Part 3 of my Napa Adventure

When we last left off in my Napa adventure, we were making our way over to the exchange zone as Dimity was set to come in at any minute to pass off to Melissa, thus beginning our second legs of the race.  We briefly saw our Van 1 teammates at the exchange and said a groggy "hi" and the next thing we knew, Dim was coming in.  She passed off to Melissa and we said goodbye to Van 1 so we could start to head to the exchange.  Mel had 6.6 miles on tap, but we wanted to be sure to get to the exchange zone in time to avoid missing her like we did the first time!

I realized as I listened to the Napa podcast yesterday that it is no longer a secret who was navigating when we got lost on the way to Exchange 7.  As Sarah mentioned, we never let JMart have the navigator spot again (sorry, JMart!  We love you, though, girl!) and I took over navigator duties with the help of Smitha.  I would give directions from the Rag Mag (which I got to keep as a souvenir for being the navigator.  So many memories from that book!) and Smitha would help double check the directions with the use of her smart phone.  The Rag Mag was ok, but some of the streets weren't identified properly in the Rag Mag.  For instance, as we were driving to the next exchange to meet Melissa, we were looking for Mendocino Avenue, however, Mendocino Avenue was actually called Broadway, I think, in the particular area where we were.  It turned into Mendocino Avenue a few blocks away.  Thank goodness for smart phones!

We drove through Santa Rosa and made it to the exchange point.  Parking was a little tricky at this exchange, so we ended up parking the van on the side of the road along with several other Ragnar vans.  I was loaded up with all of my nighttime running gear; pink reflective vest, red blinking light on the back of my shirt, headlight on (thanks, JMart, for letting me borrow yours!), and glow sticks aplenty on my wrists.  I was bouncing up and down at the exchange trying to pump myself up, but in reality, I was crazy nervous.  From the time I found out I would be running the race, the night leg had always been my biggest source of anxiety. I was worried about getting lost, although I was less concerned about this after running my first leg due to the fact that I was always around people and the course was fairly well marked, I was worried about mountain lions (irrational, yes, but still I was worried), and I was worried about being able to see, although I knew I would be running with a headlamp.  I am very much a night owl, so I wasn't as concerned about running at 1 or 2 a.m., other than the fact that I'd never run at that time before.

Don't let this face fool you; I was nervous as all get out at this point. 

My second leg was 5.5 hard miles with probably the most interesting elevation changes of all of my legs.  When we were picking our top 3 choices for the race to send to Sarah and Dimity, runner 8's legs intrigued me the most because of the elevation changes.  I knew this leg involved a huge uphill, but was blissfully followed by nearly 3.5 miles of downhill.

A few minutes after we arrived, Melissa was coming up the hill and we cheered her on as she handed the slap bracelet off to me.  This exchange was smack in the middle of the hill, so I started my leg going uphill.  It wasn't awful and shortly thereafter, I headed downhill for a bit.  I started to think that the hill hadn't been too bad and then just as soon as I thought that, we started heading up hill again.  Up the mountain, really.

This may be the only photo of me running as I head out for my second leg (thanks, JMart!)

This was another instance where I didn't feel guilty when I started to walk as nearly every single other runner was walking at this point, too.  There were probably a handful of people who ran past me and I gave them a very hearty "good job" because that hill was a beast!  In the course of a mile, our elevation changed nearly 400 feet!  We all commiserated with one another and I reminded my fellow runners that our next, and last, leg was 2, flat miles, which elicited a few sighs of relief.  

When I started out on my second leg, it was misting slightly, but it felt really good.  It was also quite foggy, but it kind of added to the ambiance.  There was only one brief moment during the entire leg, maybe about 30 seconds, where I couldn't see a red blinking light from a fellow runner in front of me, nor could I see a headlamp behind me, but I didn't worry too much.  

I remembered seeing on the map for this leg, that I would be running through a town called Sleepy Hollow and I was equal parts excited and creeped out.  It figures that my nighttime leg would go through a town with that name.  I had hope to find a sign with the town name on it, but I didn't see one, nor was I really looking as I didn't remember to look until after my leg was done.  It turns out that as I look at the map now, the Sleepy Hollow referred to on the map was actually a street name that my leg ran perpendicular to.  It's a miracle that I was Van 2's navigator with my less than stellar map reading capabilities!  

A little funny story from this leg involves the AMR podcast I was listening to, as I finally was in an area where my cell service wasn't spotty.  Sarah thought it was hilarious that I was listening to AMR podcasts during the race and asked me if it was like listening to them in stereo.  What can I say?  I'm a creature of habit and it was actually really nice listening to the podcast, particularly on my night run, because it felt like they were running with me.  In fact, it was so realistic, that when Dimity was talking about her upcoming (at the time, as I was catching up on older podcasts) Pike's Peak ascent and describing how the race course snakes up the mountain, I thought she was saying "snakes" and I nearly jumped out of my skin.  I am not normally afraid of snakes, but as I mentioned, the night leg had a bit of a spooky ambiance with the fog and the mist and there were a ton of leaves that looked like snakes on the ground.  I thought they were cypress tree seed pods, but when I googled those types of trees, they weren't the ones I saw.  In any case, I happened to be running through a bunch of whatever pods they were and so when Dimity said the words "snakes" on the podcast, I thought she was running with me and telling me that those leaves were snakes, so I jumped a bit until I remembered that I was just listening to a podcast. 

I only had minor nerves about mountain lions on this leg, mainly because it seemed pretty mountainous, particularly the uphill, but as I look at the Google map now, it was actually quite a residential area.  As I mentioned, too, I was almost always by other people, so there was really nothing to worry about.  

When I came to the crest of the hill, I was so excited to see that beautiful downhill!  I coasted down the hill for probably some of my best splits of the race.  Which brings me to another Ragnar tradition of sorts; kills.  A kill is when you pass someone else during your leg.  There were many vans tracking kills on their windows in addition to marking off each leg as it was completed.  We talked about this as a team and agreed it wasn't the best sportsmanship and that took away from the camaraderie of the race and running.  

At some point early on in the race as we were getting to know one another, JMart was telling us stories about she and her girlfriends when they get together.  It came up at one point that they used the term "throat punching" which we all thought was hilarious, so I jokingly asked if we could track "throat punches" instead of kills.  We didn't track kills or throat punches in our van and I was glad, because I do think it's a bit unsportsmanlike, but I admit, a teeny part of me wanted just to have one "kill."  Is it too much to ask to pass one runner?  Of course, the other part of me, said "who cares if you pass another runner?  Run your own race!"  In any case, I did pass two people on the downhill portion of the second leg (although does it count if they pass you, then you pass them?) and I quietly mentioned to JMart when I came into the exchange that I got two throat punches.  

