Epic Relays

I’ve signed up, now what?! Part 2

epicrikki — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 17:22:20 +0000

For the first time, I have a full team before Christmas. Shockingly, I actually have an alternate runner (possibly two), should I need him. Usually I’m scrabbling during the final month (or week) to dig up a runner or two. Guess it’s a Christmas miracle!
Now on to the logistical stuff. Many captains agree that managing to get 11 other runners to agree to the craziness of an overnight relay race is the toughest part. In many ways I agree, even though runners love to run, they don’t always love to commit to team events for selfish or selfless reasons. While I do worry every year that I’ll be a runner or three short, it’s the team preparations that usually drive me crazy. Mostly the hurry-up and wait parts of it. Once the entry fee is paid, I start to get antsy and excited for the race. As I usually pay months ahead of time for the Epic Relay, this excitement can wear on others nerves and my own patience. It’s almost, but not quite, as bad as the little kid counting down to Christmas from Thanksgiving (if you’ve seen the commercial where the little kid wakes his parents up every morning to tell them how many days are left, you get the idea.)
Sticking with the Christmas analogies as a captain you need to make a list of what needs to be done and make sure you check it twice. Firstly you must make some decisions- will you need to rent vehicles? Are the runners in charge of their own food and water or will they be communal and therefore the captain’s responsibility? Will you have team shirts, hats, or other apparel? Will you invest in all the safety gear or collect it together as a team? Will you be competitive or not? And the piece de resistance: how will legs be assigned?
If you need to rent a vehicle or two, get your order in early. Even if the rental company tells you they don’t have their calendar out that far yet, ask if you can be put on the calendar for a phone call when the dates are available. Minivans or other 6-7 passenger vehicles are doable especially if you have roof luggage carriers for the extra stuff. My team actually makes do with tarps/dry bags and cargo nets.
Team Apparel? Depends on your budget. Many companies will do custom orders and some will even do designing for you. Reflective images and wording are even possible. Talk to your local running store about ordering shirts through them, usually they can find you a good deal on tech shirts that you can then have customized or scour the internet for deals on shirts or other apparel. Do it yourself is also an option. Iron-on transfer paper is available at most office supply stores, is easy to use, and works fairly well on tech material. I usually make the YBNRML shirts due to budget constraints with iron-on transfer paper for the team logo and reflective iron-on images from www.see-me-run.com. The shirts turn out well, we look like a team for the finishing photo (usually), and the team then has a practical souvenir from the relay.
Food and water: I’ve been on teams of both persuasions and have found that whatever you decide about food, making sure each van has a couple gallons (at least) of water is the best way to go. Water needs and consumption are almost always underestimated by runners, especially if they’ve never run a relay or needed to estimate their daily water intake before. Also if you decide to have runners be in charge of their own food, have a couple communal items like bagels and peanut butter and oranges just in case. Too much is always better than not enough. The easiest shared food is a cooler in each vehicle with various sandwich makings and apples and oranges (bananas don’t usually survive very well). Other good items are trail mix, nuts, granola bars, crackers, string cheese, candy bars, and any food that you have found you can tolerate before or after a run and will travel fairly well. I have heard of people bringing pasta salad, cold pizza, spaghetti, pulled pork sandwiches, and even their Chinese take-out leftovers. Truly it’s whatever works for you and your runners.
The required safety gear is simple to come by. If you as captain are planning on captaining more than once, investing in all or at least some of the needed items is prudent. Personally I own the two needed first aid kits, two reflective vests, two headlamps, six red flashing LED lights, and various colors of glass chalk. Every year my team ends up with more vests and headlamps/flashlights than needed due to most runners owning and bringing their own. The only item that you may not be able to find among your teammates is the flashing LEDs. These can sometimes be found at race expos being handed out by various companies or a more expensive and sturdier version with biking equipment. If any of your team are bikers, they may have one or two to share.
