It's not just a Ragnar entry; it's a veritable buffet of all of our favorite running things.

It’s not just a Ragnar entry; it’s a veritable buffet of all of our favorite running things.


I thought training for an Ironmother was hard. I thought parenting a 9-year-old-going-on-13 daughter was hard (Exact recent quote I heard: “I have to clean my room? Nobody loves me!”). I thought staying up past 10 p.m. was hard.
Nothing, though, compares to picking 22 women out of the 100+ (!) creative, smart, make-us-laugh-and-cry-and-feel-like-rock-star entries we got  to represent in the Ragnar Relay in the Ultimate Mother Runner Showdown. (Actually, 24, as we’re picking two alternates.) It was  800-meter repeats hard; tempo at race pace for 6 miles in the middle of a 12 miler hard; getting your badass out of bed when every ounce of you wants to stay put hard. We feel like we know so many of you, and having to eliminate more than 80 women was like letting down friends.
We wish we could field 8.5 teams, and then we’d have no losers. (Because nobody who runs, in our minds, should consider herself a loser.) But this isn’t never-never land, so we had to make some really, really hard calls. (Have I mentioned this was really hard?)
Without further ado—and in no particular order—here is Team Dimity who, I hope, will join me on a 190-mile jaunt through the D.C. suburbs this fall. (Sarah will announce her teammates tomorrow, so stay tuned!)
1. Krista Kruger, whose girls implore us to, “Please. Take our mother!”

2. Nikki Maroon, who took our talk of Legos and ran with it—or, more accurately, bribed her husband to. Here’s a sample slide.
we did it logo
3. + 4. Aimee Hoyt and Jill Broderick, who blew us off a high-altitude peak with their customized song

5. Joan Gorman, who rewrote some Taylor Swift lyrics for us. (Abridged version here. Like really. And I want Aimee and Jill to sing this. Like really.)
I remember when I used to run a lot
Saying this is it, I love to run, ’cause like
It makes me feel so good and fit and fast
So I ran some marathons, yeah!
Running lots of miles is so fun.
Running, I love you and my body feels so good.
Trust me, I’m thankful that I have you in my life.
I run, I sign up, I run race, Oh Running, I love you.
Ooooh, I met two Badass Mother Runners
Ooooh, this time I’m telling you, I’m telling you
I really really really want to run with you
I really really really want to run with you
You go run and your friends run
and my friends run with me.
But I really really really really want to run with you.
Like, really.
Then I had two babies that I love
And me, finding time to run was really hard
And you, offered me support and running love and
I ran more and pushed my kids in the stroller. 
I’d like to think that I can be chosen to run
And I’d like to say ‘I love you BAMRs’
Huh, I sing this song and I’m like ‘Let’s Run Ragnar’
And you’re like, ‘We’d just love to have you, you know.
We would really like to run with you, like really.

6. Meryl Carver-Allmond, who created a banner entry

IMG_3627

7. Freedom Green, whose family begged for a playdate for her and who holds the Ragnar dates start close to her heart. The mom-of-four lost a daughter, born on October 4, on October 5. “Those dates are meant to live life fully and not for me to feel sorry for myself,” she writes, “It’s a day to reflect on all the good we did on bringing her into the world & getting a chance to meet her.” (She made a Smilebox entry as well.)
spring 2013 169

8. Laura LaCroix-Johnson,
who we anticipate taking this whole shebang to a theater near you shortly.


9. Laura Duffey Ford,
who delighted us with a diorama.
Ragnar Diorama

10. Angela Bruns, who Macgyvered some duct tape slippers (hey: that skill may come in handy at 2 a.m.)
AMR contest photo
11. Janelle Wiliams, 
who loves to adapt the If You Give a Mouse…books as much as I do. (The full book is just as good.)
petshop parade

Alternate: Karyn Ryan, who creatively asked us to Pick Me For AMR Ragnar.
Screen shot 2013-06-09 at 7.42.16 PM

Yep, I’m pretty excited. Congratulations to all who made Team Dimity!

A few important details: a friendly reminder that you are in charge of your travel costs, hotel, and food, and you need to be in Cumberland, MD on the evening October 3, and won’t be able to head home (unless you’re pretty local) until October 6.

So check your calendars and your check books. We need to hear from you at runmother [at] gmail [dot] com by Monday, June 16 to confirm that yes, indeedy, you’re in. And by committing to this, the understanding is that you’ll train for the race, and won’t pull out unless you are injured or have a family emergency.

Thanks again to all who entered, and stay tuned for Sarah’s picks tomorrow.