And finally the 2010 Ragnar report…

Last year we had so much fun doing Ragnar that we had to run it again.

We decided to go for the Ultra version this year,

so 6 runners and one van instead of the regular 12 runners and two vans. While the number of teams was greater this year (about 330, with 11 of them being ultra), the organization was as impeccable as last year. A few new safety rules, but the same crazy people showed up. We saw again the Ragnar 911 team (a play on Reno 911), the Full Monti, the Faster Pastors, and a bunch more. I particularly enjoyed the superheroes (saw as many as three Supergirls, all of which posed for me and made it to my blog), but really liked any team that brought fun to an already positively charged atmosphere.

My three legs were officially 14.9, 13.8 and 12, for a total distance of 40.7 miles. I need to mention the official distance because every section of the website has a different distance which is also different from the actual distance recorded by my trusted Garmin 405. These numbers come from the latest version of the Race bible.

I decided to take it easy on the first leg to save energy for the the two. After all, this was my first ultra and my goal was to finish. I set my Virtual Partner® to a comfortable 9:30 pace and pretty much stuck to it for the entire run, finishing in 2:21:11 (9:29 avg pace). My run started with a little rain (Rob before me got the brunt of it), which then developed into a hot, muggy, humid and overcast morning and the last part had a pretty hot sun (I think locust was next, but fortunately finished my run on time to avoid it. Keeping the 9:29 pace was essay enough.

Much like last year, the waiting time was consumed with leap-frogging the other runners and talking with other teams. At one point we met another ultra team that started at 4:00 PM and had caught up to us by running 6:30 min miles on average (we started at 10:00 AM). They later slowed down a bit, but really burn the hell out of that course. We also stopped at the same sandwich shop we did last year and enjoyed the last turkey sandwiches that were served.

My second leg was in the middle of the night. It was still warm (about 73 or 74 degrees), and very humid. I started at a good pace, also aiming to 9:30 min miles, but hit a couple of long steep inclines that selected to use for my walking breaks. Soon I decided I'd walk the long uphills and run the rest. Of course, as soon as I decided to do that, I found a stretch of 4 miles with no uphills, so I found myself wishing to find one so I could take a little walking break. With that high temperature and humidity, I decided to run with the required safety vest and no shirt. I still used a couple of band-aids to cover my nipples and avoid damage from the rubbing the vest would do. As usual in that temperature, I lost one of them within 30 minutes of my run starting and spent the next four miles figuring a McGiver-type contraption to keep the safety vest away from my nipples. At least that kept me entertained while I run. My second leg finished in 2:27:31, a lousy 10:41 min pace. Not particularly proud, but between the work done on my vest, the temperature, the fact that I had already exceeded my distance PR, the lack of sleep and the fact that I still had 12 miles to go on my third leg, I guess I was mildly satisfied.

With the morning came another hot day. It wasn't terrible when the sun was covered, but every time it came out, the heat seemed unbearable. Luckily for me, my third leg was mostly with an overcast (although still 80+ degrees). The run was beautiful and I had a clear impression that with every step I was breaking a new distance PR. I finished in 2:17:34 or 11:28 pace per mile. I have never run that slow, but by then, I was pretty tired and the heat was really getting to me.

Of course we did run the last mile (1.39, really) as a team. Mel, who was the team finisher, imposed a 10:04 pace that felt like a blistering speed. By then we were running in full sun at 90 degrees. Mel proved to be a real trooper. While she had the shortest distance overall, that last leg was probably the most miserable. Still, she kept an amazing pace. We were all impressed (while begging for a slower pace).

I enjoyed most the people I met and run with. In addition to my team (of course), I run a few miles with one of the Ragnar 911 cops (Chris, I think), who threatened me with arrest if I passed her a third time. So we ended up our first leg together. On my second (night) leg, I met Nancy. Nancy was running her first race that was over 8 miles. Her team had given her the longest legs (almost 20 miles), even though they were far more experienced runners than she was. She also shared that they were not terribly supportive and for the most part shoed up only at the end of every leg. Al and all she was having fun. We finished the second leg together pushing each other to keep running. On my third leg, I tried to catch up to Ragnar 911 Chris again. She had the second half my leg (remember we were doing double legs). I got within 100 yards from her, but a long hill kept me from cathcing up and then I ended up a good 15 minutes behind.

My only regret was not running back from the an rental place where we drove the van at the end of the day. Tim and I talked about doing it (as we had the previous year) throughout the day. It was almost a done deal. Given the temperature, Rob wanted to make sure we provided support for Mel throughout the last leg, which didn't give us much time to do it before the end. At Boom Island Park, we had three free pizzas and $2 pints of beer, of which I had one. By then Tim and I were already walking away from our promise. Not until the end, when we were unloading the van and washing the chalk off, I decided we HAD TO run that last leg, but found out that Rob had told Tim he could go home while we finished cleaning the van. I was both disappointed and relieved about breaking the tradition, since I wasn't looking forward to the run, we just HAD TO do it.

