So Cal Ragnar Relay 2012: The Decision

by This is Carrie on July 7, 2012

It’s been over two months since the So Cal Ragnar Race and I still haven’t written about it. That’s pretty much because words can’t explain the epic adventure that was had on those two days. It was a little like childbirth; when you’re in the thick of it, you can’t imagine ever doing it again. But, once it’s over, you quickly forget the pain and you can’t wait to experience the joy once again. We’ve already signed up for So Cal Ragnar 2013 so the So Cal Ragnar 2012 recap is way overdue. It may come in 10 separate parts, but it will come and it will be worth it.

I cannot begin the story without talking about “The Decision”. If you’ve never run a relay before, here’s an explanation of how it works in Ragnar’s own words:

“Ragnar is the overnight running relay race that makes testing your limits a team sport. A team is made up of 6-12 individuals; each individual runs 3 legs. The legs of the race vary in difficulty and distance, from 3-8 miles, allowing elite and novice runners to run together. Over 2 days and 1 night, teams run across 200 miles of the country’s most scenic terrain. Pair that with crazy costumes, inside jokes, a great finish line party and unforgettable stories. Some call it a slumber party without sleep, pillows or deodorant. We call it Ragnar.”

Because Kelly and I already had a few relays under our running belts as part of the normal, 12-person teams, we got this crazy idea to take the So Cal Ragnar Relay to the next level by convincing a few of our closest friends to run this one as a 6-woman “ultra team”.

“You and 11 5 of your buddies running relay style, day and night, in a 200-mile running event through Southern California. Starting south of Los Angeles in beautiful Huntington Beach your team of 12 6 runners will head south down the pacific coast. Along the way you will pass through Anaheim, Carlsbad, Del Mar and La Jolla. The race (and your stamina) will wrap up near San Diego on beautiful Coronado Island.”

And so it was decided and the adventure began.