Ragnar!

We did it! We ran 196.1 miles! Luckily, we had 10 of our friends to help us out. Go Cincy Pigs!!! We participated in the Tennessee Ragnar the first weekend in November, running from Chattanooga to Nashville, TN. Even though there were twelve on our team, I think it is pretty amazing that we were able to accomplish that goal in 29 hours and 18 minutes. It was very intense and much more challenging both mentally and physically than I thought that it would be. Pat was runner 7 , running a total of 20.2 miles and I was runner 9 running a total 18.6. Luckily our mileage was broken up into three increments, so we could rest (and let our muscles get sore) as we waited for the other 12 runners on our team to run their legs. I had a minor mishap (though at the time I was freaking out, because I thought that they might disqualify our team) on my first leg where I lost the slap band that was our baton for the race. I had put it over my jacket, since they told us it was supposed to be visible all the time while you are running. Anyway, when I gave Pat my jacket because I was getting too hot, I forgot about the wristband and it fell off. Luckily, another team found it and turned it in, but it was a bit of a stressful, frantic period of time for me as we contacted the Ragnar people and rushed back to the place where Pat had taken my jacket and tried to find it, all the while dropping and picking up our runners! Leave it to me to mess things up. It was a tough race-it was colder, rainier and foggier than it was supposed to be, we didn't sleep much over night, and the runs were hillier than I expected them to be-but we had a really fun time, especially when it wasn't my turn to run. On the second day of the race, after we had each already ran two of our legs and gotten only a few hours of sleep in a cold, cramped van, we were all complaining and the very last thing we wanted to do was run another leg, but there was no way any of us were going to quit and make our other teammates who were hurting just as much as we were run our last leg. My last run was 8.9 miles, with a hill I really didn't expect at the end. I really wanted to quit about halfway up the hill, but I pushed through and somehow finished it ( I may lose misplace things easily and mess most things up, but I have my determination and refusal to give up going for me.) I really got to know the other 2 couples in our van alot better and it was really awesome to be on a team again. It was fun getting out in the middle of the night and cheering for our teammates , as we worked together to reach our 196 miles. If you would have asked me right after (or while I was running that last leg) I would have said I never want to do this again, but the further I get away from the experience, the more fun it seems to me -you know the pain and misery fades a bit. I would definitely be interested in doing one again. Who's in?