Ragnar Redux

Packing for the Ragnar...

As I am starting to think about the MCM (yikes, 6 days away!) one thing I failed to discuss about the Ragnar Relay was how we had all over packed. So nearly a month later, I'll talk about some lessons learned for those brave (or stupid) enough to do the Ragnar (or another long distance relay).

This is the list we used - some of it was required by the race, some recommendations, so we just added on our own:

Required:
2 Reflective vests
2 Flashlights
2 LED lights

Other:
First aid kit (including those little band-aids for the, eh, guys)
Toilet Paper
Tape
Safety pins or bib belts
Maps
Phone/ipod chargers
Portable DVD player (brought it, but never really used it)
Febreeze
Headlamps
Batteries
Baby wipes
Bodyglide
Rain shells/towels
Excedrin (if you're like me and will suffer caffeine withdrawal)
At least 3 changes of clothes
Coolers for ice & drinks
If you have one, bring The Stick.

Some other thoughts... (keep in mind I write this from a perspective of an ultra team with 6 people, it may be different for a regular 12 person team).

The Ragnar organizer's publish a race bible. Read it thouroughly, there is a lot of good info in there.

Transportation: Mini van - too small for 6 people and all their gear. Try and get a 15 passenger van if you can. This gives you enough room to stretch out between legs. Apparently there are restrictions with some rental companies on who is allowed to rent a 15 passenger (who being individuals vs organizations), so look into it early.

Maps: I don't remember if the race required us to laminate a color printout of each map leg, or Kevin did it on his own, but he brought them along and they came in especially handy for some of the harder courses. I brought my Garmin Streetpilot GPS along as well, and it proved very useful in finding some of the more difficult to locate exchanges (especially at night and in the rain).

Food: Plan ahead on who brings what food... and keep in mind that if you are cramped on space, stuff will get smooshed. We all brought lots of snack food type stuff, cliff bars, gel, power shots etc. However, at about 2 am we all had a serious case of the munchies and got sandwiches at a gas station (thanks Tony!).

Water/Sports drink: You're running between 15-30 miles. Enough said. Although, go easy on the Gatorade... 6 bottles of Gatorade in 24 hours and I swore I would never drink anything with sugar in it again.

Hygiene: 6 people running 15-30 miles in a cramped space for 24 hours = potentially stinky van. Luckily, we thought ahead and brought baby/shower wipes and these 2 gallon size zip-loc bags for old clothes. Make sure you bring enough changes of clothes for each run, and then something to wear in between. Keep in mind you get those spiffy t-shirts from the Ragnar Relay itself. If you have some kind of team costume (we didn't feel so creative) keep in mind it's gonna get sweaty...

Music: If your not technologically challenged - bring your ipods and such. This race, unlike most, actually lets you wear headphones for the majority of the course. Darren actually brought his portable XM stereo and plugged it into the van's aux input, so we were able to listen to satellite radio for most of the ride.

Flashlights: Maybe it's the SWO in me, but use red filtered lenses at night... much better for the driver's night vision.

Don't forget to bring trash bags...