Ragnar at Last!

Have you ever watched that show “I Didn’t Know I was Pregnant?”

Well I kind of feel like that was my life last week (minus the baby part). It was an unexpected journey.

On Monday, one of my friends on Facebook said that she needed another runner for their Ragnar teams that weekend. They had some of their team members drop out because of injury and other conflicts and they needed someone ASAP.

I’d always wanted to do a Ragnar Relay Series, but I’d never had the chance. Getting a team together takes a lot of time, money, and organization, and that’s just if you get in! The race usually sells out very quickly.

I jumped at the chance to run in the relay. I was nervous because although I had been running and exercising, I hadn’t been training for this race specifically. But I trusted in my body and the adrenaline therein and decided to take the plunge.

Before I knew it, I was in a van with five other people I didn’t know on my way to the starting line in Logan.

I was runner 6. My first leg was 6.9 miles and rated “hard.” But I was fresh and most of it was downhill, so it was manageable. It became hotter and hotter as I ran down into Liberty, but the view was amazing.

My second leg was 8 miles and I started around 8:30 at night. I was already a little stiff and tired, but I tried not to think about the journey that lay ahead of me. I knew it was going to be long and dark.

I wasn’t used to running with a headlamp, but I knew it was necessary so I wouldn’t get killed, or worse, disqualified.

The road stretched on and on...but it was one I’d travelled before on my way to Girls Camp. But as night fell, the road became less and less familiar and all I could do was follow the headlamps of the other runners ahead of me. My running playlist was starting to get boring. I tried not to walk too much, but the road was became so steep at times that walking was my only option!

My support van stopped about every mile to offer me water and food. (Those random ginger snap cookies were the best!)

By the last mile, it was all I could do from saying the worst possible swear words. This was harder than my half marathon! Just when I thought the exchange would be around the corner, it wasn’t, and a huge hill would be there instead.

It was during that second leg that I took a moment to close my eyes and thank my Heavenly Father for my body. I think C. Jane Kendrick said it best: “I exercise to thank my body, not change it.” I was moving for an hour and a half -- forward and upward, into darkness. Although I was heaving and my legs hurt, I was going. My body knew what to do. It knew how to run. I wasn’t the fastest runner, but it didn’t matter. I was moving.

One thing that kept me moving was knowing that Sam would probably be there at the finish line. I didn’t have great cell service, so I hadn’t talked to him in a while. But I knew he was going to try and be there to see me come in. Oh how I couldn’t wait to see my husband at the finish line!

My pants are really high up on my waist because I had to wear a little butt light. Don't give me crap about this.

I look like I'm drunk. I'm not, but you can give me crap about this part if you want. I also kind of look like a Native American. (Braids plus headband, anyone?)

The whole route is absolutely gorgeous. My camera’s battery died, so I just had to take in the views as memories. Rolling green hills, yellow and green fields, small towns of small cottages, towering rocky mountains... a dead deer or two...

My last leg was through Heber, and it was only 2.1 miles. Nice and easy.

Most of the time is actually spent in the van, supporting whomever was currently running. This is excellent bonding time. We were all Ragnar Newbies, so we didn’t have any crazy costumes or crazy sayings written on our van windows. I loved my team!

Some of the highlights from the van:

• Popping the “orange candy” (ibuprofen).
• Sharing water bottles willy nilly. We did not care about hygiene. All that mattered is that we were drinking water.
• Our dorky little cheer.
• That moan that comes out after you step out of the van for the first time after running.
• Getting really excited to see the “portas.”
• Noticing the same vans over and over and giving them nicknames. (Jesus van, dirty van, running buddy van etc.)
• Trying to find food with the most calories and carbs possible. (You need all the energy you can get during Ragnar)
• The enthusiastic, helpful volunteers all along the way.

Crossing the finish line felt so good!

Sam was so amazing at supporting me in this! I love him so much! (He took all the pictures in this post. Except the one his in in.)

-Meg

An Update

I guess it took a sick day to force me into writing a blog post finally! Life has been pretty crazy for us Thorntons lately, but we are getting settled.

We moved into a new apartment. I would post pictures but it's kind of scary right now and trust me, it's nothing you'd want to put on pinterest.

We were sad to leave our old place, but we came up on the list for Married Student Housing, so we decided to take the offer and make a change! We love our neighbors and it's nice to be so close to campus. Even though I am done with school, Sam is still going strong.

