Did Somebody Say More Cowbell?

I think our team needs more cowbell!

Oh boy, I have been a terrible blogger lately.  So much to do and so little time to type about it!  I will catch up really quick while I have a moment though! 

On June 30th my whole family and a group of friends ran the Down and Dirty mud run out on Fort Lewis.  This was the third year for us and we had a great time just like always.  It is a family friendly event and this time it was only 3.3 miles rather than 5 which was nice for the kids.  We dressed up in the theme of the day as superhero's and all just stuck together and had a great time.  I highly recommend this for a first time mud run -it is pretty tame compared to some out there these days.  Niko ran the whole way and talked almost the entire time.  At one point I was actually chasing him down -he found a burst of energy and was just tearing off down the trail!  Fun times.

The clan after the mud run!  Such a fun time!!

Then on July 7th we went to my cousin's wedding in Olympia.  The ceremony was in the State Capital building and it was beautiful inside and the wedding was really nice.  I am happy for my cousin, he seems very much in love with his new wife.  I was able to see some family I had lost touch with over the years which was interesting.  Yeah, I will leave it at that.  Interesting.  Ha!

Just after saying "I do"

Of course I had to get dressed up!  Niko said I looked like a cave woman. 
How does he even know what that looks like??

I have of course been keeping up on my running, doing my usual three days a week and averaging right around 20 miles each week.  I have also been doing Jillian Michael's Body Revolution a bit more regularly.  I am almost half way done with it and plan on finishing it up once Ragnar is complete. 

Last week I was scheduled for an 8 mile run on Wednesday and since the kids were with me and I was scheduled to work in the afternoon I mentally prepared to hit the treadmill.  I made it about 2 miles before I decided that I was going to just finish my run outside later after work so I got to 4 miles and called it quits.  It was just so hot and sweaty and BORING.  Usually I can handle the treadmill but lately I have been having a hard time with it.

Ugh, even in just a sports bra and compression shorts it was just too
hot, sweaty and boring on the treadmill.

I texted my friend Seth and asked if he was up for a run around 9:30pm over the Narrows Bridge- and he actually said yes!  I was pretty happy so after work I changed and ran to his house which is a little over a mile away and we set off over the bridge and back.  We chatted and the weather was great.  We actually passed a group of 5 or 6 runners wearing headlamps on the bridge and I figured they were training for Ragnar too, or maybe Hood to Coast.  I dropped him off at home and then finished my run home.  That was 7.5 miles so I did 11.5 miles in one day last week!  That outside run was 1000 times better than my treadmill one though!  Don't you just love friends who will run with you any time of the day??  Awesome.   

Seth and I on top of the bridge.  So thankful for friends that will run with me at night!

So, other than that stuff I have been busy preparing for the Ragnar Relay that is happening Friday.  Actually I am the captain of our team this year and I do not know what I was thinking way back in MARCH when that sounded like an ok plan but it has been causing me an insane amount of stress the last couple of months.  I have lost count of the runners who have said "I'm IN!" and then said "oh, sorry I am OUT" in practically the same breath. 

How hard is it to get 12 runners to commit, pay, train and stay healthy several months in advance?  REALLY HARD.  But I finally got my 12 (just last week in fact) and I think we are ready to run.  Oh, and about that.  I have the farthest distance on our entire team at 24.4 miles.  My first leg is 10.8 miles- that is a pretty significant run!  Then I have 8.9 roller coaster miles at night for leg 2.  Then I get to bring the team to the finish line with a final 4.7 miles.  I am pretty excited about being the one that crosses the finish line, even though I was runner 6 last year and I swore I didn't want to be the last runner in our van this year because I hated waiting around all day to run!  And here I am literally the last runner on our whole team- runner 12!

Bring it on Ragnar!!!  We are ready

Our team is taking on a 60's retro theme this year and it has been fun creating shirts and finding outfits and decorations.  I decorated some cowbells today and picked up some of the basics like glow sticks, window markers and nutter butters.  Oh come on, you know you love those cookies!  If you are on facebook and want to follow our team's progress and fun pictures you can go HERE and "like" us.  I am also tweeting away on twitter these days and you can follow me @runnergirltiff if you would like.

I will try and get one more "pre ragnar" post up about our team, but if I don't you will find all kinds of info on facebook and twitter.  Anyone else out there running Ragnar?  Any tips I need to know?  Last year we were in Van 1, so I am excited to see the course from Van 2 this time.  I can't wait!!  I am especially looking forward to the beer at the finish line!