Ragnar Trail Atlanta, 2021
Should I write about the shots and side effects, you know the shedding, the blood clots, the irregular menstrual cycles & more; or should I write about the CDC saying we don’t have to wear masks outside (gee thanks for that); or should I write about something fun & non-controversial? These are the things I think about when sitting down to write my blog. Most of my greatest ideas come while I’m running, where I set my mind free, and ignore my phone (I don’t even run with my phone), and just let my mind go. Even though running is harder now than it was just 10 years ago, it’s still my “me” time, my time to reflect, relax (yes that’s possible while running), and feel better at the same time. And then I have to decide what I actually want to write about. Most of the time, I avoid the controversy, at least here in writing.
In January, I got together with a bunch of friends for a girls’ night out dinner. We chatted & laughed a lot, and came up with a great idea of doing another Ragnar Relay. This time, it would be in Atlanta, so we didn’t have to travel far, and this time, it would be on trails, so we didn’t have to rent a van and drive all over the place. So, we signed up a team for the race in April, and our adventure began.
Ragnar Trail Atlanta is a 125 mile running race on trails, where you have 8 people on your team, who run one after another, and when runner #8 finishes, then runner #1 starts again, and you repeat that cycle three times. All 8 runners run three times for a total of 15.7 miles each, ranging from 4.2 to 6.5 miles each time. And you go non-stop, which means every person is running in the dark at least once. My first run started around 7:30pm, so I was able to run in the daylight for most of it, but finished out in the dark, so it wasn’t too bad. The second run started at 4:30am, so it was very dark and very quiet. I thought I was going to be really scared, but I wasn’t. It was surprisingly peaceful — for most of the time. The only sounds I heard were my own footsteps and the sound of branches & leaves breaking when some animal moved through. Anytime I heard noise like that, I kept on running and directed one of my flashlights into the woods, hoping that my light would scare them away. My run was quite slow, as the last thing I needed was to trip on a root or rock, but that’s okay, this race wasn’t about winning, it was about having fun.
And fun it was – we had 8 people who all got along great, laughed a lot, chatted a lot, ate a lot, and are already looking forward to the next one. I am so thankful for the opportunity to do these races, to be healthy enough to run & to be physically able to run. As I get older and slowdown in my running, I continue to get adjusted and massaged regularly. Taking care of my body is top priority, after all, no one else will take care of me, and if I let it break down, what good would that be? So please, keep your body & health a top priority. Eat healthy whole foods, exercise regularly, get good quality sleep, and get adjusted regularly. For me, that’s weekly adjustments, sometimes every other week. I add in neck traction, and I stretch/do yoga daily. I want to ensure that my nervous system and spine is working optimally, so I can be the best me possible. And I encourage others to do the same. Take care of yourself so you have “a good place to live when you get old”. You only have one life to live, so live it well.