Christmas and New Year's was great! It was our first as a married couple. That meant a lot of figuring out how to split our time between our families and creating new traditions.

The year 2012 was a crazy year for us. I graduated and got a job, Sam and I got married, and we've already moved twice! (I moved three times this year!)

I know I still haven't posted wedding pictures yet, but I promise one day I will. We got more than one thousand pictures, I kid you not. It's a lot to sort through.

Well, that's a little update! I'm hoping to start feeling better by tomorrow because tomorrow I am turning 22 years old. But whatever.

I lose about everything except sleep

I am frustrated with myself.

I slept in until 1 p.m. Do you realize what this means? I have been up for 3 hours and it's almost 4 p.m. I mean, what can I do about that? My phone was on silent this morning, but if it hadn't been, I'm pretty sure I would have slept through it anyway. I'm the heaviest of sleepers.

I can't communicate without sounding like a blubbering bag of nonsense, because I'm not a morning person, even if it's in the afternoon. Sorry world, I'm on a different schedule than ya'll.

I'm in one of those moods where I don't know what to do with myself. I don't know what I want to eat, or what I want to watch. I did try to clean a little bit today, but I got tired, so I stopped mid dish scrub and spent an hour on Pinterest.

I lose everything important. I usually get it back, though. (Thank you dear couple who found my phone lying on the road and returned it to me.)

Yesterday was fun though. Sam and I went to the temple and watched Downton Abbey (a show we are so obsessed with. So magical) and we went to a gymnastics meet, had a spontaneous trip to Neilsen's Frozen Custard. Then we watched a scary movie, that now doesn't seem so scary now that's it's day time.

I just need to remember how happy and optimistic I was last night so I can stop being a grump today.

The end.

-Meg

p.s. Does anyone know any way I can help myself wake up at a decent time? I want to sleep in, because it's the weekend, but this 1 p.m. stuff is ridiculous. 

All in Due Time

My lack of posting of late can be attributed to the absence of my camera. I don't know where I put it, but I hope I find it soon, because I need to take and post pictures of my new room in SLC! For now this iPod photo will suffice.

I am sewing a pillow. Crazy, eh?

I also need to tell my meager audience about my quarter sculpture, the musical, training for a half-marathon, a traumatizing experience at the dentist, and playing kissing rugby. All in due time, folks.

Oh, and I need to tell ya'll about the books I've been reading. Yes, the ones that aren't on my book list.

-Meg

Cathrine + William

I am not ashamed to say that I woke up really early to watch Kate and William's wedding! (It was actually more just staying up really late and pulling an all nighter, though.) I'm just a sucker for all the glamor and hullabaloo. I know I'm just an American, and that I shouldn't care... but seriously. Look at this dress! Look at his uniform!

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And the flowergirl! So adorable!

I loved everything about the wedding. It was so grand, and yet so simple. The hats were splendid. I think we should all just start wearing hats everywhere because there's nothing quite like them.

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Pretty fabulous.

I, on the other hand, was not at all fashionable. I was in my comfy clothes snuggled up in a blanket. This is me in various stages throughout the night.

There were times I cried, you guys! Pathetic? Maybe. But it is all so lovely. I really want to go to England right now. I was thinking about all the reasons why I love England. Here is the list:

Reason I am enamored with England:

1. The Royal Wedding

2. Harry Potter

3. KJV Bible

4. Doctor Who

5. The Beatles

6. Mumford & Sons

7. Jane Austin

8. The BBC

9. Peter Pan

10. Charlieissocoollike

See how many awesome things come from the UK?

OK, back to homework now. Love you all! Toodles!

-Meg

Two days until take off...!

Above: Sneak peak at super cool origami projecto!

OK you guys! This is it!

I just have to go to school today.

Get waxed.

Go to Lehi.

Sleep.

Wake up, get ready, get the bride ready.

Go to the temple.

Go to the reception later that night.

Fly away to my cruise.

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I'm so close! I should be in class right now, but considering I have about 3 hours of sleep, I figured it would be pretty futile. I'm going to try to get stuff done... You guys... I'm so crazy....

You don't even know...

I probably won't blog until after my cruise, so peace out and expect a heck of a report! And LOADS of pictures! I love you all with all my heart and soul!

-MEG

p.s. I'll miss you!