Van 2 started the day headed to Durham to ensure we were close to the start in case of any long-weekend traffic (which we still managed to hit!). Van 1 started the race in Cobourg at 9:00 am and was sending us messages as they went. We stopped at Starbucks near Ajax for some breakfast and then finished up the van decorating under a lot less pressure by Mother Nature than the day before! (And definitely some stares by the local Durham residents going to get their morning caffeine fix!)
RAGNAR TIP: Make use of a free chat app and always run with your phone. One chat for each of the vans and one for the whole team. This was incredibly valuable for real-time information on where everyone was, planning and asking 'live' questions if signage was missing. One of the best ideas was having the current runner send a '1' to their van members when they saw the 1K to go sign, which always ensured we had the next runner ready.
*A special thanks to Allison's sister Christi-An for meeting us for coffee, helping decorate and take photos! Also thanks to my awesome team for the gawck shout out on the van! Little did I know this wouldn't be the first support for my company they would show Erick and I!
RAGNAR TIP: Make sure everyone on your team is in it for the same reason. Also, regardless of your goal, be sure to have some fun. It's a long journey and without some fun those hours are going to be painful! I think our team survived on laughter and adrenaline (and maybe Lisa's cookies).
*Reebok Floatride generously sponsored team Endorphriends. If you'd like to try the awesome Floatride shoes, you can do so at Rosedale or Whitby Running Room. You can also order them online at www.reebok.ca. They retail for $180.
RAGNAR TIP: I'd eaten breakfast that morning as I would before any race...and then we proceeded to drive around. I realized part way through my running leg that I'd not eaten lunch. Time is weird during Ragnar! Don't forget to eat and hydrate. The plus is that there are portapotties at every exchange, so lots of 'opportunities.'
I was so happy to see some friends during the race including Katherine and Callum and their very speedy team, Courtney, the girls from Tribe and Nancy (foreshadowing to leg 3 here...)
To be continued, with Leg 2...
*Thanks to Reebok and my team mates for some of the photos above!