Driving

I got into my car for the first time last night since driving the monster van for over 350 miles during the Ragnar.  Wow, my Subaru felt more like a high performance race car as opposed to the super tanker on wheels that the cargo van was.  Being able to see out the back (and not see a series of seats and people) was pretty wild.  Much love to the van for getting us front point a to point b over and over, but I'll be quite happy not having to be behind the helm of Van 2 for awhile.  Obviously, the one thing I was really missing though was not sharing the drive with 5 other insane, drunk, and exhausted runners through country roads in MD.  Anyone down for using a van more like this next year?
 

Beer Run Video of the Day

Instead of following the Race Bible and getting to checkpoints in rural Maryland, and running endlessly expanding miles it is back to the grind of "real life."  I was sitting in my cube and this shuffled into my ipod.  It reminded me of a pretty crazy 30 hours.  Enjoy. 

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Shaun out

Post Relay

By the way, we did finish this thing and our time was way better than
last year. We'll probably have more thought about this, but right now
we're all drinking. Cheers!

Its OVER!!!

B-double E-double R-U-N...

We kicked it in and wrapped up the race around 3:20. Rest assured, it truly ragnarly Team Beer Run fashion, the final couple of legs through DC were complimented by rainshowers and even a massive puddle or two on the final leg...

So glad to have 199 behind us and be taking the vans back to their rightful homes (we'll miss you Daniel). The endurance-driven members of Team Beer Run will meet for a much deserved beverage or two later tonight at the Ugly Mug...maybe start planning for the next adventure?!?!

Run on!!!

Done

B double e double r u n. Beer run is done

About a 30 hour total race time for 199 miles.

Man, James looks wet out there

Good thing we have our van set to dry!

Kara is done

After an adventure in the ghetto, Kara prevailed and made the handoff
to James.

Ragnasty hat

Mary just killed her final 6.8 in 59 minutes. Her hat is awesome.

Two legs to get to rfk.

Shaun out

Mary II is done!

Kara is on the job!

Kate is done

And Mary is off!

Shaun is done

Kate ready for the handoff.

Done(for some)

All of van 1 plus Blake and myself. We got 4 legs left with one runner
out. RFK or bust!!!
Shaun out

Sean is done...

And now...Caitlin is off and running!!!

jag

Blake celebrates the conclusion of his legs...shotgun style...

Off to track Shaun...
And...
Run on!!!

Blake is Done...

And Shaun is off...
For 8.8 miles-o-fun!!!

Bring it home Beer Run!!!

Run on!!!

I'm done

Blake here. Just finished my last leg and I'm spent. Shaun is working
on a surprise 9 miler now. He's going to sweat like a man.

Van #2 is BRINGING it to da HOUSE!!!

Blake is off and running!!!
Weather is chilly and we're all ready (and EAGER) to bring back home!!!

Run on!!!

Beer...

Tastes great, less filling AND makes a heckuva ice pack nearly 24 hours into the race...

Rest assured the beer won't go to waste when Shaun's shins are chilled back to normalcy...

Run on!!!

Ground

Is very comfy to sleep on after 22 hours of running, driving, and
breathing. We are now waiting to hear from van 1 and start part 3
finishing this thing.

I'm now rested as is Blake and Kate. Rest of the team is still out.
Part 3: time to finish the fight.

RAGNAR

Shaun out

Wakey wakey bout to make a big mistakey

I just woke up in a fetal position-esque contortion in a parking lot
somewhere in Maryland and I feel Ike smashed ass and buttered corn
chips. Kara finished her second leg around 4:45 this morning after an
interesting run where we had to stay with her the whole time because
of an abduction attempt on the course. After that, we picked up some
supplies for our last legs and drove for 30 minutes that I don't
really remember. And now here we are, waking up in a parking lot and
getting ready to finish this thing.

Blake out.

345am...

And Van #2 is nearly finished with our second legs...

I just wrapped up a little tour of the Frederick suburbs...looks like a GREAT place to raise a family...errrr...at least all was quiet at 3am...WAIT...except for the drunk dude I passed that was literally staggering in the way...
At first, I thought he was a delirious runner, but I quickly realized that he lacked the snazzy safety vest, headlamp, and blinking tail light that is ALL the RAGNAR RAGE for evening wear...

Kara is now kicking it in for a strong finish...just about 3 miles to go...and then Van 2's valiant efforts are rewarded with...NAPTIME!!! (Hopefully!!!)

Run on!!!

jag

3:31 a.m.?!?!?

Mary II here - just thought I'd take this opportunity to let Team Beer Run's faithful followers that this is the first time in years that I've seen 3:31 a.m. While beer was no doubt involved in my last late night excursion, I am positively certain running up and down mountains for nearly 200 miles with 11 other crazy folks was not!

