Race Report: Tuna Run 200 (2014)

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This is one of a series of posts on the Tuna Run 200 relay.  For the whole experience, please check out these links:

• Race Preview:  Tuna Run 200 (2014)
• Race Report:  Tuna Run 200 (2014)
• Race Report:  Tuna Run 200 - Leg #4 (2014)
• Race Report:  Tuna Run 200 - Leg #16 (2014)
• Race Report:  Tuna Run 200 - Leg #28 (2014)

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200 miles.  12 runners.  2 drivers.  Volunteers.  Fun.

This was an entirely new kind of adventure for me and most everyone on our team.  The Tuna Run 200 is a 36-leg, 200.87-mile run through Eastern North Carolina.  We had 12 runners on this adventure, plus drivers and volunteers.


The race began Friday morning, continued through Friday night and into Saturday, and we finished Saturday afternoon at Atlantic Beach.


Sold on the idea

Several months ago, Stephanie on our team mentioned there was this run and we would all enjoy the experience.  "It will be fun," she said.  "Let's get a team together!"  Stephanie's an awesome salesperson, and she roped us in to a great adventure.  Every couple of weeks she would stop by, or mention to someone that would mention it again.  "This race is going to be a lot of fun."  "It's kind of like running a half marathon."  "We can totally do this!"

A few of us started nodding that yes, that does seem like fun.  And sure - why not?

Preparation


As I mentioned in the race preview, our team consisted of runners of all levels, shapes, sizes, and experience.  Experienced marathoners, a few new to running, some that hadn't run in a while, and some middle-of-the-pack folks like me.  The common thread throughout was that we were all interested in doing this run together and accomplishing something new.

Skip, Stephanie, and Faith really made this happen.  Skip got us all race t-shirts and covered the vans, and Stephanie and Faith were our team captains.  Every few weeks leading up to the race we would gather, share how our training was going, talk about supplies, and have an injury report.

From what I could ascertain, the way a race like this is typically run means that as each runner finishes a leg, that person hops right back in the van with all that odorous goodness from a few miles of exercise to share.  One of my greatest concerns, more than whether or not we would sleep or eat, was if we would be able to get clean.  Stephanie addressed this one quickly, sharing that the answer is "baby wipes!"  I honestly thought she was kidding the first time she mentioned it, but found that the answer was the same from the Gu-ru at Run For Your Life and others that have completed the distance.  John, who ran on another Tuna team and has run relays like this before, mentioned that Olay is the upgraded wipe version.

We had two vans, and I was in Van 1.  Six runners were in each van, and each van had a driver.  Jeff drove Van 1, and Jana drove Van 2.  It's amazing how small a van can become once you get a bunch of people and their gear packed in for a 30-some-odd-hour journey.

Injuries were a bit of a concern, but overall we were in pretty good shape on race day.  Bryce, Kevin, Skip, and I were all dealing with leg and foot issues, but all felt confident we would be fine for our runs.  I think we were all just training hard for the event, and sometimes that brings a little pain.  The biggest loss for us was Stephanie, who took a nasty fall wouldn't be able to run.  Thankfully she still made the journey and was a big part of the experience.

To tune up, Faith and Kevin ran a 15K two weeks earlier, and I ran a half marathon the week before that.  Everyone was getting their miles in and feeling good.

Van 1 packed and ready!

Van 1 arrived in Garner and checked in for race registration and packet pickup at Inside Out Sports, where we walked under the race arch for the first time.

Arch at Inside Out Sports

Van 2 wouldn't arrive until later that evening, so we dropped our gear at the hotel and headed out for dinner at Ragazzi's, a local Italian restaurant.  Then it was time for us all to tuck in - we needed to be at the starting line by 5:45 or so at the latest.  We met a veteran runner in the hotel lobby and his sage advice was:  "sleep when you can."  Stephanie and Faith, our co-captains, made some final preparations sorted the bibs and t-shirts, Rex and Jeff iced a cooler, and the hardier folks in our bunch stayed up to greet Van 2's arrival.

Race

Morning came early, and it was dark and hard to see.  Van 2 slept in with nowhere to be until later that morning.  Faith was our first runner, and with headlamp, Knuckle Light, reflective vest, and blinkies on front and back, she joined the ranks of other first runners and charged into the darkness to start the race.

Faith leads off Van 1!

It was still dark for the first handoff from Faith to Skip, and the sun rose while Skip was on the course.  We found a pattern that worked for us pretty quickly - when a runner finished a leg, that runner would get the front seat - there is a little more room and it was easy to shift around.

