What can I say but….

BEST EXPERIENCE EVER!!!!  I know, I know Teri you say that all the time but honestly nothing can really compare to this.  I mean come on it was my first Ragnar and I did not die, which is always a positive thing.

So what makes a great Ragnar?  Is it what Runner you are, well I loved being Runner #4,  no that was not it.  Was it the mansion that we got to stay in and pool we swam in, nope although it did not suck.

So what made this the most amazing Ragnar ever….

Yep you got it, these amazing 11 individuals that really made it so special. Victoria, Mike, Janet, Jennifer, Jeff, Val, Bergen, Rik, Don, Kris and Nick.  This is, Running Down a Dream Team 2017.  This team covered multiple states and countries.  We have runners from California, New York, Florida, New Jersey, Iowa, Arizona and Ottawa Canada.

We did the Ragnar Del Sol that started in Wickenburg Arizona and ended at Fountain Hills Arizona.  We were lucky that Victoria our team captain was able to find us an amazing house in Peoria and it was beautiful!!  It had everything we needed plus more.

This was the hardest thing I have ever done, no exaggerations.  Everyone starting arriving on Wednesday and it was like a family reunion with people that you have never met in person just in our Facebook Community.  I felt like I already knew these amazing people which really made this a great experience.  By Thursday morning everyone was here and it was time to decorate the vans.  This was so fun and they turned out great!

The fact we had to be at the course by 4:30 am does not help especially because I am not a morning person.  But luckily most of us came in early enough to get some rest, food and meet together as a team especially for us that were newbies.

So after an evening of getting to know each other, yummy food and a few shenanigans it was time to hit the Bunk House and get some shut eye.  Yeah lets just say that was pretty much impossible I was just too excited for the next day!!

ITS RACE DAY!!!!! and OMG I am so excited.  Van 1 is up, dressed and out of the house by 3:30 am so we could get to the start line in time for orientation and the safety rules.  We were one of the first vans to get there and in our van we had 3 newbies that could barely stand still. Then more vans started to arrive and we started to see familiar faces.  Several people I knew were on the Kilty Pleasures, Angela Lee, John Hulsely, Tammy Rhones, and Lupe Coons.  I also got to meet Lorrie Hellcat Banford who is one badass.  All these people I have been lucky to meet through the From Fat To Finish Line Movie, you know the amazing movie about a Ragnar!!!  5:00am was out start time and believe me it came so fast.  Next thing we know we are hooting and hollering for our first runner Mike Bauler!!  He is such so awesome and he was antsy as hell to get running.

Then we are on to the next leg, but not without stopping for some coffee at the closest Starbucks.  Funny thing happened at the Starbucks.. how many conversations start that way I wonder.  But we ran into a fellow Ragnar Team, they were Pirates and they were super nice.  Also if you cannot tell one of their runners was as tall as I was short!!!  Great Photo Op.

I still had a couple of hours before my first leg and I was really getting nervous.  I started my first leg of 6.5 miles right before 6 am and once I got running I felt pretty good and the weather could not have been better.  I got to the 1st 2 mile mark and waved my van on, I wanted to just keep going.  When I got to my 4 mile mark I know I was going to need to stop and get some water, even though it was early in the day it was getting HOT.  So I am approaching the van and I know the doors are going to open any minute now, yep any minute they are going to jump out of the van.  So epic fail they did not see me coming and here I am standing outside the van with my arms up in the air, kind of a HELLO!!  They then saw me and the laughter ensues and honestly this was the best moment where we are all laughing.

I finished this leg in 1:17 and I was thrilled that I did it and hell I did not die, always a great goal to have.

What happened next??? Well check back next week for Part 2 of Teri’s Ragnar Adventure!!