This I spent Friday and Saturday at Pocahontas State Park near Richmond, Virginia for my first Trail Ragnar race. Ragnar are team relay running events…the standard format is a 12-person team for Road events and 8-person for Trails. They’re well-run and are outstanding fun…just be sure to join a team of people you want to spend time with in close quarters. We finished the event in just over 24 hours…in the top quarter of all finishers. Each team mate had roughly 3 legs of ~1 hour each, both day and night. Total combined distance was just under 16 miles for each runner…but I assure you it feels like a lot more on the trail.
Some lessons learned:
- Trails. Different than roads…duh. You need a different mental focus than road running or rocks, roots, and the route will eat you up. Be cautious about making one of these your first trail run. And be prepared to run in the dark thru the woods by yourself. Trail-specific running shoes are definitely preferred.
- Glamping is outstanding. For an extra charge, they set up your camp site, keep you supplied with ice, and provide great touches like mimosas (not kidding!). We participated in the second ever Ragnar “glampsite” and it was fantastic. Your logistics are simplified when you don’t need to worry about tents and other big gear. Unfortunately, they’re ramping up the price over the incredible intro deal we received ($150@ for the event we just did).
- Body management is key- when to eat, when to drink, when to sleep, when to wake, when to…you get the idea. Everyone is different…know yourself, grasshopper.
- Think about transitions. In the middle of the night, you don’t want to leave a runner hanging at the transition point, waiting for the next runner. Our rule was that the incoming runner ensures the runner two ahead in the sequence is up and going. If you’re in the glam site, sleep in pairs dictated by your team’s running sequence.
- Lights for the inevitable night leg. Learned a lesson from some of my ultra friends and discovered I like a light in my hand better than a headlamp.
- Weather…for the run, we had near-perfect weather…but after near-torrential rainfalls the night before, the trails were quite muddy in some places. Be prepared for all conditions that may occur at the location and season of your event.
- Gear…all the obvious things, plus bring a mug for coffee or hot chocolate (Ragnar are cupless events)…one pair of socks for each leg…sandals to chill…and an extra pair of running shoes.
- The Run Sequence: Last is tough, so pick a tough, fast runner for that position. I run my best legs early, so I should seek to do the hardest legs first. Think about night running…put those who are concerned on the easy legs at night.
Ragnar Richmond Trail info. Includes trail maps.
General info on Pocahontas State Park.