Another Challenge Accomplished
7 of my friends and I just completed the #RagnarTrailRelay in Snowmass, CO. It's a 2 day running race, where all of us switched off running 14.5 miles via 3 separate loops, including running overnight, totaling 116 miles. We had a campsite and switched runners every 35-90 minutes depending on the loop. Our team name is the Slackerz, although we are far from actual slackers. When we all crossed the finish line the MC announced us as a 'lil bit banged up and a 'lil bit pregnant, which was pretty accurate. 1 of us is 5.5 months pregnant, 4 of us were injured (1 before the race and 3 during - 2 were not that serious), 2 didn't train very much for the race and 2 have a marathon/half marathon next weekend.
The experience brought about a bunch of different emotions: Fear, elation, exhaustion, anxiety, pain, disappointment, satisfaction, and awe...to name a few.
There was a 45 degree swing in temperature over the 24 hour period, being 80 Friday afternoon and Saturday morning and going to low 40s (but feeling closer to 30) in the middle of the night. We got sunburnt in spite of using sunscreen and were absolutely freezing at night, even when rolled up in a sleeping bag and winter clothing. We had a ton of fun, laughing a lot while we waited for a teammate to run their leg. While running, there was a feeling of fear of encountering a wild animal and of tripping and falling on the extreme downhill in the dark. From my perspective, at least, there were feelings of defeatedness as the run became more of a hike with the hot sun beating down and the arches of my feet and hip screaming at me but then of elation when I crossed the .25 mile marker left of the leg. The views, when we could see them in the daylight hours were breathtaking and very much worth the climbs.
But you know what? We did it! Whether we walked or ran or did a combo of both, we each conquered 14.5 miles of trail with a 2000 feet elevation gain at an altitude 8500+ feet. We worked as a team to cheer each other on as we started each leg and congratulated the runner finishing their leg. We became closer as friends. We have new memories. And now we have a story to tell.
Half of us are what I'd call true runners, while the other half are recreational runners. This race may sound intimidating - and it was- but it's a definitely doable challenge if you are interested. If we can do it, you can do it! After all, we were a 'lil bit banged up and a 'lil bit pregnant!