Not sure if I will be able to organize a team next year. This race falls on Sharon's birthday and next year she is turning the big 5-0. It might be a good change to take a year off Ragnar. If the weather was cooler, this would be one of my standard races (like Twin Cities has turned out to be), but with this heat, there is plenty of temptation to skip it.

I want to thank the rest of my team, Tim, Jim, Mel, Rob and John. They were every bit as great as last year's (three of them WERE last year's). We had a blast and it was largely in part because of them. I know they feel the same way about the race. We have over 200 pictures (after the clean up) and are already exchanging sappy emails about how much we enjoyed the race. I know it will not be the last Ragnar, perhaps one day we can travel to the original Ragnar in Utah.

Bikilas, Finally!

I couldn't wait no mo' and I finally bought myself a pair of Vibram Five Finger Shoes. I have been thinking about them since I read Born to Run, which has a very interesting chapter about the benefits of running barefoot.

Supposedly, running with athletic shoes, does not provide so much support, but rather eliminates feedback by reducing sensation on the foot. As a result of running with a cushioned sole, a runner changes their stride and lands on his/her heel rather than in the preferable ball of his/her feet. Before the founder of Nike started creating soles using a waffle maker, runner shoes had thin soles and runners (again supposedly) had better form. The result of today's shoes is greater rate of injuries and slower recovery.

So I had to try them.

Following the advice of Scott, who has been running with teem (and without shoes, I hear) for some time now at least off and on, I need to start slow and short. I know that to be true because I tried running with some travel sleepers that were basically a thin rubber sole and a mesh on top, and after doing four miles the balls of my feet were on fire and for a good week I experienced muscle soreness in my calves.

I bought the newly released Bikilas, created just for running, but basically another pair of the Five Finger shoes not very different form the KSOs. I have taken them for a 2 mile run and LOVE them. I still had some calf pain the next day. Clearly you are using muscles you don't usually use with regular athletic shoes, but still a great experience. Still I decided not to use them for more than once a week. So my plan is to build up to 4 to 6 miles and make it my Thursday run.

I will report back as I get closer to my goal. This might be a good pair of shoes for my club runs at the Phoenix. Speed is usually slower than my usual 9 minute miles, so this might be a good opportunity to take my Bikilas for a spin.

Food on the Run

Nothing much to detail about the food while running Ragnar. I did bring some humus and pita that gulped down in installments after each one of my legs, but outside of that and a few nuts, there wasn't anything of particular interest. The only exception perhaps was our stop at one of the exchanges on Friday just around 7:00 PM. Very close to the exchange there is a little ice cream parlor/cheese shop/sandwich place. The same one we visited last year. Honestly can't remember the name.

Turns out, the place usually closes at 7:00 PM, or at least thats when they stop serving food and ice cream, you can still buy cheese. We get there at 7:00 PM sharp and are told we are too late. Mel somehow sweet talks her way into ordering four Turkey Sandwiches, the last that will come out of the kitchen (mine pictured below).

The attendants and the owner were caught entirely by surprise by the race (for the second year). They tell us that had they know the date, they could have arranged to have staff available to stay open until at least 9:00 PM. They could have also increased their inventory of certain products. It looks like the chocolate milk (which has an optimal ratio of carbohydrates to protein to help refuel tired muscles, research shows), to my disappointment, run out fast.

Ragnar Vigil

The Ragnar race goes over 24 hours (in our case 31:41), and in most cases there is little to no sleep during the race. When you are not running, you are driving or serving as the safety officer (new role this year that must be fulfilled from the passenger seat of the van and fully awake). If you are not filling one of this roles, you are either getting ready to run or just came for running and are all pumped up. The result is that even if you try to catch a few zees chances are you won't.

A funny thing happened to me (twice now, since I came back from the race. I wake up in the middle of the night and, in the haze of the night, I think that I am in the middle of a Ragnar-like race. I feel I cannot go back to sleep, because I am either next to run or need to take over for the van driver. So I do my best to stay awake. The interesting thing is that I now I am in my bedroom and I know that knowing this makes the race story so much more difficult to be true, however, that doe snot stop me from believing that somehow, I am still in the middle of a race. In the middle of the night haze, it takes me 5 to teen minutes to convince myself that there is no need to stay awake and I can go back to sleep.

While I am awake, however, I have some of the same excitement I have during the race. It sure is a fun event. Here is a picture of the Ragnar van where we didn't get to sleep :-)

Supergirl at Ragnar

That's right, the one and only Supergirl made it to Ragnar in no less than three incarnations. I, a big fan, was quick to get photographic proof and promised to add it to my blog. So here they are... three beautiful Supergirls, all posing and in the middle of using their super powers in order to conquer the three required legs for every Ragnar runner.

A new menu with no surprises at Brasa - Thank God!