Although, I was particularly irked when Melissa was telling us about one of her legs when another van pulled up along side the runner behind her and asked their teammate how she was doing (this part of the leg was uphill, if I remember correctly).  She replied that she was fine and when her teammates in the van asked how many kills she had, she said "just 8."  Her teammates told her "9's right there" clearly referring to Melissa, who could hear everything being said.  I was appalled because that is completely against what I feel like the running community should be.  Melissa shook it off and continued to be the badass that she is, but darned if that didn't piss me off.  Goodness knows I was "killed/throat punched" numerous times throughout the race and it didn't bother me in the slightest.  I said "good job" to everyone who passed me and I appreciated the runners who passed me and said "good job" or "you're almost there" or any other words of encouragement, too.  That, to me, is what running and racing is all about.  We are all runners, we all run our own paces, and we are all out here doing what we love, so why not support each other and encourage one another?  Ok, I'll get off my soap box now!

After my jubilant downhill stretch at the end of my second leg, I handed off to Jodi and we headed to meet her at the next exchange.  I think my leg began somewhere around 1 a.m. or 1:30 a.m. and I must say, it was by far my favorite leg.  It's absolutely true what everyone told me before the race; there is nothing like running outside in the middle of the night with nothing but you, the stars, and the moon, or in my case, me, the fog, and the mist.  It was completely outside my element, but I loved it.  It was challenging at first with the steep incline, but the downhill was amazing and I enjoyed the relative solitude of the night.  

Runner's high post-second leg

Smitha and I went with Sarah to meet Jodi at the exchange while Mel and JMart parked the van and as we were waiting, Sarah did her lunge matrix per Coach Bri's directions.  At this exchange, as at most exchanges, teams were cheering on their runners, but given that it was in the wee hours of the morning and this exchange was right across the street from an apartment complex, the race volunteers asked all of us to keep it down.  Most of us were happy to oblige, but some others either didn't hear the message or chose to ignore it.  A local police officer came out to offer another warning and it seemed to help.  I think it is really important to remember in races like Ragnar that you are running through many communities and causing a little bit of chaos given road closures or just general masses of extra people, so it is really important to be considerate and a good representative of the running community.

Sarah doing her lunge matrix before the start of her second leg

#PrincessJodi handing off to Sarah 

Sarah had a great second leg; we noticed what we thought was a pretty significant hill as we drove by the runners on the way to the exchange, but when she came into the exchange, she noted that it wasn't that bad at all.  At this exchange, we found our favorite race volunteer, Stephanie.  What I quickly learned early on in the race, is that it is super helpful to have a volunteer at the exchange chute calling the bib numbers as the runners come in so that you can be ready for the hand off from your teammate.  Unfortunately, this was not always the case and we didn't have the best volunteer experiences up until this point.  Stephanie was directing traffic like a boss (this exchange had a tricky parking situation) and directing runners, too.  She was firmly correcting runners who were in the way of oncoming traffic or incoming runners and she efficiently and clearly called out bib numbers as they came in the chute.  We decided that she need some love so, after Sarah passed the bracelet onto JMart, we hopped in the van and as we pulled out of the exchange, I rolled down the window and gave her some of our Larabar stash as we all thanked her for being such an awesome volunteer.  I hope that others thanked her, too, but I'm glad we showed her our appreciation.  She was truly a bright spot in the race! 

Early morning shenanigans at the exchange point as we waited for Sarah to hand off to JMart.  (JMart, Mel, and I)

At the next exchange, as we waited for JMart to come in and pass off to Smitha, Sarah and I decided to scope out the Honeybucket situation.  Just when it looked like we were going to have to pop a squat again, we found the port-a-potty's.  While waiting in line and on the walk back to the van, Sarah and I had a really lovely bonding moment and I thanked her again for the opportunity to be a part of the team.  We talked about my Dad passing and how this year had been so difficult.  I've felt a little lost when it comes to most everything and this has affected my eating habits and my running.  I told Sarah, though, that being a part of this Ragnar team had re-ignited my love of running, as it reminded me of the challenges of running, but also of the exhilaration of pushing past your boundaries, physically and mentally.  It was really nice spending some quality time one-on-one with Sarah!  

JMart came into the exchange not too long after we got back from the port-a-potty's and Smitha was off for her second leg.  I was again the navigator and I admit, I led us astray.  It's a bit of a sleepy haze as to what happened, but I think it was another instance of the streets in real time not matching the street names in the Rag Mag, but I'll take full responsibility for getting us off course.  We found some runners and when in doubt, we followed them, so soon enough, we found an exchange.  I remember someone in the van commenting on how small this seemed for one of the major exchanges, but we really didn't think anything of it.  Parking was a little tricky at this exchange, but Sarah did a badass parallel parking job with the van, which we were all quite impressed by.  At some point, Mel got a call from Dimity, I think, asking where we were.  We said we were at the exchange point and asked if they could see us, which they couldn't, since it became clear by now that we were at exchange 25, not 24.  Melissa came over to the van and told us we were in the wrong place, so we hightailed it out of the exchange and back-tracked to exchange 24.  We hoped that we wouldn't miss Smitha, but we got a phone call from van 1 saying that she had already come into the exchange and passed off to Jen Lewis.  We were going to try to play it off like we just weren't there yet and we told Dimity to tell Smitha that we would be there soon, but word got out that we had gone to the wrong exchange.  By this point, this was becoming second hat to us, though, so we shook it off and headed to the next big exchange to get some rest.  

We hit some traffic as we made it to the next exchange and I guess we determined it was construction traffic due to the earthquake damage.  We were so excited to see the sign for Napa on the highway and we had another sing-a-long to "Good Day" by the Nappy Roots.  It's a great song that I got hooked onto from one of the AMR podcasts and it was fun to sing along with the gals in the van.  There is a video of our sing-a-long floating around somewhere so I'll have to track it down!  

We made it to wine country! 

We found the next exchange and settled down into the van to take a little rest.  Sarah was out like a light in no time.  I thought I could sleep at the drop of a hat, but SBS has me beat for sure!  I think Sarah and I must have been the only ones able to sleep, though, because I woke up about an hour later and the van was empty.  Jodi, Mel, JMart, and Smitha had set out to picnic on the field where the exchange was and had a great time from what I hear.  I missed the "fat M&M's" story happen in real-time, but I heard about it when I woke up and I will forever think of peanut M&M's as fat M&M's. As I type the words, I can hear Smitha saying the words and laughing at herself because she had never seen a peanut M&M before.  

