All of a sudden one day, I thought "hey Big Daddy and I should go run RAGNAR Trail in West Virgina". I can't for the life of me remember where the idea came from or why I thought it was a good idea. We were already signed up for RAGNAR D.C. and signing up for Appalachians meant a double medal and that sounded fantastic. So I put it out in the Universe (aka my MRTT chapter's Facebook group) and just like that I was on the phone with a captain and we were joining RAGNAR Clan XY. It was a co-ed team and we knew NO ONE...but that's what makes RAGNAR extra fun, knowing no one at the beginning and then having 8 new best friends.
Monday before we were set to go up to the middle of nowhere we got together as a team to settle the little details, like who is bringing a tent. Big Daddy stayed home with the 3 tiny princesses so I was the family rep at the meeting. We got all the details sorted and made a plan for driving and getting everyone and gear up to the mountains. After Big Daddy found out he had to stay at work on Friday for a meeting we had to figure out a slightly altered transportation situation. The other couple that was running brought their gear to our house and we loaded it and our gear in to Merida Minivan on Thursday night.
After a late night of Thursday night packing we got up nice and early Friday morning. Big Daddy headed to work with a plan to bolt as soon as possible and get on the road while I headed to pick up 3 of our teammates (Kristen, Jason & Matthew) and get on the road to the RAGNAR! Once I got everyone picked up we tried to put the location in to the GPS...that was crazy. The GPS seemed to agree that we were going to the middle of nowhere and that it didn't actually exist. After some GPS coercion we got at least a general idea of where we were heading and off we went!
After a long mountainy car ride we got off the highway and saw a RAGNAR TRAIL RELAY sign directing us to the park. We were nearly there!!
 |
| Our team (minus Big Dady - he was still driving) hanging out before check in time |
 |
Our Campsite!
|
We drove up and got the van checked in and figured out we could drive right up to our campsite (once we found it!) and dropped our gear. Kristen and I went down to park the van while the guys set up the tents. After a HOT ride in the shuttle back up to the campground we finished getting the site set up and went to check in, watch the safety video, and figure out where everything was I checked on Big Daddy and he was FREE and on the road!! It looked like he might even make it there before I started my first loop! We got our first runner off and the race was ON for Clan XY! I was runner #3 so I had a little bit of time before I started. I decided to get ready early and be ready to rock since most of our team was hella-fast and I wanted to have enough time to get mentally ready and check on Big Daddy. We got runner 1 in and runner 2 off and running so I was next...oh boy here we go. As we were waiting by the monitors to see our team name pop up so I could go in to the transition tent I got a phone call from Big Daddy. He was super lost and driving down a dirt road, he could hear banjos, NOT GOOD. I went over to the team and told them and asked if someone could help get him back on track and to the right location. I felt horrible not being able to help him but I had to run and I had the cRaZy Red Loop first. The Red Loop is the hardest loop of the race, it was 6.50 miles of pure technical hilly rocky craziness. I was nervous, I was scared but I sure was glad I was doing that loop in the daylight! I met a girl waiting for her runner to come in and she and I made a little plan to try and stay together. Unfortunately I quickly took off past her and I was on my own.
Not long in to the trail my phone rang and I knew it was Big Daddy. I couldn't answer it because it was in my Camelbak but I felt guilty! I had to let it go knowing I had 6 teammates back at the Village that were more than willing to help get him to the right place. I just kept going as soon as my music came back on, and I was feeling pretty good. I scaled some obstacles and even passed a few people. Then the trail got intense....
 |
| The beginning of the Red Loop |
 |
| This sign is not long before a cave that I am pretty sure is Sasquatch's home |
Let me tell you, that Red Loop is no joke. At one point you have to decide to either slide down or jump off a place where two boulders rest on each other. And right next to that spot is a cave (that I am pretty sure is the home of a White Walker or a Mountain Lion.....) that you can feel the cold coming out. As I approached that spot I shouted "What the SH!T" and a girl on the other side responded, "What the $HIT is right!". There were puddles (thanks earlier in the day rain), mud bogs, rocks, boulders, elevation, hills, hot, roots, humidity, no breeze....you get the point. I passed people, plenty of people passed me, but the BEST part is not matter what everyone encourages everyone. No matter if it is an ultra team passing you, the runner says "great job" or "keep going" and you do the same....the RAGNAR culture is quite a glorious thing.
