Ragnar Relay Report

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Hello all.  I am back and recuperated from our “little” jaunt to Boston.   A fun, successful and highly recommended trip.  Vehicle #1 or “The Old Guys Van” as the youngsters in Vehicle #2 referred to us, started off the trip Friday 9/11 at 1 p.m. from Lighthouse.  Bob Francis was our lead off runner going to the Branford Train Station.  Bob had the misfortune of running all 3 of his legs in the pouring rain.  He also benefited from home field advantage because of the 10 teams that started with him, 8 teams got lost within the first ½ mile!  The course was very well marked the whole way, just ask Alex.  Alex, Alex where are you?

We finished our 1^st leg in Old Saybrook and turned the relay over to the “Boys Van,” which morphed into the “Boys Band,” which morphed into “Boys to Men,” but I digress.  The rendezvous in Colchester for the start of “The Old Guys Van” was to start at 10:45 p.m.  We arrived at the meeting place to a huge crowd.  It was not for us.  It was an AA meeting ending and the whole crowd was outside drinking coffee and chain smoking cigarettes.  I believe that could be my true calling, I could be good at that.

Well, the “Boy Van” has arrived and off goes Bob in a driving rainstorm.  Our 2^nd runner was the highlight of the trip.  We got up close and personal with a DUI traffic stop in beautiful Bozrah, CT.  Alas, the young man did not fair well finding his nose and the white line kept shifting on him as he tried to walk it.  He should have been at the meeting in Colchester!

We proceeded on to a railroad crossing in the middle of nowhere’sville CT.  We get stopped at the crossing by flashing lights and a freight train chugging down the tracks.  I looked for a bright yellow Chevy and a big guy in a Pittsburgh Pirate hat, but could not find him anywhere.

I must say my little frolic of 3.7 miles starting at 2 a.m. through Lisbon was awesome.  It was dark, rainy, foggy, freakin’ hilly, manure smellin’ and a complete blast.  I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Hello, you all still with me?  It is 4:30 a.m.  We arrive in Douglas, MA for a little rest and relaxation.  Soooo, by 6 a.m. we had enough of that and start clock watching.  The Marine group is the only team who slept.  They had cots and sleeping bags.  They stayed out of the rain by sleeping in the baseball dugouts.  Give me a tour of duty in Afghanistan and I would have this figured out too!

The stretch run!  Bob is up first and lo and behold the skies open up and Bob gets drenched again.  What a team player.  The third leg, when you are one of the reasons you are in “The Old Guys Van,” is the hardest.  Not the middle leg, like one of the team names suggests.  That’s a joke, please report to me if you get it and explain it to Sherry.

My turn, more freakin’ hills.  I’m passed by a 20 year old smiling beauty (female) on one hill.  Alas, it ended well.  I spotted a Marine at the next hill, ok, ok, he was a big dude, but he was half my age!  Do I need to tell you how badly I whooped his ass the last mile?  I believe I just did!  Onward to Boston, Harvard Stadium, a freakin’ cool medal, 2 shirts, water bottle, food, goody bag, a Poron (Jerry) hat, a 13^th place finish and a longing for my bed.

Reporting from the road,

NOV

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