What a whirlwind June has been! I had an event or race every weekend – boy and I pumped to tell you about all of them!
Goin’ to the chapel…
June 2, was a super amazing day! My son married his girl, and they are off on that crazy adventure called, life, together! I was scheduled to run a 13’er that morning, but with the chaos of putting together wedding flowers, getting my daughter dressed to be in the wedding and having all of the groomsmen at the house getting ready, I opted to run the 13.1 miles virtually. The wedding went beautifully and I couldn’t be more proud of my new daughter, K – you did good! Oh boy! This was a month of firsts!
RAGNAR – Snowmass Trail
The following weekend, well 4 days after the wedding, my husband I made the trip up to BEAUTIFUL Snowmass, CO for Ragnar Trail. We went up a night early to acclimate to the altitude changes – it’s between ski season and summer season up there, so it was really quiet and peaceful for our evening walk through the resort town. While I wouldn’t recommend the hotel we stayed at (that first night only), I fully recommend the Ragnar experience to anyone looking for an adventure.
I was so excited to run a relay, and a bit nervous – those creepy feelings of “what if I can’t complete a loop, or what if I am too slow, and what if I let my team down?” kept creeping into my head. But my husband quickly would redirect me with, “You felt the same about Spartan and Tough Mudder, look how many of those you’ve done, now.” I hate to admit it, but he was correct (never tell him he is right, it just goes to his head) I just needed to get out of my head and enjoy the moment, letting “the jitters” fuel my runs.
We started off setting up our little tent and air mattress in a soccer field with our teams of friends. This race, while you run/slog solo, is a relay – so keeping track of your place on the roster and pace is key. Each team mate runs 3 loops. I was runner number 6 and ran Red loop first, around 3:30 pm (6.7 miles) and it is the hardest loop, so glad to get that one out of the way, since I was not quite sure of what to expect. The first half (at least) was all up hill and at that altitude it was rough, but not un-doable (is that even a word?) When ever I run solo, I have many conversations with God – If I remember correctly, I just kept saying thank you for giving me the will to complete this run and the power to make it happen, then followed by complete AWE and gratitude for the amazing views I got at the top of this mountain! I mean WOW! As I started the decent, I was happy to see switch backs and still those amazing views! While I was enjoying the downhill, I heard frogs chirping (is that what they do?) I was just sure that it was oxygen deprivation, because surely there are no frogs THIS high up on a mountain … but then as I rounded this corner, there was a little bog with a duck paddling around and frogs singing the songs of their people! I had to stop to take a picture. I later found out that some of my friends had dubbed this the fairy garden – appropriately named! The rest of my down hill was super fun, and I was so happy to have not fallen and to have kept my positive attitude all that way to the top to enjoy what the down hill had to offer. Crossing the “quarter mile to go” check point, I couldn’t have been happier that my following team mate kept checking in on me the whole way (she knew I was nervous) with texts to keep me calm, and I knew that I’d see her in just a few minutes at the finish/exchange tent to hand off the bib and watch her go and conquer her loop! I came running in with a smile, so happy to get that done, and excited for my next run.
Base camp below 
That view, though! 
It’s not oxygen deprivation, it’s a REAL fairy garden!
My second loop was done at Midnight – ish : Yellow loop 3.6 miles of winding up hill, mud pits from spring storms and fast down hill. Since my husband I were on separate teams, we were both runner #6 and were able to start about 20 minutes apart, which was a positive factor for me on this run, because I knew he was out there in front of me somewhere. I have run at night before, but trails in the midnight air with no street lights and only the white light of your head lamp and the occasional bouncing lights of the people on the trail in front of you is pretty scary – and freeing! As I started, I was on pavement going up into where, I had no clue – even though I had looked at all of the maps, it really gave me no context of what I would see and where. I came off of the road and began the ascent on the trail, it was dry and the dust danced in my headlamp like fog. My run pace slowed to a solid hike, my quads were angry and my glutes and I were not on speaking terms since red loop a few hours earlier. Once again, in my semi-solitude, I was talking with Him. “Thank you for this opportunity to teach myself to be fearless, thank you for these legs getting me up this hill and for the weather (it was perfect!) and thank you for my friend that told me I was going to get hot with my hoodie – and then took it back to camp for me!” Aside from the occasional runner passing me, or the occasional that I passed, I was solo running, in the dark, on a mountain after midnight! There was a sign that read “Every stick is a snake until proven other wise” and I laughed out loud! I couldn’t see much more than what was in front of me, so naturally the other senses awoke. I could hear the rustling of critters in the brush, the pounding of my heart