Ragnar Relay

I know it’s been quiet here on the blog, but I have a very good excuse!  A few weeks ago my friend proposed a crazy idea: Let’s train for and run the Ragnar Relay this summer.  I hadn’t heard of the Ragnar Relay, but it sounds like quite an adventure.  Essentially the Ragnar Relay is a giant relay race covering around 200 miles.  A team of 12 people run the race, each runner taking  on 3 legs of the course.  Each runner totals about 15-20 miles over two days.  The race runs overnight and the Northwest Passage race goes from near the Canadian border down to just north of Seattle.

At first I was kind of terrified.  I had only run about 2 miles at a time when this was proposed to me.  But I couldn’t stop thinking about it, which of course meant I had to do it.  I said yes to the challenge, and am now in the process of training for this crazy race (along with planning fun stuff like our team costumes, van decorations, etc.).

With all that going on, you can expect to hear more about my training, fitness goals, and the gear I am trying and loving.  Each week I’m increasing the mileage on my long runs by 10%, and this week I’ll cross the 5-mile mark.  I’ve never run that far in my life, and it’s amazing to set and reach these kind of goals.  My ultimate goal, in preparation for the race, is to be able to run a half marathon (13.1 miles) before the relay.  Who would have thunk it – I’m turning into a runner after all.

What about you?  I’d love to hear your fitness goals and any training tips!