Destinations - New York, June 2012

Two weeks ago my partner Keith and I headed east for four nights in New York.

The occasion for the trip was to celebrate Keith's 60th birthday.  Back in March, he'd read a review of the show "End of the Rainbow".  It had gotten rave reviews especially for the actress, Tracie Bennett, who played the role of Judy Garland trying to stage a comeback in London in 1968.  I said nothing, but took note of this, and proceeded to assemble the trip without his being aware of it.  (I jokingly told him were going to go to Klamath Falls, and by the time I told him where we really were going, he actually thought that Klamath Falls was our destination.)

New York in June won't win the award for being the most climate-friendly destination, but other than that the trip came off perfectly. (The good thing about going to New York in the summer is that it makes Chico's summer heat seem almost tolerable since it's seldom muggy here.)

I'll follow this post with three more posts about Staten Island, the High Line park, and our visit to Brooklyn, but here are a few items to fill out this post.




Running in Central Park

Our hotel was just six short blocks from Central Park so we ran or powerwalked everyday on the loop that runs in the middle of the park from north to south, up one side and down the other.  (We entered the park where the red arrow is at the bottom of the map at left.)

The distance was a little over six miles - slightly less than the full loop in Chico's lower Bidwell Park.  But tougher.

In part it was the heat and humidity, even fairly early in the morning, but it was more than that; the hills were substantial and frequent.  Know that if you go for a run in Central Park it is not flat at all.

We saw runners and cyclists galore.  On weekends cars are banned altogether from the streets within the park.  During the week we were told that they are allowed in the park until 10:00 a.m., but on Monday we saw only a few (mostly taxis) and on Tuesday virtually none except park service vehicles.

While I never saw a sign indicating it was a requirement, it seemed customary that most runners ran counter-clockwise on the loop.

A run in Central Park is a Big Treat.  And while this is the nation's biggest city, many of the runners know each other and shout out greetings just like anywhere else.

The park is huge, beautiful, with great views of the city coming into view whenever there is a break in the trees.  What's more, it's spotless.  New York banned smoking in its parks and it clearly is enforced in Central Park.  I saw exactly one cigarette butt in four days of running, and no defacement (graffiti).

What a treasure this park is, and I've barely scratched the surface as a runner.  I can't wait to come back to run in the spring or autumn when the weather is milder.

For more info about running in Central Park see this from the park's website.


The 9/11 Memorial

The site of our nation's worst modern tragedy is still in many ways a vast construction site, but the memorial itself is complete.  No pictures to show here, but please take a look at the 9/11 Memorial website for photos and information about visiting.

In the footprint of each of the twin towers is a fountain, where water flows down all four sides from ground level, to then flow out through a smaller square at the bottom of the fountain.  It is an effective and solemn tribute to those who lost their lives that awful day.  The names of the victims are inscribed on the railing that surrounds each of the fountains.


"End of the Rainbow"

This was the catalyst that sparked our trip, and it did not disappoint.  In fact, it was outstanding.  Tracie Bennett, the actress who played Judy Garland, couldn't have been better.  Astoundingly, this was her Broadway debut!  She is a British actress, and played the role in London where the show was first produced.

Judy Garland prints in lobby of the Park Central Hotel

Ben Brantley's New York Times review from 2 April 2012 summed up the show magnificently, and this line from it is perfect: "After watching Tracie Bennett's electrifying interpretation of Garland in the intense production that opened on Monday night at the Belasco Theater, you feel exhilirated and exhausted, equally ready to dance down the street and crawl under a rock".

The Belasco Theater was just the right venue for this show.  You could imagine you were in the Talk of the Town nightclub where Garland performed, as the Belasco Theater is quite intimate.  The show's website currently is selling tickets through early January 2013.  If you're headed to New York between now and then, don't miss it.  (And good news: if you can't go to New York, an article reports the show with Tracie Bennett will come to the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles in 2013.)

Running - Reno-Tahoe Odyssey 2012

In my account of last year's Reno-Tahoe Odyssey (RTO), I opened with the observation about how smooth the lead-up to the event was for our team, called "DNR".  No injuries or last minute emergency drops.  I'd love to be able to write that this year was a repeat of last year, but that would be false.