JMart snapped this shot of me sleeping in the van at exchange 30.  I think I fell asleep looking at my phone.  

When we knew Dimity was getting close to the exchange, we made our way over to the exchange area and caught up with our Van 1 friends.  It was always so nice seeing them at the major exchanges and hearing about their adventures and sharing our own!  At this exchange, I learned Sarah's lunge matrix, too!

Melissa getting ready for her third, and final, leg

Soon enough, Dimity came into the exchange zone and we grabbed a quick picture so she could post it on Strava before she handed the slap bracelet to Melissa.

Dimity handing off to Melissa for the last time

Melissa finished her last leg like a boss; she sprinted into the exchange zone like it was no one's business and before I knew it, I was off on my last leg.  It was bittersweet for sure, but I was looking forward to the quick and flat 2 mile leg ahead of me.

Melissa sprinting to the end of her last leg like the badass she is!

Ready to rock and roll for my last leg

My last leg began in a commercial area of Napa and then continued into wine country and some beautiful vineyards.  I ran for a bit with a gentleman who told me about getting lost on his last Ragnar experience in Southern California (Martha, I thought he might be one of your teammates, but I asked and he wasn't).  He and several other runners weren't sure if they were following the course but kept running for awhile before they figured out that they were, in fact, going in the wrong direction.  I can only imagine how that must have felt!  We ran together for awhile, which was nice, but then he went ahead, as I stopped to take some requisite selfies in the vineyards.

Vineyard selfie

I ran past the most exquisite strawberry stand about halfway through my run.  It was set back a bit from the road I was on, but I could smell the strawberries from the road and if I had brought cash with me on my run, I probably would have stopped to get one.  It was getting quite hot by this point and those strawberries smelled amazing!  I finished up my last leg by putting my new favorite jam ("Rather Be" by Clean Bandit featuring Jess Glynne) on repeat and I tried to savor every minute because I knew my race was coming to an end.  It was bittersweet handing off the slap bracelet to Jodi, but I was excited to get into the air conditioned van.  I gave Jodi a hug and told her "you got this" because I knew she had 9.4 miles for her last leg and she was a little nervous about it. 

Post-run picture in the vineyards of Napa

We were low on water and ice in the van and given that it was so hot and both Sarah and Jodi had epic final legs, we stopped at a local grocery store to get some more water and ice.  I decided it was a perfect time for an ice-cold Pepsi (it seems that much of the West Coast is Coke territory, so I was having Pepsi withdrawal) and a Popsicle.  The Popsicle rocked my world, for the record.  I was a sweaty mess but the Popsicle and Pepsi hit the spot.

This Popsicle was a delight after my last leg

We drove to the next exchange and saw Jodi at one point, so we honked and cheered as we went past.  We ended up at the exchange but we didn't see Jodi.  At some point, the runners split off from the way the vans were going, so this didn't concern us too much.  We found a restroom in Yountville and walked around for a bit.  It's a darling town and I made a note to come back with Mom when we did wine country after the race.

Hanging out in Yountville while Jodi ran her last leg

As the heat kept rising, we were getting concerned about Jodi, as there was no van support on this leg or the next.  In fact, there were several notes in the Rag Mag that said police officers would be out ticketing vans that pulled off the road.  We considered driving back along the route to see if we could find Jodi, but we were afraid we might miss her come into the exchange if we did that, so we stayed put.  Melissa and I walked down from the exchange point a few blocks to look for  Jodi and cheer on other runners.  Every runner that passed us looked so drained, emotionally and physically.  It was brutally hot and they had a gnarly leg.  I gave everyone that ran by a huge high five and congratulated them on finishing the beastly leg.  In fact, several times I referred to it as a "bitch of a leg" because it was.  One guy that ran by me thanked me for the high five and when I told him he was almost to the exchange point, he told me that he was an ultra runner and still had another leg after he was done with this one.  I was in awe, because the next leg was 11.4 miles on top of the 9.4 he had just finished!  Kudos to him!  

After a few minutes of greeting runners and giving out high fives, several of the runners told us our girl was coming up soon.  We were so relieved to hear that!  Melissa and I had brought a fresh bottle of cold water for her; rules be damned!  We were going to give that girl some fresh water no matter what.  Melissa had gone back to the van to check her phone to see if Jodi had called and I waited for Jodi to come in.  When I saw her tutu in the distance, I headed her way to give her the cold water.  I told her the exchange was just up the street and to the right and she was relieved to hear that.  She was such a trooper!  It was a beast of a leg and the heat did not help at all.  I stuck around for a few minutes after Jodi left to continue to encourage the other runners that went by and I really enjoyed that.  It was nice to be there to support them after such a hard leg.  We were in a residential area and there were two locals sitting outside in their backyard and I thanked them for letting us run through their community.  They said they really enjoyed watching the runners go by, which I thought was nice.  

I missed Jodi passing off to Sarah, but as we left the exchange, we were all worried about Sarah given the extraordinary heat and her long leg of 11.4 miles.  Sarah's leg was also no van support, but it did provide 3 water stations, so she didn't take her own water.  Melissa kicked into Mama Bear mode and said that we should go pick up more water and ice to help the runners on the course.  We all agreed and decided to help our fellow runners.  Melissa stopped at a market in Yountville and got some ice, baggies, bottled water, and Popsicles.  We started to travel the roads towards the next exchange and found one of the water stations from Jodi's leg.  Jodi had mentioned that race officials had told runners to ration the water at that station since they were running out of water.  She also told us the water was warm, yuck!  Two women were approaching the water station and I hopped out of our van to offer them bottled water and baggies of ice.  As I approached the women, I could tell they were trying to get water out of the coolers.  I offered them some of our bottled water and some ice packs.  They were really appreciative and it was nice helping out fellow runners.  I told them they were doing a great job and that the exchange point was just a little ways away.  

As we drove towards the next exchange, we saw Sarah on the course and we honked and cheered for her as she waved us on.  We drove a little ways ahead and pulled off the road to wait for her to offer her some ice and water.  When we saw her come up to the van, we knew that it was a difficult run and that this leg was not going as planned.  I will never forget the look on her face as she approached the van.  She look defeated and she had tears in her eyes.  I think we all did, too.  We offered her water and ice, which she took, and then we offered to drive her to the next exchange.  She told us she had considered it but she wanted to keep going.  Jodi sent her off with a hug and it is a moment that I will always remember.   I know that Jodi and Sarah had incredibly challenging legs and I can only imagine what it was like to push through such difficulty.  I'm not sure that I can articulate how much they inspired me that day, but whenever I have a difficult run, I will remember that day and I will remember how they pushed through with fierce determination and sheer badassery like I've never seen before.  

