RAGNAR RECAP

Doogle, me, Kristin, and Dayna around 3 a.m. Go us!

Okay, so the Wasatch Back Ragnar Relay. So, for those of you who don't know, it's this little race that goes from Logan to Park City which is approximately 180 miles. The distance is divided up into 12 runners with three legs each. Each runner is responsible for anywhere from 14-18 miles. The twelve runners are divided into two cars with six runners each. Then that vehicle is responsible for it's own runners and supporting them with everything from drinks, to food, to sleeping (if possible) arrangements. There are three major exchange points when one car of runners is finished and they hand off to the 2nd car. All six people run their legs and they hand it back and that is pretty much how it goes. (Do I sound like a wiki definition?)


Leg 1: Okay, the first thing I'd like to be aware of and change for next year, is that we plan and manage our time better. For instance, since I was the first runner out of car 2 pretty much every time we got to the exchange points we were either late or just getting there when their last guy was finishing so I pretty much was kicked out of the car and told to run. So I did. So my first leg started in Eden. Gorgeous little place up Ogden Canyon. The thing was, we were kinda late getting to the exchange point so I had to get ready in the car (just a tad wierd), and then hit the Honey Bucket (porta-potty--which by the way were pretty nice for a porta. Considering.) and go.


And with all the adrenaline and runners I just went out way too fast. I looked down at my watch and I was running a 8:15 mile! And really, I usually average somewhere around a 9 or 9 1/2. I mean, I'm awesome, but not that awesome. And then factor in the 95 degrees, honestly I was pooped by mile 2. So, I slowed down, hit every shady spot I could find, and every sprinkler left out by thoughtful neighbors (bless them), and just finished that 4.3 leg as best I could. Got to the the mini-exchange, handed off to Kristin and let my heart get back to normal, and then it was back in the car. Which I found to really be a challenging thing. No time to stretch or cool down. Just run, then jump in the car, get something to drink and get ready to cheer on your team mate and hand them water if they need it. Usually I don't drink on a 4 miler, but usually I'm also not running at 4 in the afternoon. Yeah, not really the ideal time to run, but oh well. All six of us finished our legs, and we exchanged with the other car, and then went down to our friends amazing house in Huntsville to shower, eat and relax for an hour or so till we had to head out again. And that brings me to leg 2.

Leg 2: Okay, at this point I had layed down and tried to sleep, but it wasn't really happening since I knew I had to wake up in 1/2 hour and run again, so around 10:30 pm we got ourselves together and headed to the second major exchange point. Except we didn't really account for all the cars and runners, and just how slow all the traffic would be, and so the other team was waiting for like 15 minutes for us. OOPS! Now, being the first runner, I kind of didn't feel so well. I was seriously nursing a pretty good migraine, cause you know normal people sleep at midnight, not run. So, when we left I downed two Excedrin, and, don't tell my bish, a double-shot espresso thing from Starbucks (I know, already going to hell) . Cause really, I wanted to sleep, not run. I was so pumped on caffeine it was funny. Problem was, I really had to pee. LIKE. A. RACEHORSE. But since they had been waiting for us for like 15 minutes, I felt bad, so I just got out and started running. By this time it was midnight, completely dark, except for my reflective vest and cap light. And did I mention i had to pee? But I didn't want to waste anymore time, so they kicked me out of the van, and I ran. And it was so strange to run at night. Eerie really. Complete darkness, except for a runner here and there, and a few cars now and again. But I have to admit I really liked that it was like 50 degrees. Perfect running temp if you ask me. So, the team catches up with me about mile 1, and I tell them to go on ahead to mile 2 or so, since I know pretty much miles 2-4 are straight up hill and I might like a drink by then. And since it wasn't so hot, I didn't need as much water right at the beginning. Well, I just kept going, and running to my ipod. All I can say is thank goodness for the person who invented ipod, and Outkast. They got me through. So, around mile 2, I see a dark black Yukon, parked on the side of the road, but no one is out and cheering, which my team had been doing, so I just figured it wasn't them, and on I ran (by the way, there were like 40 billion black Yukons there). And the party-pooper who's Yukon we were using didn't want us to decorate his car like all the other teams, so I kinda figure it's his fault. If I'd seen our team name I woulda at least told those slackers, to wake up and to cheer on their favorite runner. So, on I go. And up I go. I am seriously busting my ass. So I get to around mile three, figuring they just didn't hear me right and went to mile 3 instead of 2. But, no such luck. And by this time, since I was literally running straight up hill, I could have used an ice cold beverage. And honestly? A nap. But anyways. So, I just kept running. But, by mile 3.5 I was starting to get pissed. Where in the crap were they? Here I am busting my butt, without any support. Now, I'm starting to realize that that black Yukon I saw back there must have been them (those losers!) asleep on the side of the road. So now, I'm pissed. I want to be sleeping too, but I'm not. I'm RUNNING! So, by now I can see the mini-exchange point, and I'm just praying that a) I get there already, and b) that they will be waiting for me there with some sort of story about a porta emergency that Mike had to poo or something. But no such luck. And now I'm pissed. Ran straight uphill for 4 miles with nothing. So I waited for them for about five minutes and then I started to get less mad, and more worried. WHERE WERE THEY? So, I borrowed some one's cell phone (luckily it worked) and I called Hubs. Five minutes later they show up. I hand off to Kristin, and just get in the car. I'm so mad I don't even say anything. Apologies all around, but I'm still totally pissed they weren't even watching for me. But truthfully, by this time the caffeine was in full force so I was too high and happy to be mad. So, to get them back I just honked the clown horn allot for the next few runners. They loved that. Seriously. How could they forget me? Pitch black, and no one. Oh well. I survived. barely.