We've never had a team carry over intact from one year to another.  (You could knock me over with a feather if that ever were to happen.)  Prior to sending in our registration, we replaced two runners from 2011 with DNR alumni from previous years.  That's to be expected.

But after our team's registration went in, things got interesting.  We lost three runners due to pregnancy, injury, or schedule conflicts, and replaced them with three more alumni.  Then after a two month injury that showed no signs of healing, I decided I had to replace myself in Van 2.  Then less than two weeks before the relay, Jessica Souder, an excellent runner and 4-time RTO/DNR veteran in Van 1 had to drop out.

Paul Smith, my co-captain, and I decided we wouldn't fill Jessica's position, and Van 1 would backfill the missing legs by having some runners run an extra leg.  (We've done this a number of times over the years for both vans when it would have been too late to find replacement runners .)  I also thought it might now be possible for me to run a couple of Van 1's shorter and easier legs if need be, even though I was injured.

All of this was before we stepped up to the starting line.

Trish, Tiffany, and Erin at Wingfield Park prior to the start

(Photo courtesy Reno Gazette-Journal)

I've never run with Van 1, but I was the one who was at the start to run Leg 1 of the 2012 RTO.  Eric Lerude, the man who created the Reno-Tahoe Odyssey who has become a good personal friend, high-fived me prior to our team's 1:30 p.m. start with five other teams.  (See below)

(Photo courtesy Reno Gazette-Journal)

In addition to our team's "staffing issues", we had to deal with a challenge that every other team faced: heat.  Most years the temperature has been pretty mild at the start, and last year it was unusually cool, changing to downright cold in the Sierras.

Not so in 2012.  The thermometer was in the low 90s when we began at 1:30.

Leg 1's 4.8 miles are westbound mostly along the Truckee River bikepath or on quiet suburban streets.  But it was slow going for me being injured and hot.  I loved the places where there was shade.  As I neared the hand-off point, I saw that the runner who had paced the 1:30 group with Nevada DOT's "Chain Gang" team was down and getting assistance.  (I hope he recovered quickly.)  Boy, was I happy to see Trish from Van 1 waiting for the tag and before I knew it she was off blazing a much faster trail for DNR than I had done.

Van 1: Sean Murphy, Erin Gulbrandsen, Trish Frisella
Tiffany McBroom, Paul Smith (photo by Erin Gulbrandsen)

Van 2 assembled at the hotel and then made its way to the Boca hand-off, the first place where Van 1 goes off duty after the first six legs, and hands the relay wristband to a Van 2 runner.  Van 2 then runs its first legs, 7 through 12.

I drove up to the Boca hand-off in my own car, since I was not going to be running with Van 2, but I wanted to see the first hand-off.

Unbeknownst to Van 2 and me, Van 1 was going through its final personnel changes.  Sean Murphy, a 3-time RTO veteran ran Leg 3 and suffered an Achilles heel meltdown.  He finished the leg, but at the cost of not being able to run any more.  On the positive side, Van 1 gained the addition of a full-time driver, a luxury that most vans lack.

Van 2: Sarah Montez, Laurel Hammang, Bryan Bear,

Lisa Duke, Chris Miller, John Maretti (and me in front)

Erin Gulbrandsen ran Leg 6 into the Boca hand-off, passing the wristband to Sarah Montez who took off like a shot on this tough leg.  Van 2 being fully staffed at six runners, proceeded to finish off its first set of legs before handing off again to Van 1 at Homewood along the west shore of Lake Tahoe.

Van 1 now with four runners and a driver tackled its second set of legs.  Erin ran leg 13, Tricia Leg 14, and then Paul ran legs 15 and 16 and Tiffany ran 17 and 18.  Whew!

Sarah, the only person in Van 2 running all three of her legs in the correct order (7, 19, 31) was tagged at the hand-off in South Lake Tahoe near Stateline and did a great job on the super-tough Kingsbury Grade, Leg 19.

Meanwhile Van 1 headed straight to the next van-to-van hand-off at the Walmart in Carson City to get some rest before getting the call from Van 2.

