A New Adventure

(I’m singing Staind in the back of my mind… ‘It’s been a whhhiiiiiillllle, since you….’)

Ok, I'll completely admit I suck at blogging.

It’s been too long since I’ve last wrote a blog post, even after promising (both to you and to myself) that I would maintain and keep up to date on the blog. Apparently I lied, or life just so happened to get in the way a bit. Again. (I am sorry about that! Full-time job, part-time job, school, social life – wait, what’s a social life again?)

How in the world has it been since September 2014 since I last wrote a blog post?! It HAS also been way too long. Quite a bit has happened since, both in life and in weight loss, ups/downs/all-arounds, in addition to switching from weightloss-mode to maintenance-mode.

Since September, things have been a bit nutty. School is still ruling my life as I alluded to previously, as I am knee-deep in my 11-to-go classes to graduation, still plugging away. (I am almost there, right?!) I’ve also been working towards my dream, still digging to get where I want to be in five or so years, but that’s not the point of this. But, in speaking of dreams…

I’m going back to Boston.

(WOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOO! Can you hear me shout in excitement?)

I love that town!

The plane ticket has been bought, (some) accommodations have been made, and in May I’ll be running with 11 other weight-loss rock stars as part of a team competing in the Ragnar Relay: Cape Cod.

In late September or October, I was fortunate enough to be asked by Dacia over at My Roots to Grow if I would be interested in traveling back to Boston to run this crazy, two-day race I’d never heard of with a team comprised of 12 individuals, all who have lost a significant amount of weight. I (for lack of better terms) weighed the options, and quickly said ‘yes’ without even really knowing what in the devil a Ragnar Relay was. Admittedly, I had to ‘Google’ it and research, but…

To be quite honest, even five months later, a team conference call, and plenty of coordination and logistics of who/what/where/when/how, I’m still not exactly sure what I’ve got myself into. It’s all a bit hazy, but from what I can tell, this may be something I’ve needed for quite a while; an adventure that scratches my wanderlust-itch that flares up every so often.

For those who aren’t exactly sure what a Ragnar Relay is, I’ll do my best to explain:

Two days, running (by foot) up to 200 miles, split up between 12 team members in two “support” vans that hand off a “baton,” or slap bracelet in this case.

Each team member is assigned as Runner Number X (for example – I’m Runner #6 during the Ragnar at Cape Cod), and have certain “legs” they run, total distances spanning anywhere from (for Cape Cod’s race) 11.4 to 21.3 miles. As the name suggests, it’s a relay. Once Runner #1 has completed their first leg (total of three for each runner), Runner #2 takes off. This continues until (for this race) we’ve ran from Hull (all the WAY around Cape Cod) to Provincetown, Massachusetts. (…and I’ve taken a selfie with Plymouth Rock.)

I'm going to have to invest in that damn selfie-stick, aren't I? (Well, DUH! Who wouldn't?!)

(A MUCH better description is provided here, by Active.com.)

Each runner's 'Legs' can be found here for Ragnar Relay: Cape Cod.

Oh, and the best part? You get to snuggle up with your sweaty teammates in a van for TWO DAYS while you cheer each other on, supporting fellow runners in camaraderie and spirit. 

“Gee, Ash. That sounds a bit insane. Why would you do this crazy thing?”

I am so glad you asked! ;)

…because it’s about an adventure, a quest that quite possibly could be life-changing for me; a venture that I may never be able to experience again with people who could potentially become life-long friends, who in differences and multiple walks of life, all share something in common – we’ve all lost a significant amount of weight. It’s about camaraderie, teamwork, inspiration, discipline, and dedication with 11 other individuals who have shared my journey not necessarily the same way I have, but share that bond, to achieve a lofty goal. Challenges faced, obstacles overcome, and dreams realized all through a complete lifestyle overhaul, one that I’ve found is one of the best choices I’ve made, even if my days in this journey can still tough. It’s a decision that I only regret not starting sooner, and for that I’m thankful, and am certainly blessed for all that I've gone through to arrive at this point.

For me, it was running. I never in a million years dreamt I’d ever run a solid mile, let alone eventually 13.1 in one sitting. Now I get to be a part of something that could potentially be huge, something added to another chapter of “my book,” something that could change my life and inspire me for the better, while hopefully inspiring others to just go for “it,” whatever your "it" is. Why wouldn’t I want to do this?

