Friday, April 27, 2012

SoCal Ragnar

Ragnar Ready??
Lets get this party started.
Friday April 20 was the day. 
Team Bonk! start time was 6:45 am. I think they left the hotel about 5:30, ouch!
By Friday morning I was I ready to get the race going.
With the van packed with our race supplies and decorated with team name we were ready.

Team support...Teri was awesome. Her traveling companion had to opt out of the California trip at the last minute and she was left to navigate Southern California and Ragnar course on her own.
However, with her amazing ability to travel and read her "old school" fold out paper maps, and a handy dandy "BradMag" She was ready and able.

Alittle love before climbing in the van.

Van #2 girlie's
Amy, Lindsay (My new favorite, had lots of fun with her), Brooke and me


Ragnar Ready, Baby!!!

Forest Gump made an appearance on Team Bonk!
Cameron was amazing.
He did not shave his beard from Las Vegas Ragnar to So Cal Ragnar.
He was awesome to wear the outfit is the sweltering heat.

I just love this girl.

Trent=AMAZING.
I am constantly in awe when I see him run. It was about 90 degrees and it didn't slow him down.

Who is this happy when they run....uphill in crazy heat???

Amy received the nickname "The beast" among others.

Dad awaiting Amy's hand off to start his first leg.

Alittle water provided by Amy

Lindsay and Amy awaiting Brad's arrival to hydrate him again

Not really sure what happened, but Brooke was put into time out.
When showing James the picture he asked, "I think next time I see Brooke I will ask her why she got time out. She seems really old"
Gotta love that kid.

I think I was only in my leg about 1 mile and I was thrilled to see Amy awaiting to hydrate and dump water. It was so HOT, 99 degrees.

Our team would be waiting for us to give us water and run along side us so we didn't have to stop. If I would have stopped I never would have been able to get going again.


Another hydration station provided by Amy



Half way through my first leg runners and van went in different directions. I was dying!!!! It was so hot. I only had a little bit of Gatorade left in my water bottle. My hands started to swell and I had left my wedding on and my finger begin to get bigger and bigger and my rings were getting tighter and tighter.
I was struggling.
As I came atop a hill I saw my Dad come over headed in my direction with a water bottle in hand.
Has he began to run toward me tears instantly came and came.
I was so happy to see him.
He poured water on my hand and poured water over my head.
He then ran ahead to the awaiting van got another water bottle.
As I ran by the van I grab a handful of ice from the cooler and drank more water.
I was soaked from head to toe running to the exchange to pass of to Brooke.
Once Brooke had the bracelet there was my Dad once again with an ice pack to hold.
One of the hardest thing I have done. I was beat.
***
We were able to stay close to Brooke during her run to give her lots of water.
We saw plenty of runners struggling through the heat.
We got through our first legs.

Brooke finishing and the pass off to Chris.
I love the major exchanges where we get to see the other van.

Dinner and alittle help for Teri and her iPhone.

We had two hotel rooms that team Bonk! shared.
Jake is a Genius.
He suggested getting the rooms and it was heaven.
No sleeping on the ground for this team.

Saturday morning at Torrey Pines. There was so much fog we didn't get to see it.

Trent getting ready to take off on his last leg.
After Trent took off we had some time and we were able to go pick up Teri and she joined us in the van on our last legs.
I loved having her along, spreading a little good news.

The Machine on his way to pass off to Lindsay

Lindsay starting her last leg, and it was her birthday
We made so many visits to the potties

Brooke!!!


I love this picture of Dad and Trent with the purple "thing"
Trent and Dad were walking ahead of me, Amy, Teri, and Brooke. Amy said she would owe me a BIG Diet Coke if I could get Dad and Trent to go stand by the thing to get a picture.
I was able to get them to do it....so Amy I am awaiting my super super sized Diet Coke.


Amy stretching


Hydration stop for Lindsay

Doesn't this look like fun?

Amy, "The Beast" her last leg was 11.1 miles and she was on fire.
However, we were in downtown San Diego and the van pulled over to wait and give Amy water. While we were waiting I got a call on my phone from a out of area number. I answered it and it was Amy. She was lost!!! She had flagged down some guy to use his phone to call us.
We got her on the right course and she was passing us in no time.



Van support

Happy Birthday Princess.
Doesn't it look like she is having a great birthday?

Brad taking off on his last leg.
I hate to admit that Dad also took a wrong turn.

Amy getting some rest

My last leg, and once again I got lost.What is wrong with us?  I was running up a bike path and saw about 5 other runners walking toward me. One runner had a phone and was talking with her van and was able to send us in the right direction.

Brooke's home away from home

Sprinting to the exchange.
I saw Brooke waiting and I was so excited to pass off and be done.

The hand off

At the finish awaiting Brooke to come down the tunnel

Love Team support!!
Thanks Mom

We were on the beach waiting to run to the finish when we saw Brooke and it was FREEZING. Could we not have had the heat from the previous day.


Forest was excited to shave "this animal off" his face


So excited to see Brooke come out of the tunnel.

Team BONK! after crossing the finish line.
It felt so good to be done.

We were all so cold we left pretty quick.
We stop in Old Town, San Diego at a Mexican restaurant for some food, then off to the hotel to shower and get some sleep.
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Sunday morning breakfast at McDonald's. The best part was we all piled into one van.

After breakfast we checked out and had to drive back up to Los Angeles to catch our flight back home.
It was an amazing trip.
Loved being in California with Brooke, Jenny, Mom, Amy and Lindsay.
I love running with team BONK!

5 comments:

linds said...

heidi! i love the re-cap. i kinda wish i was still there. you have the best family. thank you for sharing them with me.

linds said...

oh and i added you to my blog list. hope you don't mind if i stalk regularly.

Jamie said...

I have read and reread this post 3 times. I love it. Made me feel like I was there. Still a little sad I missed it.

SO proud of you! That heat just sounds miserable! Way to do a hard thing! You're awesome!

Amy said...

Loved, loved, loved every second of this race. Glad I got to be in your van this year.

Can't wait for the next adventure! Hobble Creek here comes the Jensens!

Maga said...

No, I'm like your Mom I wouldn't have enjoyed the run--I'd rather be the water girl like Shelly in Boston. I did enjoy the pictures though THANKS!! You could have Trent get rid of those pesky letters for me on your blog. I guess I'm a robot.