yes, it's even worse sitting in a van.  The trail one sounds better for certain.  But I'm a certified cheap ass in that I hate to go pay $150 ish to run a trail that I can normally go run for free.  Like you said, it isn't a race so I'm confused why I should pay Ragnar money for something I can do any time I want for free.  ::shrugs::

                             

                            But it looks like you had fun and that's cool.

                            You people have issues 

                            Queen of Nothing


                            Sue

                              Yes that is me...it was downhill to the finish   and yes I thought I would rather run a 50 miler than just sitting around worrying about drinking too much beer.  All segments ended on the same of the last 1/4 mile of the trail.  Now we are planning a campout where we just run for free and than drink beer. 

                               

                              Hey Queenie.. is that you there flying towards the finish. Sweet! You are a blur in the camera's eye.

                               

                              it's easier just to go run 50 miles, stop/finish and be done with it then wait around.

                               05/13/23 Traverse City Trail Festival 25K

                               08/19/23  Marquette 50   dns 🙄

                               

                               

                               

                               

                               

                              Queen of Nothing


                              Sue

                                Umm no...I was looking at teams with more fun names like "Bros and taHoes"  "Hot Rears and Cold Beers" "Bear Bait on the Run" "Tight butts and sweaty balls" "peanut butter and Jellie legs" 

                                Sue, Did you see any of my running mates out there wearing Blue "Taylor Mountain Tuesday" shirts?

                                 

                                Looks like they placed pretty good!

                                 05/13/23 Traverse City Trail Festival 25K

                                 08/19/23  Marquette 50   dns 🙄

                                 

                                 

                                 

                                 

                                 

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