When did recovery rides become 3 hours long?

A few months ago our long rides were three hours.  I remember feeling a little intimidated by the idea of a three hour ride.  I was still really not getting along with my bike, and spending three hours on it seemed like a daunting task.  This past week was a recovery week and our ride on Sunday was three hours, with a thirty minute run to follow.  I remember very well being freaked out by those three hour rides.  I would have to take a Tylenol PM to fall asleep because I was so nervous.  Before the first three hour ride Coach Erin said something to me that I didn't forget.  She said, "One day, soon, a three hour ride will be no big deal - it'll be a nice easy ride."  I didn't believe her at the time, because, well, I was still convinced that  my bike was trying to kill me.  So, imagine my surprise when suddenly a three hour ride didn't seem so scary anymore.

On Saturday night I was part of a fundraiser with a bunch of other Vineman participants and after we went across the street to a bar and got food and hung out for a while.  A few months ago, before a three hour ride, I would not have been able to do this and stay calm for the ride the next day.  But this time, it was not a big deal.  I got home around midnight, prepped my bottles for the morning and promptly fell asleep, no sleeping aid needed.

I skipped the morning's open water swim because I was tired and, well, honestly, the ocean is cold. Like really cold (and we had OWS the day before at Hansen Dam).  I arrived at Ocean and San Vicente and got a prime parking spot.  As everyone arrived my car became a makeshift T2, with all sorts of run gear in it.  I was parked right there, it's a big car, and we didn't have a stay back.  With my car packed with all my teammate's gear we set off on our ride - 90 minutes north on PCH, conversational pace.  Once we settled in we did some buildups to faster than race pace.  I'm still busy trying to figure out what my conversational pace versus race pace actually is, so I just sort of took off and decided I'd figure it out as I went.

I quickly realized that my conversational pace is 15mph.  For a lot of people that's not very fast, but considering where I was with cycling just a few short months ago, its amazing.  I wound up having to stop not once, but twice to use a bathroom.  And, I realized that it takes SO much time.  Peeing on the bike is gross, but with Wildflower cutoffs being strict, and being in one of the last waves for the swim start, its starting to look like a viable option. Ugh.  I wound up riding about 40 miles total. With two bathroom breaks and a conversational pace, I'm really good with that.  I call this very successful.  I have come a LONG way since just January.

And, here I am, where a three hour ride is normal.  Huh.  Erin was right.  And, my bike and I are definitely friends now, ready for whatever comes next (which, by the way is Wildflower, in just 5 short days).  Tonight I'll be cleaning the bike and getting him ready for Wildflower mania.

Also, because this was a "social" ride at "conversational" pace I decided to make an unplanned stop.  I've been wanting to stop here for a while and take a picture, but we're always working on time and mileage, and I never stop.  But, this time I did.  Here is a picture of the pothole that tried to kill me back in December.

The rest of the weekend was pretty good too.  On Saturday we had an open water swim at Hansen Dam and a 7 mile run.  The swim was good, the water wasn't too cold, and thanks to my fancy Garmin I was able to see that I swam at the pace I'm supposed to (in the pool at least) 2:00/100 yards.  The 7 mile run on the other hand was not so good.  I wasn't feeling good at all, I hadn't been feeling great all week, and my body just seemed angry to be running.  I got it done, but it wasn't pretty and it was exceptionally slow for me.  I guess after a couple of good runs, including Ragnar, I was due for a crappy one.

Here are some awesome photos from the open water swim taken by our very own Paiwei Wei.

The team.

Ready to conquer the swim, and the world.

Oh, and I got this amazing-ness from my wonderful teammate Amy. Can't wait to rock it at Wildflower.  Thanks Amy!!

Your Actions Matter

You may not realize it, but even the littlest thing you do (or don't do) matters.  It can make a difference.  The way you behave on a daily basis, the way you treat people, the way you look at them, people notice, and it can have an effect.  I'm not saying that I'm not guilty of a lot of this.  What I am saying is that we need to be more mindful of our actions and language.

