Ragnar 2013

Warning:  tons of pictures for this post!

Ragnar 2013 wouldn't have happened without our volunteers!  Thanks so much Amanda, Rachel, and Deena!

 

  

 Before you can run Ragnar, you have to go through a safety training.  Here is Dean trying to absorb it all in....or sleeping through it, not sure which.

 It was a little tough getting our team together this year, Caitlyn moving to Alaska, and Amanda getting Rheumatoid Arthritis!  We got Greg and Mike to substitute. Thanks guys, it wouldn't have been the same without you!

So here is our team:

Greg Jenson is our first runner

 He passes off the slap bracelet to 

Erika Ellis 

 Who then passes off to

Mike Francis

Mike passes off to

Braden Ellis

who then hands off to 

Dean Ellis

 Dean then passes the slap bracelet to 

Mike Simmons

 Mike passes off to the people in Van 1, and we do this whole routine 3 times.

 It's about 3:00 p.m in Eden, Ut.....and we are off!  Tad is the last runner in van 1, (we are van 2) so he gives the slap bracelet to Greg.  Our van will cover 23.6 miles during this leg of the relay.

 

Greg hasn't run Ragnar before, so yeah, it made total sense to make him be our first runner since he had no idea how any of it went.  He did awesome!

 Ej waiting for her turn

 Greg and Ej

 Mike finishing, Braden starting

 Braden was supposed to hand off to Deaner, just as the exchange was to take place, we realized Dean forgot to put a number on!  Braden quickly took his off, and gave it to Dean, and away he went.

 This was a very hard leg.  Dean had to run just over 7 miles, all uphill!

 Here is Mike Simmons finishing up his first run.  Now it's our turn to rest, and we give the slap bracelet to Van 1 and they get to start running.  Funny thing is, Mike is to hand off to Shelby, whom he has never met!

 Here they are at the exchange, getting introduced to each other, as Shelby takes off to do her run!

While van 1 is running, we head to Odgen and found a Burger King that had a TV so we could watch the final game of the NBA championships.  Timed that about perfect!

Just as a side note, Ragnar gives us tattoos for each team member.  Some opted not to use them, others did....

 Yes, this picture is used with Greg's permission.  And I would like to quote from his text "You have my permission.  It's almost gone now.  The removal process is painful.  I've learned my lesson and if that photo can help even one other person not get a tat then it will have been worth it".  this guy is so WEIRD!! (it comes right off with rubbing alcohol!)

First year of putting the tattoo on I didn't read how to get it off, so ended up going to church with this lovely thing on my leg.  Much smarter this year!

It's just after midnight, and it's time for our van to start running again.  I'm too cold and tired to take pictures of these runs, besides that, they are all in the dark so you couldn't see the amazing scenery anyway.  We should at least mention Mike's 11.6 mile run during the night without any support, and just water along the way.  When he got back to the car, that guy was starving!  He did awesome on that run.

 We finish our 40.4 miles of night runs around 7 a.m. and head over to Dean's nephew Seth's house for a few hours of sleep.  His house was awesome, and they had beds for all of us to sleep in.  It was great!  We all felt rested and ready to run the last leg of the relay.  Thanks so much Seth and Linda!!!

We won't mention the couple of set-backs we had here, like lost keys to the car, or the front door thing.....

 It's right about noon now on Friday, and Greg  is about to get the slap bracelet from Tad...

 ....and he is off.  It's really hot now, so he asked us to give him support, (drinking water and sponge over his head) every mile.  

 Well, we kind of got distracted, we met up with Van 1 and and had to take pictures, (yes, team picture without Greg!) and talk about how everyone has done so far.  Took our time, and totally forgot that Greg was expecting water at mile 1!  Instead we drove to the end of his run....and then remembered and had to go back and find him!  Ooops!  He said it seemed like a really long mile!

 Greg doesn't look it in the picture, but he is thrilled, he is done!!!!  Great race Greg, you were awesome!  Now Ej starts her last leg of the relay.

 Can't even describe how great this water over the head feels!  Thanks Braden and Mike for not forgetting me. (btw, we are in Midway, Utah at this point)

 This is my last exchange.  Handing that bracelet off to Mike was such a great feeling!  I can now stop running!!!  That was a very hot and slightly uphill the whole way 5.5 miles.

 The next 2 legs for our van are brutal!  Up Gardsman's pass.  Mike and Braden split this.  Mike doing the first 4.4 miles, and then Braden will do the next 4.0 miles.  This is such a steep climb!  Not to mention that it's 2 p.m. in the afternoon!

 Yes, Mike is ready to hand that stupid thing off!  ....and he is done!

 Braden's super power, is to make best friends with everyone in every race!  Here he is with one of his new best friends.

 Braden is now finished, and it's Dean's turn.  7.9 mile run, rated Very Hard, steep downhill.

And in case you didn't get the memo, this guy is cool!

 Mike Simmons waiting for Dean to hand off to him.  He is about to run up that mountain in the background then over the top of it and back to the finish line in Park City, finishing up 29 miles for van 2 on this leg.

 Here comes Deaner, finishing his last leg of Ragnar.  Great job Deaner!!!

 Here were are, all coming across the finish line together.

 Awesome job guys, now that was fun!

So there you have it, 198 miles covered between the two vans.  Our 5th year of running Ragnar.
Well done "the other van"!