So there were no mile markers on the trail and my Garmin GPS decided we were WAYY too far from civilization to function so I had no idea what my mileage was. I felt like Dory, if Dory was a lunatic trail runner...just keeping running, just keep running...oh look a ROCK! At one point there was a manned water station so I had asked what mile that was, it was 2.60 and then there was one again at 4.60 so I at least had an idea of what I had left. Just under 2 miles until the glorious transition tent and the Red Loop could be checked off! I had no idea if Big Daddy had made it, I was running on pure insanity (because adrenaline had worn off at least a mile before that!), and Jesus....yeah remember how Jesus joins you on a RAGNAR road race....he fo sho sends some angels on the trail, no idea how else you would make it through that mess!
 |
| This would be the bridge you go up and then down in to the transition/finish area |
So finally, there is was the MAGICAL 0.25 checkpoint that sends your team name to the monitor to get your next runner to the tent and ready to swap. As I came down over the bridge I could hear my team and I even spied Big Daddy! I was so focused on not falling flat on my face that I just powered down and up in to the tent. Our team captain had graciously taken over Big Daddy's spot due to his work meeting situation so I met her in the tent. She was beaming and ready to run!! After passing off the bib, removing my Red Loop slap bracelet I hobbled dazed out of the tent and found Big Daddy waiting for me (along with the rest of the team, and yes you all are awesome but nothing beats seeing your husband after a hard run). I recounted my run and went to get de-funked as fast as possible.
 |
| Finishing my Red Loop! |
Big Daddy was runner 8 so he had quite some time until he had to get ready. After a Shower Pill wipe down, change of clothes, and a Fairlife Chocolate milk recovery drink we headed up to the Village to show him where everything was and get some dinner. The food was catered and while we were expecting a pasta dinner the BBQ was fantastic. We sat down, ate and talked about his crazy journey to get there (including hearing banjos at some point along the drive and being told he has a purty mouth....). I saw my running buddy from earlier too....we both high fived and congratulated each other on making it through that insanity. After were couldn't eat anymore (that was a HUGE dinner) we headed out of the mess tent and back to relax at our campsite. We spent most of the next few hours either at the campsite or walking back and forth with our runners and cheering them on as they came in or went out.
 |
| The sun setting in the mountains |
 |
| A kiss for good luck! |
Finally it was time for Big Daddy to go out. He was ready to go conquer the Yellow Loop all lit up with his Petzl headlamp, NoxGear vest (set to a color to match his shirt), and Camelbak for hydration. We got his music going at a level so he could hear people talking and zipped back up in his pack. The runner he was swapping with (Paul) was fast so we knew once we saw it pop up he wouldn't have much time. I think the anxiety of waiting got to him and he hit the bikes they had set up to stretch and warm up his legs a little. I saw our team name pop up and sent Big Daddy in to the tent. Here came Paul flying down the bridge and in to the tent. They swapped and I cheered as Big Daddy went out strong! Paul requested chocolate milk for his recovery so we had that waiting....PS Fairlife Chocolate Milk is the BEST recovery drink EVER. Back to the camp we went to wait for Big Daddy's return (Yellow Loop was about 4.60 miles so we calculated about 40 or so minutes until he was going to be coming back in).
 |
| Paul and Big Daddy swapping the bib in the transition tent |
While Big Daddy was out running I went ahead and opened up the glow sticks and hung them all around the tent. I also got out our firefly solar lights (they are in little mason jars) and put them on the tables under the tent. With the glow sticks and solar lights we didn't even need the lanterns. After awhile it was time to head back up and see how Big Daddy faired during his first loop. He was hot and sweaty but did pretty well!!