Not DNR's Van 1, but another team's Van 1 crashed out

Walmart in Carson City (photo by Laurel Hammang)

My experience of RTO was considerably different from years passed.  Due to injury I had to replace myself, but then due to other folks having to drop out I decided to help out as much as I could.

I went back to Reno to sleep at the hotel, but set the alarm for 3 a.m. and then headed down to Carson City to run another leg for Van 1, Leg 25, the first one out of the Walmart parking lot.  Happily, this was cool and dark (around 5 in the morning) and short.  3 miles later I tagged Trish.

From that point on my understanding is that Erin and Tiffany divided up the leg that Sean couldn't run.  Erin ran the straight-up killer Leg 30 into the last van-to-van hand-off in Virginia City to tag Sarah for the last time.

It was Van 2's third and final time in charge while Van 1 celebrated with Bloody Marys at the Bucket of Blood Saloon in Virginia City.

Sarah ran the tough couple of miles out of Virginia City to tag John at Lousetown Road, where he continued up to the Geiger Grade summit and then down to tag Chris, who ran the long Leg 33 grind down Geiger Grade.  Chris tagged Laurel at the bottom of the grade, who then ran a long leg 34 through suburban southern Reno.  I ran the first half of Leg 35 through business parks and then passed the wristband to Bryan who finished Leg 35 and did the last hand-off of the relay to Lisa, our stalwart anchor who ran through the attractive older part of south Reno to finish at Idylwild Park, where Van 1 was waiting to rendezvous with Van 2 to run the last hundred yards to the official finish and then the ceremonial finish.

Done!

After all of the personnel changes and the hot weather challenge, the remarkable thing is just how well DNR did.  (RTO 2012 results.)

The final time was 22 hours 31 minutes 14 seconds (shortly after 12 noon on Saturday), for a 41 minute improvement over 2011 (23:12:13).  Overall out of the 247 teams that finished, DNR came in # 11.  Out of the 100 mixed (coed) teams, DNR finished # 4!

Paul Smith, as always, did a terrific job on Leg 4 the toughest in the relay, coming in fourth of all teams at 57:28.  (This is not Paul's fastest.  He ran it last year in 54:10, but this year's heat took its toll even on Paul.)  Chris Miller, ran the other timed individual leg, # 33, the "Geiger Grinder", in 45:28, thirtieth overall.  Nice going, fellows!

What DNR did this year was the essence of relay running.  Working together, being flexible, and, if need be, making it up as the event unfolds.  Sure, it's nice to have everything go smoothly like it did last year, but that's not always the case.  This year there were lots of curveballs before we even got to the starting line, and then another one that was thrown after the relay began.  DNR took it in stride.  What a great team!

Related links:
Reno-Tahoe Odyssey website
Reno Gazette-Journal article (more links there to other RTO articles and photo galleries)
"The Daily Double" - Sean Murphy's account of his attempt to run two BQs in one day

Here follows a selection of pictures from along the way.

"The Flying Monkeys", Van 1, at Boca

Chico's other RTO team

Lisa and Laurel waiting for Sarah

Van 1's Tiffany, Trish, and Sean hanging out while Erin

is out on the road (photo by Paul Smith)

Sarah hands off to Laurel, Leg 7 to 8

Erin, probably running Leg 30

(photo by Paul Smith)

Night moves: John to Bryan, Leg 11 to 12

(photo by Sarah Montez)

Two too fast: Erin hands off to Sarah in Virginia City
Van 1 is done!

Sarah tags John: Leg 31 to 32

John starts Chris on Leg 33, the long Geiger Grade descent

Last hand-off: Bryan to Lisa, Leg 35 to 36 - Go Lisa!

Van 1's prerogative:

Bloody Marys at the Bucket of Blood Saloon

(photo by Paul Smith)

Last of all, here is a memory that Van 2 can take to the bank.

