Go, you chicken fat, go away!

Ragnar #33

So this is the last Del Sol race.  I was so excited to do it.  I had done all 13 of them up to this point.  They weren't all pretty, but I did them.  Then this happened.  I tried so hard to baby it all week so that it would be better.  I crawled around for two days.  By Wednesday evening I could finally put pressure on it and hobble around.  It never really got super swollen or discolored, but I had no idea if it was broken or sprained.  I still don't, but I think it's just sprained.  Well, we decided to pick up a last minute runner.  She was Maggie's best friend.  Luckily it worked out that she could join us, and she's super fast.

We were Van #2.  Alyssa was our first runner.  You may remember that she's the one that discovered she has diabetes during a Ragnar, and had to be taken to the hospital.  She ran with us two years ago as her "comeback" race, and she was able to run with us again for the last Del Sol.  I'm glad she could do it.  She was supposed to hand off to me, but since I wasn't running, she handed off to Maggie's BFF, Chelsie.  Chelsie looked like she was sprinting.  I guess I'm not used to seeing people run 7:15 paces anymore.  After Chelsie ran, it was Vickie's turn.  It was warming up, but Vickie runs at such a nice steady pace, she didn't have any problems.  But she was tired afterward.  Vickie handed off to Glen, who had the most overall miles in our van.  In both vans for that matter.  He complained about not having enough last year, so he got them all this year.  His knee had been bothering him for the weeks leading up to Ragnar, but he did fine.  Maybe a little slower than normal, but perfect for us.  Glen was supposed to hand off to Maggie.  Maggie had to work and was having her stepdad drive her out to meet us on the course.  It looked like she might make it just in time, but they got caught in rush hour traffic, so Chelise ran her leg.  She got there just in time to see Chelsie finish.  Then Rochelle ran.  She was running the "Ragnar" leg.  11.5 miles.  She did great.

After handing off to Van #1, we went to the AirBnB that we had rented.  It was nice and a great location.  We were only 8 minutes away from where we needed to start running again.  Actually we stopped and got some food first.  Then everyone showered up and slept.  I neither showered nor slept.  At most I would have only gotten an hour and a half, if I'd tried.  Then we were off again.  Alyssa really struggled because the Chipotle she ate didn't sit well.  Then Chelsie and Maggie ran together their next leg.  Then it was Vickie's turn.  I had told Glen, and only Glen, that I was going to run with her.  I didn't want anyone else to know because if someone spilled the beans, she would be mad at me and wouldn't let me.  After walking around so much, my ankle had loosened up some, and I felt confident that I could do 2.7 miles.  For sure I would know within the first 100 yards if I could or couldn't.  So, Vickie started to run, I switched on my headlamp and followed her.  The first thing she had to do was cross a street and turn right.  As she turned she looked at me, but I wasn't sure if she recognized me behind the glow of my headlamp.  About 5 seconds later she turned around again and said, "What are you doing???"  I said, "I can run 2.7 miles.  How am I not going to run any of the very last Del Sol?"  She was mad, but I think she was happy, too.

She was trying to get settled in to her pace and I was trying to get settled in to mine.  She starts out slow and I start out fast, so I actually started to pass her and she got mad at me for passing her with a sprained ankle.  I slowed down and that was the actual pace I needed to be running at.  We got passed about 6 or 7 times.  Each time I saw someone coming I would grab her hand and make a bridge and have the runner go underneath us.  There was only one runner that didn't, and he was like 6'7", so he wouldn't have fit.  At one point Vickie started to pull away from me.  I tried to keep up with her, but she was going faster, and I couldn't go any faster.  I noticed that both of my ankles hurt the same.  The reason is that I had been compensating with my other leg for the last week, that now they were both sore.  I figured I'd be super sore after we were done, but it would be worth it.

Luckily we came upon a stop light and I caught back up and was able to stay with her the rest of the way.  This was my wife's first Ragnar, and I'm glad I was able to run with her.  Next was Glen, who took it nice and steady again.  Then Maggie ran her leg by herself.  Then Rochelle ran and we were off to the AirBnB again. 

This time I got some sleep.  We had timed it perfectly to get everything packed up, lock up the place, and get back out on the course.  Except Alyssa was still putting her shoes on when Bryan came in, so she was a little late making the exchange.  No biggie.  We're just doing it for fun.  Alyssa had to wear night time gear again, but it was getting light out.  After a mile we stopped along the course, and I took her headlamp from her.  There was no need for it.  She got her last leg done and did great!  Then it was Chelsie who torched through her final leg.  Then it was Vickie again.  She had to do 5.2 miles.  We stopped at 3 miles to wait for her and once again I told Glen I would run the final 2.2 with her.  I crossed the intersection and waited.  She made it there and we were off.  I forgot to start my Strava for a half mile, but I knew it was 2.2 miles to the exchange.  We had maybe 5 people pass us.  Vickie was struggling, but stayed constant and steady.  She did so well, and I'm so pround of her!  My ankle held up, and we'll see how it does within the next few weeks.  I will be resting it.

After Vickie was Glen again.  He had to do 9 miles.  That's just torture to do 9 miles on your last leg.  Also, Chelsie had left some time while I was running.  She had a friend pick her up.  So Glen pretty much had no choice but to do the entire run himself.  He was able to do it.  He said his leg was starting to get sore, and he had to walk about 4 times until they loosened up.  Alyssa made him wear her sunglasses, and we teased him about being a Hollywood movie star.  After Glen was Maggie.  She only had 2 miles.  I teased her about the small distance and asked her what was the point of 2 miles???  I mean, she could just step out of the van and step back in and that's pretty much 2 miles.  We drove to this little parking lot where the exchange was and the we saw her running down the street.  We kind of panicked that she had gotten there so fast, but it turns out she had to make two big loops around the park before the exchange.  Then Rochelle was off.  Our final runner on her final leg.  We drove straight to the finish line where the other van was already there waiting for us.  It wasn't long before Rochelle got there and we all ran in together.  I let everyone run in front of me so I could soak it in.  The last Del Sol.  It's been such a big part of my life these last 14 years.  I guess I'm off to find new and exciting things.