Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Ok all, get a move on


Hey all- the lavender run is now only about 10 days away! This will be a fun race, come and run it with us! It's less than 20 bucks too! Be sure to sign up with our team name- she runs like a girl. Leave a comment and let us know you are registered! Happy running! Love Danna

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Kristin's Ragnar Race Report!!

Yes, I did the CRAZY Ragnar Relay Race with Danna and a team of 10 other people this last weekend!

For those who don't know anything about this race, here's a quick summary:
  • We run 190 miles (Logan to Park City) through lovely canyons and over mountains and everything!
  • You run in a team of 12 (2 vanloads of 6 people) and each runner runs 3 legs of the race.  Each leg is about 3-9 miles and they all vary in difficulty.
  • There is a baton, which is actually a slap bracelet, and there is always some member of your team running- even in the middle of the night!  The race takes 2 days!
  • Each team is responsible for supporting their own runners with drinks, supplies, etc.  You basically drive up to the runner and ask what they need several times throughout their run.  You run water, Gatorade, GU (in my case- always chapstick and a kleenex much to my team's amusement) across the street to them- which all the other vans are doing.  It makes for some seriously crazy street situations as you can imagine.
Well, all I can say is...I don't know what to say.  In the words of Charles Dickens, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."  :)  I mean, it was a totally unforgettalbe adventure, and I'm glad I did it!  It was completely unique from any other racing or running experience.  But it was HARD, a lot of work, sleepless, hot at times.

Here are a few interesting things from my experience:
  • There were vans, buses, and Suburbans EVERYWHERE- all decorated according to their team name and theme.  And people went all out!  One truck was converted into a huge mammoth- humongous tusks and all.  Many were completely covered in paint, or tape, or posters, or vinyl letters and pictures.  It was amazing.  Every clever thing you could ever think of that has to do with running was on some van or another!
  •  For those of you who have been asking- no there was never any stinkiness or B.O. smell!  When I got home, Matt said I only smelled like sunscreen.  Amazing, huh?
  • Our van got a break for 5 hours.  We set up camp in a church parking lot and tried to catch some Z's.  None of us actually slept except for Tom, who was then rudely awoken by the sprinkler system.
  • I had great team members.  Or van consisted of Ben, Tom, Rick, Emily, Danna and me.  Aka: (respectively) our fearless leader, a most delightful and pleasant person, easy-going nice guy who runs super fast, lovely girl who was tough as nails, and BFF.
  • The PTA in one town had commandeered the high school and were selling tickets to sleep in the school, use the shower, eat, and go to the flushing restrooms.  Heartless and genius at the same time.  I bought a bathroom and shower ticket. That locker room was a mad house,  A flesh pot, if you will.  A soap and water mess full of desperate women with their toothbrushes and shower tickets.
  • Some teams came in full costume.  We saw leather-clad gladiator women, running in boots and fishnets, men dressed as female nurses with polyester dresses and big blond wigs, and couples dressed in wedding attire!  The women ran with veils, the men with bowties and cummerbunds. 
Our team name was "La Muerte Fea" (Ugly Death).  I was runner #7.  I was the first in our van to run.  My first leg was at like 3 pm in the killer heat!  Seriously- hottest run of my life!  Dump water on me!!  It was 4 miles.  I learned that most Ragnar runners are not chatty, don't run in a clump, try to pass you if possible, wear ipods, and have vans who follow and leap frog them closely.  I learned how to stretch on the run.  The van doesn't rest when you finish.  Cool down is sitting in the front seat fanning yourself. 

My second run was the night run.  About 4 miles again.  And hilly!  Y'all know I don't do well with hills, right?  I was STRUGGLING on some of those miles and so were the runners near me.  I passed most of them.  I secretly wanted my van to go away so I could walk or crawl.  I wore the required reflective vest, "butt lights," and our team's LED flashers.  I felt like a small Christmas tree.  I whined to Ben and he would hear none of it.  I realized later that my run was only a "moderately difficult run."  Most team members had "hard" and "very hard" runs.  I'm a weeny, but...hey.  I learned this run that your van can get backed up in traffic and make you miss your pass off by a lot.  Sorry van # 1!  That I need to have my outfits, ice, and meal in one easy to grab sip-lock for when I finish a run, and not have to dig through the trunk over and over at every quick support stop for the next runner.  I learned that out-houses are not sanitary at night when all runners are sleep deprived and stumbling in the dark. 

