A constitutional recap

Coming off of a weekend being surrounded by fast trail runners makes me want to be fast(er).

Bryce and I and four other friends did a trail relay race up on Orcas Island at the beginning of the month. The Moran Constitutional Relay definitely did not disappoint.

There was such a positive spirit among all the runners. We stayed in bunks right next to the main race head quarters, which was where the start/finish was, so it was all super convenient — and allowed us to soak in everything in a relaxed manner!

The race is about 70 miles total, divided into 12 legs. So, with a team of six, we each ran two legs. Mine were legs #1 and 6, which were both on the first day so I actually had no running on the second day!

The weather was perfect on Saturday. Cool in the morning but the sun came out. I had breathtaking views at the top of Mt. Constitution during my second leg.

But, let me start from the beginning.

I kicked off the race for my team at 7:30 am and although I tried to start conservatively, everyone started out super fast, so I ended up going out way too fast. I found myself completed winded and out of breath after a mile. This leg was 5.9 miles total and I quickly started delving into a “dark place.” What if I have to walk the rest of the way? What if I finish last? What if I can’t finish?

There were rolling hills and I definitely walked a lot. But, this helped in lowering my heart rate and mentally calming myself down. Several runners passed me, saying “nice job” or another form of encouragement. I carried on.

Eventually the course flattened out — thank goodness! I started getting into a groove and dug myself out of my “dark place.” About at the half way point, another runner passed me but I could always see her up in the distance, which was helpful. I no longer felt completely alone.

Part of the leg went alongside a lake. It was still not that bright out since it was early morning but the calmness of the lake was nice. I could hear cheering as I got closer and closer to the exchange point. With about a mile to go, I really kicked it in and picked up the pace. And, not that it really mattered, but I passed a good handful of runners in the last half mile or so. What a difference the beginning and the end of my leg felt!

My team was waiting and cheering me in when I got to the exchange. Alex started on leg 2 and my job (for now) was done.

Around noon, I started leg 6, my last leg of the race. Because my teammate I was exchanging with was a speedster, Maria was waiting for me at the exchange when I arrived! As soon as we saw her waving her arms, adrenaline kicked in and I was frantically taking off my jacket and sprinted towards her.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry I’m late!” I yelled at her as she handed me the timing chip.

Despite the frantic start, I enjoyed this second leg much better.

It was uphill all the way — 1,724 feet elevation gain —  but I went into this leg knowing I would be walking/hiking quite a bit. This leg was 3.1 miles total.

The first mile was definitely the steepest with mostly walking sprinkled in with just the tiniest bit of jogging. I passed two other runners who were chatting together.

The signage on the course was great so I never was concerned about getting lost. However, as I progressed up the mountain, I suddenly started coming across other runners … coming towards me. I continued along the path but, of course, was worried I had made a wrong turn. Why am I the only one going this way and everyone else is running in the opposite direction?

Well, turns out that the next leg goes back the way I was going. All these runners coming towards me were running a different leg! Phew, I felt better once another runner passed me who was doing the same leg as me.

The last bits to the top of the mountain were draining but the views were so worth it. I wanted to stop and take it all in but I knew Bryce was waiting at the top to run the next leg. I kept going and was rewarded with this view at the top.

Day 2 of the relay didn’t have the same great weather. It was cloudy and rainy off and on. But, my team still killed it.

We surprised ourselves and ended up placing 13th out of 52 teams! Also, our day 2 standing was 9th overall. Not bad for a group of friends that included a new trail runner, someone who joined our team a month from race weekend, one who was coming off a cold and a few who “didn’t really train.”

Ragnar Trail Rainier Race Recap

I may be destined to never fully race a Ragnar Trail race.

Last year at Ragnar Trail Cascades, I had just recently learned of my stress fracture so I obviously was not running. I still captained my team and took our volunteer shift. I also walked the shortest loop and Bryce and another teammate took my other longer legs.

It was fun — it was my team’s and my first trail relay — but it was also a bit unsatisfying for me. After all, I didn’t get to run any of the trails that everyone else did and see everything that everyone else did. It was like a got a watered-down version of the whole race experience.

This time was a step up but was was still not what I thought it would be when I registered my team a year ago.

Again, I was the injured runner on our team.

