Introducing team Yellow Brick Roadkill

Team Captain Brian Darrow grew up playing volleyball in the Midwest. He signed up for his first marathon in 2007, after talking to a bourbon drinking, smoking graphic designer he met in a hotel bar in Atlanta. Hey, if she could run one, he should certainly be able to! He is now an avid runner who coaches adults across the country, and has been on over 20 Ragnar Relays. In his spare time, Brian enjoys wearing little more than afro wigs while decorating vans with Christmas lights and taking long runs with strangers in the middle of the night. He has a Ph.D. in Oceanography with a specialty in numerical modeling, and has an awesome Ragnar-times-estimation-algorithmic spreadsheet.

Runner 1 Karen: sorry,no bio.

Runner 2 Dan “The Man” is a single dad of two incredible boys (7 and 9). He served in the Marine Corps from 1999 to 2003, before moving into the field of casino surveillance. After leaving the Marines, Dan vowed never to run again if he wasn’t being chased. But then Dan met his future girlfriend. He heard all about her experiences in running half marathons and Ragnar Relays. Impressed by her growing collection of medals and stories of camaraderie, Dan wondered if he could ever muster the inner fortitude to accomplish such feats himself. Feeling of true sense of carpe diem, Dan hit the pavement once again. It was a humble beginning with Dan barely being able to clear a mile without collapsing. But in time he began to find his old running legs again. By September of 2012, Dan had been inspired to complete his first half marathon,and in 2013 he ran his first Ragnar Relay and Ragnar Trail Relay. Now with his own collection of medals displayed proudly on his wall, Dan stands ready to experience another Ragnar. Let the adventure begin!

Runner 3 Rachel began her current love / hate relationship with running in the winter of 2010 when she started training for her first race, the NY Ragnar Relay which coincided with her 34 birthday – it seemed like a fitting closure to her Jesus year. Since, she managed to run the DC, Tennessee and Chicago Ragnar Relays all while switching jobs, finalizing a divorce, selling a house in Jersey City and moving to Chicago. Now a Ragnar veteran, Rachel enjoyed new terrain along the Mighty Mississippi.

Runner 4 Cindy who has been waiting for 2 years to run a Ragnar in a Dorothy from Oz costume, is a stay at home mom of 2. She has done 1 full marathon (never to do again), several halfsies, a total of 3 Ragnars with Double D (Darrow ‘n Darrow) and 2 Ragnars with other teams for a grand total of… (- counts on fingers -) 5 Ragnars! Northwest passage will be number 6.

Ironically, Cindy hates running but loves Ragnars and  wearing costumes during Ragnars, Halloween, and MAYBE around the house for fun. In fact, during her first Ragnar with Digital Running Club, Raffi and Brian helped Cindy achieve her claim to fame and  win her very first contest with “Del Sol Light up the Night”, when she did her night run encased in Christmas lights while wearing LED blinking sunglasses! Her sense of humor keeps those who contact Digiital Running about Ragnar teams asking, “Will Cindy be on this team?” In a good way… we think!

In her former life, she was a Pediatric Registered Nurse and asks that you NOT have cardiac or gastrointestinal issues but if you do, she can certainly hold the garbage bag, spare you a wet wipe, or call 9-1-1 and assist with CPR on the interstate, if needed. Her philosophy is why get paid to be a nurse in a hospital when she can run Ragnars and have the same experience?!

As a side note, she does have a soft spot for coffee so if you’re ever on coffee run, don’t stop without her – not that we would ever think about doing that.

Runner 5 Michael has a problem with moderation. After putting in too many miles while in high school for track and cross country, he effectively quit running until 2012 when he made a deal with his dad during one Christmas, after too many glasses of whiskey, that they would both qualify for Boston.  Training through the cold and wet Pacific Northwest winter, while not anyone’s idea of a good time, went well enough and after finishing his first marathon in Seattle he was within striking distance of qualifying.

With only weeks to spare before the September cutoff, Michael eventually qualified (barely!) at the Moose’s Tooth Marathon in Anchorage in, naturally, the pouring rain.  After Anchorage, he swore off running – until recently.

When he’s not running, Michael lives in Seattle with his fiancée where they try to enjoy the evergreen state via whatever means possible.

This will be Michael’s second NW Passage Ragnar.

