Once again Ragnar DC did not disappoint. I did not plan to run Ragnar DC this year as the date is right at the beginning of the school year and just a couple of weeks before a conference I attend for work. But when my friend asked me to help captain a team for Mad Fox Brewpub, I couldn't resist. I mean, beer and running. What could be better? This was my first time captaining but I have a lot of friends who've done it, so it went pretty smoothly. We did have a little excitement when our first start time was 1:45, which would mean a midnight finish. Oops. Thankfully, Ragnar fixed that so we started at 8:45am. We also lost one runner about two weeks ago, but were able to replace her quickly. And then I got a text from a runner … [Read more...]
Five tips for a fun Ragnar
I love to run Ragnar! Unlike marathons, which I seem to find myself accidentally signed up for, Ragnar is something I love to do. In fact, eventually, I'd like to run every Ragnar out there (but no, I won't be that person who runs them all in one year LOL. I'm packed and mostly ready to go. Just need to get some sleep and then we'll pack the van in the morning. All of my outfits are in their individual plastic bags (one of the best tips ever!) and I've just got a few last minute things to add in the morning. So here are five tips to make sure Ragnar goes smoothly and is a lot of fun! Upload the pace calculator to Google Drive. This allows you to easily edit it and lets the other van know if the team is getting ahead of or … [Read more...]
Preparing to run Ragnar DC again
I ran my first Ragnar Relay at the Ragnar DC two years ago. It was an amazingly fun experience and I couldn't wait to run one again. We got lucky and our team won a free entry into Ragnar Cape Cod the following spring. I was afraid going in that it wouldn't be as much fun as the first one. After all, the bar had been set pretty high. Ragnar Cape Cod was amazing. I loved the course, my team was amazing, and Beer Geek and I followed up with a week exploring the area. I knew I'd run Ragnar again, but wasn't sure when or more importantly, where. After all, I love to travel and run in new places. I almost ran DC again last year, but life intervened (thank goodness, it was cold and rainy most of the race.) And with going for Mercury … [Read more...]
Runfession is good for the soul
TGIF. This has been a busy week and I'm tired. Thursday was my birthday and it was an ok day (not amazing, but acceptable), until the end of the day. Then I happened to notice that the bubbles from Shoo's bubble bath were coming out of our basement toilet. I'm pretty sure that's not a good sign. I'm hoping that when the plumber shows up it's not a big clog, but I'm mentally prepared for it to be a big deal. Sigh. So, let's get on with some runfessions... I've been using Hansons Marathon Method to train for Marine Corps Marathon. In theory, at least. I haven't hit a full week of training in over a month. And speed work? I don't even know what that is anymore. On Sunday, I finished my goal of 23 half marathons in 23 states in … [Read more...]
It’s a perfect day for a coffee date!
Happy Saturday! I'm sitting here with a cup of coffee, wondering if there is actually enough coffee in the world to get me through the day. It feels like it's been raining for years. I know it hasn't and I know we need at least some of this rain, but I don't do well with multiple grey and wet days in a row. Anyways, I'm joining up with my friends Deborah, Coco, and Lynda for a virtual coffee date. If we were having coffee, I'd tell you that instead of running Ragnar Relay, I spent my evening in my nice warm house drinking a pumpkin beer and baking for a recipe post on Monday. While I was a little (tiny) bit sad not to be out with my team, beer and donuts are not such a bad way to spend an evening. … [Read more...]
Ragnar Cape Cod Recap
Ragnar Cape Cod was, in a word, fabulous! I was worried that it would not live up to my memories of Ragnar DC, but it did and then some. I met up with the lovely ladies of Moms Do It All Night Long at the start line early on Friday morning. Several of us had decided to wear our DC shirts, so we looked awesome together. I may now also own the skirt that the others were wearing... We made our way through all of the steps and then saw Deborah off at the start line. … [Read more...]
DC to Cape Cod or Bust
Happy Monday! I'm sitting in an inn on Nantucket Island this morning. It feels like way more than a few days since I left home! I'm doing my usual Monday linkup with Tara and Erin today to tell you about the fun I'm having. Wednesday morning, after we got the kids off to school, Beer Geek and I headed to the airport for a quick flight to Boston. Everything went smoothly (how often does THAT happen?) and we were heading to Hull by early afternoon. We checked into the Nantasket Beach Resort, which I highly recommend if you are ever in that area, as it was lovely. It's also a short walk from the start line of Ragnar Cape Cod. This was the view from our room: … [Read more...]
Spring? Where are you?
Yesterday turned out to be a glorious spring day. It started off rainy (and I started off whiny), but then the sun came out an it actually got warm. So warm, in fact, that I was overdressed for my run and I opened the windows when I got home. Today it is 44* and rainy (Yay for that outdoor field trip to Mount Vernon!). Tomorrow at the start line for 17.75 it will be a "feels like" of 25*. Seriously, Mother Nature, get back on your meds. So, I'm having a hard time coming up with 5 spring foods I'd like to eat, as I'm still in comfort food mode from the weather and eat.all.the.things mode from all the running. Speaking of running, did I mention that I successfully completed 20 and 12 back to back? I ran out of time for the last 3 miles … [Read more...]
