Valuable Lessons

In no particular order:

• Bring some toilet paper; you don't want to find out that every Port-O-Potty is out.  Yes, that did happen at one spot in particular.
  
• A sleep mask is a must!  Thanks, Stephanie, for this suggestion!
• Many people had great ideas to help make sleeping outside more comfortable: air mattresses, blow-up pool floats, even sleeping bags and a hammock were spotted. 
• The power strip and inverter were awesome!  Definitely do this so there's no jockeying over one or two lone spots to charge phones & other items! 
• One jar of pickles is not enough juice for 200 miles.  Seriously, why skimp?!
• Running 3 times really means that 4 outfits are needed.  Who knew that the last one of the day (for me) would be the hottest, most humid, and sweatiest of them all? 

I Have a Badass Grandma Too!

Did you see this article about the Olympic ski halfpipe gold medalist, Maddie Bowman, and her "badass grandma" today?  Check this link for the full article; it's really good!  Here's a picture of Maddie's grandma.  Is she cute or what?

I would like to state, for the record, that I have a badass grandma too!  (Yes, I'm already thinking about getting a shirt (like the one above) made for my grandma!  She'd totally rock that!!!!)

Another Team Photo (Because We Rock)!

Don't we look like we had a ton of fun?!

Top Row (L to R): Ryan, Josh, Brian, Andy, Jessie, Morgan C., and Hans
Bottom Row (L to R): Heather, Mindy, Morgan F., Stephanie, and me

More Results and Interesting Facts!

This is just too cool!  (Linky in case you want to see for yourself.)

Team 424, CG Air Station Miami (aka: Bonk Republic), won our division & finished 60th out of 478 "regular" teams (of 12 people)!  Out of those 478 teams, 454 of them finished the race.

Oh, and another cool fact is that we beat team Bacon Slayer from MN!  (They were my friendly "rivals" on Twitter.)

Can I get a "woot woot" from the crowd?!

Results Are In!!!!!!

OMG!  Check out the results!

http://www.webscorer.com/racedetails?raceid=18339&cid=119139

Kickin' ass & takin' names!!!

Still Waiting...

No results yet!  (Patience is not one of my strong suits.  Ask anyone in my family; they'll confirm it for you!)

No Results Yet...

We're still waiting on the results.  Heard the awards ceremony was moved to 6pm.  Should be soon!

How Many Teams Participated?

Take a guess on how many teams participated in the Ragnar relay this weekend?  Any ideas?  100 teams?  Nope, not even close!  300 teams?  Well, you're still wrong.  500?  No.  750?  Wrong.  800?  Getting closer!

According to this link, the correct answer is 886!  Seriously!  Do you believe that?!  Not all teams were "regular" teams with 12 people.  Some of them were "ultra" teams with just 6 runners.  I wouldn't mind being on an ultra team next year!  :-)

One Road In & One Road Out

The problem with the Keys is that you've got one road in & one road out.  That's tough enough on a regular day, but now make it a Sunday when it feels like everyone wants to leave, and you can imagine how well traffic flows.  We got stuck on a bridge not too far north of Marathon.  Apparently, if the reports are correct, there was a head-on collision, so traffic was not moving!  What to do?  Well, given the circumstances, the best option was to turn around, head south, and go to lunch!  Perfect!  We hit Sharky's Landing in Key Colony Beach.

No Word (Yet) on Awards

Apparently Ragnar doesn't post results as teams finish, and that's probably due to the rolling start times.  I get it, I really do, but it's still frustrating because, damn it, I want to know how we did!!!!

The awards ceremony is today at 4pm.  I promise to update you once I know more!  (Trust me, our team captain, Andy, tried to find out how we did, but no details were being shared.  Perhaps he should've offered some cash for those details.)

Speaking of awards, check out the cool finisher's medal!  Love it!

 

The Morning After Report

So here it is, the day after the big relay!  Just like my Keys100 experience, this was amazing!  Ragnar is much more of an 'extreme' event in that (especially for those who are in van 2) you're running during the day (in the heat & sun) and also in the middle of the night (in the pitch black).  Unless you're someone who can sleep anywhere & at any time regardless of noise, you're not getting much sleep until the race is over, so you've got the "tired factor" to deal with too.  After reading that, you may be thinking to yourself, "Ok, Kim's not going to do this relay again."  Uhhhhhh, think again!  I would totally do this again!!!

My legs feel really good.  I wore my 2nd pair of compression calf sleeves after I showered yesterday afternoon and kept them on all night.  I'm a firm believer that this really does help with recovery.  My quads are slightly sore, but not bad at all, and absolutely nothing like they were after the Keys100.  (In all fairness, though, I did run almost 4 miles more for the Keys100.)

