Introducing Rank Strangers and the June 8-9, 2012 Madison-Chicago relay

Short of words when it comes to recruiting for Rank Strangers? Here's how I recently introduced the team to a prospective runner.
Eric
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I am a member of the 12-person relay team called Rank Strangers that has run the 200-mile Madison-Chicago race since 2005, the only team to compete every year of the race's existence.
"Rank Strangers" is word play in a number of ways. Mostly significantly, we are not strangers. Thirty-seven (37) different runners have made the journey and all were referred by Rank Strnagers or a trusted friend of the Rank Strangers. What we look for are people who...
1. Have the sense of fun and adventure that will see them through a day and a night bouncing around in a van with 5 other runners. Strong bonds will form!
2. Love running. We don't stress speed, but running 3 times over a 30 hour period for a total of 14 - 20 miles is a challenge.
We start building the roster in mid-January. Veterans get first shot at the 12 spots, and the Alternate list. Then we open up to new referrals.
We have had as many as 6 rookies on a team and as few as 1. Alternates have always found a way into a van.
Cost per team member is typically $150, which covers entry fee and van rental.
A wealth of facts about the relay is on the Rank Stranger web site at www.rankstrangers.info . You'll also see posts about recent races by Rank Strangers; we like to track the accomplishments of our teammates.

Renee's big day (and a Boston update)

Today was another highlight to the Rank Stranger season: Renee Roux had a strong run in the Marine Corps Marathon in the DC area. Renee is a 4-time Rank Stranger (2007-08, 2010-11).

Boston update
Art Saffran will join Jennifer Sell at Boston Marathon to give us two representatives in the the April 1, 2012 event. Jennifer's qualifying time, her first, came at the Fox Valley Marathon in September. Art will be running for the third time. His qualifier was Sunday, Nov. 7, 2010 - the Rails to Trails in Norwalk, WI.

Unofficial list of Rank Stranger Boston qualifiers:

Holly Dowling
Eric Engdahl
Art Saffran
Jennifer Sell

Other action

Jeff Shampo (2005-2011) ran Milwaukee's Lakefront Marathon on Oct. 2.

Art ran marathon #13 on Oct. 16, in Des Moines. "My time was 3:53:04. Respectable considering my lack of running this season. Perfect weather and a beautiful course. I recommend this marathon to all."

Jennifer showed her speed at the Frank Lloyd Wright Races in Oak Park, IL on Oct. 24 - winning her age group in the 5K.

Another big day for Meachams

They missed the 2011 run relay but this has still been a big year for Rank Strangers Denise and Randy Meacham. Two personal records apiece!

Randy (2006, 2007, 2009) ran his second PR of the year at today's Chicago Marathon, finishing in 3:33:17 on a hot day. In May at Kenosha he broke a 9-year-old PR with a finish time of 3:35:05. In February he ran 3:44 on a hilly course in the Lost Dutchman (AZ) race.

It was Randy's 15th Chicago marathon in a row, his 19th Chicago marathon overall, and his 42nd marathon over 19 years.

Denise (2007, 2009) cracked 4 hours for the second time in a row, 3:59:42. (At Kenosha she broke 4 hours for the first time, in 3:55:49. She had her previous personal best of 4:02 at Lost Dutchman.)

Another Boston qualifier for Rank Strangers

Rank Stranger Jennifer Sell ran a personal best and a Boston qualifying time today in the Fox Valley Marathon, 3:45.7. Jennifer ran a negative split, averaging 8:41 through the half and finishing with an 8:38 average.

Video introduction to run relays

Rank Stranger Fred Bounds shared this video about Ragnar: video

Another take on the relay experience: Video

2012 dates announced

June 8-9, 2012

Rank Stranger photo book released

The annual Rank Stranger photo book has been released, commemorating the great effort by the 2011 team. Perhaps the best yet, the book has pictures by Renee, Pete, Art and Eric. A tradition since 2006, a book is sent to each runner. This year Brad and Jamie are on the cover.

This year there's something new from the geniuses in the Rank Stranger Marketing Department: a trading card. A prototype card featuring Jeff Shampo is circulating. The card has Jeff's photo on the cover and his Rank Stranger record on the back. If this test is successful, perhaps we'll see a full set of cards.

