Northwest Passage Ragnar Assassinated By Deadly Ninjas

July 26, 2013 by camoozle

It’s Ragnanimous! I am in love with the Pacific Northwest. I spent this past weekend running relay from Blaine to Whidbey Island and it’s safe to say, Washington state brings the pretty. As always, I ran with my ninjas. My friend Tim took on the Captaining duties this time around and it was a total relief. I packed my gigantic suitcase with the necessities: running shoes, shot blocks, orange hair dye, ninja stars, and headed to Portland, where I was greeted by my Ragnar mentor, Jana.

You’re Welcome, TSA.

We gathered two more ninjas, Mike and Amber, and headed for Seattle to meet up with the rest of our team. Many of our runners traveled from out of state and Eric was scheduled to pick up our van from the Seattle airport. The other van was being provided by one of our runners, Amy. The plan was to meet in Seattle, get our vans situated, eat a yummy dinner, then travel two hours to the start line where Dana had arranged for us to stay in a kickass timeshare. Of course, there’s always a snag.

Crisis #1…FLAT TIRE! On the way to Seattle, we stopped to get a couple bags of fortune cookies at Tsue Chong. We like to hand out the cookies on the course. Walking back to the car, Mike noticed the front tire had a screw in it. And it was quickly deflating. Luckily, we found a tire shop who patched up the tire and we were back on the road in no time.

I see an unlikely stop in your future.

Crisis #2…THEY GAVE AWAY OUR VAN!! That’s right, Budget gave away the roomy minivan that was to be our home for the next 30 hours. Instead they gave us a Ford Explorer. Which is not as roomy, nor as user friendly for getting in and out of. So we crammed all our stuff into the back of the SUV and I crawled into the cubby space in the way far back and claimed it as my own.

FINALLY, we were ready to eat. It had gotten pretty late with all our setbacks and for some reason, everything had closed at 8pm. We were running out of dining options. Plan one was to get pizza and take it to the timeshare. Plan two…find the nearest Olive Garden. Which is what we did. The other van opted for pizza, but we made a beeline for the breadsticks. Our bellies full, we headed up to the timeshare to get some much needed rest before our 8 am start time.

Van 1: Eldon, Tim, Armando, Amy, DenaLee, Dana

Van 2: Eric, Dustin, Amber, Cam, Mike, Jana

Race Day! We were awakened by the sounds of 1997 blasting from Jana’s ipod. We donned our ninja gear and drank our hotel coffee. We said goodbye to the toilet and its running water. We wouldn’t be seeing one of those for awhile. It would be Honey Buckets from here on out. We piled into our vehicles and headed off to the start. My van wouldn’t begin running until around 1pm but we wanted to support our team as we headed out on this great adventure. And wouldn’t you know it, we hit another snag.

Crisis #3…WE GOT PULLED OVER!!! That’s right, boys and girls, we were going 40 mph in a 25 mph zone. And even though there were tons of decorated vans careening through the small town of Blaine, Washington, Highway Patrol decided to stop us. He let us off with a warning but the time wasted was enough to make us stress. Then there was the task of actually getting to the start line. Last year, we accidentally went to Canada. This time, an emergency u-turn averted that crisis but it still took some time to find the start.

But we made it. Just in time to snap this picture.

There goes our ninja!

We hung around the start for a while, then grabbed some breakfast at a snazzy little cafe close by. Then we headed to Exchange 6, where we would meet the other van and begin our runs. We got to the exchange super early. What’s a ninja to do with all that free time? Why, prepare the arsenal and tag vans, of course! And make some friends in the process.

We got word that Runner 6, DenaLee, was about a mile out and Eric took his post at the exchange. He would be handing off to me. His first leg was relatively short and he’s inhumanly fast, so we quickly made our way to Exchange 7. My first run would be 5.7 miles with about about a 600 ft. elevation gain. This was the leg I was dreading the most. I took a FrogFuel, packed some Shot Blocks in my belt, and put my Ragnar NWP mix on shuffle. I was ready to get this out of the way so I could enjoy the rest of the race in peace! As predicted, Eric came flying into the exchange and I was off!

The first two miles of the leg were through a residential area, with a nice steep climb. At the end of the climb, though, I was rewarded with a mile of the most beautiful scenery imaginable. The course turned onto a trail through the forest, complete with green, mossy trees and ferns. The trail opened to Lake Padden and I ran along the lake until I exited the park. My team was waiting for me with water and I was really glad to see them. While the trail was cool and shady, the street was hot!

With that first leg out of the way, I was able to relax and support my team while the rest of the van ran their legs. Being second in our van to run had it’s advantages! I was feeling good and loving my van and I didn’t even care that I was smushed into a cubby hole. This race was shaping up to be the best Ragnar ever!

Then…tragedy struck.

I was waiting to cross the street so I could hand water to our runner, Mike. It was a pretty busy street and I kept hesitating to cross. I wouldn’t be in position to get his water to him before he passed. I finally just bit the bullet and ran to cross the street. And I tripped. And fell flat on my face. In the street. With traffic. I quickly backed out of the street and Mike ran over to help me up. His water had been flung in the process. The safety flag was thrown to the wayside. And I was left with skinned palms and bruised knees and a little damage to my ego. Once I realized I was safe and not seriously injured…I laughed.

And laughed.

Then Jana made this…

And we all laughed. Hysterically. And every time someone in our van was looking at there phone and laughing, I knew exactly what they were laughing at.

Dustin was our last runner and he handed off to Dana about 10 minutes ahead of our projected pace. It was time for us to rest and eat and ready ourselves for our long night runs. We feasted on salads and burgers at Red Robin then drove to Exchange 18 at La Conner Middle School. They had showers and sleeping spaces in the gym and we attempted to get some sleep. I was in my cubby hole in the way far back, fading in and out of consciousness, when I heard a burst of foul language from the front seat. The next thing I knew, I was being roused into action. We had missed our runner! There was a severe lack of phone service and we had predicted Dana to be coming into the exchange at midnight. What we didn’t know was that Van 1 was kicking ass and they were now 30 minutes ahead of schedule. They sent a text to us to get ready…but we never received it. Thus, Dana ran into the exchange and was met with nobody to hand off to! Instead of waiting, she just kept running. She had ran about 2 of Eric’s 8.7 mile leg by the time we caught up with her to make the switch.

