What an eventful weekend it was. If you have never heard of "Ragnar" they are national running relay races. The one I happened to be a minuscule part of was The Wasatch Back Relay that began in Logan and ended in Park City. 188 miles of beautiful scenery. And yes, 12 people on the "Chasin Booty" team who ran it. I was just the driver, but what an experience it was for me too.
I don't love to run. It is not something I have ever liked unless it includes a basketball and hoop, a softball and bat or a football. That being said....
I have been truly inspired.
The first van consisted of 5 guys and a girl....Andy, Jeff, Greg, Dan, Mary and Michael. I know Andy from the mission field and he was as hilarious then as he is now. The rest of the team I met the day the race started. Mary is Andy's sister and humor runs in the family. I could talk to them for hours and I would laugh the entire time.
The second "van" which was my burb had the remaining 6. Becky, Laura, Brooke, Denette, Megan and Mandy. Wow are these girls amazing. I, of course, knew Becky and I also know Mandy because she is Becky's neice.
ANYWAY....
If you know me very well at all, you know that I don't do well without my sleep. I don't need a lot, just my regular 11pm to 7am(ish) and I am mostly good to go. My head hits the pillow and WHAMO, I'm a goner.
So going 42 hours without sleep....thats a big deal for me. I stayed up through the night, driving and watching each runner, making sure they were safe from the mountain lions, bears and other frightening creatures that could eat them. I also made sure they had their water if they were thirsty. When one runner was done, I woke up the next to remind them it was their turn soon. And so it went. I watched these amazing women run in the dark, in the rain, fog, up a stinking steep mountain, down knee breaking hills and all the while, they were smiling.
It was the 2nd day (Saturday) at about 9am or so and we were driving up a pretty steep incline from Heber and I looked over to see a man, in a wheelchair, pushing himself up the mountain. He had no legs. AMAZING. Of course, I started to bawl. (lack of sleep and being amazed are a perfect combination for tears)
So the team finished the race in 32 hours...which was about middle of the pack. But the fact that they did it. They did something that was hard. (Ok, maybe not hard for van 1, or for Laura or Denette who didn't seem to bat an eye about their running) Van 1 followed us on our last legs and actually ran/walked with the ladies as they pushed themselves us the mountain. There was so much kindness and shared strength.
Becky, you amaze me. You set your mind to things and you do them. YOU ROCK SISTER!!
I loved being a part of the team, sharing in their victory of finishing.
When I got home, I was in a fog. I took a nice hot bath, ate some awesome Chili's take out and fell asleep at 9:30pm and slept until 10:30am the next day. My awesome hubby took care of the kids and recovered from hernia surgery without me. Yes, he had surgery the day before I left for Ragnar and he told me he didn't need me. HMMM, not sure how I should have taken that but, he really didn't.
For me, the best part about this race is that I realized that nothing is impossible, even when it is SO hard you feel like you can't keep going. If you want something bad enough, you have to work your booty off to get it, and in the end you are rewarded even if its just the fact that you finished. You completed something you put your mind to. I realized for me, that I can do hard thing too. They may not be literal mountains that I have to run up, but there are plenty of figurative mountains in life that we all must climb.
I can do hard things. And I know I have others there cheering me on, bringing me drinks of water, watching me as I keep moving forward, encouraging me to keep going, walking beside me if I feel too weak to make it. I know I am never alone.
So this is what I have learned from a relay race, and I am a better person for being there.
Thanks sis, your example has made me stronger! I love you!