Now the most dreaded, difficult, frustrating, and thankless part of being the captain of a relay team- assigning the legs. If our team decides to be non-competitive, make things simple for yourself and let the team choose what legs they want to run. As a non-competitive team your team is not required to run in order, therefore if Legs 1, 13, and 25 are 3 miles, 8.5 miles, and 4 miles and Legs 2, 14, and 26 are 6 miles, 4 miles, and 6.5 miles and Runner 1 has never run over 5 miles at one time and Runner 2 is a strong runner, Runner 1 can run Legs 1, 14, and 25 while Runner 2 runs Legs 2, 13, and 26. If this is the route you take I suggest you have the runners choose which van they want to be in and let them pick from the Legs that van is responsible for. Example Van 1 is responsible for Legs 1- 6, 13-18, and Legs 25-30 so those are the legs a van 1 runner may choose from and runners from van 2 will choose from the rest. Other than that stipulation you can let the runners fight it out. It is less effort on your part, but you may also get stuck picking up whatever slack your team doesn’t want to run .
Competitive teams can also go the let the runners fight it out route if you wish. This entails having the runners look over the legs and deciding for themselves which Runner they would like to be, then battling it out with the rest of the team. Competitive teams must stay in order meaning Runner 1 is responsible for Legs 1, 13, and 25, Runner 2 is responsible for Legs 2, 14, and 26 and so on.
Both let the team fight it out/choose for themselves methods can be less stressful and time consuming for you. Especially if your team is experienced and/or easily appeased. A very congenial team can get their leg assignments figured out in less than an hour or so. A friend of mine plies his team with dinner and alcohol before asking them to pick their legs. Works well for them. I haven’t gotten him to admit it, but I think he makes them sign a contract so they can’t back out if their eyes were bigger than their legs while under the influence.
If your team is very inexperienced and/or high maintenance, having them pick their own legs may cause you more headaches than it solves. Trying to get twelve people to agree on an order when they all want the easy legs or to be in the same/opposite van as seven of the other people can be more difficult than trying to herd cats. I’m just saying.
If you decide to assign the legs yourself, one of the easiest ways is the ranking method. This entails ranking your runners from strongest to weakest. Items to consider when ranking- experience, mileage per week, distance of long runs and longest run, and to some degree personality. For example someone who’s run multiple relays and maintains 30 miles a week with a 10 mile weekend long run is ranked as stronger than a relay newbie who run 20 miles a week with a 6 mile weekend long run. That example is fairly obvious, but what do you do with two newbie runners who run the exact same weekly mileage and have the same racing history of a couple half marathons in the last six months? If you know one of them runs outdoors no matter the weather and the other hits the treadmill on hot or cold days, outdoor runner is ranked as stronger in my book as they have more experience with the climate changes that may occur during a relay. If the difference is as subjective as one seems to be a “happier” runner than the other, well if you don’t want to rank the “happier” one as stronger you can always play eenie, meenie, minie, moe with those two. Ranking is mostly objective with a little subjectivity thrown in. Also ranking a runner as “weakest” is in no way a commentary on their person or really their running. They are a strong runner just by agreeing to put one foot in front of the other, not to mention committing to be a part of your team.
Now that you have your runners ranked, take a look at the leg break down of the relay race. Epic is great in that they rank the Legs from hardest to easiest. (Other relays also provide this.) Now match your weakest runner with the easiest set of Legs, next weakest with next easiest, and so on. Viola! The Legs are now assigned. If runners need to be shifted around due to personal preference of van-mates, you can still abide by the ranking system by trading similarly ranked runners from van to van until happiness prevails. Or tolerance prevails whichever you can manage .
Quick recap for those of you who do better with lists:
1. Decisions to make:
a. Rent vehicles?
b. Communal food or individuals bring own?
c. Team apparel?
d. Purchase or collect from your team the safety items?
e. Competitive or non?
2. Get vehicles in order either by getting a firm answer from teammates/friends that they are being borrowed from or by making the rental reservation.
3. Get team apparel sorted out- make sure you have everyone’s correct sizes before ordering/making.
4. Get water for both vans.
5. Communal food- make a list of what you will need to buy and round up two coolers- one for each van. If individual food- make sure the team knows they are responsible for their own food and give them a few ideas of what to bring.
6. Assign Legs
a. Let the team decide
b. Or as captain dictate
Hopefully this will help you get to the start line in one piece and with your sanity intact. If you have a more specific question or need more detailed advice (sorry, I will not assign your teams legs for you), you can email me at dericka@rocketmail.com – just put Epic Rikki as the subject line so I don’t delete it as spam 