Keep your phones on, people!

Eric jumped out of the van and took off. We waited for Van 1 by the side of the road to come pick up Dana. Once we made the switch, we did some quick math to determine where Eric would be on the course and where we should go to support him. Now, it should be noted here that Eric is a beast. He’s fast. Like 7.5 minute miles fast. And everyone always runs faster on their night runs. It’s a well-known Ragnar-phenomenon. We should have known he’d be tearing up the course. We drove up the course a bit and we waited for Eric to pass. We waited and waited and soon, our clocks were telling us we had waited too long. We had missed him. We quickly drove on to the exchange in the hope we’d catch him, but nope. He had gone through the exchange and just kept running! By the time we were able to catch him, he had ran 4.5 of my 7.7 mile leg. I wasn’t complaining, but sheesh, that’s a lot of miles for a Ragnar leg! I jumped out of the van to switch places with him and finish the last 3 miles of the leg.

Which turned out to be another magnificent run. I ran along the edge of Fidalgo Bay, then turned onto a bridge that spanned the entire bay. The moon was reflecting off the water and the air was cool and still, and I felt so incredibly grateful in that moment. I wanted the bridge to go on forever but after a mile, the trail turned through a wooded area. It was very dark and there was forest on both sides of the trail. All I could see was the path leading into a very dark hole in the slightly less dark trees. As the runners in front of me turned the corner, their back LED light would disappear, making the whole experience very “rabbit hole” like. It was spine tingling and exciting and a little scary but before I knew it, I had turned a corner and there was Jana at the exchange.

It was well into the wee morning hours by the time I finished and I tried to stay awake through the other runs. But eventually, exhaustion took over and I passed out in my cubby hole. I didn’t wake up until around 8 am. I was cramped and sore, my knees aching because they’d been curled into my chest all night. I stretched and changed and Jana and I ate breakfast while the rest of our van slept. This may have been the most sleep I’ve ever gotten at a Ragnar.

Thanks mostly to Eric running my miles, we were ahead of pace by a whole hour. We were well-fed and well-rested and ready for our final legs. Eric took over running around noon and then I had 4.2 miles of downhill fun. This run wasn’t as pretty as the other two, but it was fast and easy. I handed off to Jana and that was it! My running was done!

Now it was time to play! I spent the rest of the race supporting my van, tagging vans, and handing fortune cookies out my window. And my team was kicking ass on pace. By the time we dropped our last runner, Dustin, off for his last leg, we were an hour and a half ahead of pace. We notified the other van then sped to the finish line so we could all cross together in our ninja gear. Dustin finished up strong and quick and we crossed together to the Mortal Kombat theme song. A perfect ending to a perfect race.

This was my favorite Ragnar thus far. Everything just seemed to be at its best. Best team. Best weather. Best scenery. Best pace. It’s going to be hard to beat NWP, Napa. You better get your game face on!

Are you running a Ragnar this year? Did you see any ninjas at Northwest Passage? (That’s a trick question, you can’t see ninjas.) Do you want a pair of snazzy Ragnar compression socks to sport a your next relay? We have the hook-up! Recently we were able to score a pair of S/M Orange Ragnar PRO Compression socks.

Click the pic to enter! Now through 7/29/13

Relay! It will be fun!

July 9, 2013 by camoozle

Guess what time it is? I’ll give you a hint. It starts with an R and ends with AGNAR! That’s right, boys and girls, Ragnar Northwest Passage is just around the corner and in just one short month, I’ll be trekking up north again to participate in the relay series in Napa. I know what you’re thinking: This chick can’t possibly be writing another post about Ragnar. I mean, what is she, like an ambassador or something?

Actually, yes, I am.

But rest assure! This is not a Ragnar post. Relay, it’s not. (Hehe)

I’ve participated in many Rag- I mean, relay races and I’ve realized over the years that there is a specific recipe for putting together a successful relay team. Relay racing requires tons of, ahem, leg work, in order to produce a smooth racing experience for all. When I first started putting these teams together I made lots of mistakes. But I had an incredible mentor who answered all my questions and told me all the tricks. So that’s what I’m here to do today, my friends. Help me, help you relay!

Get Yo Peeps in Line

First things first, you need runners. Recruit, recruit, recruit! Almost everyone knows someone who races nowadays. Luckily, Facebook is making it easier and easier to find runners. You know all those annoying gym updates? Call them out! Oh, you ran 5 miles on the treadmill today at the gym? Have I got a race for you! I’ve used all types of social media to find runners for my teams, I even know someone who used dating sites to find runners. How’s that for a first date? Sometimes the best teammates are the people you’ve never met before. Eventually, you’ll have an entire network of relay runners that you can call upon to fill a team. And this video will be really hilarious…

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EL1hLU_LBvs&w=560&h=315]

After you’ve gotten people to agree to it, make them pay. Always, always get their registration ahead of time. Many people will commit, but these races are freaking expensive! I always require the registration fee to hold a spot on the team. Give them a deadline. If they don’t pay, they don’t play. Allow yourself plenty of time to find replacements.

The infamous “Friendship Contract”

The Early Bird Gets a Great Deal

Most races give a discount if you register early. Relay races are no different. If you can do so financially, register your team even if you haven’t filled all the spots before the price goes up. Take advantage of those discounts. Some races partner with different vendors, hotels, car rental places, custom t-shirt printers, and offer discounts if you book with those facilities. Secure your before/after race lodging and vans far in advance. Most companies will just require a credit card number to hold the reservation, but won’t charge until the deed is done. Don’t wait until the last minute, because those facilities fill up quick. Order your t-shirts/costumes early so you don’t have to rush deliver. Take advantage of cutting costs where ever you can and make sure all your teammates have an idea of what their share of the cost is going to be.

