Ragnar Relay: The Wasatch Back

A whirlwind of a weekend filled with fun, exhaustion, and awesomeness!  Their slogan, "Run, Drive, Sleep? Repeat." is definitely fitting... 

Nate, Tanner, and I ran the Wasatch Back Ragnar Relay last weekend!  (June 15-16.  Jeff was going to run it also, but due to his bum knee and then spots already claimed, he ended up not being able to do it.)  We ran it with my Aunt Kathy, cousins Mandie and Cody, and a random mixture of their friends.  I was so excited and anxious to run I even typed out a 2-page packing list for my brothers and I (cause usually sometimes they need an older sister to hold their hand like that...)

For those who don't know what a Ragnar entails, basically it's a 12 (or 6 if you're crazy) person 200-ish mile relay race.  There are 15 Ragnar Relays across the country throughout the year, and the Wasatch Back is Utah's edition.  (I think the series actually originated here...)  There are 2 vans per team, with 6 people per van.   Each person on your team runs 3 legs, making the race 36 legs long.  Each leg varies in length, from 2.5- 10 miles, and difficulty.  Each leg is categorized as Easy, Moderate, Hard, or Very Hard.  A few extra difficult legs have even been named, such as "You've Got to be Kidding Me!" or "What the Hill?!"  I guess the Wasatch Back has the 2 hardest legs in all of the Ragnar Series nationwide, as well as a few others that are "one of the hardest" in all the series. 

Nate, Tanner and I were in Van 1, and unfortunately Kathy, Mandie, and Cody were in Van 2 so we hardly saw them, but we still enjoyed our time and got to make a few new friends.  

Mandie's sister-in-law Brittany, her friend McKenzie, and another recruited friend Angela were our other runners.  Mandie's mom/dad-in-law drove Van 1 (Vicki drove the first day, and Mike drove the second day) and my Uncle Drew drove Van 2.  

Gossners (where my uncle works) sponsored our team and paid half our entry fee and gave us lot of chocolate milk as a recovery drink.  It was awesome.

Just for my future reference, our running order was:

1- Angela Poll

2- Nate

3- McKenzie Jones

4- Brittany Bentley

5- Me

6- Tanner

7- Kathy

8- Mandie

9- Chris Moat

10- Cody

11- Karson Carter

12- Tori Byers

Our van headed up to the starting line around 7am.  Our start time was 9:15am, starting from the track at Utah State.  

Before our first runner was able to start we had to check-in, go through safety training, get our flags, check in our reflective vests, head lamps, tail lights and race bible, and get our race packet with goodies and T-shirts.  No one in our van had ever run a Ragnar before so it was a new experience for us all, learning to back into parking spots so we could actually get out and remembering to bring water to the just-finished runner.

After checking-in we had a few minutes to wander around and see the vendors and get some great harvest bread.  The boys and I bought matching (aw so cute) hoodies as souvenirs, and just because they were thick and warm and awesome.

Our first runner was Angela.   Here she is sporting our team number (1051) and name, "Run Like the Winded":

When 9:15am finally came she was off!   

 

We hurried back down to our van so we could head out to our first exchange.  

We stopped along the way to cheer Angela on as she ran past:

Nate was our second runner.  Because he signed up to run later than others, he didn't get to pick his legs, and actually ended up with one of the easier set of legs.  His first run was his hardest one, rated a  "Very Hard:" 7.6 miles.

We got to the first exchange with enough time for him to warm up and stretch out.  It was exciting for us all to see her come up the hill and around the corner, and to see Nate take off.  First exchange: successful!   

 

 

Tanner hopped out to give Nate water before his unsupported section of his leg.  

This picture is funny because Nate was asking how many more miles he had and Tanner was telling him 4... Nate was like, "Seriously!?"  Ha ha.

 After a few more exchanges we felt like we were starting to get the hang of it. 

 

  

I was the 5th runner.  

My first leg was also my hardest leg, and I started around 1:20pm, right in the heat of day.  It was the one named, "What the Hill?!" as it climbed 7.8 miles up Avon Pass on a narrow dirt road.  The leg description said it was difficult and dusty, and we were told it was also "one of the toughest in the series."

