Relay Therapy Session

I'm still processing the latest turn of events. Ridiculously excited. Absolutely petrified. I'm going to kick ass, right?!?  What the heck am I talking about? I'm talking about none other than yours truly running Hood to Coast next month! THE ultimate runner fantasy race/relay and I am going to be participating!!

Why the crazy range of emotions and feeling confident and also worries of failure? Probably because of my last relay. Let's just back up though and work through this together. Therapy session time!

In 2011 I had the chance to fill in a spot on a Hood to Coast team. I had never done a relay and really wanted to give it a shot. Unfortunately work was awful. It was the most hostile work environment and I was in tears nearly every day when I had to return after lunch. The thought of even asking to have two days off to go run was just not even an option and I had to sadly decline. *I'd like to note that things have turned around thanks to staffing changes and I once again love my job and co-workers!*

I got a message from Carrie, an old grade school/high school friend, in 2013 that she was putting together a team and did I want to join. Um... let me pretend to think... YES!! I was able to recruit my husband to join (and we added a mini-vacay to Vegas on our way down to San Diego because we are awesome like that. Why wouldn't you hydrate for a 200 mile relay with non-stop rum??) Then I asked a couple (Garth and Elizabeth) I had seen running in our town and met once or twice, and they happily joined in. Finally we had one spot in our van left to fill and that went to Tara, who would be my partner in crime for the duration of the Ragnar SoCal relay in 2014. We had a blast!! My race distances got adjusted to add miles at the start, but that didn't even phase me and I kicked ass. Team name? Rum Runners.

I had no relays appear for the next few years, which is fine because I was busy at OHSU creating a little human and getting acquainted with being a mom.

Now let's get to 2017. It was a Saturday morning and I got a text message from a guy I met two times, and ended up piercing my nose with during an OSU football game nearly a decade ago. His Ragnar Northwest Passage team needed a runner ASAP. I jumped at the opportunity and only days later I was meeting my new team... team name? Rum Runners. It was meant to be! I warned them I was totally NOT in race shape at all. My time was always dedicated to my baby and running when I could get a chance. I ended up with some pretty difficult, scenic runs during that relay and did the best I could. Not my best, but the best I could with no training at all. And I met Tabitha, whom I had many parking lot hijinks with. LOVED this team so much. Seriously a great time and I am so happy I was able to fill in!

In May, Sara, from that first NWP Ragnar team, messaged me to see if I wanted to fill a spot in the Wild Rogue relay in Medford, Oregon in June. I was so disappointed that I couldn't pull it off... mom duties called... but I told her to keep me in mind for future relays! *Remember this.*

Earlier this year the friend from the first relay tagged me in a post of a group needing a runner to fill a team at that same Ragnar Northwest Passage relay this year. Well we all know I said yes, and brought along my husband to help fill the other vacant spot. If this was the only time you ever ran with me you would NOT want to do it again based on my running performance. In my 80+ races (90+ if you add in each relay leg as it's own thing!) my two absolute worst race runs of my life happened during this relay. I was physically and mentally prepared. I was ready for this. And multiple things all colliding and adding up and that damn sun... I just tanked. My night leg was awesome. That was me doing what I do. But the other two were just NOT me. They do not represent my running at all. Sorry, Indecisive Running Mofos!! I flat out sucked, and I was trying. Major run fail.

That race ended the evening of July 14. On July 20th I was messaged by Sara from the 2017 Ragnar team to see if I wanted to join them for Hood to Coast next month. I couldn't sit still. I jumped up in excited disbelief. Is this real?? And IT IS!!! Better yet, I get to be in the same van as Tabitha again! AND my husband is helping out as our official Van 1 driver. I'll be runner number 2. If you know my last name you know this is perfect! AND I will be going over 1700 feet downhill on my very first leg (see the chart below). It's funny because during the Ragnar a couple weeks ago, when talking about my uphill legs, I said if they were 5+ miles downhill I'd love it. Well, the joke is on me because that's exactly how I'm starting my first (hopefully not last) Hood to Coast!