Recently I went to CVS in Sherman Oaks to pick up a refill on my prescriptions.  Let me just tell you, I really don't like the pharmacy at this CVS.  The line is always long - for drop off and pick up.  The place is always busy.  The people behind the counter at the pharmacy are slow and not always particularly nice (maybe they're just busy or overwhelmed by the number of people there).  But, its close to my house.  There are three prescriptions I get refilled every month for my bipolar disorder: welbutrin, lexapro and lithium.  Welbutrin and lexapro are anti-depressants.  Lithium is, well, lithium.  It's a mood stabilizer.  It's the one that gets me the looks.  What looks you might ask?

Well, last time I was at CVS something happened.  It's happened before, many many times, at other pharmacies (not just this one, although quite often at this one as I go here the most).  It ALWAYS irritates me.  I never say anything, because what am I going to say?  "Stop being an asshole?"  No, of course not, I'm too nice for that (I mean, I can be a bitch, but I'm not going to make a scene over the way someone looks at me, its not worth the effort).  When I go to pick up my medications, if the person behind the counter has any idea of what they are, they will sometimes give me "the look" (there are two people at that CVS who always give me the look). The one that says, get her out of here fast, she's not stable, she's crazy, I don't want her near me, she might snap.  Maybe you think I'm reading too much into a small interaction.  I don't.  Because when I pick up something else, like a prescription for a antibiotics or birth control pills, I don't get the same look.  Its a very specific look and its not cool.

Yes, I take three medications every day to help with my moods.  No, I'm not crazy.  No, I'm not going to hurt you.  No, I'm not going to flip out right here in the middle of the store (I don't make a scene because it will just reinforce this thought).  Just let me buy my medication and go along my merry way without the look, or potential judgement behind it.  The looks were worse when I had to take an anti-psychotic, which I did for a while.  It's been years since I had to take that, but when I did, man, those looks were way worse.  I took an anti-psychotic (terrible name) for the better part of a year because I went through a period where I was hallucinating (scary, by the way), which was later determined to be caused by my birth control pills.  Stop birth control, hallucinations gone, stop anti-psychotic, no problems.

I definitely got a lot of looks then.  And I still get looks.  The problem, I think, is everything we ever see about bipolar disorder (and so many other mental illnesses) is negative.  Its all over tv, scripted, reality, news, and its always negative. We never look at the positive side of mental illness.  And, there is a positive side.  Take me, for example, I am a productive, happy, law abiding member of society.  I have a job, pay my bills, take care of myself and my dog.  I run half marathons and marathons.  I am training for an ironman.  I fundraise for charity (fyi - I've raised more than $10,000 cumulatively to this point for LLS).  I am a good sister, daughter, friend.  I am loyal and strong and brave.  I work hard for the things I have and want.

I am not going to hurt you.  I am not a bad person.  I am not out of control.  I did not choose to have bipolar disorder.  I did not do this to myself.  Unfortunately I can not just snap out of it, because trust me, if I could I would.  There is no cure, it is what it is and I live with it.  I am not always either manic or depressed - usually I live somewhere right in the middle, just like you.  I am not crazy.  Living with mental illness doesn't mean that there is something wrong with a person.  It just means their brain works a little differently.

And when someone looks at you funny or says something that is inconsiderate, it reinforces the negative beliefs about bipolar disorder.  And, when we reinforce negative thoughts and stigma we make it harder for people to get help and ask for help.

There are so many misconceptions about bipolar disorder, and all mental health issues, and the people who live with them.  I'll tell you a little secret.  We're just like you.  Even on my medication I have mood swings (though usually not as extreme).  So, be mindful of what you are saying and how you react to people, even a look can have a big impact.  You don't have to walk around on eggshells, we aren't going to break.  But, sometimes just a look or a couple of words can have a bigger impact than you realize.

I think if more people felt accepted, regardless of whether or not they have a mental illness, then more people would be willing to pursue the help they need.

You might wonder what pushed me to write this post, when the CVS thing happens sort of often.  Well, I was watching a DVR'd episode of Hawaii 5-0 (don't judge me), and I was bothered by something I heard.  Toward the end of the show, one of the main characters is being held captive by a man who is clearly troubled.  The captor said something like "I'm normal." And the character said, "You're not normal.  You're mentally ill."  (Original air date - 4/9/12) What the f*$k Hawaii 5-0?  So people with mental illness aren't normal?  Its representations like this that help continue the stigma around mental illness.  (Trust me, there are plenty of negative presentations of mental illness on television, I won't go on and on, but I could.)