Okay, so by the time we were done with leg three it was about 5 or 6 a.m. Everyone is exhausted, and all we want to do is sleep. So we head on over to Heber, South Summit High School to be exact, where the final major exchange place was, to see if we could catch some sleep, maybe a shower and some food. Well, sleep was out of the question. Lots of people were laying on the ground trying too, but by this time it was 7 or 8 so, most people were just getting up, and there was music, and car alarms. Seriously, car alarm after car alarm. It was like a freaking car alarm symphony. I mean we are talking 500 teams, 12 people each, that's over 6 thousand people. Yeah, not much sleep was happening. So, I went and got some pancakes--delish-- and was at least thankful for the fact that when it was my turn to run again, we would at least already be at the exchange point, so I wouldn't just have to jump out and run again on a full bladder. And before too long, right around 10 a.m. I started my last leg.

Leg 3: Now, this leg was supposed to be my easy flat 4 miler. And I guess it was, sort of. Except for the fact that I had already ran twice before, around 9 miles total and hadn't yet slept in over 29 hours. Yeah, I was exhausted. And it was already like 90 degrees. This was the hardest run ever. And I was thrilled when I finally saw that 1 mile left sign. But that was honestly the hardest mile I've ever run. Harder than either of the last miles of my marathons. By a long shot. That last mile just did me in. I was hot, tired, and I guess I just didn't realize how much the lack of sleep would affect me. And I seriously wanted to go back and track to be sure that was a mile, cause it felt like two. But, needless to say, I finished strong. Did a cartwheel at the end even, drank an entire bottle of water and got in the Yukon and ate, I kid you not, an entire can of Pringles. I hadn't had Pringles since oh, I don't know, sixth grade maybe. And they were fabulous. All that salty goodness.


But it was funny, cause even though I thought my leg was hard, as soon as Kristin (who ran 7) and Dave and Hubs who ran straight up guardsman (about 5 miles each) started running I realized just how easy my last leg was, and just how awesome my team mates were. I was so impressed. Then Dayna ran about 7 miles straight down the other side of guardsman into Deer Valley, and Mike finished up the last 5 into Park City.


What I didn't expect, besides the sheer exhaustion, and just how many Red Vines I could down in 28 hours, was how much fun I had. It was so fun honking the clown horns, and cow bells and cheering on my mates. And hubs even obliged and wore the wig I bought him, while he ran up the Ragnar leg. There were lots of inside jokes, and things that we laughed about for hours that I'm sure if we'd have slept wouldn't nearly have been so funny. But they were. And still sorta are.


So in the end, I guess I shouldn't have been so mad about Hubs signing me up without my knowledge. Cause really, it turned out okay. Our team ended up finishing in 28 hours, which was about a 9 1/2 minute mile pace--but really we probably did about a 9 minute pace since we had about 30 minutes in there when no one was running. But, really, such a blast. Although, I have to admit, I was a bit, okay totally pissed, when I got home and stepped on the scale and, HAD GAINED A POUND! Only me. Yes, ran 13 or so miles and I gained a pound. Awesome. .


So Kristin, Doogle, Hubs, Dayna & Mike, thanks for a great race! See ya in 2009!