I never even put my safety gear away or folded up the official packing table. So I guess it was meant to be. I can just start setting everything out again. And I will keep training and try to get my mojo back after my epic race fail at Ragnar. I CAN do it. I CAN! I WILL DO IT!! There is absolutely no reason for me to even worry. Well, I do feel the whole team is going to be made up of speedy runners and, I will be the runnerp that comes in much slower and has walk breaks. But I WILL do my very best. And I have to run without earbuds so that will be new. I'm so excited for everything! I get to see the start line up on Mount Hood. I get to finish on the beach in Seaside as part of the Lady Storm Squad. I get to meet new friends and reunite with old teammates. It WILL be epic! It is the mother of all relays, how can it not be? I feel so dang lucky!

And where will my relay future go from here? Captain of a Ragnar PNW team next year? Heck, I already have one full van put together without even trying! As a Captain I can promise FUN! I'm never going to be the fastest runner, but I will always be the positive team member encouraging everyone and documenting the adventure of it all. I will make everyone feel included and hopefully send everyone home wanting to come back the next year to do it again!

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!

Ragnar Northwest Passage. Leg 20. Watery Perfection.

Oh how much did I love this leg!! It was even better than I hoped!

I wanted to be runner 8 just so I could do this leg of the relay and run over water. Not just BY it, but OVER it! Looking back on my past Ragnar experiences I expected this was going to be in the middle of the night, completely dark, and cool, but maybe not as cool as I would hope. Happily I was wrong! In this case being a back of the pack team paid off!!

We were in a casino parking lot for the exchange. I barely stepped out of the van and I heard 510 being called out. I got to the hand-off just as Heather arrived, and I was excitedly on my way for what would be 5.5 beautiful miles!

Being in jeopardy of not even finishing this race on time was scary, but it allowed me to essentially do this entire leg by myself. That was cool, but also a little unnerving. If I made a wrong turn would I even know?? I did pass a guy, and a couple people passed me. But other than that I was alone with my music, some cows and some geese on holiday from Canada.

I started this race shortly before 4 o'clock Saturday morning, and it was already 64 degrees! My worry that this would be a pitch black run was put to rest quite quickly. I was decked out in my reflective vest, flashing red light and headlamp - as well as neon green knee socks and arm sleeves with my hot pink shirt. You weren't going to miss seeing me along the road! As bright as my headlamp was at home when packing, I watched it slowly start to lose its life while running. By the end I couldn't even see the light it was putting out, which was okay since I had the incredible pleasure of watching the sun rise!

I was running along the Fidalgo Bay Aquatic Reserve, filling the excitement building. I knew I was getting closer to that floating bridge and I couldn't wait. I wished some cows a good morning, and was soon turning left and starting the most epic of miles I've ever run!

As soon as I entered the walkway the wind kicked in. Like I said early, it was already warm, so the wind didn't make me cold at all. I felt perfect. Heck, I could have been freezing or melting and I wouldn't have know. I was in absolute Heaven. My music was on but I didn't even hear it. I was so focused on continuing to run strong, and watching the sunrise behind the mountains. I really can't over-state how beautiful it all was. At one point I looked ahead and behind me, absolutely no other people in my view at all. This was all MINE! How did I get so lucky??

Even after finishing my time OVER the water I still got to finish the rest of my run right BY the water! I kept looking for any otters or wildlife, but all I saw were the geese from Canada, which is still cool, but also an every day view for me. I absolutely loved this run. My legs were so happy to pull a Forrest Gump and just keep running. The only times I stopped running were for my photos. I figured this is a once in a lifetime experience and I was not going to miss out on making some memories. Who are we kidding, the Mofos weren't going to win Ragnar, so my few photos wouldn't hurt us.  As I approached the exchange I could see Jayme and Shawn waiting for me. Feeling on top of my game I did what I always train to do ... and I ended with a huge smile and strong finishing kick! LOVE LOVE LOVE!!

