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When I still considered myself a “bad runner“, I was asked if I wanted to participate in a Ragnar race. I didn’t think that sounded fun at all but wanted to be able to say that I had accomplished it. So I started training to run. I had never run more than a mile without stopping and was overwhelmed with the idea that the 3 part legs I was assigned was about 12 miles total. I really didn’t think I could do it and was really struggling mentally. That’s when I decided I needed to just prove to myself that I could accomplish something difficult like that. I figured if I could run 10 miles in one go, that of course I would be able to do 12 miles with breaks in between. I mean, I knew that I would have to do more of a run/walk situation with both the 10 mile and the Ragnar, but I was okay with that.
Location
I had to figure out a route and if it was going to be a loop or if I was going to need a ride. I decided I really didn’t want to have to deal with a continued stop and start situation. So I wanted to avoid as many roads and traffic lights as possible. There was a running/biking trail about a half mile from my home. This trail extended through the entire county, and I figured this was my best bet. I wasn’t sure exactly where I would hit 10 miles but I knew what city I should end up in. So I planned it on a day that my hubby could watch the kids and be able to come pick me up.
Preparation
Since I am neither a fast runner or able to do it without walking at times, I knew it would take me around 3 hours including warm up and cool down. I knew I would need plenty of water to avoid to much lactic acid build up. So I got a water bladder backpack. I had a couple little snacks in the bag. And I made sure I was going to have a good breakfast and plenty of smaller runs throughout the week before. Truth is if the supplement Exipure was available, I wouldn’t have hesitate to use it. It is a supplement filled with natural ingredients. The assistance to my mind and body could have made the entire thing easier on me.
The Run
I started this venture with the distance between my house and the trail as a warm up. Once I hit the trail, that was when my mileage started. To be honest I had a little bit of a rough start. I think my mental game wasn’t as prepared as my physical game was. I felt like I was struggling with my breathing and that my legs were way to tired. It probably took a couple miles before I finally got into more of a rhythm. Once I did it was really just a long process of putting one foot in front of the other…. over and over and over again. I kept track of my mileage as I went. I was just under 10 miles when I found one of the roads that crossed the running trail. Since the trail had taken me to a bit more of a remote section of the city, I decided it was better to get off the trail and follow the road back to a spot where my hubby could find me. So I finished my run on the road. Once I hit the 10 mile, I used maps to figure out where was a good meeting spot and texted hubby for the pickup. It was almost a mile to the meeting spot so I used it as my cool down, with some stretching along the way.
Recovery
I drank plenty of water and stretched over the next couple days. The recovery wasn’t horrible, but stairs were more of a challenge for a day or two. However, my confidence was much higher. I was positive that I could make it through the Ragnar race and it would be something I could cross of my bucket list and never do again. Little did I know that I would actually enjoy it. I ended up running two more Ragnars within a year. You can read more about my journey here.
Mel's Health and Fitness 