TIR 2010 Expenses

2010 TIR expenses

1. Race registration = $900

2. Van 1 rental = $305.13

3. Van 1 gasoline = $126.87 ($60.71+$66.16)

4. Van 2 rental = $288.23

5. Van 2 gasoline = $66.60

6. Sealy hotel = $169.48

7. Team shirts = $117 (13@$9ea)

8. Thank you gifts = $10

9. Additional TIR shirt for Brenda = $15

Total expenses = $1998.31

less donation from Mid-Texas Symphony = ($250)

Balance = $1748.31

Per person = $145.69

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Reimbursements
1. James = $1042
2. Brenda = $432
3. Maeve = $169.48
4. Alan = $354.83

Steve, Jon, Holly, Liz, Arturo, David, Dorian, & Fred each owe $145.69
Alan & Marie are owed $63.45 total ($354.83-$291.38)
Maeve is owed $23.79
James is owed $896.31

Being a Wrunner Wrangler

As I returned to work after an extended weekend of shuttling runners in the 203+ mile Texas Independence Relay, I posted the team picture and the picture of the winning van to the front of my Dilbert-like cubicle. A few of my co-workers looked at the pictures, asked, "How many miles?" They kind of shook their heads and walked on. There were more co-workers who would stop by, look at the pictures, then wonder why I do it. At the risk of sounding uppity, this is why...

To begin, let me state that I will never be a runner. Doesn't appeal to me. A nice walk I can get into, but running? Forget it. However, my brother, James, started running several years ago. When he set his sights on his first marathon, I think I volunteered to come down and help him out by getting him to the race start, checking on him throughout different race points, and just generally being a concerned sister. Secretly, I thought he was a little crazy, but I already had a lot of respect for him. At that time, he had already battled, and won, alcoholism and nicotine addiction. I already looked at his successes in those battles with awe and pride. Perhaps he was replacing these self destructive addictions with another one? At least this one (running) was, somewhat, healthy. Spending time looking at the race route and planning the "hits" to make to give James energy bars gave me a mission. It appealed to me as a sister and appealed to my more analytical personality. I had a "job".

Fast forward a few years. On a fairly regular basis, I am the race support for my brother. Race support blossomed into an annual trek to Corpus Christi for the Beach to Bay Relay marathon, where I no longer ran race support for my brother, but was now responsible for a running pack. I had 6 runners to coordinate and care for. It became a challenge to ensure that this pack had little more to care about than running their leg and handing off the baton. The introduction to the inaugural Texas Independence Relay began in a Corpus Christi condo the night before the Beach to Bay Relay Marathon. The story has been told numerous times, but I was silly enough to throw down the "challenge". "If you get a team together to run it, I'll drive." I really thought it was a crazy feat that wouldn't come to pass. It almost didn't, but three years later...

What do I, as a non runner, get out of the Texas Independence Relay?

1. Taking the business of anything but running out of the teams hands. The captain does a lot of work, but I am the behind the scenes coordinator. I make sure there are places to rest/relax, rent the main team van and generally dealing with all the details. Coordination of any event provides satisfaction and I definitely get that satisfaction from coordinating, as well as the frustration that goes along with it.

2. Directing and corralling 12 individuals into a team. No, I don't lead team building exercises. This group of runners is a mix of co-workers (it IS team Mid-Texas Symphony), relatives of co-workers, and a few additional runners who filled out the team the first year and keep returning because there are now friendships. Any way you want to dissect the team, there are fairly dramatic mixtures. Type A and Type B personalities, Analytical with Artistic temperaments, linear and non-linear thinkers, etc. I really don't do a lot of direction/corralling, but ensuring that the team vans get to the designated hand off points (and knowing that the analytical minds in Van 2 can understand my routing) is satisfying.

3. Sense of responsibility for each team member. Although I am not driving both vans (there are two team vans), I do try to take care of all the runners. Whether that means ensuring that there is sufficient down time: time to eat, time to rest, time to do whatever, I have a sense of responsibility for them. When driving my van, I try to be mindful (sometimes bossy) of providing runner support while they are running their leg. Sometimes I follow them closely, sometimes that means telling the captain to provide water, sometimes it is mixing up Recoverite, but all in all, it means I care about their well being. I feel their pain when running at night, getting lost on a leg, etc. If I fail in my job, the team fails.

