New RS calculator predicts transition and finish

Your van has turned over the baton (well, the slap bracelet) and it is time for a break.  But how much of a break?   Rank Strangers will know exactly how much downtime they can expect.    That's the promise as we have automated a manual process prototyped used last year to calculate van transition and finish time.

Rank Strangers has long used an Excel calculator circulating before the inaugural race, 2005, which estimates a range of transition times based on individual estimates of fast ("High") and slow ("Low") mile paces. 

Schedule spreadsheet

The new tool uses the van's actual average mile pace to estimate subsequent transitions (and finish).     The first estimate will be generated after the Wales, WI, transition, after both teams have finished complete shifts.  

The new spreadsheet was created in Microsoft Excel and will run on the Kingsoft Office (version 5.12) spreadsheet on Eric's Android phone.

Example text message - after the Wales transition (both teams finished complete shifts):

Sample text; estimates based on fast average pace predictions

Messages can be generated in the long form shown above or in a short form that can be Tweeted:

V#1  ML HS 23:20 (03:52);  V#2  Racine Y 03:54  (04:33);  V#1  N Chi HS 09:11 (05:17); V#2  Belmont Harbor 13:52  (04:40)

The example above shows Van#1 will have the baton for 3 hours and 52 minutes after leaving the Wales Community Park -- not much of a break for Van#2.  

Rank Stranger closet

Rank Strangers: Contact Eric if you are interested in taking one or more of these spare Ragnar shirts off his hands.

2012
Women's Small
Women's Large
Men's Medium













2013
Men's Large  claimed by Paul

Rank Strangers run strong at Wisconsin Marathon

Rank Strangers Dave Maze, Randy Meacham and Denise Meacham had strong runs in Saturday's Wisconsin Marathon, with the Meachams hitting the road only twelve (12) days after the Boston Marathon and claiming the dubious distinction of Marathon Maniac, Bronze Level.   It was the third marathon in 67 days for the Meachams, satisfying the Bronze criteria of 3 marathons within a 16 day time frame; 3 marathons within a 90 day time frame  (Silver, Gold, Iridium, Ruthenium and Osmium MIGHT be out of even their reach).

Randy has run all six Wisconsin Marathons.

Dave, Randy's nephew, was first in the group with a time of 3:37.  Randy's time was 3:45 and Denise's time was 4:09.

Credentials for our Maniacs: Randy and Denise ran the Phoenix Marathon on Feb. 25, Boston on Apr. 21 and Wisconsin on May 3.   Randy's times were 3:33, 3:43 and 3:45.    Denise's times were 4:13, 4:05 and 4:09.

Dave ran with the Rank Strangers in 2007, Randy in 2006, 2007 and 2009, and Denise in 2007 and 2009.

Denise, Randy and Dave minutes before the start of Saturday's
Wisconsin Marathon in Kenosha (Randy didn't run in the coat)

Randy heading south at Mile 9.

Denise at Mile 9 - wind at her back, temporarily.

Dave Maze (right) at Mile 14.  He and Randy ran together for
much of the first half of the race.

Randy at Mile 14.