Vegas Ragnar 2013 Review

I had signed up for the Las Vegas Ragnar 2013 back in February of 2013. We had a committed van of 6. Well a lot can happen in 10 months. I ended up getting treated for a stress fracture in my left hip that required I not run for at least 2 months. In July I started back running but I tried to ramp up slowly so as to not end up with another stress fracture or something worse. For a few months I was just running for once a week and only 3 miles. By mid September I decided that if I was going to run a Ragnar in November I had better step up my game. I started running multiple times a week and worked my way up to running 5 miles at a time just a few times. So you can imagine that I wasn't super confident or overly prepared for this relay. Fortunately I was one of the runners with the shortest total distances. I was runner 3 in van 1. Here are the legs that I ran:

Leg 3 | 5.5 Miles | Moderate

My first leg went relatively well. I started around 11 AM and finished my first mile in 7 minutes. It helped that it was downhill and I had the adrenaline flowing. I passed several other runners and got passed a few times. Towards the the end I decided that it was time to finally pass this runner that I had kept playing leap-frog with. As I sped up and passed her I suddenly started feeling nauseous. This had never happened to me in a race and before I knew it was at the side of the road puking. I pulled myself together and finished my leg with what I considered to be a good time for me all considered. It took me 50:45 minutes to run 5.5 miles. That's almost an 9 minute mile. Oh and I did end up with a nice big blister on the pad of my left foot. You can see more details of my run on Nike+.

After our van completed legs 1-6, we decided to get something to eat for lunch. We went to Panera Bread since it was near the next exchange and we weren't going to have a ton of time. I ordered squash soup, half a turkey sandwich, an apple, and a cookie. As soon as I finished eating, I realized that I was not feeling well at all. I tried visiting the bathroom hoping that it would help. I also tried drinking more water to get hydrated. Finally I took some Advil. It kind of helped the headache but again I was feeling nauseous. We wondered around a few stores while waiting for our turn to run. I was still feeling sick when we moved on over to the actual exchange. By this time it was starting to get dark. I went with Cody, Kimi, and Kilee into REI next to the exchange. Again I tried the bathroom but this time when I finished I decided that I needed to throw up once again. This finally started to give the relief that I needed. I think that I must have had a touch of food poisoning. When we got back to the car, Braden, had gone and had his blisters treated at the first aid tent. I decided that I should do the same. Mine had not burst so the medic, put a little gel pack for cushion and some gauze on the pad of my foot and wrapped it loosely with tape. I'm so glad I did that because it totally save me from it getting bigger and bursting.

Leg 15 | 2.1 Miles | Easy

By the time my second leg was to begin it was pretty dark and cold. It was around 7 or 8 pm. This year I was prepared. The 2.1 mile run through this neighborhood went much better than I was expecting after eating lunch. The first hill felt much more uphill than I was expecting but now that I look at the map, I should have known. Maybe it was the fact that my first leg was very downhill that made this little climb feel bigger than it was. All in all I was glad I finished with an average of under 10 minute miles. That was my goal coming in to this. I ran 2.1 miles in 20:45 minutes. You can see more details of my run on Nike+.

Before we all had to run again, we went back to our super nice hotel on the strip for a shower and a little sleep. I think I got maybe 2 hours or so before it was time to get back up. But it was so worth it! Thanks to our friend Erik who hooked us up at Hilton Grand Vacations on The Strip. By 1:30 AM it was time to head out to the next exchange.

Leg 27 | 4.0 Miles | Moderate

By the time my third leg had come, I had lost all my adrenaline but I knew that this was it for me. I just had to finish this and then I was done! On my second leg, I think I had worn too many warm clothes. So on this leg I just wore my running tights, a t-shirt, and a long sleeve tech shirt but this time I added gloves. It was a good combo. Again I felt alright about my time. I ran 4.0 miles in 37:47 minutes with an average pace just under 10 minute miles. You can see more details of my run on Nike+.

When we handed off to the other van we headed back to the hotel again for showers and sleep. This time I actually got 3 or 4 hours sleep. This way we were able to show up to the finish line meeting the other half of our team looking all fresh and dewy for photos. Not too mention that we smelled a whole lot better. :)

I not only picked up my Las Vegas medal but I also earned a "Deuces Wild" medal because I had run another Ragnar (Del Sol) this year. Had I ran the Wasatch Back Ragnar as planned I would have picked up a third "Saints and Sinners" medal. :(

Our team placed 17th out of 338 in our division. We placed 36th out of 491 overall. Not too shabby!

Team: Yur Mom Runs Ragnar

Van 1: Bryant, Braden, Brian, Cody, Kilee, & Kimi

That night we had slept enough that we had energy to go out and have some fun. My buddy, Nate, and some friends were in Vegas for the night before they flew out to Oahu. We managed to get to hang out and see a show on The Strip thanks to Cody's connections.

Cody, Brian, Erin, Nate, & Lindsay

"Cher"