John and I were driving down Geiger Grade in my car while Chris was running Leg 33 and the rest of Van 2 was in the van.  John spotted a home made sign attached to a reflective paddle sign by the side of the road in a pull-out.  He realized it was a Burma Shave-style series of signs and it started with "DNR".  This could not be an accident.  The series read: "DNR - U - Look - Pretty - Run!"  I could attempt to explain the significance of this, but suffice to say that it is a private joke in Van 2 that dates back to the first running of the RTO in 2005.

John and I were mystified as to who might be responsible.

We considered Van 1.  Not likely.  When could they possibly have done it?  The Flying Monkeys?  (This is the other Chico-based team captained by the irrepressible Ed Hudson.)  Within reason, but we didn't think they knew about the joke.  John's wife Cathy or my partner Keith? - nope, they were on the road to Reno from Chico.  We called Lisa in the van to let her know about this, and she's the one who cracked the mystery.  She assigned guilt to Roseann, who was in Van 2 for the last three years.  She was one of the runners who had to drop out this year due to injury, she lives nearby in Reno, and this is exactly the sort of thing she would do.

Nice going, Roseann.  If it hadn't been for Lisa, we might never have known.  And thanks for stopping by at the 34 to 35 hand-off! 

Here is the first  photo that shows the entire Burma Shave series, followed by a close-up of each sign.

Running - 2012 Mt. Ashland Hill Climb Run registration to begin 20 March

I recently received an email from the organizers of the Mt. Ashland Hill Climb Run announcing that registration would begin this year on 20 March, earlier than before.  The field has been expanded to 360 runners, up from 300 last year.

I've written about running this straight uphill 13+ mile trail run in 2010 and 2011, and other interested runners asked me to alert them when registration opened,  You may consider this your alert.

As is traditional, the race takes place the first Saturday in August (4 August 2012).

Since it's my business, let me remind you that you should book your hotel rooms now, because August weekends in Ashland are about as high-season as it gets.

Running - A challenge to runners to help save Bidwell Mansion

Please take a look at my Chico blog to read a post entitled "Runners - A challenge to help save Bidwell Mansion"

Running - Remembering my first marathon 25 years ago

On Saturday, 29 November 1986, at age 30, I ran my first marathon: the Seattle Marathon.

Though I do count it as my first marathon, the race turned out to be what I have ever since called the "20 mile run and 10K walk".  Though not amusing at the time, it's a story I've enjoyed telling over the years as a cautionary tale.

1987 Seattle Marathon - along the Sammamish River Trail

I moved to Seattle from Los Angeles in June of 1985, and  soon afterward began to increase the speed and length of my runs.  Seattle was and is a great running town, and most of my friends were fellow runners I got to know through Seattle Frontrunners, the gay and lesbian running club.  (After 13 years in Chico I've logged more miles in Bidwell Park than anywhere else, but Green Lake in Seattle is surely in second place.)

By the fall of 1986 I thought correctly that a marathon was within my reach, and I began training for the Seattle Marathon held the weekend right after Thanksgiving.  I ran a half-marathon in Yakima in early October, which indicated that all systems were go.

But soon they wouldn't be.

At some point in mid-October on a long training run, I developed a serious pain in one of my legs and it was clear that continuing to train was impossible.  A wiser, more experienced runner would have decided to not to run a marathon only six weeks later, but not I.

I didn't run at all for the next five weeks, ran a little in the week prior to the race, and then on race day I put on my bib, and got in line at the race start.  Not smart.

I had healed enough to run a half marathon but soon after that I would start to hurt badly.  At the half marathon point my time was around 1:20 or so.  But the pain that had probably been there to a slight degree from the start got worse and worse.  My pace slowed dramatically, and finally by around Mile 20 I was faced with either dropping out altogether or stumble-walking the last six miles.

My pride compelled me to choose the latter course of action, and I hobbled the last six very painful miles along the Burke Gilman Trail to a finish of around 3:45.

Well, I finished it, but the result was an all but officially diagnosed stress fracture that led to a couple of months of no running whatsoever followed by a slow recovery.

Did I learn something from this first marathon?

Yes - don't run or race on an unresolved injury.  That should seem obvious to any runner, but there are times when good sense goes on vacation and one runs a race against all better judgment and then quite predictably pays the price.