Enjoy the run my Epic friends,
Rikki, the (mostly) fearless captain of team YBNRML

I’ve signed up, now what?! Part 1

epicrikki — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 20:31:08 +0000

I’ve signed up for the race, now what? I’m not sure how many times I’ve heard this as both an avid runner and a relay team captain. As one of the slower runners in my local running group, I get paired with beginning runners often. After a few weeks of following me through our regular running trails and paths while listening to me talk about my weekend job with the local race timing company, most of these race neophytes sign up for a weekend 5k or if they’re really ambitious, a 10k. They excitedly tell me they’ve signed up for a race then a few minutes later ask the inevitable now what? For the average runner my standard answer is now you train. Unfortunately team captains do not have the luxury of the simple answer.
Team captains are a special breed of people who decide to take on not only the training for a multi-stage, multi-day running race, but also all the logistics of putting together the team and material necessities for said race. Some thrive on the craziness, some manage by the skin of their teeth, and a few, well, they crash and burn. My first year as team captain, I was almost in the crash and burn category just trying to find teammates.

The first year of the Oregon Epic Relay (it was called the Prelay then, in honor of the late, great Prefontaine), my Hood to Coast team was denied entry for the first time in 20 years. They were shocked and even though I had only been running with them for a few years I was feeling a little lost. What were we going to do with ourselves the last weekend in August? What were all our miles of running for? I mean you can’t just run to run can you?
While at the Eugene Marathon Expo I came across the booth for the Prelay. Its finish line is in my hometown, and being only six weeks after the Eugene Marathon, I would be ready for it. I signed up on the spot. Of course being only six weeks away, I needed to find a team and fast. I thought of my H2C team first, but many of them had other races that same weekend. Uh-oh, where am I gonna find 11 runners in six weeks?

I started with my running buddies. As I mentioned I am one of the slowest runners in our group. This translates into my running buddies are three wonderful ladies old enough to be my mother and slower than molasses. They were apprehensive about having three legs and barely any sleep. OK, apprehensive is understating it, they were downright terrified and weren’t sure they would be able to cover the distance. Luckily the ringleader of the group is about as crazy as I am. After days of my pestering and promising that it didn’t matter how slow they were, she finally committed to the race and the others followed her lead. That gave me four runners for a 12 person team and five weeks to go.

Earlier that racing season we had made friends with a woman who had just moved to a nearby town. She lived close enough to run with us a weekend or two a month but not close enough to join us for our usual weekday morning runs. She said she wasn’t running much on her own and I almost didn’t ask her for that reason. When she showed up two weekends in a row, I took a chance and invited her to join the team. She was almost more enthusiastic than me! She talked to everyone she knew about the relay and I’m pretty sure a bunch of people she didn’t know too. I will forever be grateful for her joining my team that year-she recruited half the team!

With three weeks ‘til race day, we had 11 of our 12 runners. Since the majority of my team was new to relay and some were new to running, I didn’t want to ask them to make up for a missing runner. I was getting desperate and a little crazy. A day or two a week, I ran with my dad in his neighborhood. As we would be heading out or finishing, we would pass a young guy heading in the opposite direction. Finally one day on my way out of my parents’ cul de sac towards work, I saw the guy coming in on the finishing sprint of his run. Figuring the worst he could say was no and I’d be no worse off than I already was, I whipped the car around and followed him back to his house. Trying not to come off as a crazy person, I jumped out and explained about the relay and my team’s need for one last runner. After a couple awkward minutes, he took my email address and told me he’d let me know. The next day he sent me an email agreeing to run on the “runner accoster’s” team. One week to the start line and we had a full team.

That first year was my craziest scramble to find a team. Six weeks isn’t the ideal time frame, but I proved it is doable. But I’d recommend starting much earlier. And even though it worked for me, I don’t recommend accosting random runners on the street unless you’re seriously desperate or also running down the street or running path. I do recommend using any resource you can think of. Your running partners and running friends should be your first thought. Remember you are going to be stuck in a small space for at least 24 hours with these people. It should probably be someone you like or least can tolerate. Running groups and clubs, even if you don’t regularly run with them, are great places to recruit runners. Run with the group a couple times and them up individually or if you’re really daring and don’t wet yourself at the thought of public speaking, ask to address the group before the run. Introduce yourself, talk up the relay, and let them know how many team members you may need. Running stores are also great places to find runners. When I’ve needed a runner or two to flesh out my team, I’ve put up flyers at the local running shops. I even recruited one of the employees. Last but not least Epic Relays has a runner matching program on their website. And yes, I have utilized this also. A couple years ago we had a great runner from New York join our team. Yes, it was a little strange to meet one of my teammates at the start line, but this race isn’t called Epic without reason- embrace the adventure. My friend’s team is comprised of people from our gym. I think he advertised it as a challenge to the members. It worked awesomely; I think next year they will have two teams.
If you’re a list person, like my assistant captain, here’s the above paragraph, in list form:
How to find team members:
1. Current running partners and friends who run
2. Local running groups and clubs
3. Local running stores
4. The smile and/or wave runners who see on your daily runs
5. Epic Relays Team Matching
6. Craig’s list (I have not tried this, but have heard it can work well)
7. The gym

Hopefully this is a start for those of you who are having a tough time coming up with team members. Almost every year I’m terrified I’m going to have to start a person short and it hasn’t happened yet. Just remember, ask, the worst they can say is no and you’re no worse off than before you asked and you may become one runner richer.
Enjoy the run my Epic friends!
Rikki, the (mostly) fearless captain of team YBNRML