Book early! You don’t want to be stuck in the dreaded minivan!

Train

Training for a relay race is really no different from training for any long distance race. It’s important to keep in mind that you may be running in different climates, elevations, terrains, and clothing than you’re used to. It’s also important to keep in mind that you will be running on very little sleep and during the middle of the night in the dark. Running with a headlamp is awkward. So is running in a ninja mask or fish nets. Practice! Try to simulate these changes in your training runs. I like to run this mountain circuit by my house because it incorporates many of the changes I could encounter in my relay runs. Sometimes, the runs have already been mapped on programs like MapMyRun or Strava. Check it out on Google Maps. If you’re racing close to home, go to the streets you’ll be running. I’ve found that incorporating other strength training activities, like weights and core work, into my training regime will increase my stamina and endurance. And if all else fails, search for a relay training schedule online and follow it! Ragnar provides this Training Guide on their site.

Boxing is one of my non-running training exercises!

Communicate

I send out many detailed emails during the months leading up to a relay race. It’s important that everyone’s on the same page. As a captain, I find it’s easier to come up with a plan and ask for input rather than asking for input then coming up with the plan. It’s easier to make allowances once you have a base. Facebook groups or group emails are a great way to get all the information to everyone efficiently. It also allows for an open dialogue so everyone feels they have a voice in the team.

Initially, I make sure that everyone is aware of the costs and that the registration is non-refundable. Injury happens! And sometimes just days before the race. At that point, your team just needs an able body and you might be willing to make allowances for costs to get someone to run. In this case, it would be up to the injured teammate to get the registration money directly from the replacement runner. I split all the costs between the teammates equally…van, food, shirts, gas, hotels…etc. I do one big Costco shopping trip and give each van a stock of supplies. This is what works for me. Come up with a policy for handling costs and then implement it. The important part is to make sure everyone is aware of your policy before anything happens. You don’t want to lose friends because of cost issues but you don’t want to fund everyone’s race either.

Assigning legs and runner positions is also important to communicate early in the game. I ask for each teammate to give me their top 3 choices and then I assign positions based on pace and preference. I make it clear that you might not get the position you want, but that everything is carefully calculated and assigned for a reason. Usually, I have no problem accommodating within those top 3 choices.

Lastly, logistics and travel plans! Many times, runners are traveling from out of state and will need a place to stay before or after the race. Have this discussion early so people can travel together or room together, if possible. Some people prefer to do things on their own, which is fine too, just make sure you have that discussion so everyone is aware of what to expect.

Slumber Parties with new friends are the best!

Calculate

The pacing calculator will be your best friend. I print out all the maps for the race and calculate the projected times for running based on the individual runners pace and distance of their run. Not good at math? Relax! Ragnar has a pacing calculator that does this for you! Before I figured this out, I made my own Excel spreadsheet that is now highly unnecessary. Remember to allow for elevation, weather, and fatigue in the later runs. Encourage each runner to be very honest about their 10k pace. If one runner is off by just one minute, it throws the projections off by hours. The projections are so incredibly important in making sure your next runner is ready to take off when your active runner comes into that exchange. Nothing’s worse than getting to the exchange after running your heart out and not having your team there to support you. It has happened to us all at one time or another…the van gets lost, there’s traffic, someone needs a Starbucks…those projections help you make conservative decisions when it comes to how you spend your travel/down time. So what will you do with those extra minutes…

Checking the time! Are we on pace?

Support Your Runners

Many times during the race it will be up to the team to support the active runner. This could be with water, Gatorade, GU, first aid, messages on the sidewalk with chalk, music, bullhorn shenanigans, cowbell, scissors for cutting off pants…whatever your runner needs, it’s the teams job to get it to them. This is a team effort and knowing that your team has most definitely got your back is a huge reassurance. Seeing my teammates on the side of the road ready to give me water and a cheer literally MAKES me keep running. Bask in the cowbell! Throw your arms up in victory when you hear that honk! And make sure that you offer that to all the other runners out on the course. That unity is the most satisfying aspect of a relay race. Complete strangers will offer you, without hesitation, a hug or a cold towel or a granola bar, and it will be the best damn granola bar of your life.

Just make sure to pass on the kindness to the next runner.

Are you considering a relay? Any specific questions or concerns? Ask in the comments and I’ll set your relay fears at ease!

Mud-Covered Sheriffs? Don’t mind if I do!

June 13, 2013 by camoozle

Here it is, the real reason I like to run: Eye Candy! As the only single chick here, I’ll be the one to admit it, I’m an oogler. There’s no shame in my game, I’m just not intrinsically motivated! Sometimes I need a little push to get me going. And sometimes that push comes in the form of hotties in uniform. The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department held the 9th annual 5k Mud Run at their training center in Devore, CA on May 18. The race benefits many charities in the Inland Empire and you bet your cute little dooter I was there to partake in the shenanigans.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get any pictures of my own as I didn’t have a picture taking device that would withstand the harsh conditions of the race. So I kindly borrowed all these pictures from the race site or local news coverage. There’s also this YouTube video I found! See the race through the eyes of a badass (who’s not me).

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3PUHs10U_c&w=560&h=315]

If you’re at all familiar with Southern California weather, we have this thing called “June Gloom”. Basically, it’s cold and overcast in the morning but it burns off by the end of the day. Even after living here all my life, I can’t dress properly during these days. It’s annoying, especially when it comes to racing as I tend to run hot. Race day started out pretty chilly. This race has been held early in previous years but due to weather, they moved it to later in the morning to allow for warmer conditions. I think this worked out perfectly. By the second half of the race, the mud pits were a cool relief to the heat.

