It’s not easy to articulate to non-endurance athletes why I participate in the races that I do. As the start date approached for the New York Ragnar Relay, I found this becoming more and more true. Why exactly are you driving 200 miles upstate only to run back to Westchester County? This was a difficult question to answer because I was unexpectedly nervous for the relay. I willingly chose one of the tougher race positions, requiring me to cover 21.5 miles in three legs across our 30 hour adventure. The distance wasn’t so bad in comparison to other road races I’ve successfully completed. Perhaps my anxiety stemmed from a nagging knee pain? Or maybe it was the thought of embarking on a trip where inevitably you won’t have everything that you need? So as I was packing mountains of food, tech tees and running socks, I couldn’t help but think that this was a seemed-like-a-good-idea-at-the-time sort of idea.

The Ragnar Relay Series features 200 mile courses across the country, in locations ranging from Utah to Florida to Minnesota. Twelve teammates in two leap-frogging vans tackle the distance,with each athlete running three shifts each over roughly a day-night-next day. Ragnar claims that “running three legs during a 24-hour relay race is much easier than you think” and after completing the journey I sort of agree with this. Sort of. Each leg out on the course ranges between three and ten miles, so the beauty of this set up is that it really is accessible for runners of all experience levels. Besides, do you really expect that you can find 11 other crazy friends of exactly the same ability for this type of race? Probably not.

The reason that this feat feels easier than it sounds probably has to do with the fact that the actual running is a small part of the whole experience. The non-running parts are phenomenal and more of a middle school sleepover meets adult costume party. For example, my team’s name was “It’s Pronounced Yogging,” a tribute to the hilarious 2004 film “Anchorman.” This came to be only after six months of sharing endless emails, spreadsheets and Ron Burgundy quotes to plan the journey.

I’m Ron Burgundy? Our team was kind of a big deal.

Which brings up an important point: I cannot stress enough how much the enjoyment of my experience was based on my team’s thorough planning. I attribute most of this to the fact that my captain is a wonderful, detail-oriented person who I was fortunate enough to meet in a running group I joined three years ago. The rest of my team consisted of extended family, friends and coworkers stemming from gals I met there. We had a range of professionals (a designer, a teacher and two nurses to name a few!) who contributed their skills to planning. This poised us for success, as we adorned fantastic red sweat suits and drove our awesomely decorated Channel 4 News Vans.

The Channel 4 News Team Van. It did not smell of rich mahogany after a few hours.

Ragnar New York in particular spans 197 miles from Bethel (the real site of the 1969 Woodstock Music Festival) to Dobbs Ferry in Westchester County. We started the adventure Thursday evening, cruising up the windy, hilly back roads of upstate New York, all the while realizing that we will in fact be running ourselves back to where we started.

Race organizers stagger the start times to keep the exchange points less congested and finish line open for a minimum amount of time. Thus the physical race start wasn’t too noisy when we began at 8am Friday, but it gave us a chance to check out some of the other clever teams – The Double Knots, Going Commando, Running from Celebrity Rehab and Positive Sexy Thoughts, to name a few. Seeing the other creative themes immediately warms me up to the event when I realize that there are a lot of other runners who enjoy a good theme party.

And we’re off!

Ragnar categorized my first leg as “hard” – 5.8 rolling miles with an elevation gain of 300+ feet. I didn’t have the worst of the first legs by far, as two of my teammates from van one climbed distances almost twice as long as three times higher. And most other runners agreed that the beginning legs were some of the toughest of the entire course.

The steep hills of the course are even more challenging given that you can see them well in advance.

After my first leg, I had a few hours to support my van-mates, take in the views and attempt to stretch while driving (the importance of stretching whenever possible should not be understated). By mid-afternoon Friday, our first legs were complete and we were greeted a major exchange in Wurtsboro, NY, to our cheerful teammates from van 2. We were a bit drained and they were eager to start. I was certain we’d find their spirits shifted at the next exchange 42 miles later. A delightful, calorie-rich meal at Danny’s Village Inn (seemed a classic local joint) followed, and a 45-minute drive to the Ulster County Fairgrounds exchange point for a needed nap certainly brightened our moods. My legs were slightly sore but somehow the beauty of the scene and the short outdoor snooze had me feeling ready to run again.

Sun setting over runners resting at the Ulster County Fairgrounds.

My second leg of 7.7 miles was not terrible – it was listed as very hard, the worst part was a 1.5 mile climb through New Paltz while surrounded by pizza shops and bar dwelling townies who were confused and unwilling to move out of my way. Bless my teammates for greeting me to pizza at the next hand-off. By 9pm I was ready for another meal; although gauging tired from exhaustion and hunger from starvation became more challenging.