The let down or I am NOT broken!

epicrikki — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 04:04:47 +0000

The finish line has been packed away for a while. Many teams and team-mates have gone back to their regularly scheduled running agendas be that regularly or taking a break until next time. Veterans have long stashed their medals in a drawer or wherever their other multitudes ended up and even the newbies have stopped wearing theirs everywhere deemed halfway appropriate for bragging. The race is officially over and so it the finishing high. For some this time just marks the end of one training cycle and the beginning of another. For others it was a nice blip at the beginning of their summer racing schedule. But for some of us, it’s the big letdown- it was the race we were training for and now there’s nothing on the horizon or for a small (thank God) number of us, we are in need of recuperation from injury.
When my team lined up for the start of the 2011 Oregon Epic Relay, I was in the driver’s seat with no chance of pinning on a bib number. I had just ditched my crutches two weeks before. Two months before, a surgeon reattached by hamstring to my pelvis. The physical therapist was nervous I going with my team at all. I’m not exactly known for sitting on the sidelines, behaving myself, or listening to doctors’ instructions. It was tough, but with a great team supporting me, I managed to behave, follow instructions, and get back into running shape for the 2012 Oregon Epic Relay.
When YBNRML lined up for the 2012 Oregon Epic Relay, I was ready. I’d been strength training at Crossfit two days a week, skating with my Roller Derby team two days a week, and running three to four days a week. I’d crossed the finish line of Eugene Half Marathon, PR’d at the Newcastle-Under-Lyme 7 miler, and was running faster than I had a decade ago. This was gonna be my year! I was not going to be the slowest on the team; I was going to be one of the linchpins! I was excited-it was also my year to cross the finish line.
If you were part of the Oregon Epic Relay, you most likely saw or heard what happened at the 2nd mile marker of my first leg. I ran off the side of the road, twisting my left ankle and removing most of the skin off my right knee. Thanks to Team #22- Life in Training- for calling my team and helping me to stem the blood flow. After finishing the last 3.5 miles of that leg, my team insisted on taking me to the Silverton Emergency Room. My knee was still bleeding and the ankle was killing me. The ER insisted on taking X-rays. As the nurse scrubbed out my knee, I stoically sat and watched without a whimper. Then the doc came in with the bad news- the X-ray showed a bone chip, the ankle was broken. I was devastated. I broke down into tears startling the nurse who was still scrubbing my knee. “Did I hurt you?” she asked. “No, I can’t finish the race,” I wailed in response. The technician who put on my cast was very sympathetic, but reminded me several times not to put any weight on it. I left with crutches and a referral to see an orthopedist in the next week.
My team, the Epic organizers, and all the Epic teams we saw on the course expressed their remorse and condolences and were basically awesome to me. Almost every runner knows what it’s like to have a run or a race taken out of their control by injury or other circumstances.
I crossed the finish line on my crutches and received my medal with my team. I wasn’t happy as to how it happened but I was happy to have finished and am so proud of my team.
Now comes my personal post-race let down. It took nearly a week to get into the doctor. When I finally did, after a few minutes with the X-rays, he declared it wasn’t broken. The bone chip is from an old injury. (My brother was devastated to find out I had not run 3.5 miles on a “broken” ankle until he found out I’d been running on an ankle that had been broken and never fixed. I am still a “bad-ass” in his eyes.) I tendon had not been torn away from the ankle during the run and if I could stand the pain, it is likely that I could have run the rest of my legs. How could I tell my van-mates that they ran extra mileage for no reason? Will they hate me?
Even though the ankle wasn’t broken, I did sprain/strain it enough to not be able to train for at least two weeks. To be at the top of your game, forced to not finish, told you could have finished, and then told you can’t get back to life as usual? Who wouldn’t be a little disheartened? Is it any wonder I went into a little of a depressive tail-spin?
If you’ve even twisted your ankle, you know it swells and can stay swollen for a while and then will swell on and off for even longer. If you’ve ever had a joint immobilized, you understand how stiff and sore my ankle was after a week. The orthopedist had declared it not broken, but he also insisted on a heavy duty brace and physical therapy. For the first couple of days I was happy to have the cast off and moving my ankle. Then it swelled again and was sore. The first PT appointment showed me how weak it was. I began to doubt myself. A year before I was on crutches due to a stupid move that ripped my hamstring. A year later I was on crutches in the middle a race due to another stupid move.
Visualization is a great tool to get ready for a race or another big event. Unfortunately it can also be a huge detriment when all you see is the bad. I began seeing my ankle snapping and giving out every time I thought about running. I even stutter-stepped a few times going down stairs because I was afraid I would break it. My physical therapist had even inadvertently made me afraid of my bike by saying if I stepped down too quickly it may give.
I am not used to being afraid. I was always the dare-devil: hanging upside-down on the monkey bars when I was four, turning back-flips off the swings, rappelling headfirst down the cliff, etc. When I first started back to roller derby after having my hamstring re-attached, I was a little nervous and timid on my skates, but only for a few practices and it didn’t keep me from doing anything we were supposed to do in practice. The last few weeks I have been afraid to ride my bike, go to Crossfit, or even walk. Silly, I know, but all I could see and hear was my ankle snapping if I stepped off the curb wrong.
My husband and mother kept telling me to live my life that it’s too short to let a little sore ankle stop me. I just couldn’t get over it. Hearing it pop ruled my actions, created doubt, and made me believe I am getting too old for this stuff. My derby and running friends were sympathizing that my ankle was injured, but I was telling them it wasn’t as bad as originally thought. How would I explain my fear?
For two weeks I avoided most of my fit friends and caught up on my TV shows instead of skating or running. I ate ice-cream instead of home-made fruit smoothies and cookie instead of fruits and veggies. I drank alcohol instead of water. My fear ruled my life.
I don’t know why when I woke up this particular morning I felt like testing the ankle. Two weeks of a pity party and suddenly I’m wanting to try going for a run. Maybe I was tired of being scared, maybe I was tired of the popping ankle on replay in my brain, or maybe I was just really craving some work-out endorphins. Whatever the reason, when hubby said he was headed to the middle school track to do some intervals, I threw on my running clothes in record time to join him. I hate the track- running in circles bores me to tears, but I knew the flat and springy surface would appease my PT. And despite the fact that I hate the track, it was the most wonderful run of the year. My ankle never complained once- no popping, no snapping, no broken ankle in need of surgery. I even managed to cover the three miles at a decent clip- just a few seconds slower than my usual training pace.
I wish I could pass on to you how to get out of a fear funk, the secret to getting over it and moving on with your life. I wish I could give you the pep talk to top all pep talks so that if or when you need it you can bring it out and get back to your life quicker than I did. But I don’t. I don’t know how or why the recording finally stopped replaying in my head or if it will haunt me again. The only promise I can make you, the assurance I can give, is that the fear will come to an end and the recording will at least pause long enough for you to play another image. A better image. A happier image.
Enjoy the run my Epic friends!
Rikki, the (mostly), once again, fearless captain of Team YBNRML