Go Team Beer Run!

Run On!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Missed Connections

Who knew fredneck was the land of geting lost. Atleast 3 runners -
none of which ours - went off course and we know two got back.

On the plus side James is kickig ass on the 5th leg. And we have only
one leg left on part 2. Giddyup

Van 2: the sequel strikes back update

Blake wins the ironman award for his brutal 8plus mile run. Most of it
was all up hill. True men of character: Blake dominating two mountains
today.

Kate is out now on a 5.5 and i'm on deck with a downhill 5k. Then we
are officialy half way down. 13 or so legs left. 100 or so miles.
Ragnar ain't so tough.

Shaun out

Two Mountains - One day

Well, I just ran over my second mountain of the day. The start was
pretty hectic thanks to Kayla running her leg in about negative five
minutes, but I'm still alive and now that I have no feeling in my
legs, my last leg should be a breeze!

Blake out.

Q&A with VAn 2

/can crack sound/
Shaun: did you just open a beer?
Kate: well team beerrun...

And, Blake is off on the start of Van 2's second legs...

We're making AWESOME time...
THANKS Van 1 Speedsters!!!

And, now we're leaving the Boonsboro Church quite a bit earlier than expected...

B-double E-double R-U-N!!!

Run on!!!

Part 2

Van 2 has been sprawled out across the ground and in the van resting
an recharging. Van 1 with Kayla running out front are headed here
quick. Another 30 mile section up for the 6 of us. Estimated time
around 4-5hours. Time to enjoy the stats and some ragnarly country
roads on legs 19-25. Ragnar on!!! Shaun out.

Nothin says carb load like Western Sizzlin Restaurant...

Heck they even serve FAST lunches...
After a quick stop for the all-you-can-eat buffet, Van 2 is off to treat the Van to a little fuel before heading to Exchange 18 in hopes of getting a little sleep before kicking it into high gear again around midnight!!!

Run on!!!

Western Sizzlin

We are crushing massive quanties of good old American deep fried fat.
It is delicious. It has dawned upon all of us that we each have two
legs left. Blake is probably the worst off but we're all in for a
while night.

Van 2 Shaun out

Van 2 getting ready for leg11

We have 3g back and are ready to party

27 to go

Van 2 here. I, Shaun, just finished my 10 miler and Mary II is running
her 1st leg. We've got something like 12 legs left for our van. It's
getting dark and that's when the real exitment begins. RAGNAR

Mary is off...

On Leg 10...
We're waiting for her at the Clear Spring Country Diner...whoohoo!!!

Then I'm off on my first leg!!!

Run on!!!

jag

PS Shout out to Heather Vaughan and congrats on the birthday!!!

Shaun is halfway done

He was going so fast that I could only get this shot of his back as he
romanced a runner from the hula girl team.

Soooo...

While Van 1 was doing something crazy and running 43.9 miles...Van 2 did the adventurous thing...we:

#1 found the closest Bob Evans and gorged ourselves on crepes (Blake ate the heck outta them blueberry ones), oatmeal (aka porridge), southwestern eggs...sadly we didn't save room for the tasty looking Harvest Pumpkin Pie.

#2 located the best Wal-Mart SUPERcenter in the area...what makes it so SUPER you ask?!?! It was connected to the Cumberland Country Club Mall...how cool is that?!?!

#3 drove toward big exchange #6 with a pit stop at a local convenience store to stock up on a couple of 12packs of Coors... this is a BEER RUN after all!!! When quizzed by the clerk if we were running in that race...we said of course...that why we're stocking up on beers...she got a kick outta that!!!

#4 waited at the exchange FOREVER for van 1...killing time tailgate style, laying on the ground failing to get sleep, and playing some cards...even got to know a few neighbors (shoutout Q&D!!!)

#5 got all geared up...and waited on van 1 to finish strong some more!!!

And now...Van 2 is off...start it off strong Blake...

Run on!!!

First leg down

Blake here, and I just finished my first leg in a really good time.
Kate is performing part two of our back to back Gauthier attack while
we rock out to Queen in the van.

Van 2 is underway!!!

With a little sibling handoff!!!

Run on!!!

Van 2 on the job

Shaun/van 2

We're at exchange 7 and gettin ready to drop off Kate and pick up
Blake. Blake is making great time on a brutal mountain in west va.
Kate has 4.4 or there abouts and then I'm up for my ten miler on the
canal. Game on BEER RUN!!!

Van 2 west Va

First exchange

Well, we made it to the first major exchange after our breakfast at
Bob Evans and our fun filled trip to walmart. Major observation about
this exchange compared to last year's first major exchange: about 1/4
the outhouses this year.