I’ve already began training as my total distance to cover for the Ragnar is 13 miles, split up in three chunks – 4.2 miles, 5.7 miles (overnight), and 3.1 miles. How will I train? I’ve already started using PopSugar’s Beginner Half-Marathon plan (spanning 16 weeks, however I jumped in on Week 4), the same plan I used to train for 2014’s Indianapolis Mini Marathon.

Oh, and by the way, I’ll also be running the Mini and kissing those sweet bricks at the start/finish line of Indianapolis Motor Speedway…again…the week before. Gulp. 

Yes Momma S., to answer your earlier question, I truly am a bit insane.

It just so happened I was verbally coerced by runner-friends verbally committed to running the Indianapolis Mini Marathon before I agreed to run Ragnar, not knowing they would be back-to-back weekends. Looking back, I should’ve probably thought this through before saying yes but, what the hell - go for it, right?

Am I a little nervous and scared? Of course. But my father reminds me constantly, "Don't confuse fear for excitement." Many of the individuals on this team have achieved so much more than I have, whether it's completing an Ironman, marathon, half-marathon, etc. I only have one half-marathon under my belt, but I look up to and continue to be inspired and motivated by these team members, some of which I've not even met but only through online channels. Am I intimidated? A little, yes. But I know that I have been blessed and given such a great opportunity not only to connect, but to learn from my teammates. That is something I hold near and dear.

With a little faith, luck, discipline, determination, and training, it can be done.

I’ve never been to Cape Cod, only have viewed it by air when leaving Boston Logan, and can eventually scratch it off of my to-travel list. One of my first thoughts (besides snapping a #selfie with Plymouth Rock or the Mayflower, or both?), was ‘what a great way this will be to see the Cape.’ The ENTIRE Cape.

Travel more is on my Bucket List, after all, and my list certainly isn’t shrinking is continually growing.

In addition, I plan to sight-see a bit more of Boston I didn’t cover during the last trip. When the time comes, I’ll certainly have one, if not a two-part recap of all of the fun from the East Coast, but you’ll also be able to follow along via Twitter & Facebook. 

To say I can’t wait is a complete understatement. I was ready to leave five minutes ago, even with an impending blizzard this weekend out there.

But…. Despite the snow and cold, it’s appropriate to bust out my favorite hashtag - #IsItMayYet!

Normally, the hashtag refers to my favorite month and proud heritage in the Hoosier state (referencing the burning anticipation I carry of the Indianapolis 500, and ultimately everything surrounding the event). May will bring many, many busy, long, stressful, blessed, and wonderful days and nights. As if training wasn’t enough as May quickly approaches, I’ll be gearing up for final exams, running the Mini, then transitioning focus quickly to packing and flying to Boston, all within about two weeks. 

This year, the Mini however, looks exciting to me, not scary. For that I’m a bit relieved now that I’ve had one under my belt.

It will be my second half marathon, and going in I have four main goals:

• Avoid post-race wrath-of-Satan (Ashley should learn NOT to do things differently on race day – I’m looking at you CLIF Shot Blocks and dehydration)
• (Side Note: I am looking at more natural alternatives to fuel myself during the Mini this year, using either dried fruit, gummy bears (preferred choice ALWAYS), or KIND/protein bars. More on that in a future post.)
• Run fast-ish without killing my legs pre-Ragnar 
•  Pucker up (and take a brick-selfie this time!)  
• Finish strong

I’m already looking at setting a time goal of sub-2 hours, 30 minutes, and with a little luck and training intervals, I may just get there. Last year, I finished 2:43 with a blistering turtle’s pace of 12:30 per mile. This year, I’m already running at a consistent and comfortable 11:15 (per mile), and would need to maintain 11:25 in order to finish sub-2:30. “I think I can, I think I can…”

I’ll do my best during this crazy time to keep you updated through the blog (no promises), but you can also stay up to date on all of the Ragnar Relay: Cape Cod happenings through our team’s Facebook page, and website. (That’s probably the best way for Ragnar!) The website gives great background information for everyone on the team, including their stories, which I've read in both awe and amazement. They've continued to inspire me greatly every day, and essentially have started to become friends, all through one event that will link us forever. I highly encourage you to read about my teammates!

Please make sure to ‘like’ our page, visit the website, and share with your friends too! We greatly appreciate all of the support we have, and hopefully will continue to receive in this journey!