SALT LAKE CITY — It’s that time of year again. The time of year when I happily cram myself and five other people into a tiny van for two days and run around the Wasatch Back, making my way from Logan to Park City on foot.

It’s Ragnar time.

Ragnar is a relay race that requires teams of six to 12 members to run 197 miles over two days. With races around the country, the Wasatch Back is easily one of the largest and most popular. It’s also one of the toughest with some killer terrain.

The 2012 Ragnar Wasatch Back was my fifth running of the event. Each year I run it, sometime around 3 a.m. Saturday morning, I tell myself it’s my last year. I’m too old to be running around like a fool for 30 hours, breaking down my body to get to a city I can easily drive to. By 6 a.m. the same day, I’m already planning next year’s team name and collecting money for registration.

The Wasatch Back is special. For me, it’s heaven. Two days running in the most beautiful state with some of my closest friends doing what I love to do most? It doesn’t get any better.

This year I left my iPod in the car and really soaked in the adventure. As I set out on my first leg Friday morning, I let my mind fall into the rhythm of the feet crunching gravel. I let the screams and cheers of my team and others’ lift me and push me forward to each exchange point. And I took the chance, as I ran down Trapper’s Loop, to feast upon the scenery and reflect on the lessons I’ve learned running this crazy race.

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Here are those lessons:

1. I can’t smell the stench of myself when I’m surrounded by the stench of others.
2. Apparently I have no problem accepting candy from strangers in the middle of nowhere, in the dead of night, as long as I’m running.
3. While many Ragnarians have stomachs of steel and eat pancakes and hamburgers minutes before their runs, I do not and cannot. Apologies to other runners around me on Leg 2.
4. Every year I dream of a romantic run — running hand in hand with my husband, smiling and carefree into the sunset. This never happens. Stink, sweat, and sleep deprivation quickly kill the mood.
5. Wet wipes are not a substitute for a shower.
6. It’s one thing to commune with nature, but if the butterflies start talking back to you, it’s probably a good idea to reassess your fueling strategy.
7. If you don’t want to unwillingly donate your sleeping bag to Mother Earth, it’s always a good idea to make sure the cargo carrier on the roof of your car is closed and secured before you merge onto a freeway.
8. Always, always, always, prescreen any videos and/or photos taken between the hours of 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. And never, ever, ever, post anything on Facebook without the opinion of three other well-rested individuals.
9. No matter now many grapes, carrots, apples, and bananas I pack, if there are jellybeans and cookies, breakfast is served.
10. Judging from my photo albums, we only run Friday morning and then miraculously appear at the finish line the next day. My inner-photographer apparently takes a break during Legs 2 and 3.
11. Running forges friendships in ways that can’t be beat. Whether it’s with my van mates or other teams' members, I always walk away feeling like a member of an all-inclusive club.

So, for those of you who shared this experience with me, get those stickers on your cars and proudly declare to the world that you ran Ragnar. And for those of you who are still skeptical, find a team and try it out. Chances are, the lesson you'll learn is that Ragnar time is your favorite time of year, too.

Kim Cowart is a wife, mother, 24-Hour Fitness instructor and marathoner and the proud owner of five Ragnar window stickers. Read more of her work on the Deseret News blog, Reasons to Run.

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