It's time to stand up and demand a change.  We need to end the stigma around mental illness.  We need to accept people for who they are.  Will you take a stand with me?  Will you help me end stigma?  Tell me, in the comments below, I want to know who is with me, and then sign the Bring Change 2 Mind pledge (link below) - it only takes 1 minute.  And, then keep that pledge and help END STIGMA around mental illness.  Its time for a change.  Now. 

bring change 2 mind pledge

Compression to the Rescue!

When I first heard about compression gear for running and training, and saw the prices (usually way high), I was not sold on the idea.  I mean really, how helpful could compression be?  Plus, it all seems so expensive.  Then last fall I jumped on the compression bandwagon and became a believer.  I wear compression socks for recovery after my long brick workouts all the time, and after hard runs.  They feel amazing.  And, for 90% of my long rides I wear at least compression sleeves.  Do they make a difference?  I think so and I know that they aid in my recovery, soreness factor is less and recovery time feels shorter (maybe that's just the placebo effect? I don't think so though).

When you're training for an ironman and doing some kind of physical activity 7 days a week, recovery is really important, as you're basically always preparing your body for your next workout.  I have also come to be a believer in recovery drinks - I use Hammer Recoverite, and use it after all my workouts.  I drank it after each of my legs at Ragnar, and I know it helped me recover and get ready for my next leg.

I've gotten off track, back to compression.  I love it.  You may have heard, or seen, that my Ragnar team, So Much Cooler Online (#SMCOL) was sponsored by a bunch of rad companies (how could you not see it, we all went on and on).  Two of those companies specialize in compression.

I have used CEP socks and sleeves and Zensah sleeves during training and for recovery.  The Zensah sleeves I wasn't so crazy about - they felt more like leg warmers, sorry Zensah, you gotta step up your compressy-ness.  The CEP socks I use for recovery and the sleeves I've worn on many long bike rides and brick workouts (and during my first tri - desert tri).  I love CEP, but I'm always game for something new (and the CEP ones, which I love, are a bit heavy on the fabric - still breathable, but just heavier).  I have never used compression pants or shorts and was eager to try some.

One of my teammates hooked us up with compression shorts from Aspaeris Pivot Shorts.  I had seen a bunch of blog reviews of these shorts and was really excited to try them (I got them for free).  I ordered the right size for me and when they arrived I thought, no way are these the right size.  They looked teeny-tiny.  But, I listened to my Ragnar teammates and tried them on.  They fit snugly and felt good.

teeny tiny shorts, blackberry for size reference

The first time I ever ran in them was at Ragnar.  I wore them for my first leg 4.6 miles on the face of the sun (aka Corona).  I wore a sparkle skirt over them cause I wanted to be fun - but I have since run in them without something over, as I wear tri shorts that are just as spandex-y looking all the time.  I had been wearing the shorts all morning and sitting in a van for multiple hours by the time my run started.  I was really impressed by these shorts.  I didn't feel too hot in them (good thing too cause the heat index got up to 110* - gross) and I felt comfortable the whole time.  They never felt too tight, but they felt like they were working their compression magic.  I actually felt pretty strong most of that leg.

I had never worn compression shorts or pants before and I am in love. The term coined by Heather, #magicpants, is SO true.  They are magic.  I washed them and wore them all day Sunday and I know they helped with my recovery.

The best thing about these shorts is that even though they are two layers, they don't feel heavy or thick when they are on.  They fit nicely and don't cause the sausage casing look around your legs (as long as you get the right size).  They are soft and comfortable and very nice.  Just take your measurements and order the right size for you.  I picked my size based on my measurements and they fit perfectly.  Snug, compress-y and not sausage-y at all.  I promise you won't regret it.  (I don't seem to have any pictures of myself running in the shorts - blogger fail - but I swear I was rocking them.)

