RAGNAR 2012

I wish there was a way to properly articulate the experience that is called...RAGNAR~
A race with 12 people on a team, 2 vans, (2 drivers if you are smart and lucky) and 197 miles ahead of you...Wow!!! What an incredible experience.
I will just post some photos since the words I am coming up with will not do it justice.
I was so depressed on Sunday after the race was over, it was the strangest thing!

Van 1 girls at the starting line...

Our team number 830 ~ and name~ Party Fowl!

Our van!

Waiting for Courtney to pass the wrist band to me...

Ragnar Tattoos~

The support of your team when you are running~It was Courtney's leg~ Pink shirt and hat!
This was the only time our van ran together aside from when we crossed the finish line in our bird costumes.
(Heather, me, Susie, Eleanor, Courtney and Katie) ~ We are all signed up and ready for next year!

Cheering Eleanor on as she flew past!

Eleanor rocked the bird costume every time she ran~ The rest of us just put them on at the end.

Heather passing to Susie for our final leg~

Our van drivers!

The amazing friends that watch you cross the finish line!

The whole team after the race! So amazing!

...a few things...

I have a few things to post about before I finish my Italy posts~
First....
School!

Last week I officially started my first college class on this new journey of going back to school. I am only taking one class this summer, it is Dance and Culture. It is a great class so far. We will watch some performances this summer, write a few papers and learn about different cultures and dance. I will update as the semester goes on.
Second....
RAGNAR

Friday morning, very early, my team of 12 amazing women will begin our 36 hour relay adventure! There are 12 women on the team and each of us will run 3 legs beginning Friday morning and going non-stop through Saturday evening. There are 2 Vans, each with 6 runners and a driver. That is pretty much where you live for the duration, unless, of course, you are running!
Wish us luck. My legs total about 13-14 miles. I have been training quite and hope I do well!
I will post about it after and update how it goes!
Happy Wednesday!

...bits and pieces of Florence...

My favorite day~

I think this may have been my favorite day in Italy~ At least one of the top! Although they were all pretty amazing.
I took a day trip to the Tuscan area, we toured a winery that is also a very old and beautiful castle. After the tour we all got on bicycles and rode about 7 miles, then stopped for an incredible lunch and rode 7 miles back.
About half way through the ride, we stopped to take photos and have some water. I looked around in complete awe....I could not believe I was standing in the Tuscan country side riding a bike through such a beautiful place.
It truly felt like a dream.
Looking back through all of my photos is making my heart hurt~ I miss it. I miss traveling and will have to put it off for a while until I get some college under my belt and some money saved somehow~
I long for travel. I feel it in my heart and my soul.
Here are some photos from that tour~ I hope to go back and do something like this again someday!






















This was the name of my bike :)

The Duomo~

The first day I arrived in Florence I went to The Duomo~





It is such a beautiful building but even better were the views~
If I remember right it was about 400 stairs to climb to get to the top~ Well worth it!

Train....

I took a few photos on my train ride from Rome to Florence~
What an amazing place Italy is ~ the country side is simply beautiful~
Photos from a fast moving train don't do it justice but it is really incredible...