All the pain and agony of run 1 and run 3 was worth it for this.  I hope I always remember the pure joy I felt during this leg. It was one for the books!

Ragnar Northwest Passage. Leg 8. Hills. Hills. Hills. And some Sun.

If you go to the Ragnar website and view photos for the Northwest Passage, this is one of three that pops up. All 3 are at this beautiful location. Runners going over water? I never saw water last year on any of my legs, where is this water??

So when the opportunity to run Ragnar NWP again came about, and I wasn't assigned a leg, I was determined to find one that gave me some water! Yeah, I didn't really even look at elevation for anything. I saw the distances, knew I could do those with no problem, and chose to be runner 8. I would be the one running over that bridge right above the water!!

I would also be the one scaling the mountain of the elevation chart.

And that ridiculous mountain is how I began my Ragnar adventure!

I had my water, my music, my Garmin with a signal, sunblock all over me, a Summit print RunningSkirt to inspire my climb. I was ready. Right?!? No, really, I was. 6 miles for me on this first leg. I'm a long distance runner so that wouldn't be an issue. The really concern? The heat. And oh boy did the heat win this battle!!

Heather came flying in for our hand-off, and excitedly I set off down a neighborhood road, to my first short, yet steep incline. Got up that no problem. I actually ran for quite a while, but I swear every time the team van passed me during any of my runs I was walking. I swear I DO run!! The course turned a corner and signs started to seem a little confusing and placed in strange places that made me question what I was supposed to be doing. A runner had passed me near the next corner, which is when vans were also making a turn. Who turned and shouldn't have? That runner and myself. The vans on the road were blocking the poor sign placement telling runners to go straight, so that other girl and I were adding even more distance and incline to an already challenging run. Fortunately runners behind us and approaching vans saw our error and shouted to us to turn around. Thank you!!!

Getting back on the path brought a most welcome sight. A trail with shade! It smelled so good in there. The path was easy to run on, the sights were easy on the eyes. I was loving it!! I fully admit I stopped for a selfie. I was the happiest runner being out on another relay, running in nature, being all alone. I had to capture this moment!

It was as if I was seeing a mirage in a desert appearing before me. Was this what I thought it was? Yes! I was seeing water!! At the top of a slight incline Lake Samish was coming into view, and what a view that was! The temptation to go touch the water was strong. I'm shocked I didn't do it. Kids were playing in the water, women in bikinis were working on a tan, people were fishing, renting kayaks, getting their BBQ on... It was a Pacific Northwest paradise!

And it was hot.

Just after the 3 mile mark I met up with the Mofos to refresh my water bottle. I was soon to be on the long stretch where I wouldn't get any van support until basically the end of this leg. And the hardest part was yet to come! After some gels and the water refill I was back on my way out of the shade and back to the hills.  The rest of that run was just that ... blazing sun, no shade, hills. The photo to the left shows was the entire thing was like. A 2 lane highway and orange cones urging runners to stay inside of them out of the roadway. I'm not gonna lie. It got HARD! I would try running and then feel like I was going to collapse. My heart was doing some crazy hard beating thing that I had experienced a couple of months ago on a training run where I was sure I was having a heart attack. I had to force myself to stop and relax for fear that I would be the person that would need medical attention. Like Heather said later, it is faster to slow down and walk than to have to get First Aid. To top it off, I was having a mile Meniere's attack. Any form of attack in this situation is just plain scary. To keep with tradition, I called my mom while walking up part of this hill and chatted with her to help the distance pass and help my heart rate get back to something that felt safe. Other runners were great with their support. We were all miserable out there, so even though I was sucking hard core, hearing positive words was great.

I was so excited to see the One Mile to go sign and send the text to the team that I was on my way. I had to warn them that I wasn't feeling well, so sadly I wasn't going to be hauling ass down the slight hill like I had planned. I did the best that I could. Again, I just had to set my ego aside and take care of myself. The end brought me the biggest challenge. I could see the exchange. On any other day I'd have been flying down and passing off that bracelet feeling on top of the world. But instead I had to walk for a while. Why? Look at that photo to the right. That is I-5. I had a narrow sidewalk to try to run on. Well, running on that means running with this right below me as I was dealing with vertigo. To top it off, bridges make my vertigo worse. Did I want to balance on that little sidewalk, feel dizzy and topple over to my death by those vehicles below? Um, NO!

