Dirty Half Dozen, Green Mountain Relay Ultra Team

Race Day(s)

2007-07-01T12:35:00.001-07:00

It's been difficult to write about this race. I've tried a few different times, and have not succeeded. At first I attempted to share all the funny stories that happened during the race. That method seemed to take away the incredible experience of the race. This is my attempt at writing a more balanced report.

The race day(s) were finally here. This was the point at which we were all asking ourselves "Can we do this?", "How hard will it be?", "Will any body get hurt?" and about 100 other questions.

This first photo is the Dirty Half Dozen at the start of the race. From left to right are Shmuel Rochin (from Israel), Ray Wagner (Groton Gopher), Gideon Gal (Israel, and Ithaca), Ron Moore (Groton Gopher), John Dailey (Finger Lakes Runners Club, from Ithaca), and Steve Gallow (FLRC, Groton Gopher, from Groton) . This is also the order in which we ran the race. Each of us would run a total of 6 legs each for a total of 36 legs covering 200 miles.

On the left in the second photo was the start of our race. A total of 5 teams started at 9:15 AM on June 2, 2007. This looks like a small race, but there were actually 23 teams. The start times of the race were calculated based upon the teams average 10k race pace. Slower teams started earlier in the day at 7:00 AM, while the fastest teams started at about 11:00 AM.

There were 2 types of teams in this race. Six person Ultra teams, and twelve person regular teams. Gideon, our team captain, wanted an ultra team. In the end we were all glad that we ran as an ultra team. It was much more of a challenge, and more exciting. With a twelve person team the member may have to wait as much as 6 hours between runs.

The beauty of this course was incredible. There were 7 covered bridges along the course. Here Shmuel crosses the first bridge on the first leg.

Here is Gideon crossing one of the other covered bridges. (Note: ahead of another team)

The Ultra teams are broken down as 6 positions. Each position is rated by the difficulty level. The web site has excellent maps showing the topography and the distance of each leg. Gideon had each team member rate which position they would prefer. Everybody was given their first choice except Gideon and John. Both wanted to run the most difficult position. A coin was flipped and John won(or lost depending on your perspective) and received the most difficult position. Here John is running up one of the many hills, and Gideon runs along side him for support.

After each leg there was an exchange point. Here Steve just finished his first leg, and Shmuel is beginning his second leg. Steve got lost near the end of this leg, and ended up running an extra 1/2 mile.

While running each member of the team was wearing a Lance Armstrong yellow band, and would pass it on to the next runner. As team captain we presented Gideon with the band at the end of the race.

Volunteers from various organizations were paid to organize the stations. They did a great job, and the payments went to various charity organizations. They had to spend several hours at each exchange point, and were always very cheerful and supportive of the runners.

The heat became very oppressive during the race. The temperatures were in the high 80s and low 90s during the day. It was very humid as well. At night time it was still in the 60's and very humid.

After their first legs, John, Steve, and Mike Hammer went swimming in a public water hole that was along the route. Later Ray, and Gideon took advantage of the cool water near a waterfall. The water was very refreshing, and helped keep the swelling down in the muscles.

Ray and Ron had some of the hottest runs. Here Ray finishes after one of his killer runs. It took him a while to recover from this one.

On one of Ron's legs he came in dripping with water. I thought somebody had dumped a bucket of water over his head because the water was coming off in a steady stream. I asked him if he had dumped his water bottle over his head. He said no. It was sweat.

One of the suggestions that we followed was having multiple outfits, and multiple pairs of running shoes.

John was getting ready to run one of his most difficult legs. It was rated "Very Hard" and was about 10 miles of running up hill. The weather was very hot at the start. There was an Ambulance with a member of another team being treated at this exchange point. John decided that this was the leg that he most needed to show his membership to the Finger Lakes Runners Club shirt.

A huge thunder an lightning storm hit while John ran this leg. He continued to run through the storm. When I gave him water and asked him if he wanted to wait until the storm was over, he said, "No this is better then the heat."

As the day progressed and we became more tired, there were fewer and fewer photographs to record our memories. There are no night time shots of us running with head lamps, and blinking lights or our reflective vests. I wish there were. It was quite a site. At night time on one run it was so foggy that I thought my glasses were steaming over. I wasn't wearing any glasses.

