Photo By Command Sgt. Maj. Anthony L Taylor | Members with the 85th Support Command pose for a team photo after their participation...... read more read more
MADISON, Wis. – Soldiers assigned to the 85th Support Command returned, June 7, to Madison, Wis., to represent their unit as the 85th Road Warriors run team in the Ragnar 200 mile relay race from Madison, Wis., to Chicago, Ill.
This year was the fourth year that the soldiers from the Arlington Heights, Ill., unit participated in the two-day event. Sgt. 1st Class William Keys, senior human resources sergeant and four-year team veteran, shared how the involvement in the race began and the feeling of it all.
“Four years ago, a few of us [soldiers] got together to find something to really challenge us and to push us to our limits - and here we are four years later,” said Keys. “It’s one of those love-hate relationships. You love it when you start, but by the end you hate it and never want to do it again; but a week later you’re ready to sign up again for the next year.”
Keys explained that this race is unlike other traditional races with a start point and an end point. He said it is a cycle of running, eating and sleeping as best as you can throughout the day and night.
“You’re all geared up to run and then you’re running, and then you stop. Your muscles start to relax and then you have to run again and you repeat this cycle three times throughout the race,” said Keys.
Keys along with Sgt. Jose Uriostegui, human resources sergeant, are the only remaining four-year runners due to soldiers changing assignments, but said that they want to keep the team alive and continue to encourage new runners to keep the team spirit alive.
This was the first year that Uriostegui signed on to the team as a van driver and alternate runner instead of a runner due to the growing response of those that wanted to participate.
“We received so many requests from people that wanted to run and I wanted to encourage that so I decided to open up a position and just drive,” said Uriostegui.
According to Capt. Jessica Beard, human resources officer and first-year runner, planning for this race began six months prior to the race for the training and logistical aspect of the preparation.
Runners of all skill level backgrounds, from novice to marathon runners, took part in the race.
The 12-person run team included: Col. Robert Rauchle, chief of staff and second year runner; Spc. Kiefer Johnson, human resources specialist and first year runner; Staff Sgt. Byron Tesen, supply sergeant and second year runner; Staff Sgt. Ciprian Neagoe, human resources sergeant and first year runner; Staff Sgt. Walter Rodgers, human resources sergeant and first year runner; Sgt. 1st Class Guadalupe Valletellez, human resources sergeant and third year runner; Sgt. 1st Class Susan Torres, telecommunications operations sergeant and first year runner; 1st Lt. Mario Contreras, auditor and second year runner; Lt. Col. Jon Hahner, deputy comptroller and third year runner; Mr. Stephen Silkaitis, marathon runner, friend of the team and first year runner; Beard and Keys.
In addition to the run team, some joined as alternate runners and volunteers to support the team. May Silkaitis, marathon runner and wife of Stephen Silkaitis, participated in the race as an alternate runner; Alayna Cruzat, human resources specialist (military), Yolanda Owens, equal opportunity specialist, and Staff Sgt. Catrina Andrews, senior human resources sergeant, all participated as volunteers during the race.
Starting off the race mildly nervous but excited, Johnson, the junior soldier on the team, ran the first leg of the race completing 4.4 miles before handing it off to Rauchle.
“This is my first race and a great team builder,” said Johnson. “I’m going to set the bar high for my team.”
The team reached 26.2 miles, the distance for a marathon, around three hours and 40 minutes into the race; this was near the same time that they received a Skype call from Sgt. J. Uriostegui’s brother who is currently deployed to Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan. Sgt. 1st Class Miguel Uriostegui, former soldier from the 85th SPT CMD and an original unit run team member, called to support and check on how the team was performing during the race.
“You learn a lot about people by being in such close quarters for a period of time,” said M. Uriostegui. “Both by being in a combat zone or being in a van at a relay race.”
A minor upset occurred moments before Valletellez left the next run exchange to begin his first leg, he learned that a bridge on his route had just closed and the route was extended by 3.8 miles, totaling 11.4 miles for that leg of the race.
“The advantage was that if it had to happen, then it happened earlier in the race than later,” said Valletellez.
The team passed the 100-mile mark by the 15th hour, and received meals and a place to rest from Rauchle’s family because his home was only several miles from the run route.
“They pretty much went 24 hours with no sleep and [they] kept turning out running,” said Rauchle. “We were able to host the team during the race and that was great.”
Late in the night, the runners arrived within miles of Keys’ home, so his family offered to allow them to rest there for a short break.
The team had run approximately 170 miles in about 24 hours into the race, and during the morning Johnson’s family decided to welcome the team into their home for a brief breakfast before returning to the route.
The fact that three families hosted the team at their home, during the race, was beneficial because the entire team was split throughout the race and could only participate in one or two of the hosted locations.
“It was a true benefit to have several families hosting our team because the team was split up on the route and depending on which van you rode in depended on which home you could stop to take a break in,” said Torres.
Neagoe ran Exchange 36, the last exchange before arriving to the finish line. According to the past year’s runners this has always been the most difficult leg because it is over eight miles and the sun beats down on the runner for most of the route.
Neagoe approached the finish line in Chicago with the team running up behind; together they ran the last few feet in completing the race in 28 hours, 56 minutes, and seven seconds, according to webscorer.com.
Each runner ran an average distance of 17 miles, and the team was successful in no injuries or anyone becoming lost on the night route. Overall, the team placed 122 out of 448 teams.
“I’m hurting, but driving on,” said Neagoe who completed the last 8.2 miles in one hour and one minute.
“There was a lot of motivation, but very tiring at the end. It was a great experience and will probably do it again,” said Johnson.
“I thought it was a lot of fun,” said Rodgers. “It was a really great experience.”
“It was exciting and eventful, but also extremely difficult at times,” said Contreras. “What really spurred this on was cross fit training. If I didn’t help build strength in my legs, this would have been much more difficult.”
“I love running, and I just wanted to be a part of something that involved building unit cohesion,” said Tesen.
“I’ve been out running at every opportunity,” said Hahner. “Even on business trips I take my running shoes. That’s the universal gym. Take your shoes and run out anywhere.”
“I can definitely check this off my bucket list,” said Torres. “I feel honored to be here with the team.”
“200 miles - what a wonderful event,” said Rauchle. “They worked very well as a coordinated team, and made the command proud and proved something to themselves.”
Uriostegui and Keys shared that the goal for next year was to not only have two 12-person teams, but to also have an Ultra team, which is a six person team averaging a distance of about 33 miles a person on the route.
“Hopefully, by next year we’ll have two teams come out,” said Keys. “And maybe in two or three years we’ll have three or four teams in because there’s so much excitement.”
Keys took a moment to reflect and explain what this race meant to him as a U.S. soldier.
“Often when I talk to people at these races and they find out that I’m in the Army, I see a look of defeat in their faces,” said Keys. “This is the perception of the Army, and as soldiers we have to keep that mindset. That motivates me to work out harder. We are elite. We are the cream of the crop.”
| Date Taken: | 06.07.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 06.12.2013 02:10 |
| Story ID: | 108494 |
| Location: | MADISON, WISCONSIN, US |
| Web Views: | 265 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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