Ragnar was a 9th century Norse King. He was also known to be a pirate, raider,
conqueror, explorer and overall wild man. Fast forward to modern times and
Ragnar is a national relay race that perhaps draws upon the tough, fearless, rugged
attributes of this King.
It is an overnight, running relay that makes testing limits
a team sport. (Check it out for yourself
at http://www.ragnarrelay.com/) A
team is made up of 6-12 individuals; each running 3 legs. The legs of the race vary in difficulty and
distance, allowing the elite and novice to run together. Over 2 days and 1 night, teams run across 200
miles of the country’s most scenic terrain.
Pair that with crazy costumes, inside jokes, and a memorable finish line
party. Some call it a slumber party
without sleep, pillows, or deodorant.
Late last month I completed the Northwest Passage with an
amazing team of 4 other women and 1 courageous guy.
The race reiterated that while our individual work is
critical, the
purpose of partnership is to create something greater than we can create alone.
Not because of any deficiency or incompleteness, but because each of us are
unique, with our own talents and special abilities. In partnership we increase
the efforts and talents available for creating something meaningful because we
have harnessed the power of union.
While
I look ahead to our future crew at B&H, I take comfort in the skills and
abilities we will each bring to the table and look forward to realizing what we
can accomplish together.
Long live the Ragnar in all of us!