4. Being part of something larger than myself. In my day to day activities, I am mainly responsible for me. So, being part of this team of runners, even if I am on the periphery , is a great feeling. I cheer the runners, decorate the van and have fun. I asked the runners in my van if cheering really helps (kind of seems hypocritical for me to cheer when I don't run). They all responded with a definite affirmative.

5. Finally, self-satisfaction in a job well done. When we get to the finish line, their job of running is done. They have the runners "high" and I know that I still have to get them safely back to their cars. I love watching them celebrate and my celebration comes when I hit the bed on Sunday night and can sleep peacefully, knowing that there were no major mishaps, no injuries, and hoping that I wasn't too bossy and that everyone had a great time.

Just thought I would add this to the Mid-Texas Symphony runners blog so that the team members can know how much I appreciate coordinating and driving for them. Additionally, if there is anyone who has ever wanted to be involved in a venture such as this but is not a runner, rest assured that there is immense satisfaction from being on the sidelines and that the sideline crew is VERY appreciated by the runners/teams. I look forward to the part I play, although it may not always seem that way.

On to next year! The Gonzales hotel reservations are already made for Friday, March 4, 2011 (4 rooms - two doubles and two kings), the mondo van has been reserved and I already have begun thinking about how to "up" the decorations on the van. It would be awesome to win best decorated van for two years in a row!

A Contest Won and a Set of Lost Keys

Congratulations to Brenda for winning best decorated van for the Mid-Texas Symphony team. She's already plotting which awards category she will attack next year. Please don't make us run as cheerleaders next year so we can win the spirit award!

There is no question the TIR is a marathon endeavor; in fact, almost 8 marathons back to back. We also know that once the adrenalin wears off post-race (this usually hits about 20 miles out of Houston), it is still a long way to our respective finish lines. That's why Brenda and I decided to stay Sunday night in Gonzales. Brenda dropped off a little past 7 o'clock and I lost conciousness around 8. I don't recall even once rolling over for the next 10 hours.

We rose Monday morning to the rain which had so mercifully spared us during the race. Unfortunately, the rest of the early morning did not turn out so merciful. I gathered what I could carry and headed down to pack my car. That's when I began asking the question, where, pray tell, are my car keys? They were no longer jangling in the pocket of my warmups. Must be in the glove box of the van, I thought. NOT. Over the next 45 minutes I went numerous times through every pocket, all to no avail. The keys were gone. Lost. Scattered between Gonzales and the San Jacinto Monument.

Brenda asked at the hotel desk about getting a locksmith. The two employees looked at each other and concluded: "Oh, he died a few years ago." OK. Where can I rent a car? "Not in Gonzales," they said. "You'll have to go to Seguin."

At that point, I just needed to get to my house in San Antonio, get my spare keys, and then get back to Gonzales. What about Greyhound? "Oh, they haven't come through Gonzales in years." Brenda couldn't take me to SA. She was running on a mileage limit and also against time to get the van returned. Our brother Kenneth was none too excited when we called him and explained my predicament, but he agreed to lend a hand. Brenda dropped me in Austin, where I got into Kenneth's car. We drove to SA, where I had a quick reunion with my 4 dogs, then back to my poor stranded car in Gonzales. I repaid him with a tank of gas and a stop for barbeque at the City Market in Luling. What a day!

And what mileage for the extended weekend! San Antonio to Schulenburg (where David Horne left his truck for quick getaway on Saturday). That's 103 miles, then another 47 miles back to Gonzales. We all know the 203 miles of the race. Houston back to Gonzales was 169 miles. The Gonzales-Austin-San Antonio-Gonzales triangle was an additional 230 miles, plus another 80 miles to finally get back home. Grand total = 832 miles. Now that's an ultra-marathon!

Thanks for the Great Race!