This is what the AMR community is about; support, love, and encouragement.  Jodi hugging Sarah after her last leg. 

At the exchange while waiting for Sarah, we heard that race officials had, due to the heat, given teams the option of skipping leg 35 and allowing runners 11 and 12 to run the last leg, leg 36 together.  We quickly decided to go with that plan, as it was hot and it was getting late and we were all tired.  

We cheered Champy on when we saw her come down the road and we set off to drive through to the last exchange.  A few teams decided to continue on and have runner 11 run leg 35 as planned.  I admire that, but I was glad we chose to have JMart and Smitha run the last leg together.  These two should have their own reality show and I mean that in the best possible way.  Dimity referred to their personalities on the podcast and they play so well off of each other.  They are hilarious!   

JMart and Smitha take on the world and the last leg of our Ragnar adventure

The BAMRR warriors are on their way

As we drove to the finish line, I was in awe of our surroundings.  I felt like I was in the movie "A Walk in the Clouds" (great movie if you haven't seen it) and I was making more mental notes of places Mom and I should visit the next day.  

Jodi crossing off her legs.  She shall henceforth be known as #BadassPrincessJodi

Crossed off my legs.  We put war paint on our faces, but it ended up looking like cat whiskers.  :)

Sarah Badass Shea crossing off her legs

We met up with Van 1 at the finish line and waited for Smitha and JMart so we could cross the finish line together.  When we saw them come down the road, we started cheering and quickly fell in line with them.  It was so awesome crossing the finish line! 

We made it!  200 miles in 38 hours!  

I admit that the finish line is a bit of a blur as pure exhaustion had set in by this point.  We had heard earlier in the day that due to a glitch in production, we would not be receiving our medals at the finish line.  We were all a bit bummed, but were told that they would be shipped to us sometime this month, so I guess it will just spread out the Ragnar adventure!  They had a few consolation gifts for teams in the form of ginormous belt buckles, but they had run out of those, too, by the time we finished.  We did get an extra Domino's pizza (I think each team got 1 at the finish line), which we demolished as we waited to get our pictures taken.  We also got extra beer tickets in addition to the ticket we had on the bottom of our race bib.  We were all so tired, though, and we had about an hour drive to our hotel for the night, so we ended up forgoing the post-race beer.  

We did a quick pass through the Ragnar store and then headed to the hotel.  Sarah had headed to the hotel earlier with some of the team who didn't want to shop and Dimity stayed with those of us who did want to shop.  It ended up being that all of Van 1 went with Sarah since they had been at the finish line for awhile waiting for us and all of Van 2 decided to shop.  It worked out really nicely, though, because we got some quality time with Dimity on the drive back to the hotel and Van 1 got some quality time with Sarah.  

We drove down to Vallejo to our hotel for the evening and Jodi and I got settled in our room.  She wasn't feeling too well, so she went to bed, which I think is just what she needed.  I felt like a shower was a necessity, even though I was crazy tired.  I took a much needed hot shower and when I got out, I had a text from Smitha saying they had food and beer next door if I wanted to come over.  Both sounded good, as did some giggles with the girls, so I went to JMart and Mel's room to hang out with them, Smitha, and Lisa.  It was really nice visiting with Lisa since I hadn't had the chance to visit with her much before the race or during it!  

Before too long, I had fallen asleep on one of the beds in JMart and Melissa's room, so we decided it was time to call it a night since it was after midnight at this point.  

Holding up Dimity triumphantly at the finish line

Given that it is after 1 a.m. now, I should probably do the same!  More Napa adventures to come, including saying goodbye to the team (boo!) and wine country adventures with my Mama (yay!).  

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

This quote falls in line with what I mentioned about Ragnar reminding me about why I love running.  Here's to saying "Yes, I can!"

"It will always be easier to say no, I can't until you decide to face your fears and say hell yes, I can." 

My first post-Napa run

I will return to recapping my Napa experience soon, I promise!  I am super tired this evening, though (that's what happens when it is 11:50, I suppose), and I want to give my recap of our last Rangar day my utmost attention.  Stay tuned for that tomorrow!

Last night after dinner and after Jack went to sleep, Matt, Nick, and I had a nice night watching a movie in our bed.  It was nice to snuggle and relax after the work week.  Plus, yesterday was on the gloomy side and quite chilly and windy.  It was perfect snuggling weather!

Today the sun was out luckily, but it was still a bit cool.  We did a bit of errand running in the afternoon and then I went for a run.  I was going to do 5 miles, but I wanted some company and it was so nice outside, so I asked Nick if he wanted to come with me and ride his bike.  Just recently, he learned how to ride his two-wheel bike (thanks, Mere, for helping him learn to ride!) and he's been itching to go for a ride.  He was eager to come with me, so we grabbed his bike and helmet and headed out to the trail.

I wanted to try run/walk intervals tonight to see if that might help me for my half marathon next Sunday.  My running base is not at all what it used to be, so I wanted to see how I would do with run/walk intervals.  I set my Garmin for 6:1 intervals and Nick and I set off.  I thought the 6:1 intervals worked well, although I didn't really notice a difference in my pace.  Nick did great on his bike; he would ride ahead of me and then come back or wait for me to catch up.   I think he enjoyed seeing the other bikes on the trail, too.  He kept commenting on how fast they were going.

At times, I had to remind him to stay to our side of the trail and at one point, he kept weaving back and forth as an older gentleman on a bike was trying to pass us.  I apologized when he finally made it past us and he said "no problem."  He rode ahead for a bit and then came back around to talk to us.  He told me that someday Nick will be riding fast on the bike and he will be walking on the trail.  He told Nick to keep up the good work on his bike, too.  He was very sweet and I thought it was nice of him to come back and talk to us.  It was a nice reminder to me, too.  I was a little exasperated with Nick because he was weaving across the trail in the way of the older gentleman and by coming back to us, the man gave me a little perspective.  Don't sweat the small stuff!  None of the other bikers seemed to mind Nick's haphazard biking and in fact, most of them smiled at him as they went by.