I forgot to train!!

epicrikki — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 00:32:52 +0000

Note: Names have been changed for my safety (although he’ll know who he is  )

“I haven’t been training,” Casey says as he jogs up to cool down with me after a group interval session at our gym.
“Hmmm? What’d you mean? You’re here more than I am.”
“I haven’t been running at all.”
I glance at him and wait for the punch line. This is the guy who teases me mercilessly for not being able to figure out where my knees should be during deadlifts and thinking that my lips are a great third contact point for wallballs. He and I are barely serious about our workouts until it’s actually time to start the work.
“Well, a couple three milers here and there, but that’s it,” he reiterates.
“You worried about it?” I ask, realizing he’s being serious.
“Not really, I guess.” As we round the last corner, he picks up his pace a little bit and starts talking to the gym owner; conversation over.
I didn’t think much of it to begin with as Casey’s an in-shape guy. He crossfits five or six days a week and by his own admission, runs a few miles here and there. Surely he’ll be ok running a 187 mile relay race. Right?
My marathon coach is fond of emailing the group multiple times during the last two weeks before the race to remind us that “the hay is in the barn!” Trying to squeeze in any training runs that you missed into the last couple weeks before a race will do more harm than good.
But what if you’ve forgotten to train?
On the drive home that night from work, I kept thinking about Casey and not enough training. I thought about my own team who’ve been working around a couple of injuries and I’m coming back this year after nine months off due to having my hamstring re-attached. Will we be ready for this weekend? Am I ready for this weekend?
Like many runners, my running life has had more than one stop and restart from square one for various reasons (usually injury). One of those injurious restarts was a couple weeks after signing up for the Los Vegas marathon. My hubby and I had just bought a new washer and dryer and were moving them into the house. Getting the dryer out of the truck was a breeze. The washer unfortunately was not. I wrenched my back putting me out of running commission for at least six weeks- half my training time for the marathon. Running, biking, and swimming were all out of the question due to the nature of the injury. As soon as I was released to start walking, I did and a lot of it. I also joined Curves as it was the only exercise my physical therapist would give her blessing to. I worked my way up to walking five miles four times a week with a ten miler once a week and going to Curves four to five times a week. Finally three weeks before the marathon I was allowed to run. During those last three weeks I managed to work up to a ten miles of mostly run/little walk. Not exactly a great training regimen, especially for a marathon. My physical therapist wanted me to not run the marathon at all, but I’m stubborn. I compromised by agreeing to drop out if at any point I was uncomfortable. I’ll admit it was my slowest marathon and I walked much more than usual, but my back didn’t twinge until mile 24. Yes, I finished- upright and smiling.
I’ve worked out with Casey a couple of times since his initial revelation that he’s not trained for the relay. He’s restated his lack of training a couple times, but always ended with his lack of worry for the upcoming race. Perhaps that’s the secret to success sans training- don’t worry. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying you shouldn’t be prepared for a physically taxing ordeal. Casey and his team, even as non-runners, are very fit and healthy. But as non-runners, they will have a tougher time than runners. Unless their idea of success is not tied to first place or beating the elite teams. Most runners are experienced with changing their terms of success- can’t beat the number one runner in your age group? Aim to beat your own course record. Coming back from injury? Count yourself a winner if you finish your first race without walking or finish the race season without re-occurring injury. When I recruit my relay team, I make sure to tell them we are in it for the fun of it and the experience. I know my competitive limits and I make sure to surround myself with a team who understands or at least accepts them also. We laugh and tease and joke from the start line to the finish line in our own time and terms. Our success is crossing the finish line upright and smiling (and before the finish line has been dismantled).
I hope that since you’ve signed up to run the Epic Relay you have been training, but I want to reassure you in this last week before the Oregon Epic Relay that you are ready for the relay- even if you haven’t traditionally trained. You may need to change your definition of success to fit you or your team’s training, but you are ready.
Enjoy the run my Epic friends!
Rikki, the (mostly) fearless captain of team YBNRML

