I'm leaving tonight for Saratoga. My team starts our Ragnar legs at 8am tomorrow. To say I'm freaking out is an understatement. I have reached the point in my nervousness where I am questioning why I ever signed up for this in the first place. I'm also trying to find any reason to drop out. But, I have 11 other people relying on me, so I can't. I guess I just have to get through it. I hope it ends up being a good event. It doesn't help that they're calling for rain both days. Oh well, it is what it is.
I'll see you on the other side...
Showing posts with label ragnar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ragnar. Show all posts
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Thursday, September 13, 2012
I'm not afraid
Consistently Inconsistent. That's me...or at least my blogging. But, unlike before, I'm not going to fret about it. I have lots to say, and I'm going to put it out there for you to read. But, I can't commit to a schedule and that's OK. Posts will appear as I have the time/energy/motivation to write them. This is my "crazy"time at work, and I'm definitely feeling it. Which means some of the other things in my life will receive less attention. Since I'm not willing to allow that to be my children or husband or my own health and fitness, things like blogging and TV watching are the logical victims. I'm still eating healthy and exercising, and I have a lot of posts half-written in my head. Soon enough, I'll commit them to paper screen. On the plus side, I'll have a ton of posts in October when I finally begin catching up :)
The big fitness focus right now is training for Ragnar. I suddenly realized it is only two weeks away, and I'm starting to feel that familiar anxious feeling I get whenever an event gets close. Do you guys get that too? I know that I'll be able to physically do it, but I'm still a ball of nerves and anticipation. This event is a big "out of my comfort zone" event, and I know it will result in some sort of personal growth. But, with growth comes fear. Honestly, I'm more worried about the in-between stuff than I am about the three runs I have to do. I know I can handle those. What I'm concerned about is how I will handle sharing space with six other people during the 30 hour time frame. I don't think I have ever mentioned it on here, but I have an intense fear of other people throwing up. I know it's weird, but it's true. I totally panic and freak out. So, I'm already nervous that someone in my group will get sick in the van...seriously, I'm so nervous that it is something I'm thinking about each day. So, for me, this part of the event is much more challenging than the running part. But, as one of my favorite people once said:
The big fitness focus right now is training for Ragnar. I suddenly realized it is only two weeks away, and I'm starting to feel that familiar anxious feeling I get whenever an event gets close. Do you guys get that too? I know that I'll be able to physically do it, but I'm still a ball of nerves and anticipation. This event is a big "out of my comfort zone" event, and I know it will result in some sort of personal growth. But, with growth comes fear. Honestly, I'm more worried about the in-between stuff than I am about the three runs I have to do. I know I can handle those. What I'm concerned about is how I will handle sharing space with six other people during the 30 hour time frame. I don't think I have ever mentioned it on here, but I have an intense fear of other people throwing up. I know it's weird, but it's true. I totally panic and freak out. So, I'm already nervous that someone in my group will get sick in the van...seriously, I'm so nervous that it is something I'm thinking about each day. So, for me, this part of the event is much more challenging than the running part. But, as one of my favorite people once said:
Do one thing every day that scares you
-Eleanor Roosevelt
So, I'm embracing my fear and using Ragnar as an opportunity to grow. I know there will be scary and intense moments that take me out of my comfort zone, and that's exactly what I need. There is always opportunity for personal growth, and we need to seize those opportunities. So, I'm seizing mine. Let's just hope I continue to remember that as I wait for September 28th to get here.
So, what are you going to do today that scares you?
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Taking it up a notch
So, in an attempt to prepare for the craziness that is Ragnar: Adirondacks, I have upped my training. This morning, I ran with some of my teammates up a massive hill. We went up three miles and then came back down for a total of six miles. Since Ragnar is full of steep hills (remember, it's through the mountains), we figured we should start doing some serious hill work. This fit the bill!
I actually really enjoyed it. There's something very therapeutic about running straight uphill for three miles. It definitely makes you feel tough.
If that wasn't enough, I added another component to my training. I started running more than once throughout the day. Normally, I just run once every day or so. But, Ragnar requires me to run three different legs, each about 10 hours apart. I need to be able to run three times in a day and a half. So, after the brutal hill work this morning, I added a second evening run. I ran six miles this morning and three miles this evening. It wasn't so bad...except for the intense heat. I really dislike running in the heat.
Now that I'm adding more intense training to my schedule, I'm even more excited about Ragnar. It's going to be tough, but I know I can do it, and that's a great feeling.
I actually really enjoyed it. There's something very therapeutic about running straight uphill for three miles. It definitely makes you feel tough.
If that wasn't enough, I added another component to my training. I started running more than once throughout the day. Normally, I just run once every day or so. But, Ragnar requires me to run three different legs, each about 10 hours apart. I need to be able to run three times in a day and a half. So, after the brutal hill work this morning, I added a second evening run. I ran six miles this morning and three miles this evening. It wasn't so bad...except for the intense heat. I really dislike running in the heat.
