A First-Timer’s Guide to a Ragnar Trail Relay and What to Expect
I finally did my first Ragnar relay! My husband asked me to do one with him nearly ten years ago when we had just started dating. Now, three babies later we finally made it happen!
I feel especially thrilled that I got to do it because, it's been harder than ever to train with a toddler who still doesn't sleep through the night. That, and we lost a loved one this summer.
Our close family member's passing made it harder to continue training, but I think Ragnar itself became a kind of therapy for us both.
While it's no secret that Ragnar has gone downhill in recent years. I feel the race was worthwhile despite the fact that they gave us the most pathetic medals and t-shirts.
Our seven-year-old's one-mile Spartan race medal was a hundreds times better, and we only paid $35 for him to participate. One of our teammates, who has done dozens of Ragnars, said he has never gotten a medal so sad as this one.
My husband emailed customer service to complain, because what the heck did our race fees pay for? The person who responded said that he has not liked working for Ragnar, but they are transitioning to new management, so hopefully things will improve there.
Surprisingly, that disappointment at the end of the race felt relatively minor compared to the phenomenal experience I had.
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| Yes, that's a sticker. Ragnar should be embarrassed for these silly medals they gave us. I gave it to my four-year-old to play with. |
I'm sure it helped that we had the coolest, most down-to-earth team. And, even with all the rain that dumped on us, I liked it so much that I even want to do the Zion Trail Relay in the near future. However, I'll wait to see if this new management pulls it together.
I was always a little hesitant to do a Ragnar because, I was not at all excited to hang out in a smelly van for 24 hours or more.
A trail Ragnar while camping was the way to go! My friend, who had done a couple road Ragnars before, said she got the most sleep she'd ever had during Ragnar. It was so nice having the base camp to come back to.
Read on for all my tips to train for and manage your first Ragnar trail relay! I have shared my full running experience during the race as well.
Enjoy, and be sure to let me know how you liked this post at the end!
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HOW TO TRAIN FOR A RAGNAR RELAY
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| Going up the steep ridge on the red loop |
If you are prepping for your first trail relay, here is how to get your body and mind ready:
1. Take short, frequent runs with lots of elevation gain to get your legs used to climbing
2. Run when you're tired.
If you're really dedicated, run in the middle of the night a few times to get a feel for it. I didn't do this, but with a one-year-old who is not a good sleeper I went running on little sleep many times.
Sometimes I even did it deliberately. If I'd had a rough night with my toddler, I would go for a run the next evening to get my body used to working hard even when feeling tired.
You could even go to a 24-hour gym and run on the treadmill in the middle of the night so you can get the practice of running on empty without being alone outdoors.
3. Hit the trails if you can
I didn't do this either, but I don't regret it too much. I had so little time just to go on a five-mile run a couple times a week, there was no way I was going to drive 30 minutes to an hour to do it on a dirt trail.
However, I am used to hiking. It's not the same as trailing running, I know, but I like to think it helped a little.
4. Plan some runs back-to-back.
Once a week, take a three or four mile run in the morning, then do it again in the evening. This will help you get a feel for running without recovery.
For me, it was especially difficult to train with a broken heart, but I believe it helped me work through some of my grief. I read once that bipedal movement outdoors can help with trauma processing and emotional regulation.
Training never looks perfect. I did not feel nearly as prepared as I wanted to be but there was this incredible feeling at Ragnar that gave me the energy-boost I really needed to get through.
RAGNAR PACKING ESSENTIALS
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| I absolutely loved camping for my first Ragnar, and the rain only added to the |
Below are the 12 items that not only helped me get through my Ragnar but enabled me to feel good and have a great time of it.
We were required to take a hydration pack on the longest and steepest loop since there were no water stations.
My husband and I took turns using our reliable old Camelbak. It worked just great but I also would have liked a vest style pack.
This Camelbak vest still holds plenty of water in a lightweight bladder but it also has pockets on the straps so I could easily take my phone in and out without having to slow down.
2. ELECTROLYTE GEL PACKETS (WITH CAFFEINE)
Taking one of these was especially helpful on my last leg at 2:00 AM.
I honestly hate the taste of every electrolyte packet I have had, but at least it's better than drinking a whole bottle of awful tasting Relyte.