Rank Strangers rewrite the record book

The 2011 Rank Strangers crowded to the top of the team's all time mileage chart and set several other records.
In addition to shaking up the all time mileage list:
- Steve Hill joined the 20 mile club with 20.1 miles in his third outing. He came close in 2010 with 19.9 miles. Marc Golab also topped 20 miles for the 2nd time, with 20.7.
- Kim Hill joined the 19 mile list.
- Ed Stojakovic and Reggie Hill became Rank Stranger alumni, bringing the count to 37, 19 of whom have run multiple times.
On the all time mileage chart, 11 of the top 20 in mileage ran with the team this year. Jennifer (33rd going into the race), Jamie (32nd), Brad (30th), Debra (27th) and Kim (21st) jumped into the top 20 in mileage, all with at least 24 total relay miles (Jamie is 20th with 24.2 miles).
Eric stayed at #1 with 137.3 total miles, with Jeff second with 129.2. Art leapfrogged Mark Clear into third place.
Following is the top of the mileage list. See the "Record Book" page for the full list and the 20 and 19 mile lists.

Safety gear gets a scrubbing before its long rest

Their brief time in the spotlight over, the Rank Stranger blinky vests, headlamps and reflective vests have been cleaned and stowed away until 2012. Batteries were recycled. (Some racers favored their own headlamps but the Rank Stranger gear got a lot of sweaty action).

Race results

Rank Strangers finished 103rd out of 167 teams in Ragnar Chicago's OPEN DIVISION: MIXED REGULAR. Our average pace for the 197 miles was 9 minutes and 11 seconds per mile. See the Ragnar website for complete results --> results

The team 12 Monkeys won the division by almost 2 hours and placed third overall. That team averaged 6 minutes and 44 seconds per mile. The top 3 finishers:

Wrapping up

Team: congratulations again on a great job in the relay! Thanks for making it possible. I love the challenge of the relay but obviously with no teammates there's no relay. I've been struggling with my fitness but feel really good about my three runs. The good running weather helped me but I was also inspired by my teammates.

2011 Rank Strangers: Renee, Brad, Marc, Eric, Ed, Steve, Debra, Jamie, Kim, Jeff, Jennifer, Art.

Thanks to Renee for the great t-shirts. They are REALLY loud. Perfect for Rank Strangers.

Please send me your digital photos; I'll be assembling the annual photo book in the coming months.

Rank Stranger trivia fans: you can expect an update soon to the record book. Several noteworthy performances this year.

Rookie of the year? Ed, obviously. In addition to being a great, supportive teammate he is perhaps the fastest RS ever.

Performance of the year? So many great ones, but my vote goes to Kim's 9.9-miler on Saturday. A stiff and sore Van#2 had a daunting set of runs (9.9 by Kim, 8.2 by Ed, 7.8 by Steve) to finish out the race and Kim set the tone.

I hope everyone has made a good start at catching up on lost sleep - I certainly have.

Eric

Tee shirt study, courtesy of Art:

Done!

Rank Strangers wrapped up their 7th Madison-Chicago relay this afternoon. Great job, team!

Down to the final 2 legs

Rank Strangers are down to the final two legs in the 200 mile relay but they are tough ones, 8.2 miles (Ed) and 7.8 miles (Steve aka Pete). (Renee just finished).

Brave smile

Kim can still smile in the midst of her heroic effort on the longest leg -- 9.9 miles (tough enough if that was all she was doing this weekend but it's her THIRD run in 24 hours).

The run was one of the longest single legs in 7 years for the Rank Strangers.

1 down, 5 legs to go to the finish

Eric is in, Kim on the course and Marc, Renee, Ed, Steve on deck.

Trash talk

NOT Rank Stranger style, obviously, but this kind of thing does happen in the run relay.

Van#1 starts last shift, missing a runner

3:45am

...but he was quickly found and returned. (Jeff's van lost him in the church. He had a nice rest, he reported.)

Jeff, who doesn't believe in cell phones, disappeared for a snooze in the labyrinthine St. Andrew's church and couldn't be flushed out before Art needed to start the van's final shift. Van#1 needed to give chase, so they left Van#2 to cast a net on the missing Stranger. He turned up about 20 minutes after Van#1 hit the road. Van#2 kept him in custody until Van#1 could swing back to the church to pick him up. (Jeff had the long run for his van, a 7.8 mile shift, so they certainly didn't want to leave him behind, though it was tempting for Van#2 to take him hostage!).

Next transition in Zion, IL at approximately 8:30am.

Guessing game - when will we reach Chicago

The 1:14AM (barely to halfway) estimate of our finishing time is 2PM. We'll know more later, of course, but it looks certain we'll be much earlier than Eric's prior estimates.

Eric finishing leg 19 at 12:15am

Dark

It's 9:45pm, Van#1 is active and Van#2, freshly showered (Carroll College !!!!), is eating pasta at MLK High School in Greendale, WI. Next transition is at approximately midnight.

Renee finishing strong

First of 3 legs.

Kim on the run

Water? Yes, please!

Kim ran in the first relay in 2005 and she's back for more.

After

Eric finishing his first leg.

Eric, the before picture

Turn the team number over and you get 9-1-1. But no fear.

