After we ran Vegas last year there were a few of us that really wanted to run Wasatch Back this year. Soon after we got home they opened up the Thursday-Friday run, an extra race for their 10 year anniversary. We were all over it. I asked Phil "What if I am pregnant?" He told me that as long as I was doing ok running he felt ok about it. I figured what the heck and took on Captain of my second Ragnar team.
We decided it would be fun to get a bunch of couples together and to do an all couple team. We were so lucky to make it all the way to race day with 5 couples still intact. We lost one husband due to work and had to get a sub. :( We thought the name SOLEmates was perfect for our team.
The night before the race started we all got together for a BBQ and a few last minute planning things. Then we were off to decorate our cars. We decided rather than drive up the night before and stay somewhere unfamiliar and not get a lot of sleep, we would sleep in our own beds and head up early early. 3 solid hours was really probably more than I got
last year. By 4AM we were on our way.
We got to the start line to check in at 6 AM, 1 hour before go time. It was FREEZING! Barley even 40 degrees, good thing we had some blankets!!! Once the sun came up it was beautiful. We had to get a pic of van 1 at the start line! Go TEAM!
Steve was runner 1, Brady 2, Britton 3, Me 4, Laura 5 and Phil 6. Phil was our van photographer and managed to get great shots of everyone running and even gave them aide while taking pictures...maybe he should have been captain. ;)
We are all clean still, for a minute.
My first leg was a nice little rolly run. I had been having some issues with side aches during my runs a couple weeks previous to ragnar, I was so happy that I felt like a million bucks on my first leg. I passed 15 people!! I couldn't believe it, considering my condition! haha The run was great. The road was a little iffy just because it was super uneven unless you ran in the middle of it. However it was all paved, which I hadn't expected. It was 4.3 miles 42:51 with a pace of 9:58/mi It is a happy day for me when I can run under 10 with this lil one attached. :)
Poor Laura ran my leg from last year up Avon pass. She def had the temp on her side as it was probably 15 degrees cooler, but since we ran Thursday/Friday there weren't as many teams people were driving WAY too fast and kicking up so much dust! Not cool! Phil had quite the intense down hill and rocked it like it was his job. I don't know his times or if he cares to write them down. I keep track of mine on here and love to look back. He did so awesome on Ragnar though and had some of his best running yet! And he had a hard leg, Go Phil!
After we finished up our legs we went to Snow Basin and just hung out. It was so nice because the weather was so much cooler this year. Last year we laid there sweating and this year you could actually enjoy it. How funny that not 10 minutes after we parked my bro and sis's van parked right across the parking lot from us! Yahoo, so glad I got to see them!
Steve took off for his second leg about 5ish and we were all ready to go again!!! My second leg I was pretty stoked looked VERY flat and easy. Now not that it wasn't easy and flat, but it started off a little in a mess because we didn't realize that it was time for our night time safety gear. We were literally throwing it all on me as Britton was running up. Then the whole run smelled like manure. That may be fine if you aren't prego but I was literally gagging. Not cool. haha I was pretty glad when it was over. 4.1 miles 41:31 10:06/mi As you can see from the pics, Phil had to get out and help me with my lights and my head lamp literally sat on my sunglasses....that's besides the fact that do you really need the two together, aren't headlamps and sunglasses opposites???
Phil finished up his last leg at about 10:45. I was seriously really proud of him. That leg into East Canyon is a doozy. Lots of hills, especially at the end and it is about 8 miles long. He did awesome. After that we headed to the hotel we rented. It was so nice to have a place to shower and sleep for a couple hours. 12-3 never felt so good. We all were totally out! We started running again about 4:30ish. So funny, after we dropped Steve off we were trying to figure out where we were supposed to be going, so we rolled down our window and asked one of the volunteers. The volunteer happened to be my SIL Gina's, brother. So weird to run into him at 4 in the morning in some UT town. Nice of him to volunteer. :)
The morning runs consisted of a lot of this....by those not running.
I literally slept all the way until Brit was mid run. That's what being prego will do to you, so great! haha She ran her toughest leg last. She made a little buddy and they did awesome running it! My last leg had a major downhill. Think running from the top of Jordanelle to the bottom, that is exactly what it was. I had been having some side aches while running down hill so I was a little nervous when I took off. This was the only run I wore my belt for. I was so happy when I looked down at my watch to see I was running a 7:36/mi and it wasn't hurting that I started crying! haha can we say pregnant hormones? I knew I was gonna pay for it on my knees later but didn't even think twice about it. Turns out my knees where fine but I pulled muscle in my side (think perma side ache) and had a sore sore back from holding up the basketball in my belly! haha it was so worth it. :) What I didn't pay attention to was all those little rolly hills after the big down. They were hard on old, pregnant, tired body! haha 6.07 miles 54:48 9:02/mi
I'm all done, do I look happy? haha
Laura and Phil finished us off with there short legs and we were DONE!!! We decided to hit up Kneaders for breakfast and then the outlets. There we cleaned up a bit and changed and then looked around a little before heading to the finish line. We crossed around 4 ish and it was awesome! :)
Van 1!!!
Go little Sis!
All the girlies from our ward!
Go Solemates!!! So fun!!!
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