We got past the 2 mile marker on the trail (I think my Garmin read 2.25 miles) and we turned around to head back to the car.  As I started another running interval, I felt a strange pain in my right leg.  It shot down my thigh all the way to my knee.  I felt the pain on both sides of my knee and then I also noticed that it extended back up my leg to my glutes.  I'm fairly certain this is IT band pain.  I've thought for awhile that I've been having IT band pain (and I guess that's still what it could be), but it was nothing like this.  I kept running through the pain, but at some point near mile 3, I stopped in my tracks.  I must have said "ow" because Nick turned around and asked if I was ok.  I told him I was but that I needed to stop for a minute to stretch.  I did a few stretches, some of which hurt, and Nick even joined me to stretch, which I thought was cute.  I started to run again and immediately felt the pain again.  I still kept running but it was pretty miserable.  I looked down at my Garmin and it said 3.14 miles and I decided I was calling it a day.

I told Nick that I was going to walk back to the car and I told him I was sorry to have to go slowly.  He said "That's ok, Mom.  I'm just worried about your leg pain."  One of the things I love most about that little boy is his compassion and empathy.  Such a doll!  I walked most of the rest of the way back to the car, but it was starting to get pretty dark at this point, so around .60 of the way back to the car, I asked Nick if he wanted to pick up the pace to get to the car sooner.  He told me yes, so I ran the rest of the way to the car.  He kept checking on me and my leg and it didn't feel too bad.  I was trying to be mindful of my footfall and my form and it seemed to help.  I feel a little residual pain, so I am going to pull out the foam roller and do some rolling before bed.

I did finally listen to the AMR podcast recapping our Napa adventure on my run tonight and it was nice to re-live our experience.  It felt like I was running with Sarah, Dimity, Kelly, and Melissa!  It was also really nice having Nick with me on my run.  He's such great company and it was fun watching him build up his confidence on his bike.  Next up, we decided we need to add a bell to his bike and a nice light to the front like the other bicyclists had on their bikes.

Me and my sweet running buddy before our run/ride

I hope everyone had a great Saturday!

"If you want to go fast, go alone.  If you want to go far, go together."

A beautiful thing

I'm going to take a little break today from posting about my Napa adventures, because I witnessed something truly amazing and beautiful today that I wanted to share.

My dear friend, Stacy Austerman, participated in a St. Baldrick's event that was held on campus at the college where I work.  If you aren't familiar with the organization, St. Baldrick's is a "volunteer-driven charity committed to funding the most promising research to find cures for childhood cancers and give survivors long, healthy lives." St. Baldrick's is known for its head-shaving events, which I learned, began as a challenge between businessmen to raise funds for childhood cancer research.

In the past, I've seen competitions among donors in which the person who raises the most money has their head shaved.  One year on campus at work, we did a penny war type of competition among faculty and staff and the person who had the most money in their jar was to shave their head.  I've known several co-workers who've shaved their heads and I've see the "after" hairdo (or lack thereof), but I have never witnessed the actual shaving itself.

Stacy mentioned to me earlier this summer that she really wanted to raise funds for St. Baldrick's and I asked her if she would shave her head if she reached her fundraising goal.  She told me that she was going to shave her head regardless of how much money she raised and I thought that was so badass!

The lovely Stacy Austerman pre-St. Baldrick's shaving

Watching her fundraise was really inspiring, but watching her shave her head today was truly inspiring.  I knew it would be difficult for her, so our department headed over to campus (we work in a building a few blocks away) with a few motivational signs (We are so proud of you, Stacy; Stacy is a #baldbeauty; #YouGotThis) to cheer her on.  Stacy's family, including her two daughters, her husband, and several other family members were also there, which was sweet.

Stacy and her crew before the shaving began

When it was Stacy's turn, the crowd got a little quiet and I could tell Stacy was feeling a bit emotional.  You don't think about it often, but your hair represents a big part of who you are.  I don't think about mine too much, except in the morning when I'm trying to get it styled the way I want, but as Stacy got ready to shave hers off, I started thinking about what it would be like to not have mine.  Your hair doesn't define you by any means, but it is certainly a big part of who you are and I can't imagine what it would be like to not have it. This also led me to think about all of the children who suffer from cancer (or adults for that matter) who, during the course of their treatment, lose their hair and how they must feel about that in an already difficult time.  My admiration for Stacy grew in that moment; not only had she raised a significant amount of money for childhood cancer research, but she also selflessly stepped way outside of her comfort zone and shaved her head as a show of solidarity and to stand beside those children fighting cancer every day and that's pretty damn amazing.  She also set a beautiful example for her daughters about what it means to be a caring, altruistic woman who makes the world a better place one step at a time.  

Even though Stacy shaved her head this afternoon, her fundraising efforts continue and I wanted to share the link to her page for those who are interested in making a donation to childhood cancer research.  Everyday, children across the world are fighting battles that they shouldn't have to with strength and dignity that most adults yearn for.  Wouldn't it be amazing if our children's children didn't have to worry about childhood cancer?  I believe that is a reality as organizations, like St. Baldrick's, continue to raise funds for research.  Please consider a donation!

Me with the beautiful, inside and out, Stacy.  Seriously, isn't that one top notch looking scalp?  And yes, she is still holding her hair!  I don't blame her, I think I would be, too.  

Stacy, I am so freaking proud of you!  Your commitment and dedication to raising funds for St. Baldrick's is inspiring and I am so lucky to have such a wonderful friend, who is beautiful on the inside and out!  I know today wasn't easy, but you handled it with grace and dignity.  Thank you for inspiring me in so many ways!

"Their laughter will make your heart melt. Their strength will make a grown person cry.  If you ever see a child fight cancer, it will change your life forever." 

Napa Ragnar (Part 2)

[I meant to post this last night, but we had some wicked storms blow through St. Louis and we lost electricity for a bit.]

I think I might still be recovering from my Ragnar adventure, or at least that is what I keep telling myself on nights that I fall asleep before 8 p.m., like Tuesday night.  On to part 2 of my Napa Adventure!

On Friday morning, the 19th, Van 1 had an early wake-up call to be at the starting line at 4:30 a.m., which was an hour before our team's official start time.  Our anticipated start time for Van 2 was 10:30 a.m., which meant that we had to be at exchange 6 no later than 9:30 a.m. to check-in and listen to our mandatory safety briefing.  We decided that based on our arrival time at exchange 6, that we would need to leave the Marina Motel by 7:45 a.m. to allow us time to drop off excess luggage at Kate's house and grab a bite to eat before we made our way to the exchange.  I think Sarah knew my number when she told us the night before "I'm not one of those people that says 7:45 and we actually leave at 7:50.  When I say 7:45, I mean wheels up at 7:45, so don't be late."  Duly noted, SBS!

Smitha and I ready to roll!