Breakfast this morning was great!  Heather suggested that we go to La Creperie, and we got there at just about the perfect time before it got crowded and people started to wait.  Here's a picture of what I got.  It was delicious!  This is the blurb from the menu: Buckwheat crepe, goat cheese: over a bed of mesclun salad with walnuts, tomatoes, golden raisins, Herbs de Provence, and balsamic vinaigrette.

We're now in the van & headed back to the air station.  Can't believe it's all over.  No worries, though!  I already have my next adventure scheduled.  My team from last year asked me to join them again for the Keys100 in May!  Woo hoo!  :-)

We Finished Our Ragnar Relay!

Yes, we finished our Ragnar relay!  Woo hoo!

Jessie had an amazing finishing kick!  It was so good, that she didn't stop or slow down for us, and we had to book it to keep up with her!  I admire that kind of "let's get this done" attitude after doing an exhausting, sun-drenched, heat-soaked 5 mile run on very little sleep.  She rocked it!

After we officially crossed the finish line, it was time to get our free beer!  I thought it would be Michelob Ultra, but Sea Dog was the sponsor.  I'm not familiar with their beer, so I had a Blueberry Ale.  Not half bad!

After taking a team photo, we all decided to head back to the Navy base to check in to our rooms and crash for a bit.  A shower and nap was definitely in order, and they were perfect!  Although, to be honest, it was quite hard to want to get out of bed after that nap!  My body is saying, "Hey, you owe me lots more sleep!"

Just had a delicious dinner with Heather, Jessie, and Brian.  Saw Josh & Andy right before we left Blue Heaven, and we all chatted about today's runs.  As much as Key West is a "party your butt off" kind of town, but the only party I want is with the back of my eye lids.  

Team Photo

Check out this good lookin' group!  We don't know how we did "officially," but I think it's pretty good!  

The awards ceremony is tomorrow, Sunday, at 4pm, but we're not going to be able to stay that late.  Perhaps we won an award.  I'll let you know!

I'll Be Back...

We're about to park the van & wait for Jessie.  You know I hate to leave you hanging, but I've got to disconnect for a bit!  More updates later on today.  Love & hugs to you all!  Thanks for being a part of this special event for me!

xoxoxo

One Souvenir

Our Final Runner is on the Move!

Bring it home, Jessie!  You got this!  Can't wait to see you close to the finish line!!!  In less than 5 miles, we are done!

Thank you all for including me in this wonderfully fun and crazy adventure!!!!

Heather's Finishing Up, and Then Jessie Goes!

Heather has 3.5 miles, and the sun/heat are just not relenting.  She'll hand off to Jessie, and here's where things get awesome!  Just like the Keys100, even though there is a "final designated runner," we all meet up about 100 yards ahead of the finish line and then will cross together wearing our Bonk Republic shirts!  I'm so looking forward to that part of this adventure and sharing the team photo with you all!!!

I'll Give You One Guess Who Said This!

"It was rough!"  

Any ideas on who uttered those words?  

I'll give you a hint: it was sure as hell not me!  I'll give you a second hint: it was not any of my teammates.

Going once...going twice...yup, you got it: Grandma!  

I kid you not!  After I gave her the run-down on everything, that's word-for-word what she said, and she was not talking about me!  She was talking about herself "doing this" with me!  Beyond hysterical!

I hope she's having a glass (or two) of Dr. L right about now!  She certainly deserves it!  

Love you, Gram!

I'm Done!!!!!

If you're easy offended, please do not read the next sentence, but I just can't help myself!  Holy Mother of God is it friggin' hot out!  (By the way, I way toned down what I really wanted to write.  I've got a mouth that could make a sailor blush!)

You know those clouds I mentioned earlier?!  Gone!!!  Yup, they just went elsewhere in the sky so that the sun could have its way with us!

I am happy to say that I had a run that I'm decently proud of during this event.  Given the heat, the intense sun, the fact that I've slept 7 hours (if that) over 2 days, and already run 12.3 miles, I'm pretty happy!  

How about a weather snap-shot for you?  You'll see that I was not making this insanity up for the sake of added effect!

Take a look at my run summary (below).  Not half bad considering everything!  This is certainly not a 5k time for me (because that would be better), but I'm not complaining!  Yes, you can call me "Lady Hans" once again.

Next up, check out the splits.  The first mile was very good.  The second one was a semi-disaster, and the last 0.72 (despite it being called "Mile 3" below) was attempting to redeem the falling apart.

