D.C. Ragnar 2009

Last weekend Derek and I ran D.C Ragnar. This was a 199.3 mile relay race that went from Cumberland, Maryland, to Washington D.C. The race started Friday morning at 10a. Our team finished Saturday evening after 5p (after having a runner get lost for 1 1/2 hours, so we actually ran a lot faster than what our finishing time is listed as). Our team consisted of 12 runners, divided into two vans. We were in Van 1. Each runner runs 3 legs. The legs range anywhere from 2.4 miles to over 10 miles. Runners can pick which set of legs they will run, but the miles are preassigned and cannot be switched. In other words, runner 1 will run legs 1, 13, and 25. Runner 2 runs 2, 14, and 26, and so on through all 12 runners. Derek was runner 2. He ran 8.8 miles, then 4.8 miles, then another 9 miles, for a total of about 23 miles. I had much easier legs. I ran about 6.8 miles, then 3.1 miles and then 2.9 miles, for a total of about 13 miles. Overall our van did 97 of the 199.3 miles.

This is the second year we have done D.C. Ragnar. Last year was the first year for the race in D.C. (there are other Ragnar relays all over the country - we ran one in Utah before we moved last year). This year was much smoother than last year. Overall we had a great time. It is a very challenging and rewarding race. We hope to be able to run it every year we live here. A big thanks to our wonderful friends for watching our children!!!

Here are the pictures. You'll notice we didn't take any pictures after the first set of legs, until we were all finished with our legs. I guess we were a little tired and distracted.

Here is van 1 of our team waiting for the race to start (Wess, Matt, Kim, Mandy, Amanda, and Derek):


Mandy, Kim and Derek waiting for the race to start


Our start. They actually started about 20 teams every hour from 8am to 4p. We started at 10a.


Here is Derek waiting to start his first leg.


Derek in the middle of his first leg. (I am in the background because I had just offered him a drink).


Derek at the end of his first leg. He handed off to Mandy.


Amanda waiting for the start of her first leg.


Mandy handed off to Amanda.


Amanda kicking it in to hand off to Matt.


Our team after we finished all three of our legs each. We were very happy to be done.