Warning: if you are not a fan of bathroom talk or men in awesome shorts, then this post is not for you. But come on, who is not a fan of those things?
Before we start the long process that is this post, please take a moment to familiarize yourself with Tobias the Never Nude (from the best show ever, Arrested Development) see here
THE NUMBERS:
6 in one van
6 in the other.
195 miles through Las Vegas desert. (18.1 for me)
405 teams.....4800+ fellow runners.
70°ish. Perfect.
27 hours and 4 minutes of pure torture/joy/fatigue/excitement/pain/laughter/craziness/hatred/fun.
with 2 hours of sleep squeezed in there.
Somehow managed 10th place overall with our thrown together team.
Still unsure how....must have been the cutoffs.
1 scary clown.
4000 new inside jokes (I love inside jokes) from staying up all night deliriously tired [poop.]
HOW IT WOKS:
Ben started us off (with a full sprint, just for kicks:)
He then handed off to his lovely wife Lauren, who ran 8.8 miles up a bazillion hills.
I can't tell you how awesome it was having our spouses there with us!
Robby looking killer in cutoffs aside, my favorite thing was to see him up ahead waiting with water and a good joke.
Lauren handed off to Ryan...and because I had to film Ryan while he ran, there are no photos of him....whoops! This awesome photo will have to do instead.
Ryan then handed to Robby, and let's talk about Robby.
And how he hates to run.
Always hated it.
And then I talked him into this race.
And he did AWESOME.
And not I'm-just-saying-that-because-we-are-married-and-I-have-to-say-that AWESOME.
He did so good--and I was so proud!!
He's already looking forward to another!
Robby then handed to Kelly (his sis! yes--cutest handoff award goes to them)
She glided effortlessly up the hill with time for a sponge bath on the way.
Kelly handed off to me! Since I was runner number 6 I sat in the van watching everyone else get to start (and finish) and it only made me more and more nervous for my turn.
But as soon as I saw her coming I got so excited and might have had to do a little dance before she got there. Que adrenaline.
One of my favorite things about
these races is that EVERYONE is so friendly. You have hundreds of cheerleaders wherever you go
(why can't real life be like that?).
Blasting music out their windows and cheering you on. I love it!
I then passed off to our Van 2, who ran while we "rested", and then we did it again. And then again.
Three legs!
The finish line was a welcome sight.....our tired legs were ready for a rest.
Lauren and I did the
Wasatch Back, so we scored these awesome "Saints and Sinners" medals....which still crack me up.
Our awesome Never Nude team.
THE UPS:
-I honestly can't describe how much fun this is....I don't really know why. The running is terrible, hard, and at times terribly hard, yet I would honestly do it again this weekend. really.
-no sleep. More of an up, then a down if you see how loopy I get. I have no idea what crazy werid things I may have said or done, and I would take the time to apologize to my teammates but I'm sure in their delierous state they have already forgotten.
score.
-you get ride in a giant awesome van. and it's DECORATED!
-my teamates. we are all now officially BFFs....I think I said I love you all a thousand times. You get to know each other far too well when you are in your worst moments....I love it.
THE DOWNS:
-throwing up in an intersection in during your night run because you attempted to run too fast and having the crossing guard standing there holding up traffic while you do it.
...only a few hundred yards from your handoff.
that is not awesome, I assure you.
-Hundreds and hundreds of, ahem, well used porta-potties.
yikes.
-by the 3rd leg I'm a little bit over the whole running thing.
-calf cramps.
-emergency pit stops for stomaches gone mad, and those runners shall remain unnamed...
-rocky roads (not the kind full of chocolate swirls and marshmallow clouds)
-The 3 am alarm that went off and woke us from our 2 hour nap......we contemplated just quitting right there (sorry van 2)
-Having it all end. Monday came and I moped around missing my never nudes! I need my entourage surrounding me at all times offering me water and making me laugh. I need Kelly's awesome grammar and made up words, I need Ben yelling "Kill the Clown", I need Lauren getting the giggles with me over every immature thing, and I need more Robby and Ryan basking in their jean-shorted glory.
And I need it all on film.
oh wait. it is. thanks ryan.
Ragnar Relay : Las Vegas from
Ryan Southwell on
Vimeo.
I think next time (oh there WILL be a next time) I might have to film a little "behind the scenes" night time happenings to see just how tired we are.
or maybe not...
