Ragnards!

We ran a ragnar! Richard and I!!  It was so much better and more fun than I thought it could be (and I was already thinking it would be pretty awesome).  A ragnar is pretty much the perfect combination between a team sport and a solo sport.  It combines what I love about running with the support and comraderie of team-mates.  I could be a Ragnar addict.  Consider me a ragnard for life!

For those of you unfamiliar with this awesome race, a Ragnar is a 196 mile relay footrace completed by teams of either 6 or 12 people.  It takes about 24 hours of continuous running.  In a team of 12, each person has three individual legs of running. There is a lot of sweat, some tears, sleeplessness, lots of laughs, endless powerbars, and a euphoria that I was not expecting.  THis particular Ragnar was titled "the Northwest Passage" and starts near the Peace Arch at the Canadian border and ends up on Whidby Island (in the San Juan Islands).

 Richard was especially stoked at the end.  I think he had proven something to himself throughout this race and began to consider himself as a real competitor.

 THis was Richard's first handoff.  Instead of a baton, we had a slap bracelet.  I ended up with it because I was the 12th competitor on our team and the runner who officially crossed the finish line.  That slap bracelet was pretty grimy and deservedly so.

 Even though there is about 8-9 hours in between running segments, there is so much to look at and enjoy.  I saw parts of this state that I had never seen before.

The bridge in this picture is Deception Pass

  These are pictures of our van!  I designed most of it.  The stick figures are pretty accurate representations of our team to be honest.  Richard is the tall one in the middle with his arms outstretched in victory.  He was probably listening to Braveheart when I drew that.  Our team was sponsored by Fresh Consulting and was composed primarily of Fresh Consulting employees (Richard being one of them) and their spouses.

 I particularly like the graphic of "Kills" that I printed on the van in red.  When you pass another runner, it is considered a "kill."  It is highly motivational.  At one exchange, while waiting for my turn to run, I started yelling "I want to kill people, I want to kill people!"  It is really good that everyone there understood context.

 Richard was always there with support when I needed him-- handing me waters or cliff blocks (large gummis that were surprisingly hard to chew quickly (thus the face)).

 Nearing the end of my 8.9 mile run (my middle run), some of my team mates came out to give me some good support.  I ran way faster than I had trained for or anticipated (under 8 minute miles the whole time).  I have never been on a running team before like this, and it was like powerade to the soul!

There were all these safety procedures we had to follow, including wearing reflective vests as well as headlamps or some kind of light so that cars could see us.  My runs were scheduled at around 8 pm, 6:30 am, and 3:30 pm.  I got to wear all the gear for my first two runs.

 Even though most people expect to be absolutely sleepless the whole time, there are at least a few hours for each team to TRY to catch some sleep in between running sessions.  The location was a local high school gymnasium.  It was actually pretty quiet and zenlike.  There were hundreds of sleeping bodies on the floor.  It was just fun to be there.  And to shower in a high school gym.  I don't think I ever showered in my own high school gym when I was in high school.

 It was a really great experience for both Richard and I.  WE considered it like a really long date, only without privacy.  It is surprisingly romantic to cheer on your spouse.  At one point, during one of Richard's runs, I leaned out the window and screamed "THATS MY HUSBAND!!!!"   I was so proud of him.

Another great thing about running a Ragnar is that you burn a ton of calories, so when you get a chance for a meal like this, you take it!  Yum.  We went to the "Knead and Feed" for breakfast after my 9 miler.

Last run of the day for everyone on my team, and it all fell down to me.  I was feeling AWESOME.  I didn't expect that.  Pessimism works because life is almost ALWAYS better than I picture it to be.

 I have to give a shout out to my friend Melinda (center) who agreed to be our team mate with just 36 hours notice.  We still needed one last team mate, so less than two days prior to the start of the race I called Melinda to see if she was interested.  In 5 minutes she was signed up and ready.  Who does that!?  She was awesome, and I think the both of us want to do another team next year!

Our Fresh Consulting team:
Richard Rose, Rachael Rose, Steve Hulet, Melinda Workman, Sean Patterson, Melanie Hallburg, Chad Hallburg, Michael Wiggins, Suzanne Wiggins, Jeff Dance, and Kari Dance.

My only regret is that we didn't see the other team much.  We are all just so cool, its a shame we didn't see each other more.  But on behalf of my team of 6 (Steve, Sean, Chad, Melanie, Richard and I)-- we had a blast and made lasting friendships, and the ones that already existed were made even stronger.

Wahoo!!