Christmas Trees, Dogs, and Coyotes, oh my!

epicrikki — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 21:07:47 +0000

I am afraid of the dark. There, it’s out there, commence the ridicule. Seriously, I am afraid of the dark and the first Hood to Coast I ran, my husband made sure to let the entire van know. This was also the same year there were two females and five males, so you can image how much ridicule I did endure. Not to be a total wuss, I ran my night leg by myself and except for the coyote, it was a great experience. But, more on that in a minute.
That first year I was teased mercilessly until I did get out and run by myself, so imagine my surprise when a few years later I found out that the majority of my team was not only apprehensive about their night legs, but downright terrified and trying to get out of them. Even my pastor, who I’d roped into running with us his first year at our church, was hoping that the van would be able to follow him as he was very nervous about running in the dark.
I guess it makes sense. Most kids and, as even I admitted it, some adults are afraid of the dark and the unknown. Running in the dark can be scary as it’s generally you and your running shoes and a flashlight to fend off the monsters- real and imaginary.
As I said my first night leg of the Hood to Coast was great, except for the coyote. Truthfully the coyote was part of why it was so awesome. I was runner 8 meaning my second leg was up a gravel logging road. I’m sure in daylight the gravel road through the thick woods is beautiful. In pitch black, it’s a bit spooky. Vans and faster runners passed by at intervals as they made their way to the next exchange but for the most part I was alone making my way up the hill. I was surprised at how bright the nearly full moon made the open sections of the road, but it didn’t help illuminate the shadows, especially when I would hear skitterings and scurryings in the bushes and ditch next the road. For the most part, they were small noises made by small animals, but a few were definitely bigger than a raccoon moving through the bushes. At one point the embankment on the left side of the road overlooks it from about 15 to 20 feet up. All I could think at this point was how on and earlier training run my partner revealed to me that cougars preferred to jump down on their prey from above. I kept glancing up and trying to push my pace just that much faster. Every faster runner that passed me, I tried to keep up with. I was running out of steam fast and still had about three miles to go. I was sure I was gonna get eaten by a cougar before I made the exchange point. Coming around a corner a stepped into a deep pile of gravel and my ankle rolled. It was bad, but it was enough to slow me to a walk for a bit. When I was so terrified I couldn’t keep my eyes off the ridge above me and on the road, I see a break in the trees completely lit up like daytime. Sitting tall and pretty in the glow is a coyote. I don’t know how long it’s been sitting there watching the runners go by, but it turns its head towards me and nods before standing up and running down the backside of the embankment. It was as if the coyote was telling me it was ok to be in his territory that I was being given safe passage. The serenity of that moment changed the whole run. I relaxed and started noticing how quiet it was when the vans and other runners weren’t around, how friendly the huffing and puffing passing runners were, and when I got to the exchange point, how much faster I had run that leg than expected, even with the walk break. All in all, that first night run is still my favorite.
Pastor still thanks me for the first year I dragged him into running the Hood to Coast. He was runner 8 that year and although he didn’t see the coyote, he was very surprised to find that his night leg was his favorite. All his nerves and fears disappeared, he says, in the silence and peacefulness of it. That not being able to see exactly how far he’d come or still had to go for some reason made a faster pace less of an effort. Even relay he’s run since he always says the night leg turns out to be his favorite.
Of course not everyone has good memories of their night runs. Or at least not as peaceful and fond memories. The members of Van #1 still laugh about night runs the first year YBNRML ran the Oregon Epic Relay (then called the PRelay). They were running through a neighborhood that they could hear dogs barking from the runner exchange point. One of the ladies was not only nervous about running in the dark, but is also afraid of dogs. I guess she got out of the van to get to the exchange and a dog barked at the fence they were parked next to. She jumped onto the hood of the van and hung off the windshield wipers. She wouldn’t run her leg unless the van paced her and this resulted in her jumping onto the hood three more times due to dogs barking at her. We still tease her that I had to pay extra for the fingernail marks in the hood of the rental van. She laughs about it now and says that she has run after dark since. She has also volunteered to run with us in subsequent years, managing to let the van check on her every half mile or so.
Since we will be running on open roads and highways, I would be remiss not to mention cars. We haven’t had any problems with cars, but I’ve heard horror stories. Luckily none of them pertain to any of the Epic Relays. Just remember the safety rules are in place for your safety and don’t assume a driver sees you. Especially around dusk and dawn. Being lit up like a Christmas tree helps though, if for no other reason than they’ll slow down to see why there is a Christmas tree moving along the side of the road.
If you’re apprehensive about running in the dark, introduce yourself to it on a well-lit trail or neighborhood. Many towns and cities have a least a short path in a park that’s lit or a street that’s full of streetlights. Even just a short mile or so will help alleviate your worst fears. If you’re really brave, you could strap on your headlamp and run a few laps at your local track after dark and the lights have been shut off. Eugene is lucky in that we have decent section of a park path lit and a night race for the uninitiated. The park path is only lit for about a mile and half, but it’s a good start. And the night race had illuminaries lighting the entire five mile course. That was a great intro for a couple of my teammates. Hope you’re able to find similar ways to introduce you or your team to night running.
The Epic requires you to wear a reflective vest, a flashing LED (taillight), and a headlamp or flashlight between 8pm and 6am. Others take it a little farther and wear multiple glow sticks, bracelets, necklaces, and flashies. They also allow you to have a buddy pacing you to keep you company and well, two runners are more noticable than one. Whichever way you and your team decide to go, please be careful out there.
Enjoy the run my Epic friends,
Rikki, the (mostly) fearless captain of team YBNRML