Once across the bridge I happily ran to Jayme who was waiting for me in the finisher chute. Seeing her pink top was something I had been fantasizing about for quite a while!!

As soon as I was cleared of the running area Shawn was at my side to hold me up since I almost went down. After sipping on some cool water, shedding a shirt and compression socks and sitting down I was feeling so much better.

Could I have run this leg better? Sure. Not this day. I did the absolute best I could. I ran a lot of it. But I had to be smart and walk a lot too. More than I would have liked. Not every run will be a winner, but Ragnar isn't just about individual legs anyway. It is the whole thing. Van life, new friendships, sight seeing, no sleep, cheering for strangers, freezing, sweating. So I'm happy with what I did. I saw water, I pushed myself up hills. I battled Meniere's Disease... again. AND.... this is the run that resulted in my new Runlebrity status!

Ragnar Relay shared a few photos from this weekend, and whose picture was used as the headline photo?? That would be mine!! I took this photo of our sweaty band while I was walking up that hill... and now my hand is famous! Winning!

Do This. Don't Do That. Some Ragnar Tips!

After running 3 Ragnar Relays and having 3 very different experiences with each, I'm making a list of what to do and not to do. It is based on observations and experiences that I create this list. I saw one thing that was so simple and cool that it should pretty much be a Must Do for any team living in a vehicle for days on end! So let's get to business....

• DO. Be nice to volunteers. They are old. They are kids. They are members of the community. Just be nice. And say thank you. They are working their asses off at all hours of the day, just like you.
  
  
• DO. Have organized vans. Keep them tidy inside and life will be simpler when you start getting deep into this race.
  
  
• DO. Get a 15 passenger van. That extra space will be so appreciated and make for happy runners!
  
  
• DON'T get a mini van. Seriously. Just don't do it.
  
  
• DO Put your dirty clothes away once you take them off. It takes no time to do it and nobody wants to see, touch, or smell your nasty clothes. We are ALL nasty. Keep it sealed away!
  
  
• DO change your clothes after each run. Again, we are ALL nasty. Be courtesy to your van-mates. Plus you'll feel better in dry clothes. Adding a fabric softener to your zip-lock bags of clothes isn't a bad idea either.
  
  
• DO remember zip-lock bags are key! Pack each outfit in one bag, then when it is time to change you can just grab and go. Put your dirty ones back in when you're done and seal that bad boy up!
  
  
• DON'T use phones while driving. It's against the law. It's dangerous. It's just not cool. A few of you have done it. Stop.
  
  
• DO Exchange contact info for both teams. You have to be able to stay in contact with more than one person. You never know what may happen.
  
  
• DO Meet your other van before the race. It helps at major exchanges to know who to look for and it builds camaraderie anyway!
  
  
• DO Have fun and DECORATE!
  
  
• DO Take tons of fun photos. Photos of everyone on the team!! You'll hardly even know I ran this recent Ragnar, aside from my few mid-run selfies.
  
  
• DO Enjoy your views because they could be one in a lifetime moments.
  
  
• DON'T eat crunchy food loudly when everyone in the van is trying to sleep.
  
  
• DO eat with your mouth closed. At all hours. You should just practice this in life in general. Seriously.
  
  
• DO Talk with other teams. We are all in this thing together and you never know who you might meet!
  
  
• DO Check out van art. It's so fun!
  
  
• DO get a hotel room near your start area. Starting off with a good night sleep in a bed and a shower really helps set the tone!
  
  
• DO the safety briefing and souvenir shopping the day before the race, if possible. You get access to all the merch early and come race day you can just show up and run!
  
  
• DO Put your current runner as your number one priority.
  
