Runnin' the Rag

I got a call late Wednesday night this week from my sister-in-law, asking me if I want to run in this relay race this weekend. Two people of their 12 leg team have gotten sick and can't run anymore. My thoughts....um I haven't run in probably 5 years, actually haven't run since my first marathon, before I was married and had two kids....also I hate running and am thinking no way! But somehow I got talked into it and ended up in a 15 passenger van heading to Prescott less than 12 hours later. Those next twelve hours I was so nervouse thinking, what I had just gotten myself into, tried to call every running friend I know to take my place and realizing there's no out. Jared was so kind to take off work Friday and watch the girls all weekend so I could die in this crazy sabatical. I guess the Ragnar Race is a huge event each year. This year it was sold out with over 350 teams. It was 24 hour red rock 202.1 mile relay from Prescott to Mesa! There are 12 members on each team and you take turns running 3 legs total ranging from Easy to Very Hard runs. Luckily I got a fairly easy running route with only a total of 11.2 miles total. 2 hard runs, both straight uphill and one easy one at night. Our team was the High Speed Fartleks......(you wouldn't understand it's a running thing). My sister-in-law was recruited into the run with a couple neighbors, ward members and friends of their friends a few months ago and has been training for this event. Lets just say I haven't been this nervous about something like this for a very very long time. I really did not know what to expect because I have not run in years. • FARTLEK (noun) The noun FARTLEK has 1 sense:
1. a method of athletic training (especially for runners) in which strenuous effort and normal effort alternate in a continuous exercise.

We made it up to Prescott about 9:00pm and got checked into our hotel rooms. After an hour of figuring out what to wear we finally fell asleep and I actually slept better than I had in a long time! Woke up bright and early to head to the race.Here was our van....all decked out for the event!

Tim- our amazing driver who didn't bail out on the race when his wife got sick and couldn't do the race (she is the spot I took). What grown man would want to spend his whole weekend with 6 other crazy, not to mention sweaty ladies in a huge van. His daughter Tammy and son-inlaw, E.K were the other members in Van 2. We owe him big time!!Judy- The Van Mom, she is the Ragnar Vetran and has run it many years in a row. Took care of us newbies and encouraged us the entire time. Since she was runner 6, most of the time we were dead tired when it was her time to run and didn't give her as much support as she needed most of her runs.Janay- Judy's neice who got suckered into running the race last minute also. She is my age and left her 8 month old baby behind to get on the crazy bus only to have an upset stomach the entire time and come back with the hugest blood blister I've ever seen!Abby- Serious runner who was so motivated to reach great times on each run. I blame the van being messy with her stuff just everywhere the entire trip. She could always be found asking....Has anyone seen my......?

Danielle- A complete riot! She made the roadtrip such a blast. Her and Abby are grade school teachers from Tolleson. She had us cracking up with story after story. She sure made the van so much fun and we enjoyed her spunk!Marci- My great sister-in-law who smoked everyone out of the water with her 22 miles and kept a steady 8.45 minute mile + or- a little, the entire way! She was a champion! It was so fun to have some time to get to know her better without the kiddos around.I was so so nervous my first leg but I just cranked up my attack music and ran to the beat. My first leg was at 8:35am. It was 3.6 miles up two hillsin the high eleveation of Prescott. I finished it in 34 minutes (avg 9.44 min mile.) I didn't stop once! I was so proud of myself. However after our first break and this yummy pasta lunch, my stomach ache set in and I was miserable during my second run along with being chocked with my vest and butt light knocking me in the back of the shoulders the entire way. I started running at 7:00 pm and finished my 3.4 miles in 28 minutes (avg 8.24 min mile.) I was exhausted afterwards. We ended up having to sleep out on the track of a high school field in Cave Creek and was abruptly woken up at 5:45 am. During our restless sleep, a runner had been hit by a car at 2 am and was air vacced out of the desert. They shut down the race for a few hours and restarted at exchange 25. A few days later we found out he didn't make it. He was only a Senior in High School. Four of our other teamates had their legs canceled which pushed my second run up. I had to get up and run in 20 minutes and we still had to drive to the next exchange 7 miles away! Panic mode set in and I didn't even have time to get nervous, or brush my teeth for that matter. I finished my 3rd leg of 4.2 miles straight up a huge hill, the whole way. I thought I did great but when I looked at my time it took me about 45 minutes so I didn't do as well as the other runs but still didn't stop once and felt good afterwards. What a crazy adventure this was. I had so much fun getting to know these ladies and enjoyed being among so many athletes and crazy runners. It was fun watching all the creative teams roll in with their costumes and decked out vans. The Fartleks actually got free admission this year into the race for winning the best video from last year. My favorite part was seeing Marci run in on her last 8.4 mile run with her husband and 3 kids waiting for her at the exchange at 7:45 am. Even my Mother and Father in law came out to take pictures. She just started crying when she saw them. Would I do this race again? .....maybe ask me again in 5 more years! It was great to be forced into remembering how much I enjoyed running and being outside in the beautiful weather....except in Prescott with snow! Hopefully I'll be hitting the pavement a lot more these days now that I am not afraid to run again!