THE RAGNAR RELAY 2011

Blogging was once fun for me... however, this summer I just think it's a pain to do. I always feel like there is a lot to write about but I don't want to take the time to do it. Not like anyone reads this silly thing anyway:) Oh well. I was a little worried about taking the summer off, and not having a full time job and not taking an online class like I had planned because when i'm not busy, I get restless and anxious- but it seems things have worked out. The professor I had been a T.A. for asked me to continue being her T.A. all summer for the online class, so I'm still doing that. I had a nice vacation to Hawaii in May with my mom, and then my brother and his family met up with us. It was a blast. I loved the beach, ocean and hot weather. I also was training a LOT for the Ragnar Relay in June. Good thing I LOVE to run:) It's the best stress reliever and it always makes me feel happy even when the rest of life seems blahhh. I was going to just update about my whole summer, but I think i'll just do it in pieces. Ragnar began for my team at 6:15 am on the friday and my legs went as such:

GETTING READY TO START OUR FIRST LEG'S

1st leg - 4.9 miles, very hard... straight up hill... the entire time. There were moments where I thought I HATE RUNNING. WHY DID I SIGN UP FOR THIS. It was in the middle of the day and hot hot hot outside. However, as a result of the previous description I pushed myself up that hill and finished the leg in just over 50 minutes. I was quite pleased. I felt guilty when I walked a bit, but it had to be done.

...Then I had to wait for 11 runners to go before I did and waiting for the second leg seemed to take FOREVER, even though we were on time with our runners. I wish we would have been able to see everyone in Van 1 more, but it was good we could keep in touch via text. Van 2 was awesome and all the ladies in my van were fun. Brittany was in van 1 and updated me regularly about the progress of their runners.

TRYING TO SLEEP WHILE WE WAIT FOR VAN 1 TO FINISH

2nd leg - 6.9 miles, hard. I ran this leg much later then I had estimated and ended up running it around 4 in the morning on saturday I think? Anyway, it was pitch black when I started so I had to use my reflector vest and head lamp. That was kind of fun, but it was weird to run so early in the morning in pitch black. It was also on this leg that my stomach decided it HATED me. I had already started feeling sick before I started my second run, but it just got worse. I had a feeling there would be moments on this journey that I would pray... and boy was this ever the time. My stomach was so sick. Needless to say, I switched off running and walking quite regularly. The running was just so I could get it over with. Longest 6.9 miles of my life probably. Or so it seemed. I even text Jen, Syd, and Brittany to tell the drivers to be prepared to pick me up because I didn't think there was anyway I could complete the run. But I did.

JEN JUST BEFORE HER LAST LEG

3rd leg and very last for our team - 7.2 miles. This run was also pretty good. It was a lot of up and down, rolling hills but I was able to run most of it and I felt like I finished it in good time considering the heat and everything. There were also some other hills that I didn't know would be that big or long, but it's okay - after my first leg they seemed to be a lot easier. I made some friends on this run:) 2 ladies that made the run enjoyable. We pushed each other, and without them I feel like I would of walked a lot more because I was just plain tired from lack of sleep and not eating or drinking a lot because of my sickness. They were my little angels. There were no mile markers along the way, only one to say you had 1 mile left for your leg. I was SOOOOO happy when I saw that little blue sign:) I thought my team was going to run across the finish line with me, but it's okay - it was pretty cool to be the one to SPRINT across it for my team:)

JUST AFTER WE FINISHED

I lucked out and our team was AMAZING. Our captain Launi (syd's sister) really went through a lot putting everything together, and I can't imagine how stressful it was with people dropping out.. especially last minute, but it all came together and our team kicked butt! I am very grateful for her and so glad she signed the team up! I got to know a lot of new ladies, and they were all so fun, nice and GREAT runners:)

VAN 2

TEAM PHOTOS AFTER THE RACE: The "Survivors"

Now the question is would I do it again. HECK YES! I would not be runner 12 again, but I would definitely do it again. Registration for next year has already begun and I want to do it, but no one has stepped up to be captain and after Bateman and 6 months of H-E-L-L from it, I do NOT want to be a captain again. So we will see. If not next year, I would do it again another year for sure.

Ragnar was such a unique experience for me. Three years ago if you would of asked me to run more then a mile I would have laughed and thought you were crazy. I realized in order to take up running and maintain the motivation to run long distances I had to completely alter my mind set. You have to find that happy place we all can find. Even still when I talk about how much I run I think it's ridiculous but it has actually been a tender mercy in my life to have both the body strength, stamina, and mental ability to push myself. My mother seems to stress about EVERYTHING, and unfortunately I have a bit of that gene in me too. I worry and stress, worry and stress. I have never been able to find a strategy or solution to diminish my stress, but luckily 3 years ago my sister-in-law asked me to run the Provo Half Marathon with her and that's when things changed for me, particularly with school. I've always worked hard in school but training for the half really showed me that hard work and pushing yourself until you want to just scream and quit, is 100% worth it in the end. Even though there were moments during the ragnar relay I just really wanted to quit, I remembered that ANYTHING is possible through the strength and belief that our father in heaven has in us. We have to take the bad in with the good, that's just the way life is supposed to go. We are a lot stronger people then we give ourselves credit for. If we believe in ourselves, others will believe in us too. If we put our whole heart, might, mind and strength into the things we want to accomplish, and goals we want to achieve, we can ABSOLUTELY achieve them. I have no doubt. The impossibles become possible.

P.S. I will post more pictures of the actual RUNNING when I get a CD sent to me:)

RUNNING IS MY DRUG. PERIOD.