Ragnar Florida Keys – And So it Begins!

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I’ve done a lot of good events this season – earning a PR at the Tucson Marathon, trying out part of my first 50-miler (even if it didn’t go precisely according to plan), and I even have my first 50 mile biking event coming up in March.  However, the one I’ve been looking forward to the most is the Ragnar Florida Keys, held on Friday, 2/7 and Saturday, 2/8.  For those who aren’t yet indoctrinated into Ragnar culture, the Ragnar Relays are a series of 200 mile runs generally done by a team of 12 people who take shifts covering the entire distance.* You pack into a van with five of your soon-to-be closest running buddies (for a 12 person team, there are two vans total) and spend around 36 hours running, snacking, sleeping (optional), and smelling horrible.**  The Ragnar site officially calls us “Ragnarians,” but my team and I generally prefer “Ragtards.”


Ragnar Del Sol 2011
Mmmm...sweaty husband kisses!


Ragnar Del Sol 2011
Crossing the finish line

This will be my fourth Ragnar (Del Sol in February 2011 and 2012 and Las Vegas in November 2012), and it’s the one I’m most excited about.  Not only is the van full of some of my closest running buds who have all done a Ragnar before and love the experience, as a native Floridian, it’s on my home turf - the run begins in Miami and ends in Key West.  One of Mom’s sorority sisters from college, Aunt Suzy, has lived in Key West for just about ever, so we were lucky enough to spend quite a bit of time in the Keys growing up.  Although I love the desert and all of the beauty it offers, I’m truly at peace when I’m near the water, and I can’t wait to show my AZ friends one of the places I love the most.


Ragnar Del Sol 2012
The Proton Pack finish line pic


Ragnar Del Sol 2012
We ain't afraid of no ghosts!

I also get the added benefit of flying through Tampa on the way there, so I get to spend time with Mom, Jim (the bro), Leigh (the sis-in-law), and my Uncle Doug; it’s always nice to get back to the old stomping grounds (and eat a Greek salad at the Galley), although I’m sure I’ll take one step off the plane and immediately lament the humidity.***  The six of us in Van 2 are also staying in Marathon for a few more days after the run, so we’ll have some time after the race to chill out and explore the Keys further. 


Ragnar Vegas 2012
Yes, that's snow.


Ragnar Vegas 2012
We're on a boat!

All Ragnar teams pick a name and a general theme that goes along with the name.  In the past, we’ve been on Team Bridezillas (two of the couples on the team were getting married within the next year), The Proton Pack (Ghostbusters themed), and Team I’m on a Boat (because…The Lonely Island).  This year, since we’re finally leaving the southwest for a Ragnar, we wanted to bring some of it with us and represent the weird, gnarly, but still great state of Arizona.  Here’s the logo we’ll be sporting on the back of our t-shirts:


But in black and white.
Because color was too expensive.

I’ll eventually have actual event reports up here, but during the event, I’ll probably be posting shorter, less coherent**** updates on Facebook in real-time. 

Stay tuned!

Amy

* Although if you want to go really hardcore, you can run it with six people – or even less.  Then, you’re considered an “ultra” team.  As in, ultra nutso.

** For realsies.  After awhile, you don’t even notice the stench.  We did one Ragnar a few years back where Erin’s boyfriend, Steve, helped us unpack the van afterward.  Steve opened the van doors and was knocked back from the fumes – something we couldn’t even smell anymore.  He looked at Erin and went, “man, that van is RIPE.”

*** “I’m chewing…on the air.  Why is it so wet?”

 **** If that’s even possible.

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