Now that I'm adding more intense training to my schedule, I'm even more excited about Ragnar. It's going to be tough, but I know I can do it, and that's a great feeling.
Friday, July 20, 2012
Wait...what did I agree to?!
A few months ago, in the midst of half marathon training, one of our running buddies sent an email to me and Paul asking us if we wanted to be part of a Ragnar Relay team. I had never even heard of Ragnar, so I immediately went to the website to check it out. For those of you who don't know, Ragnar is a 200 mile relay that is run by teams of 12 (or ultrateams of 6...I think you can probably guess what type of team I'm on :)) over the course of approximately 30 - 36 hours. It sounded fun, so we both agreed. Paul was especially excited and has been doing all sorts of Ragnar planning ever since. He and the woman who sent the original invite are co-captains. So, there is a lot of Ragnar talk at my house.
Anyway, the way the race works is that each runner gets three legs of the course to run. The legs are varying distances and difficulty levels and occur at all hours of the day...even in the middle of the night. We're participating in Ragnar Adirondacks. The race actually goes through the Adirondack mountains!
So, I knew we would have some elevation to contend with. But, I guess I have been in denial since we registered. Since my legs range between 5.2 miles and 6.4 miles, I haven't worried too much. That's the distance I run on a regular basis. It's definitely doable for me. But, I didn't think about the difficulty level of each of my "legs." (Do you see where this is going?)
Today, Paul and Staci set out to drive the entire course. Luckily, the starting point is only about 2 hours from where we live, and the race ends about 45 minutes from where we live. They wanted to see what we're in for and do some planning.
While they were driving the course, Paul and I were texting.
It looks I'm in for a tough set of runs! I guess I better start training!
Anyway, the way the race works is that each runner gets three legs of the course to run. The legs are varying distances and difficulty levels and occur at all hours of the day...even in the middle of the night. We're participating in Ragnar Adirondacks. The race actually goes through the Adirondack mountains!
So, I knew we would have some elevation to contend with. But, I guess I have been in denial since we registered. Since my legs range between 5.2 miles and 6.4 miles, I haven't worried too much. That's the distance I run on a regular basis. It's definitely doable for me. But, I didn't think about the difficulty level of each of my "legs." (Do you see where this is going?)
Today, Paul and Staci set out to drive the entire course. Luckily, the starting point is only about 2 hours from where we live, and the race ends about 45 minutes from where we live. They wanted to see what we're in for and do some planning.
While they were driving the course, Paul and I were texting.
It looks I'm in for a tough set of runs! I guess I better start training!
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Change of Plans (before I even make them)
Sooooo.......
In my last few posts, I alluded to the fact that this is the year I am going to run a marathon. I even chose the Vermont City Marathon as "The One." However, I think my plans might be changing slightly. Paul has been suffering through a severe IT band injury and he is just starting to run short distances after a three week hiatus. Since the VT marathon is in May, we have decided to put those plans on hold. I just want his leg to heal completely without the pressure of training for our first marathon. So, we're going to plan for a different marathon...possibly late fall or early next year.
Why wait so long, you ask? Well, the calendar is pretty full with other fun, crazy events, including my first triathlon and a 200 mile relay. That's right, we're going to join the crazies and run one of those overnight relay races. The Adirondack Ragnar Relay is scheduled for September 28 - 29, which means that an early fall marathon is out. My first triathlon is scheduled for the beginning of August, and since I can barely swim at all right now, I think I will need to focus on training for that after our half marathon in April. So, we're still trying to find a marathon in the second half of the year that fits into our already packed schedule. But, if we don't, I'm OK with waiting until the beginning of 2013 to run my first marathon. After all, how often are these 200 mile relay races held within 100 miles of my hometown?
In my last few posts, I alluded to the fact that this is the year I am going to run a marathon. I even chose the Vermont City Marathon as "The One." However, I think my plans might be changing slightly. Paul has been suffering through a severe IT band injury and he is just starting to run short distances after a three week hiatus. Since the VT marathon is in May, we have decided to put those plans on hold. I just want his leg to heal completely without the pressure of training for our first marathon. So, we're going to plan for a different marathon...possibly late fall or early next year.
Why wait so long, you ask? Well, the calendar is pretty full with other fun, crazy events, including my first triathlon and a 200 mile relay. That's right, we're going to join the crazies and run one of those overnight relay races. The Adirondack Ragnar Relay is scheduled for September 28 - 29, which means that an early fall marathon is out. My first triathlon is scheduled for the beginning of August, and since I can barely swim at all right now, I think I will need to focus on training for that after our half marathon in April. So, we're still trying to find a marathon in the second half of the year that fits into our already packed schedule. But, if we don't, I'm OK with waiting until the beginning of 2013 to run my first marathon. After all, how often are these 200 mile relay races held within 100 miles of my hometown?
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