Thursday, March 17, 2011

Training for Ragnar

In the flurry of emails regarding the upcoming Ragnar races someone on my team who has never run Ragnar asked for training advice.  A veteran team member replied to break his runs up into 2 pieces.  If he currently runs 6 miles today, run 3 in the morning and 3 in the afternoon or evening to get used to running more than once a day.  While that advice is absolutely correct, it can be expanded on.  Here is what I suggest for Ragnar training



Get up early, about 5am, eat breakfast from a gas station, drive around in the car, get out, walk around, get back in the car, get out of the car and then go for a run.  Get in the vehicle immediately after the run DO NOT STRETCH and drive around, go do errands, whatever.  DO NOT SHOWER.  Eat again, sit around, go find a construction site with a rank smelling port-a-potty and no toilet paper, then go for another run.  You should be getting sleepy about now. Find someone who talks non-stop and ask them to talk to you while you try and sit quietly. It is very important that the  non-stop talking occurs for the next 7 hours. DO NOT SLEEP. It should now be nighttime and you should be very tired.  DO NOT SLEEP. Turn on the TV, find PBS and a show about wild animals, turn up the volume on the TV. Kick back on the couch with your spare roll of toilet paper that you carry with you everywhere after the port-a-potty incident, close your eyes and just when you are about to sleep, the wild animals should start to roar, this should continue for 2 hours. If it is effective roaring, you will laugh from delirious tiredness and wonder when you can get up and run again.  At 3 am, get up and go outside, walk around, get in and out of the vehicle for good measure,  drink some luke warm coffee or hot chocolate, take Pepto Bismal for the upset stomach and then go for another run.  By this point you should be tired, smelly, stiff and sore but well trained for losing your Ragnar virginity.

16 comments:

Katie A. said...

Just getting all caught up!
LOVED this post! It is so funny...and yet SO TRUE! Good luck chica!
And I'm sorry abut the hammy situ, I think more rest is the best, and they are all right, missing a few workouts now won't do any damage. ENJOY Boston, I ran it with the flu last year, my SLOWEST marathon every by 38 mins, but you know what? IT WAS MY FAV RACE EVER! Nothing can ruin it, not even an injury - I promise you that. If anything, it will make you slow down and enjoy it, I know that if I had raced it I would have missed so much!
Good luck with the rehab, don't worry too much, you have done some good work!

Natalia said...

Lovely post. Alas, I have not had the pleasure of this experience yet, but you describe it so well! Good times......

Johann said...

Haha, awesome advice! It makes me think about crewing/pacing for someone running a hundred miler. Similar training would be beneficial. Have a great Friday and weekend!

Lindsay said...

Hahaha. Yup that sums it up!

Giorgio said...

Nice post, Christina! That description made me laugh.
Does it improve our strenght? I have never done it.
Have a good training and a nice weekend!

Giorgio said...

Nice post, Christina! That description made me laugh.
Does it improve our strenght? I have never done it.
Have a good training and a nice weekend!

Giorgio said...

Nice post, Christina! That description made me laugh.
Does it improve our strenght? I have never done it.
Have a good training and a nice weekend!

Anonymous said...

So, no sleep, eh? ;)

Adrienne said...

Sounds about right but you forgot about the $2 bloody cold shower at the highschool gym or was that just me? I tremble remembering.

Anonymous said...

LOL! Holy Crap. You pay to sign up for these? :)

Marsha said...

This was so hilarious, I just got invited to run my first Ragnar in Vegas 2011 and someone dropped out so I'm doing WB too. You are a great writer and very informative.

Mary T said...

OMG, one of my Ragnar teammates just found this. We just finished the Ragnar Chicago yesterday and this couldn't be more spot on advice. We laughed our asses off when we read it!

hocoblog said...

Very funny and so true

The Many Miles of Mike said...

This is awesome! All of it completely true, but we added a midnight pepperoni pizza before our last leg at 2:30am. Can you say HEARTBURN!!!

Jenn, Dan and Summit said...

OMG - how true is this?! Love it! I was on the same team as ^^^ The Many Miles of Mike (and Lindsey from WI who is joining your team this year).

Licia D said...

best advice ever! I'm the non-stop talker - LOLOL