  
• DON'T just follow your GPS. Use the official Ragnar maps. You'll make fewer wrong turns and your runner will appreciate seeing you along the course.
  
  
• DO Give runner aid every time you can. Even if they decline at the time, at least pause to check in with them to make sure they are okay. You might head out feeling great and then get hurt unexpectedly, or need water, and if your team doesn't check you're out there suffering on your own.
  
  
• DO Start preparing for your run a couple runners before your leg.
  
  
• DO After a hand off let the finished runner calm down a bit, then immediately head out to support the current runner.
  
  
• DON'T accidentally turn into a military zone unless you are lucky enough to have someone in your van with military ID!
  
  
• DO cheer on ALL runners, not just your team. Every little thing you can do will be appreciated, even if it is just a cowbell, a high-5, a wave. Anything helps!
  
  
• DO support other runners while you are running. Again, this is a group effort. Even a pity "Good job!" from another runner makes me feel happy on the inside. Heck, I even had a fake old man boyfriend for a while during this one just because we needed to get through the misery of scorching sun and hills and any humor I could create was helping!
  
  
• DON'T turn down a chance to get sprayed with water during your run. It gets hot out there!
  
  
• DON'T push so hard you end up in the ambulance.
  
  
• DO set your ego aside and run smart. As one team member said, you'll finish faster by slowing down or walking than if you have to have medical aid come to you.
  
  
• DON'T get drunk before the race. Save it for the finish line after party.
  
  
• DO have designated drivers after the finish line party.
  
  
• DO your best. You don't have to "race" or set a PR. But just try to do the best you can that day and have a positive attitude. You are part of a team. Remember that!
  
  
• DO have a fun flag or something team related on a big pole you can wave at exchanges. It helps your runner know their team is there and gives them something to aim for. Plus it is just fun and cute!
  
  
• DON'T buy so much food. Every Ragnar I have done has had way too much food leftover. You're not going to eat it, so don't kid yourself into buying you "fuel". Get candy, cookies and chips. It's what you know you want!
  
  
• DON'T be judgmental of abilities and paces. These are hard and judgment only adds pressure and makes it harder. And this is no ordinary race. I'm a strong runner and I can run a long time. You would never know that based on my performance in this last race. Running is only a small fraction of a Ragnar anyway, so just be understanding and supportive.
  
  
• DON'T be selfish. This is a team event. We are all running. We are all in the same situation. Put the current runner's needs ahead of your own. We are all equals here.
  
  
• DO have water ready for the runners as they come in for a hand off. And have someone close by just in case they need help. You just never know!
  
  
• DO get those plastic Rubbermaid drawers and label one for each runner. Think of how easy it is to toss in your Garmin, hat, sunglasses, gels, whatever and know it is going to be in your own drawer easy to grab when you need it. It could save so much time versus digging in your bag or having it end up who knows where in your van.
  
  
• DO have one of those cool collapsible organizer things (I always see them at Costco) to put your food in. It seems like having all of this in the back easy to access and not have food rolling all around would be awesome! Plus everything won't fall out when you open the trunk door.
  
  
• DO take advantage of the room a large van would grant you, and just let everyone keep their bags by them or under their seat. Want to change clothes while traveling? Boom, there they are right next to you. Need your blanket that you put away? It's there, too. No more digging around in a full trunk area just to find your muscle rub. It is right under your seat in your bag. Trust me, this is a must do!! My second Ragnar gave me the luxury of my own 'apartment' area where I had my space tidy and organized and was available to welcome guests to come back and nap with me when needed.
  
  
• DO remember this may be your first, only, and/or last impression on people. Be cool.
  
  
• DO Be like Garth! Best van mate ever. We should all be like Garth! Heck, I even try to run like Garth! Check 2014 Ragnar posts for more on him.
  
  
• DO exchange numbers, Instagrams, Facebook profiles, whatever.... make friends! You just might want to hang out again or recruit them for your team next year!
  
