I am a runner. There is a group of runners at our work; we have become intimate friends who share a passion for running. As a group, we participated in the Ragnar relay series race from Miami to the Florida Keys on January 4 - 5, 2013. This is the 6th Ragnar I have done, and it is Lance's third.
What is Ragnar? Ragnar relay races are very unique experiences that challenge your physical and mental strength. It is approximately a 200-mile relay race that a team of 12 runners run over a 30-hour period. The team is split into two vans (6 in each van). Each runner runs three legs that average between 2 - 12 miles a leg. Runner 1 starts the race, runs a specific distance, and hands a wristband to runner 2 at an arranged exchange point. Runner 2 takes off with the wristband, runs a set distance, and hands off the wristband to Runner 3 at an exchange point. Van 1 does this for the first six runners before taking a 3-4 hour break while Van 2 takes over. From the moment the team starts running to the moment the race finishes, there is ALWAYS someone on the team running - day and night so yes, we have runners on the road at 2 a.m. in the morning. Moreover, Ragnar races are not closed courses. We are running with and against traffic on open roads.
What makes Ragnar so challenging is that you get very little sleep. You are basically running completely sleep deprived, feeling dirty and unrefreshed as you don't shower for that period. I think Ragnars are much more mentally and physically exhausting than a half marathon. It really tests your limits.
Our team, Lost-in-Transit, took a red eye flight on Wednesday, January 2 and landed into Miami on Thursday morning. There were 12 of us; 9 Orange County Transportation Authority employees, 2 friends of an employee, and one stranger (a former Marine) that we recruited from Michigan.
We spent our first day in South Beach, Florida, preparing for the race in a very stupid way. We went to a local restaurant and got ripped off! The hostess conned us in by saying they were giving away free shots and had a special "buy one, get one free drink". We must have had the word "tourist" written all over us. I don't drink, but I was so exhausted from the overnight flight; I decided to have a pina colada, thinking the alcohol would help me fall asleep. There were no prices on the menu, and we were too stupid to ask! We just ordered our drinks not realizing these drinks were made for giants. Of course they had a special because who could ever drink two of these monstrous drinks! They were colossal sized drinks.. Ultimately, our bill was $750 and that was just for drinks!!!! Yes, 68 dollars a person for alcohol--they really made money off of me because I took only a few sips of my pina colada.
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| Our colossal drinks |
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| Lance getting his shot |
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Our California Beach Costumes
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I was Runner 1. Our theme was California Beach. The guys wore blond surfer wigs and the girls wore Katy Perry wigs. Unfortunately, we forgot to bring our California flag. My first leg was only 5.7 miles; leg 2 was 8.8; and leg 3 was 3 miles. Lance's first leg was 4.4 miles; leg 2 was 4.7, and his final leg 9.9 miles. We started in Miami and ran to Key West. It was the most scenic course I have ever ran. Lance was fortunate to have the 7 mile bridge on his last run! He also got to run through a part of the Everglades at night, and yes, he did see an alligator. Ragnar staff warned us to not throw things on the side of the road as to not attract unwanted wildlife. We left the Everglades and came back with over 20 mosquito bites each. When you run at night in Ragnar, you are equipped with headlights, tail lights, and safety vests, but it still can be quite dark and scary out there. I am blind at night, and I could hear sounds in the dark which scared me.
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| at the start line |
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| Our Lost in Transit Team at the start line. |
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| Running Leg 1 through Miami |
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| Starting my 8.8 mile leg at 530. I have to wear the safety vest, tail lights, and headlights because most of my run will be in the dark. |
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| Lance's last leg...He had crossed the magnificent 7 mile bridge. |
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| posing with another team. Ragnar Teams go all out in costumes and decorate their vans! |
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| at the Finish Line with our medals!! |
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| 200 miles and 34 hours later!! Showing off our bling! |
Florida is hot and humid, and as a result, we did not meet our projected finish time. It was difficult to run in the heat - drenched in sweat. Florida is also incredibly BEAUTIFUL. It is one of the prettiest states I have ever seen. I loved every aspect of Miami and the Florida Keys. Lance and I talked about living in Key West or at least spending time there in retirement. I could totally see it. It is a little quaint community all of its own.
We rented a condo in Key West and spent the day touring the island. A highlight for me was visiting the home of Ernest Hemingway. Though Hemingway is not a favorite of mine, I am passionate about literature. His house had a lot of character, and there are cats all over the premises. These cats are direct descendants of Hemingway's cats. I also learned that the famous playwright Tennessee Williams resided in Key West, and we went to the beach where he swam in every morning.
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| Key West--View from the Lighthouse |
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| the Original Margaritaville |
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| Renewing our vows for the 50th time at the Hemingway House--Lance teases that we are always renewing our vows, which is true. |
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| At Ernest Hemingway's House--the lighthouse can be seen in the back. We climbed up it for a spectacular view of Key West |
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| Key West--Sign says this is the beach Tennessee Williams swam in every morning |
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| at a race track which served as one of the "exchange points" where you hand off the wristband to the next runner |
A visit to Florida would not be complete without seeing the Everglades. We toured an alligator farm and did an airboat tour through the Everglades national park. During the tour, we saw several wild alligators. We also nibbled on alligator meat. It was fried, and I think that masked the taste quite a bit. It was chewy and tasted like chicken nuggets.
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| Holding a 3-year old alligator |
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| an amazing tour through the Everglades where we saw several wild alligators and birds |
I will never forget the beauty of Florida, but I'm happy to be home. Lance and I have done so much in the last two years--its almost TOO much. We are simply exhausted and just want to do NOTHING. Since November 2012 and by the end of January (3 months), we traveled to San Antonio, Las Vegas, Florida, and Arizona. Fortunately, we have no plans to travel until July. With two full time jobs, three small children, two neurotic dogs, Lance's major reconstruction project, my running--it doesn't seem to end.
It's go, go, go. I can't complain though. We are blessed. Our lives are filled with constant activity, and every day, I say a prayer of thanks.
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