Our other compression hook up from a teammate was with a sponsorship from ProCompression they make compression socks.  I hadn't tried their socks yet, but I was up for it.  I liked how many color choices they had and was excited to try them. I got my pair (free, just like the shorts - just to clarify), of marathon purple socks.  The first time I ran in them I was impressed.  They were light weight and easier to run in than the other socks I had tried, but still compress-y enough.  I figured the real test would be at Ragnar.  I ordered a second pair with an Active.com Schwaggle in blue argyle and brought both pairs to Ragnar thinking I would wear one on my first leg and the other on my last (opting for capris on the chilly overnight leg, making tall socks silly looking).

Because it was a billion degrees during my run on Friday I didn't want to wear anything that might make me hot, so tall socks out.  While they are breathable, I was not going to add any unnecessary clothing to my body.  But, on my third leg I wore the blue argyle socks.  And, I must say, I loved them.  I was tired and a little sore at this point, partially from having already run twice, partially from being in a van for 30+ hours and partially from getting ~2 hours of sleep.  I was counting on those socks to help keep my legs alive.  I actually wore them the whole day leading up to my leg.

And, actually, my legs felt good the entire 6.3 mile run.  I was really impressed.  The socks felt good, they weren't too heavy, they're breathable and they have enough compression to be useful.  In short, I loved running in these socks.  Next test will be to see how much I like them on the bike, but overall, for running I'm really digging them.

me on the left in my argyle compression socks - cute, comfortable AND functional!

Right before the start of my last leg - I was WAY
too excited for 2 hours of sleep - and WAY colorful!

I wore both my Aspaeris shorts and my Pro Compression socks on Sunday for recovery (washed the shorts and wore my other purple socks - no I don't wear dirty clothes).  And, I felt good.  On Tuesday I was feeling sore and tired and I had a tempo run on the schedule.  I was wondering how I was going to get through it.  I threw on my Aspaeris shorts and Pro Compression socks again, with my notes on what I was supposed to be run written on my run (I figured out later that I can program my watch with the workout - fail on my part with technology - at least I don't have to write it all on my arm again).

hieroglyphics telling me what to do 

You know what? I did it.  I didn't kill it, it was still hard, but I did it and didn't feel like I was going to die.  Compression to the rescue!  Thank you Aspaeris and Pro Compression for powering me through my tempo run last night - that I had been dreading all day.  #magicpants #magicsocks.  (Hey Aspaeris - you should make some compression pants... just a suggestion).  I will definitely continue to use both products for running and recovery, and I'll probably buy some more of 'em too cause you can never have too many tall compression socks or tight compression shorts.

I have no idea why I'm making this face, even the dog looks scared. Yikes! And, compression for the win!!!

Yes, I look goofy in both of these pictures, don't judge me, I was having fun.

Note: Neither of these companies compensated me or solicited me for my reviews, yes I got both the shorts and socks for free.  These are my personal opinions.

In other news I did not get picked to be on one of the Nuun Hood to Coast blogger teams.  Wah. :( I'm gonna say it was their loss, I'm an awesome teammate and would have been a great addition.  Wait, its kinda my loss too, cause I really want to run Hood to Coast and wanted to be on one of those teams.  Nuun, why you gotta make me sad?  It's okay, I still love you, although yesterday I loved you a little less, today I guess we're friends again.  I will say this, you are missing out on my awesome teammate, cheering, not super fast (but not super slow) running skills.  Seriously Nuun, how did you not pick me???  I'm awesome, ask SMCOL van 2, they'll tell you, I'm awesome.  Okay, I'm done whining...

If you are a company and want to sponsor a Hood to Coast team, I guarantee I can get you a bunch of awesome runners to come play.  And we'll tout the amazing benefits of your product (well, as long as its amazing).  Or, if you already have a team and need another teammate, I'm available and willing. Ask me, I'll definitely say yes! (Unless you're a company that does bad things, like sell drugs to kids or hurt puppies, then, I'll have to think about it.)

Or, if you want to run Ragnar Napa with me, I'm thinking about forming a team, scratch that, I am DEFINITELY going to form a team (I'm still on a bit of a relay high here, but Ragnar rocks, and I want to run more of them).  Sponsors would be welcome for that relay too!  And, we all know I LOVE Ragnar - see the badge on the right - I'm an ambassador (meaning relay expert and lover!).  Let me know if you're in.  It's in September.  Come play, it'll be awesome!