  
• DO Slow down, you move too fast. You got to make the morning last .... slow down! Slow down your driving, we are all going to the same places together. Let's help each other out. Get some good driving karma going. And in general, just slow down and enjoy it all! Share stories. Make new memories. Take silly photos together. Watch the sunrise. Look at the wild animals in the early morning as they, too, are waking up. Notice mist over the water. Look at the starts and the moon while you lay in the grass. Smell nature when you're out there running in a quiet area. Beauty is everywhere. Just put down your phone and take it all in.

2018 Ragnar NWP 101

Class, please be seated and pay attention.

Today is your introduction to a Ragnar Relay, specifically the 2018 Northwest Passage. You'll be seeing a few posts about this topic coming up, so we are going to cover the simple basics of what it is, how it is supposed to go, and how it really went. And I'll have maps and photos to spice it up and help you follow along since this could very well be new territory for you!

The overall course map. 200ish miles. 12 runners each running 3 times. Non stop Friday through Saturday.

The whole thing began months ago with the formation of a team. Up until very recently we had a full 12 person team. Damn you, Marco. Whoever the F Marco is, he bailed and left his happy ass in Las Vegas, leaving Van 1 down a runner.  Fortunately Van 2 stayed full with all 6 people. Having been in both vans for this relay, I can tell you van 2 is a lot harder ... and making up an entire missing runner would have been brutal!

NACHOS!!

Fast-forward now to last week. Time to pack! I'm not one to toot my own horn, but I'm pretty awesome and packing for a Ragnar relay. They key is to minimize and organize. I got out a tall table, my organized excel list, a Sharpie and zip lock bags and went to town getting Shawn and I ready to go. We all run 3 times. So that means 3 outfits. I pack each outfit in its own labeled zip-lock bag. The label helps because in a hurry you want to just be able to look down and see that "Oh, this is my night leg, I had special clothes for the different temps and this says run 2. This is the one I need!" And after you finish running you can put your dirty clothes back in that bag. If it wasn't labeled do you really want to risk reopening that and smelling that smell? Or worse, being in a tired daze and putting on those sweaty used underwear again?? By the time my packing is done our clothes are set in order of usage, safety gear has it's small bag and toiletries in their own. And all of this fits into one duffel bag. I wear flip-flops and bring two sets of running shoes. Those go in their own draw string backpack which hardly takes any room. Remember, we have 6 people living in one vehicle ... minimize and organize!! *By the time we completed our relay and returned home our bags were still as organized when we left!* This concludes my horn tooting.

The rest of our team flew into Washington from Las Vegas and San Diego, but being one state south we just drove up. Our car was parked by the Seattle airport where we met up with the mini-van and continued north to Bellingham, picking up our 6th van member on the way. In Snohomish we had lunch at Sound To Summit Brewing, and it was pretty tasty. I mean I only had nachos, but they were good, can't complain! From there it was straight on to Bellingham where we would stay for the  night and begin the race.

After checking into our hotel we made a Target run for way too much food. This isn't particular to this relay. Every single one I have done has had way too much food that doesn't get eaten. Finally we were on our way to the Bellingham High School to check in and do our safety briefing, sparing us from doing it on race day when everything is crazy. Mostly I just wanted to do my Ragnar souvenir shopping. I bought so much I got a free tote! Then dinner for both vans at Boston's. So dang good!! I'd recommend it if you are in the area!

Upon returning to our hotel everyone went to rest up for the race while Shawn and I got artsy and craftsy and did some mild van decorating. We never did get it what I would call decorated, but we tried. Around 11:30pm I was finally in bed, waking up on my own at 5:45am. Seriously? I got to sleep in but no, I woke up. I heard people talking outside and saw our Van 1 runners still at the hotel. So much for trying for an earlier start time. Oh well. Our van went to breakfast at Home Skillet, and if I didn't have pre-race nerves it would have been totally awesome! If you are scared of clowns... maybe stay away. Or don't go to the bathroom. You've been warned.

Finally we were back at the high school, ready to get started! Here is our officially Van 2 photo all fresh and clean before the sweat fest began.

Don't worry, I'm gonna make it quicker now that the race has started! 

