Ragnar Relay Recap - Leg 1

2010 RAGNAR RELAY - CENTRAL FLORIDA

12 Half Nuts

+

2 Vans

+

202 Miles

(Clearwater, FL to Daytona Beach, FL)

=

One Helluva Running Adventure

Team Half Nuts

This year's Ragnar adventure starts out with Spike and I getting in late Thursday night to Orlando, after dealing with the car rental place and Spike realizing the race was the following morning and NOT Saturday, we were finally on our way to B.o.B's. We arrived about 1:30 a.m. after a lengthy discussion about the likelihood of a Zombie invasion and other such nonsense. (Can you tell we were tired?!) Upon arrival we went straight to bed because our 6 a.m. wake-up call was not going to be pretty! The Half Nuts all met up at Shorty-Shorts house to separate accordingly (this year we traded Shorty-Shorts for Little J and stuck him in with all the Ragnar virgins, Spike included) and headed to the Start... Sorta. Van 2 had to head back to the Captain's headquarters to pick up some important forgotten items, meanwhile Van 1 ran into some battery problems. By the time we got everyone to the Start we were too late for the 11:00 a.m. start time so we opted for 11:30 a.m. and Shorty-Shorts got his very own private Start.

Lonely, he's so lonely...

With Van 1 off and running it was time to decorate the Van, catch up with fellow B.R.A. teams and for me to step in fire ants because that is what I do. FAIL.

Don't you just love the Nut for the front?!?!

The entire course was reworked this year and our runner's in Van 1 were pretty speedy so as a result we didn't have nearly as much time to goof off as last year before we started our first leg. After we decorated the van we grabbed lunch and then headed straight to the first major exchange to await our turn. Once there I geared up, put on my game face and peed 5,000 times waiting for Spike to hand off to me.

Standard.

LEG 1 RECAP

About 2:50 p.m. Friday afternoon I took my place in the exchange chute and waited anxiously as Spike raced towards me drenched in sweat and wobbling a bit from the heat, or maybe that was just the trick of the heat waves playing off the concrete?!!, either way, I knew I was in for a reality check with the 80+ degree afternoon and the sun out in full force. After he slapped the slap bracelet onto my wrist I shot off and began my 7.6 M first leg (that at the time I thought was only 7.1 M) on the Suncoast Trail that runs alongside the Suncoast Parkway Tollway in Spring Hill, FL.

The trail itself was quite nice and peaceful but between the rolling hills and the angry Hades sun I was getting my butt kicked. Reprieves came sporadically when the trees would overhang the trail and at one point I had to cross a road and I don't know if it was the heat or what but I swore the cars coming head on where getting on to an on-ramp and only realized they weren't just in time to speed across without getting hit! I was getting majorly overheated and was thankful when the Van showed up with some water and direction as I almost blew past a turn in my stupor. I was now on a dirt road and starting to feel nauseous... As I made my way thru a sketchy stretch of road I had to stop momentarily because I started dry heaving. I quickly regained my composure and did my best to bring it in to the exchange strong and hand off to Caribbean Steve. (You can view this leg course and elevation by clicking HERE)

I had predicted my pace for each leg at about an 8:30 P and I was happy to see I brought it in just under. The heat really kicked my butt this leg as I haven't seen a warm day since early September. It really made me nervous for how the rest of the race would go...

Action shot!

LEG 1 - VAN 2 RECAP

(Runner / Miles Ran / Pace / Notes from Run)

Runner # 7: Red - 7.6± M @ 8:27 P

Runner #8: Caribbean Steve - 4.3± M @ 8:05 P

Runner #9: P-Funk - 6.9± M @ 8:45 P - LJ high-fived a pimp in a purple suit while giving P water during her leg in Brooksville.

Runner #10: B.o.B - 3.5± M @ 7:42 P - Exchange 9 had unexpected entertainment between Team 11 & the volunteers before B.o.B started her first of many speedy runs.

Runner #11: Little J (LJ) - 3.8± M @ 7:16 P - Mid-run a pick-up truck stopped and asked her if the race was going on.... Ya think?

Runner #12: Captain - 8.58 M (as opposed to) 6.2± M @ 7:48 P - Because of a missed sign, Capt' ended up going 2.5 M further than he was supposed to. :(

C.Steve hands off to P-Funk

P-Funk to B.o.B

Captain otherwise known as the Green Lantern ends Leg 1 with the hand off to Shorty-Shorts...

Notable Moments from the Van Log

Steve feels like a thorn between two roses.

P-Funk doesn't know how to put on a seat belt and Red scolds her.

P-Funk: "Is this pit stop a surprise?!?!"

LJ: "No, Captain forgot the chargers."

Caribbean Steve: "I look good naked!"

P-Funk conducts a saliva workshop.

Red thinks it's "Blow Horn" not "Bull Horn"

Far too much convo on blind men.

Caribbean Steve: "On the islands we don't have modern medicine."

Red: "Mother Medicine?"

Captain: "Watermelon?"

(C.Steve is hard to understand)

LJ honks the horn with her boobs.

Don't miss Leg 2 & Leg 3!!!