The map is always cool, especially when you consider what a special place this is unlike anywhere else in the US.  It's a nice reminder of "Hey, this is my state!"

After this run, just like the one during the middle of the night, my feet started to feel "tight."  I wouldn't say they were cramping up, but it was probably a precursor to that.  You know where I'm going with this, right?!  Of course you do!  Pickle juice!!!!  What surprised the heck out of me is that with the small bit that Heather poured before her run & with what I poured myself (which was barely more than what she poured), the juice in the jar is pretty much gone!!!  The two of us, well, mainly me, blew through the juice (and quite a few pickles) in the pint jar!  (Note to self: bring two jars next time.)  Oh, did you pick up on that?  Next time!  Yes, if I get asked back which I hope I do, I would jump on this opportunity just like I did back in August!

Morgan's Out There Now!

Morgan's out there now, Steph's next, and then me!  This will probably be the last you hear from me until I'm done, stretched, semi-cooled down, and back in the van.  Wish me luck, blog-o-sphere!

Just a Few Quick Facts

Run 1
Distance: 4.2 miles
Time: 33 minutes, 25 seconds
Pace: 7 minutes, 58 seconds per mile
Calories burned: 336


Run 2
Distance: 8.1 miles  (RunKeeper tracked it as 8.0)
Time: 1 hour, 6 minutes, 18 seconds
Pace: 8 minutes, 11 seconds per mile (according to my recalculation based on the 8.1 miles)
Calories burned: 647

Still Waiting, But Van 1 is Getting Closer!

Runner 5 for van 1 is out on the road, and their last runner, 6, has a short 2 miles.  Then we take the stage!  All of our final legs will be short compared to what we've done already.  Steph has the shortest distance at 1.8 miles, and Jessie has the longest at 5 miles.  The rest of us are somewhere in between.  EZ-PZ, right?

My Face is Salty

Yes, you read that right.  I've got a salty face!  You probably wouldn't notice it if you saw me, but I can feel it.  Yes, I hear you saying, "Just go wash your face already!  It won't be salty any more."  But that means I've got to bust out my bag, get my face soap, get my exfoliating scrub, bring my moisturizer, etc.  Three words: too much work.  I'll just have to live with my salty face for a bit longer!

The Last Run for Me Should Be...

... hot & sunny!  This is what my Weather Channel app says, but it doesn't give the "feels like" temperature.  

 
My prediction is 85-ish like yesterday!  It wouldn't be terrible if the sun stayed behind some of these clouds!

Fresh Socks!

Decided that I had changed virtually everything else, so I might as well be good to my feet & give them a fresh pair of my favorite running socks!

Foofies, don't let me down!  Just 2.7 miles to go around 12:15 (ish).  It'll be hot & sunny, but you can do it!

A Happy Tummy!

No words are needed!

It's Breakfast Time!

We are at Coco's Kitchen in Big Pine Key, and I'm getting my oatmeal!  Oh, happy day!  My stomach is really ready for some substantial food, and I think oatmeal is going to hit the spot!  

Oh, and guess what was roaming the parking lot?  Roosters!  You know you're in the Keys and getting closer to Key West when you see roosters anywhere they damn well feel like being!

They Had Coffee at the Last Exchange Point

Yes, they had coffee there.  I asked if it was decaf, or if they had decaf.  You can imagine what the answer was.  :-(

Guess I'll have to wait until we stop for breakfast to get my decaf.

Here's Where Things Stand

Jess finished her run and handed off to Ryan.  Van 1 has each of their runners going out for their final legs.  Then we'll take over & do our final legs.

Oh, and we're currently driving over the 7 Mile Bridge.  I've run this.  It was a bear back in April 2013, but it was also a good 45 minutes later than it is now, so the sun's still nice & low for these runners.  It's so funny how different a bridge feels when you're running it versus driving it.  

You Won't Believe This!

It took me a while to find my phone, but once I did locate it, I called Grandma.  This was at about 6am.  When she said, "Hello," I didn't say "Hi," "Hey there," or "Good morning."  Instead, I started with, "I hope it's not too early to call you!"  Get this: her answer was, "No, I've been up since 3:30."  Ummmmm, what?!  Yeah, she has been up since 3:30 because of my cousin's dog (which has turned into my aunt's dog).  Long story.  But anyway, when she said that, I shot right back with, "Well, had I known that, I would've called you after 4 when I finished my run!"  LOL

Never in a million years did I think she would've been up that early!

Am I a Bad Granddaughter if...

... I decide to call Grandma & "check in" at our next stop?  It's 5:38am (according to my computer).  Figure that we'll get to our stop in maybe another 5-10 minutes.  Is that too early to call the lady who says she's "up at all hours" or should I wait a bit?

