Ragnar Relay Time!

Tomorrow morning at 6am, I will be meeting a team of runners to participate in the Ragnar Relay. This relay is a 200 mile race that starts in Cumberland, MD, heads through the Appalachian Mountains, eventually ending up in National Harbor - just outside of DC. There are 12 runners on a team and each runner has to run three legs of the race ranging anywhere from about 3 to 9 miles. It should take about 26-28 hours for our team to complete the 200 miles, I am guessing.

I have only ever done a marathon relay - never anything like this! I am runner number six. This is the perfect time in my JFK 50 mile training to do this race. First, it will be fun and switch it up a little bit. Second, it will help me learn once again to run on a different type of tired legs. When choosing which runner I wanted to be, I of course picked one of the most challenging legs. If I am going to devote my time to something like this, I am gonna make it worth it and get a great workout!

1st Leg - 6.0 miles - HARD
You would think that running downhill would be a cinch, but not so. It's really hard on your quads. I have been training on hilly courses, so I am not too worried. I just have to concentrate on leaning forward and taking smaller strides. You tend to want to lengthen your stride when running downhill, but that puts a lot of pressure on your knees.

2nd Leg - 6.6 miles - VERY HARD

I will basically be running up a mountain during this leg. I actually don't mind hills. I am not sure about mountains. Stay tuned for the post-race report. Running uphill is feels good on my piriformis muscle.

3rd Leg - 6.0 miles - MODERATE
My last leg will be fun. I will running through familiar territory, on the towpath and it is pretty flat.

I will then meet my team to cross the finish line together at National Harbor. There will be a festival with lotsa stinky, tired running folk. I can't wait! This is going to be a blast!