RAGNAR!

I had a great time at Ragnar even if I was sick. I had a little cold going into the race and felt okay before the race but by the end I was really sick.

If you don't know what Ragnar is it is 188 mile relay race where you have 12 runners in 2 vans with 6 people in each van that leap frog each other taking turns running. Each runner runs between 13 and 21 miles split up over 3 legs of running. http://www.ragnarrelay.com/ for more info.

Here are some pictures of the weekend and then my boring details of the race are below.

Me, My sister Danielle, and Ruth (from Check City they sponsored our team)
This team ran their legs in full costume.

Teresa, Me, Chris, Ruth, Angie, Danielle

Sisters

My first leg was 3.5 miles up a mountain. It was around 4 in the afternoon (it was hot) so I hiked up that mountain with a little running mixed in with the hike.

We went to a high school and laid on the grass in the shade by a river. It was still light outside so I couldn't sleep. Our van started running again around 11PM.

My 2nd leg was around 3:30AM for a little over 6 miles. It was fun running at night it was my favorite leg. It was nice and cool outside. I ran the leg at my marathon pace which I think is pretty good for no sleep and sick. I finished when the sun was coming up it was so pretty.

Our van went to another high school and you could shower and sleep but the shower's were cold and the locker rooms were nasty some people are so gross. I skipped sleeping inside it grossed me out sleeping in a high school hall and there was no way I could sleep with people walking around me. I went and laid in the 15 passenger van I didn't think I would sleep but I got about 30 minutes. My cold kicked in full gear I felt like crap.

Our last leg of running started around 10 or 11. I cant remember the exact time of any of our start times time was a blur.

When we were going over the last mountain that they call the Ragnar Legs they are the 2 hardest runs they are leg 33 &34 they gain 1400 and 1600 feet in elevation. They are going over a mountain between Heber UT and Park City UT. We were on a dirt road and I had blown my nose a million times over the past day and ended up with a bloody nose that wouldn't stop. It was bleeding for an hour. I thought for sure I wasn't going to be able to run my last leg because it wouldn't stop. I put an ice pack on it and it finally stopped. I was so worried it would start again when I was running. Imagine a bloody nose and having to go 4 miles. That would suck.

I was runner 12 so I was running (walked) leg 36 which is the last leg. My friend said she would run my last leg for me but I felt that if I didn't run my last leg I wasn't earning my medal. My friends were so sweet they said they could follow me in the van the entire time. At mile 1 I got a bottle of ice and told them to go ahead to the finish and I would be okay. I had a bandanna if the blood started again. I told my team I was walking the entire thing and that is what I did. There were a few down hills that I ran but other than that I walked it.

I felt like crap. I don't know the last time I felt that sick. When I saw I had 1 mile to go I started crying and I am not a person that cries very much. I felt like crap and wanted to be done. I was still walking but not moving very fast for the last mile. When you get to the finish they have the entire team of 12 run the last 100 yards. The other van runners found me and we started running and my van team wasn't there. We started running and I heard my friends yelling for me so we stopped and they jumped the fence and ran in with us. My friends made a good point that if someone had run the last leg the van wouldn't of made it in time to the finish with the traffic.

When I crossed I was crying because I was so sick. My throat was on fire all I wanted was more ice. My sweet friend Teresa had me sit down and she went and got me a cup of ice.

Here is a picture of our team at the finish. I don't look very happy I just wanted to shower and go to bed.