Believe to Achieve

FUN TIMES--- woke at 5am to take daughter to swim meet and watch her team compete until 745am.  Got home at 7:55am, quickly gathered prepacked gear for Ragnar.  Troy drove me to meet my team at Target in AF.  Arrived at 8:15am.  Met my team.  All new to me (except Rachelle) and was very excited to hang with them!!  Thanks Jorge, Jake, Steph, Hollie, and Rachelle.  I really appreciated all your company and getting to know you all!!  Van 2-- even though we met briefly a few times I could tell you all were fun great people sharing in an experience of nuttiness and  pure fun!!

Leg 5, 7.93  miles UPHILL ON DIRT. VERY HARD.  Well, I was hopeful as we arrived in Logan with pure cloud cover and low 80 temps.  What more could I ask for?? Of course THAT would all change by the time I ran at 330pm.  It was in the high 80s and NO CLOUD COVER but fortunately there was a breeze (which isn't always the best on a dirt path with cars passing you however).    After Hollie, Rachelle, Steph, and Jorge pulled off remarkable splits for their legs I was a little leary of my leg as Jorge informed me last night my leg had to be rerouted 500 more feet in elevation gain due to mud slides. FREAK out!!  it already was climbing 1263 feet in 8 miles!!!  BUT just before taking off I got a hold of my sister and the last thing she said before we lost contact was that my leg was no longer rerouted.  I was in heaven with that notion.  I lined up for my leg and there was a guy in the shoot with me.  I started to pump myself up by saying to him and his team "don't even think that I am roadkill!!".  Well it turned out his team left the shoot first and I passed him in the first half mile (I think, as I didn't wear my garmin for any of my runs--- I am trying to break the habit for the best.  I run freer without that thing and this time I certainly did.  I had my stop watch and was timing everyone's legs.  I am OCD that way.  It keeps my sleepless mind busy).  I couldn't believe I was finally running 10 hours after waking this morning.  AND it felt extremely hot (Boston- like except I was on dirt and climbing a mountain).  Oh well I just ran and ran and ran NOT looking once at my stop watch.  I PASSED 35 TEAMS!!!!!   The guy's I first past-- his van-- totally cheered me on like I was a hero.  I was the only one actually running up the entire thing.  I was in TOTAL shock when I saw the ONE MILE TO GO sign.   I thought for sure I had three to go.   It is hard to gauge on trails and uphills.  It was then I looked at my watch turning to 57 minutes when I got there.  I didn't have time for math but I thought Cam (who I was replacing) goal was 63 minutes  and I was kind of disappointed but still felt strong so I booked it uphill (I can do anything for one more mile) passing several more teams walking as this is the steepest mile.  I came in at 65 minutes!!  Seriously a little over 8 min/miles ????  I felt great!!  My team didn't even see me coming when I passed our van in the first few miles.   Totally funny to see their shock.  Apparently my UNDERDEVELOPED calves sprout when I run uphill!!     When I finished I realized Cam's prediction was actually 67 minutes for this leg.  I had gained a little time without feeling like it all!!  AND this leg was 0.13 miles LONGer than written after asking several others that ran it.  Rachelle's next leg was 0.2 miles shorter so it all comes together at the end :D .    Rachelle is the RAGNAR queen.  We decided it is ULTRA RAGNAR for us next time-- TEAM JILL (TEAM Jack for the guys and we will give them a 2 hour head start).    I for one will have to take the whole week off from work the week before  to capitalize on sleep gains.  At 10 pm I wanted to fall asleep so bad and I can't take caffeine so I was stuck feeling NO adrenaline rush until my last leg when just the thought of BEING done kept the flame burning :D. 

Leg 17, 4.22 miles (got this off another runner on the blog).  Moderate, mostly UPHILL. 30:46  minutes.  AP 7:17.  Felt faster than that.      When you run fatigued it always feels faster than it is but it may have been long.  I passed 20 teams.  One VERY skinny fast guy passed me looking very serious.  It was about 1130 pm.  We had gained 45 minutes for our team.   Goal was a tempo run for this leg and run the next leg with Rachelle at 9 min miles.  Well it wasn't wise as RACHELLE was in full on race mode and I was in "I need to lie down and go to bed mode".  I should have bailed out of this run.  My legs weren't tired or sore (except the PF and painful calf that I  had run through even the first run, I am getting used to ignoring the pain there).  I was doing Yoga breathing to stay awake.  I felt like my brain wasn't getting enough oxygen and Rachelle was telling me I was going too slow (in not exactly those words).  I just didn't feel the need to BOOK it for every run and Rachelle was like the energizer bunny.  I swear her 5 hour energy drink lasted well into the night!! :D.  She took off from me the last 1.5 miles.  At the mile to go sign I decided to pick it up a bit.  We were only passed by three fast guy teams.  WE passed many teams but we were talking so we didn't count them.  One girl I completely freaked out by passing her.  I didn't mean to.  I just said "hi" as I ran by.  My AP for Rachelle's leg was 8:50 for 8.2 (probably longer).