Please note all dogs we have encountered on the relay have been either in their yards or accompanied by their owners. My team at least has not had a problem with dogs on the course except for the barking induced heartattacks 

Who got skunked?

epicrikki — Wed, 30 May 2012 23:19:08 +0000

“Did we just run over a skunk?” Josh asks groggily from the rear seat of the van.
“No, Kaylee’s farting again. Shouldn’t have eaten that last burrito, babe,” Mark snarks as he elbows Kaylee in the ribs.
“Am not!” She retorts and moves up to the next seat. “Eww! Nate took off his shoes! That’s the skunk!”
“My feet do not stink!” Nate huffs back, but puts his shoes back on. “I think it’s Matt’s shirt.”
Matt turns and pulls his shirt off Nate’s shoes and hangs it out the window after a quick sniff, “yeah, it could be, I can’t find my deodorant.”
“Again!” choruses the rest of the van.
The above scenario was my first experience with the joys of the overnight relay race. I was one of two females in our van and one of only three van-mates who thought showers were the decent thing to do (sad thing, one was the driver). It’s surprising how little time it takes six runners to make a fifteen passenger van smell like a high school football locker room. Especially when they forget to wear their deodorant 
Barring actually running over a skunk, a relay van does not have to smell like a high school boy’s gym shoe. A few simple steps can help keep the stench down and make your relay experience that much better.
Start with clean clothes- yes, this seems obvious, but how many of you wear your running or exercise clothes for more than one workout before washing? I’ll admit I’ve done it, especially when I only owned two pairs of running shorts.
Fabric softer sheets tucked in your bag will also help reduce sweat stink in both the van and your bag.
If you do have stinky feet and/or shoes, at least air them out before packing them. A little baking soda sprinkled in the shoes will also help absorb a bit of the sweat and stink. If you decide to wash your shoes, make sure you wash them in cold on the gentle cycle to reduce wear and tear. Do not throw them in the dryer! Newspaper stuffed into them will help dry them quicker, especially if you change the newspaper every couple hours. Some runners do find Odor Eater spray and inserts helpful also.
Ziploc bags- gallon size, very important to keeping your van smelling decent. After your leg, even if you can’t take a shower, change your clothes. You’ll feel better getting out of your soggy, sweaty things and packing them away in the Ziploc baggies will keep the smell down. Yes, these clothes will still be wet and stinky at the finish line, but no one will be smelling them 
Utilize the showers. Again, you’ll feel and smell better, even if you just wash your face and hands. There will be two opportunities to take showers on the Epic Oregon course.
Bring your toothbrush and use it. Morning breath is a killer- take it out before it takes out your van-mates.
Remember to wear your deodorant. Enough said.

