Sure, Let's Do It Again! Ragnar 2015

Ragnar 2015 is happening in one week from today and the group I did it with in 2013 is doing it again! This year we have expanded and now we have 2 teams running. We have Memphis Grit and Memphis Grind! Once again I am the 7th runner on Memphis Grit. I get the same dang legs I had last year. I am the first runner from van 2. the only difference this year is that I will have a running buddy, Philip, to chug along with. This was done because some of the female runners felt weird running out at all hours of the night, so this way every runner will have a partner. I think this will help in the times when you need that encouragement and hopefully to pass the time away. We will start in Chattanooga, TN and run to Nashville, TN, 196 miles. Here are the legs I am running once again.

 

Leg 7 is a beast. I hate leg 7 if I am being honest with you, and I am. So let me tell you why I hate Leg 7. Leg 7 is a 5.3 mile "hard" leg that provides no van support and has one water stop along the way.  If you will look at the elevation chart, you will notice that the first mile is a lovely run through the park, then it changes. The next 4.3 miles of this leg are uphill. There is a total of elevation gain of 1303 feet. One other thing that makes this a tough run is the camber of the street. Not only do you feel the uphill battle, but also I remember feeling like my ankles were at a weird angle due to the slope of the road. So, my plan is to be smart on this leg and not kill myself because I will still have two other runs to complete. Last year I finished this run in 1:02, but I am not sure I see that happening this year.

Leg 19 will start at approximately midnight, maybe earlier on Thursday night at a school if I remember right. This run is hard to describe because it is at night and all you have to go on is what you can see from your headlight. I remember it being in the 20s last year when I took off. It is a 6 mile "hard" leg that again provides no van support. Last time I finished in 1:06 and I think that is doable once again.

Leg 31, my final run is a 5.9 mile "hard" run. Notice that every leg is consider a "hard" leg!!! This will definitely be the hardest run due to the lack of sleep, recovery and fuel I will have. I will be so ready to finish by the time this gets here! This leg can provide full van support, which means they can drive by and yell for us I guess, or they can drive by and tell me to start running again, either could happen. I really have no idea what to expect other than keeping that mantra 'Forward is a Pace"


All in all, this is an experience. It will most likely be my farewell Ragnar Race. I do have concerns about that stupid hill, so after the hill, it will be A-OK with me, I just have to beat that hill. I feel like I am ready for this race half the time, and the other half I feel as if I am going to die. That's normal right? Anyways, I have my list to pack and I am getting things ready. if you want to follow me while running, first thing I would say to you is Get a Life! The second thing would be to get the MapMyRun app and go MVP for the free month and friend request me.

I know it has been a minute since my last post but I will update the blog on hos Ragnar 2015 was!  Thanks for reading.