Here’s what I love about the Ragnar. You go into the race thinking you’re embarking on a fun adventure with a few friends, you’ll run the best you can, try and catch some z’s, cheer each other on along the way, finish and chalk it up to a fun little weekend. But what really happens is you get into a van, fight a war for a solid 30 hours on no sleep (unless you're Laura), cheer and rescue and provide living saving support for your fellow soldiers, run your can off, reach a stable state of delirium, go through hell and come out the other side bonded for life with those that went in with you. It sounds dramatic I know, it’s not. That is honestly what happens.
Before it all began…
Team I Run Like a Girl went for round two in April, running over 200 miles from Huntington Beach to Coronado Island. And while I make it sound like it was mostly hard, it was really mostly fun. I’ll do again of course, even though at mile 6 of 9 in 100 degrees, (right about where I got attacked by a mtn lion, or might as well have) I swore on my own grave I would not, I will. I definitely will, so long as I can do it with those I just described as being bonded to for life. I’d even consider coming back from the Arabian Desert to do it. I might even run a leg in my burqa, for laughs sake. Here are my highlights:
-water after my first leg
-Jessica half dead on the grass after her first leg
-“You guys! We have to support each other out there, it’s rough! it’s so rough!”
-Every team member killing it up the hills.
-“Where the hell were you guys??!!”
-“What is that smell?” “Oh, it’s my honeysuckle spray, do you want some?”
-Text from J Bourne on another team with the same leg as I. “Oh, you don’t want to know what I looked like at the end of that, I was foaming at the mouth.”
-Finishing our first legs. We’d survived.
-The night. We rocked the night. Our confidence was back! We were back!
My night leg…I said there were hills!
-Running with Tarah and Lori during what Lori might later describe as her darkest hour. She was an inspiration and remains so to this day.
-Jenny’s impression of Lori post warrior run. I could watch that once a day for the rest of my life and it would always be funny.
-“What happened to you out there?! Did you get attacked by a mtn lion?”
-“Oh boy, she went out with braids and now it’s in a pony, this can’t be good.”
-“Just put your head down and go. Put it down, just put it down and go.”
Strategizing…
-“We should say a prayer that everyone makes it through the night.”
-The mist greeting us in La Jolla
I was actually cold. 15 hours earlier I didn’t think that would ever be possible again.
-The scenery on my third leg, I turned a corner and it literally stopped me in my tracks.
-“It was a shark this time.”
-“I think I’m a runner now!”
-Hair,oh the hair.
-“I have little hairs.”
-Jen being a model
-“Where is Laura? She’s not asleep again is she?!”
-“Why isn’t Brett answering his phone? I practically died out here and he’s not even answering the phone!”
-Tarah driving that van like she was in freaking NASCAR.
24 miles and done.
This was far and away the hardest Ragnar and among the hardest races I have ever participated in. The heat the first day was near demoralizing. We had trained hard, up hills and down, put in our time and miles, and yet nothing could have prepared us for that heat. The course had it’s own level of punishment as well, loads of hills and long legs. I was proud of myself and so proud to be a part of this team. Watching my team mates push through that heat and push up those hills renewed my confidence and lit a fire underneath me that I too could do this, I could push too. I was once again reminded that our minds are much stronger than our legs, our will more powerful than the heat, our capability beyond that which we think. I came home and told Wade that the past two days just made going to Saudi Arabia a whole new level of difficult. Good friends don’t come easy, friends that laugh easy with you, have your back, love your kids, get you.
I’d go back into the war zone any day of the week with this group.
4 comments:
Our family has talked abut doing one of these but NOT in that kind of heat! Way to go Katelyn! It sounds like getting a great group of friends makes it so much better.
I want to cry. This is the weekend that keeps giving. Because I still laugh at least once a day over something from that race. I really wish you would turn into some boring, miserable person. Because then I wouldn't be so sad you are leaving. But I'm holding you to your word. You are coming back for another one. It's on your blog so you have to.
Im-press-ive!! Glad you had the experience!
why must one almost die to have a great race these days?! remember bar harbor? that nice little place that is cool and doesn't kill people? perhaps there should be more of that. but no, go ahead and die in the heat!
Post a Comment