However, because Ragnar Trail Rainier was such a tough, hilly course, I decided to walk all of the legs. (OK, OK to be fair, Bryce walked my night-time eight mile all down-hill leg with me. And, OK, OK to be honest, I ran a few bits of flat trail and my knee felt OK!)

The race was at Crystal Mountain, which I had never been to. It’s beautiful there! The trails were beautiful but yes, they were a beast. (I am proud to say that I passed so many people by just power hiking though!) I felt bad to be slowing my team down with all of my walking. But, needless to say, the course was tough for everyone. My team actually ended up placing 47th overall out of about 300 registered teams (and with 184 teams that officially finished the race!)

The weather was perfect. The company was even better. We never missed a single exchange, no one complained and we just had a great time out in nature.

I’m not registering for any more races until I am fully healed and running again. So, I don’t know when my next Ragnar Relay will be but my friends and I have been jokingly talking about doing the Hawaii Ragnar at some point. I have no objections to that.

I just need to get running again first.

But, for one brief moment at this race, I did feel (and sort of looked) like a runner again:

The Trail Mixers take on Ragnar Trail Cascades

I wasn’t sure how the race weekend would play out — after all, while my teammates and everyone else would be running and tackling elevation climbing, I’d just be captaining, race volunteering and walking. No running for this injured runner.

Ragnar Trail Cascades was cancelled due to forest fires last year. It was a brand new race and we were all excited to run and participate. My team decided to transfer our race entry over to this year’s race. This time I’m sidelined with a stress fracture. (I may just be forever cursed to never actually run this race!)

It’s an all-day/all-night trail relay race where teams of eight people complete a total of 132.8 trail miles. Each person runs three legs of three marked loops. Your campsite is your home base, not a stinky van like the road Ragnar races.

Even though I couldn’t personally run, I had a good time.

The race started Friday and I kicked off our team by speed-walking the first (easy) 2.7-mile leg. It kind of felt like the walk of shame as I took off from the start/finish/transition area, so I jogged my way out and then started walking once I turned the corner.

Good news, my knee did not hurt at all from this 10-20 step slow jog!

My team didn’t allow ourselves enough time to check-in/actually arrive two hours before our race start time, so the rest of my teammates were unloading our car and setting up camp as I walked. The course was very well marked and easy to navigate (in the daylight at least!)

I felt a little weird when other runners passed me enthusiastically saying “Nice job!” since I was just walking. But, I tried not to read too much into it. And, I always stepped off to the side to allow them to easily pass me. I did surprisingly end up getting one kill (Ragnar terms for passing another runner) so there’s that!

I finished my loop a little after 12 noon and there was a bit of confusion with our transition as I had to rush out of the transition tent and find my team/tell Joanna it was her turn to run. I guess I walked faster than we all anticipated, which was evident by my glutes kind of being sore the next day!

Bryce and Andrew picked up my two other legs. So yes, they ran four total legs rather than the normal three. (Huge props, and thank-yous to them!)

Many of my teammates said the red (hardest 7-mile loop) was the most fun and better than the short one. One of my teammates ran along side a cow “pacer” at one point. No one from my team had any falls or injuries, so I’d call that a pretty successful run. We also lucked out and finished Saturday morning right before it started to rain!

Also, small brag: We finished 13th overall with very little to no training! Our total time was 22 hours 27 minutes (and 27 seconds).

We had packed some card games, and I even packed a book since I wasn’t running, but honestly there really wasn’t much “down time” as you would expect. Most of us had done road relays where you have to drive from point-to-point so we expected this race to be a little less intense in that sense.

Yes, not driving was great! But, you still had to keep an eye on time and make sure you didn’t miss your next runner coming into the transition area. My one friend/teammate Brent put it best: It’s like you’re all in one van so there’s no time to rest! (Those who have done a road relay will understand his comment).

My volunteer time in the transition tent Friday afternoon was really fun (and dusty!) Although I had to touch many sweaty wrists to remove slap bands indicating the loop the runner had just completed, I was happy to help. And, it was fun seeing some of my teammates start/finish as well as strangers. I tried not to think too much into “how great it was for everyone to be running” and “poor me for not being able to run.”