I'm happy to say that after that first experience I recovered slowly but well, and in all of the next six marathons, I finished under 3 hours.  (Seattle Marathon 1987/1988/1989-p.r., Emerald City Marathon 1988/1989, Gay Games in Vancouver, BC, 1990.)

1987 Seattle Marathon - Along the Burke Gilman Trail

But I've taken the lesson from my first marathon in 1986 with me.

I didn't run another marathon for nearly 19 years until Eugene in May 2009.  That went well.  However late that same year, an injury two weeks prior to CIM (California International Marathon in Sacramento) led me to bail on that race, and unfortunately this year a hamstring injury that occurred seven weeks ago forces me again to fold my tents for CIM.

Is it disappointing to skip a race you've trained and registered for?  Yes.

But the alternative of running on a not fully healed injury will lead at best to a disappointing performance, and at worst to a much more serious injury.  Furthermore you'll spend money on hotels, meals, and incidentals for a subpar experience, when you could cut your losses by only forfeiting the cost of the registration fee.

Now 25 years later, I'm happy I ran that first marathon.  It provided me with a story I like to tell, even if I'm slightly sheepish about how the race turned out.  I ran (and walked) the race, I learned the lesson, and there's no need to ever relearn it!


Seattle Marathon - notes about the history of the course

In 1985 I went to watch a friend run the Seattle Marathon when the course was a double loop: from Seward Park up to Madison Park and back to Seward Park along Lake Washington - and repeat.

When I ran the race a year later the course had changed completely to a point-to-point route from Redmond along the Sammamish River Trail into Woodinville and Bothell and then switching to the Burke Gilman Trail to finish at an auditorium at the University of Washington campus.

1987 Seattle Marathon - along the Burke Gilman Trial

In 1987 the course was altered slightly so that it continued on the Burke Gilman around the university campus to finish at Gasworks Park at the north end of Lake Union.  The course was the same in the following two years that I ran it.

In the late 80s the bigger of Seattle's two marathons was the Emerald City Marathon which I ran in 1988 and 1989.  In 1990 it became part of Ted Turner's Goodwill Games between the U.S. and the then Soviet Union, but I don't think the race was ever held again.

In the intervening years since I ran the Seattle Marathon the course again changed altogether, and now bears some resemblance to the original Emerald City Marathon course.

Photo credit: all photos by Doug Schwab, an Amtrak colleague of mine in Seattle.

Running - Whiskeytown Relays 2011

This past Sunday (18 September 2011) the 36th annual Whiskeytown Relays took place.

My team ("Team IPA") of four guys (three in their fifties, one youngster in his forties), finished the 19.9 mile course in 2 hours 40 minutes 36 seconds, taking first in our age group (combined age of 200-239), but we were also the only men's team in this bracket!

Last year two men's teams competed in this age range. 

l-r: Bryan ("the kid"), Greg, John, Dave  (photo courtesy of Tori Parks)

Overall we finished 25 out of 119 teams though I should point out that one "team" consisted of a solo runner, Ryan Ghelfi, who finished second overall with a time of 2:01:48 (only a minute behind the winning team of four men).  Amazing, and especially considering how tough a lot of the course is.

Here are links to the overall results and the results by age and other categories.

Three other teams from Chico, each consisting of four women, took part.  In years gone by many more teams from Chico have participated in the relay.

The weather was beautiful for the race and the event was, as always, well-organized by the Redding's SWEAT running club Whiskeytown race director: Tori Parks.  Tori wasted no time in putting the date for next year's Whiskeytown Relays on the website!  (It's 23 September 2012.)

Whether you're a veteran relay runner or someone who's never dipped a toe in the relay waters, this is an event that always delivers a good time.

2011 Mt. Ashland Hill Climb Run

In August 2010, I ran in the Mt. Ashland Hill Climb Run from the plaza in downtown Ashland, Ore. up to the top of Mt. Ashland, 13.3 miles and 5600’ (1707 m) later.  Last year my finish was 3:02:20.  Being so close to three hours then, inspired me to give it another go this year with the goal of coming in under that.

I’m happy to report that I made my goal with a time of 2:57:32, not quite five minutes faster.