And the mud pits, they were a plenty! I ran with my Ragnar buddies, Mike and Evalia. Mike had participated in this race in years past and while he warned me it was a challenge, I scoffed at his warning. Bah! I’ve done mud runs before! I can handle anything! I am strong woman, hear me roar! I grew up in the heart of San Bernardino County. I’m familiar with the weather and the terrain and the elevation. And it was only $30 bucks. Obviously race price indicates toughness, right? I can laugh at my ignorance now, but this Mud Run, ladies and gents, was a beast!

Chaos right from the start.

I should have taken a hint at the start line. Competitive runners were lined up in the front. Teams lined up behind them. And then there were us, the fun runners. Bulldozers and tractors crushed cars. Dump trucks poured loose, fresh mud onto the course and a helicopter swooped down to start the race. Colored smoke filled the air and for a minute, the course really did look like what I imagine a war zone would be. And then there was the explosion. Yep, an EXPLOSION started the race. Take that, starting pistols.

They lets us go in waves so when us fun runners got to the loose mud, there were little paths already carved out for us. The first mile of the race was heavy on the running and light on the mud pits. Oh, and then there was this hill.

Hill from Hell – It’s only just begun.

Mile 2 started to get pretty rough. There was a stretch of constant shallow mud pits, each preceded by mounds of dirt. The mud was loose and thick. Many times, I’d hit a soft spot and I’d sink. This was where Mike lost his shoes. HE LOST HIS SHOES and had to run the rest of the race barefoot.

The second monumental hill had ropes to help us scale. And a downpour of rushing mud under our feet. They had a hose at the top spraying down the dirt and what was left was a slide of muck puddling around our shoes. I’ve had bad experiences with scaling hills in previous mud runs and I’m not going to lie, I was a little bit freaking out. All I could think of was puking or falling and causing the line of people behind me to tumble down the hill. But I made it, slow and steadily climbing out of harms way.

There were harder pools with mud so thick, we had to crawl across vertically so as to distribute body weight evenly across the pit. Otherwise, you’d sink right down like quicksand, and it was energy zapping to try to get out of that. There were super long pits that stretched dozens of yards and I found myself swimming those instead of trying to wade through them. A few pits had tractors and cranes manned by evil volunteers who crashed the front arm into the pools of mud, splashing everyone in the pit. I was carefully navigating the terrain at this point, the obstacles backed up against each other made running damn near impossible. At one point, there was gunfire going off over our heads, a helicopter swooping over the course, and people hosing us down as we ran by. It was utter chaos and I was loving every minute of it!

I thought maybe the obstacles would ease up a bit in the last mile, like they couldn’t possibly go all the way until the end. That would be crazy, right? Nope. Still to come…another huge hill, a field of tires, a tunnel, and a pool filled with pipes we had to climb over and crawl under. When I crossed the finish, I was bruised, cut up, and weighed down by mud in my bra, shorts, and shoes. I rinsed off in the community shower and it was only then that I realized I hadn’t brought any extra clothes or even a towel. Face palm!

Nothing like a community shower.

This was one of the most challenging races I’ve done this year. It was a constant struggle from the start to finish and epitomized a Mud Run in every way possible. It was local and all for the low price of $30 bucks! I’ll definitely be adding this to my repertoire of repeater races. It might be time to invest in a water and mud proof camera!

Cam loves Ragnar, and coupon codes!

June 12, 2013 by camoozle

This is just a short and sweet little note to any possible Great River Ragnar registrants. I have discount codes!

Great River is the second oldest race in the Ragnar relay series. The course starts on the bank of the Mississippi River and runs from Winona to Minneapolis, MN.

Click here to check out the course and event!

This race is the sister race to Ragnar Chicago and if you participate in both Great River and Chicago, you get a nifty double medal. DOUBLE MEDAL!

– For a 12-person team use coupon code: GR13JUNEreg. This will drop the price from $1,620 to $1,280/team.

– For a 6-person ultra team use coupon code: GR13JUNEultra This will drop the price from $1,080 to $900/team.

Registration closes July 10, 2013.

These codes have limited use so check it out and may the Ragnar be with you!

It’s About to Get Ridiculous Up in Here

May 14, 2013 by camoozle

Belly Flop Drop. Tarzan Swing. 40 Bounces to Freedom. No, these are the latest dance crazes. They’re obstacles, just 3 of the many from the Ridiculous Obstacle Course 5K I participated in the race this past Saturday. I’ve ran in mud. I’ve climbed hills. I’ve ran tires. But I’ve never ran a muck like this before.

When I signed up for the race, all I knew was there were trampolines. I don’t know about you, but I love trampolines. And anything that incorporates day-glo wear with trampolines is my kind of activity. My friend Amy signed up with me and enthusiastically sported our vibrant tie-dye in an effort to stand out.

Unfortunately, we were ill-prepared. There were teams of minions, brides, prom dresses, zombies; pretty much any and every costume you could think of. I was shocked to see so many runners looking so, well, ridiculous. Had I known, I’m sure my propensity for ridiculousness would have reigned supreme. Next time, ROC, next time…

The race was located at the Del Mar Fairgrounds in San Diego. We were signed up for the 11 am start time and were herded into the starting gate. Yep, the very gates used for the horse races. We had to wait a bit, they were letting runners go in small groups to lessen the wait time at the obstacles. Even though I had thoroughly sunblocked, I was already feeling the heat on my shoulders. It was dusty and hot and I was looking forward to those water obstacles.

The Wrecking Ball, the Inflatable Water Slide and the Moon Bounce.

The first obstacle we hit was Tunnel Vision, which is exactly what it sounds like, a tunnel. Out of the tunnel, we came to 40 Bounces to Freedom, a series of trampolines that escalated in height. You had to jump down and across the tramp to a high platform, getting higher and higher until you came to the end. The only way to get down was to slide down a pole, which I had never done before. And kind of freaked me out. But it was either down or back through the traffic and there was no going back now.

