Baseline Ragnarians 2019!
Over the weekend of June 7 and 8, members of our staff completed the Ragnar Snowmass Trail Race which sounds easy until you learn that the Ragnar Trail Races aren’t simply a one-time trail that ends after a couple miles, but three-day running relay extravaganzas. These races take place over the course of three days because that’s how long it takes to finish. Teams run a combined 114.4 miles over the course of the weekend which is at the heart of Ragnar’s mission: “Set a crazy… goal. Gather your tribe. Divide and Conquer. Bask in the joy achieving something you could never do alone.”
Each Baseline team member ran a total of 14.3 miles over the course of the weekend starting at a base elevation of 7,860.69 feet and at one point reaching 8973.96 feet. Those 14.3 miles were divided into three courses (Easy, Intermediate, and Hard) that each runner completed once to add to the team’s final time. Courses start and end at the Ragnar Village, and Baseline’s team was there to cheer each other on for every member’s start and finish. It made the transitions easier too, with one person starting as another finished. The running continued through the night and our team finished on Saturday. Throughout the weekend, the Ragnar Village is a place for teams to relax and connect and is a key part of the experience. Our Baseline team set up camp in the tent village Thursday night and enjoyed being a part of the Ragnar community. The village was complete with a bonfire, s’mores, music, movies, food, and snacks including a pasta dinner for each runner on Friday night and of course the stunning night sky.
The goal of the Ragnar race is not necessarily to win, but to complete the race as a team and complete a challenge that you thought was impossible. It’s all about getting outside and being inspired to be active and healthy. Our Baseline members took this to heart when training for the race and focused on getting outside and getting better with a goal for each team member to finish and beat their personal times. Each trail finisher receives a medal that doubles as a bottle opener, spork, fruit peeler, wrench, can opener, screw driver, and even a saw. Medals are the Ragnar badge of honor, and the more a person has received the more connectors, awards, and bragging rights they earn. Bottle openers are a feature of every Ragnar medal because more often than not races end with an after race brewery party. Our Baseline team made good use of their medals and enjoyed the Snowmass Rendezvous Craft Beer Festival that took place after the race had finished! Congrats Team! You are Ragnarians!
