Team Ragged Glory – Adventure Racing, Multi Sport, Friends

Dino Series‘ Tecumseh Trail Marathon is a tough race. 26.2 miles of trails through the hills of South Central Indiana. December weather. Frequently changing conditions. Team Ragged Glory members Steve Kincade, Nancy Gawrys and I (Doug Theis) made the decision to run it together and give it our best. We even laughed about bringing our on-foot towing system that we use in adventure races so we could have a little fun with some of the other racers.

In the days leading up to the 2010 Tecumseh, Nancy had to bow out because of a scheduling problem. And the weather forecast became threatening. The temperatures looked like they would hold steady at around 30 degrees. The weatherman called for 2-4″ of snow and sleet starting at 8am, 2 hours before race time.

Steve and I talked the night before the race about what we should do. We decided to make the decision the morning of the race. Neither one of us was thrilled with the weather forecast. I was especially worried about getting cold and wet. Since the race is a point-to-point, there isn’t much chance to bail out if you get in trouble.

On Saturday morning at 5am, the sleet/snow combination was falling steadily. The radar looked like it would be a full day of precipitation. If Steve wasn’t running, it would have been over right then for me. The bed was nice and warm. We could stay in Indy and run with Nancy early, then help her with her move. I was assembling a sophisticated list of reasons to skip the race.

But I called Steve, and he was willing to do it, and guilt is a powerful thing. So Steve picked me up and we drove down to the finish line at Yellowwood Lake to check in and board the buses for the start line. The roads were slick but passable. The snow and sleet were steady, and as always, looked a lot worse from the inside of a warm vehicle traveling 50 miles per hour.

We got to Yellowwood and checked in. Brian Holzhausen of Dino announced that the roads were too treacherous for the buses. This development transformed the race into an out-and-back on the south half of the course. This is the hillier half of the Tecumseh trail. I got a little comfort from the idea of being able to bail out or turn back early, once again planning how I could quit. I decided to carry a pack and take extra clothing to better protect against the cold.

We saw many adventure racing buddies at the start line: Eric Henricks, fellow TRG member, many of his Team Tenacious partners, Phil and Kim McNealy, and Angelia Kniesly were all there. The gun sounded and were were off.

The sleet had fallen for a couple of hours before the race. It caused the snow to stick to the trees. The course looked like something from a story book. The first section was narrow single track, so we were able to run with our faster friends until the trail opened up. the pine forest at the north end of the trail was looked like a painting in a museum.

The course was soft and surprisingly dry. Aid stations seemed plentiful and a few had hot drinks. Fig newtons and Cheezits tasted like steak and lobster. And although it was a little dicey when the leaders turned around and created two-way traffic, the decision to make the course an out-and-back was the right call. The turnaround seemed to come quickly. Halfway done, we headed south to complete the course.

Steve and I finished in 6 hours 15 minutes. I would guess we walked about 55-60% of the course, including most of the uphill and much of the last four miles. Crossing the finish line with Steve was awesome. I’m proud to have completed it. This was my second longest on-foot event ever, and the experience was beautiful and amazing.

Afterward, I told Steve that I would’ve never showed up if he wasn’t there. He said likewise. The power of a team is that 1 plus 1 equals more than 2. A person could have no finer teammate and friend that Steve Kincade.

Lessons learned:

I wasted a ton of worry on this race. It reminds me of Mark Twain’s quote: “There has been much tragedy in my life; at least half of it actually happened.”

I carried a pack with extra clothes that I never used. I would do it again. The extra weight was worth the peace of mind that I was prepared if conditions changed or if one of us got in trouble.

I can do nearly anything when I’m on a team.

Dino Series’ Tecumseh Trail Marathon took place yesterday (December 4, 2010). Steve Kincade, long-time Team Ragged Glory member and longer-time friend, and I (Doug Theis) headed down to Yellowwood State Forest in Nashville, Indiana, wondering what the wintry mix of weather had in store for us.

As sleet poured down on the racers, Brian Holzhausen, the Race Director, announced that the roads were too dicey for the bus drivers. He wisely changed the route from a point-to-point to an out-and-back. The south half of the Tecumseh would be our gauntlet. As fortune would have it, the south half is the hilliest half of the trail.