Another thing happened at night as well. The apatite for the pasta salad, bagels, peanut butter, chocolate covered espresso beans, Coke, boiled eggs left us. It was very difficult to eat. We didn't feel hungry, but we had to force ourselves to eat. Here Steve himself to eat a power bar.

One of the other things that suprised us was how little we were able to sleep during the race. I think that we all thought we'd get more sleep, but we only slept about 30 minutes the entire night. Even though we didn't sleep we were able to stay active. Once in a while we would catch a cat nap in the back of one of the vans.

A humorous thing happened at one of the exchanges. John Dailey had the keys to Gideon's van, but wasn't sure how to use the door lock. He hit the panic button, and the alarm alerted everyone at the exchange to look at the van. Ray just happened to be changing in the back of the van while the alarm was sounding.

On one of Ray's runs near the end of the race he was running with someone on one of the other 12 person teams. Ray ran along side this runner in his 20's for a while, and they talked . The other runner was suprised to hear that Ray was part of one of the Ultra teams. When the runner arrived at the next exchange he said, "Hey I was running with this old man back there, and he was pretty good." I guess being in your late 40's in one of these races makes you and old man. We believe that we may have been one of the oldest teams competing. We were one person shy of a masters team.

It was interesting to watch the emotions of the people during the race. Toward the end many of us were getting tired, but others became fantastic cheerleaders in encouraging people to do well. After the last leg people were happy that they had completed their portion of the running. On Steve's last leg he wasn't sure of how much more he had to run, and thought that he wasn't going to come in before the 28 hour goal that we had set for ourselves. He pushed on, and we finished with almost 3 minutes to spare. The team was able to join Steve, and all of them were allowed to cross the finish line together.

Here we have the finishing team including Mike Hammer on the far right. Mike was key in getting us through this race.

I think as with every distance event, you find yourself amazed at what the body is capable. Each of the members of the team worked hard to get to this point. We were lucky to have no injuries along the way, and to complete it as a team. We ended with a time of 27:53:04. We ended 3rd in the Ultra Mens category, and 12th overall. (Including competing against the 12 person teams.)

The race was over, and now it was time to repack the vans (lots of gear), get a shower and a big meal. Shmuel said that he was ready for a steak and a beer. We all agreed. (Watch our for the bar tax in Vermont. It's a killer).

With one shower for all of us we took turns using it. Meanwhile everybody who wasn't using the shower caught up on some much needed rest.

During the final couple of legs of the race, some of us said that we probably would not run this race again. We were tired, and still had a couple of runs to do. Later in the restaurant we began making plans for next years race. It amazing how quickly the mind forgets the difficulty, and a sense of accomplishment and exhilaration takes over. We're looking forward to the 2008 race. We hope that we can get a team together.

Final Moments before the Race.

2007-05-31T09:23:00.000-07:00

We are in the final stages of preparation for the race. The team member have done all the training that they can, and are ready to do well. Tonight we will be busily packing for the big event. It's amazing how much equipment is needed for this race. It's basically a lot like a camping trip.

The training has gone well for all us. We have put in several multiple run days to get used to running stopping, running stopping...running stopping. In many ways I think it's much more difficult then a marathon in that your muscles tighten between runs. It's difficult to stay loose. Another way in which it is more difficult is that we'll probably run the legs more quickly then if we were running them continuously. It should be interesting to see how we do.

We have received our start times. We'll be starting at 9:15 AM on Saturday morning. The same time as the other two teams in our category. We wonder if we about the same speed as these other groups. It should be interesting to see how we do compared to last years winners of the Ultra Mens Team. There are several 12 person teams that actually start before we do, with the first teams starting at 7:00 AM on Saturday. (2:15 before we do.) The slower the team is rated the earlier the team starts.

Mike Hammer has agreed to join us, and drive for us. He even purchased a new van just for the trip. We'll be traveling in luxury, and we appreciate Mike for coming along to help provide some sanity to the group.

Wish us well.