Stephanie had the great idea to decorate the vans, and she used a section of the van for each runner to have a place to mark the three legs that each would run.  It was a lot of fun, and became a right of passage for us to mark off our leg each time we completed one.

We met Van 2 at the first major exchange, where we had a chance to visit a bit, welcome the rest of the team, and talk about the weather.  It was really heating up outside, and runners were moving a little slower than they were in the morning hours.  It was terrific to see everyone together, something we didn't get to do very often in this race.

Full Team: Vans 1 & 2

Eric leads off Van 2!

As Eric kicked off Van 2's journey, Van 1 reflected on the morning.  And the need for lunch.  And we found Antoinette!

Antoinette's Taste of Country
Barbecue.  Seafood.  Chicken.

This place was as down-home cooking as you can find.  Fried shrimp, fish, and chicken on the menu right next to the macaroni and cheese, chitterlings, collard greens, biscuits, and hush puppies.  We hesitated but went in, and it was delicious.  I had shrimp, fish, collard greens, and macaroni and cheese with a big Sierra Mist to wash it down.  Not quite running fare, but a happy time to be sure. Thanks, Antoinette!

We made our way to the next major exchange, where the Van 1 team rested while Van 2 pushed through the heat of the day.  Eureka Christian Church was a wonderful and welcoming host, and we were extremely grateful for the air-conditioned fellowship hall, snacks, and restrooms.  The associate pastor came out and greeted us, and asked us if there was anything we needed.

Van 2's runners came in, and Van 1 was up again.  Faith led us off again and was ready to keep the adventure going.  Skip's run began as the sun was setting.  He had the sunrise run in the morning, and now a sunset run in the evening - nice!

We continued our runs into the evening, didn't lose anyone (well, almost lost someone, but that's a different story that Brenda can tell!), and arrived at the Trent River Campground for an hour or two of sleep before hitting the road and picking up again in early morning for our final runs.

As a team we were running a little behind our target pace, so we picked up the pace a bit.  Speaking of paces, the fastest member of our full team was Eric, with one leg at 7:45/mile!  We had solid finishes all across, and handed off to Van 2 for the final legs.

After a hotel check in and a shower, the Van 1 team went to the finish line to await the rest of the team.  Corie brought us home, running up the boardwalk and under the arch with the team behind her.

Summer made a surprise return, and we had a hot, dry beach day to celebrate as we ate tuna and barbecue and celebrated our success.

One Team.

And the medals and shirts are awesome.

Awesome medal.
Awesome shirt.
Awesome team.

Thanks!

We couldn't have done it without a great group of people behind the effort.  Skip, Faith, and Stephanie really brought the idea to life.  Stephanie came up with the idea to start with and sold the rest of us on it being a terrific idea.  Jana and Jeff were the tireless drivers of stinky runners for two-plus days on the journey, and we couldn't have done any of this without them.  Stephanie and Andrea held down an exchange station in the middle of the night to be ready for the teams coming through.  And the running team - training for hours on end in preparation, then choosing to be both deprived of sleep and tired from running.

And the volunteers.  Wow.  Mostly churches volunteering their time, patience, and space to a bunch of strangers that paid to run for 30-some-odd hours for no reason!  The volunteers at every stop and along the way were absolutely wonderful.  They truly can't be thanked enough.

Law enforcement kept us safe on dark and lonely roads, and also on busy four-lane highways (Skip and Rex both had to run across at different times).

The race organizers put together a very good event, found a safe way to the beach, and worked to keep the running teams safe on the journey.

Great that we brought:

• tarp
• sleeping bag
• water jugs
• water
• protein bars
• outfit for every leg
• clothes for between legs
• finishing clothes
• toiletries
• soap bars (bring your own soap if you get a chance to shower)
• flashlights
• running lights (my awesome orange hat, Knuckle Lights, running lights, etc.)
• band aids, pasties, and/or Body Glide to reduce chafe and rub
• two pairs of running shoes
• shower shoes
• gallon-sized reclosable plastic bags are awesome

We could have used a little:

• more Uncrustables because they are awesome
• more simple foods (sandwiches or similar) that would be easier on the stomach

=== RACE DAY ===
Race:  Tuna Run 200
Location:  Garner, NC to Atlantic Beach, NC
Shoe:  Saucony Guide 7
Date:  10/10/2014 and 10/11/2014
Distance:  200 Mile Relay
Time:  33:54:38
Pace:  10:07/mile
Overall:  65/66(98.5%)
Gender:  N/A
Group:  46/47 (97.9%)  Full Team Mixed

=== LINKS ===
Website:  Tuna Run 200
Registration:  Active.com
Results:  Tuna Run 200