Fall Adventures: RAGNAR DC

This has been in the works for a little while, but as I've written my check to confirm my spot (and well, it'll be in the mail tomorrow), I can say it's for real!

Yeah buddy... Ragnar DC, here I come!

Heather and I talked about this a few months back (not DC necessarily), but that a relay race would be awesome. So, when two weeks ago she tells me she's doing this, I'm like "Yeah, we've talked about this before." And she says, "NO, like I'm ACTUALLY doing this!" I begged and pleaded to get on -- I mean, not really, but I wanted to make it known I was excited and more than willing to sleep in a van for 24+ hours. Duh. 

So, if you're not familiar with Ragnar or running relays, here's your basics:

• 200 miles(ish)
• 12 runners (or 6 if you're an ultra team...)
• 2 vans that serve as modes of transportation, headquarters, and sleeping quarters for these 24+ hours
• One amazing good time! 

So our race is from Cumberland, Maryland, to DC, where we finish on the National Mall. Two additional reasons I'm excited: I can cross off Maryland on my states list, and two, I've never been to DC (insert gasps and shock and awe here). Perfection. 

So who are my crazy 11 friends? Well, true to the power of connections and the running community, I only actually know one runner, Heather. The rest are friends of hers and friends of friends and friends of friends of friends. Awesome? I think yes! We joked about creating a family tree of our stories and who we know and therefore how we got roped into this. And, well... I took it upon myself to actually create one (I'm the visual learner, what can I say). Here's my masterpiece:

So shout-outs to Cathryn and Shannon and the rest of [Team So Far Unnamed] and the amazing adventure we've got coming up ahead! Who's excited?

Have you done a relay before? Which? What advice do you have for new relay runners -- about the race, training, things to bring/not to bring?