Yeehaw!

Racer's Fuel

Shaun/van 2 here. We've pit stopped to grab essential racer fuel and
am now at exchange 6. Here in west Virginia it is wild and wonderful.
Spirits are high and we've heard that van 1 is going well.

We estimate we'll be called up to duty at around 3-4 to take over the
snap braclet for the next 40 miles.

Time for beer run van 2 to charge up and get ready to do our part.
RAGNAR!!!!!!!

Van decorations

Some decoration highlights.

Van 2 feasts

While van 1 runs, van 2 feasts at bob evans. Giddyup

Shaun out

Man down

We had our first casualty. Shaun was the victim of a faulty, exploding
window paint cannister.

And we're off!

Greg has started us off. Note Streak Across the Capital's creative
uniforms.

5 minutes til the start...

Whoohoo...
Greg is gonna get us started off right...

Ragnar getting ready

Shaun from van 2. The legs have been decided the vans packed off to
the start.

I think "Daniel" is mad...

"Daniel" (aka the british garmin dude) has decided to quit talking...I think he's sad that we left him in the car while we ventured in to carbo load at the infamous Olive Garden (notorious for the never ending pasta bowl...which is a little misleading...because it DOES end...at 10pm when they shut the place down...). After a good meal and plenty of laughs, we're back on the road...in radio silence and a little nervous about where we're headed...sure wish "Daniel" would tell us what road to take...

Blake's Epic First Blog Post of 2009

Anticipation. Trepidation. Bananas.

These are my feelings as we begin our journey to Cumberland for Ragnar
Round 2. After braving the concrete maze of Reagan Airport's parking
garage, we picked up our rugged, all-terrain, ninja-hauling van and
our cheeky British guide, Daniel(picture attached). We're on our way
to Frederick, MD which is notorious for its lawlessness and lack of
underground sewers. There we will dine at the finest restaurant in the
area... Olive Garden.

Blake out

Ice on my knee, but a poem on my heart

Beer Runners...

 

It is with great sadness that I must cheer you in spirit, not in person. Must keep the leg stretched out and the slightly-less-swollen knee elevated for awhile yet.

 

My wish for all of you is this:

 

May you have strong legs,

And sound minds,

Ice cold beers,

Not too many tears.

 

May the wind be at your back,

the path straight before your feet,

May the rain stay off your face,

And the van keep pace!

 

Run hard. Drink often. Stay healthy.

Erin

Sympathy? heck yes!

I should note that my knee story and accompanying photo is of course a shameful excuse for sympathy...but also a rallying cry for our team.

Remember: "Ragnar was a 9th century Norse King. He was a pirate, a raider, a conqueror, an explorer, and a wild man. The tough, fearless, rugged attributes of this Norse King are shared by all who participate in a Ragnar Relay."

 

Let us all be worthy of Ragnar's legacy!

 

Erin

Runners may be down, but spirits are high

Alright team, so it begins…I am lying on my couch, knee elevated, ice on top with a few stitches thrown in for fun...doctor who wielded the Lidocaine and x-rays said "use your best judgment about running"…I replied "my best judgment went out the window the moment I agreed to join up with a group of nutty runners to grunt our way through an absurd number of miles."

Blood, sweat, and tears occurred yesterday morning during a brief incident involving a training run, a trip-and-fall, and pulling a small rock out of my knee. One side benefit: My faith in humanity was restored by all the kind souls along the Mount Vernon Trail who stopped to assist. I won't soon forget the well-prepared man with clean water he poured over my wound (without saying "ewww"). The thoughtful ladies who offered to walk with me for a bit along my 3 mile journey back home(uphill, with blood dripping down into my sock, HARDCORE-style). The non-English speaker who used hand signals to let me know he was willing to help. Or he was just exclaiming about how gnarly I looked.

 

Whoever you are, my MVT angels…thank you for being aware of the world around you and of the needs of your fellow man (notably, me).

 

Beer Runners…I may be unable to drink in order to save my liver the double assault of 800mg Ibuprofen and alcohol, but I am able to cheer. Perhaps, with the help of Divine Providence and a compression wrap, I may be able to hobble my way through a few miles with all of you.

 

Run on.

TEAM BEER RUN - Take 2!!!

So the countdown is on for another TEAM BEER RUN adventure...
In 72 hours, 12 brave souls--assuming we can find a pinch runner for Kim who banged up her leg and the doc says she can't run :o( (if you know anyone willing to run about 17 miles this Friday-Saturday, let us know ASAP)--will be a few hours into the 192 mile run to DC...

Sooo, I figured we better test the blog out and make sure it's ready for another series of exhaustive banter and just EXHAUSTION in general...

Run on...

jag

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