Van transition area

Lake Mills, Wisconsin.

Missing a 15-passenger van? It might be here.

Van#2 is waiting for Jeff to finish the first shift for Van#1. Eric will
lead things off.

Van#1 is 2/3 through its first shift

Jamie is on the trail, Art, Debra and Brad having done their work. Van#2 is waiting in Lake Mills (dry, breezy, 59 degrees F).

Weather lament

For all of our excitement about the recent break in the hot spell (blistering heat not being conducive to good running) this damp chill isn't exactly the alternative we were looking for.

Art - the before picture

Minutes before the start in Madison.

We are off

A break in the rain and Art starts things off in Madison.

Not a pretty picture

Disturbing picture the night before the big relay: Madison covered by a big storm. Happily, we didn't get dumped on during the race, though it was drippy during the early Friday morning registration. It turned out to be about the best race ever for running - cool rather than the blistering heat that typically plagues us.

Rank Strangers have assembled in Madison. Chicagoans having beers at the Sheraton bar with the safety gear (SOME of the Chicagoans; some are getting their rest before the big day).

Thursday-Friday-Saturday agenda (June 9 - 11)

AGENDA

(updated 7 June 3PM)

Thursday, June 9
----------------

4pm Eric pick up Steve at Metra
4:15 Steve & Eric collect Van#1
4:30 Steve depart with Van#1 for Madison
6:00 Van#2: Eric pick up team members at Cumberland El Stop
6:30 Van#2: Pick up Marc in Barrington
approx 7:30 Van#1: @ Sheraton - Art/Jeff exchange safety gear for Van#1
approx 8:30 Van#2 arrive at Sheraton

Friday, June 10
---------------

6:00 Drive to start for sign-in
6:05 Sign-in
6:45 Sheraton crew meet van and drive to Perkins Restaurant at 1410 Damon Rd, Madison
7 Breakfast
7:55 transfer supplies between vans; load reflective vests; maps
8 Both vans leave for start
8:15 team photo
8:30 start

Van#2:

10:30 Check out of Sheraton and drive to Lake Mills (first Van Transition Area)
11:30 lunch and other pleasures in Lake Mills
12:20 safety check at Lake Mills

Saturday, June 11
---------------

Approx 5:30PM finish (Follow blogging on Saturday morning for revised estimate)
6PM leave Montrose Harbor
approx 9PM reach Madison

Ragnar effect - it isn't the MC200 any more

Rank Stranger veterans: you think you know the Madison - Chicago relay? Discussion at the Ragner Team Captain meeting on Thursday night convinced me we are in for a new experience.

The new race organizer's mission isn't preserving our beloved MC200; they want to apply their cookie cutter approach to race organization. It is still going to be a blast, we just need to be sensitive to changes. (In addition to our race, which they label Chicago, there are 14 more Ragnar relays: Wasatch Back, Northwest Passage, Great River, Napa Valley, Washington DC, Las Vegas, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Florida Keys, Del Sol, So Cal, Florida Central, New York, New England.)

Want details? See the Race Bible on the Ragnar website www.ragnarrelay.com ( http://tinyurl.com/3n5hny6 ) .

Just want the highlights? Here are what I consider the big changes:

1. There are numerous alterations to the course, including several new transition areas.

2. The "off" van is banned from the course.

3. Seven (7) legs are deemed "no support" which means the active van isn't allowed to come to the course. There will be at least 1 water station between exchanges for these legs. The legs: 4 (Brad), 5 (Jamie), 7 (Eric), 10 (Renee), 11 (Ed), 13 (Art) and 30 (Jeff).

4. Reflective vests must be worn when we leave the active van.

Why the changes? Ragner says it is the size of the race. Some of the old transition areas were too small to handle this year's 360 teams (more than twice the previous high). "No support" legs? There are safety concerns about letting a mass of vans onto the little side roads to root on our runners.

Ragnar says: "There will be 14 race officials monitoring all race rules along the course. Teams will be observed throughout the race to make sure they are following the rules. Teams will be notified by text message when a rule violation has occurred. If a team receives 3 violations they will be disqualified. Course marshals may also disqualify teams on the spot without prior warning for serious rule violations."

Mileage for several legs have changed in 2011

Schedule (revised 6/1/2011)

Rank Strangers run to records in Kenosha

Randy and Denise Meacham achieved personal bests in the May 7 Wisconsin Marathon in Kenosha. Randy (2006, 2007, 2009) shaved 20 seconds off his 9-year-old PR with a finish time of 3:35:05. It was his 41st marathon. Denise (2007, 2009) cracked 4 hours for the first time in 13 years of marathoning, finishing in 3:55:49.

(That wasn't the only RS action on the course: Renee Roux (2007, 2008) ran the 1/2 marathon.)