Ragnar Relay and The Power of Motivation

With the NJ Marathon behind me and the sluggishness and post race letdown setting in, I was happy to be participating in the Ragnar Relay this week – a 12 person and 182 mile journey from Woodstock to Westchester. It would be a good distraction for me and help me get some fun back into my running. This was my second overnight relay, after Reach the Beach, and my fifth relay overall (two Need for Speeds and one Ocean to Sound). The multi leg relay is a much different experience than the shorter races. This is what it must feel like to be on The Amazing Race. You are racing to get from leg to leg, hoping that the maps will take you where you need to go. The thrill and nervousness of running at night, being alone with the night sounds and praying that you don’t make a wrong turn (I wasn’t so lucky this time around). You get to feel the diminished amount of energy you have with each impending leg and getting by only a few minutes of sleep. The satisfaction of crossing the finish line with your teammates after a 24 hour journey. It was a great experience and a lot of fun to get close to your teammates and cheer and support each other throughout the weekend. While all of us wanted to do well, it is more about the experience and having fun, rather than running a specific time (however it was pretty cool that we placed third in our division – woo hoo!).

I think it was just what I needed to get out of my mini, post marathon funk. I was a little worried going into the weekend. I was starting to feel sluggish and my runs weren’t feeling too great. After having to walk during a marathon, there is always the wonder of whether or not I’d have the motivation or ability to finish another marathon or even another race. You need something to prove to you otherwise. It is a bit intimidating running a relay with people that are so much faster than me. My best times don’t even come close to most of the runners on the team. I wanted to be able to hold my own and come up with the best times that I could and help the team out. I figured that I could put in a good leg in the beginning, but how would I feel by the time my third leg comes along? Would I be able to push myself with little sleep and the heat of the early afternoon beating down on me?

It is amazing what you are able to get out of your body when you have the proper motivation pushing you. During a relay like this, I try to put my own feelings aside and remind myself that I am part of a team that is counting on me. Anytime I felt like I was tiring and wanted to slow down, I kept pushing myself and keeping in mind that there are only a few miles left and I can rest for 5 or 6 more hours once I am done. When you are reminded that you are running for others and not just for yourself, you find that you can dig deeper than you imagined.

My first leg was 6.1 miles and was considered “very hard.” Based on my last week or so, I was hoping to go around an 8:00 or 8:15 pace. There were a bunch of hills in the beginning of the leg and then it flattened out during the second half. I was excited to have my Garmin this time around so I can be aware of my pace and know how much longer the leg was going to be. I went out pretty fast – probably too fast. I was trying to race up the hills knowing that I could coast a little more once the flat roads came up in a few miles. The sun was still out and it was pretty humid outside but I was able to keep going at a brisk pace. As usual, I try to split up any race into manageable parts. Get over the hills. Then get to the halfway point to see the cheering faces of my teammates. Get to the “one mile to go” sign. And then use whatever I have left to get to the handoff point. I was surprised at how fast I was going and that it looked like I was going to keep it up for the entire leg. Even though I was starting to tire, the pace on my Garmin was not going down at all. I couldn’t believe it, but I ran a 7:05 for the 6.1 mile leg. This would have been close to a 10K PR. I didn’t know that I had this in me – especially running by myself (I did not see or pass one person for the entire leg) and without music. This showed me that I have some speed in me and I just need the proper motivation to unleash some of it.

The middle third of the race is usually the toughest. You are usually excited for the first third and the adrenaline is flowing. You are pumped for the last third because you know that the finish line is getting closer and closer and you don’t need to conserve any more energy. The middle part usually takes the most effort to stay motivated. My second leg was completely in the dark. It is exciting and also a bit nerve racking. Running all by yourself in a strange place and the constant fear that you will make a wrong turn and not be able to find my way back onto the course. The leg was only 4.4 miles and it started off pretty good. I was going at a sub 7:40 pace for the first mile and a half, expecting a right turn to be coming up pretty soon. There was a sign up ahead that said turn right, but it was pointed almost straight ahead on the road that I was on (veering right) and I wasn’t sure what to do. I ended up following the sign and then would realize after a mile on the road with no vans and no runners passing me that I took a wrong turn. I could sense it and then I stopped a few times to look at my map. Although I realized that I veered off the course, it was a bit daunting to think that I had to retrace my steps and continue the rest of the leg, adding at least 1-1.5 miles. Besides being pissed off for myself, I felt bad for my teammates. They were supposed to cheer for me at the halfway point and I was afraid that they thought something bad had happened to me when I didn’t show up and I had no way of getting in touch with them. Feeling deflated, I turned around and started to run back when I caught a break. Realizing I was off course, one of the other team vans stopped beside me and offered to drive me back to the last directional sign where I was supposed to take a hard right. I gladly accepted their offer and appreciated all of their help. It was extremely nice of them to help me out. Once I was at the drop off point, I was mad at myself for what happened and decided to take that energy and apply it to the rest of the leg. I felt invigorated that I was back on course and I busted out the remaining part 2 miles or so of the leg. Fear is usually caused by the unknown. At least I know now that I can survive getting lost on a night leg in the middle of a strange place. I hope it doesn’t happen again.

By the time the third leg came along, I think we were all a bit drained. We had very little sleep. We were tired and hungry and we were now going to be running during the middle part of the day with hotter temperatures approaching. I needed to pump myself up if I was going to be able to finish my last leg. I was having a great time at the race but at the same time was excited to be doing my final leg. Once MT handed off the wristband, I knew that only 4.1 miles separated me and the end of my running day. Besides getting a good time split to redeem my previous leg, my other motivation driving me was to get some “road kills.” Everyone was talking about theirs, and I was jealous that I didn’t have any yet. It was time to get mine. Hey, whatever you need to motivate yourself, right? My first leg was a very fast one, but I didn’t see a single person the entire time. My second leg, obviously did not go exactly as planned and I did not pass anyone. On my third leg, I made it my mission to start passing some people. The sun was beating down on me at the start and I thought that the remaining miles were going to be tough. There were some smaller hills in the beginning which took some of my badly needed energy. My pace was fluctuating but I was still hovering at around an 8 minute pace. I still did not see anyone by the 2 mile mark, but I was happy to see the cheering faces of my teammates. It was all I needed to keep going. A couple minutes later, I finally saw some other people along the course. This was my chance to pounce (in a nice way). I speed up a little bit and passed two people in a row, and I think their energy transferred into my body. I began to feel a little stronger and told myself that no matter how tired and strained I was feeling, don’t slow down. It will all be over in a few miles. I passed four more people along the highway (for a total of six - yeah!), before crossing into the trail area of the leg. It provided a little bit of shade and it was nice to be surrounded by some nature. At this point, I was constantly checking my Garmin to see how much longer I had to go. I was definitely feeling the strain of the past day and a half at this point, but I knew that I only had to hang on until the “one mile to go” and then I was home free. That sign was a glorious site. Once I saw it, my arms started pumping harder, my legs started moving faster, and I can almost taste the end of my running day. Voices started to get louder and I knew that the exchange was coming closer and closer. I saw DC in front of me and handing off the baton. My day was over. My Garmin had me at a 7:26 pace for 4.95 miles. The leg was only supposed to be 4.5 – don’t exactly know what happened here. Even if my time is converted to 4.5 miles, I was still able to run at an 8:10. Not bad for me for my third leg.

It’s all about proper motivation. If you have it, you can accomplish almost anything.

Thanks to all of my teammates on Kidz Who Whiz for such a great time this weekend. It was a great experience and awesome to run into all kinds of great people along the race. When is the next one?