I’m not sure if all my friends would want to do this race again just because they would be running the exact same loops again (obviously unless the race course were updated). But, I am definitely looking forward to either actually running this trail relay in the future or fully participating in another one. Oahu Trail Ragnar 2018, anyone??

Birthday Race: Rainier to Ruston Relay

For the past three years, I have run a race on my birthday. This year was no different. Well, except for the fact that I didn’t run on my exact birthday. (It’s kind of tough when your birthday doesn’t land on a weekend).

The past birthday races have been road 5Ks or a trail race. This time I did something different. I did a relay race, which really meant incorporating my friends into the mix.

Bryce suggested the relay less than a month before the race. I was a bit wary since I hadn’t been running since the Eugene Marathon at the beginning of May. But, it was something new and exciting. And, I knew I wouldn’t have trouble finding friends to run it with us.

Our friends Brent and Mo came on board to form our team of 4, Team Kale. (Don’t ask about the name, it was completely random).

So, on June 6, two days before my birthday, we ran from just outside Mt. Rainier to Ruston Way in Tacoma. The race incorporated trails, roads and everything in between. (Our lucky guys got the legs that had sand!)

Bryce about to hand-off to Brent early on.

It was obnoxiously hot — think mid to upper 80s — but we had a lot of fun. We all told each other before the race started that we were all going to “take it easy” and “run for fun.” None of us had trained for this thing. But, to no one’s surprise, we all pushed ourselves and our team came away with third place for our mixed division. Our total time was 7:13:34 for the 52-mile race. Essentially, each of us ran about a half marathon.

Mo kicking it in!

I definitely surprised myself.

My first leg of 5.6 miles I ran at 8:27 pace. My second leg of 3.6 miles at 8:30 pace. And my third leg I still managed to sneak under sub-9 pace at 8:56 pace for 4.2 miles.

I got a nice mixture of terrain with my first leg being on trail along a river and in a woodsy-foresty area. My second leg was on a paved concrete trail, completely open to the sun. I really lucked out on this leg because one of my Oiselle teammates, Jess, found me along the course. As she said “good job, Kristin!” and ran past me, I somehow thought I could maybe keep up with her. And, for the last mile-and-a-half or so, I did. I would never have maintained an 8:30 pace by myself. That’s the magic of team running and having someone physically at your side! I’d also like to note that Jess and I met for the first time in real life just at the start of the race. Other than that, it had been only Twitter-communication — I love when I meet running friends during races!

Jess and I finishing our second leg together.

My last leg was mainly on city sidewalks of Tacoma. I don’t remember much about this part except that I tried my hardest to beat stoplights and that I had to pee. Brent, who was the runner before me, was quite the speed demon so when he arrived to the exchange, I was still in the portapotty line! I abandoned the wait though and just started my leg. My bladder, as far as I know, was not harmed in the process of this relay.

I didn’t know what to expect with Rainier to Ruston but it did not disappoint. I was most worried that I would get lost on a trail but each and every leg was well marked. The volunteers were awesome. The race itself was a good enough size that you could usually always see another runner up ahead of you. If I wait three years, I think this race may land on my actual birthday!

And, a one-day relay is definitely a fun alternative to a Ragnar relay where you’re going all day, all night. I enjoyed not being sleep deprived and just being “normal tired.”

Team Kale!

My last race as a 27-year-old was a relay. I have no idea what my next race as a 28-year-old will be. Nothing is officially on the schedule (except for the Ragnar Trail Cascades race in September).

But, let’s be real. I’ll race before then, right?

Getting ready for a (pre-) birthday relay

Some people throw big parties for their birthdays.

I ask my friends if they’ll run with me.

More specifically, I ask them to race with me.

Last year, it was a local 5K. This year, it will be a team relay race!

I’ll be doing Rainier to Ruston, a 50-mile relay, with Bryce and two friends in about a week. Yes, this race will not fall on my actual birthday, but Monday race days are difficult to come by.

None of us have ever done this specific relay but I imagine it will be a mini version of Ragnar.

And, no, hardly any running has been happening since I did Eugene Marathon at the beginning of the month so we’ll see how these legs of mine will hold up. (We signed up for this race three days ago!)

I’m just looking forward to enjoying a full day of running with my friends from Rainier — to Ruston!