Things that make you go "hmmmmm."

 

Guess Who I Saw?

No, it wasn't my physical therapist!  :-)

Forgot to tell you before that when we were still at Coral Shores HS and were about to see Morgan off on his first run of "round two," I ran into Samara Essen!  Actually, I should say that she spotted me!  It's so neat how you can be literally hundreds of miles from home and at an event with probably close to 6000 people, but yet you can still run into people you know!

Samara's so nice!  She said that they have dinner reservations somewhere in Key West, and she'll text me the info so I can go too.  For all I know our team might get in too late, but it's just nice to be included in the invitation!

Jess Is Doing Her Run Now!

Go, Jess, go!  Kick ass, and take names!  Better yet, leave 'em in your dust & don't take names!  :-)

If I Learned Anything from Scuba Diving Class...

... it's that wet clothes will keep you cold!  I did an outfit change.  Am now in my last set of shorts and my second-to-last top.  It's now the Under Armour shorts (which are super cute & very comfortable) and another Old Navy top (white w/ gray stripes).  Still got my pink tie-dye Zensah calf sleeves on.  I don't plan on taking those puppies off until we're done-done-done!  (Even then, I've got a pair of blue ones that I'll wear for recovery!)

Catching You Up...

After I ran, Brian headed out, and then he handed off to Heather (who's out there now).  She'll hand off to Jessie, and Jessie's got a sizable run: 7.7 miles.  She'll hand off to Ryan, and then it's back to van 1's rotation.  We'll have a break for a bit.

I'm tired for sure, but the end is getting nearer!

You know what I'd love right now (or in the near future)?  Some hot oatmeal!  Yum!!!

 

I'm Back!

Sweet Jesus!  I'm wiped out, but I did run the entire time!  

Let's start with what this run had going for it: decent temperature, no sun sucking the life out of me, and I think that's it!

Let's start with what this run didn't have going for me: darkness, humidity, darkness, 2 hours (if that) of sleep, darkness, a bridge, and did I mention darkness?

The headlamp on the visor didn't work out so well; it was too high up & pointed more "out" than "down."  To get an ground illumination that helped, I had to look more "down" than I would have liked.  Tried to use my phone as a sort of flashlight; but let's be real: how much light do you get from a phone?

Let's start from the beginning.  The first two miles were decent & comfortable (under an 8 min pace).  I knew at mile 2.2 that I'd have to cross to the other side.  There was a sign that said "cross," but it didn't specify to cross right at that exact moment.  Luckily, I didn't go too far before turning around & crossing.  I'd say it was less than 45 seconds.  Well, upon crossing, you're pretty much starting the bridge.  It's no 7 Mile Bridge, but a bridge is still a ball buster and endurance killer.  At least the down part makes up for the hell of the up part!  After the bridge, though, it got tough mainly because of the extreme darkness.  There were long stretches of nothing: no other runners, no cars, just nothing.  This is where the sucky headlamp started to really bite the big one.  When there would be oncoming traffic, the headlights, even if they weren't high beams, were just blinding.  Maybe I run crooked, but I kept drifting right.  Let me specify that I was not running on the shoulder of the road, but more of a trail/bike path off to the side.  But drifting too far right means the paved path ends and uneven grass/gravel begins.  Ever since my injury, I'm somewhat overly paranoid about watching where I step, so this got me a bit nervous & rattled.  Long story short: my pace slowed down due to not wanting to trip & have my face meet the pavement.  I wouldn't say I had any "close calls" to eating it, but I did have some bobbles that, obviously, unnerved me.  My splits tell the story.

I had hoped to have my average pace for this run be under 8 minutes per mile.  It wasn't.  But if there was a redeeming event, it would be my road kills!  I'll be honest: I tried to count.  I got to 6, and then there was a long stretch of no one and just darkness.  My mind was (and is) mush, so I lost count.  However, after the 6 (which was probably in the first two miles), I know I had quite a few more.  My conservative estimate is 15.  Not half bad for these chicken legs, huh?!

Here's a look at my route.

Steph's Hittin' It Now!

Steph's out there now, and she's quick one!  If our estimations are semi-correct, I'll be starting my run at almost 3am (plus or minus a few minutes).  Don't think I'll post again until I'm done.  Expect to hear from me sometime after 4am.  

 

I Stole Dave's Headlamp

Dave was the recipient of a headlamp for Christmas (among other cool gifts that did not necessarily involve LED lighting).  One of the required relay night gear items is a headlamp.  If you want to get technical, each van needs at least 2 of them.