I can't begin to tell you how blessed I feel that we have this team of runners which has such a great time doing the TIR. Maeve, who could be on any number of faster teams, likes our non-competitive nature. Yet we all know there is a racing streak in each of us. I love the way Jonathan leaves it all out on the course, and his dad too. Thank you, Steve, for waiting until race weekend for the ultimate stress test of your healing heel. How about Holly? Most improved! I think Holly and the rest of us all took to heart what was required to meet our goal of sub 30 hours. I figured the greatest improvement in pace had to come from us mid-packers, but was amazed to see even Alan, Maeve and Jonathan tightening up their lines. And thanks to the newcomers Arturo and David, who learned on the job how this works. It was great having your contributions!

Thanks to Liz (let it go, that you got turned around on the trail, in the dark; you're one of our most reliable runners and this team would not be complete without you), to Dorian and Fred, to Marie. I think it was only Dorian and I who saw Fred come in racing another runner, spilling his guts in the spirit of team and competition. Wow! And then to see everyone with such a good spirit of sportsmanship, congratulating the runners around them, both from our team and others. I think we've got it right in terms of chemistry and I'm counting on all of you being back next year. Imagine it: a little over three years ago, few of us knew each other and now we have friendships which come into full blossom each time we reconvene. I hope that is as meaningful to you as it is to me.

Brenda, the Wrunner Wrangler, thank you for all you do for the team. You might not log even a mile, but this team would be lost without you. I know I wouldn't have the time to manage the details like you do and I'm not sure I would have your patience when your brother keeps asking you to do the impossible. "Let's just look at one more rotation," I say. You say "no mas" and then you surprise me with the next solution.

And bless everyone for the tough assignments so well accomplished. Most of you knew we were battling several sets of special scheduling needs and everyone took their leg assignments mostly without a whimper. This is a tough process and Brenda and I both thank you for rolling with the sometimes unconventional punches. Believe us when we say it was the only way and that it was all for the good of the team. Thank goodness for Fred's well made argument for the Sealy motel stopover and for the fact Fred, Dorian, Maeve, Jon and Marie were willing to double up on some legs within one active cycle of each van. This beyond the call of duty was what enabled it all to fall into place. Now, next year let's hope there will be fewer hoops we have to jump through. It would be great to have everyone with us from start to finish, though I have a feeling Maeve's track meet will probably always be something we will just have to live with. Thank you, Maeve, for the compressed 4 legs you ran for the team.

It was all worth it. We realized our sub 30 hour goal with a finish of 29 hours, 42 minutes, 48 seconds. That's an 8:48 pace. Congratulations to everyone for a weekend well run.

BTW.....I will be calculating our total expenses over the next several days and will communicate the final divisions by week's end. Oh! Also check out the post I wrote to my iExerciseRadio blog. Click on the link on the right side, or browse to iexerciseradio.blogspot.com.

Doubling Up

In the previous post, Brenda mentioned some runners having to double up within a van cycle, i.e. run a leg, rest while the rest of your van-mates run, then run another leg before getting the more substantial rest afforded when your van goes inactive. Those of us who are veterans of the TIR know this is just a variant on what we are already doing, that is running three, or even four, times within a 30 hour span. The up side of Fred and Dorian pulling two legs within one active phase of van 1, and of Jon and Maeve doing the same later in van 2, is that you get that lift of knowing you're halfway done. In fact, as things work out, you are at that point 3 quarters of the way home - only one more leg to go. I won't sugarcoat it any beyond that. The bottom line is that our quartet of Fred, Dorian, Jon and Maeve who are pulling 4 legs each are allowing the rest of us to invest a bit more into our lesser mileage spread over 3 legs. Actually, when you look at the grand totals, the triple leggers in some cases are the mileage masters. Liz will log 20.63 miles and Arturo 18.85. What this tells me is that every runner on the team is making a substantial contribution. Your captain wants to thank you all.