We headed back to our campsite and hung out for a bit before I had to get ready to run again. My night loop.....
 |
| Sooooo...this is a part of the Yellow Loop at night, spooky huh?? (Thanks for letting me borrow the pic cutewosie!) |
Our runner was coming in off of the Green Loop and I was ready. I was lit up with my NoxGear vest, Petzl headlamp, one Knuckle Light and carrying my Nathan handheld water bottle. It wasn't too bad....until I got fully in to the trail. Holy moly was it DARK!!!! It was dark but runnable, I felt pretty good. Not too many obstacles, nothing to slow me down too much so I was going good for awhile. My Garmin was even tracking my mileage which was fantastic! I paid no attention to my pace so I wouldn't beat myself up when it was WAY over what my road pace typically is. I passed a few people, but hoped desperately that I could just stay behind them. No go, I was on my own again. Everytime I stopped to walk an obstacle I heard noises and was pretty sure a Mountain Lion or Panther was about to jump out and attack me...they take the fat slow ones first right?? Runners passed me and I hoped that whatever was in the woods would get them first, or at least they would scare it off. It is truly amazing the creatures that you can create in your head on a trail in the middle of the mountains in the middle of the night when you are alone. I'm pretty sure at some point I had a Mountain Lion, Bobcat, Chupacabra, Panther, Bear, White Walker, Big Foot, Deer, those kids from the Shining, and the Blair Witch following me ready to attack or snatch me. It was the scariest thing EVER. I will fully admit that at 3& years old I am still afraid of the dark...and the dark in the MOUNTAIN WOODS is WAYYYYY scarier!!
 |
| Fo real. |
So I finally get to the One Mile to Go sign and there are glorious RUNNERS!!! So many runners (I probably saw 10 until the finish!) it was fabulous. Surely nothing would eat me with that many people around!! I saw a girl limping and made sure she was ok, and secretly was kind of glad since if there was still a lurking predator it would get her first....yes that's mean but your brain doesn't exactly function properly at midnight in the woods of West Virginia mmmmkay? Across that 0.25 mile marker and I was almost there....and hungry. Like really hungry and all I could think about was pizza....and I knew there was some in Mess Hall! Up the bridge and the tiki torches were lit, super cool, and down I went in to the transition tent to hand off to our runner 4 (aka Team Captain) who was running with a buddy (Paul-God bless him) as she was getting ready to do the terrifying Red Loop (starting at midnight...yeahhhhhh that sucked). Big Daddy was awake and I could see him with his glow necklace on as I came down the bridge so I knew he'd be waiting outside the tent for me. I told him I was starving so we walked over to get pizza, I figured I would clean up after food.
 |
| The bridge to the finish with the tiki torches lit (thanks random Instagram user for letting me borrow your pic!) |
After I devoured my pizza we walked back to the campsite and I got on my sweatpants and we decided to lay down and try and get some sleep. It had cooled down enough to actually sleep and most of our team was passed out in the zero gravity chairs we had brought from our RV. I curled up in to Big Daddy's arms and that was that, I passed out. At some godawful hour I remember sort of waking up to see him go out to run his Green Loop but I wasn't really with it. I woke up more and put on a sweatshirt and wandered up to the transition tent hoping he hadn't come in yet and I would be able to see him come in. Turned out to be a really good thing because just a few minutes after I got up there the 0.25 mile tracker system stopped working and they were calling out bib numbers. Our runner went to the tent knowing he would be in soon and I looked and BOOM there he was coming down the bridge. I knew I would see him first since I know what he looks like running better than anyone. He aced the Green Loop and we headed back to get him cleaned up, get me dressed, and get the most important thing of the day COFFEE!
