I've realized that even though I stated that I love all things crime, fashion, fitness, and photography...that the majority of my posts have dealt only with fashion (and a little bit of photography). So, I wanted to change things up a bit and introduce you guys to one of the most insane things I've ever (or probably will ever do) in my life: It's called the Ragnar Relay!
Here's the description from their website:
"
Ragnar is the overnight running relay race that makes testing your limits a team sport. A team is made up of 6-12 individuals; each individual runs 3 legs. The legs of the race vary in difficulty and distance, from 3-8 miles, allowing elite and novice runners to run together. Over 2 days and 1 night, teams run across 200 miles of the country’s most scenic terrain. Pair that with crazy costumes, inside jokes, a great finish line party and unforgettable stories. Some call it a slumber party without sleep, pillows or deodorant. We call it Ragnar"
Sounds crazy right? Wondering why I agreed to do this? To be honest, I'm still asking myself the same thing, but this was one of the greatest experiences of my life! I knew only one person on the team beforehand, yet after the race, I feel bonded with everyone, as only those that ran can know exactly what the experience was like! We started in Madison, WI at 7:30am Friday morning, and continued our 198.3 mile journey all the way down to Chicago, IL, ending about 1:30pm Saturday afternoon! It was hot, it was tiring, we all smelled terribly, but I would highly suggest this race to anyone wanting to push their bodies to the limit!
I signed up for leg 11, which ultimately led to me running:
Leg 11: 5.8 miles, in about 98 degree weather, at 4:40pm Friday
Leg 23: 7.1 miles, in about 71 degree weather, at 1:30am Saturday
Leg 35: 4.9 miles, in about 98 degree weather, at 12:00pm Saturday
Our only sleep came in the form of camping out on a YMCA weight room floor for about 2 hours, and our showers consisted of baby wipes and deodorant. By the end, you could tell everyone was drained, but when the time came to run across the finish line, every member of our team sprinted and celebrated! This race is truly a "team" experience--everyone working toward the common goal of the finish line! So for all of you out there, check out the Ragnar
website, and see if you're ready to take the challenge!
 |
| First handoff--glad to be finished! |
 |
| Our homes for the next 30+ hours |
 |
| We celebrated almost every finish by running through streamers! Definitely gave you something to look forward to at the end of your run! |
 |
| All ready for my nighttime run at 1:30am! |
 |
| Victory beers! |
 |
| Team "Suck My Tracks" |
Oh, and P.S.: The days following the race weren't all warm fuzzy feelings and smiles. I slept for at least 14 hours, and struggled walking and sitting down for a good two days! But no pain--no glory!
**Lyrics: Starships by Nicki Minaj (The Boom Boom Van's official anthem)