We ran on. Amy, my ridiculously fast friend, sprinted off ahead but I hung back with the group. We hopped some hurdles and scaled a gigantic mountain of dirt and then it was time to slide. For the obstacle named Cool Runnings, we had to grab an inner tube and run it up a hill, then proceed to slide down a water slide.

After the refreshing little dip, we had to run some more. We climbed more walls. I attempted to cross some monkey bars and cross a muddy pool on a rope swing. I failed at both. I was ready for more water by the time I got to the Aqua Drag. Basically, it’s a four-way slip and slide. You run as fast as you can and then dive onto this inflatable water slide, hoping to make it to the end. I neglected to build up enough speed and I hesitated, which resulted in a less than spectacular display. I got stuck on the slide about halfway down and had to inchworm my way to the end. Thankfully, I destroyed any documented evidence of this fiasco.

It seemed like we ran a lot in the beginning, but about halfway, the obstacles started piling up. And we started having to wait. After the longest tire run of my life, we ran up a ramp over the race track and into the Moon Bounce. It’s a bouncer for adults. The world’s largest, in fact. After bouncing across, we had to stand in line for the Wrecking Ball. The obstacle consisted of barrels strung across a pool of water. You had to cross the barrel bridge and avoid the two huge rubber balls that were flying around your head. I made it about halfway before I bailed. The last obstacle was the World’s Largest Inflatable Water Slide. I climbed to the top, where they scanned my timing chip before sending me down the slide. Best way to cross a finish line ever.

Not only was the race itself totally epic, but the after-party was amazing. Lots of vendors, with all kinds of food and drinks. Many products available for sample. And a soapy hose down for those who needed it.

The Salmon Ladder. These two were trying to win a free race entry.

Alpha Warrior: The Salmon Ladder.

We met up with Amy at the Alpha Warrior exhibit and then it was time to get our free beer and do a little dancing. Amy had placed 3rd in the women’s division for our time slot and had to pick up her awesome medal. We people watched some more, ate a delicious artichoke on a stick, and were able to see all the best costume winners. My vote goes to the couple who dressed up as Indiana Jones and the Boulder.

Registration for the Orange County race opens on May 15th and I’m seriously considering running this again. It was a blast, like being on a giant playground. And I want another shot at that ridiculous costume contest!

Would you participate in a race like the Ridiculous Obstacle Challenge? What would your costume be?

My Third Installment of SoCal Ragnar – Return of the Ninjas

April 29, 2013 by camoozle

The streets are flooded with outlandishly decorated 15 passenger white vans. That gorgeous inflatable orange arch rises up over the horizon. Reflective vests and LED head lamps as far as the eye can see. Is that a teletubbie running through the streets of Huntington Beach? It can only mean one thing…Ragnar!

I love the smell of Ragnar in the morning!

On April 19-20, I participated in the Southern California course of the Ragnar Relay Series. 195 miles from Huntington Beach to San Diego with a team of 12 friends, or in my case, 12 ninjas. This was my sixth Ragnar, my third SoCal race and my second race as captain.

Our team consisted of runners from all over the country. Crista and Josh traveled from Idaho, Matthew and Greg scooted on down from Washington and Marcy, Shelby and Bill came all the way from North Carolina to run in the beautiful Southern California sunshine. Shelby injured her foot last minute and had to be replaced by her dad, Bill. Instead, she got to ride along as the designated photographer for Van 1.

Van 2 was filled with my coworkers, Mary, Nina, Mike, Evalia, Katy and myself. Mary was actually at a conference in Colorado when the race started and met up with us just in time to run her heart out.

Team #510 N.W.A – Ninjas with Attitude

Race weekend started Thursday after work. After months of planning, it was finally time to pick up the vans and get to the coast. Mike, aka Hung Lo, went with me to pick up the two 15 passenger vans that would become our home for the weekend. Waiting for the vans took an extra long time due to the high volume of rentals. We always use AVR – Airport Van Rental Solutions. It was packed with teams picking up their vehicles. Once we had our vans, I hit up the local Costco for provisions. Trail mix, bagels, lots of bananas and protein bars, along with some licorice and laffy taffy to keep us going through the long night runs. And water. Cases and cases of water. I split the food into two boxes, loaded the vans and I was off to the beach. Mike and the rest of Van 2 would join us at the first major exchange, Exchange 6, where Van 1 would hand off to Van 2. I would be traveling with Van 1 for the first 6 legs, not as a runner, but just to get the team started. Because I’m a control freak like that.

I met the runners from Van 1 in the lobby of the Best Western. I’ve raced with Greg before in Vegas, but the rest of the runners were new friends. I found Crista and Josh through a former Ragnar teammate and I had found Marcy and Matthew on the Ragnar site. They were looking for a team, I was looking for runners and voila! A match made in Ragnar heaven. We piled into the van and headed out for a pre-race dinner, then back to the hotel for some rest. We had a start time of 6:30 AM which meant we had to pick up packets and listen to a safety briefing an hour previous.

Josh “Jogger-not” , Runner #4, and Crouching Coma’toes’ Crista, Runner #1, freezing at the start line.

We got our goodies: shirts, flags, Cliff Bars, GU and Shot Blocks, and then Crista was off down the Huntington Beach boardwalk! Just like that the madness had begun. We headed to the first exchange where we would pick up Crista and drop off Runner #2, Greg. We saw some teams that were familiar, like Can’t Hardly Run Straight and My Third Leg is the Hardest. And some new teams, like Run4Boston, who sported awesome bumper stickers and shirts in honor of the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings.

This was the first race I had participated in since the tragedy in Boston and being a part of this running community definitely sparked a few tears during the race. There was this feeling of unity, and we marked our vans with Boston love. The Ninjas were even on CNN.

