RAGNAR!

RAGNAR 2011 came and went without a hitch..well, not too much of one anyway.  What would Ragnar be without hills at the end of a 6 mile run that is also the third run, and ran with very little sleep?  Ragnar wouldn't be crazy if it weren't for a bazillion Honey Buckets at each exchange, or sleep deprived runners who are dancing with the bumpers of vans.  Ragnar wouldn't be insane without the plethora of vans, suburbans, and people EVERYWHERE.  Ragnar wouldn't be fun without the giggling, laughing, friendly bantering, etc, etc, etc.  I get asked all the time why I would run such a crackpot course...well, because it is fun.  There is actually a video I need to post that explains all of the "fun"-I just need to find it.

This year I was in van 2 and we started around 12:30 pm on Friday, June 17 (Z-man's birthday).  I ran my first leg-3.5.  Did well; ran it in about 28 minutes.  My second run was 7 miles around midnight and I ran that in one hour-again, I think I did well.  My third leg was 6 miles-gradually uphill until the last mile-ish, then it got MUCH steeper (or at least in my sleep-deprived mind it went STRAIGHT up).  In fact, the guy I was about to "kill" (pass) looked at me and cussed quite loudly, to which I replied, "it wouldn't be Ragnar if they didn't throw this hill in on our last run".  I then took off-after all, this is why I have been running up and down hills for the last few months.  I took this run a bit slower-everything about me was just too tired.  Boy, when I got to the exchange I think my body sensed the relief and totally shut down.  It was AWESOME to know that I was finished!

Carla is slapping the wristband on me, but I am behind the volunteer in the yellow vest.

..and she's off!

My stupid shoe came untied right as I was about to grab a drink.

Let's go.

..some more running.

..and some more.  Like my peace signs?

This is me imitating Phoebe's run from "Friends"

..and some more running.  One would think I was in a race...

Hooray for the exchange!

Zjani-she was VERY entertaining on this little excursion.

Carla-the Determinator

Tia is in the middle.  What I thought were pictures of Kathy and Lesa turned out to be video, so I don't have any still shots of them, yet.

'Ol reliable....the Honey Buckets

Gotta stretch before the 3rd run.  BTW-I "killed" this chick about 10 minutes into the run.  She even had a good head start on me.

Stretchy pants are awesome!

Waiting for Carla to slap the bracelet on me.

Here I go!

Whoever took this shot has quite the photogenic view...

No shame in walking-I just got a drink! Duh.  Unless you want water up your nose, you walk.

This is up Ragnar hill.  10 ft snow banks.

More snow

..and more snow.

...and Tia

Again, where in the heck is Kathy and Lesa?

We got a little bored so Zjani started knocking down the snow piles.

AH, there's Kathy and Lesa between Me and Carla

I don't have a picture of the entire team yet-that will come later.

This is one of my bff's, Allison-she and her hubby ran in a couples van.  I am hoping to recruit her to our team next year.  We just have a rip-roarin' good time when we are together. 

Hooray Ragnar-why do I do this?  Because it is fun!