Finding five other women as crazy and adventurous as me was a challenge in itself. But over the last couple months, the team has come together through a chain reaction, three of us from the Peoria area and the other half from the Chicago area. A three hour drive separates us, but yesterday, we met each other (for the first time!) for a team meeting. Team (You Just Got) Chicked is up and ready for action. Meet my teammates here.What better way to get to know your new teammates than go for a RUN?! After a little research on TrailLink, we settled on the Illinois & Michigan Canal Trail. The trailhead at Lock 14 in LaSalle was our meeting spot.
It was a beautiful sunny day, but true February temperatures in the low teens with the typical Midwest winter wind. Bundling up for the cold was not first option... we first had to take some promotional photos for our sponsor Aspaeris Pivot Shorts in our new compression shorts. It started our first team meeting off with lots of laughs, as we struggled to change in our cars and then stand out in the cold with bare legs. Brrrrrr!
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| (You Just Got) Chicked - Sexy Legs, huh? www.aspaerispivotshorts.com |
We ran a 10 mile out and back on the trail. Most of the run had beautiful views of water. I will definitely be returning here for a spring/summer/fall run. It was breathtaking even in the cold.
After our run, we photo-opped some more...
From left to right: Amanda, Kate, Lara (up in tree), Julie, Tara and me
And then we went for lunch! We had a lot of logistical details to workout for our Ragnar race... vans, outfits, sponsors, runner routes, travel, volunteers and training. Surprisingly for a group of women, we seemed to agree on everything and came to decisions fairly easy. I'm so happy with this group. We've really got a great team of "ultra" women! Ragnar is going to be a truly special running experience.
TEAM
(You Just Got) Chicked
Ragnar Ultra June 8-9, 2012
Have you ever run on a long-distance RELAY TEAM?
Have any great advice for us?
Love the team name! Looks like it is going to be an amazing time!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great meet up! No advice on the relay team but Hood to Coast was awesome!
ReplyDeleteWe run on the canal though further up from LaSalle in Channahon and Joliet. My husband did a 30 mile run on it last year in February. Cold yes. Full of nature yes!
looks like so much fun!
ReplyDeleteLooks like a great time - I'm sure you'll have a great time!
ReplyDeleteFun fun fun! Hood to Coast is like my most favorite thing ever so you guys are going to have a blast! My team didn't get in this year so we are trying out a Ragnar too!
ReplyDeleteFUN!! Love your socks, btw! ;) Looks like a wonderful run. Good luck to you awesome ladies!
ReplyDeleteI did one last year in Kentucky, called the Bourbon Chase. It runs by 6-7 different distilleries in the state. My advice is to try and sleep whenever possible, you might miss someone starting or finishing, but sleep is important! I didnt do that last year bc i wanted to watch everyone, this year though I am going to try to sleep if possible whenever possible! :)
ReplyDeleteAwesome! You guys will have a blast!!!
ReplyDeleteI *almost* ran that race last year with some of the girls I ran CC with in HS - then I realized it was the week before we moved out of state. I'd love to run a relay race like that but there is no way I could commit to that and pack up everything we own in the same few weeks, I'd go crazy!
ReplyDeleteLooks like you ladies will be having a blast with your training and racing!
That looks like fun! That's so cool that you are doing an ultra version! I just signed up for my first relay this year too, but we have 12 people. I am not worried about the running, only about the sleeping in the van with 5 other people!
ReplyDeleteYAY! You will have THE BEST TIME ever! I did Ragnar DC last year. My advice would be: bring baby wipes (when you can't have showers); put fresh change of clothes in ziplock bags and label them....I.e, "after Leg 1," "leg 2 running clothes," "after leg 2'," etc, etc. so you don't have to dig into your bag for stuff; Febreeze; plan ahead what you want to do for meals to avoid indecisiveness on race day...everyone might be too tired to decide and you'll lose precious sleep time; assign one person per van to be the Captain to make decisions when you can't reach agreements...trust me on this....this will save time and friendships! Most importantly, bring your sense of humor and have fun! Feel free to email me for more tips, questions...I was my team's captain! :)
ReplyDeleteCongrats on getting you team together so smoothly. Sounds like a fun group with a fun name. Your trail looks like an amazing place to run! Great pictures. I just bought a pair of the Aspaeris compression shorts and tried them for the first time on an 8 mile run. Is it just me or are they supper snug over the belly? My upper legs felt awesome, but I was a little uncomfortable with how high up on my waist they came. Any tips?
ReplyDeleteDo you follow Katie Run This? She just did a relay race and I think she's about to put a post with tips and advice about it.
ReplyDeletehttp://katierunsthis.com/
Cécy aka trailrunningchick
Well shoot - Now I do!! Thanks!
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