Smitha and I headed out the door just after 7:40 and met up with the rest of our Van 2 gals (Sarah, Jodi, Melissa, and JMart) to load up the van and move out.  We drove through the Presidio on the way to Kate's house and we happened upon a male cyclist wearing a Strava kit.  Since Strava is one of Another Mother Runner's gracious sponsors, Sarah suggested we get a photo of this jolly bicyclist.  Melissa was riding shotgun, so she grabbed her phone and got some great action shots and also offered a friendly "hoot" his way (he was rather attractive once we got the front view!).  He seemed a little caught off guard at first, but he warmed up and gave us a rather sheepish smile.

We got to Kate's house in due time and she lived in a darling, quintessential San Francisco neighborhood; a picture perfect front stoop and gorgeous bay windows.  We unloaded the non-running luggage and made our way to the Golden Gate Bridge to drive into Marin County to find food and exchange 6.  On the way to the Golden Gate Bridge, we turned on "Lights" by Journey, which was a fitting song for our adventure and we had the first of many Van 2 sing-a-longs.

We found another Noah's New York Bagels fairly near to the exchange point and grabbed some breakfast.  There were several other stores in this particular strip mall, including a grocery story, so Sarah and Melissa were able to go grab ice and water for our van while we ordered and waited for our food.  We were in good company at Noah's, as many other Ragnar teams had stopped for sustenance.  I loved all of the creativity among the teams; my favorite team shirts from this stop included "Kiss My Asphault" and "Misters, Sisters, and Blisters."

After breakfast, we drove to exchange 6 and I was amazed at all of the vans!  This was the first major exchange (where Van 1 and Van 2 meet for the first of three times in the race) and there were vans everywhere!  This was also another great opportunity to experience the creativity among the teams.  One of the vans had created a huge, sparkly tiara out of cardboard and affixed it to the top of their van.  This spoke to many of us in our van, not the least of which was our resident #Princess Jodi!  We ended up seeing that van several more times and it felt like Jodi just kept on chasing that tiara!

The #Swagnar tent, chock full of Ragnar goodies!

We began the process of checking in; getting our Rag Mag (the race bible which included directions to the exchange points, race contests, vendor information, etc.), listening to the safety orientation where they warned all of the teams about the excessive heat predicted for the next day (more on that in another post), picking up our orange safety flags, which were to be used when non-runners crossed the street during the race, and getting our Ragnar shirts.  The major exchange points were large enough to allow for teams to sleep and rest.  There were vendor booths and plenty of port-a-potty's (Honeybuckets.  Seriously, that was the name of the port-a-potty company.  It's kind of genius.).

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company had a clever booth at exchange 6.  They had tables set out with hundreds of blank post cards and pens.  Ragnarians could write a postcard to anyone they'd like, put it in the mailbox next to the tent, and Sierra Nevada would mail it for you.  I thought that was a really creative and clever idea and so I sent a postcard to Matt.  It arrived a few days after I got home, but it's the thought that counts!  I also enjoyed sampling some Strawberry Lemonade Nuun and I think it's my new favorite flavor, yum!  I also stopped by the Scott James Jewelry booth to swoon over the cute Napa Valley charm and the Ragnar charm.

Listening to the safety briefing at exchange 6

Sarah picking up our Rag Mag and safety flags

We also took the opportunity to take a few photos while Dimity finished leg 6.  We cleverly came up with different poses for our pictures and I admit, I was clueless when Sarah suggested we take our photo with a particular hand gesture.  I can't even claim that it was sleep deprivation because that had yet to begin.  She said "It's a hashtag!"  Good gracious.  #DuhLaura  My entire entry was based on hashtags and I didn't even recognize it when Sarah made the hand gesture.  #Oops!

Sarah and I rocking the #tutus and the #hashtag

BAMRR's (minus Dim who was finishing her leg)  L-R:  back row Kelly, Jodi, Melissa, Smitha, me, SBS, JMart, and Lisa.  Front row:  Jen Lewis, Erin, and Kim 

Van 2 (aka Van Temporarily Displaced...a lot) L-R:  Jodi, Me, Smitha, SBS, JMart, and Mel (kneeling)

I also took the opportunity to take a photo for my Dad.  I wanted to do something in Napa in his honor and I thought about putting something on one of my shirts ("Bob's Daughter" or "I Run for Dad"), but honestly, as time was running away on me during the days leading up to the race, I reminded myself that he would be with me, because I wear his wedding ring every day.  One of my teammates, Melissa, found out about a medical concern in regards to her Dad after we finished our shakeout run on the Golden Gate Bridge the day before and he was, naturally, on her mind.  We all felt for her and were keeping her dad and her family in our thoughts and prayers.  She wanted to do something for her Dad, too, so she made a sign for him and took a photo with it to send to him.  I asked her if I could borrow it, too, and she sweetly let me take a quick photo of it.  It was a perfect gesture for Dad!  (Thanks, Mel! I really appreciated this sweet gesture!)

Always on my mind, even in the middle of Marin County, CA.  #LoveyouDad

Dimity crushed her leg and she was running into the exchange before we knew it.  I missed seeing her run into the exchange and hand off to Mel, but I know that the Van 1 girls were there to cheer them on.  We quickly left the exchange because Mel's first leg was short and she is speedy!  About a week before the race, Ragnar notified runners that exchange 7 would be a pick-your-own exchange, meaning there would not be a dedicated exchange point, but rather an exchange "zone."  Given that this was at exchange 7, this impacted Melissa (runner 7) and I (runner 8). I looked at the exchange zone on the map on the Ragnar website and it looked like it amounted to about a mile in distance.  Melissa and I quickly talked about our game plan in the van on the way to the exchange, but in hindsight, I guess we never really locked down a plan.  Melissa asked when I wanted to start to run and I said that it didn't really matter to me, because it truly didn't.  Since we both were going with the flow, we settled on meeting up at some point in the mile long exchange zone.  The rest of us in Van 2 would set out to the exchange and when we saw her, we'd switch off.  This would have been an ok game plan if we hadn't had a little detour on the way to exchange 7.  So began our adventure as the van that was "temporarily displaced...a lot." 

In the interest of our belief that "what happens in the van, stays in the van," I am leaving out the names of all involved parties, but as we headed out of exchange 6, we were following the directions in the Rag Mag.  We made a right out of the exchange, and then another right, and headed straight for a few miles.  At this point, the directions read something to the effect of "Keep on hwy xxx for 24 miles."  It took all of us a quick minute until our driver said "Wait, the next exchange is only about 3 miles away."  Uh-oh.  Turns out we had been following the directions for the inactive van (Van 1).  Not to worry, though, as we quickly remedied our path and in reality, probably hadn't gone more than a few miles out of the way. 