 |
| COFFEEEEEEEEE |
The sun coming up over the campground, mountains, and trail was just amazing. Big Daddy and I made some eggs on the grill and sat down with a shared plate of eggs, bagel, coffee and bananas. It was fabulous. I still had my Green Loop to do so I eventually got my stuff together and headed up. As we were standing watching the monitors the loop on my Nathan handheld popped out. We tried to get it back in, even took it to the Nathan rep (who BTW refused to stop talking to a guy about random crap and didn't have a clue as to what he was doing.......made me mad, and yes Nathan will be getting an email about it). Nothing was working so I ran back to our campsite and grabbed Big Daddy's Nathan handheld only to realize we all were trying to put it back together wrong (shouldn't that Nathan rep have known that??). I stopped by on my way to the monitor to show the Nathan rep who said "oh just take one from the table"....duh asshat you should have said that when YOU couldn't fix it...whatever I had his so I was ok.
So here came our runner off the Red Loop and he had asked for a beer so we had I had it waiting in the tent for him as he came in. I handed it to him while the runner behind me said "my team doesn't do cool stuff like that" and I said "well you should have joined our cool ass team then huh?". Big Daddy gave me a kiss and I was off. Green Loop be damned, I was going to run it and finish. Part way through I got behind a runner going a pace I was comfortable with so I asked if I could stay with her. Turns out she was on an ultra team (aka NUTS) and from New Jersey. She had a 20 year old son and of course I was looped and my filter completely gone so I replied with "you don't look old enough to have a 20 year old but then I am behind you and can only see your ass". Not long after I said that her shoe came untied.....pretty sure she thought I was lunatic. Oh well, the rest of the Green Loop was mildly uneventful (well except that one spot I thought I had to swim across-I did mention I was loopy right?-and yelled OH HELL NO when I came up to it) and I was nearly done when the loops merged!! The last bit is through some campsites so as I was running people are cheering including one group that said "go 160 looking strong" and I replied "it's an optical illusion, I don't feel strong!". Up that damn bridge one last time and on the way down I lost it.....crying plus running equals disaster BTW. I was done, I had completed (albeit slowly) all 3 of my loops for a total of 14.60 grueling trail miles. I was a mess, and of course Big Daddy caught a pic of it. He handed me a beer (Shocktop Lemon Shandy is a delicious 8am brew by the way) and we walked over to the RAGNAR Trail semi-trailer for a pic. Big Daddy still had the Red Loop (and the last loop for our team) to complete so we went back so he could get some rest. I spent the rest of the day walking back and forth between the finish and our campsite cheering runners, taking pics, and just hanging out.
 |
| Running plus trying not to cry equals disaster |
 |
| Realizing you completed something you never thought possible... |
 |
| Mmmmmm.....beer. |
 |
| I DID IT! |
Big Daddy ended up getting an hour or so of sleep before he had to go finish the race for us. His last loop was the only one he got to run in the daylight which also meant it was hotter. He decided to run that one shirtless. We headed up to the area right before the bridge about 20 minutes before we expected him. I went a little further up in the woods to meet him with his team shirt. He had pushed hard on very little sleep and was mostly coherent but we met up with the rest of the team and busted ass over that bridge and across the finish line!!! Lots of high fives, a walk over to the medal tent, a team photo, a shoefie with our medals, and that was it!! Time to pack up and head out!! We were officially Trail Ragnarians!
 |
| Big Daddy's Last Loop! |
 |
| The Whole Team Behind Big Daddy on the way down to the finish |
 |
| Our team shoefie with our medals! |
So would I do it again? HELL YES....actually our team captain came up with a great name for next year (no I won't tell you, I don't want you to steal it ;) ). Next up is RAGNAR D.C. where our team name should have been GIRLS, GIRLS, GIRLS and Big Daddy but they chose something completely neutral (Team RIOT - Running is our therapy). I'm looking forward to it and I am runner #3 again so Mount Fuqme will be my beyotch this year.