Oddly enough, during the race, the boys responsible for the bombings were being apprehended. During Ragnar, you tend to disconnect from the world, living in this little bubble of survival, preoccupied with pace and eating and sleeping and portable toilets and ipods and coffee and ice packs. Instead, we found ourselves checking the news and chatting at exchanges about the developments.

Boston Love <3

Once the race starts, there’s little down time. You’re in survival mode. Drop off runner, support runner, pick up runner, repeat. Runner #3 Matt Attack, blew through his first leg and Runner #4, Josh the Jogger-Not, swiftly followed. So far, we’d had seasoned runners on the course, but Bill and Marcy had never ran a Ragnar before. They were a little nervous to make their debut, but once Runner #5, Bill Kills Hills, took to the course, he was a natural. And quite literally, killed a huge hill right off the bat. Runner #6, Marcy’s Dead People, brought us into Yorba Linda with gusto. Van 1 took care of 26.7 miles and put our team ahead of our projected pace by a whole half hour.

There’s absolutely no time for goofing around 😉

It was time for me to depart from Van 1 and for them to rest. I hopped in with the group I was going to be spending the rest of the race with. It was time for me to run!

Runner #7, Killa’ Katy, took on an 8 miler right away. She took care of business while Runner #8, Evalia aka The Eliminator, readied herself for her first leg of her first Ragnar. We were starting to get into the heat of the day with temperatures reaching into the 90’s. Evalia dominated a 300 foot elevation gain in her first leg and we stopped to support her at the top of the hill. And to make a few friends in the process.

The oldest Ragnarian at 89 years! Now, that’s a badass, ladies and gentlemen.

My first run was 4.9 miles at 1:00 pm through Corona. I ran this exact leg last year and though it was hotter last year, I made it a point to have plenty of water with me this time. I asked to be supported at 2.5 miles and Mike and Evalia were just in time as I dumped the rest of my water over my head. It was freaking hot but the good people of Corona stood on their sidewalks and handed us waters and oranges. One team passed out wet towels which I promptly shoved in my bra. I finished my third bottle of water just as I came upon the One Mile to Go sign, the most beautiful thing I’d seen all day. Mike was waiting at the chute and I pushed up the small incline to the exchange. I gladly slapped that bracelet onto his wrist. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Pink for getting me through those 4.9 extremely hot miles.

Mike, Runner #10, finished up his leg right on time and then #11, Ninja Nina, started her climb through Temescal Canyon, 5.4 miles uphill in the heat of the afternoon! She handed off to Katy because Mary still hadn’t arrived from Colorado. Katy ran another 8.5 miler like a boss but by the time she arrived at Exchange 12 in Lake Elsinore, she was hurting. At the end of our 36.3 miles, we were a half hour behind schedule and down one runner.

After handing off to Van 1, we were finally able to get a real meal. We feasted at Chili’s and used their bathroom to take a Wet Ones bath and change our clothes. We set out for the next major exchange so we could maybe get a little rest before our early early morning runs. Van 1 had 42.6 miles to run and we wouldn’t see them again until around 1:00 AM at Exchange 18 at the Welk Resort in Escondido.

The Welk Resort was one of the best exchanges. They had a market, fire pits, a large screen projecting tweets about the race and a camera so you could see the runners coming in. It was very crowded but everyone donned their head lamps, reflective and DayGlo gear, making the scene look like a huge party. The music blared and the teams cheered and we waited for Marcy. Katy couldn’t run again so Nina took her leg, another uphill battle. But by then Mary had finally found us! And she was ready to run. Evalia kicked out her miles and then I was up.

Night runs are always my favorite. I have limited depth perception on account of my sexy astigmatism so not knowing what is coming, how far I have to go, whether there’s an incline, it all works in my favor. The less information for me to psych myself out on, the better. My night run was amazing. Cool weather, just under 4 miles and all downhill. It was glorious.

Our charging station. We needed serious cord control.

I handed off to Mike and while the others rested, Mary readied herself for back to back legs. Since Nina had taken Katy’s run, Mary was going to do the next two. Mary took off out of the chute…in the wrong direction, earning her the ninja name Wong Way Mary. She finished up our 22.2 miles in Carlsbad around 5:30 AM. Luckily, she had a hottie Ultra runner to keep her company on that long 7 miles.

We drove to the next major exchange to try to rest up for our last legs. Van 1 had 36.2 miles to run and hopefully that meant we could get some sleep. Katy was still hoping to run her last leg after resting but in the morning, she decided not to push herself and risk further injury. Matt Attack came through, finishing up his 8.6 miles and then taking on Katy’s 7 miles. His mileage totaled 29.4 miles! Obviously, we crowned him King of Ragnar.

Our Hero!!

With Van 1 done and on their way to check in to the hotel, we started in on the home stretch. Evalia finished her first Ragnar and triumphantly handed off to me for the last time. The second day is always the hardest for me and this race was no exception. I had 6.2 miles around Mission Bay with a nice mile long, 300 foot climb which I walked shamelessly. I stopped to use the bathroom and refilled my water at the park twice. Then I finally glimpsed that mile marker and my fellow chick Vic’s motto rang true in my head. “Anyone can run one mile.” It was just the inspiration I needed to get me through that last, longest mile of my life. When I finally got to the exchange, I discarded that bracelet and whooped with joy. I was done, another Ragnar in the books, and now it was time to party!

My eyes aren’t closed, just happy!

We still had runners to support, but the last legs seem to fly by. Mike and Nina both finished in a flurry and then Mary took on Leg 36 to bring us home to the finish line. We drove down to the Embarcadero Park and made sure we had our ninja attire and stars for tagging. We found the rest of our team, who looked quite refreshed, and we waited for Mary.

We waited.

And waited.

And waited…

My phone buzzed in my pocket. Guess who? Wong Way Mary strikes again!

“I’m lost!” she said. “Someone must have switched the signs or something because I took a wrong turn.”

I put her on the phone with Katy who guided her back to the course. Finally, we saw her coming down the stretch. We fell in step behind her and crossed the finish line together. We finished almost exactly 36 hours from our start time.