2007-04-08T10:55:00.000-07:00

First Green Mountain Relay Meeting

In what turned out to be a surprise to all the members of the Dirty Half Dozen Green Mountain Relay Team, we had an organizational meeting.

Our fearless leader Gideon Gal led the meeting at the Chapter House in Collegetown. Gideon handed out booklets showing each one of us the task that lies ahead of us. As the actual amount of running slowly sank into our brains we decided that we needed another beer to comprehend the craziness of what we are doing. We also realized that we all need more training.

After consuming another beer we all made promises to contribute equipment for the relay. We also promised to collect further information concerning hotels, transportation, and maps.

We've decided that the beer, popcorn, and music actually make meeting a lot of fun. We're thinking about making these meetings a weekly event if it doesn't cut into John's taco night.

First Injury

2007-03-10T14:09:00.000-08:00

I pulled my hamstring last week doing the 14 mile run. I ran on it all week, and it seems to get worse when I run on it. (I was hoping that it would loosen up, but it didn't.) I'm taking the next week off to see if it feels better. I don't think that it is real serious in that it is feeling better then it did earlier this week.

:-( Steve

T-Shirt is coming along.

2007-03-10T13:55:00.000-08:00

I've got the profiles of Ray, Ron, and Steve on the T-Shirt. Now I need Gideon's, John's, and Shmuel's profiles. If you have a photo that you think would make a good profile, please send it to me. If not, let me know and we can take a photo of you while you are running.

equipment, equipment, equipment

2007-02-10T16:02:00.000-08:00

Hi all,
following is a list of the recommended equipment for the relay including equipment we must have and that will be checked at race day check-in.
Please look over the list, especially the team items, see what you have available that can be used. E-mail me with the items you have and I will may a check next to the item. Note that there are many more items we will need that they do not mention for example sleeping equipment, tents etc. We will make a list of those items as we get closer to the race and figure out the logistics.

GG

TEAM EQUIPMENT - REQUIRED (bold items required at check-in)

2 flashlights or headlamps, extra batteries; from sunset to sunrise, runners must carry a lighted flashlight

2 reflective vests, required from sunset to sunrise and recommended at all times

2 flashing red LED lights - one required to be worn on the runner's back from sunset to sunrise (these will be available for sale at the start for a nominal fee if you need them)

1 vehicle signs "CAUTION-RUNNER ON ROAD" (minimum 17 x 22 inches) to be attached to the rear of each teams two vehicles. These can be hand made but they must be legible)

2 First Aid kits for blisters, abrasions, etc.

2 Trash bags

2 vehicles (maximum 6.5 x 19 feet); No buses, extra vehicles, limousines or motor homes

Clipboard for Team Time Record

Safety pins for race numbers

Vehicle registration and insurance Watch/stopwatch for clipboard with Team Time Record

Water, electrolyte drinks, food since there are no aid stations

TEAM EQUIPMENT - RECOMMENDED FOR EACH VEHICLE

Cooler with ice

Food, drinks

Maps

Markers, pens, pencils, paper

Cell phones, 2-way radios

Tape for vehicle signs

Toilet paper, paper towels, cups

RUNNER EQUIPMENT - RECOMMENDED

Additional blinking red light for extra safety

Bear bells and/or pepper spray if nervous about animals

Bandana for dusty roads

Camera

Driver license, ID required for "Masters" and "Flatlander" competitive teams

Flashlight or headlamp, 2 per team required, but many runners bring their own

Food, drinks

Foot-care aids

Hat or visor to reduce glare of headlights

Money, credit card

Plastic bags for wet clothes, icing injuries, trash

Protective aids: pepper spray, phone, whistle

Reflective clothing

Rain gear

Reflective vest - 2 per team required, but an extra avoids wearing a sweaty vest

Running shoes, shirts, shorts, socks - a clean set for each leg

Shampoo, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, toilet paper, towel

Sleeping bag, sleeping pad, ground cloth/tent

Sunglasses, sunscreen, hat

Vaseline

Water bottle

2007-02-06T13:17:00.000-08:00

Hi guys,
I should have a small package for all of you by the start of next week. It will include details on the entire course, legs you will be running and some of the guidelines and rules we need to follow prior to and during the race.
I will print them out and either hand them to you or ask Steve to pass them out to the Gopher members I do not see on a routine basis.

