Prepping for Ragnar

At the end of summer, I put three races on my fall/winter calendar to end the year. While there were some minor changes and additions to that original schedule, the main events have stayed the same, and now my final big race of 2019 is on the horizon.

Last time I ran a Ragnar relay race was in 2014. That race was a traditional Ragnar, where our team of twelve runners split into two vans and covered the 200 miles between Miami and Key West over 24 hours.

This time, I'll be running the Florida Trail relay. Ragnar trail races are camping races, so our team of eight (World's Okayest Running Team) will set up camp at the Alafia River State Park just south of Tampa. We'll each run three legs totaling about 16 miles.

The park's trails are made for mountain bikes and built on old phosphate mines, so they are actually hilly. My legs are quaking at the thought! If you're skeptical, have a look:
Running the bridge isn't going to be much of a comparison, but I just keep reminding myself that Matt and I ran the trails on Orcas Island and I really enjoyed that, and the elevation and distance is fairly comparable.

Reading the loop descriptions has me feeling completely daunted, but I'm equally excited to take on a challenge and try something new! Our start time is 12pm and I am the third leg, so I think I'll be running my hardest loop in daylight.

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A post shared by Alafia MTB Trails (@alafiamtb_trails) on Oct 15, 2019 at 1:38pm PDT

I really hope my legs can handle it!

We are expecting a cold front next week, too, so that's good news!

PERFECT race weather!

The logistics of Ragnar are a little overwhelming to figure out, but that's part of the challenge. I'm weirdly looking forward to packing and getting everything situated! I'm not generally a very organized person, but this kind of planning is right up my alley.

Leading up for Ragnar, I have one more race on my calendar. Matt and I will be running the ALSO Youth Turkey Trot again this year on Thanksgiving.

We love running this race because it benefits such a wonderful cause. This year is the 10th Anniversary and will be the fourth time we've run it.

I hope everyone has a restful Thanksgiving. I appreciate all the warm sentiments regarding my last post. My grandma's funeral was beautiful and so special; she was treated to some well-deserved pomp and circumstance and it was wonderful to see her honored in that way.

This year, I'm more thankful than ever for my family.

ABK