I Know I Can Do It
Last month MSCF Athlete Brandy Colomer went on an adventure race, this is her story.
Ragnar SoCal is an overnight relay race where teams of six or twelve runners take on 200 miles from San Diego to Huntington Beach. Before this experience, I had never even heard of Ragnar and had no idea what it involved. A group of girls from Amoeba CrossFit had already planned everything out since it was originally their event. One of their teammates ended up getting injured, so they needed another girl to complete their six-person team.
One day I got a text from Justyne at Amoeba asking if I would be willing to join the team. She told me I would be responsible for about 24 of the 200 miles, split into six different legs. After she sent me the breakdown, I remember thinking, “Okay… this seems scary, but fun, because I know I can do it.” I was added to the group chat, and from there we planned everything leading up to race weekend. I started focusing more on long-distance running so I could be as prepared as possible.
A little later, one of the girls who was originally assigned 33 miles asked if I wanted to switch mileage with her. Of course I said yes. Suddenly I was even more intimidated, but deep down I still knew I could handle it.
Fast forward to Thursday (April 10th), we picked up the van, packed all of our gear, and headed down to San Diego. Once we checked into the hotel, we tried to get as much rest as possible before the race started the next morning. The first leg kicked off Friday at 6:45 a.m., and I was the first runner out. My second leg was at 11:30 a.m., third at 4:30 p.m., fourth at 11:15 p.m., fifth at 4:00 a.m., and my final leg at 11:40 a.m. on Saturday. Our last runner crossed the finish line around 6:30PM, meaning we completed the entire 200-mile relay from San Diego to Huntington Beach in about 36 hours.
Most people probably assume the hardest part was the mileage, but honestly, that wasn’t it.
Yes, there were way more hills than I expected, and I definitely did not train for hills, so that became a huge challenge physically. But more than anything, this race was a mental battle. I think every girl on the team would agree with that. We were running on almost no sleep, eating whatever quick food we could get, recovering in the back of a cramped van, running through rain, and sometimes running alone in the middle of the night through unfamiliar streets. Add in six girls, all of our bags, gear, and constant driving between exchange points, and it became chaos in the best way possible.
The relay itself consisted of 36 total legs. After each runner finished, we would drive to the next exchange point so she could tag the next runner in. Then the process repeated over and over again for nearly two straight days. Because we were constantly stopping, unloading, driving, and preparing for the next leg, getting any meaningful sleep was almost impossible.
At one point, our van even got a flat tire. We had to call AAA, and thankfully they arrived quickly enough to get us back on the road. One of our runners was so fast that she actually beat us to the exchange point and had to wait about 15 minutes for us to arrive after the tire situation.
After my fifth run at 4:00 a.m., I honestly felt like my body was shutting down. I had a stomach ache, headache, body chills, and overall body aches. I truly thought I might not be able to finish. I still had some time before my last leg, so I changed into clean clothes, threw on a hoodie, climbed into the back of the van, and managed to sleep for about an hour. When I woke up, the girls were still cycling through their runs and there were only two legs left before my final one. I forced myself to eat something quickly so I would have enough energy to finish strong.
During my last leg, I accidentally added almost an entire extra mile because I went the wrong direction and had to reroute myself. But honestly, at that point I was just trying to soak everything in and enjoy the moment. I was so proud of everything the girls and I had overcome together… the exhaustion, the stress, the emotions, and the constant unpredictability of the race.
This was one of the toughest things I have ever done, and I’m incredibly thankful to the Amoeba girls for considering me worthy of being part of their team. Growing up, I was never a runner and never even enjoyed running. But after starting MidState CrossFit almost four years ago, I’ve realized just how capable the human body can be. Running is a regular part of CrossFit, and over time I started to genuinely enjoy outdoor running outside of the gym as well.
MidState has taught me how to overcome challenges both mentally and physically, so every time things got hard during Ragnar, I kept reminding myself: I can do hard things.
A note from Coach Brian
This story represents everything we are trying to teach our athletes at MidState CrossFit. That community extends far beyond the four walls of our clubhouse. That fitness is not just about workouts, scores, or the hour you spend in the gym, it is your ticket to say “YES” to the opportunities life places in front of you.
When you build true confidence in your body and mind, the world starts to open up. Adventures become possible. Challenges become exciting instead of intimidating. You stop questioning if you are capable and start trusting that you can figure it out along the way.
“Lifelong Fitness” is general, broad, and inclusive. It prepares us. It teaches us that with consistency, discipline, and a willingness to lean into discomfort, we can adapt to almost anything. Maybe it’s an overnight relay race, a mountain hike, chasing your kids, starting over, or simply proving to yourself that you can do hard things.
That is what this community is about. Not just building better athletes, but building people who are ready for whatever comes next.