As we approached the exchange zone, it became somewhat clear as to why this point had not been a definitive exchange point, as parking seemed to be quite limited.  It's our best guess that the race directors thought it best to alleviate the parking bottleneck by enlarging the exchange zone.  We drove through the exchange zone hoping to see Melissa, but to no avail.  We didn't really panic at that point, because we didn't know exactly where the exchange zone ended.  We found a parking lot at the local library and got out to stand on the race course, as we noticed several other groups of people waiting for their runners, too.  After chatting with these people and a few runners that went by we confirmed a few things. 1) This was essentially the end of the exchange zone and 2) no one had seen our teammate in her fearless hot pink tutu.  

At this point, we started to get a little concerned because we hadn't passed Melissa as we drove through the exchange point and we now knew that this point was the end of the exchange zone, so we had either missed her or she hadn't reached the zone yet.  We figured the later was highly unlikely, though, given Melissa's faster pace.  Sarah and I decided to walk down the street a bit to head towards the earlier spot in the exchange zone to see if perhaps Melissa was back there.  We mulled over several options as we walked.  Would she have kept running past the exchange zone and started my leg?  Would she borrow someone's phone since she didn't have hers with her?  If she did borrow someone's phone, how would she get a hold of us since we all had our numbers programmed into our cell phones and didn't know them by heart?  

We ran into a few fellow Mother Runner's near the beginning of the exchange zone and asked if they had by chance seen Melissa and unfortunately, they had not either.  At this point, we figured it might be best to put something on social media in the hopes that if Melissa borrowed a phone from someone that she might post on our Facebook page or Twitter.  I put a quick note on our Facebook page asking her to call me and I left my cell phone number.  I inadvertently alarmed van 1 with my post (sorry gals!), but it was a necessity at the time.  Sarah and I walked back to the van and our teammates and I suggested that I just start running my leg in the hopes that I would meet up with Melissa at some point.  We agreed that was the best plan at the moment and my teammates said they would continue to drive the course to look for Melissa.  The only caveat to me starting to run my leg would be that I didn't have our team's slap bracelet, which was the item used to pass off between runners.  Sarah assured me it would be ok as long as I stopped running before I entered the exchange chute for exchange 8.  I would need to make sure I had the slap bracelet from Melissa before I entered the chute, which was fair enough.

In all honesty, the pick-your-own exchange concept was not well executed at all.  I know we weren't the only team to have a displaced runner on this leg and I think that in retrospect, the exchange should have been moved slightly to an area that could have accommodated the vans.  Or at least, at a minimum, the exchange zone should have very clearly been defined with signs indicating the start and end points of the zone.  I think our team did a fantastic job of logically thinking through the situation and we handled it as best we could with equal parts humor, concern, and strategic thinking.  

TMI warning for the faint of heart.  Before I set out on my run, I needed to pee.  I had 5.6 hard miles on the books and there was no sense in making it harder by having a full bladder.  I hoped that the library, where we parked our van, would be open so I could use the restroom, but unfortunately they were closed all day due to staff training.  I would be willing to wager that the staff training was strategically planned to correspond with the Ragnar race to avoid the likely rush of runners (ahem, me) who needed to use the facilities.  Desperate times call for desperate measures, so Sarah Badass Shea taught me how to pop a squat right there in the library parking lot.  The concept seems easy enough, I suppose, but I was perplexed as to how to accomplish this feat without peeing on my clothes.  Note: when it comes to nature, I am not a badass.  Sarah showed me the method and we had a nice bonding moment over peeing in unusual places.  Another note:  I stuck to HoneyBuckets from there on out.  It's not my preferred choice, but it ranks slightly higher than popping a squat in a public parking lot.  

Ready to take on Leg 1

After my bonding moment with SBS, I headed out on my run.  My girls cheered me on from the road and I set out on a trail near the library.  The trail didn't last too long and shortly into my run, I was running in a fairly residential area.  The van ran by me early on in my run and honked and cheered before turning around to backtrack and look for Melissa.  I knew most of the first part of my run was a gradual uphill, but I learned quickly on that a "hill" was actually what I would call a "mountain."  I made it up the first incline, but shortly after that, I stopped for a walk break.  I didn't feel too bad, in all honesty though, because I noticed ultra runners walking up this bad-boy mountain, too.  Many of the people who passed me on this leg would wish me good luck and comment on the gnarly elevation increase.  

There was a fair amount of construction on this stretch of my run and the construction workers appeared to be on their lunch break.  I said hello to all of them and had a nice chat with one of the older men who was eating his lunch in the shade.  He asked me what I was doing with a bit of incredulity because he had watched so many runners go by.  I explained that we were running a relay race from San Francisco to Calistoga and he wished me luck.  He also kindly mentioned that I was about 2/3 of the way up the hill and that it would be downhill soon enough.  

Shortly after my chat with the construction worker, I saw a much needed water station and took the opportunity to drink a few cups of water and fill up my water bottle.  By this point, I had been constantly fiddling with my phone trying to get my AMR podcast to work or my Spotify playlist.  Sadly, cell service was super spotty so nothing was working, but I tried to enjoy the sensation of running naked electronically and enjoy my surroundings.

Beginning the downhill after the epic uphill climb

The cows I saw on my first leg.  I'm a Missouri girl, but it still tickled me to run past cows.  I thought the boys would appreciate this picture, too.  

The rest of my run was pretty uneventful, but in a good way. I really did enjoy my surroundings and I got a kick out of all of the costumes I saw and van decorations.  I had a large number of runners who passed me, but I loved talking to all of them.  I said "hi" and "good job" to everyone who passed me and we all commiserated about the hill and the heat (by this point, it was getting pretty hot outside).  There were a few folks who were really focused on their race and were therefore, less chatty, but I understand, and respect, that too.  

As I came into the exchange, I noticed that Jodi wasn't there and I stopped before I entered the chute because I worried about not having the slap bracelet.  I saw Smitha and JMart and they mentioned that they had caught up with Melissa (I was so relieved!) and that she had given the slap bracelet to Jodi, who started her leg while I was finishing mine, which was perfect.  I thought about suggesting that to the team during my run, but it slipped my mind just as soon as it entered it.  JMart and Smitha had an ice cold bottle of water for me, which tasted heavenly!  We met up with Melissa and Sarah at the van and headed out to the next exchange to get Jodi.  