It felt like we were behind schedule before we even started... and that proved to be correct the longer we were running. Fortunately, however, we had Heather to get us started. I saw a Lion King van in the parking lot which was what prompted me to start calling her our team gazelle. Look at her go!

Heather always started us off and would hand off to me. I'm glad she is fast, to help make up for my ass that seemed to be as slow as possible. Those get their own posts later!

So we finished our first round of running and went to get some dinner at the La Conner Brewery. Shawn and Jayme went on their second date of the day there. This time I was able to monitor and minimize the hanky panky!

This is where it gets real. That easy running, dining, hanging out stuff was done and it was time to "sleep". From 11pm to 2:30am I was outside La Conner High School listening to runners coming in for the major exchange, numbers being called out as runners approached, teammates cheering, van doors opening and closing, an old man passing gas... and watching a kitten approach my face... all while trying to stay warm and snuggle with Shawn to share body heat. I never slept. And part of the reason is our other team never came and never came and I was to anxious and cold to sleep. They were at least an hour behind an already very late expected arrival time. Dammit.

It was a relief when van 1 arrived and we could send Heather on her way. Being a gazelle, we didn't have to wait long until I was running again. And my night run, instead of being in the dead of pitch black night, actually allowed me to have a sunrise. You'll read that later! I can say that I was completely alone. We were so far behind and in danger of not completing the race that I had no runners around me except for a couple of times. This was not good.

I can't even explain wtf happened or why. I can tell you that every person is supposed to run 3 times all in the same order, one runner at a time. I can tell you that this did not happen. I can tell you if it did happen we wouldn't have finished the race before the cut off. Things got all screwy and basically by the time our van finished running our second legs we had time to hit Starbucks, accidentally enter a military zone and then get to our next major exchange before we were running again.

When Heather handed off to me I would be going out with no sleep and no food in me. Running on fumes is all I was doing, and it was ridiculously hot on top of it. Days later, I am finally starting to feel like my body is slowly getting back to happy after all of this. My Garmin had me in at 19.53 miles. I did that with NO sleep since Friday at 5:45am, and with very minimal food consumption - not for lack of trying to eat. I don't know how I pulled it off!

Our van managed to get it all done and greet Rachael at the finish line in Langley where we all got to cross through the big Ragnar arch together. That felt pretty awesome! One runner in Van 1 was injured, 1 never showed up for the race. One runner in Van 2 tweaked a knee in the final leg. One runner in Van 2 (betcha can't guess who) dealt with a Meniere's attack during her first run. But dang it, the hot mess of a team that we were, we finished that bad boy! Good job, Indecisive Running Mofos!

We had some free post-race Papa John's pizza that wasn't even good, but at the time it was delicious. And then it was time for that long ass wait to get on the ferry back to the mainland. The time actually went by pretty fast I thought. In Seattle, after a fast drive, I was so happy to wash my hair two times and shave my legs. We were up pretty early in the morning, eagerly back on the road for a 6 hour drive to get home and pass out! 

Ah man, I LOVE IT!!!

Now that you've gotten the overall idea of this thing... are you in for next year??

Butte to Butte 5K... with an Epic Finish!

I can really tell you that without looking it up, I've lost track of how many times I've done the Butte to Butte race on the Fourth of July in Eugene. Prior to having a baby I would do the 10K and tackle that massive uphill and downhill. But now that I have the cutest girl in the world, I choose to do the flat 5K and push her stroller. And this year was the best so far!

This race is really fun. It isn't about the racing. It's people of all ages, sizes and abilities coming together on a holiday wearing our red, white and blue and just enjoying each other. I always end up actually talking to other runners before and during the race! Another thing that I really like about Butte to Butte is the fact that Katura can get her own race bib for free as long as I pay for my own bib! That's pretty awesome. In 2016 we got to hear our little 6 month old baby's name called over the speakers when her stroller crossed the finish line! And so for the 3rd year in a row our little family was heading to the 5th Street Market for yet another wonderful race!

