Tuna Run 200 Race Report: A Team Captain's Perspective

Team Hook, Line & Suckers 2014: (left to right, back row) Abby, Sarah, Darryl, Vince, Rachel, Ines, Amanda, June and Bill.  Front Row: Jeremy and Steve. 

MY AWESOME TEAMMATES
I was on a runner's high for days following the Tuna Run 200, a relay race from the Raleigh, NC area to Atlantic Beach, NC.  My team Hook, Line & Suckers crossed the finish line in a time of 30 hours 1 minute and 10 seconds on Saturday, Oct. 11.  I couldn't have been more proud of this team, and I told them before the race that we should have received a medal just for making it to the starting line.  The teamwork this team exhibited was the most outstanding of my six relay races.   It was a bonus to finish 21st of 47 mixed teams.

Rachel was our first runner.  We started at 8AM on Friday, Oct. 10.

This was the year that I decided to form a team and be captain.  My husband was team captain last year, but he could not participate from the outset this year due to injury.  Other team captains can probably relate to my feelings about just making it to the start.  Forming a 12-member team can be a challenge, and then injuries leading up to the race can take a toll.  My team lost two members and an alternate team member to injury.  In the final weeks leading up to the race, two additional members (myself included) questioned if we could run because of pain and/or injury.  Two of us were in prescribed orthopedic boots one week prior to the race.  We planned to be a team of 12 and ended up a team of 11 with one member running six legs instead of three. Needless to say, he was our Superman.

What made this an outstanding experience was the people on the team, their attitudes and effort.  In my previous relay races with 12 team members, each van contained its own mini team with minimal communication between vans prior to the race, during and after the race.

Teamwork!  Jeremy hands the baton to Vince  and finishes his third leg of the race.

TEAMWORK
Our team was comprised of six women and five men with the women in Van 1 and the men in Van 2.  The men decided to join the women for a send off at the start of the race.  That is not always possible or practical for a relay race, but they made the effort.  After the women of my van finished our first rotation and ate lunch, we decided to catch up to the men's van and cheer for them.  That allowed about 45 minutes to spare for rest and preparation before our second active rotation.  Our first runner in our second rotation set off just after 6PM with night gear.

When the men finished their first rotation, they decided not to relax at a restaurant for dinner, but to follow and support Van 1 as night fell.  Eventually, they needed to drive ahead for some rest, but they could have done that much earlier.  I was impressed later when teammates from Van 2 went out of their way to find us during the night to ensure we knew to be on the move and to connect with them in an hour.  They didn't have to do that. We communicated by cell phone frequently throughout the race; however, there was no cell coverage at the campground where we were.  We had tried using two-way radios early in the race, but realized they were not strong enough for the job.

Although we did not all know each other before the race, a few things helped our team bond: team meetings before the race, a private team FaceBook group, and a few training meet ups.

Totally random picture of Darryl somewhere in Eastern NC.

THE RACE
This was my first time to be in Van 1, so the legs were new to me.  The first six legs were hilly, but the women held their anticipated paces.   For most of my teammates, this was their first relay race, and I was happy as I watched their initiation into this unique sporting adventure.   I told my teammates that I would take my legs easy coming off an injury, but I felt fine and ran hard even though the heat had set in for my first run of six miles.

Sarah rocked her legs!  She was flying! 

NIGHT RUNNING ADVENTURE
My favorite leg was my nine mile night leg.  The night run is usually my favorite in an overnight relay race because of the novelty of it.  I didn't feel threatened by dogs this year, and I have become more brave with my pepper spray; however one of the men was charged by a dog and managed to kick it away.   The terrain for my leg was flat, and I ran strong. While I was running, a teammate warned me that suspicious people had been spotted walking along the route.  My van stayed nearby to protect me during that leg long after I told them to leave me and wait at the next exchange.  Nearing the end of my leg, I caught a member of the TIAA-CREF team, and we talked and raced the final portion together.  He pulled away at the end, and we gave each other a high five after our hand offs.

During the night, our van passed a grouping of police cars with lights flashing and saw a car with a tree toppled on it in the yard of a house.  We later heard through the relay grapevine that a car wrecked along the course during the race and toppled the tree.

Bill finishes his second leg during Van 2's first rotation at dusk and hands the baton to Rachel.  