and the crunching of not just my feet, but the people around me mixed with ragged breath – and then… sloshing of the mud pits. In all honesty, clambering through that mud going up hill (sounds like a story your parents told you about walking to school, right?) was so fun and a little nerve wracking – I kept thinking if I slide back… Oh geez, what if the person in front of me slides back? Oh no… No negative thoughts… Ok, we are all going up together. Then we had a little dry dust again! Thank goodness! FINALLY we are at the top! Here comes the down hill, trotting along, just because I am unsure of the trail and my vision is starting to play tricks, the grass on the sides of the trail are iridescent in my head lamp, my depth perception isn’t the greatest – just like that tortoise – slow and steady will keep me alive! Finally, coming on to the trail where Red meets up with Yellow – Hey! I know this trail, and let the down hill (albeit cautious) run begin! Texting my team mate that follows me to let her know that I have just a little under a mile to go (and that I am still alive out here), and then seeing that “quarter mile to go” check point in my lamp light – YES! I made it! Crossing that late night/early morning finish line in tears of joy for the accomplishment that I had just finished, one more loop in the later morning. I was going to change into my PJ’s and Cheshire Cat onsie for warmth and sip a beer while staring at those stars I had just run under while reflecting on what I had gotten myself into and how much I was enjoying it! Seeing shooting stars is always amazing, but seeing them in the thankful mood I was in, made the moment perfect. It began to rain around 2ish (yep still a.m.) so I went into the tent and joined my husband in sweet sleep (pretty sure I was snoring before I even hit the pillow)
Need coffee and food, STAT! 
The Pizza Dudes! 
Oh that Coffee Fairy!
And finally, the GREEN LOOP – 4 miles of switch back rolling hill fun! By this time, I knew sort of what to expect and was almost ready for this little jaunt. I woke up early in our tent, feeling some what rested and grabbed our coffee mugs to head over to the coffee tent. Such a beautiful sight first thing in the morning, I even hugged the coffee fairy! Sitting back at camp chatting with my friends and team mates, I decided that I was starving this morning, and a friend had the most glorious veggie pizza from the food truck near the coffee fairy. I went on my mission for food. I had just grabbed a pizza for breakfast (don’t judge, it was veggies – haha) when my friend and leading runner told me he was going out for his loop. Dang it, I just grabbed my pizza! I managed to get 2 slices down then fed my friends “breakfast in bed/ tent” because sharing is caring, and headed off to the hand off area to watch the screen for my runner to come in! I felt rested-ish and ready to go, the sun was already heating up, so I filled my hydro pack with ice and water, and made sure to have a GU and a tube of Nuun ready for action. My runner came in and there I went, trotting along. I was definitely not out to break any records today, the goal was just to finish and not let my team down. Through the golf course, along a stream and up the mountain I went! Maybe 1/2 way up and about 2 miles in, I decided that I needed electrolytes, but being new to this hydro pack, I couldn’t unzip and drop a tab in while running, and I wasn’t about to stop, I needed to keep moving forward. SO… I did it… I ate a Nuun tablet dry – now foaming at the mouth like a rabid coyote, I managed to chew it up small enough to swallow and wash it down with a few sips of water – only to be followed by the loudest belch that echoed off of the canyon wall. I was just sure that anyone around probably thought it was a bear growling! I made myself laugh – running alone while exhaustion is setting in will make you a bit slap happy! As I trotted along, I had fun watching the little ground squirrels darting back and forth across the path, running along next to me, showing off that they can breath well up there. I kept going until I felt that familiar easing up on my legs, DOWNHILL! I picked up the pace and just let gravity do most of it’s thing (I hadn’t fallen yet, and I wasn’t about to now!). Pretty soon I glanced down at my watch and I was already 3 miles in – looking around I could see the Base Camp and hear the announcer cheering all of the runners on. I dug deep and made my way in to the final stretch. When I handed off the bib, I had a feeling of accomplishment that was so warm and welcome! I did it! I finished all 3 of my loops with out falling, not as fast at predicted, but I finished!
Don’t tease me… 
Mmmm Beer
Our teams all waited for our anchor runners to finish and run in as a team one last time. It was such a wonderful feeling to be able to be part of a team and see just what you can accomplish together. This weekend brought back to light the fact that my love for running has grown over the miles and the years. And a huge, HUGE thank you to my 3W family for the opportunity to participate in this team event!
My advice to anyone interested in this race, TRAIN – know your limits and push them before the race weekend. And that negative self talk? That’s all it is, words, do not defeat yourself before you have even started. Proving those words wrong and proving yourself to YOU is worth everything in the world and more.
It's Just me, V 
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