It was quite an early morning. I was up at 4:30am to get myself showered and ready, knowing I had to get everything together for a toddler as well. Plus we wanted to make sure air was added to the stroller tires. Man, my latest runs were getting tough with the air getting lower! Shockingly Katura woke up on her own around 5am and went out to cuddle in her blanket and watch cartoons. By 

5:30ish we were in the car heading north!

As per usual we parked in the Hult Center parking structure, then made our way to the start area. Being an older girl now, Katura was wide awake and paying attention to every single thing this year. We didn't miss a single dog in the race area. She found all of them! The start time was getting near, so I was doing all of my final checks of our group to make sure we were all situated, and I heard a man's voice behind me asking if I was Ronda. Huh?? I turned around and had absolutely no clue who this was. Turns out he works with my dad (who incidentally doesn't even live in Oregon!) and showed me a photo on his phone my dad had sent so that he could know who to look for in the crowd. Small world! So we took a selfie together and sent it back to Ohio for my dad to see!

Start Line  ---- Finish Line

And finally it was time to start! Okay, we totally planned ahead. I knew if we stayed to the far left we would be able to be spotting in start line photos. Clearly I was right, as you are seeing a couple of those photos in this post! After the start and passing the photographers, however, then it was all about trying to find a path for the stroller. This is quite a congested race due to its popularity, and it is pretty hard to not find yourself occasionally stuck behind a walking family. No big deal. That doesn't even bother me during this race.

We had absolutely NO goal for this race at all. We weren't aiming for a PR, we weren't trying to beat any prior finish time we have on this course. It was simply about running together, people watching, and using it as an easy training run before our upcoming Ragnar Relay! For a while we were hanging out near a dad pushing a stroller. I believe he even joked about drafting off of me. Eh, why not?!? If I can make a path and help another stroller runner out, then so be it!

Not 1, but TWO sparkle skirts!

I'm shocked at how well we ran. I mean it was insane how quickly that first mile went by. I spent that whole mile just starting at the two flags being carried by military guys. That one in the short shorts was impossible to keep up with ... but I was able to keep up with the old retired veteran!

Katura was wide awake during the entire thing. Along a row of plants I saw her little fingers sticking out trying to touch them as we ran by. Ahh, those fingers are so cute! When it opened up to a wider road again she was so busy talking to us and pointing out all of the other kids and animals. That really made the time go by... although let's be honest... this is only 3.1 miles. It isn't like it took that much time. I mean it took us longer to get there than it did to race. 

And then came the end. This is what I was looking forward to the most. Katura LOVES to run. "On your mark, get set, Go!" is one of her favorite phrases right now. Our finish line was going to be an exciting one! 

Just before the final turn near the finish I was able to push the stroller out of the way. We got Katura out of her seat and Shawn took off ahead of us with an empty stroller. Katura has done many races at this point, but this finish was about to be a first!



They did say her name again, and then had some confusion on their faces when they realized she wasn't there .... her bib was pinned onto the stroller. I mean do you really want to try to put four safety pins on the shirt of a two year old? Didn't think so.

Katura tightly grabbed onto my finger and led the way. She was so serious about it, but I could tell she was also loving it. Both sides of the road were lined with people cheering, and those cheers were extra loud when they saw this tiny little girl coming down the road. She stared straight ahead and never stopped moving. After the finish line she was all smiles and feeling pretty darn proud of herself, as she should!

This finish area always has yummy snacks... cookies, grilled cheese sandwiches, chocolate milk, bagels, bread, more cookies, fruit drinks, water ... I always enjoy crossing that finish line. Those Franz cookies are delicious!

But we didn't stop there! We saw the infamous pink Voodoo Donut box being carried around by people, so on the way to our car we had to make a detour. I highly recommend the special donut they made just for 4th of July... an apple die filled donut. Oh my gosh, so so so dang yummy! Shawn found a photo of my idol, Steve Prefontaine, on the wall, which made this an all around great race day!


And then he left my wallet on the counter.

I retrieved it the following day. Thank goodness.