The Ultimate Mother Runner Showdown: Ragnar DC

Where to begin this post? I had the most amazing experience last weekend, and it is difficult to summarize my experience with words. I was selected to be part of this relay team back in June. 22 mother runners (+2 alternates) were selected to join Sarah Bowen-Shea and Dimity McDowell in Cumberland, MD to run 199 miles all the way to Washington, D.C. I was selected to be a member of Team Sarah (later named Badass Mother Runners), and I became runner #5.
  During the last 4 months, these Mother Runners have been getting to know each other on our own BAMR Facebook page, discussing training, logistics, costumes and packing lists.
  I decided not to do a full recap of the relay, but at the bottom of my blog, I will share some of the recaps of some of my team-mates. There are some fun tales in there. I instead decided to share on here my poem that I wrote for the  Another Mother Runner  website. We were asked to write a short recap for the website, and keep it under 200 words. Since I had applied for the relay with a poem, I felt this was appropriate. Here is my poem, based on Elizabeth Barrett Browning's "How Do I Love Thee?"

How Do I Love Thee  Mother Runners? Let me count the ways…

How do I love thee Mother Runners? Let me count the ways.

I love thee with all my heart, you my sisters in sport

As far as my legs can run on dusty roads while white vans rumble by

For the laughter, support and passion that comes with running

In the dark of night with red blinking lights and Christmas lights on tutus.

I love thee as much as Cherry Limeade Nuun and tabouli salad made with c are.

Most quiet need, by sun and headlamps.

I love thee freely, as tightly as my compression socks squeeze my calves.

I love thee purely, as much as that communal shower cleansed me.

I love thee as I pass that sweaty slap bracelet

And as my quads ache from tearing down those hills.

I love thee with a love and an appreciation for the generosity of spirit

That is shared among us as we ventured together,

Smiles, dance parties at the finish---and if our paths should cross again,

I shall but love thee better as an Ultra Team in Ragnars to come!





Here's a few photos from my epic weekend. As they say, pictures are worth a thousand words. Enjoy!



 

Hot Mamas in Tough Girl Tutus Team Sarah

 

This about sums it up for me. Pure joy!! Special thanks to Sarah and Dimity for selecting me to be part of such a great event that I will never forget. Thanks to all the mother runners that I now have the pleasure of calling my friends. Thanks especially to my van mates, the ultimate Bad Ass Mother Runners: Bethany, Schuy, Terri, Jill and Sarah. You have all RETURNED WITH HONOR!

For more recaps from some of my team-mates, please check out these links:



http://seejainrun.wordpress.com/

http://www.runwifeyrun.com/ragnar-dc-recap-5-things-you-need-to-know-to-run-the-race/

http://michiganrunnergirl.com/my-michigan-running-story-jill-plamondon-tackles-ultras-an-epic-ragnar-relay-this-weekends-lighthouse-half-marathon-in-traverse-city/

http://anothermotherrunner.com/2013/10/09/ragnar-d-c-running-relay-races-recap-team-sarah/

http://anothermotherrunner.com/2013/10/07/ragnar-relay-d-c-race-report/

Ultimate Mother Runner Showdown

One month from today, I will be in Cumberland, MD for an exciting adventure.  Back in June, I found out that I was selected to be on Sarah's Team from Another Mother Runner for the Ragnar DC Relay. I have been a fan of Sarah and Dimity's for years, starting when they were blogging for Runner's World about training for the Nike Women's Marathon in 2007.  I followed them along as they wrote about their training, and when poor Dimity developed a stress fracture that relegated her to cycling on her trainer in her basement to prepare for the race.  I could relate to these "mother runners" as they chronicled their daily struggles with balancing training with the demands of being a wife and mother.  When they wrote their first book "Run Like a Mother",

I was excited to read it and was not disappointed. Through their personal stories of running and training, I was able to commiserate and laugh along. The book offers really practical information about being a "mother runner"such as how to incorporate your running schedule in with your spouse, including a hilarious description of "Horizontal Sweat Sessions", which can ensure that your spouse will be more agreeable to you being gone for a 3 hour run on Saturday after "intimate cross-training" on Friday night. They also incorporated quotes from other mother runners that offered advice and also provided relatable tidbits of information.  They since have written another book "Train Like a Mother" which I have found very useful.  The book offers several training plans for beginner runners, all the way up to a "Own it Plan" for the marathon.  I have used the training plans for the half and full marathon, and found it to be very helpful.  They also offer advice about nutrition for runners, cross-training and strength training advice and setting realistic goals for racing.
  Sarah and Dimity also have a busy Facebook page, web site, and one of my favorites, weekly podcasts.  I look forward to having a new podcast every Monday morning as I head out for my run.  Most recently, they interviewed Lauren Fleshman. Lauren is a pro runner who also just happens to be a fellow Oiselle runner.  She is also a new mom, and it was interesting hearing her take on running while pregnant, and postpartum.  She also offered many great tips on staying motivated during tough workouts and when set backs happen. If you're looking for a great running podcast, check out AMR Radio! You will not be disappointed. And if you're looking for some motivational running tops, check out their AMR Store. One of my favorites is the lifestyle tee "It's All Good. I Ran Today". Pretty much sums it up for me.
  Anyway, back to the Relay.  I was thrilled and honored to be selected to run on Sarah's Team (which will be known as Badass Mother Runners at the race).  It will be the Ultimate Mother Runner Showdown with a friendly competition to see if Sarah or Dimity's team makes it first to the finish line in Washington, DC.  Some of the ladies selected have been very active on Facebook, and we have been getting to know each other in preparation for the race.  We are all "mother runners" and fans of Sarah and Dimity's, coming together to run, laugh and chat.  And optimistically, sleep a couple of hours in the 24-30 hours we spend in the vans! As I found out with the Ragnar Relay NWP, these relays can be quite a bonding experience.
 As well as the fun of running the Ragnar Relay with the ladies, there is some great swag involved as part of being selected to be part of the teams: (as taken from the AMR website)

A rundown of what each relay runner will receive:
 Nuun: tasty hydration in non-sticky, super-convenient tablets (and sponsor of Ragnar)
 110% Flat Out Sox: squeezy gradient compression socks to keep your legs fresh and kicky
 Saucony: sampling of products from our fave running company
Sof Sole: custom-to-your-arch Fit insoles for cradle-like support
 AMR Top: to-be-determined (and designed) tank or shirt for our kickass teams
 Skinfare: organic, healing balms that soothe chafe, chapped lips and everything in between
 Ragnar: an entry to the mother runner version of the Amazing Race
NuttZo: delish organic nut- and seed-butters that are brimming with healthy, good stuff Hyland’s: Calms Forte, our must-have homeopathic sleep aid, and Muscle Therapy Gel with Arnica

As of today, I have received most of these prizes in the mail, and I have to tell you, it's been like Christmas. All these sponsors have been so generous, and it has been great sampling all these products.  I will have a more detailed post soon, with raves of some of my favorites. 
 For now, I continue to train for my second Ragnar Relay.  I have been assigned Runner #5, which means I run a total of 15.1 miles over the 3 legs.  There are some serious climbs in this relay, so I have been working on my hill repeats.  Luckily, living here in central PA, there are plenty of rolling hills.  No matter what, I know this weekend will be one to remember.