Ragnar Wasatch Back - Hard Days Night

When I originally said I would run Chicago, I didn't realize Wasatch back was the following weekend.  The hardest thing about back to back Ragnars is being gone from home but Wasatch back is my favorite Ragnar race and I wouldn't miss it for anything.

RACE HIGHS

• Mandy, the new addition to the team, was a running gazelle.  Beautiful form and lightening fast. She surprised even herself with her awesomeness.
• The weather was fantastic. It had a 30% chance of rain and we had perfect weather and perfect skies the whole time.  As I type this, the day after, it's raining.



Curtis and Dan discuss the fine art of creek jumping

• Our "van" is a truck and with the perfect weather we can sit in the back and take in the race from a different view. When someone is running and people are in the back, the members inside the truck always have plenty of space. 

• Somer ran fantastic on a bum knee.  She hurt it while training for Ragnar and decided to do a knee plant on her run. The chiropractor did some magic on it two days before and unless Somer was lying to us, she ran on it and did all three of her legs.
• Taking our picture on the fence.
• The finish line was 10 times better than last year. Last year parking was horrible, the area was cramped, you couldn't hear your runner being announced and we never got to run in with our 12th runner.   This year it was at a high school and it was organized with shuttles and staging areas for runners coming in and announcing for the finishing teams. There was free pizza, free ice cream and free chocolate milk too.  

Their flesh colored costumes really looked like they were wearing nothing

Dan hand off to Mandy. Up to this point we had no idea Mandy was a gazelle...a natural runner

Somer hands off to me for my run up Avon pass

Mandy, me and Curtis

Jess hands off to Curtis

The scenery is beautiful

RACE LOWS

• Getting up at 4:15am on Friday for the 9:15am start. Having gotten up equally early the day before, I felt like I was starting the race already deprived of sleep.
• Somer getting a text the morning before the race having a team member drop. Like breaking up through text, getting a text of a drop is also heartbreaking but Socialite Somer already had backups lined up.

RACE STATS

• My running confidence is low between being injured and sick the week before. I had only run 3 miles the week before and had to walk part of that and take breaks. I wasn't sure how I would do on my first leg which is uphill, on a dirt road and 7.4 miles at 9:28 pace (interesting fact: last year I ran it in 9:33 pace but I think I was in better shape last year)
• 2nd leg was awesome in the dark. 4.21 miles 8:19 pace (last year I ran it in 8:10 pace)
• Freezing my bootie off on my third leg I wish I had gloves on for my run in the 30's.  The third leg was actually Curtis's leg. Mandy was unsure if she would be able to run her 7.7 mile run so Curtis, being an ultra runner, took that leg, I took Curtis's leg and Mandy took mine. I was happy with the change because I got in some extra mileage although I felt very sluggish and tired during the run. 5.05 miles 8:43 pace

Fence picture right after leg 5

Somer and Dan

Curtis cuddles with his pillow pet

FUN MOMENTS

Dan reenacts his falling into the creek

• While waiting at exchange 12, Dan decided the port-a-potty lines were too long and the rock up on the side of the hill needed watering.  Unfortunately his creek jumping skills suffer and he fell in.  I didn't see it happen but he provided entertainment for numerous team watching his non-athletic creek jumping skills.  

• Still feeling defeated after falling into the creek, after running his 2nd leg, Dan put on his hat, winter parka and cocooned himself into his sleeping bag and laid in the back of the truck even though it was in the 40's. After his 3rd leg he did the same and wins the award for the most sleep ever had during a a Ragnar race.



Somer baked birthday cupcakes for Haley.  Yummy!

• Unlike last year, the 2nd van was friendly and we talked with them at each exchange.  It was Haley's birthday and they wore tulle in their hair, Somer made cupcakes for them and we sang happy birthday. The tulle in the hair is a great idea because it distinguishes the person from the crowd of other runners.

• I was in the RagMag! I was flipping through the RagMag and saw a picture of me.  A number of weeks ago Ragnar sent an email asking why people run. I made up some goofy story and hit send and was surprised it showed up in the RagMag
• At exchange 12, I saw funky runner man from Chicago and ran over excited to see him since we had talked the week before.  He gave me a hug but had no clue who I was. Then he said, what did you say?  You said we talked last week?  He probably doesn't remember me at all but with his wild and crazy costumes, I couldn't forget him.

• Somer and I got hot pink hair extensions for our hair and they just peaked through the pony tail.
• Each exchange the honey pot truck was there sucking up nasties with a gigantic hose. slurppppppp. We were laughing with tears in our eyes first time we saw and heard it.

• Waffles after our 3rd leg at exchange 30. Finding a power source provided challenging but Steve scouted one out and we enjoyed hot, fresh waffles.