There's a choice, though.  A night runner can either carry a flashlight or wear a headlamp.  Being that I am already carrying my phone in one hand, I definitely don't want to carry something else in my other hand.  I've never run with a headlamp before, so keep your fingers crossed.  I'm wearing my visor so that the headlamp is supported and won't bounce.  At least that's how I'm envisioning this to go...

A (Hopefully) Quick Rain Shower is Passing Through

Not 2 minutes after I posted the last entry saying how nice it is here, rain starts!  Yes, seriously!  The good news is that, assuming the radar is accurate and this thing doesn't blow up, it should pass through pretty quickly.  It's already getting lighter as I type this.

Morgan's definitely going to need a towel when he gets done!

Morgan is Out Running Now!

Morgan is our first runner for our van.  He's got a loooooooooong run: 9.9 miles.  He can do it!

Next up is Steph; her run is 6.2 miles.  She'll hand off to me, and then it's my turn for 8.1 miles.

It's really, really nice out now.  For as late as it is, and for as tired as I may (or may not) know I am, I'm looking forward to this one!

Sleeping in a Van (But Not Down by the River)

The 30 minute warning came in not too long after midnight (earlier than expected); Hans from van 1 called to say that Andy, their last runner, was probably 30 minutes away from the exchange.  That was the call to say "wake the hell up & get your butts in gear," although I doubt Hans used those words.  You never know, though!

So let me get you back up to speed.  You know we got to the high school; by the time we found a parking spot, and I had a chance to get to el bano, it was 9pm before trying to close my eyes.  4 of the van members were going to sleep outside.  Since I'm sure many of you know that I'm not likely to be sleeping outside, I opted to stay in the van.  Jessie and I both stayed inside.  I'll be honest: it was hard to get to sleep even for as tired as I knew I was.  Between noise outside the van, and the logistics of trying to sleep reasonably comfortably in a van, there were "distractions."  I laid the chenille blanket on a section of the floor and tried to lay on my side to sleep.  But I'm not a side sleeper, so that didn't work.  "Ok," I said to myself, "try sleeping on your back."  That would be excellent, but I'm not a back sleeper either.  Finally, I decided I had to take of my shoes.  (I was afraid my foofies would not want to get back in them, so I was trying to not take my shoes off until the relay was over.)  Once my shoes were off, I could roll onto my stomach, stretch my legs under the 2nd row of seats, and try to sleep that way.  At some point, I decided to sit up and check the clock.  It was midnight.  I'm guessing I got some sleep; it didn't feel like I laid there, awake, for 3 hours.  How much sleep I got, though, I do not know.

For those of you who "get" the title of this post, you know it's a Chris Farley skit from SNL.  If you want to check it out, here's a You Tube video.

We Are at Coral Shores HS

Until later, blog-o-sphere.  Lady Hans is going to try to rest up for my next run: 8.1 miles!!!  Love & hugs to you all!

xoxo

A Quick Outfit Update

For any of you who have been on the edge of your seat wondering what I'm wearing, I switched to the Nike Pro shorts and have on my day-glow-to-the-extreme yellow Nike Pro pullover jacket thingy.  (The pullover was mainly because I'm sure Ruby Tuesdays would've had an issue if I went in with just my running top & bare stomach.)  The weather looks good for tonight: no rain, temps around 70 degrees, and light wind.  I'm anticipating not wearing the pullover on my run since it's a long one, and I absolutely hate being too warm on a run.  I also will not stop to take off the jacket if it did get too hot, so I'll bypass it completely.  No worries, though, as I mentioned before, I'm bringing sexy back with that nice yellow reflective vest!

It's hot, right?!

 

The Van is Very Quiet

Other than the radio quietly playing in the background and the sound of the road, it's a very quiet van.  I think we're all sleepy!

 

We've Crossed in to Monroe County!

For those of you who are not familiar with Florida, Monroe County contains the keys!  While I won't say "the end is near" (mainly because it's still close to 100 miles away), we are getting closer!

 

I Forgot to Tell You!

Just saw Joan's response to a past blog post, and she mentioned pickle juice.  I totally forgot to tell you that when Heather got done running, she said her legs & feet were starting to cramp up, and she wanted to try some pickle juice.  I went back to the van, got out one of the paper cups, took the jar of pickles, and went back to meet her.  I poured her a little cup of the juice, she had it, and said that about 5 minutes later, she felt a ton better!  Heather is now a believer in the power of pickle juice!!!

Dinner's Done!

