RAGNAR!
Ran my first Ragnar (Ultra version) with the Wasatch Running Center team. I am glad I got to see the whole production with my own eyes because it was everything I thought it would be and then some. ~12,000 runners, 2,000 cars, thousands of cones, water cups, volunteers, sleeping bags, honey buckets, snack food, headphones, costumes, etc. You name, it's there.
I was runner 6 in van 2 with Brett Hales and Steve Shepherd so I ran legs 11/12, 23/24, 35/36. Some of it was fun, some of it really sucked and some of it was just plain ridiculous.
Leg 1 (11/12) 9.3 miles, 2,116 up, 670 down, 1:02:27, 6:36 pace, ran up to Snowbasin then did a two mile loop on the trail. Felt good and pushed the effort because I figured this was my hardest leg. Oh was I wrong. This leg started at 7 PM on Friday but I figure it would be easier to write one report.
Hung out at Snowbasin for a bit then tried sleeping in the car at East Canyon. No success.
Leg 2 (23/24) 12 miles, 1,073 up, 424 down, ~1:18:00, ~6:30, watch didn't work for awhile. Major stomach and equipment malfunctions and starting at 3 AM with zero sleep didn't help. This leg wasn't much fun.
Laid on the grass in Heber and might have slept 30 minutes. Multiple visits to the Honey Bucket.
Leg 3.1 (35) 10 miles, 448 up, 2,636 down! Surprisingly went better than expected and fortunately I held off the BYU guy (granted he started 4.5 mins behind me). Felt decent until around mile 9 when it flattened out. Just under one hour (5:56 pace).
This was the undoing
Leg 3.2 (36) 3.8 (book said 2.8!). Especially didn't need that extra mile and taking a wrong turn at the end. 472 up, 475 down, ~33 mins (8:14 average). After coming through the shoot at the high school the course goes up a single track to the top of Park City Hill then goes down the back on a very windy and rocky single track. Quads were pretty shot at the end.
Total 34.7 miles, 4,109 up, 4,205 down
"What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger." For this experience I am holding to that mantra.
Team MVP was Steve Shepherd. He ran a 19 mile leg starting at 1AM then had to end with the 8.3 mile leg (33/34) with 3,200 ft of climbing. He didn't blink on the climb and ran the 19 miles at around a 6:30 pace. Wasatch Running was also very gracious covering the entry fees, some of the snacks and cool singlets/jacket/calf sleeves/arm warmers.
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