They say "the road to Hell is paved with good intentions" and I have had the best of intentions these past weeks of running some daily doubles in order to emulate the field experience of the TIR. I should have done it last week, but only on Wednesday did I finally do a double. It actually felt pretty good to log a 4 miler in the morning and then a 7 miler late in the evening. I will strive for another 5 miler Thursday morning, testing my anticipated mileage of 16.87 this weekend. I'll take Friday off. I know we all have our methods of preparation, modified by the realities of jobs and other obligations, but I doubt any of us runs as varied a schedule as Arturo, who works for Mexicana Airlines. He recently gave me a glimpse of his routine (which I imagine is anything BUT routine), saying he would be in Mexico City, running at altitude, and a few days later in Vancouver, I assume running through the crowds of the Olympics' final weekend.

I look forward to this reunion of our band of runners and the opportunity to renew friendships while cultivating new friends. Happy running and see you all in Gonzales for the big weekend.

Meet Y'all At The Hotel

The hotel reservations in Gonzales are at the Sleep Inn and Suites. The address is:

Sleep Inn & Suites (TXA93)

2138 Water Street, Gonzales, TX, US, 78629

* Phone: (830) 672-1888
* Fax: (830) 672-1884

This is on the North side of town.

See y'all on Friday Night!

Are you Ready?

The race notebooks are completed, I have a few van decorations done and I am trying to get a few extra zzz's before Friday. Not having much luck with the last item, but looking forward to another driving marathon.

When you see the van driving/assignments, it will look like Van 2 is taking a leisurely drive through the countryside. Although Van 2 does have it kind of light the first day, the new "thought" behind the hotel stopover in Sealy, TX has both vans testing their runners. This will be the first time that we have assigned some runners to run two legs without the van having downtime. This doesn't mean back to back legs, but it will definitely test endurance. For example, when Van 1 goes active at 6:00 pm on Saturday evening, it will do a haul of 8 legs. With only six runners in the van, that means that two "unlucky" runners will be running two legs. That falls on Dorian and Fred, the younger of the Van 1 bunch. This 8 leg stint is what will give van 2 the rest they need for their long haul, which starts after midnight on Sunday. Van 2 will be short a runner or so, but they also have a few younger legs than Van 1. The task of running two legs without the van going into a "rest" falls on Jonathon and Maeve. Of course, this gives Van 1 some needed downtime and rest. Whew!

All I can say is: Power to the runners! Y'all will need it.

See y'all on Friday!

TIR Rules Against iPods

Our individual attitudes towards running with or without ipods varies. I, for one, almost always run with tunes channeled into my ears. Of course, for training it is a moot point whether we do or don't as long as we remain alert to what is going on around us. Race policies vary while the reasoning for ipod bans are also varied. Generally I hear from race directors that it is an insurance issue, though I've never bought fully into that since we almost always sign a waiver relieving the race sponsors of any liability. More certainly, the various overseers of our sports of running, cycling, swimming and triathlon come down consistently against the use of ipods, iphones, portable radios, etc. during races. Some contend that these give competitors unfair advantage, though I have failed to find that particular power song which will enable me to run a 2:30 marathon. Given the popularity of ipods and the recent innovation of Nike+iPod systems, many race directors simply look the other way. Such is not the case of the TIR. As we learned the first year when we were supposedly penalized for Denise's ipod infraction (I don't think that penalty was ever officially assessed), the TIR seems serious about using ipod police to enforce their rules. For your information, here is the official notice which was sent out to team captains. I would encourage all racers to become familiar with the ipod rules as well as the other rules of the race. Thank you.

Here are the rules of the event. Please convey them to your team. We've received clear and ample feedback suggesting that we handle the enforcement of the rule prohibiting running with Ipods differently. So, this year, we will be implementing a "3 strike" approach. There will be an Ipod SWAT team roving the course. When they see someone wearing headphones, they will stop the runner, confiscate the device (which will be reunited with its owner at the finish), and the Team Captain will be called to be informed of the violation. The consequences of the second infraction will be the same, except this time a 60-minute time penalty will be added to the team's final time. The "3rd strike" will result in the team's disqualification. Please make sure that your team is well aware of all the rules and how Ipods will be handled.