Last weekend I did the CRAZIEST thing I've ever done.
Derek and I ran in the Ragnar Relay - Northwest Passage.
187 miles
12 runners
(6 couples)
2 vans
29 hours
PERSONAL STATS:
3 hours of sleep
3 "legs" of the race
15.6 miles
1 shower
It all started back in February maybe? Friends in the ward started a team, another friend asked if we wanted to do it. Are you crazy? I had started running in October with 30 miles for my 30th birthday and ended up with shin splints. I'm sure I hadn't run more than 40 miles in my entire life. I must have been crazy because I signed us up!
Months of training, hundreds of miles of running later...
We drove up to Blaine, WA, (which is within 100 yards of Canada) the night before, walked on the beach and ate a yummy dinner with our van - 2 very fun couples and us.
We got up in the morning on Friday and watched van #1 get started at 8:00 am. We explored Birch Bay while they ran and then took our turn around 1:30 pm.
It was SO stinkin' hot that first day. I swear I've never been that hot, but it was "only" 80 degrees. 6.1 miles downhill, running on a highway without shade. I was still beet red hours later.
Once our van had finished their runs, we showered and tried to sleep.
After that didn't work, we got ready to run again. Our van started running about 10:30? I ran at 1:00 am, more or less. An easy 2.7 miles through neighborhoods in Anacortes. Our van finished at about 3:30, we were in our sleeping bags in a HS gym by 4:15. I fell asleep instantly, despite zippers and footsteps, whispers and even a fire alarm. Seriously. I woke up at 7, refreshed and ready to run again. Actually, my stomach hurt with the fear of my last "very hard" leg. I wanted to hide in my sleeping bag forever.
But I was the luckiest of the lucky and had a BEAUTIFUL run.
Yes, it was a hilly 6.8 miles along a highway. But it was shady and gorgeous and I felt strong and happy. Derek met me with water and I told him, "I eat hills for lunch!" I needed to say it out loud to make it true. It was the BEST run of my life. I LOVED it! Not my fastest time (thanks to those hills), but I finally learned to let go on the downhill and just FLEW into the transition where my teammate was waiting. It was incredible.
We supported our other runners as they finished in the grueling heat (I felt really guilty about my perfect run, let me tell you) and our team finished at 1:30 Saturday afternoon in Langley, WA (the southern tip of Whidbey Island).
HIGHLIGHTS:
I loved how every spouse was concerned when it was their husband/wife running. It was true for each couple - we always wanted to be sure they were okay. I LOVED running it with Derek. He is such a good sport - he hates running and he took 2 vacation days to do this. All that nasty training, too. I sure love that guy!
Nothing tastes so good as a bagel with cream cheese or turkey after a run.
Our van drank 50 bottles of water.
The anxiety of waiting to run was worse than actually running. I was really nervous before both of my big "legs."
I've never smelled so bad in my ENTIRE life. After that first shower, I ran and slept in my running clothes, changed into new running clothes, ran again and rode home in my filth. EW.
I could hardly walk up the stairs for 2 days I was so sore. OUCH!
We kept saying we'd never need to do another Ragnar. But you get home and start getting nostalgic almost at once. It's like childbirth - eventually you forget the pain and then you end up doing it again. Who knows? Maybe there's another Ragnar in my future.
For now, I'm just going to keep running.
187 miles
12 runners
(6 couples)
2 vans
29 hours
PERSONAL STATS:
3 hours of sleep
3 "legs" of the race
15.6 miles
1 shower
It all started back in February maybe? Friends in the ward started a team, another friend asked if we wanted to do it. Are you crazy? I had started running in October with 30 miles for my 30th birthday and ended up with shin splints. I'm sure I hadn't run more than 40 miles in my entire life. I must have been crazy because I signed us up!
Months of training, hundreds of miles of running later...
We drove up to Blaine, WA, (which is within 100 yards of Canada) the night before, walked on the beach and ate a yummy dinner with our van - 2 very fun couples and us.
We got up in the morning on Friday and watched van #1 get started at 8:00 am. We explored Birch Bay while they ran and then took our turn around 1:30 pm.It was SO stinkin' hot that first day. I swear I've never been that hot, but it was "only" 80 degrees. 6.1 miles downhill, running on a highway without shade. I was still beet red hours later.
Once our van had finished their runs, we showered and tried to sleep.
After that didn't work, we got ready to run again. Our van started running about 10:30? I ran at 1:00 am, more or less. An easy 2.7 miles through neighborhoods in Anacortes. Our van finished at about 3:30, we were in our sleeping bags in a HS gym by 4:15. I fell asleep instantly, despite zippers and footsteps, whispers and even a fire alarm. Seriously. I woke up at 7, refreshed and ready to run again. Actually, my stomach hurt with the fear of my last "very hard" leg. I wanted to hide in my sleeping bag forever.But I was the luckiest of the lucky and had a BEAUTIFUL run.
Yes, it was a hilly 6.8 miles along a highway. But it was shady and gorgeous and I felt strong and happy. Derek met me with water and I told him, "I eat hills for lunch!" I needed to say it out loud to make it true. It was the BEST run of my life. I LOVED it! Not my fastest time (thanks to those hills), but I finally learned to let go on the downhill and just FLEW into the transition where my teammate was waiting. It was incredible.
We supported our other runners as they finished in the grueling heat (I felt really guilty about my perfect run, let me tell you) and our team finished at 1:30 Saturday afternoon in Langley, WA (the southern tip of Whidbey Island).
HIGHLIGHTS:
I loved how every spouse was concerned when it was their husband/wife running. It was true for each couple - we always wanted to be sure they were okay. I LOVED running it with Derek. He is such a good sport - he hates running and he took 2 vacation days to do this. All that nasty training, too. I sure love that guy!
Nothing tastes so good as a bagel with cream cheese or turkey after a run.
Our van drank 50 bottles of water.
The anxiety of waiting to run was worse than actually running. I was really nervous before both of my big "legs."
I've never smelled so bad in my ENTIRE life. After that first shower, I ran and slept in my running clothes, changed into new running clothes, ran again and rode home in my filth. EW.
I could hardly walk up the stairs for 2 days I was so sore. OUCH!
We kept saying we'd never need to do another Ragnar. But you get home and start getting nostalgic almost at once. It's like childbirth - eventually you forget the pain and then you end up doing it again. Who knows? Maybe there's another Ragnar in my future.
For now, I'm just going to keep running.