Alrighty, dinner's done and this runner girl is fed!  We ended up at Ruby Tuesday's in Florida City, and I had a chicken flatbread.  (Sorry - no food porn photo of it; the phone was left in the van.)  I figure that gave me protein (from the chicken), some carbs (from the flatbread), and some calcium (from the cheese).  No wine!  Obviously they had it, but like a good runner girl, I opted for water.  Now that my tummy's full, I'm sleepy!

We're headed to the next major exchange which will be Coral Shores HS.  (Interesting bit of trivia for you!  Coral Shores HS is where I ended my first run for the Keys100 relay; I handed off the slap bracelet to Ryan.  What?  You're not finding that fact interesting?)  The tentative plan is to try to sleep for a bit there so we can all rest before our runs start again sometime after midnight.  This sounds great to me!  After being up since 4am, I'm ready for some sleep!!!  I don't know if it'll happen, but it's a nice idea!

If I stop blogging for a bit, don't worry!  Hopefully that just means I'm getting some shut-eye.  For you night owls, I'm guessing I'll be running again around 2-3am (ish).  My plan is to post something new before I go and again after I'm done.

Watch what happens!  :-)

Jessie's Done and Ryan's Back Out There!

One full rotation done!  All 12 of us have run once, and the van 1 runners are starting the second rotation.

This exchange was one of the main ones (when it switches from one van's runners to another van's runners).  It took place at Homestead Speedway!  Very neat!

We're done for quite a while.  Time for dinner!  This "Lady Hans" is ready to eat something more substantial than granola bars, pickles, clementines, and yogurt.

Where the Heck Are We?!

I had to ask my van-mates!  Of course, not 30 seconds after they answer "Homestead," I see a "Welcome to Homestead" sign.

Jessie, runner 12, is out now & kicking some Bacon Slayer ass!  Who's Bacon Slayer?  Check out my Twitter page!  https://twitter.com/kimmielynnruns

Good News!

I'm not going to hell!  Called Grandma - remember, she's the only one who gets calls - and "checked in" with her.  She's good and enjoying her Dr. L.  Oh, she said she'd be having another glass around 10 tonight.  I told her that a nice, cold glass of Dr. L sounds perfect right now!

Time for a secret.  I had to tell her that my next run might be around 10 or 11 tonight.  It'll be much later than that, but she doesn't need to know that until the morning.  You're sworn to keep this to yourselves!  :-)

I'm a Bad Granddaughter

I'm probably going straight to hell.  I have not called Grandma yet.  She must think I'm lying in a ditch on the side of the road.  Gotta give her a ring and see how that Dr. L is tasting!  Be back soon...

To Those Who Asked If I'm Drinking...

My friends are too funny!  Yes, Bernadette, I'm drinking!  Your email (with a clarification that you meant water) was hysterical!  Joan, you're right, no Pinot Noir was packed.  Although, there will be free beer at the end!  Woo hoo!

Yes, I'm hitting my "running hooch" & staying hydrated!  (Don't worry!  "Running hooch" is PowerAde Zero.)

Heather's Out & Running!

Heather, our 11th runner, is out on her leg.  She'll hand off to Jessie, our 12th runner, and then the rotation begins again with runner 1, Ryan.  Still hot and super sunny out here!  This is what the Weather Channel app is saying.

Do you see the "feels like" temp?  85!  It's freaking February, and it's 85 degrees out!  Sweet Mary!

First Leg Done!!!

Alright, friends/family/internet strangers, my first run is done!  How would I describe it?  Hot, sunny, and challenging!  I ran the whole time.  Well, let me clarify.  There were some intersections with traffic where everyone had to stop (at least for a bit).  Sucks!  I don't like stopping because it's hard to get back moving, even if you've only stopped for 10 seconds!  The good news is that only happened 2-3 times.  The other times I could (safely) blow through an intersection.  Outside of those intersections, I did run the whole time.  Yes, my brain and my body wanted to walk.  I told both of them to STFU!  (If you're easily offended, don't look that acronym up.)

My pace started out pretty good, but it definitely went downhill.  I'm just not used to the heat & sun (yet).  I did have lots of "kills" (other runners who you pass).  Since everyone I passed was runner #9 like me, that means my team was beating them!

Had a few folks at the end (other teams/runners) who commented on my running (asking about pace and one runner saying "I tried to get you, but I couldn't").  That was cool!

My splits showed that I fell apart, but the overall pace ended up under 8 min per mile, so that's semi-decent.

It was a nice run, though.  Here's the RunKeeper map of where I went.

Thanks to all who emailed, posted on the blog, followed along, and virtually cheered for me!  It's incredibly awesome to come back and see all of that!!!

Go, Stephanie, Go!

If our projection is right, Stephanie should be coming into the exchange soon, and then I'm off!

