Friday, July 20, 2018

Ragnar Northwest Passage. Leg 32. Eye Candy.

Early on before I died.
If you are my Facebook friend, and if you're reading this you most likely are, you saw that photo. Which photo? THAT photo. The scenic photo. This is this run where that happened!

Normally by the time you do your last leg of running in a relay you have had around 6 hours to eat, freshen up and attempt to sleep. We didn't get that luxury. So this final run, which came in at 7.87 miles on my Garmin, came early. I hadn't slept since 5:45 Friday morning. It was now late Saturday morning. I had tried to eat something but there just wasn't enough time for my body to calm down from the prior run and then eat before my pre-run nerves kicked in for this last leg. Never one to back down from a running challenge, however, I was pumped and ready. I paced around stretching my legs waiting to see our speed demon come flying around the corner. Already sweating without stepping foot on the course, I was getting the slap bracelet and beginning leg 3.

I can describe this entire run simply.... Hills. Heat.

No shade. Just hot hills.

This is what I sent my mom. Sums it all up.
I did have maybe two-tenths of a mile in the shade, which also happened to be the downhill section. So that was a win. I flew down that sucker. My legs never enjoyed a 9 minute mile pace so much. That probably sounds slow to you, but with no sleep or food in me, I was pretty darn happy to see that on my Garmin!

My boyfriend?
Our van was great and stopped for me very often. I couldn't get hydrated enough. As soon as I drank my water it was just oozing out of me. I had to ration my water to pour it over my body to cool off. Some teams were equipped on the shoulder with water guns, spray bottles, full jugs of water .... to dump on us runners. It was exactly what we all needed. So many of us would comment on the heat when passing each other. Even those awesome runners were dying. The hill (I say HILL because it just never stopped to flatten out) was bad, but it was second to that sun. The shade was on the other side of the road. So were are trying to trudge up this incline in the blazing heat while seeing our support vans over there in the shade on the other side of the highway. It was brutal. We ALL used that word during the race and on social media after. BRUTAL.

I did get a boyfriend on this course, but we broke up when he left me behind. Not the eye candy guy, but an old man. I passed him. He passed me. I passed. He passed. At one point I told him we must stop meeting like this or people will start to talk. Seriously, any way to have humor while dying is welcome!

I texted my mom for some emotional support while walking up the hill. I was starting to put my phone away and then it happened. I could feel a runner coming up by me. I stepped off to the side to get out of his way. Then I saw this vision passing me and I did NOT put my phone away. Oh no. I started running up that damn hill, clicking photos! Text messages open. One photo sent. "Hey Ladies, this is coming your way!" was my message. Heather was a team player and got video as he went by our van. Aww, see? There are great views here in the Pacific Northwest! You just have to keep your eyes open to not miss them!


That's all I can say. I died on this run. I tried so hard. The heat was just too intense. I'd try to run and then want to die. At one point I saw a line of shade from a power pole. I totally ran down that driveway entrance just to stand in a little sliver of shade and take a sip of my warm water. Brutal.



And of course what did I get near the finish line? We had flattened out a bit, and then a sight incline to the exchange. In a car it wouldn't be noticeable. After going 7.7 miles it felt enormous. I did finish with a run though, so go me!


All in all I loved it. Ragnar is so much fun! I could just do relays for races and I would be happy. I love meeting new friends and all of the silly things that happen in and out of the van. Highs. Lows. It is all such an experience! If you ever get the opportunity, don't turn it down. You won't regret it!


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