My nerves were going crazy, but I hoped all the adrenaline would help carry me.  My goal was just to keep moving and not stop.  

  

It turned into a mind over matter game, and as long as I didn't change my pace or stop, I was able to stay in my groove (though slow) and I ended up being able to jog the whole thing without walking or stopping! Plus I had help from my iPod distracting me and my brothers stopping to give me water and jog with me here and there.  

They stopped 4 times or so throughout my leg.  I think that was one of my favorite parts of the whole Ragnar experience- coming around a hot dusty corner and seeing one of my brothers there waiting for me with water.  It was a lot of fun being able to support and be supported by each other, especially on our difficult legs. 

I was so relieved to see the "One Mile Left" sign, and to see all the cars parked up ahead, signifying the next exchange.  When I finally finished I was shocked to discover I was within a few minutes of my projected finish time!  I was sure I'd be slow, adding 30+ minutes to our time... It felt so good to achieve something I was so unsure about.  I'm proud of myself for not walking at all!  I was even able to pass one person!   

Tanner was ready and waiting when I got to the next exchange.  I liked being able to hand off to one of my brothers.   Lucky for Tanner, he only had a mile to go before peaking Avon Pass and descending down the other side.  Not that I wanted to run another mile, but I should've at least been able to peak the mountain I just did most of the work to climb! 

(Check out my slap bracelet tan/dirt line... sweet.)

Tanner's first leg was 6.5 miles- Hard. 

 And he rocked it. 

 

He was worried since his knee was giving him trouble and it was a steep downhill leg, but he did really well!  His average pace was around 6:30 min/mile! 

  

We didn't realize how close we were to the next exchange when we stopped to give him water, so we actually missed his hand-off to Kathy.  Plus all of Tanner's hand-offs were "major exhchanges" where the vans switch off, so there were twice the people and twice the vans, making it that much harder to get in and out of the exchanges.  But Mandie got this sweet picture of him coming into the exchange:

Unfortunately we didn't get to see any of Van 2 when we got there, as they had to take off to follow Kathy and get to their first exchange.  But now we had a break while Van 2 ran.  We got to check out the vendors and even ran into our cousin Simon working the Nordic Track tent.  They also had more Great Harvest bread, Clif Bars, Body Armor drinks, and other vendors giving out samples. 

After we were done there we headed to the next major exchange where we'd meet Van 2 later on, which was at Snow Basin Resort.  We hung out there for a while, getting something to eat, attempting to sleep, and wandering around.  When Van 2 got there we got to chat with Mandie, Kathy, and Drew for a few minutes before we took off.  We were told that some other teams' first runners were having to wait 30-40 minutes for their vans because of traffic getting out of Snow Basin heading down to Morgan so we decided to head out early, even before Karson got to Snow Basin and Tori did her Snow Basin trail run.  We left Angela with her parents and Van 2 to wait for Tori and headed down the mountain.  We think there were a few more cops there helping regulate traffic cause though there were a ton of cars, it wasn't too slow and we got there with plenty of time.

By the time Nate took off for his next run, it was getting into the "nighttime" hours and he had to wear a vest, flashlight, and tail light.  His second run was his easiest, 2.8 Miles of Easy. 

He and McKenzie took us through dusk, and by the time Brittany, Tanner, and I ran it was pretty dark.   

All other participants, when out of the vans, also had to wear a vest, even just to wait at the exchange or go to the bathroom.  We felt pretty stylin', especially since our vests were borrowed from Farmington City and were probably mostly worn by large men...

(I love Nate's face... "Jumping picture?!  NO, I just ran!)

My second leg started around 10:45pm.  I anticipated that the roads would be more lit, but to my surprise it was completely dark in most places except for the headlights of passing vans.  I wouldn't have minded the dark as much if the shoulder was marked with a white line, or the edge of the asphalt was a straight line.  

The headlamps we had weren't that great so I used a flashlight and it was hard to hold it still to see the uneven edge of the road while swinging my arms in stride.  But still, I can't complain.  It was shorter and much cooler than my first leg!  4.2 Miles- Moderate.

I was able to run faster than my anticipated pace of 11:30 min/ mile.  I ran it with an average 10:30 min/mile pace!

