I Run Like a Girl.

And a fast one at that!

Last weekend me and 11 of my now nearest and dearest ran the So Cal Ragnar Relay. It soared past all my expectations. We had the time of our lives. It was an exhausting and extraordinary two days.

We had a few meetings in the months prior to the race to discuss logistics, ideas, training methods, rent a van vs. not rent a van (definitely rent a van), significant details such as our team name, color and outfits. We were undoubtedly successful in that regard, we looked phenomenal. Which was significant because that 3rd leg when we all wore our team gear, phenomenal isn't the word I would use to describe our state. Good, sure. Phenomenal, eh.

We drove up to Santa Barbara Thursday night to crash at Jenny's papa's for an early start in Ventura Friday morning. Diana was a great bed buddy, but I slept little if at all. I rarely sleep well the night before a race, but man, could have used it that night! We woke early to get checked in, through our safety briefing and Terri to the start line. Nerves seemed relatively low (Adrienne aside, although she was stretching and kicking...perhaps that was a calming mechanism). The horn went off at 8:00 AM and we were off!

The whole gang at the start line

Van 2

The next 30 hours were stacked with good, good stuff. Personal record after personal record. Bagel sandwiches. Bananas. Chocolate milk. Indigestion. Sweat. Shivering. Ipod playlists. Passing of the baton. Sleepless nights on the Santa Monica Pier. Baby wipe body cleansing. Wardrobe changes in the back seat. Diarrhea. A few red lights ran. About 387 u-turns. More close calls than we'll count. Surely over 75 pee stops. Outhouses. Too many outhouses. Text messages and phone calls to loved ones at home. Kerry and Jenny coffee breaks. Dark of night runs. Brilliant Brad on the bike keeping us all safe. Loopiness. Miles and miles of open road. Beautiful scenery. Downtown LA, less beautful scenery. One liners for the record books. Blitzing hills up and down. Peeing of pants. Told you we were fast. Lots of water. Garmin pace checks. Cell phone check-ins between vans. "You're killing it". "Go, go (insert name)". "Wahoo!!!!" Clapping. Horn honking. Diana nearly wore than horn out. Chit chat and mutual support with other teams. Chit chat and mutual support disguised as "picking up" on the "I Run Like a Girl Vans." Can you blame them? Orange flags. Celebrity gossip. School strike conversation. Meeting new buddies on each leg. A savior of sorts named Linda on my 3rd leg. Girls being girls, not moms, just girls. Encouragement. Support. Laughing. So, much, laughing.

Camarillo

1:30 AM run through Venice &

Marina Del Ray. Best exchange, right on the beach in the black of

night.

6 AM breakfast stop after zero sleep,

not for lack of trying!

Way funnier artwork than our van.

3rd leg hand off in Huntington Beach

Katelyn: Ok, leggies, you got this, 6.2 miles. Let's keep it around 8's.

Leggies: Zip it Katelyn. Can't you feel us? We're destroyed!!!

THE BEST OF THE BEST:

I just really need to breathe like the first few minutes of every run, I mean I just have to, I can't run without doing it. -Annalee

I like to kick, stretch, annnddd kick. I'm fifty! -Adrienne

Where's a map? I'm not going by the spirit! -Lori

I STILL have not gone number 2!! -Julie (said about 60 times)

I have anxiety. -Adrienne (said about 60 times)

I would rather have Annalee kick me in the face than go run right now. -Katelyn

It is so awesome how we all contributed something to the team. (Jenny) What did I contribute? (Liz) You contributed comic relief in the form of your hair (Jenny).

I hate ALL of you right now. I hate everyone right now. (Upon returning from the bathroom) I love all of you again, I feel much better. -Jenny

I didn't want to waste any energy trying to figure out how to get the song off repeat so I just turned it off. - Tarah
I hate gu. I'll just have a jolly rancher and that should be fine. And I'm not carrying any water with me either. -Annalee

I see it, my shoe! But wait, I can't get it! It's moving away from me!! (Julie) That's because my foot is in it! It's my shoe! (Annalee)

I have been reminded over and over in my life that we are often times capable of much more than we think we are. Spiritually, physically, emotionally and otherwise, sometimes we can get all those things to work in tandem and it is a beautiful, beautiful thing. The mind pushing the body to newfound limits, newfound speed, newfound distance, and the body responding, it is glorious. I am awestruck every time the body responds, and how often it responds. It is unbelievably empowering when it happens. The remarkable thing is, in those 30 hours, it happened again, and again and again, not only to myself, but to all other 11 women. We consistently ran faster, farther and better than many had allowed themselves to think was conceivable. It was electric. We came in nearly two hours before our estimated finish time and placed fourth among open women's teams. I walked away Saturday afternoon exhausted, totally wasted and simultaneously euphoric. My brim was spilling over with gratitude and untainted joy and my pocket? Full of memories to keep around for a long, long time.

Long live 119.

Leggies: Ah, we did it.

Katelyn: Yes, you did. You listened and obeyed. Thank you buddies. Let's go rest.

Leggies: Let's. You look great by the way, great outfit. All of you, great.

Katelyn: Thanks.