And, in fantastic news, I did NOT get in to the New York Marathon this year.  I was praying I wouldn't, cause I really am not ready to run marathons on back to back weekends (I'm running the Marine Corps Marathon this year).  And, next year is my guaranteed entry, and I want to be able to run New York and really enjoy it.  So, there's that.

Alright, time for a trainer ride...

I'm Changing My Name

...Err... I already did.  Well, my blog name at least.

I haven't liked it for a while and have been trying to come up with something I do like.  So, I went with "...With an S..."  Every time I tell someone my name I tell them, "with an s."  And, it seems to be a way that people remember me.

Everything else will still be the same, I'll still be my wordy, slightly boring, always clumsy, incredibly positive self.

That's it.  I'm Elisabeth with an S and now my blog is With an S.  The web address is still the same, for now.

Hope you all like it!

Later...

Elisabeth with an S

The Road to San Diego - Ragnar Edition

203.5 miles, 35ish hours, 18 internet strangers (+2 rock star drivers), 3 vans, 2 teams, 1 amazing adventure and friends for life!

My Ragnar SoCal 2012 adventure began months and months and months ago.  Back when Hood to Coast 2011 was happening.  Ya, like in August, of last year.  It all started with some Hood to Coast envy and turned in to one of the best adventures of my running life, actually one of the best adventures of my life, I will never forget it.  I am an ambassador for Ragnar SoCal, making the experience extra special and exciting for me.  Ragnar SoCal is a 12-person 203.5 mile relay from Hungtington Beach to San Diego by way of Corona, Temecula and Escondido.  

Thanks to SarahOUAL, our fearless leader, two teams of women (one 6 woman ultra team - SarahOUAL, SkinnyRunner, Margot, Pam and Nicole and one 12 woman regular team, Heather, Becka, Shannon, Madison, Julie, Sandy, Ashley, Linzay, Danica, Erica, Sharon and me - all internet strangers, were formed.  After months of planning, finding volunteers, getting sponsors, training (or not training, either way), the weekend arrived, to say I was excited would be an understatement.  I picked up Erica from LAX on my way to OC on Thursday.  She had never been to California before and was busy taking lots of pics.  We met the rest of the girls from the 12-woman team and decorated our vans and then made Erica, who is from Louisiana, eat vegetarian food.  I don't think she enjoyed it that much.

Sharon STILL needs twitter!

caffeine

In the morning we headed to Sarah's office and met the rest of our van-mates and van driver Phil, and headed off to our starting point, major exchange 6.  We waited for a bit and then Ashley was off.  By the time she started it was already quite warm out and she had an 8.8 mile run in front of her.  We did our best to cheer her on and stopped to give her water.  As our exchanges went on through the day all of our runners (and all Ragnar runners) were suffering through the blistering heat.  The heat index got up to 110*, not ideal running conditions. But, our team was so amazing and we stopped and did everything we could to take care of each other.  Everyone we saw during this portion of the day looked like they were struggling.  We offered water and ice to all the runners we saw.

Every team got a box of donuts, like my pose?

Ashley getting ready, Madison passing the slap bracelet to Ashley, Ashley rocking it in the blazing heat!

Cheering section!

Chalk notes for Linzay and our Ultra ladies

Linzay killing that nasty hill

 Danica getting ready to run, Linzay coming in and Danica taking off.

No big deal, just a little foam rolling action in the middle of the sidewalk. (This happened a lot.)

Erica killing her run in the sun

Erica passing off to Sharon - she does not have a hunchback, she has a cold water bottle back there - brilliant!

