RAGNAR 2011......

was on Feb. 25 & 26. It is a 200 mile run split up between 12 girls who run 3 different times(3 legs) each!!! It started in Wickenberg on Friday morning at 7am and ended in Tempe Saturday evening about 4:30pm. We were in 2 separate vans with 6 runners in each and a great van driver. A couple of these wonderful women above talked me into this race. I had 4 months to prepare to run long distance. I was very hesitant at first to sign up but really learned to love to run after about 4 weeks into training. This picture above was taken 2 days before the race........we had a carb loading dinner with spaghetti and garlic bread:) Here are 9 of the 12 of us.

This is the name we gave ourselves............"Mama's Run Wild!!!!"

My partner in training Becky, Alisha and I gearing up for our first leg...........!!!

We are the girls of Van #2.........Anika, Mel, Me, Becky, Alisha and Angie. Showing off our tat and muscles!!!

Ready, ready, ready to RUN!!!!!!!!!!!

Getting all our safety info before the race.

Chantelle (our van driver), Angie, me and Becky all smiles before the race.

Alisha and I chillin' in the van before our turn:)

I was runner #11..........so my first leg was 5.4 miles and I started about 5pm Friday night. After 4:45pm to dawn you have to wear reflector gear and a head light. So though the sun was just setting I was lucky enough to be the first runner of the day to put this bright stuff on.

Getting in a good stretch minutes before I head off.

My bff Becky giving me a pep talk before I leave.

Here is Anika running in to pass the famous bracelet off to me. This is protocol before the next runner can obviously take off.

And I am off like a streak of lightning.......................

Finishing the last couple yards of my first leg............can't wait to pass the bracelet off to Angie:)

So happy to be done with my first leg............only 2 more to go!!!!!!!!! The sunset above on my blog heading was taken when I was walking to my van only minutes after this picture was taken after this run. It was a breath-taking sunset...........literally!!!!!!!!!

Meeting back up again with Van#1 girls at our major exchange...........time to rest for a couple hours before we start again for van#2.

I am so proud to have finished the race. It was seriously the hardest thing physically I have ever done........and at one point would have way rather given birth than continue on running. I got ZERO sleep in that 36 hour span and was so sore on Sunday. I ended up running 12 and a half miles in all. Doesn't sound like much, but split 3 ways and on no sleep and little food it was exhausting to say the least. It is only the 2nd race I have ever done, but plan to keep running and do many more races. So I totally messed up with this blogging and the continuation of Ragnar continues below......................keep reading!!!!!!!