RagNar RElaY'S WaSaTch BAck!!

Trudy, Jeff, Tawna, Cori

Friday morning, Pete and I prepared for a weekend of hard fun. We signed up to run in the Ragnar Relay series and run the Wasatch Back. We really didn't know what we were getting ourselves into. We knew each team had 12 runners, (unless you were insane and did the ultra team and had only 6), each runner had to run 3 legs of the race, the race was from Logan, UT to Park City, UT (188 mile total) and it was all accomplished over 2 days.

Well, Friday, June 19 at 11:45 am, we were picked up by our team and traveled to our first destination. I was the first runner from our car (each team had two cars, each holding 6 runners) to run. I started in Liberty, UT. I ran 4 miles and the elevation was fairly level, a little bit of down hill, but no uphills.

Pete and me waiting for me to start my second leg.

The second leg I ran was 3.8 miles through East canyon (Hodgeback Summit) and there were

Me running up one of the hills

some pretty gnarly hills (nothing like what Pete or Daddy Jeff had to run). Oh and I had to do the second leg in the dark, I started at approximately 12 midnight. The night run really made me dizzy. When I got to the chute to pass off to the next runner, I couldn't see - everything was spinning, and as I slapped the wrist bracelet onto Tawna, I went down and in the process I twisted my ankle.

I'm the blurr.

I was really worried that I might not be able to run my last leg, or at least run it pain-free.But when the time came, I was able to do it just fine.

My last run

The last leg I was required to run was 4.6 miles fairly easy through Heber Valley. We ended up not making it to the chute in time and had to catch the runner about 1 mile into my run. By that time the weather had turned crappy and I had to run in the rain. It was kind of fun though, especially after my arms became numb to the cold and rain.

Tawna, she was the runner after me, had injured her knee about a month ago and it was giving her a bit of pain on her last leg. She was unable to run the entire 6.1 miles and was only able to run about 1 mile. Since I was already warmed up and still felt o.k. I agreed to run as much as I could. That ended up being only 2 miles, and then little Jeff (that's what we called him because we had two Jeff''s on the team) and Trudy completed the rest of the 6.1 miles.

By then my ankle was swollen and in a bit of pain. But other than that, I was feeling great. The whole experience went by really fast and at times I wish it would have taken a bit longer. But we were certainly glad to have it over with. At the end of the run, the last runner ran to Park City Rec and as a team we all ran together over the finish line. Afterwards we each got a cool medal to display proudly.Twist of Fate Team (minus Tawna)

SomE OtHer HigHlighTs Of thE EvEnt!

When I went to do my first leg, the first half of our team hadn't made it to the chute where we were. They had all our bibs and our participant shirts. I was freaking out, Trudy was freaking out, and we 'lost' Pete and Daddy Jeff (they went to the Honey Buckets - aka port-a-potties and didn't tell anyone). So when Heidi came thru the chute, I ran up to her and yelled "I need your number!" She had no idea who I was and it finally registered hat I was on her team and needed her number. So Tawna and I frantically unpinned the number from her and pinned the number to me. Then off I went. All I can say is HySteRia!!

Tawna and me trying to unpin/pin the bib on

Me finally getting comfortable on my first leg.

While Pete was running his second leg in the dark, Trudy was driving. We just passed Pete and were driving ahead to wait for him to catch up again and Trudy decided at the last second, wait- millisecond, that she wanted to pull over to an area that was dangerously close to a cliff and a guard rail and had a bunch of pebbles on the ground. So needless to say, we were all pretty much freaked out when we started to skid and came pretty close to having the guard rail become a hood ornament. Little Jeff was asleep in the back seat, and was jolted awake by Trudy's awesome driving - he called it Demolition Derby!

Trudy at the wheel can be dangerous!

After we all finished our second leg, we went to a friends cabin in Oakley and got cleaned up and took a much needed nap. We woke up with about 1 1/2 hours to get to the chute in Heber (which we were about 1/2 hour away). Well, we left the cabin late, and took a couple of wrong turns and that is how we were late for my last leg. You should have seen Trudy. She was a mess. She was totally stressing out. Luckily we had Tawna and Trudy's husband (Daddy) Jeff to keep us and eventually her all calm. As you read previously, we eventually made it and finished the race!

Pete's last leg of the race was the mountain that Ragnar has dubbed "You've got to be kidding me!" hill. And Daddy Jeff had to run the "Ragnar Hill" - more appropriately "Ragnar MOUNTAIN!" Pete's was the first half of the mountain ALL uphill! The average gradient was 7.6%. Unreal! Jeff's average gradient was 7.9%. They were amazing and both had a smile on their faces at the end. Everyone give a BIG WhooHooo!! to Pete and Jeff!

Pete running up "the" hill!

Pete's second leg was in the early hours of 2 am and he had to run a total of 9.6 miles. Running from Henefer to Coalville, past Echo Reservoir. We met Pete at mile one and he said to meet him at mile 3 for more water. I thought he said to go another 3 miles and then give him some water. Well after he ran what he thought was 2 miles, we gave him water and I told him he was doing good and he was already at just past 4 miles. Boy was he surprised. He actually ran 3 miles thinking it was only 2. He was running at a good pace - which made him happy! He finished the entire leg in 1 hr and 32 min. (That's a 9 1/2 min mile!)

Keep on running!!