Brasa Minneapolis changed their menu, but fortunately there is little change in the content. Now all sides are a la carte, but the options seem to be pretty much the same. A Tuesday trip with John and Clark proved that it is still one of the best values in town. We shared a bottle of white Rioja, a pound of roast pork, two sides (yellow rise and black beans and fried yuca with mojo) and four pieces of corn bread and still got away with a $70 for all four before tip. Not bad.

Consistent Taiko

Another work lunch at Taiko proves what we already knew. Excellent Sushi at a very good price.

Located in an old donut shop on old Highway 10, Taiko is a very unexpected site (in fact, if you come early and the parking lot is empty, it totally looks like an abandoned building. The inside still looks like a donut shop, but now has some cheesy Japanese blinds and decoration (not much either). Service is sort of slow (took us 45 minutes from order to meal even though we were the first customers there.

Never mind all that. The Sushi is very fresh, good quality, terrific presentation and lots of options. The Small Sashimi is plenty for one and costs $20. That is my usual order. This time I decided to try some of the Maki rolls. I didn't regret it. Picture below (from top to bottom) are Spicy Hamachi, Crab and Shrimp and a Eel roll.

You can see some other reviews for Taiko here.

Ecuadorian in Minneapolis

On a recommendation from Daniel, Patti Mayonnaise, Sharon and I visited Chimborazo on Central and 28th. With the name of an inactive volcano in Ecuador, this small but colorful restaurant has a great menu and excellent execution.

I recommend the Empanada de Carne (beef turnovers) or the Sanduche de Cerdo (Pork Sandwhich with plantains) or the Chaulafan (Ecuadorian fried rice with pork, chicken, shrimp, and egg, although I could not find the egg anywhere). I am sure there are many other delicious courses, but with just one visit we couldn't possibly eat anymore.

Their website has a full menu if you want to take a closer look. Thanks Daniel.

Minette's Japanese Eggplant Fries

Attending Minette and Buzz's Gumbo party we knew we were up for something special.

We have tried their Gumbo before (Buzz's family recipe from many generations ago in Louisiana, perfectly executed by Minette), so we were looking forward to this dinner. What we didn't expect was the appetizer. Don't get me wrong, the Gumbo was definitely the star of the night, but that we knew that coming in. The appetizer (pictured) were Japanese Eggplant Fries. Here is how Minette described them to me... Cut the Japanese eggplant in the shape of fries and soak them for a while in water and salt. While they soak, mix cornmeal, paprika and cayenne. Then coat the eggplant in the mixture and fry them in vegetable oil. I know... no egg or milk, amazing! More so when you see the result. A crispy exterior with lots of cornmeal and a soft and delicious interior. This was served with a mayonnaise with some cayenne and (can't remmeber, but I will guess) some herbs and lemon juice. Thanks Minette and Buzz. Awesome night.

Ragnar Update

We are a week away from R-day. The team got together for a last minute planning session, training run and to discuss van decorations and approve the matching shirts Mel created online. We also wanted to thank the volunteers that will provide us support and save us some dough on race day (not having found the three required volunteers would have cost us $360).

Next time we get together will be on race day at 5:45 AM to drive the van to the start line. There I plan on meeting Dick, the race director for the Zoom! Yah! Yah! Indoor Marathon.

This very interesting and unique Marathon is held annually at Tostrud Field House on the campus of St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN. Because of the size of the track the race is closed to just 40 runners. I hear the entries usually double that, so a lottery will decide who runs. For runners that try to run a Marathon that start with each letter of the alphabet (yep there are some), this is is a coveted one. Not many Marathons start with a Z.

Yesterday I sent an email to Dick, the race director, with some questions. For some reason he run into problems emailing back so decided to call instead. As we got talking, I found out he will be at Ragnar and will be starting at the same time our team is. So we arranged to meet there and exchange press the flesh, as they say. If selected Zoom! Yah! Yah! could turn out to be my 12th after this year's Twin Cities and Rails to Trails.

Outstanding on the Terrace

A small semi-formal event was a good opportunity to get together with some friends and neighbors.

The event was co-hosted with Mike and Anita who did an outstanding job themselves making their house look awesome for the party. Their terrace proved the perfect place for a late summer get-together.

As always the best part of the company. John and Clark looked adorable in their tuxedos and matching hats. Birdie and Anita looked lovely in their night gowns and Sharon was both beautiful and totally in with her wush wush pants.

The menu included:

Mixed Green Salad with Chèvre and Zucchini BlossomsChilled Tomato and Avocado Soup
Seared Scallop with Carrot Oil
Red Bell Pepper Sorbet
Grilled Marinated Leg of Lamb with Roasted Beets and Ginger Rice
Wild Berry Tartlets with Crème Anglaise
Anita’s Home-made Cookies
Assorted Chocolates

Aquatennial Fireworks…. Ooh! Aah!

OK, so this entry is neither about food nor about running, but last Aquatennial I did an online search on how to take pictures of fireworks and took my good ol’ Canon Rebel and took a few shots. I was surprised at how easy it was to get impressive pictures following just a few hints.

Here is a small sample…