When choosing flavors of these GU Energy gels I recommend Triberry because it's the least repulsive. I haven't have pumpkin spice but I imagine it would be especially terrible.
3. SALT STICK ELECTROLYTE TABLETS
I just hate the taste of electrolyte drinks and these are equally effective at keeping you hydrating. Simply chew a couple of these before and after a loop and guzzle it down with about 16 oz of water.
They come in tons of flavors that won't leave a nasty aftertaste. I chose green apple, and there are a couple flavors that have caffeine too.
4. SALTY SNACKS
Prioritize salty post run snacks with lots of easy to digest carbs. I brought along some Dot's Parmesan & Garlic Pretzel Twists. In the first half hour after each run I ate ten to fifteen pretzels as part of my recovery routine.
Any low fat, high carb, salty snack will do. You'll what other snacks or food as well, but for the duration of the race it's best to focus on easy to digest foods.
If you'll have a cooler and ice bring chocolate milk too. Do it! It's the best thing you can have to recover from an intense workout
5. BODY GLIDE
This anti-chafing cream was a lifesaver at Ragnar. I like the cream kind for my feet so I can easily get between all my little toes. I know it worked wonders because I didn't apply any before my last leg and got a massive blister on my toe.
Thank goodness I used it before each of my first two loops so I didn't after suffer through the whole event.
This anti-chafing cream stick was a must for preventing chafing everywhere other than my feet. The stick easier to apply on my body than the cream. I focused especially where my sports bra might rub.
7. HEADLAMP OR RUNNING LIGHT
For my nighttime run I wore one of our headlamps we use for camping. It was bright enough but I ended up holding it in my hand. I didn't like the light bouncing or having to look down so much while running with the headlamp on my head.
I saw several runners with a light attached to a vest and wished I had known about them before Ragnar. It seems a running vest light offers more stability and better depth perception.
I will definitely get one before I do the Zion Ragnar and I think it would be great for evening hikes as well.
One of our teammates brought a pair and lent them to those of us who wanted them on the steep, muddy trails on Red Loop.
Trekking poles might have saved my knee for my last leg if I had used them. They can help you hike uphill significantly faster and they reduce joint impact when going downhill.
Most of use just used our regular running shoes, but some prefer the extra grip and stability of trail running shoes.
10. RUNNING SHOES WITH A WIDE TOE BOX
I like my Brooks a lot, but I wish the toe boxes on them were more spacious.
Whichever type of shoes you opt for make sure they are the same shoes you trained in and that they are well broken in. Running in new shoes of any kind pretty much guarantees you'll get sore feet and blisters.
11. BANDANA
I brought one from home to soak in ice water and wear on my neck for running in the heat. I ended up not needing it, but it was nice to be prepared.
12. HAT
Your favorite hat will do. You'll just want something to keep the sun out of yours eyes and help you stay cool.
13. SUNGLASSES
I just wore an inexpensive, comfortable pair of sunglasses. It was mostly cloudy and rainy on my two daytime runs but it was nice to keep the glare out of my eyes when the sun did peek through.
HOW TO PREPARE FOR EACH LEG
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| I got a bright rainbow after the storm passed on my yellow loop |
Drink about 18 oz of water with a couple salt tablets an hour before your head out
If you want to take an electrolyte gel with caffeine, do it about half an hour before
Clean off all the sweat from your previous run with wet wipes.
Change into clean clothes and socks right before and swipe on some Body Glide in those high chafe areas.
I took two pairs of shoes and alternated which ones I wore for each run. It may not be necessary but I was glad to have two pair because they got muddy and wet on each loop.
HOW TO RECOVER BETWEEN EACH LEG
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| A view of Ragnar camps from the top of the ridge on red loop |
Put your feet up for ten minutes. I literally laid on the grass and rested my feet on my camp chair while I chatted with my teammates.
Slowly sip an electrolyte drink or, even better, some chocolate milk.
Eat just a few salty, high-carb snacks. I took Dot's Garlic Parmesan pretzels with me. I also packed protein bars, and apples and oranges.
While my friend took tons of food with her like PB&J in a little cooler, I found it easier to just take snacks and my husband and I got spicy rice and veggie bowls from a food truck for dinner.
Take your time stretching your legs and slowly sip some water with a couple more salt tablets.
Go to the free physical therapy tent for a recovery massage.