View of Mt. Ashland from the city

Rather than give the entire blow-by-blow account of the race, I’ll confine this to some observations and include a few new pictures I snapped this year.  For those interested in running the race or anyone who wants to know more about the event, please read last year’s post.

My running of the race was not much different from last 2010.

I ran – no walking - from the start at Lithia Plaza until the third aid station at Bull Gap, about 9 miles into the race.  This is entirely uphill and in some places very steep until approximately 8 miles, but from there to Bull Gap is the only level or at times slight downhill part of the course.  This year I really poured on the speed here to put some money in the bank, knowing I’d need to withdraw it later.

From Bull Gap to the Ski Lodge the road becomes single track and more difficult to negotiate.  I powerwalked twice – once early on and again nearer the end when I felt that fatigue made me clumsy on the steep rutted surface, and powerwalking would be smoother, more comfortable, and nearly as fast as slow-motion running.

Looking back to whence we came:
viewing the valley where Ashland is from the Ski Lodge

I downed some liquids and a few orange slices at the Ski Lodge aid station, then set off on the last, shortest and toughest leg of the run, the ascent of the summit.  I think I may have done this more slowly than last year. 

After the first few semi-level steps one takes upon leaving the aid station. I reverted to walking the steep single track trail to the start of the even steeper scree.  From there it seemed like two steps forward, one step back, rest, and then repeat until I finally made the finish line at the summit.

I can’t say this was any easier for me than last year because it wasn’t.

Looking back toward the Ski Lodge and to where

runners emerge from the forest.

Clearly if I ever want to improve my time further, I’ll need to do better in the last two segments of the run after Bull Gap. But I was happy with this year’s result. After some time resting at the summit, I hopped a ride in a pick-up back to the lodge where the refreshments were, including Standing Stone Brewing’s keg!

Two anecdotes about other runners

From soon after the start as far as the Bull Gap aid station I ran at times with, ahead of, or behind Kathy Morell of Ketchum, Idaho.  (Chico readers will note that she told me she has a niece working at the Hotel Diamond.)  Due to my speed-up on the level-and-downhill portion prior to Bull Gap, I finished there before she did, but that would not be how things ended up.  She made a quick stop at the aid station, took off running a few seconds before I did, and soon I stopped seeing her in the distance.  She smoked the rest of the race, finishing nearly 13 minutes ahead of me (2:44:43).  Kathy is 50, and won the women’s 50-59 division!

Just a few minutes before the  race start, I looked to my right and who should be there but Jen Briggs, a recent former resident of Chico who now lives with her family in Eugene, Ore.  What a surprise!  I had no idea that anyone I knew would be there.  As it was, she, her sister Lori, and brother-in-law John from Colorado were running it, too.  They all did very well, and  less than two weeks from now are running in the Pike’s Peak Ascent which has an even greater elevation gain than the Hill Climb, plus it starts at about the same elevation where Mt. Ashland ends.


2012 ?

Ski Lodge aid station - the final push to the summit in background

I wasn’t planning to make this a same-time next year kind of event.  I made my goal of coming in under 3 hours, and maybe some other year I’d give it another try.  But after I finished, my partner Keith (whose knee injury has prevented him from running since January), mused about the idea of powerwalking the Hill Climb.  (Keith’s powerwalk is faster than some people run.)  Should he decide to powerwalk it then I’ll run it in 2012.  I think Keith just wants to enjoy the free beer after the finish, as well as the $10 Standing Stone Brewing Co. gift certificate that they put in the runner goody bag.

If you are interested in running the Hill Climb, note that the field is limited to 300 runners, and this year it sold out within two weeks of the start of registration.  To go on a list to be notified when registration opens up in the spring, click here.


The numbers:

Total # of finishers: 192
# of male finishers: 107
# of female finishers: 85
Men’s winning time: 1:51:54 (Erik Skaggs, 29, Ashland)
Women’s winning time: 2:11:40 (Stephanie Howe, 27, Bend, Ore.)
# male finishers 50-59: 16
My divisional place: 5
Fastest male 50-59: 2:20:39
All results

Running - Reno-Tahoe Odyssey 2011

RTO '11 wristband (photo by and of Ramon Ferguson)

For anyone who has done what I call a Big Relay, a 12-person, 36-leg, run day-and-night until you finish kind of thing modeled on Hood to Coast in Oregon, then you know it’s not normal to have things go smoothly leading up to the event.