We took pictures and laughed and chatted but there was only one thing on our minds…showers! Well, beer and then showers. A few of us hung out at the Ragnar after party at the Hard Rock Hotel and we had big plans to party it up in the Gas Lamp!

Which lasted about an hour.

One glass of wine, and we were all ready to crash. I party’d hard…in my sleep.

It was a whirlwind weekend. It’s amazing to me how it always seems such a daunting task at first, the build-up damn near gives me anxiety. I always think, “I can’t do this, this is way out of my league.” But then suddenly, I’m doing it. And I just go. And I run. And I finish.

And then I can’t wait to start planning the next one.

Northwest Passage, anyone?

SWAG!!!

So, have you heard of Ragnar?

March 21, 2013 by camoozle

I like to run. I like to run with friends. But when it comes to spending over thirty hours in two vans with eleven other sweaty, smelly, exhausted runners, all while covering almost two hundred miles…I AM AN ADDICT.

The Ragnar Relay Series takes the solitary sport of running and turns it into a team event. Basically it goes down like this: a team of twelve rents two vans and takes turns leapfrogging through a two hundred mile course over two days. Each runner takes on three legs of the race and each leg is about 5-7 miles long. Run. Sleep. Repeat. Crazy, right? YES! What are you waiting for? Being a Ragnar Ambassador, I’ve spoken with lots of people about Ragnar. And I’ve heard lots of excuses.

My Mantra

Excuse #1 – I’m not ready for a Ragnar.

I am not a fast runner. I’m not an athlete. I average a 13 minute mile. I wear a size 14. I am not “ready” for Ragnar. But this April, I will complete my sixth race. I am the slowest runner on my team but I am consistent. I do my best, run my miles, and I contribute like everyone else. If I can do this, anyone can. I never in a million years thought I’d be able to run something like Ragnar. But I did. Five times. And so can you.

Napa 2011

Excuse #2 – I can’t afford it.

Yeah, it’s expensive. Especially if you have to travel. But think of it this way: Ragnar is a great way to see the rest of country. There are Ragnar Relays all over the United States and one in Canada. Ragnar also just started the Trail Series, where you run trails instead of streets and camp instead of drive from one exchange to the next. How much would you spend to go sightseeing in your favorite city? And how much of that city would you actually get to see? I’ve raced in Washington, Las Vegas, Southern California, Napa Valley, and I am just dying to get on an East Coast team. Turn your race into a runcation and see the country like you’ve never seen it before.

The Start Line at Las Vegas 2012. I had no idea Vegas could be so cold!

Taking time to enjoy the scenery in Washington.

On the beach in San Diego 2011

Excuse #3 – I don’t have 11 friends who run.

Really, you only need 5. Each team of 12 is split into two vans. While Van 1 runs, Van 2 is resting and vice versa. If you can fill one van, chances are you can find someone else who can fill the other. You can also find runners on the Ragnar site who are looking to fill those spots. Our team, N.W.A, Ninjas with Attitude has had literally dozens of members. It’s a great way to make new friends from across the globe.

Las Vegas 2012

Northwest Passage 2012

SoCal 2012

Excuse #4 – I like to compete on my own and I need a challenge.

This is probably the best thing about Ragnar. It’s designed for all fitness levels. Do you want twenty miles on 3 hours of sleep? We have a leg for you! Do you want hills at one in the morning? We have a leg for you too! Do you want it all? If you eat marathons for breakfast, you can join or create an Ultra team. Instead of 12 people, you run with 6. That means you can run like 50 miles over two days on very little sleep. How’s that for a challenge?

Ultra Team Risky Business. They ran the whole thing in their UNDERWEAR. That’s hardcore!

While other’s slept, we ran!

So now that I’ve killed your excuses, here’s the one BIG reason why you should run Ragnar. You become part of a community. There are teams that compete for time and there are teams that run dressed in drag. It doesn’t matter. We’re all running the same course and it’s all about personal goals. We’re in this together. When you cross that finish line with your team, it doesn’t matter if you were the fastest or the slowest, if you puked or cried, you finished. You’re a Ragnarian.

We represent!

Double medals, baby!

If you want more information, click the link to www.ragnarrelay.com. There are videos, maps, blogs, stories and all kinds of good fun. Find your Ragnar and I’ll see you on the course. You might not see me, though. Because I’m a ninja.

Brawn over Braaaaaaaaiiiiiiiinsssss

February 28, 2013 by camoozle

It’s the beginning of a new year, which means it’s time to plan my runcations for 2013! It’s such a trying task, figuring out which new races I want to try and which of my old favorites I’m going to repeat, and keeping them all within my race budget. There’s so many choices! I’m packing my schedule with lots of new blood, but there’s one race I absolutely must do again. Apparently being chased up a zombie infested hill, sliding into a pool filled with body parts and then shimmying under an electric fence is my cup of tea.

Last October, I participated in the Run for Your Lives Zombie 5k and obstacle course in Temecula, CA. I couldn’t pass up the chance to participate in a real life zombie survival drill. How else could I test my apocalyptic survival tactics? I mean, sure, I’ve obliterated hundreds of zombies in simulation via Left 4 Dead, but how could I know for sure if what I’ve learned from The Walking Dead and World War Z could be put to use in a real zombie apocalypse scenario? Plus, they promised beer at the finish. Um, sold!

I signed up to run with the 10 am wave with my neighbors and fellow zombie enthusiasts, Sharon and Justin. My sister, her husband and cousin also registered to race later that afternoon. We got there nice and early, decked out in our warrior gear, and we were greeted instantly by a welcoming committee.

Meet my new friend.

Gurl, your calves are lookin’ good!

