So as I have posted before, I signed up to run the Ragnar Wasatch Back Relay Race from Logan Ut, to Park City! I can't express how much fun, how tired, how mentally exaughsted, how overjoyed I was to run this spectacular race!!! There has been no other comparission to that type of physical accomplishment in my life that I have been most proud of, the next time it will probably be when I have a baby! But in this post I would just like to give an overview of the 32 hours between Friday and Saturday!
Friday morning, 3:15 am, I wake up to my alarm and realizing that I have to run a race, and I have no idea what I am in for, and just a little annoyed because it was so early in the morning and I have to be awake! But here I go, I get dressed in my running attire, and head out to the van with my other 5 teammates. We are all a little nervous/excited. I prayed that I would be able to be excited more than nervous, because when I get nervous my stomach gets grouchy! So I know throughout the entirety of race the Lord did bless my nerves! So we all get in the 15 passanger van and head out to the starting line to get a safety overview, and get our shirts before we start! And there are suprisingly a lot of vans and runners there at 4 in the morning! But we made it and then the count down, 5, 4, 3, 2....1!!!!! GOOOOOO! Go Jesse! Who was our first runner that morning, and it was soooo cold that morning so we wanted to get back into the van as soon as we could! We were all new to this type of race so we just guessed where the next exchange was, and we made it in plenty of time! Our next runner was Kandi, and she was so nervous because she gets shin splints, but she did awesome, she ran 6.7 miles! So we were now understanding a little bit of how the exchanges work, and how the van follows the runner and so forth. Now it was Jessica's turn, she was super nervous, she was taking TUMS, and poor gal she was sick as well, but she totally rocked her run! She then passed off to me!! This was my 5.1 miles that I had to run, and the scenery was beautiful, I had never been to that part of northern Utah before and it was so green! So I am running along and I am so excited that I am having this awesome opportunity to do this!!! I am trying not to run too hard to give all of my energy up but the weather was nice and I was trying to stay focused on accomplishing the run. It did get a little tiring at the end because of the heat but it felt so good and so exciting to pass of to Michelle the runner after me. She was awesome! She ran 7 miles up a pass and she did amazing! So after she passed off to Tyler we then went into Ogden valley and this is where we passed of to the second van of runners. We were then all excited to go relax and eat....and I was due for a nap, after getting hardly any sleep I was tuckered out! The stop where we waited for the second van to finish was at a Ski resort and it was so beautiful and green, and warm, so then I napped and it was bliss! So after about 2 hours of resting and waiting, we then got the notice that it was time to get ready! Here we go again! I was getting nervous again, but I was trying not to show it. Something that I did before every time that I ran I would go into the porta-potty (very sanitary I know) and I would ask for the Lord's strength during this part of my race, and I know that I was given just that little extra bit of strength to endure. I especially needed it for the second leg! It was 4 in the afternoon, and hot and HECK!!! Seriously it was so hot, the pavement was hot and I was running in neighborhoods and the wonderful locals turned on their sprinklers for us, thank you locals! So here I am in, in the heat running, and I don't see my van. Hmmm...they are allowed to follow me during this leg to hand me water and cheer me on, but I don't see them and I have to run 4.2 miles without water?! Thankfully some other teams sprayed me with water, and then about 1/2 mile from the exchange the van finally shows up and brings me some agua!!! THANK YOU!!!! I was exaughsted!!!! I got in the van and just sat there, didn't move or anything, didn't want anybody to touch me and just to let the cold air blow on my new sunburn...ahhhhh! So when we are finally done with the second part of all of our legs we are tired! We go to the exchange point to meet up with the second van again and it is at this park, and it looks like all of these homeless people live there because everyone is camping out in hammocks and sleeping on the picnic tables, and on the grass, we decided to go the highschool and sleep. We actually just slept in the car, but it was so awkward and uncomfortable! I slept on the front seat and I think I got about 2 hours the entire 4 1/2 that we were there, and I couldn't believe at 2 in the morning it was our turn again. For me I couldn't believe that I was awake at that time with hardly any sleep and going to run another 3.8 miles in just a few hours. Here we go again! I am pretty sure I tried to sleep in the van until the last part of my leg, but it was very little if at all because I knew I had to get some food in me to burn off, so for the last time I went into the porta-potty and prayed and got ready. Since this was in the early morning around 5:45 I had to wear the reflective gear, great, its so uncomfortable to wear, but I did it! It was so nice to be able to run downhill into Heber valley and know that I am finishing! YAY! I am just about to go to the last exchange when I see it, a hill.... Ok so it wasn't the biggest that I have run, but I was not at all excited about this, I was determined to run every single part of my race and this I wanted to walk so bad, but I didn't, I ran up that thing and ran as fast as I could to Jessica to exchange! And then I was done! Hallelujah! Was I tired? Yes like you wouldn't believe! Worth it? I have never been more proud of a race then that one! 13.1 miles down and 0 to go! Then van 1 finished and we ate at McDonalds because we needed calories and not just bananas and protein bars, and then we waited for van 2 to finish at the Canyons resort! We all crossed the finish line and we finished 188 miles in 31 hours and 51 minutes! Go team! Then I slept for 15 good hours and I had the bragging rights for a good 24 hours, it was so worth it!