I Forgot to Mention Who I Saw!

Saw my physical therapist here!  He's running on a different team.  Just cool to see someone "local."  Haven't seen team Top Run yet with some other Team Essen members.

I'm Nervous!

New races always make me nervous that I'm going to get lost or miss a turn.  I've got butterflies!  Van 1 did say that stuff is pretty well marked, so I need to calm the F down!

I'm Up Next!

Stephanie's out now, and she's fast!  She's got a bit more than 8 miles to do, and then I'm up next!  Yeah!  4.2 miles for me!

My Van Is on the Move!

Alright, kiddos!  The first van with the first 6 runners is done, and my van is officially on the move!  Morgan C. is out now; he's runner 7.  Up next is Stephanie, and then I go!  Woo hoo!!

It's sunny & warm!  Did not really expect this level of heat, but I'll be ok!  Got my visor on & I'll run with my sunglasses (which I don't normally do, but it's that sunny out right now).

Dave Will Be So Happy!

I had a "normal" breakfast!  He always busts my balls for eating pizza, leftover pasta, leftover steak, etc. for breakfast.  This is about as close as I'll get.  It was called a Tortilla Mixta.  I call it a Fritatta.  It was delish!  (Full caffeinated cappucino too!)

I Have a New Nickname!

I got to the air station very early this morning.  (Can't help it; my boss has a saying that 5 minutes early is on-time, and lateness (in general) is not really a trait that people like.)  The good news, though, was that I got to hang out with the Van 1 team members for a bit!  Both Hans and Ryan were there, and they were on the Keys100 with me.  I introduced myself to Morgan and Mindy.  Mindy goes, "Oh, you're Lady Hans!"  Huh?  Apparently, this has been my nickname since the Keys100...little did I know!  LOL!

Hans is a quick runner...like insanely quick!  6 minute-ish miles are no big deal for him!  While I am nowhere near that fast, I can hold my own, and apparently I blew by Mindy during one of my Keys100 relay legs, and someone decided to call me "Lady Hans."  Hysterical!  There are certainly worse things to be called!

"I'll Be With You Every Step of the Way."

Take one guess as to who said the above statement.  Oh, you know who it was: Grandma!  That's what she told me this morning when I called her at about 7am to tell her that I made it to the Air Station.  Whether or not she had been hitting the hooch (ie: Dr. L riesling).  Just kidding!  Grandma's idea of "hitting the hooch" is having a second glass of wine.  

(Her wine glasses are tiny.  Which leads me to think that she'd probably look at my wine glasses and insist they are obscenely large!  I just believe in generous pours!)

An Outfit Report

Alright, blog-o-sphere, who's been waiting to hear what I decided to wear & pack?  This is my own version of the "who are you wearing?" question that stars get asked on the red carpet!  Who am I wearing?  I'm so glad you asked!  :-)

You know the mantra: nothing new on race day!  I'm sticking with that and following that to the letter!  For now and definitely for at least my first run, here's what I've got: New Balance shorts, an Old Navy top, and my new Jet Berry Thorlo Experia socks (Christmas gift from Dave - thanks, honey!).

A "best practice" (if I do say so myself) is packing spare outfits.  You never know when rain might pop up, and this little princess doesn't like hanging around in wet duds.  I've got two full spare outfits so if I needed a fresh set of running clothes for each relay leg, I'm covered!  Here's what I've got!

Nike Pro shorts (love them) and a Champion top.  (Wore this combo for the Keys 100.)

If I have to go to outfit 3, that'll be Under Armour shorts and another Old Navy top.

And just in case it gets cold (which it's not supposed to), I've got my Under Armour running tights and the ultra-bright-day-glow yellow Nike top.

Of course, I've got my Zensah compression calf sleeves.  Pink will most likely be the color du jour, but I've got the blue ones too.  Got 2 extra headbands as well.

I did not bring an extra pair of sneakers because the weather didn't have much of a rain chance forecast.  I hope I don't regret that decision!  Time will tell, right? 

This Morning, I Got to Play...

I got to play a game this morning that I affectionately refer to as "Wake the Cat."  If you have pets, I'm sure you may have your own version of this game!  How do you play?  Oh, it's easy!  Just wake up so early that you can wake up your cat/dog/ferret/hamster/bird/fish/rabbit, etc.  You know the game's working when you get that confused stare that says "Why in the hell are you up so early?"  Yup, I got that this morning!  I won!

Here's an old picture of the little bugger, Mr. Spanky Calvin!

Sorry, Spanks, I know we both like our sleep!

