No one likes running.
What is Ragnar?
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. Unlike most other races in Ragnar the runner fights off fatigue, hunger and sleep depravation. In a sense the Ragnar is for runners who hate eating, sleeping and love feeling terrible.
My first Ragnar was Golden Gate Park to Napa Valley (about 200 miles).To be completely honest I did not want to run this relay I really hate running. On the day of the race my teammates came to pick me and my sister up. I was leg 6 of van one which meant there would be 5 people that would run before me. I had time to think about how much I hate running and why am I here before I knew it was my turn to run this dreaded race. My distance was a measly 5 miles. I finished my leg in about 40 minutes. Pretty terrible pace that’s 8 minutes a mile. As I rested in the van as the next runner to start I realized something. I just did something most people can’t do. I did something I hated for the sake of the team. If I had chosen not to run on the spot they would have to pick someone else to run my leg of the race which could have really been a problem. A couple of hours later it was my turn again. This time I would have run though the night but this time I would only run 2 miles which meant I should not have sprinted the entire thing because I might fall down and hurt myself this part of the race took place on a busy off ramp intersection. I decided to gun it and not stop for anything not even for cars. Needless to say I beat the average time for this leg of the race if you stopped and did not sprint and do it safely by about 6 minutes average time was about 20 minutes. My teammates were very amused because of my disregarded for guidelines. As I thought about how fast I did this leg it occurred to me if I had gotten his I would have slowed my team down by a large amount they would have to get me from the hospital. I am pretty sure my mother would not have fun getting me out of the hospital. I learned I should fallow guide lines regarding safety. The last leg of the race was 6 miles though some hills in Napa. This was the hardest part of the Ragnar. I decide gun down this last part because the hill was at the end. When I got to the hill I vomited all over myself but continued to run regardless of the vomit. When I got to the end of my leg I had to take quick shower in the bathroom because no one wanted to be in the same van with someone covered in vomit.
This was a moment in my life where I have tired the hardest for anything. Physically I was beat my body rejected any sort of sustenance to rebuild my body’s lost nutrition. Mentally I was breaking down. I really hate running a lot. It’s like putting pepper in your eye because someone told you its fun and you know it’s not but you do it anyway.
This relay has pushed me as person. Doing something I hate with a compassion because my team needed me. I learned to be a team player.
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. Unlike most other races in Ragnar the runner fights off fatigue, hunger and sleep depravation. In a sense the Ragnar is for runners who hate eating, sleeping and love feeling terrible.
My first Ragnar was Golden Gate Park to Napa Valley (about 200 miles).To be completely honest I did not want to run this relay I really hate running. On the day of the race my teammates came to pick me and my sister up. I was leg 6 of van one which meant there would be 5 people that would run before me. I had time to think about how much I hate running and why am I here before I knew it was my turn to run this dreaded race. My distance was a measly 5 miles. I finished my leg in about 40 minutes. Pretty terrible pace that’s 8 minutes a mile. As I rested in the van as the next runner to start I realized something. I just did something most people can’t do. I did something I hated for the sake of the team. If I had chosen not to run on the spot they would have to pick someone else to run my leg of the race which could have really been a problem. A couple of hours later it was my turn again. This time I would have run though the night but this time I would only run 2 miles which meant I should not have sprinted the entire thing because I might fall down and hurt myself this part of the race took place on a busy off ramp intersection. I decided to gun it and not stop for anything not even for cars. Needless to say I beat the average time for this leg of the race if you stopped and did not sprint and do it safely by about 6 minutes average time was about 20 minutes. My teammates were very amused because of my disregarded for guidelines. As I thought about how fast I did this leg it occurred to me if I had gotten his I would have slowed my team down by a large amount they would have to get me from the hospital. I am pretty sure my mother would not have fun getting me out of the hospital. I learned I should fallow guide lines regarding safety. The last leg of the race was 6 miles though some hills in Napa. This was the hardest part of the Ragnar. I decide gun down this last part because the hill was at the end. When I got to the hill I vomited all over myself but continued to run regardless of the vomit. When I got to the end of my leg I had to take quick shower in the bathroom because no one wanted to be in the same van with someone covered in vomit.
This was a moment in my life where I have tired the hardest for anything. Physically I was beat my body rejected any sort of sustenance to rebuild my body’s lost nutrition. Mentally I was breaking down. I really hate running a lot. It’s like putting pepper in your eye because someone told you its fun and you know it’s not but you do it anyway.
This relay has pushed me as person. Doing something I hate with a compassion because my team needed me. I learned to be a team player.