Jodi beat us to the exchange, so Sarah hopped out of the van quickly and started her first leg.  Sarah had some crazy long legs, so we weren't as frantic getting to the next exchange.  We drove to the next exchange and cheered on the runners as we drove by, including Sarah (a.k.a. Champy).  I have a new found appreciation for cow bells.  I don't know how I've made it this far in my running career without one, but I am so glad Melissa brought a few for us to share.  I need to invest in one for my future races!

Sarah came blazing into her exchange like the badass she is and JMart was on her way.  While JMart ran, we took a little time at the exchange to freshen up, refill our water bottles, and eat a bit of sustenance.  It was nice to rest for a little while, especially since we found a few picnic tables in a shady spot.  

Sarah passing off to JMart

As we headed to the next exchange, Melissa and I were able to stop and give JMart some cold water about midway through her leg.  We picked a bit of a precarious spot to stop on the highway (near a blind curve), but we were able to safely cross and give her water and a hug.  JMart had a gnarly, lengthy leg, too, much like Sarah, but in true JMart fashion, she nailed it!

One of the fun parts of Ragnar is van tagging; some vans get team magnets and stick them on other vans, while others use paint pens and write on other vans.  Jen Lewis from van 1 crafted some darling #FearTheTutu magnets for our team to tag other vans with and it was a lot of fun.  The key is to be stealthy and make sure the other van does not see you do it.  This was another area for the teams to showcase their creativity and I loved all of the van tags.  My favorite, below, is a reference to the movie "Ted."  

Thunder Buddies for Life!

We made it to the next exchange and Smitha got ready for her leg.  As runner 12, I'm sure she was itching to start running, as it was late afternoon by this point!  While we were waiting for JMart to come in, I found a runner whose shirt I had admired earlier in the day at one of the other exchanges.  I wanted to take a picture, but I didn't want to be a creeper, so I grabbed her attention, told her I loved her shirt, and asked if I could take a picture.  She had cleverly used the word "Ragnar" to spell out Running hAs Given my Newest dreAms a Reality.  It was one of my favorite shirts!

Smitha getting ready to throat punch her leg!

I love this shirt!

As JMart came into the exchange, we cheered her on and sent Smitha on her way.  We were all getting excited because we knew that when Smitha was done, it would be time for us to eat and rest while Van 1 began their second legs.

JMart passing the slap bracelet (and a hug) to Smitha

When we got to exchange 12, we were so excited to see our Van 1 teammates!  That is the one bittersweet thing about Ragnar; only getting to see the other van intermittently throughout the race.  We tried to make the most of the little time we had with them, though.  There were more silly photo opps, hair braiding tutorials for the short-haired BAMRR's, and the swapping of runners tales from the day. 

SBS, me, and Dimity. I only geeked out a little bit. These women are awesome and 100% badass!

Sarah sporting the sassy bang braid that Erin taught us

Things become super funny when you are sleep deprived, but this was entertaining no matter what.  Sarah brought this Saucony recovery suit and swears by its restorative powers.  

Waiting for Smitha at this exchange was really fun since we had Vans 1 and 2 together.  There was lots of energy and laughter and cheering when we saw Smitha run into the chute.  Smitha was so jubuilant when she came in.  She was the epitome of runner's high and it was so awesome to see!  She had a great run that involved some sing-a-longs to "Sound of Music" songs, if I remember correctly!  There's nothing like singing "the hills are alive..." while you are climbing up the mountains in northern California! 

Jen (Runner 1) rocking the night-time gear as she waits to start her second leg

I adore this picture of Smitha and Jen hugging at the exchange.  Badass love!

If this doesn't perfectly illustrate runner's high, I don't know what does.  Smitha after finishing her first leg. 

As we said good-bye to Van 1 as they began their second legs of the race, our van decided it was time for food, so we walked a few blocks to Chipotle and had a nice dinner outside.  We had been snacking all day, but hadn't had a full meal since breakfast at Noah's earlier that day, so having a good meal was delightful.  We headed back to the van and headed to the next major exchange (18), which was about 45 miles away.  

This particular exchange was at an aquatic center, so showers were available to those who wanted to make use of it.  None of us did, though.  I feel like not taking a shower is part of the Ragnar experience and frankly, it seemed like far too much work to get all of my toiletries out of my bag, get my towel, a change of clothes, etc... and take a shower.  It just seemed like it wasn't worth the trouble.  It was nice to have a real restroom, though!  JMart made friends with one of the nice guys from the local rugby team who were volunteering at this exchange and he gave us some much needed batteries for her headlamp.  

We found a flat, grassy area near some tennis courts and made camp there.  It was about 9 p.m. on Friday night and we estimated that we had until about 1 a.m. on Saturday until Dimity ran into the exchange point.  JMart, Melissa, and I shared the two blankets from the Marina Motel that the owner had kindly lent us.  We put one down to sleep on and used the other as a blanket.  It was actually quite chilly outside and I was glad to have the blankets from the hotel, since I had only brought a huge beach blanket (anticipating that I would be warm, as usual, and would therefore not need a blanket or sleeping bag).  

It was a gorgeous night and I loved laying underneath the stars, which is something I don't ever do.  I love star-gazing, though, and should make this more of a habit.  JMart and I had some giggles trying to take selfies in the dark before we fell asleep.  It took me a bit to get comfy, but I finally found a good sleeping spot on my stomach of all places (I'm normally not a stomach sleeper) and I think I actually got about 3 hours of sleep here and there, which is pretty decent in Ragnar world.  A few girls next to us woke up at one point and were frantically packing up their stuff because they saw sprinklers come on in another area of the parking lot and it got a few runners wet.  I guess they were worried about sprinklers coming on in our area and in hindsight, maybe I should have been, too, but I was so tired it didn't really register with me.  

In the dark selfie! We kept trying to click the button to take a photo and we didn't know if it was taking at all, but as soon as the flash went off we quickly jumped into selfie mode. 

Around 12:15, Melissa gently woke us up and said that Dimity would be running into the exchange point sooner than expected, in about 10 minutes.  We quickly got up, went to the restroom, and I changed into my leg 2 outfit since I would be running relatively soon after Dimity handed off the bracelet to Melissa at the exchange.  

I think that is a good ending spot for today's recap, but there are more Ragnar adventures to follow!

My awesome "You've Got This" shoe tag from my friend, Amy, and the sweet, sparkly "badass" shoe charm from my teammate, Jodi.

In the days leading up to the race, as we were discussing room arrangements on our group Facebook page, JMart had a great quote (below). 

"I didn't sign up for this venture to sleep!"