My final run was again in the heat at like 11 am.  Hot again.  Body tired.  No got sleep.  Need sprinkler.  Need cheer for me.  Maybe chafed?  Knees stiff.  Feel energized that it's my final leg.  A few other vans spray me with mist, and cheer for me.  One particular van of girls drives next to me and chants, "And I! WOULD! WALK! 5! HUN! DRED! MILES! AND! I! WOULD! WALK! 500! MORE! just to BE! THE! WOman! WHO! WALKED! A! THOU! SAND! MILES! TO! FALL! DOWN! AT! YOUR! DOOR!"    I finish and feel great!  I get hyper and slap happy and silly and sing to my team mates and hang out the window a lot.  I watch them all run killer final legs and I am in awe of them.

So, what do you think?  Would you ever run the Wasatch Back?  It's wild!  Would I do it again?  Ummm, ask me in a few weeks.  It's like I just went through labor and you're asking if I want more babies!

XOXO
~K

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Giveaway winner!

Thank you so much to all who participated in our little giveaway!  It's fun to see the new followers and check out your blogs and stuff.  We chose a random winner via random.org.  It chose comment # 9.

And the winner is...

Teamarcia!!

Good job girl! 

Now you need to go pick which Jeff Galloway book you want and email us your choice and your mailing address.  We are excited- hope you enjoy the book!

XOXO
~K, D, and S!

Thursday, June 10, 2010

What the crap have I done?

PS:  Don't miss our recent giveaway!  Tell your friends!

For me, running is a lifestyle and an art. I'm far more interested in the magic of it than the mechanics.
~Lorraine Moller, Olympic Marathoner

Hi.  It's Kristin.
Have you ever heard of the Wasatch Back?  It's a Ragner Relay race starting in Logan and ending in like Pennsylvania.  Ok, more like Park City, but still.  It takes two days for your team to accomplish it.  It's crazy, and supposedly really fun.  It consists of sleep deprivation, hills, and sweaty smelly group members.  Thus I was not interested.  (Have I ever blogged about my strong aversion to B.O.?  Like, stronger than most people.)  

Danna has been working me this whole year.  I have been strong.  I have resisted.  

A team member dropped out of her group and it's an "easy" role.  I thought about it.  I said no again.  Danna asked again another day.  I thought about it.  I said no again.  Then the final day for changes past and I was in the clear.  

So how is it that I am now all signed up, you ask?  I have no idea how this happened, but here I am.  Freaked.  Totally freaked.  Feeling too old for this nonsense.  Too wimpy.  Too nasally sensitive.  I need encouragement, people.  Help me.  Pray for me and my PF.  Who decided to flair up again this week after weeks of arch supported bliss!  (PF = plantar fasciitis).  

Curse you, Danna, and your zealousness and ambition!!!  (**fist shake**)

Anyone ever run this race?  Tell me some details.  Anyone have a wimpy girl in your van vomit adn weep and ask you to run her third leg?  Just checkin'.

XOXO
~K

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

100th post!! And a Givaway!!!

Don't miss D's previous post, also from today!  It's about the Lavender run.  

Hey lovely readers!  Thanks for sticking with us (or joining up with us now).  We love your comments and emails.  We wanna do a little giveaway to tell you thanks.

Danna and I have really liked Jeff Galloway's books, especially when we first got started.  We studied those things like crazy.  They really helped in so many ways and I still use a lot of the things I learned in almost every run.  So we're giving away a book of your choice.  Here are your options:

Jeff Galloway's newest book: 
Galloway Training Programs
or
Galloway's Book on Running
(Or if you don't want either of these pick the one you like best on Galloway's site and we'll get you that one!  You can decide after you win.)


 Here's how to enter: 
(PS:  You must make a separate comment for each entry!)

1.  (Required entry)  Become a follower and make a comment telling us you did (or make a comment telling us that you already are one).  You do this by clicking "follow on our side bar.  :)
2.  Post this contest on your blog and make a comment saying you did so.
3   Post this contest on Facebook or Twitter and make a comment saying you did.
4.  Add us to your blogroll (blog sidebar) and make a comment about it.

The contest will end 6/20 at midnight!  We'll pick an entry by random selection (random.org).

Good luck!

~K, D & S

For the love of Lavender.... and running!



Ok all of you 'she runs like a girl' followers....It's time to sign up the Young Living lavender farms 5k! This will be a unique opportunity to run through the lavender fields. After the race they are having family fun stuff and activities, as well as "you pick" lavender. They have a free wreath making class as well. My sister Katie even plans to run it with her 8 year old. What a fun mommy thing! Sign up with our team name, and plan a fun day with all of us!