I was runner number 12 (our van order was Ashley, Linzay, Danica, Erica, Sharon and then me) and started my first leg in Corona.  It was crazy hot out there.  But, thankfully, after Desert Tri, I knew what I needed to do to pace myself properly.  It was a 4.6 mile run, which I would normally not use a run/walk interval for, but in the heat, I knew I needed to take care of my body and the run/walk would be a good way to keep from overheating.  I kept a cold bottle of water shoved down the front of my sports bra, which seemed to help keep me cool. My teammates met up with me at one point and asked if I needed anything, I told them just cold water.  I kept dousing myself in water to stay cool.  The second time my van-mates found me they had water and ice for me.  I swapped the bottle of water out of my bra and shoved a giant chunk of ice down there to keep myself cool.  It worked.  I finished in 50 minutes, slow, but I did not feel overheated.  I still felt tired, but was doing good considering the stupid sun.  I ran this leg in my Aspaeris Pivot Shorts and Run Pretty Far J'Adore Hardcore tank, and loved running in both.  The tank was super soft and lightweight and didn't make me feel hot.  And the shorts, well, after being in a van for multiple hours already, the compression felt awesome!

Me running slowly in the billion degree sun and my sweaty red self after said billion degree run.

Then we had a few hours to kill before our next runs.  We went to In 'n' Out, since Erica had never had it (or even heard of it!) and had delicious food.  This would be the last actual meal I would eat until after the race (this was 4pm on Friday, we finished at 5pm on Saturday).  That food was so amazing, but possibly the best thing about it was the side of pickles.  Holy yum.  We all changed in the bathrooms there and then headed out to our next exchange point in Escondido, at the Lawerence Welk Resort.

In N Out has never tasted so good, and those pickles, yum!!!

We hung out at the exchange, foam rolled, stick-ed, snacked, tried, unsuccessfully to doze a little in the van and then at about midnight we were off again.  Because we had been so slow in the heat, we all booked it during our night runs.  It was a little humid, but pretty cool and we all took advantage of the ideal conditions.  

Getting ready for our night runs in our reflective Bic Bands

Erica rocking her Road Noise vest - it has speakers in it!

chillin in the van - reflective gear and glow bracelets and necklaces

Rock Star driver Phil. Can not thank him enough.

Getting zero sleep in the van.

I started my run at about 3:30am.  My first mile or so was downhill and I tore through that mile (8:03).  I passed a few people and was enjoying the weather.  At the beginning of this leg there we were on sidewalk and to the left there was a park-like area and I swear I could hear all kinds of creatures in there.  This encouraged me to run faster.  It was during this part of this leg that I wished I was wearing music so I didn't have to hear the noises.  But, the noises did make me run faster, so that's good I guess.

The last bit was also a good descent and I booked it and ran as fast as I could (and as I was tearing down that hill some dude in a speedo came flying past me at probably a 5:30ish pace, or faster, crazy on many many levels), my best pace on this run was 6:38, the only thing I can think is it must have been that last downhill bit, I was averaging 9:30s throughout.  I felt good and was ready to get some rest.  We headed to Ashley and Phil's place, they live in La Jolla, right near the last major exchange, so we all got to take a shower and get a little sleep indoors.  I slept for about two hours and then we got up and headed back out again.  It was a cool, foggy morning, perfect running weather.  The other van made the hand-off and started our runs again.

People who didn't have Ashley and Phil's place to sleep at sleeping at the glider-port 

Crazy long lines for the porta-potties (so happy we had Ashley's place to use!)

This dude was rocking out at exchange 30!

Erica's first time seeing the Pacific Ocean! (She's from Louisiana)

Our touristy runner with her California mug and the foam roller

Me, Danica and sharon waiting for Danica's last leg

I saw this guy at a lot of our last exchanges.  And this is me excited to run my last leg in my Pro Compression socks and Running Skirt (WAY too excited for only 2 hours of sleep!)

Some of the final legs were pretty tough.  Danica had a particularly difficult 11 mile run with a giant hill in the middle of it, and she had to run behind this weird dude in a speedo that was pulled up in back to show off his ass checks - it was so so wrong.  And, she and a bunch of other runners got lost along the course.  We quickly found her and took her back to the course and Ashley finished the leg with her.  I started my last leg, 6.3 miles, at about 4pm, and averaged 9:45s.  I knew our ultra team was somewhere behind us and that they had been closing the gap on us.  When I started my run I thought that they could potentially pass me (they didn't).  I ran that last leg pretty strong (clearly I can run faster than I do, I need to push myself more).  I actually felt pretty good throughout the leg and was surprised that I was doing so well.  I ran this leg in my Running Skirt (I'm not a running skirt wearer, but this one I actually liked a lot) and a tank and my Pro Compression socks, and loved it, it was the perfect outfit for the last leg.  I got around the last bend through the tunnel to the finish line, and it was lined with teams waiting for their runners, the adrenaline rush of all those teams made me run even faster and I was booking it.  I saw my team and they followed me to the finish line.

