I don't even know how to describe Ragnar. When you are in the middle of running it you are questioning your sanity. You are exhausted and yet, somehow, you are having fun. Last year when I finished Ragnar I was done. I had had the experience and was ready to move on. Then, much like child birth, there comes a forgetting and you're all ready to do it again.
I headed up the team this year which was it's own source of stress, but at least I knew what to expect. And we very lucky that unlike last year, when we had to replace and coerce runners down to the wire, that we had a solid 12 from November. I'm also eternally grateful that Dustin, who hates running, agrees to do it with me every year. I don't think I could make it through without his support and calmness.
We drove up to Wickenburg the night before with our van of 6. The hotel choices are sketchy up there, but we were really surprised when they only had us down for ONE room despite Dustin calling to make sure that they had us down for two. All they had left were smoking rooms, so in the end, all 6 of us bunked up in one room. It was a great way to start off the team bonding. Then we were up at 4:45 am to head out in the cold for the check-in.
It was really really cold. I have on my shirt, my hoodie, my jacket, sweat pants, fuzzy socks and furry slippers. Of course I was the first runner, so it didn't last long. My first leg was 8.3 miles with 5 of them being straight uphill. I wanted to start off slow and not let the adrenalin get the best of me, so I got passed. A lot. It was all worth it when we hit that monster climb and they all had to slow down. I would love to say that I hit my stride and just killed it, but probably about 3.5 miles into the climb I walked with my team when they stopped to give me water. I complained a little and then they jazzed me up for the last 2 miles of the run. I ended up passing everyone and being the first from our start time to come into the exchange!
There is something AWESOME about being the first runner in your van. It is so nice to get in the van and know you are done and just spend your energy supporting everyone else. I don't think I would ever run a different spot now that I've done runner 1. Poor Dustin ran leg 6 again, which means he had to watch everyone finish and dread his own. It also means he usually gets the heat as the day wears on. This year was exceptionally warm as he ran us into exchange 6 to meet up with Van 2.
Van 2 had some killer first legs. Maren had to run 8 miles and the temperature was somewhere in the high 80s in the desert with no shade. I felt very guilty as we sent them off while we went to gorge ourselves on Cracker Barrel and then off to the gym for a eucalyptus steam bath, hot tubs and showers. Maren is always the inspirational story of Ragnar!!
The next major exchange was a High School where we attempted to nap until Chris showed up with dinner. Last year we were such rookies we had no idea what we were doing. When we got to exchange 12 we noticed people had tents and food table set up and we vowed we would be that awesome next year. Chris, unfortunately, broke his ankle cleaning the pool, which meant he was out this year. Still, he trekked up there with BBQ and water bottles so he could hang out and eat dinner with us. It was definitely awesome.
I took off from there for my second run. It was dark out by now and the run has somewhere between 7-10 stoplights. I was so frustrated. You'd run and get in this great rhythm and BOOM. Stoplight. I hit every.single.one. The beginning was the worst since there were a good 6 stoplights, one right after the other. At one stoplight another runner even commented, "I feel so bad for you. You try so hard to get away from us and then every light we get to catch up." Finally there was a good distance of just sidewalk where I started passing people and getting my stride. It was a nice, easy 6 mile run.
Poor Dustin ran us into Anthem around 1 in the morning. He wanted us to stop and give him water at a certain point, but it was really really dark and you could not tell who any of the runners were. We were sleepy and hadn't paid attention to the times, so we couldn't figure out the math on when he should run by. I just sat there staring across the road wondering if every runner was Dustin. "I think that's him!" Then it would be a girl. Finally a runner passed by who looked JUST like Dustin would look in the complete and utter dark if all we basing things on was a general mass of form. I took off running him down with his water. I was also wearing a blanket and wearing my furry slippers. Finally I had to resort to yelling at him to get his attention. Finally about half a mile in, the guy turns around and yells, "I'm not Dustin." OOPS!
I eventually found my actual husband, gave him some water, exchanged with van 2 and went to sleep for a whole 2 hours. My last leg was only 3.6 so I told my team to go straight to the exchange. It was dark and creepy and you could hear the coyotes howling. Those headlamps they make you wear do NOTHING for you night vision. I rolled my ankle, fell down and cut open my knees and still managed to finish enough ahead of schedule that my team was not waiting for me at the exchange. But I was DONE!
The third leg is usually the hardest leg for most of the runners in van 1 and I was so glad to be done so I could cheer them on. There is nothing so fulfilling as being there to cheer on your team and support them in their time of need. I think that is what makes Ragnar so fun. Usually in running you don't do a lot of supporting and you don't get a lot of support, but during Ragnar you have so many people to rely on. Jacque had a grueling 7 miles uphill that she killed. Efren had a 9 miler. Skye had injured his IT band and was in pain. Sharell was hot and miserable and her music wasn't working. And Dustin had the hills into Fountain Hills.
Those hills are killer. Up and down and it never ends. Last year Dustin was pretty miserable so he trained and planned for this year.
I was so proud of him because he did amazing on those hills. He kept his pace and just turned it out.
Van 1 -- DONE!
I think when all was said and done, we had well over a 100 kills between our van and everyone finished their runs ahead of schedule. We headed home for a shower and a nap before the finish line. And In 'n Out burger.
I was about an hour into my nap when Dustin shook me awake to tell me Van 2 was going to get into the finish line earlier than expected. He wanted to know what time we had to leave and my brain could not function. I couldn't even understand what he was saying because I was *that* sleepy. Somehow I showered, got the babysitter, picked up the kids, met up with the Fagrells and we headed to the finish line to run in together.
It was a great year! Best year yet and I'm already ready for 2013!!
