Hustle Hoff!

Have any of you ever heard of a Ragnar Relay?!?

Well, I am pretty sure it's for crazy people! Seriously crazy people.

Because, here's what happens. You get 11 people who are as nuts as you are to run a total of 186.6 miles (well, kind of - who knows how long it actually ended up being, there were closures, Helaman, Lisa and Brad got a little lost and ran in off course... for who knows how many miles)... but anyway, the bottom line is that we ran from Santa Barbara, CA to Dana Point, CA which is 186.6 miles... roughly!


April headed up our team and did a great job. We were the Hustle Hoff team. Our entire theme revolved around David Hastlehoff... scary. We had masks, and goody bags, and CDs... did any of you know that David Hastlehoff sang?!? He did/does... and, it's bad. While we were waiting at one of the leg exchanges, we overheard a few people talking about our team theme.... this is what they said "I don't get it." Enough said.


Here's how it went. We started the race at 9 AM on Friday. I got to start off the race... 6 miles through my hometown and into Montecito, starting right down by Los Banos (the swimming pool that I sold my soul to during my childhood)! I think I may have run by Oprah's house! But, I can't be certain... which basically means I am making that part up! But, these houses were nice and palatial!

We took turns running until about 5ish or so. And, we tried to sleep in a park in Camarillo, but that was unsuccessful! How do homeless people do it!?! It's so noisy! And, bright. And, highly uncomfortable!

Then we had to drive past all the closures and we got to get dinner at Swingers and rest momentarily at my dear sweet friend Stacey's house. She's a Saint! There were 11 of us and we all smelled horrible, but we crashed on her floor and it was perfect for a nap. Unfortunately I couldn't sleep. Oh well.

I ran again through Marina Del Rey... which I presume would be beautiful had it not been 11:45 PM. I was all alone! I couldn't see anyone except the one guy that whizzed by me about half way through.

Then I took a 2-hour nap in the Hoffmobile (mini-van 1)... until it was my turn to run AGAIN... (you see, each person was suppose to run 3 legs of this race, but some guy threw up, and one girl didn't really feel like running and one guy totally missed his leg, and anyhoo... I ended up running 5 legs). So, after my ONLY 2-hour nap, I was forced to run another leg. Let me tell you all what this felt like. It was 3:10 in the morning. I was in Long Beach (I think). You know when you are about to have your turn at hitting the piñata, so they spin you around a dozen times and point you to it? And, you are all disoriented and such. Well, it felt like that, except there was no piñata, instead there was a very long road, and I was told to run along it as fast as I could... that was the rough leg for me! I could barely follow the signs! I am surprised I didn't get lost!

By 7 AM the following day (Saturday) I was in HB, where I spent years running. I loved it. Along the boardwalk, flat as all get out, great view of the beach. I ran 3 miles in 21 minutes! Which, for me, is amazing and totally out of character.

After my last stint in Costa Mesa, Van 1 went to IHOP for breakfast! The best part was that there was a "no shower" rule. No member of our team was allowed to shower until the last person crossed the finish line. And, I cannot express adequately how horrible the stench was from the group of us. I asked our team dad, Bryan, if we were allowed to eat breakfast of if there was a moratorium on that too (mocking the "no shower" rule). He said that we were allowed to eat, but nothing that made us smell better, like bacon... which for some reason really made me laugh... that WOULD have been an improvement for sure.
We didn't beat the other team of runners we knew (most from HB). But, we came close. And, in the end we were all too tired to care! And, totally mesmerized by the fact that Kelly Kapowski (of Saved by the Bell fame) was also a Ragnar runner! I have only seen Morgs that happy one other time, and it involved Baliadas!

P.S. I took no photos of my own, except this one lowly photo of the sumo suit I saw drying in a tree. I stared at it, my eyes totally transfixed by its beauty! I know, I am dork! I really need to get over my obsession with the sumo suits... I just couldn't believe it was right there, dangling in front of me! So, I have to thank April and Megan for letting me post their photos on my blog.