GG

The votes are in!

2007-01-18T18:23:00.000-08:00

Thats it! Votes are in and counted! We now have the line up for the relay:

Leg 1, with a total of 27.4 miles (43.8 km) will be run by Shmuel Rochin
Leg 2, with a total of 32.2 miles (51.5 km) will be run by Ray Wagner
Leg 3, with a total of 37.7 miles (60.3 km) will be run by Gideon Gal
Leg 4, with a total of 29.7 miles (47.5 km) will be run by Ron Moore
Leg 5, with a total of 40.2 miles (64.3 km) will be run by John Dailey
Leg 6, with a total of 30.6 miles (49.0 km) will be run by Steve Gallow

You can now start planning your training programs taking into account the amount of running up or down hill.

T-Shirt, Hat, and Underware Design

2007-01-12T17:10:00.000-08:00

I've been playing around with an idea for a design of the team. This is a preliminary start of a design. In this design I would take photos of each of us running. (I need a better photo of
each one of you then the one I used in this design.) I would then create a shadow of each of you and place it on the profile of the course. I may need to play with the vertical exaggeration of the profile. (I see that I have the year wrong.)

Let me know what you think, or if you have better ideas.

Steve

The search is over!!!

2007-01-10T13:06:00.000-08:00

Gideon has informed us that his running buddy back in Israel, Shmuel Rochin, will be joining us in Vermont. So if you had your heart set on joining us for a weekend of little sleep and much running, you will have to try to talk us into another relay, and hope that one or more members of the current team is either unavailable, or has significantly upgraded their brain, and realized that this kind of stuff is crazy and should not be attempted by human beings.

Sorry...

In other news, the process of determining who among the DHD is the biggest sucker is underway. One of the DHD will be filling each of the roles below...

Runner    Total     Elevation                   Overall
number    miles:    change:                 difficulty
1                27.4    +1334/-2604= -1273 1
2                32.2    +1820/-1957= -138 2
3                37.7    +3083/-2567= +516 5
4                29.7    +2355/-1943= +412 3
5                40.2    +4790/-2471= +2319 6
6                30.6    +1922/-3380= -1458 4

The rumor mill is already at work. It appears that Gideon and John are fighting for the "least sense of self preservation" award and have decided that being the 5th runner or the 3rd would be a good idea. Steve, with his exceptionally long legs and acompanying downhill proficiency, wants to be runner 6. Ray seems to be smart (why did we let him on the team?) and is seeking to be runner 2 or runner 1.

(all information provided by the rumor mill is preliminary and should not be used for any purpose at all)

More information will appear here as it becomes available...

-John

Welcome to the Half Dozen, Green Mountain Relay Ultra Team Blog

2007-01-03T14:36:00.000-08:00

It began with a statement from Gideon Gal. After running the Toronto Marathon, Gideon explained to his wife that is that last marathon that I'm going to run. Knowing Gideon better then he knows himself she said, "You liar." So when the 200 Mile Green Mountain Relay was presented to Gideon, he said let's do it.

When he mentioned this to Steve Gallow, Steve assumed that he wanted to form a 12 person team, but nooooooooooooooooooooo. Gideon wanted to form an Ultra 6 person team. Knowing that the Groton Gophers were crazy enough, he turned to them to help form the team. Steve Gallow, and Ron Moore who are known as Marathon Freaks immediately said YES. Ray Wagner the team's curmudgeon took a little more arm twisting. He finally agreed and keeps telling himself that it will be an adventure. We're still considering the Green Frog. Stephen Codner mentioned something about staying home and making money. We think his priorities are a little screwed up. See Groton Gophers photo.

We knew that we needed to bring in a ringer, so we also asked John Dailey to join us. You can tell by his web site that his expertise in Turbine Aerodynamics will greatly help the team. Being a member of the Finger Lakes Runners Club can't hurt.

Who is the 6th member of the team? It's a good question. We currently reviewing resumes. We are being very critical of who we choose. We will post just as soon as we have made a decision.