Relating, Ragnar, and Humble Pie

"Always remember that you are absolutely unique. 

Just like everyone else." -Margaret Mead

As a freshman in high school, I desperately wanted to be on the cross-country team. I told my dad, who seemed excited and encouraged me to go for it. When I got to practice, however, I was too shy to run! Recently homeschooled, and with a bad haircut, I just knew those tan, toned girls, with impossibly long legs, and even longer hair, would eat me for breakfast. And so I became... the worst.cheerleader.EVER. But, that's another blog. Scratch that. I'M NEVER WRITING THAT BLOG! ;)

Fast forward a little over a decade to me being in PT school. I finally found a way to run, I think my hair's a little better, and I've worked hard to remove all trace of homeschool, but it's still tempting to feel intimidated. In fact, if I let my mind wander into the land of "If only," I can get myself into a pretty good funk. Although recently, a weekend of running in the mountains, and something a fellow student shared really resonated with me, reminding me that  a) I'm not alone in my occasional feelings of inadequacy and b) We need other people to walk this road with us.

Thanks, Clif Bar for sponsoring the event.

Going into the weekend, I had planned to spend some time with friends who were running the Colorado Ragnar Relay Series, but I wasn't sure what to expect, for a couple of reasons. First, most of the team were members of a Crossfit gym, and while I think highly of their ability, I didn't know how that would translate into running. Second, the total distance covered is an impressive 196 miles, from Breckenridge to Aspen, but with a team of twelve, some of the legs are less than three miles. I wondered, was this event really about running? Well, on the flip side of the weekend, having experienced all that the race encompasses, I can emphatically say, No. The Ragnar Relay is not about running. It's about so much more, and I am genuinely a better person because I've experienced it.

Sneaking in a Sunday run
in Glenwood Springs!

 In spite of my skeptical outlook, my attitude alteration began before I even left Denver. It started with a class discussion, which segmented into us talking about our different backgrounds. As one girl shared that having spent a large portion of her childhood overseas, she struggled to feel at home in both America and Europe, I empathized with her longing to identify with others. Thinking about how lost I would feel without my running friends, I made a mental note about the importance of community, and left class excited for the next day's events! 

Though subconscious, listening to my fellow students set the stage for all I was about to observe at Ragnar. It started with breakfast. Because I was in class when the race started early Friday morning, I met up with half of the team about 7-ish Saturday morning. These guys were tired! They'd all been running for at least a portion of the night, snagging little to no sleep, either in the van, on designated gym mats at the local community center, or in sleeping bags on public lawns. (Given the potential for automatic sprinkler activity, the lawns are sleep at your own risk!) Exhaustion aside, I could tell this team, some strangers, and some friends, had already formed an incredible bond. Over pancakes, they excitedly shared stories and inside jokes, passing the butter and pouring coffee for each other. Their eyes showed a hint of optimism and elation, as they mentally and physically prepped for the remaining miles. Words of encouragement flowed freely throughout the meal, and then the runners hopped back in the van en route to the next checkpoint. 

Photo Credit: Sara S.

Arriving at our checkpoint, I wandered around, taking pictures and chatting it up with participants. It was fun to see the iconic white vans decked out with all kinds of witty phrases and silly pictures. Also, I loved seeing that all the teams displayed an outlook similar to mine. In all shapes and sizes, ages and genders, traveling from all over the nation, and representing dozens of occupational and athletic backgrounds, the Ragnar runners seemed to understand that they were there to contribute to something bigger than themselves. In the words of my favorite chemistry professor, "The excitement was palpable!" 

As I wandered, I decided I was really impressed with the organization of this event! Sure, there will always be a few logistical mishaps (the finisher badges didn't quite make it in time, so some participants will receive their medals in the mail), but overall, coordinating the pick up and drop off of thousands of runners (each team had detailed maps), making sure that each station had adequate parking for the team vans and spectator vehicles (I was driving along in my personal car, and NEVER had trouble finding additional spots for parking), arranging restrooms (with tp and hand sanitizer! Fancy!), aid stations, volunteers, first aid responders, food and clothing sponsors, etc. I have so much admiration for the race directors! 

Photo Credit: Pope

Photo Credit: Pope

 The last leg of the relay finally came sometime later in the afternoon on Saturday. It was one of the longer stretches, so the team found a spot on the side of a hill near the finish, and watched for their runner. I joined in the cheering for all the weary folks headed in to the finish, but we saved the loudest shouts for our own, and while he ascended the hill, two of the team ran down to pace him up. As the three passed, the other nine joined, their tempo increasing as they ran. With no member left behind, the whole group crossed the finish line. As a spectator, it was one of the coolest things I've seen in a long time, and I was so proud of all of my friends, both new and old.

Photo Credit: Dan C.

I guess if you have been running long enough, you might complain about the commercialism of the event. Trust me. I get it. I, too, got a little big for my britches, and had a poor outlook going into this weekend. I love small community events, running unorganized miles in the wilderness, and pooping in the woods, just as much as the next girl! ;) But the thing is, I have the capacity to do those things on my own, so I'm not going to preach to the choir, complaining about big names and big money taking over the sport. Ragnar rocked my world because I saw humans helping humans acknowledge their inadequacies, pushing past personal fears, limitations, loneliness, doubts, and physical plateaus. It's about a team of people accomplishing something unattainable on their own.  

Hats off to you, Ragnar Relay finishers. I hope you never stop running.

"...the first mile, the last mile, and every mile in between teaches us something about our teammates, our humanity and ourselves." 

-Ragnar Relay Website