After we checked in and got our goodies, we set about putting on our flags. Each runner wears a belt with 3 red flags attached to it. At the end of the race, if you still have a flag, you live. If you don’t, you die and are consumed by ravenous flesh eaters. Easy enough? I was determined to survive. Mainly, because I’m addicted to medals and I was deathly afraid I wouldn’t get a medal if I didn’t live through the race. We were herded past the decontamination zone aka Vail Lake and into dark, smoke-filled corrals labeled “Appetizers”, “Main Course”, and “Dessert”. We chose Dessert, obviously.

The course started with an uneven, uphill dirt path that was far more brutal than I expected. At the very top of the hill, we encountered our first zombies. I expected lumbering and lunging but I did not expect speed demons! Yep, these zombies were chasers. I found this highly irritating and completely contradictory to my knowledge of zombie lore. I had my first flag snagged by a zombie that was far more athletic than I was.

My sister and brother-in-law. They’re standing in front of the initial climb aka the hill from hell pre-race.

Eventually, we discovered that if we traveled in packs and pushed our flags to the back, we were less likely to get singled out. It was almost as if the zombies went after runners who still had all their flags, or the runners who were trying really hard to evade the zombies. At one point, due to some fancy footwork and nimble maneuvering on my part, a zombie who was chasing me fell. I thought he’d just fall back into his post and wait for the next onslaught of runners. No such luck. He chased me down for a good five minutes before eventually snagging my second flag. I was shocked and dismayed. Zombies don’t have vendettas!

In addition to mudpits, zombies fields, and dusty hills, there were two buildings that we had to climb through. The first wasn’t so bad, it was smokey and dark and riddled with electrical wires. If you stuck to the sides, you could make it through unscathed. The second building was a maze. A zombie infested maze. Zombies hanging from the ceiling, reaching through walls, and stumbling around corners. It was terrifying.

Yolo…Unless you’re a zombie.

I didn’t lose any flags in the house, yet by the time I got out and over the four foot walls, I was exhausted. The next part of the race was a field of moguls laced with hordes of zombies. One zombie was offering hugs and you know what, I took one damnit, and I gave that sweet little zombie my last flag. At that point, I just wanted to be dead and done and run the rest of the race in peace. I learned a lot about my survival instincts that day. And it wasn’t impressive. In fact, I’ve revised my zombie apocalypse plan from “hunt and peck” to “hide and wait”.

Interestingly, when you’re out of flags, the zombies ignore you, but I was still worried about getting that medal at the end. So I found a nice zombie priest who was ‘saving’ runners and he granted me a pity flag. Which I promptly rolled up and put in my bra. Because that’s how far I will go to get a medal. Shame… I have none.

Turns out, it didn’t matter, though. After bruising my shins and thighs climbing splintered walls, sliding into a pool filled with floating chunks of flesh and crawling on my belly under an electrical fence that did indeed deliver shocks, I crossed the finish line. While there were two corrals, one for survivors and one for the dead, everyone got the same medals. And because I definitely wasn’t racing for a time, it made no difference if I lived or died. I finished and that was awesome enough for me.

That’s the decontamination bath behind me.

So awesome, if fact, I did the whole race again with my sister, Sarah, her husband, Shawn, and our friend Amy.

The second time, I started without flags. I was mainly along for the ride. Or as bait. I ran ahead to distract the zombies so the living could get past. It worked like a charm. And the best part was searching the course for beer coupons that had been torn from bibs. A word to the wise… tear those coupons off before you belly crawl through the mud!

After finishing the second race, we rinsed off in the lake and changed into dry clothes. By this time, the beer garden was hopping and a band was performing on the stage. We collected our swag, a pretty nifty tech tee, stickers and a thumb drive in the shape of, you guessed it, an actual severed thumb. Best race swag ever!

Yes, that’s a severed thumb drive.

Something we didn’t know ahead of time but I thought was pretty cool is that you could camp at the race site afterward. A ton of people were dragging in their tents and ice chests to party after the race.

Beer is better than brains.

This year the race in SoCal is at Glen Helen and I’m planning on camping at the site after the race. Runners also have the option to be zombies. In previous years, you had to run the race the year prior in order to be a zombie but now you can register as a zombie and run the race on the same day. That’s a pretty sweet deal. You can also register to just be a spectator or volunteer. All in all, this was one of the funnest, most terrifying and challenging races I’ve done. It was anxiety-provoking and fear-inducing, just like a good zombie apocalypse should be.

Are you ready for the walkers? Would you survive the outbreak? There’s only one way to find out.

Use coupon code RFYL13 for $5 off any 2013 Run For Your Lives Zombie Run registration. And remember, tear those beer coupons off before crawling.

Gimme a Beat!

February 22, 2013 by camoozle

Searching for running music can be tedious, yet the right rhythm can make all the difference. Sometimes it’s just a matter of upping the fun factor for me, so I tend to favor music that I can sing along to. It’s not uncommon to find me on the course spitting phat rhymes with Biggie. I like music that makes me feel powerful, something that accentuates my swagger and funk and general badassness.

In an effort to increase my running speed, I’m contantly on the lookout for new music. Guess what??? BPM isn’t just for Dubstep anymore! Poking around on the interwebs, I found this site, Run2Rhythm, which has some interesting information regarding the beats per minute (BPM) of music and running pace.

Highlights include music available for download, nifty charts for determining optimum BPM for different distances, and mixes for all music tastes. Eventually, for the very savvy and self-aware, you can customize your running mix to allow for changes in speed, cadence, distance and elevation. You can plan your entire race using your music!

I’ve also found some excellent running stations on Pandora. I’ve found these stations excellent for “zoning out” tunes because it’s mostly instrumental music that takes my mind of the miles. I like this kind of music for treadmill runs. Because really, I’d rather cut my legs off than run on a treadmill. When it’s my only option, I definitely need the distraction. Best of all, Pandora is FREE!!!

So what music gets you to bust a move? Or do you scoot all natural and prefer the rhythm of your own pulse in your ears and your feet on the pavement? Gimme the goods!

Scootadoot

fitness, food, friends, fun

Author Archives: camoozle