Runner 6 Jeannie – Avid but slow runner,  Jeannie prefers spending her time with strangers in a van.   She is an extreme sport enthusiast and use to play professional woman’s football,  so its her instinct to run hard and hit low,  which takes effort to skip the last part in ragnar races.  To even things out she has a vast Barbie collection

Florida dolphins sometimes squeak of a local legend. If the harvest moon rises while the gulf breeze whistles a certain tune through the mangroves, a creature emerges from the choppy waters. Some say it’s a manaman (half manatee, half man) while others whisper in hoarse tones that it’s an aquasquatch (aquatic sasquatch). Really, it’s Team Dad Dan L., exasperated and covered in seaweed after emerging from another training swim before hitting a run or bike workout.

When not teaching high school students, Dan spends almost all of his time training for Ironman 70.3 triathlons and his first full length Ironman scheduled for later this year. He still enjoys road races and treasures the family atmosphere of a Digital Running Ragnar. This will be Dan’s fourth Ragnar (but first as a support staffer) with the Darrow fam. He still dreams fortnightly about the Ragnar Tahoe Trail adventure, and occasionally has a nightmare about the poor nutritional choices that wreacked havoc (just say “NO!” to Uncrustables).

Runner #7 Robert got into running last August when a couple of his friends talked him into joining a Las Vegas RAGNAR team.  Motivated to not be “that guy” and truly do his best for his friends, Robert began a grueling training regimen.  Before he knew it, RAGNAR had come and gone, and the rush slowly faded away with it – but none of that meant it was all over.  Since then, Robert has run many different events, talked some friends into joining relay teams and recently started running 5ks with his 5 year old daughter.

Runner 8 Lisa is a newly inducted member of the “40 is the new Black” club and is loving it. When not boring her children (ages 10 and 12) to death, Lisa can be found at the pool, doing yoga, or wandering aimlessly around town. She is a recovering runner and avid red wine drinker.

Runner #9 Doug sort of dropped the running gig after high school, until a business acquaintance asked him to join her company’s Hood to Coast team.  He must have over-trained because about a month after completing his first relay, he suffered a heart attack. With diligent attention to the rehab instructions, Doug was able to go back and do a second HTC the following year. Then he was invited to join a team for Ragnar Wasatch Back – which was only in its second year with only 80+ teams, and has run it every year since – just completing #10 this year.

For the next eight summers, his pattern became was Wasatch Back in June and HTC in August, until he retired.  Then he became team captain for Family, Friends & Fools for the past seven years. Through that experience Doug lots of fun, made some wonderful friends and became addicted to Ragnars.

Doug adds: “I’m not sure how I got invited to Del Sol (1), Vegas (2), Florida (10) or this NW Passage, but somehow someone got my name and I jumped in. During the off months I try to complete a half or full marathon once a month. I’m looking forward to meeting a new group of friends! I’m not fast (10 minute miles) but I’m steady and I finish.”

Runner 10 Christine has joined the rest of 50+ something’s looking to find new ways to spice up her life. Last year she found herself digging through long lost boxes stored away in the attic and found her 1^st place Blue Ribbon from elementary school (440 Relay 66.0). She remembered how much she loved and missed running, especially relay races. Life’s milestones behind; exploring youth, some college, family, 26+ years in aerospace, the buried blue ribbon has been resurrected as the center piece toward her goal of running a marathon. The ribbon now shares company with 5k 10k & 9 mi bibs on her bulletin board at home.

When she is not running she is out exploring the PNW with her husband Fred on their Harley, at a Mariners Game, cooking paella over the fire pit, in the garden wrangling her bees , or “cat chatting” with three teenage cats. An awesome Seattle tour guide as family and friends will attest Christine enjoys the PNW and has expanded her running to trails around the Puget Sound hoping one day to spot Sasquatch and pick up some trail time with him!

Runner 11 Jon – Sorry, no bio

Runner #12 Walt was originally a baseball player from Ohio who was used to running long distances as a punishment for doing things wrong. So good at doing things wrong, Walt began to enjoy running, especially in his college years. After graduating college, this Yankee has infiltrated the South teaching math to middle schoolers in the once Confederate capital Richmond, Virginia. Walt has completed sprint, olympic, and half-ironman distance triathlons as well as two marathons, an Ultra Marathon, and numerous other road and trail races. Walt is currently training for his 3^rd marathon in November, and this will be his 4^th Ragnar Relay (in addition to Cape Cod, DC, and Appalachian Trail). When Walt is not out pounding the pavement, he plays on competitive dodgeball, ultimate Frisbee, and curling teams.

Van 2 support staff:  Fred (Christine’s husband) and Scout (Lisa’s daughter).