Last night Barry and I traveled to Pocahontas State Park in Richmond, where we will be camping for the weekend. My dad and his girlfriend are here, too, and we are all making a weekend out of it. The main point of the trip is because I’m running a Ragnar Trail relay here. Barry, Dad, and R will be hanging out for the weekend while I run through the night on the trails in the park.
My past Ragnar experiences have included an extreme lack of sleep, pouring rain, a flooded tent, and copious amounts of mud that ruined some of my running socks. So why on earth would I do another one? Because they’re fun, duh!
Ragnar DC and Ragnar Trails Appalachians were both a blast. I came away from each of those weekends exhausted, elated, and with unforgettable memories and experiences. Running an overnight relay with friends is totally different from any other running event I’ve done. It’s challenging and I’m always up for a challenge.
PC: Debbie (I’m about 95% sure)
So this weekend, I’m back for more. This time it’s the Ragnar Trails Relay in Richmond. It’s the first year for this location and I hope all goes smoothly! I’m running on an ultra team (team of 4 instead of the traditional 8). There are two ultra teams with my group so that we can buddy up. Debbie is on the other team and we will be running buddies for the weekend! I’m excited we get to run together all weekend. I wouldn’t have done my past two Ragnar relays if it weren’t for Debbie inviting me along. 🙂 My most recent one – Ragnar Trail Appalachians – was with her Moms Run This Town chapter. I’ll be joining them again and we will have a total of four teams here (two ultra, two regular).
It was a wild, wet, and muddy ride last time. I was so exhausted at the end but I also had a really great time. I’m looking forward to a weekend on the trails! I’m also crossing my fingers and toes we have a dry and mostly mud-free weekend! A little sleep wouldn’t be too bad, either. Maybe the third time is the charm.
Our team starts running today at 2:00 PM and we will hopefully be done around dinnertime tomorrow.
As an ultra team we will be running double loops each time we run, so Deb and I will run:
- 11.9 miles on leg 1 (roughly 6:30 PM tonight)
- 10.8 miles on leg 2 (roughly 4 AM tomorrow morning)
- 10.3 miles on leg 3 (roughly 1:30 PM tomorrow afternoon)
Off to the trails!
Have you ever done a running relay?
How do you deal with bad weather when camping?
Turkey Runner 
Good luck and have fun (and stay dry)!
Crossing my fingers for good weather for you! Nice that you have a running buddy. Have fun!
Apparently third time wasn’t the charm for you – at least in the sleep department for you! I had a blast and can’t wait to get my thoughts down in my recaps AND read your recaps! So glad we both decided to jump on the ultra team!