The Next Insanity

With the Canyonlands Half Marathon under three weeks away, it was about time to start looking for the next big challenge... Serendipitously, my parents happened to run into a family friend of ours at a store in Cache Valley. Erin is my parents' next door neighbor and one of the nicest people you will ever meet. As it turns out, she was putting a team together for the Ragnar Wasatch Back Relay in June.

The Wasatch Back is quite the event. It is a 12-person relay covering close to 180 miles stretching along the scenic back country of the Wasatch Range. Over a 24-hour period, brave teams run from Logan to Park City, UT. Some teams run to win-- like the BYU & Weber Cross Country teams, who have a fierce rivalry in this event. Most other teams do it simply for the adventure-- to push themselves to new heights, with 11 buddies to help cheer them along.

Bryson ran the Wasatch Back last year with a team from his work and ever since I have wanted to participate as well. The course runs right past my parents' street, and as we lined the shoulder of the road to cheer the teams on, I was really taken by the entire atmosphere of the race. People of all shapes and sizes, quirky teams running in full costume, the tangible camaraderie as various teams get to know one another and encourage all to the finish line... It was fantastic! I knew I wanted to join the party this year if the opportunity presented itself.

If you ever have the chance to run one of the Ragnar Relays, I highly recommend it!



Park City TV Documentary:


One thing I've learned as I've started training for events like this is that impossible things are nearly always possible if you take things one step at a time. Last year at this time I was stressing over being able to complete a 5K. It's amazing what you can accomplish if you put your mind to it. A little belief in yourself goes a long way!!!

♥