Finally, refuel for you next leg and rest as much as you can.
HOW RAGNAR WENT FOR ME
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| I peeked Deer Creek Resevoir while hiking as fast as I could on my red loop |
No matter where you fall in the order of eight runners, it's going to be a challenge. For some of us it was nice to get the hardest loop out of the way and others liked that they had the green loop as a warm-up.
I was runner number three and got to start with the hardest loop first and finish with the easiest. However, easiest doesn't mean it was easy.
LEG #1: RED LOOP
9:30 AM
I headed out under lovely cloud cover with a few soft sunbeams breaking through the grey. The trail was mostly flat for the first quarter mile or so but, once I rounded a bend, the path led straight uphill. It wasn't quite a mountain, but it was steep and rocky.
Near the top, little cacti were spread like ground cover, and I thought how glad I was not to be doing this loop in the dark.
I was repeatedly distracted by the scenery so I didn't go quite as quickly as I could have. I like running fine, but I really love hiking.
Red loop was easily my favorite. Not only was it scenic, but I relished running all switchbacks after the initial, steep descent.
LEG #2: YELLOW LOOP
5:30 PM
I headed out for my second run during a storm!
The wind was blowing tents and canopies all over the grounds, and then the rain came crashing down accompanied by flashes of lightning and booms of thunder a bit too close for comfort.
When I met my teammate at the transition tent I asked, "Are they still letting people go out?" He said I could still go unless I wanted to wait. Without thinking I replied, "Why wouldn't I go if they'll let me?"
"Yeah!" he said as I took off into the rain. My husband told me later that he was close behind me as I went to the transition tent thinking to himself, "They're not going to let people go out in this," right before he caught of glimpse of me running off into the storm.
I was soaked in seconds, and the sweatshirt I had thrown on was weighing me down. The storm was blowing toward me, but I could tell the lightning wasn't directly overhead.
I ran on, splashing in the mud until the storm blew over, stepping from side to side of the narrow trail to avoid slipping on the thick layer of mud.
Sunlight shattered the gloom just before I reached the highest point of the loop. I turned to see how the valley looked from up there, and my breath caught at the sight of a vibrant rainbow.
The views were not nearly as impressive as that of Red Loop, so I was especially happy I got to see the rainbow from up there.
LEG #3: GREEN LOOP
2:00 AM
I went to the transition tent around the time my teammate said he would be back, but after more than an hour or so of waiting, I got worried. I couldn't get a hold of him, so I jogged back to our tent to wake his brother-in-law to see if he could call him.
When my teammate finally stumbled into the transition tent, he was hurting bad. I had woken a few others on our team, so they were there to help him as I ran off into the night.
The rain died down just after I started, which was nice, but a lot of the trail was muddy, making it slow going.
Unlike Red and Yellow Loops, which simply went up and then back down, Green Loop undulated repeatedly, which I found exhausting. Just when I would hit my stride, I would have to adjust my pace.
After a while, I was mostly on a grassy path that wasn't slippery, but my knee was hurting from running hard downhill so much.
I wished I had taken my hydration pack, too. I thought I would be okay on the short run, but I was tired and would have liked the comfort of an occasional drink of water.
Green Loop was only a small step down in difficulty compared to Yellow Loop. I ran 16-minute miles on that last run which was a little disappointing, but I was running at 2:00 in the morning with less than an hour of sleep, so I'll take it.
CROSSING THE FINISH LINE
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| I had kissed him at Ragnar finish line before, but this time I got to do the race with him! |
My husband finished our team's race on Saturday morning at 9:30. I know it's tacky, but I just had to kiss him at the finish line.
We laughed about our pathetic medals, took some photos, then broke camp. The rain was wild for a minute there, but we managed to get packed up before the hours-long downpour hit.
While two teammates rushed home to their families, the other six of us went to Dairy Keen for burgers and shakes to celebrate!
I finally understand why my husband keeps coming back to Ragnar. Nearly everyone I talk to about Ragnar doesn't get it— it just sounds like misery to them.
But this was one of the most unforgettable experiences of my life! I hope to always remember the feelings of comradery, the beauty of the trails, and the thrill of the physical and mental challenge.
Would you run in a Ragnar relay? If you have done it yourself already, share your own experience and tips in the comments!
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