I like to run - it gives me great joy, especially when I am stressed - nothing helps as much as a "good ole" 3 - 5 mile run.
There is a running relay held in Utah called Ragnar - The Wasatch Back. A team comprised of 12 runners, covers a total distance of @ 200 miles. The relay race starts in Logan, Utah and ends in the beautiful mountains of Park City, Utah. Each runner runs three legs - you essentially, run, rest, repeat, sometimes you try and get a little shut eye and sleep but don't plan on it, especially if you are running at night. One or all of your three legs could be on a dirt or gravel trail, up and over hills, even more hills and mountains, through small towns, in the dark, etc.
The Ragnar Relay is running craziness at its best !
Teams decorate their transport vans and give their team a silly name - we were the Italian Stallions and the Running Fillies. Our family is especially proud of our Italian heritage and thought the name to be very fitting.
Our team of twelve - all but one person comprised of extended family members - have been training all year for the relay which was held this past weekend. We started very early in the chilly morning at 5:45 A.M. - let the fun begin!
What !? Had we not learned anything ? Did we not remember that all of us had not eaten and slept in the last two days ? That every muscle on our bodies ached, especially our legs and knees ? Didn't we look and feel exhausted ? Didn't we hate using the port-a- pottys called Honey Buckets?
Did the words actually come out of my mouth - " that was so fun, lets do it again next year"? I must have been delirious !!
We did a great job as a family and out of 1200 teams, finished 530 overall in the coed division. I am so proud of my family, not only the runners, but also our volunteers, which were my parents, daughter, Ansley and the drivers, Shawn and Jim. It was a whole family effort and we did it !
Well I better start training for next years Ragnar Wasatch Back Relay, June 2013 will be here in no time !
There is a running relay held in Utah called Ragnar - The Wasatch Back. A team comprised of 12 runners, covers a total distance of @ 200 miles. The relay race starts in Logan, Utah and ends in the beautiful mountains of Park City, Utah. Each runner runs three legs - you essentially, run, rest, repeat, sometimes you try and get a little shut eye and sleep but don't plan on it, especially if you are running at night. One or all of your three legs could be on a dirt or gravel trail, up and over hills, even more hills and mountains, through small towns, in the dark, etc.
The Ragnar Relay is running craziness at its best !
Our team of twelve - all but one person comprised of extended family members - have been training all year for the relay which was held this past weekend. We started very early in the chilly morning at 5:45 A.M. - let the fun begin!
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| Cassidy pinning on our team number #599 to her dads reflective vest at the start of the relay. |
As I was running my last leg ( my other two legs were 6.8 miles and 5 miles), 7.7 miles up Jordonelle Dam, I was thinking to myself, I actually paid for this torture and flew around the world to run in this insane running relay ? Am I crazy ? Grumbling all the way to top, up over every continuous hill, one after the other, but wait, as soon as I climbed the last hill and saw the finish line for my last leg, all the grumbling stopped and I picked up my speed, racing to the exchange to slap the relay wrist band on my daughter, Cassidy, who was the next runner. We exchanged the wrist band and off she went. I was so proud of myself - I did it - I ran all three legs and was done. Yippee !
I had said earlier - no more Ragnar Relays - this is my last ! Well that comment did not last long. How quickly we forget pain and misery ( it is a lot like giving birth - once you hold your baby you forget the pain associated with getting the baby here). As soon as our entire team met our last runner, my daughter, Taeler, and ran into the stadium for our victory lap as a team, giving hugs and high fives for a job well done, guess what ? You got it, we were already talking about signing up for the Ragnar Relay in 2013.
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| Taeler running into her exchange at Snow Basin and Uncle Jim giving a high five. |
Did the words actually come out of my mouth - " that was so fun, lets do it again next year"? I must have been delirious !!
We did a great job as a family and out of 1200 teams, finished 530 overall in the coed division. I am so proud of my family, not only the runners, but also our volunteers, which were my parents, daughter, Ansley and the drivers, Shawn and Jim. It was a whole family effort and we did it !
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| The girls on team #599.! We rocked it !! |
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