Let Me Catch You Up

Last night was a bit hectic, and that's probably putting it mildly.  Between being out all day for work, having to get gas, hit the bank, pick up snacks at Publix, make dinner for myself, pack, teach a class at 8pm, pack some more, shower, and deal with a cat who needs 110% of my attention, I was busy!  As much as I wanted to do more blogging last night, it just wasn't going to happen.  With that said, let me catch you up on things in as close to the correct order as possible!  (Yes, that's my disclaimer that with my foggy mind, events may be described slightly out of order.)

I like to think of myself as a pretty good packer.  Don't call me a "light packer," but I'm probably pretty close to that.  However, it's still hard to pack light for an overnight running race.  You've got to have your running duds, back-up running duds, some "regular" clothes for after the race is done, sleeping gear, towels & first aid knick-knacks, toiletries (had to look up the spelling of that word!), the sack 'o technology, and food (just to name a few things).  My goal was not to show up with 50,000 bags.  Tell me how I did!

This was how it started.  Not so hot, right?

Obviously that would qualify me as the bag lady, so I had to rethink this!  Here is what I did.  It's better, right?

What's not pictured is my backpack with "regular" clothes.  Also, the cooler (it's a tiny one) is missing.  But, you've got to agree this is better than the first way!

I definitely should've taken a picture of my trunk!  If you don't know, my car's tiny, and that means it's got a tiny trunk.  But I got a case of 20 ounce PowerAde bottles and 4 more packs of 8 PowerAde bottles stuffed in there!  Go me!

Everything (minus the backpack and the small cooler) was packed in the car last night.  My plan was to get to bed by about 9.  I think I finally laid down around 10:40pm.  Yeah, it was an early morning!  I set the alarm, well, let me back up, I set two alarms to wake me up!  The phone was set for 4:42am; the alarm clock was set for 4:43am (as the "just in case" one).  I beat the alarm and was up by about 4:05.  I'm glad because it meant I didn't have to be a complete crazy woman rushing around this morning...I was only a mildly crazy woman!

Speaking of which...  (Go read the next blog post.  This one deserves it's own topic!)

Grandma Said...

Spoke to Grandma earlier this evening.  I asked her if she was ready for the race tomorrow.  She said she was, but she followed that up by saying she's going to be drinking for 2 days!

By the way, this is Grandma!  Is she not the cutest?!

She said she's "up at all hours."  Yes, those were her words!  I started to say that it would be too late for me to call after my second run, but then I realized that would lead her to ask what time that would be.  No need to get her worried about me running in the middle of the night.  (And you know she would worry!)  I'll do what I did when I went sky diving for the first time: I'll tell Grandma once I'm done!  :-)

The Packing Has Begun!

I started packing tonight.  Obviously, there's lots more to do, but here's my war room (aka: the dining room).

The red bag has the chenille blanket and small pillow; the yellow bag has a pair of pajama pants (will I even need/want them?!), my maroon fleece, and night gear (3 flashlights, 2 reflective vests, 1 headlamp, and a partridge in a pear tree).

Did you notice the pickles?!  They're there!  In front of my white visor, there's a tupperware with small paper cups.  Why paper cups?  For the pickle juice!!!

 
Next up is the "sack 'o technology."  This has sort of become a tradition with the leopard-print bag that was given to me by Judy.  The first time Dave and I took the boat to the Bahamas, I put all of the "technology" (digital cameras, cords, chargers, etc.) into that bag (hence the name "sack 'o technology").  The netbook is too big to go into it, but the charger for it, the iPhone charger, two inverters, and a yet-to-be-gotten power strip will all live cozily there.

That's about it for now.  Tomorrow's the last day to prep stuff before Friday which will be an early, early, early morning for sure!

Weather Update - Lookin' Good!

The weather seems to be looking good!  Oh, this is so much better than 40s and 50s with rain!  Check out what Weather Channel is saying for Key Largo on Friday & Saturday of this weekend.

I'm liking this a whole lot!!

I've Got to Stop Shopping!

Picked up a few more things today while out & about.  Seriously, I've got to stop shopping!  I was at 2 different Walmarts in the span of probably less than 5 hours!  Although, as you'll see in the picture, all of the purchases are really necessary!

I know what you're thinking.  That high-vis vest is going to bring sexy back!  Oh yeah!  :-)

I'm So Excited That Last Night...

Yes, you guessed it!  I was so excited last night that I woke up at one point, started thinking about the relay, and realized, "Shit!  I'm not going to be able to get back to sleep!"  Do you see the irony in this, especially after yesterday's "I love sleep" blog post?!  Trust me, that irony is not lost on me!

Apparently, I should invest in some of this!