Top 10 Non-Running Rum Runner Moments

​Ragnar is NOT all about the running! Think about it.... 200ish miles split between 12 people. There is a lot of time spent NOT running! So much happens during this long, sleep deprived weekend. I've decided to try to compile my Top 10 List of Memorable Non-Running Rum Runner Moments. Enjoy!

1. It's Raining. We did attempt to sleep for a few, brief hours Friday night after our second round of running. The sun was rising. I woke up in the van to Amanda announcing, "It's raining?" with the most confused tone in her voice. How is it raining by her head but not out the other side of the van? I looked up, and saw no rain anywhere. Yeah, it was just the sprinklers. Thank you, Sleep deprivation.

My sunny, dry view when looking for the "rain".

2. The moment I nearly died laughing. Sometimes it is all in the delivery. "Shawn, did a bird poop on you?" Tabitha said so casually, almost as if it was common and Shawn knew he was wearing some fresh bird poop on his shoulder as a fashion statement. It was so put together, it looked as if a bird actually came and sat on his shoulder to do its business, then flew away. This combined with his reaction ... died. And of course forced him to wait while I got photos. Thank you, sleep deprivation ... and RUM.

3. It was a run-by rumming! The rum was gone. How do we explain this to Van 2? We needed to formulate a plan and/or story. The drunk girl from California!! She was in the van next to us and was over the top excited to have some of our rum... it had to be HER fault, not the other 6 of us that were indulging in it. In the spirit of Mrs Doubtfire I whipped out my best line to date... It was a run-by rumming! Valid excuse, I think. Go me!

4. Don't drop the bracelet! This one is essentially related to running I guess - the failed hand off. While waiting for Amanda to come in for her first passing of the bracelet to TJ we watched as another team dropped theirs. Naturally the whole group watching had a good laugh at that. Tabitha told TJ when he handed off to her she wanted him to come in with a cartwheel and flip and do NOT drop the bracelet. Ha ha ha ... of course he wouldn't drop it... and what happened at their hand off? No acrobatics AND he dropped it!

The drop!

Imagine not really sleeping for a couple days, running many times, not really eating. Go go go. Now put yourself in a post-race expo area and trying to shop. That brings us #5 and #6.

5. Up first is Tabitha... All she wanted to do is simply buy a shirt. The guy told her the cost and what did she do? She hands him $150 in cash and tells him to just take what he needs. I swear our math skills go overboard when running - computing paces, distances, time - by the time it is all done paying for a shirt is nearly impossible!

6. And now my payment failure. I was also trying to buy a shirt. It was $25 on the tag. I forgot about sales tax. The totally was $27.18. Okay, easy enough, right? I look in my money stash. There are 3 one dollar bills, perfect! That gets me to $28, so I'll get back some change. Right? I handed this money to the same cashier and he tells me I still need to give him about 4 more dollars. What? But I gave him $28... or did I? Apparently there is no such thing as a $25 bill like I computed in my head. Yeah, I gave him $23 completely believing I handed him a 25 and 3 ones. Uh yeah...

7. Come hither.  Let's stay up at the expo for this one. The slow motion walk by... Our whole van was sitting at a table with beer and pizza. From behind comes this girl. She locked her gaze on our van pimp, TJ. Holy cow - she was working it, ok!?! The look in her eye, the boobs on display. She wouldn't take her eyes off him and kept her head facing his until she physically couldn't do it anymore without looking like an owl. If ever there was a come hither moment, this was it. I just sat watching it, with my jaw dropped and then had to make sure everybody else witnessed what just happened. All that work and did TJ even get up? Nah.

8. Tickle me, Elmo! We are gonna keep it going on the TJ train right now. You can see by this photo, this really needs no explanation. I mean this outfit says it all! Some girls were overheard asking each other if that guy was in a onesie. And then something along the lines of Elmo and what would happen if they tickled him. Oh how I wish they did, and oh how I wish he would have giggled!

9. Twins! Perhaps the overall funniest moment of them all, and of course it involves the van pimp once again. (Seriously, imaging being a guy and you come running in with 5 women cheering your name, eager to see you! He had it made!) It was TJ's final run. We were going to meet him half way with water and snacks. Along the drive everyone had their eyes open for his turquoise shirt. Ooh, is that him? With confidence it was declared "There he is!" and we prepared to cheer as we passed.... Only it wasn't him. No, his clone? A shorter, curvy black woman. She DID have on a turquoise tank top though. We all decided NOT to tell him about this... but once alcohol was involved, of course we spilled the beans. Best part is, I found a photo of them together at the nighttime hand of. Twins!

Twins - the similarity is uncanny...

10. The Views. This needs no words.

The land on the right is Canada, eh!

Okay, so yeah, to appreciate this you totally had to be there. Glad I was!