We actually had a lot more than this, they were on the other window too, but we had erased them by the time I got this picture.  It was well over 100.

And, 35 hours later, we were done!  I can't even explain what an incredible experience this was.  I had so much fun the whole time.  I loved all my teammates and feel like I have new lifelong friends.  My van was so incredible and we had such a great time together.  None of us ever got super grumpy or irritated (at least not that I could tell), and we were all so supportive of each other.

We also had the best driver a team of girls running Ragnar SoCal could ever have.  Ashley's man Phil was so incredible.  He got us everywhere we needed to be safely, on time and without getting lost.  He was amazing.  He could calculate where we needed to be when, including to cheer, and took such great care of us. And he put up with 6 sweaty, crazy girls in a van for 36 hours, that alone is worthy of a medal. Thank you Phil!

Running Ragnar this year reminded me what I love about running.  I love that its freeing and can be fun.  I love that its empowering.  I love that it leads me to new friends.  I've been so focused on ironman training I had started to forget why I love running so much and that running is fun.  Thank you Ragnar and SMCOL for reminding me.

An extra special gigantic thank you and shout out to the sponsors of Team So Much Cooler Online, without you this would not have been quite as fantastic:

Keeping us hydrated along the course:

Nuun 

We all already know I LOVE Nuun, now I just love them a little bit more, really didn't think it was possible, but here I am, a little more obsessed.

Keeping us dressed well and looking good:

Run Pretty Far 

My J'Adore Hardcore tank was perfection in the heat, and my new favorite running tank!

Running Skirts 

I never enjoyed running in a skirt before, but this one  I wore on my last leg and I liked it and will definitely run in over and over again, so thanks!  I think I might be a running skirt convert.

Bic Bands 

I sweat like nobody's business and my hair stayed put with these.  Love them.  And we got special reflective Bic Bands for our night legs - very cool, thank you!

Keeping us compressed:

Pro Compression socks 

I love all things compression and when it wasn't a billion degrees along the course, I was wearing my compression socks.  I also wore them on my last leg, loved running in them. And, I saw a TON of other runners rocking them too!

Aspaeris Pivot Shorts 

I ran my first leg in these and spent all day Sunday in them recovering.  I love them.  They fit well and they really help with recovery and running! As Heather says, these are #magicpants, couldn't agree more.

Seriously, thank you again to all of our sponsors, we couldn't have done it without you.  Well, we could have, but it wouldn't have been nearly as awesome!

I legit love all of these brands and encourage you to buy them, cause I will continue to keep buying them.  If you want to know anything else about them let me know.

This weekend was so magical and fun, I can't wait til we all do it again.  Our Ultra ladies took first place in their division - RAD! And, our 12-woman team took 18th place in our division, pretty damn good considering the heat, lost runner and fun we were having.

Best weekend ever.  I really truly had the best time and can't imagine having done it with a better group.  Online blogging strangers = fantastic Ragnar teammates and now amazing friends.

Lastly, I could not be more proud to be a Ragnar Relay SoCal ambassador.  This has been such an incredible experience, talking to people about the race, getting them interested in it, telling them how amazing the experience is.  I could not have asked for a better race to be an amassador for.  Ragnar Relay, thank you for having me as an ambassador, I look forward to many many more adventures with you!

All pictures are either mine, Linzay, Ashley or Erica's. stolen from their blogs, thanks girls!  There are probably a million more I haven't even seen yet, and I can't wait!

And, a big congratulations to my teammates on the Ironteam who rocked their ride to San Diego - they rode 80+ miles from Anaheim to San Diego (some hit 100+).  So, if I hadn't been running to San Diego this weekend I would have been riding there.  Congrats again!