Go, you chicken fat, go away!

I was a little faster than normal today.  I hope that's a good sign.  I'll be running with the Frozen Burrito Legion this Friday and Saturday at the Ragnar Trail McDowell Mountain relay.  I should do a hill run tomorrow.

I have done zero hill training in preparation for the trail Ragnar I'm doing this weekend.  So I wanted to run Usery Pass yesterday, and I just got too busy.  Finally went today at 11am.  It was warm.  I hadn't eaten breakfast yet.  I brought two water bottles with me.  One with ice water to drink after I was done, and one with a tablet of Nuun, fruit punch.  I felt strong on the first mile uphill.  Then I really struggled on the second mile.  So I turned around.  Felt like a waste to drive 27 miles round trip only to run 4 miles, but oh well.  Going downhill felt great.  In truth, running up Usery in no wise simulates the frequent up and down hills I'll be running at Ragnar.  But better than nothing, I guess.

Ragnar #19. 

I was runner #4 on the team.  My first leg was the green loop, 3.1 miles.  It was hot out at 1:30pm.  I took it nice and slow and felt good.  So good even that I was able to run up the final hill which I wasn't able to do at all last year.  All three loops have that last dreaded hill.  So that was a win.  My buddy Mike was our last runner, runner #8.  He had to do the yellow loop, 4 miles.  A little after mile 2 he rolled his ankle and broke his 5th metatarsal.  He finished up, but he was done.  We decided to continue on and see who was up for covering his last two loops.  My next leg was the red leg at about 10pm.  It was 8.4 miles.  I was stretching before my teammate came in for the handoff and I set my water bottle down.  I totally left it there and forgot it until I was about 100 yards in.  I decided it was nice and cool and I wouldn't need it.  FAIL!  I actually was feeling real good again.  There is a monster hill that I charged right up.  But right before mile 5 everything started to unravel.  I think I was getting dehydrated.  They had a water station, but I had no cup.  So I put my mouth under the jug and drank like an animal.  I hoped it refresh me enough to do the last 3.4 miles.  But I was still cramping up and feeling like I was going to puke.  I just wanted to lie down and take a nap.  There was a lot of walking over the next 2.5 miles.  When I saw the 1 mile to go marker I was able to run for a bit longer.  I couldn't run up the hill this time, but at least I finished.  Yago was our first runner, so he decided to run Mike's next leg and then continue on and do his leg.  Next was our team captain Fredi.  She got to the top of the mountain on the red loop and her knee stopped working.  She had to be rescued.  It took a couple of hours.  After that we decided to call it quits.  We still got our medals, but we'll get a DNF.  It was fun, but I feel bad for my injured teammates.  Been there, done that.  I also apologize for my snoring in the tent.  That tends to happen when I'm not sleeping in my own bed.