It reminds me of a scene early in one of my favorite movies, “The Big Chill”, where three guys are looking around up in a dark attic, and one jokingly says, “It’s quiet – too quiet” and then all of a sudden bats fly out of nowhere to scare the daylights out of them.

I felt like things were “too quiet” leading up to my team’s running the seventh annual Reno-Tahoe Odyssey (RTO) on Friday-Saturday, 3-4 June.  None of my 11 teammates had laid the groundwork for dropping out by complaining for months of nagging injuries.  I didn’t hear anything about a last minute scheduling conflict.  No family emergencies occurred at the eleventh hour.

Yes, it was too quiet.  You see, I’ve done enough of these relays now to expect a last minute crisis, that forces me and my co-captain to have to find a replacement runner.  Not this year.

And the smooth lead-up to the relay on the part of my team, called “DNR”, was exactly how the relay itself unfolded.

Sweet.

The first teams begin at 7 a.m.

In Big Relays, 12 people are split into two groups of 6, each of whom occupies a van or large SUV.  The first van runs six legs, hands off to the next van which runs its 6 legs while the first van rests, and then the second van hands the baton (in this relay a yellow wristband) back to the first van, until after three cycles like this (a total of 36 legs of different distances and challenge) the team complete the relay.

Here's a link to the 178-mile course overview that includes links to maps of the individual legs.

DNR for the second year was a mixed (i.e. coed) team, which means that at least 6 of the runners must be women.  Van 1 consisted of Paul, Jessica, Tiffany, Ramon, Sonya, and April.  Van 1 included Lisa, Chris, Jody, Roseann, John, and me.

Our finish time was 23 hours, 12 minutes, 13 seconds, good for a fifth place finish in our mixed division (90 teams), and sixteenth among all teams (204 teams finished).

Paul Smith, one of Chico’s very best runners and my co-captain gets a good share of the credit for our performance.  He was our runner in Leg 4, considered the toughest of all of the 36 legs for both its distance and elevation changes.  Leg 4 is the only leg that is individually timed, and Paul finished Leg 4 fourth overall, only 9 seconds behind the two guys that tied for second and third, and was the first “flatlander”.  (This event is run from between 5,000 to 7500 feet, which can leave those who live at or close to sea level gasping for breath.)  Paul also ran a fourth leg when one of his van-mates suffered a bout of stomach distress prior to running her third leg.

Van 1 before its 2 p.m. start:

April, Paul, Jessica, Ramon, Tiffany, Sonya

(photo by Lisa Duke)

The number of registered teams was the highest in the RTO’s history: 209.  (Last year 155 took part.)  But in spite of the one-third increase in teams, the relay was not in the least bit negatively impacted.

If anything, in the first half of the relay the perspective of those of us in Van 2 was actually of seeing fewer teams than in previous years.  It was around the midway point that Van 1 mostly, but Van 2 also, began passing large numbers of slower teams.

How the handicapping works.

Van 2 in Virginia City after our showers and

before our last set of legs.  Clockwise from

bottom, 1960s album cover style: Roseann,

John, Chris, Jody, Greg, Lisa

(photo by Roseann Keegan)

Teams are handicapped based on predicted finish times with slower teams starting early – as early as 7 a.m. – and faster teams starting as late as 4 p.m.  DNR began at 2 p.m.  As the relay progresses the faster teams overtake and pass the slower ones.

The finish times themselves are not handicapped; they are measured in real time but team starting times are staggered, in order to ensure that all teams finish in a window of approximately 4 hours.  The race director can and does halt teams midway, stop the clock for them, and then restart them, if they are running significantly faster than they predicted.  This is unavoidable, because if they arrive too early at leg-to-leg hand-off locations or at the finish line they will find them not yet staffed by volunteers.