CAMPING
New to the event this year was the ability to rest at a campground along the course during the night.  This worked well for Van 1.  Going into the race it was comforting to have the option to pre-order food and a shower at a facility at this exchange.  Most of my van members pre-paid for a shower and pizza, but none of us enjoyed either.  Perhaps this was an oasis for some runners.  I had learned from a previous race that showering would involve waiting in line and losing rest and serve to awaken me.  Plus, I've been to a few campground shower facilities and find some do not meet my high standards.  I thought I would be hungry and enjoy hot pizza, but I wasn't hungry.  The women in my van were more interested in sleeping than eating and showering.

To my surprise, the highlight of the race for me (besides often noticing how awesome my teammates were) was camping.  One of my teammates brought a small pop up tent that could hold three.  I learned the night before the race that my husband had bought one recently, but my quick tutorial did not convince me that I could set it up and take it down quickly in the dark.  But, I did bring a large tarp, and we all brought our sleeping bags.  Half of us rested in the tent, and half of us rested on the tarp.

At this point my team was ahead of schedule by 45 minutes; therefore, our timing and pace chart was far from accurate.  I sat in the van for a long time with an addled brain trying to figure out when I should rouse my teammates to get to the next exchange taking into consideration breaking down camp, a bathroom break and travel time.  It was very important that I not get it wrong because there was no cell coverage, so the other van could not give me a heads up.  With all my teammates asleep, I set my alarm without having a back up.  I could not sleep and had not expected that I would.  In the past I had watched adventurous teammates climb out of the van into the chilly night air to rest on the ground in sleeping bags.  That had never appealed to me, and I stayed in the van or in the floor of a building when possible.  This time I was looking up at the stars and moon and thinking about how beautiful it was, and that if I hadn't been in the race, I would have never experienced this.

The end of my final leg.  What a welcome at the exchange! 

Our van became active again around 4AM.  I was happy this rotation because I had assigned myself the sweet and final leg for Van1: 2.6 miles.  It was a sprint to bring us to the last hand off to Van 2.  I was greeted by all my teammates who had formed a bridge for me to run under.  I loved it!  When I saw it from a distance, it made me feel special.

The men wait for the start of their final rotation on Saturday morning.

THE FINISH
Our van finished at 9AM and headed for breakfast at Cox Family Restaurant in Morehead City.  Delicious!  We checked in early at the Hampton Inn (recommended by the race), took showers, and made it to the Circle at Atlantic Beach early to wait for Van 2.  At the finish, family joined some of my teammates.  One of the best parts of the experience was one of my friends being re-united with her family and seeing how proud they were of her accomplishment.  They all beamed and headed to the beach together.  The day was warm for a run to the beach with full sun and temperatures in the 80's as was the previous day.  It was, however, a great beach day for October! Our team met our final runner on the boardwalk and ran to the finish line.  We didn't let Superman catch his breath before taking the team picture.   Reunited, we enjoyed a meal of tuna and barbecue on a blanket in the shade.

It took an incredible team effort to make it to the finish.

TIPS FOR RELAY TEAM CAPTAINS

• Inform prospective team members of what they face:  training similar to a half marathon; running at night; dogs along the course; possibility of heat or cold or rain; and the possibility of no sleep or very little sleep.
• Form your team early to save money.  The registration fee increases over time.
• Collect registration fees from team members before registering the team. 
• Establish a private Facebook page (or an alternate form of communication) for your team.
• Hold team meetings prior to the race.
• Anticipate that this will take hours of your time pre-race, so ensure you have the time to give or learn to delegate. You will:

• communicate with team members about details such as paces, deadlines, rules, and supplies
• strategize team racing efficiency while balancing and honoring teammate requests
• coordinate team t-shirt design, production and payment
• plan for meals and/or food and places to rest and ensure plans for lodging and/or the return trip home.

Bill and Jeremy at the finish.

LESSON LEARNED FOR NEXT YEAR
The last couple of years my teams have gone into the race with a shoestring budget, but next year this team will spend more money for comfort.  I will inform team members of all anticipated costs well in advance for budgeting purposes. This will include the registration fee, van rentals, gas, food, team t-shirt and lodging.  After three years of driving personal vehicles, our team will rent roomy vans.  The plan will be to stay at the beach the night following the race and to plan for lodging immediately after registering.

Disclaimer: I work for the race, so I am biased.

I stole Amanda's caption:  The look after a 200 mile relay.

Darryl enjoying the beach and the accomplishment.