Unfortunately no matter what you do, the van seats are going to get sweaty and therefore at least a little stinky. If it’s a rental van, it’s not imperative that you de-stink it, but it’s nice. If it’s a personal vehicle, de-stinking is essential. Leather/vinyl seats are fairly simple- wipe them down with slightly soapy water. Fabric seats are a little more difficult. I’ve found that Febreeze or its generic sprayed on the seats then driving around with the windows down did wonders. A fellow runner swears by Woolite Carpet Cleaner- just spray it on, let it dry, then vacuum up. Dirt and smells gone in one easy vacuuming.
Hopefully none of your runners will meet a skunk or misplace their deodorant.

Enjoy the run my Epic friends!
Rikki- (mostly) fearless leader of Team YBNRML

Can I bring my coffee maker?

epicrikki — Sat, 26 May 2012 20:46:56 +0000

For the past three years (and again this year), my team has used two minivans for the Epic Oregon Relay. This saves us in rental fees, but limits luggage space. Two years ago we had both ends of the packing spectrum on our team. Van One got “Mandi,” who arrived dressed in her running clothes and carrying a blanket and $40- that was it. Van Two was blessed (cursed?) with “Kenny,” who brought his own roof pack full of extra clothes, blankets, pillows, tarps, ground mats, camp stove, coffee maker (yes, coffee maker), food, water, juice, first aid kit, and safety gear for the whole van. As he was the last to arrive at our rally point, we had packed everyone else’s gear already. Even after whittling down to his essentials, there was now double the luggage in the van. While I’ll admit it was awesome to have a good brewed cup of coffee at our 2am exchange point and that hot soup beats a fourth Clif Bar any day, being able to straighten our legs after our runs would have been nice too.
I guess the short answer to the title question is: yes, you can bring your coffee maker, but should you? Really only you and your team and the size of your vehicle can answer that. Some items I definitely wouldn’t leave home without, though? That’s a little easier.
Bare minimum, you need
Running clothes and shoes for each runner
2 reflective vests
2 headlamps/flashlights
2 flashing LEDs (tail lights)
2 first aid kits (with pain remedies- ibuprofen, Tylenol, arnica, etc.)
2 Relayology manuals
A charged cell phone
Cash to buy water and food at stores or restaurants along the way

If you need a few more creature comforts, these items will make your 24+ hours in a van a bit more pleasant:
Shower towel and toiletries (including deodorant)
Body Glide/Runner’s Vaseline
Band-Aids/Blister Repair
2 more running outfits
3 pairs of socks
2nd pair of running shoes
Cool weather running gear- hat, tights, long sleeves, and jacket
Running hat with brim
Sunglasses
Sunscreen
Bandana (for dusty roads or soak with water to beat the heat)
Sleeping bag or blanket
Pillow
Sandals
Earplugs and sleep mask
Refillable water bottle
Snacks
A tarp (or two) big enough for your whole team to stretch out on (or under) – the annoying rustling of runners getting comfortable is outweighed by the dry sleeping space they provide. Painters’ canvas tarps are nearly silent.
Ziploc bags-quart and gallon size- various uses from making ice packs to sealing away stinky clothes
Baby wipes

Each runner should be able to fit what they think they need from the above list into a small duffle bag. To conserve more space, most teams I know have a cooler which the runners help fill with sharable snacks and liquids and get a runner or two to donate baby wipes, baggies, tarps, and sunscreen to the cause so that each runner is covered without adding bulk to the van.

Enjoy the run my Epic friends!
Rikki -(mostly) fearless leader of Team YBNRML

EPIC Welcomes You!

michael — Mon, 14 May 2012 21:01:42 +0000

We’re excited for the launch of our new website and hope you’ll enjoy playing around, reading the updated content and viewing the gorgeous photos from our relay courses. Creating EPIC adventures is what we do and we are passionate about creating the best experience possible for our runners. Hopefully you’re joining us for one of our 3 team relay adventures this summer! And remember if it’s not EPIC… well then it just isn’t.