Ragnar Relay Recap Part 1

Oh, Ragnar, where do I start? How do you recap 33 plus hours of running, laughing, driving, and not sleeping?

See the ? after sleep - that's very telling and something I didn't notice until after the race was done. Run - yeah, I did that. Sleep, not so much.

In case you don't know, the Ragnar Relay is a roughly 200 mile relay race run with you and 11 of your closest friends (or, only 6 if you're on an ultra team). The team is divided into 2 vans and each person runs three legs of the race, with each run varying in distance, elevation, and difficulty.

Our team was called Can't Stop, Clowns Will Eat Me, and we had a pretty good group of people. About half were what I call hard core runners, and the other half were like me - people who run. Well, I guess we are all people who run.

Ragnar DC started in the western Maryland mountain town of Cumberland, and ended just outside of Washington, DC, with a party at National Harbor. Was it a coincidence that Octoberfest was also happening at the same time? Maybe, maybe not.

I was in Van 2, so our start time was later in the morning. Secretly, I was glad I didn't have to get up at 3 a.m. for a 6 a.m. start time. I got to get up, shower, take my time getting ready, eat breakfast, and just relax for a little while before the craziness started.


Bad decisions make good stories - a good motto to live by. :)

Our leg of the race started with a safety meeting - run against traffic unless otherwise indicated, nighttime hours required a reflective vest, blinking light, and a headlamp while running, numbers to call, and what to do if you get lost. I thought the weather was pretty good, if a bit rainy. The temperatures were comfortable, low 70s, and I would rather run in the rain instead of oppressive heat any day. The humidity was a little high, but I've been training all summer in the humidity, so it wasn't really an issue for me.

My first leg started around 3:30 Friday afternoon, and the skies opened up just as I was about to start. All day, the rain had been light, but right before my hand-off, it started pouring.

Starting my first run, Leg 10.

Exchanges between runners happen in chutes, with one runner passing the baton to the next. But instead of a baton, it's a slap bracelet. Yes, the same kind of slap bracelet that I had in the '90s. It was that cool!

My first run was 5.7 miles, partly through the small town of Hancock, MD, then along the Western Maryland Railroad Trail. After seeing the roads and hills my teammates had to conquer prior to me, my run seemed like a cake walk. It was mostly flat, with a small hill near the end, but for the most part, it was on a trail exactly like the one I train on. I will say, for me, I rocked this run! I kept to the Galloway Method, running 5 minutes, walking a minute, and didn't let the fact that I was walking make me feel like less of a runner (I even passed 3 people).

My final time for 5.7 miles was 68 minutes - a time that was in line with my training and one that I am proud of. I will say that I was concerned with being the weakest runner on my team. My team was the best, though, and no one ever made me feel less than great about my running ability.

My friend Cheryl had a cold Diet Dr. Pepper waiting for me at the end (no apologies for the diet soda), and I got out of my wet socks and shoes. I was so happy to have that first leg behind me. I had been starting to feel nervous and anxious prior to my run, and Cheryl did a really good job of getting me to chill out. Having that first run, the longest run I would do, over was a big relief and accomplishment. And I wouldn't have to run again for almost 12 hours.