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Sounds crazy, right?
© Matt Baldelli
I promise Im not.
Pretty much everyone I told about therelay racewas baffled.
You run for 24 hours straight?"
© Matt Baldelli
“Where do yousleep?
Do you know anyone?
I was fielding questions even before I hopped on a plane that Thursday night to start running Friday morning.
Meg Lappe
I was runner number one, which meant I started with the entire team watching me take off.
(That’s me in the gray Reebok zip-up above!)
As I ran, my van proceeded to the first checkpoint.
© Matt Baldelli
miles per leg, meaning its smart to know exactly what youve signed up for.
Every runner has three legs to complete (I ended up totaling 19.6 miles.)
Yes, Ive done this more than once.
It was an eye-opening experience to spend 35-plus hours in a van with (mostly) total strangers.
(I only knew one person on my team.)
Its definitely something that you have to prepare yourself mentally for.
I really thought I would never do another after the first relayIm not great onno sleep.
There was a lot of time to kill.
So we drove to our next checkpoint and stopped at a local diner for a big breakfast.
That filled up most of our remaining time.
Being the very first runner made a world of difference.
Plus, as soon as you wake up, youre ready to go.
Being in the first van also meant the timing of my three runs was better.
There is nothing worse than sitting in a van for hours in soggy clothes.
Correction: The only thing worse is sitting in a van with five other runners in soggy clothes.
I cant stress enough how amazing it was that someone thought to bring lacrosse balls.
Running and then sitting isnt exactly an ideal cooldown, so having this mini recovery tool was very helpful.
No matter what number runner you are, its likely that youll be running in the dark.
My second time around, I was more mentally prepared.
I also felt more comfortable in the vest and headlamp since I had run in them a few times.
It was a boost to my nighttime performance.
When youre in a small space for over 24 hours, you really get to know people.
Whether you do it with friends or family or total strangers, youre sure to bond.
I still feel myself kick it into high gear whenBlockbuster Night Part 1comes on myplaylist.
Going with the flow is the easiest way to enjoy one of these races.
I might even be crazy enough to sign up for one again.
