Team Ragged Glory – Adventure Racing, Multi Sport, Friends

2008IAR

This one was on Nancy’s home turf.

We had a cool pre-dawn paddle on Fall Creek, paddling into Geist Reservoir.

I loved the bike section and the Fortville Park o-course

Bob is a great navigator.

TRG’s three teams had a great time running the 2008 Planet Adventure Urban Sprint. I’m afraid the race directors ruined our new adventure racers – Maddie Gawrys-Strand, Jeff Boxell and Joe Madren – with one of the funnest races I’ve done in years. Now our new racers expectations may be set too high!

There were so many special tests that I lost count:
Running the entire Pogue’s Run tunnel
Stair running
Kicking a soccer goal
Jumping of the 5M board at the natatorium
Down and up the cargo net along with a swim in the White River
Disc golf putting
Free throw shooting
Horseshoes
Ladder golf
Bowling ball roll
A three story rappel
Underwater math problem solving
Jarts

The summer race directs Jay and Monty really outdid themselves. Nice job guys and a big thank you to you and all the volunteers. Indy Rootstock took the first three positions; congrats to them as well.

TRG is fielding three teams in the Planet Adventure urban sprint race this summer. Team Ragged Glory Outlaws is comprised of me (Doug) and my two brothers-in-law. Our unbreakable link is the three Abrahamsen sisters that we married. Team Ragged Gawrys is made up of my long-time teammates Nancy Gawrys, Steve Kincade, and Nancy’s daughter Maddie Gawrys-Strand. Just plain Team Ragged Glory is made up of longer-time teammates Julie Shimer and Bob Mueller, along with Greg Huffman, who raced with Nancy and me last summer in the urban race.

Looking forward to seeing you all out there. Garfield Park is my home turf. Too bad I’m not fast.

Hello Fellow Racers,

I’m writing to share a story of our teammate from last summer’s urban race, Greg Huffman and his family. Greg and Nicki lost nearly everything last Saturday morning because of flooding at their home in Johnson County. Nicki’s story of the events is below if you’re interested in the details.

Greg and Nicki are youth leaders in our church and have had a great influence on my children. Greg fell in love with AR after his first race.

If any of you are interested in helping, my church is accepting donations for them. There are some specific needs in the story. These are good people; they can use your help. Call me at 317.502.7622 if you have any questions.

Thanks,

Doug Theis
Team Ragged Glory

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Bob Mueller , Nancy Gawrys and I (Doug Theis) will represent Team Ragged Glory (TRG) is our first ever Planet Adventure Sprint Race this coming Saturday, June 7 near Cloverdale Indiana. On the same day, Steve Kincade and Julie Shimer will be running a 38 mile “fun run” (gimme a break) at the Kettle Moraine 100. Looking forward to seeing all of our friends. Rumor has it that sometime TRG member Greg Arnold will be racing at the PA Sprint. Watch out.

Scott joined TRG during this year’s race. Here’s his report:

For team Lost In Transition the woes started before the race ever did…

The morning began innocently enough; up early to finish packing gear, load the vehicles, and depart early enough to drop the bikes at the bike drop and get back to the start/finish with enough time to settle in and make last minutes preparations before the start. At least that was the plan. While transiting to the bike drop, we managed to miss a turn and ended up touring the course. By the time we located the bike drop and made it back to the start/finish the rest of the field was lined up and the start gun was seconds from firing. We took it in stride and decided we would give the rest of the field a chance by giving them a 30-minute head start. Our team number was, after all, “1”.
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Once again I’m packing for the race and transferring my “mandatory gear” pack from my tub to my pack. This is a pack of materials I have now carried for five races. It consists of the waterproof poncho ($.99 at Target), waterproof matches, a five year old emergency blanket and an all-in-one whistle, knife, and compass. I give no thought to ever having to use any of this gear, I simply think of the check mark that will appear when I present it at check in. Thinking I have met all of the requirements,I happily start the race.
…17 hours in to race I am not so happy. We find ourselves on the bank of Salt Creek with three other teams, having paddled around aimlessly for a couple of hours looking for the cutthrough that will allow us to continue on. We are cold, wet, and closer to an emergency situation than I have ever been in during a race. Everyone scrounges about there packs pulling out emergency gear. I grab my “waterproof” matches to try and start a fire, only to discover that, yes, While my matches are still dry, and do somewhat light,they are not powerful enough to ignite the damp twigs that we have gathered. Another more prepared racer pulls out a powerful lighter and the fire rages. Now the emergency blankets come out. Adventureres wrap themselves up, space themselves around the fire, and enjoy the “coziness”. I open my blanket, start to unravel it and it comes apart in several pieces. How old is this blanket? I have enough of a piece to maybe create a scarf for my neck. I look with envy upon glow of the fire on the intact orange space blankets of my fellow racers. At this point, I’d like to use my emergency whistle to blow for help but I do not have enough confidence in my gear to even get it out.

Nancy and Steve ended up being the only two members of the four person team TRG planned to have race PA08. Julie got a bad case of poison wood in the Bahamas and I (Doug) broke my finger a week before the race. So Steve and Nancy forged on and stayed on the course for 23 hours before calling it. Bob and I crewed for them. Steve and Nancy also picked up Scott Gondek along the way; his original team made an early exit because of an injury.

The course was excellent and the weather was better. Thanks again to the race directors for a great job.

Steve and Ron Stevens of Rest and Relaxation remain the only two people who have raced in every Planet Adventure. Nice job guys.

A few words of thanks from Team Ragged Glory to the organizers of Planet Adventure 2008. We’ve done this race since 2001 and look forward to it every year. The race was extra special this year because it was back on PA’s “home turf” in the Hoosier National Forest.

To Jerry Lyons: Thanks for donating your time year after year in spite of all the irons you have in the fire. Your commitment to the sport and to the local racers does not go unnoticed. You’ve made the race that Greg Arnold started into an old and reliable friend.

To Dave Kauffman: Your attention and help in handling the fine details of running a race in real time has played a huge part in making the race the success that it is. Your willingness to execute tons of preparation along with the sleepless days and nights during the event is probably the most critical component of making the race come together as it does.

To Mike and Cristal Garrison: it’s a little unfair to lump you together when thanking you. But I find it amazing how you work together seamlessly and stay married and friendly with each other. Mike, your course design and leadership have added greatly to the race execution and to the racer experience. Cristal, your sincerity, your concern for the racers and your contagious smile bring both joy and comfort to the weary souls coming though checkpoints and transition areas. Many thanks to you both for taking on the mantle of this, our favorite race, and for bringing to it something more and something better.

And finally, thanks to Greg, Brandon, Monty, Susan and to all of the other volunteers that I have failed to name, we appreciate and thank you for your selfless behavior and your willingness to help us racers in our “play.” We can’t wait to see you next year.

Steve Kincade, Julie Shimer, Scott Gondek and I spend 7 hours hiking 20 miles in Morgan Monroe on Saturday February 23. The weather was pleasant, the snow was crusty, and the company was top notch. The snow’s crust made for the loudest hike I have ever done! We practically had to shout to hear each other. Rock Shelter was beautiful with six foot long icicles. Naturally we had to break a few. It was great to be out in the woods with Julie again after a couple of years without her. She’ll be racing Planet Adventure with Nancy, Steve and me. I think this version of TRG will be called Team Ragged Glory estrogen. See you on the trail.