Well, it’s official. I’m certifiable. White coat please. I’m ready to be checked in. Bags are packed. Padded walls here I come.
Okay. Not really but for some insane reason I agreed back in June to do the Pennsylvania Ragnar Relay “in October” with a few friends at work. October felt far away and a goal to keep training and running seemed (at the time) like a really good idea. A 200 mile team relay in 24 hours? Bring it! I’m ready!
Well, I’m not ready. The last time I ran? Thursday – 4 miles. And, anyone who knows me, that is highly unusual.
Am I ready to load into a van and trek up to Lancaster with 23 other teammates and prep my costume (which I still have yet to hammer down the idea)? Nope. Am I ready to get up at 4AM to get to the starting line on Friday? Nope. Am I ready to start my first leg of a 5.2 “Moderate” run wearing my slap on bracelet ‘baton’ at Exchange #4 (which ironically happens to start at a winery). Nope. (Can you run with a glass of wine?) Am I ready to complete my other two legs of this race – the second being 1.9 miles up a steep hill mountain with an elevation gain of 470 feet – the third leg being 8.4 miles at probably around 4AM in darkness wearing an LED headlight and a flashing “tail” light so cars don’t run over me? Nope. And, uh nope.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m super excited for the challenge of the race. I’m sure it will be fun cheering on my teammates, catching a few Zzzzz’s at the nap rest stops, navigating my way as a van driver around Mt. Pocono to the next exchange point, and trying not to get lost on my legs of the race (which is bound to happen, trust me). But, getting over the mental ‘hump’ of the unknown and my nervousness running 8 miles, which I haven’t done in weeks much less in the dark on a road in the Poconos, seems pretty insurmountable right now.
But, like many of us are doing right now, I’m going to persevere. Bite the bullet. Nose to the grindstone. And, whatever other crazy old school clichés you can think of and tackle my challenge head on. So, literally one step at a time, I’ll climb the mountain and tackle the miles and sleep in the van and celebrate when its all over!
So, stay tuned for a Ragnar Relay update when our team finishes & my butterflies are all gone and it’s time to celebrate! (A little off the beaten path today, but I felt taking a break from the norm was a good distraction.) Happy Tuesday!
