Ragnar Relay Tips

Having ten Ragnars under my belt with another one coming in June I thought I would share my Ragnar tips with you.

Do

• Take advantage of sleep whenever you can. My first race I hadn't figured out the sleep thing and on the first break tried sleeping outside when it was still light and vans were noisy and sleep wasn't possible.  For the second break I got "smarter" and slept in the van.  That too wasn't a good idea because people were in/out of the van the entire time.  Now, I try and take naps when I can and take advantage of the gym's.  I always bring earplugs to drown out the noise of people who snore.
• After running your leg, change your clothes and underwear (especially girls to minimize yeast infections).  It'll keep you more comfortable and smelling better which all your team members will thank you too.
• Keep your dirty clothes in zip lock bags.  One bloggie friend recommended using biodegradable bags that breathe and put baking powder in them.  
• Get your butt out of the van, cheer on your team and other teams at the exchanges. You have great conversations and see all the other teams and costumes. During the dark hours it can be challenging to get out and cheer on your runner but it means a lot to finish a run and have someone there to get you.  I have many good memories waiting in the cold or greeting the incoming runner in the nighttime legs.  Follow the safety rules of Ragnar. They are there for a reason and will keep you safe.
• Try and run without head phones. You miss a lot of the cheering and bantering when you run with music.
• Avoid foods you don't usually don't eat. At 5am the unusual food combinations may catch up to you and those port-a-potties don't get sweeter with age.
• Avoid mixing medicines.  A mixture of IBU, Dramine and pepto may not sit well in your stomach.
• If you need to throw up, try not to do it on the side of the van or worse inside!
• Enjoy the run and don't worry about being the slowest runner.  Everyone runs their own pace and it doesn't matter what your speed is.

Check out my Ragnar page for tips on packing and my race reports.

What relay tips do you have?

Happy Running!