My running partner Steve Kincade and I have been playing in the woods together for a long time. Steve and I met in 1989. Steve worked in the Lab at Methodist and I worked in IT. During the 1991 Indianapolis Mini Marathon, Steve and I ended up running together during the last mile. We started running together shortly thereafter and haven’t quit yet. I was glad he was running with me. He has an uncanny ability to grind out high mileage. Misery loves company.

More of the blog post from DougTheis.com

Saturday’s run was crowded! Nancy’s sister Patty and brother-in-law Craig joined us, along with their dogs Jack and buddy.Eric Henricks and a few of his Team Tenacious friends joined us for our regular Saturday run at Fort Harrison in Indianapolis. Team Ragged Glory members Nancy Gawrys, , Steve Kincade and I (Doug Theis) had a great time with all the visitors. We hope to see you all more often!

Eric’s wife Gail set up the Team Tenacious website, and was kind enough to include me and Nancy Gawrys in the group. Gail calls me Mr. Photogenic. That’s the first time in my life I’ve been called photogenic. Thanks, Gail.

After the Urban Sprint Race this year, I was fortunate enough to sit in on one of the 2011 planning sessions with the race directors of the Indianapolis-based adventure races. Many topics were discussed, including cheating during an adventure race.

During the Planet Adventure Urban Sprint Race this year, an all-male team was splitting up to take advantage of the opening urban trek section. The team would send a fast member to the control, and the slower members would “cut the corner” and head off to the next control in the mean time. The rules of the race stated that team members must stay within 50 feet of each other at all times. The accused team ended up taking home winning trophies, but were later DNF’ed based on the evidence.

Is what they did cheating? I admitted a similar offense at Holcomb Gardens in the same race. Nancy ran about 100 yards to the statue while Jeff and I stayed near the bikes. I think both the first team and TRG cheated, strictly speaking. It’s then up to the race director what penalty should be assessed.

I do believe, however, that 50 feet is too small a distance. 50 yards is a more reasonable expectation, and it allows for the natural occurences of separation, especially on the bike.

Comments?

@TeamRaggedGlory is running 10-15 at Fort Harrison Saturday morning, November 20. Steve, Nancy and I are training for the Tecumseh Trail Marathon, put on by our adventure racing friend Brian Holzhausen and Dino Series.

Come play with us!

Mike Skirvin was kind enough to take pictures for the 2010 Indianapolis Adventure Race. The pictures are at the Knobstone site on smug mug. You’ll find them here. Nice work as always, Mike.

Forty nine teams braved the rain to race the 11th annual Indianapolis Adventure Race on September 11, 2010. The event that Greg Arnold started has grown into a tradition of adventure racing excellence that also generates thousands of dollars in charitable donations.

Dave Tanner, Nancy Gawrys, and me (Doug Theis) raced together, representing Team Ragged Glory for the 10th consecutive year for this even.. Indiana University’s Bradford Woods property in Martinsville, Indiana was the place. The race had plenty of challenges for a sprint: flatwater paddling, hike-a-boat, river paddling, paint ball, a tough couple of bike sections, and a beautiful orienteering section on foot in the Bradford Woods deep stuff. The last checkpoint had us paddle boarding, and it was great fun.

Thanks to Nancy and Dave for a great race. We finished 7th overall and 4th in the coed division. Ryan Burke handled the transition to race director seamlessly. Thanks to the volunteers, and congrats to the Tenacious Lemmings, John McInnes, Mike Garrison, and Jayne Prater for a big win.

We had an awesome day! Team Ragged Glory raced fast on a beautiful day and an excellent course layout. Kudos to Jay Newlin and Monty Wilson again for killer course design and execution!

Sadly, although we finished in the top fivetimes , we completely skipped a checkpoint, moving us down in the final standings. But we’re proud of the way we kept moving and executing! Nice job Nancy and Jeff!

@PlanetAdv Urban Sprint starts at 8:15 tomorrow morning near the Athanaeum in downtown Indy. If you’re wondering what an Adventure Race is like, come on down around 7 am and watch the fun!