Tanner's second leg was his hardest, 8.6 miles of Very Hard climbing up to East Canyon Reservoir.  

He was even more worried about his knee on this one but he did really good, counting 54 people that he passed!  I couldn't believe how cold it was when we got out to give him water, with the air coming off the water.  

Tanner finished his second leg at East Canyon State Park around 1am.  We saw Kathy take off, (though I STILL missed the actual hand off...) got some hot chocolate, and said bye to Mandie, Drew, and Cody before heading out. 

We stopped at North Summit High School to sleep for a few hours.   Mike, Brittany, McKenzie, and Angela slept in the suburban while Nate, Tanner, and I went inside the school.  It was nice to have a real toilet and running water to brush my teeth and wash my face, even if they weren't the cleanest ever.  We were too tired to shower or do anything more than that, so we crashed on the the wrestling mats they laid out on the gym floor.  By the time we got in there to sleep it was around 2:30-3am.  We found a spot amongst the other hundreds of people there sleeping in the dark, laid down next to a few strangers, and slept for a whopping 2 hours.  I was surprised I didn't have a headache when I woke up, since I usually do with that little sleep.

We got up, got dressed and ready to head out to meet Van 2 at Oakley fair grounds for our next major exchange.  

There were more people there sleeping on the grass, as well as fundraiser breakfasts and free massages.  (Too bad we didn't have time...)  Angela started her first run around 7:15am, and we were off on our last legs. 

Nate's last run was also short, 3.3 miles- Easy.

He was able to do it in good time, pass a bunch of people, and even bought us a few minutes, despite being tired.

 

 

McKenzie's last run was her hardest, with a lot of ups and downs.  Brittany's last run had a lot of down hill, taking us into Heber and Midway. 

My last run was through parts of Heber, and was also my shortest, 2.8 miles- Easy.  

I started around 11:05am and it was already hot.  I don't know which would've been easier... running at 3 or 4am when it's nice and cool outside, or running in the heat on 2 hours of sleep... 

I was surprised by how difficult this leg was.  I didn't expect to want to stop and walk so much on such a short leg.  I was able to keep myself jogging though, making it so I jogged all three of my legs without stopping or walking!  I felt very proud of myself and accomplished when I was done... such a great feeling!  And I was also very surprised to find out that I ran this leg with a 9:40 min/mile average pace... I never knew how much running with my stroller slowed me down!

 Tanner's last leg was also his shortest, 2.5 miles- Easy 

He struggled to get going since he said I got there too fast and he didn't have a chance to get his knee brace on.  We ended up having to stop and give it to him so he could finish.  But he still had a really good time and was still able to make up little time.  Our van was awesome in that regard, we were always able to make up 10-30 minutes of time that the second van usually used up. 

We didn't make it there in time (again) to see Tanner hand off to Kathy, but Mandie took this one of him after he finished:

 By that time we didn't have a care in the world except to get out of the heat... we were done!  We relaxed for a bit, stretched out and got a drink before heading out to Park City to Park City High School to the finish line.

We parked and were able to sit and get a decent meal in, take a nap (some of them, not me unfortunately) and wander up to the field to see all the vendors.  We were able to exchange our shirt sizes,  get free stuff like smoothies and chapstick, and watch some of the other teams come in.

Around 5pm Jeff and Shad made it up there to watch us finish.  About 30 minutes later Colby showed up with the rest of Van 2 as we waited for Tori to get into the stadium.  Around 6:10pm Tori got there and we were able to finish as a team!  It was fun for us to be able to run that 150 yards together around the track and under the orange Ragnar arch in our team shirts. 

We gathered to congratulate Tori on finishing and to get our sweet medals and car stickers. 

After that we gathered for team pictures:

We got 2 free pizzas from Little Caesars for finishing and then said our good byes.  We headed back down to the vans, where Jeff and I got my stuff out of the suburban so I could go home to Springville with him, while the boys went back to South Weber to get their car and head back to Boise. 

Our team finished the race with a time of 33:04:37, coming in at number 348 out of 802 teams, and number 297 out of 688 teams in our Coed Open division.  Not bad!  For running for fun and not for time, coming in in the top half isn't bad!  Go team Run Like the Winded!