So, its almost a week since the race, and I am finally getting some time to sit down and write about it.

Let’s see…so…last Friday morning we woke up, ate a yummy breakfast, did some last minute packing and took the kids over to Grammie and Grandpa Clark’s house.  We then went and met our team at my in-laws and made our merry little way over to the Tonapah area (think northwest Phoenix/middle of nowhere) to meet the first half of our team who had already started the race at 7am in Wickenburg (think on your way to Vegas). While waiting forthem we watched Nacho Libre (however you spell it), got safety trained, used the potty, and FINALLY cheered in the last of our runners in van #1 and cheered our first runner of OUR van (van #2) off on her way!

Our van. Team Running with Porpoise. Hence the inflatable porpoises on the roof. Oh, and you cant see them in the light, but we also had christmas lights hooked up!

NACHO!

You dont want to know how many of these things I used over a two day period. Lets just say I have seen my share of port-a-potties to last a lifetime!

Waiting for our runner. It was HOT out...and dusty. I havent run yet, can you tell?

Off goes the first runner from our van, my SIL, Christy. Look at that enthusiasm!

So, if you don’t know about Ragnar, this is how it works:  Each team consists of 12 people (and possibly two drivers, like us).  Ultra teams can have 6, 4, or 3 people on a team, who then either run 6, 9, or 12 legs respectively.  (NUTS!)  There are 36 legs of the race which covers about 200 miles total.   Along the way, most of the legs are supported, which means that the van can drive ahead, stop, wait for their runner and make sure they are okay, give them water, cheer them on etc.  That is probably the most fun part of the race.  There were a few unsupported legs (like my first) where the roads and traffic really didn’t allow for much support without crossing major traffic.  Our team projected a finish time of 5pm Saturday evening.  Our captain and trainers thought we could do it by 4pm.  I finished my last leg, and our last leg as a team, a little after 8pm…in the dark…with only one team behind us…as they were taking down the festivities.  BUT…we finished!  Which is saying a lot for team made of mostly non-runners and a girl who got horribly sick the first night.

Here are a few memories from the race:

• Watching my BIL, Chris, literally eat dirt as he ran on a dirt path and the cars drove past him on a dirt road, in the middle of the hot AZ sun.  BLESS HIS HEART!
• All the looks we got from the funny looking van we were driving and all the people who came up to ask us what we were doing.  They were all amazed!
• Running in the dark in the middle of the desert, with no idea where I am at, only a headlamp to guide me and just praying that I can run faster so I can get to those stinkin’ port-a-potties!
• Running the longest distance I ever have at one time!  (5.9 miles)
• Being killed…A LOT!  (Really good runners count those they pass along the way as “kills.”)
• Realizing that I can be a really bad backseat driver!
• Witnessing a car accident as we waited for one of our runners.
• Watching my husband run…a lot…and being so proud of him.
• Talking to other runners from other teams.  Everyone we met was SO nice and enthusiastic!
• Right before Clint’s first run turning around and seeing an old man taking pictures with some of the other runners.  His name was Earnie.  He is 88 years old, and he RAN THE RACE!
• Not getting any sleep.
• Eating at Five Guys for the first time.  (In and Out is better.)
• Being so sick Friday night after I finished running I didn’t think I was going to be able to finish the race.
• Receiving a blessing from Doug and Clint and feeling better almost immediately…then going on to run my last two legs.
• Wearing a stupid headlamp for EVERY SINGLE RUN!
• Learning that, even when you think it is cold in AZ, it isn’t when you are running.
• Respect the Fro
• Total miles run Natalie: 13.5
• Total miles run Clint: 19.1
• Apparently Amelia Bedelia wears polka dot socks?
• Everyone finally crashing in the MOST UNCOMFORTABLE positions ever in the car before our last leg.
• Eating at IHop.
• Realizing that I was super ugly the entire trip, but knowing that I was with people who didn’t care and loved me anyway. 
• Way too much talk about poop.

The back of our van. The dust was from our FIRST exchange. We hadnt even started the race yet and it was that dirty.

Team 197

The crazy outfits people wore. We were conservative with our polka dot knee high socks and hair bows.

See...hair bow! Courtesy of my SIL Randee!

Earnie. That man was amazing! After his last leg I talked to him and he said he was just sorry there wasnt another leg to run.

Runners...waiting...

Clint before his first and longest leg - 8.6 miles.

Me and Clint before his first leg.

My MIL and FIL, amazing runners. They ran WAY more than I did in the race! Great examples.

My SIL Christy after finishing her last leg of the race, 4+ miles through a very hilly area of Fountain Hills in the middle of the hot sun! She rocked it!

Me before my last leg. 4.7 miles to the finish!

I complained a lot (sorry team!) and vowed that I would never run another Ragnar EVER again!  But really, I could see myself forgetting about the pain and doing it again in a few years.  Especially if it was with a group like this.  The running was NOT fun.  It was the opposite of fun.  I hated almost every minute of it.  What I loved though, was the sense of accomplishment, doing something I never thought I would or could do, and most importantly, building amazing relationships with people I already love, but now hold even more near and dear to my heart.

keep up-to-date on this post's conversation using an RSS feed.