Up until the relay started, the weather was certainly in question.  Northern California and the Sierras  have experienced a prolonged wet and cool spring with snow falling in the mountains up until a day before the race.  On the drive to Reno the day before, I saw lots of snow.  And when van 2 drove west from Reno toward Truckee to meet Van 1 for the first hand-off, the surrounding mountains were clearly getting some form of precipitation.  But good fortune prevailed, and except for a good deal of wind on Friday, and a few brief sprinkles or very light rain during van 2’s first set of legs, the good conditions held.

DNR at the finish:
left to right: Sonya, Jessica, Roseann, Jody, April, Greg, Tiffany, Lisa, Paul, John, Chris, Ramon

(photograph by April Hennessy's camera)

Race director Eric Lerude, his assistant Shelly Demaray, wife Stephanie, cousin Rick, and army of volunteers have created an event that Reno can be proud of.  Lots of local teams and plenty of visitors now have a grand tradition of running the RTO.  Eric had planned to cap the event at 200 teams, but now may have to reconsider the cap, or participants will need to be sure to register early in order to assure a place.  A happy dilemma for Eric, to be sure.  (The first running of the RTO in ’05 attracted 36 teams.)

Night scene - one of Van 1's hand-offs along Hwy. 89 on Tahoe's west shore

(photo by April Hennessy)

For the first time ever, Eric and Stephanie actually drove the course during the relay to see events on the ground.  In previous years, they moved from the start of the race at Reno’s Wingfield Park to their home (aka the RTO command post) and then moved again to Idylwild Park for the finish.

Paul hands off to Ramon, Leg 28 to 29

(photo by April Hennessy)

This time, Shelly went to the command post, while Eric and Stephanie drove the course to see what Eric’s creation really looked like.  I’ll bet it looked nice to see more than 200 teams out there!

My own experience of the relay was that I ran legs 8, 19, and 35.  Leg 8 I have run in each and every RTO.  I was a little faster this year than last, and passed one runner and saw no others.

Leg 19 was a first for me.  It’s one of the tougher in the race, starting in California close to the casinos in Stateline, heading back into Nevada, and then making an abrupt right turn after a mile to ascend the steep Kingsbury Grade – about a 1000’ elevation gain in 3 miles.  Let’s just say I was glad to see the hand-off point, but it went well enough and I passed 6 runners.

Sat., 4 June - about 5 a.m. Jack's Valley Volunteer Fire Station,
hand-off from Leg 23 to 24, between Genoa and Carson City.

I've run Leg 35 for the past two years, and ran it again this year.  It was one of a number of legs that underwent major course changes this year, becoming shorter (6.2 miles instead of 7.5) and somewhat more scenic in its second half.  I passed about ten runners, but it was still a challenge, and I would like to do better the next time.  I think I need to work on the pre-fueling more thoughtfully for Leg 35 next year.

Fueling after the relay was no challenge at all.  Those from DNR who stayed over in Reno went out on Saturday night to Silver Peak Brewing in downtown Reno and had a great time.  I enjoyed one of the best stouts I have had anywhere, anytime.

Time to wrap up this post.  Thanks to my team for doing such a good job and being so easy to organize.  Shall we make it a date again in 2012?

Here are a few more pictures of the event.

Paul hands off to Ramon, Leg 4 to 5

(photo by April Hennessy)

Ramon hands off to Jessica, Leg 5 to 6

(photo by Tiffany McBroom)

Jessica hands off to Lisa, Leg 6 to 7

John on the downhill half of Leg 32 comng

down Geiger Grade (photo by Lisa Duke)

Jody waiting to get tagged by Jessica in Virginia City,

Leg 30 to 31 (photo by Lisa Duke)

Van 1 is done, time to celebrate at the Bucket of Blood Saloon

in Virginia City! (photo by Tiffany McBroom's camera)

Van 1 - Tiffany, Jessica, and Ramon lounging

(photo by April Hennessy)

Van 2 - John, Chris, Lisa and Jody engage in important

deliberations (photo by Roseann Keegan)

At the top of Geiger Grade in the middle of Leg 32

(photo by Lisa Duke)

The open road early in the relay

(photo by April Hennessy)