Elizabeth, Chad, his father Ken and I volunteered at the Ragnar - Wasatch Back Relay Race last Friday. Chad's sister Misty and her husband Nate captained and ran with Team Beaver. Each local team needed three volunteers. Last year they worked from midnight to 6am. It was cold and dark. Not as enjoyable as our shift. We worked from noon to 5pm. Our exchange was located a few miles outside a little town called Avon which was 20 miles or so from Logan where Matt and I were sealed. We were off the main roads surrounded by mountains, blue sky and plenty of dust.
The day was gorgeous. We worked at exchange #4 where we helped direct traffic and runners as they transitioned in and out. I was the last volunteer before the exchange and spent a good part of my day whistling loud (which I'm quite good at and Hannah hates), encouraging and cheering. The runners were quite appreciative of our time
we did get a free race team t-shirt.
The race is 188 miles from Logan to Park City. Much of it was quite brutal with incredible inclines and rough terrain. The teams consisted of 6 to 12 people who took turns running between 4 and 8 miles. The only prize is a medal for completion and the satisfaction gained from the endevour. Not many looked like they actually enjoyed the running, but there was a real feeling of community and support for each other and their accomplishments. The teams were quite creative with their names and how they decorated their vehicles.
At first I thought this would be a great experience. I wanted to get a team together for next year. They have such races around the country. The runners ranged from the elite to the everyday you and me. There were runners each of us could relate to. By the end of the day I was grateful to have been a part of such a thing, but I think I'll stick to my walking and leave the running to someone else.
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