The major exchanges between vans, as expected, grew quieter as the race wore on. After my van finished our night shifts around 2am, we had less than four hours to reach the next hand-off point and attempt to rest. After another forty minute drive to the exchange – an A&P parking lot in Shrub Oak which looked like a graveyard of runners in sleeping bags – my sleep time dwindled further. Because of this, and the fact that I take forever to prep for runs in the morning, a chaotic and expletive-ridden 5am fit on my part ensued.

This was one of those cases where everything that could go wrong did. My Garmin watch, although fully charged prior, was beeping battery low. I couldn’t find my energy gels. My safety gear was nowhere in sight. And when my teammate reached the exchange, I was still fumbling around the van cursing Ragnar, my sanity and anyone else who crossed my path. So I started my last leg (8.0 “very hard” Ragnar miles) acting like the biggest bitch this side of the Hudson, not exactly how I hoped to end this running journey.

As I neared the end of my run, after my endorphins calmed my nerves, I had a moment of clarity where I realized the answer to those questions of why I would enter such a ridiculous event. Through the challenging hills, recognizing that it was almost over, I’d already begun contemplating my next training objective: an early Fall marathon. How do I want to set up my program? And who’s going to help get me to that finish line? It is the comradery that develops over setting goals – individual or group – which keeps us fit, happy and healthy together. Part of this stemmed from a chat I had with Margaret, my teammate and original running group pal, who is raising money for Teach for America while training for the Hamptons Marathon this September. I can’t remember if it was over our trip to secure bags of ice for the van or during our self-proclaimed late night Lady Gaga power hour when we discussed the fact that we’re not alone in a love of that satisfaction gained in setting a goal and completing a race.

And after that blissful realization, I had to climb a gigantic hill straight to the end of my leg. It literally left me feeling like I couldn’t breathe, when I again cursed Ragnar yet was thrilled to be the first one finished. And thrilled that I chose to be a part of Team It’s Pronounced Yogging, especially when we crossed the finish line Saturday afternoon and yelled in unison “You stay classy Ragnar Relay.”

My advice for those thinking of embarking on a relay: Ragnar New York is a well run event and I’d expect the same for the others across the country. But still plan to stay organized, choose your legs wisely based on your ability and ultimately be prepared for the unprepared. Then you can just enjoy the journey.

Course: B+   Scenic runs through some less traveled roads of New York State. Course passes south of the Catskill Mountains and the hills are constant and sometimes unforgiving. If Ragnar labels a stretch as very hard, it probably is very hard – elevation climbs in a few legs reach 1,000+ feet. Distribution of legs and difficulty was sometimes perplexing, as several legs end on intense climbs. This was likely done in order to facilitate an orderly hand-off point with adequate van parking but challenging nonetheless. Timing of overnight shifts was somewhat uneven between vans. So sleeping, as should be expected, was difficult for this reason. If you don’t like such surprises, read up on the course info in advance.

Organization: A-   Ragnar distributes a Race Bible which is just that – your holy grail for race survival. It includes addresses for all exchange points and directions for each of the 36 course legs. A GPS in both vans is very helpful for navigating around but so long as you follow the bible, you shouldn’t run into too much trouble. Major exchanges between vans were for the most part conducive to sleep, bathroom use and refreshments. The last one before my 5am shift could’ve had better amenities, but maybe it was just that I was overtired and cranky at that point…

DISCLAIMER: I’ve heard of a few less than rave reviews about Ragnar Relays in the past, but given that my first experience was overwhelmingly positive, my guess is that they learned from mistakes and improved. I’m so grateful for my organized teammates and the fact that we had perfect, overcast, not-too-hot May weather for the whole event.

Atmosphere: A+   Unmatched. There’s no way to recreate the team spirit of a relay without completing it yourself. If you enjoy running (and of course, if you like logistics and theme parties) you should sign up for a Ragnar Relay at least once!

Logistics: A-   Ragnar New York is about as well coordinated as you can be for 197 miles. Note that it’s still up to your team to follow directions and be prepared. Turns on individual legs were generally well marked, one mile to go points seemed to agree with my Garmin and exchange points were well staffed to help direct traffic. We did, however, pick up a lost runner on his graveyard shift who received wrong directions from a volunteer. It would be easy to get lost or hurt if you’re not paying attention, especially at night. But coordinators did a great job of keeping race moving which included lots of safety precautions.

Overall: A   Great race tee shirts and other giveaways all along the course, amazing team spirit, and 24-ish hours of racing. Plus, what’s not to love about an endurance event that’s a cross between a slumber party and Halloween gala?

-Andrea

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