Hi Friends!

We are now 5 weeks away from the inaugural Ragnar Michigan Relay! It runs from Muskegon, MI to Traverse City, MI September 30-Oct 1.

Here’s an update of where we are at:

• Flight booked (check)
• Vans booked (check)
• Legs assigned (check)

Holy  cow, this is actually happening!  Here’s the lineup:
 
Runner 1 – Toby Alsobrook
Runner 2 – Jen Kehoe
Runner 3 – Connie Farmer
Runner 4 – Jennifer Voss
Runner 5 – Renee Elizabeth
Runner 6 – ME!
Runner 7 – Chris Clark Decker
Runner 8 – Meggan Page
Runner 9 – Dina McMullin
Runner 10 – Natalee McMullin
Runner 11 – Christine Anthony
Runner 12 – Whitney Cuson

Recently, Michigan Runner Girl just announced that she put together a team for Ragnar Michigan, hosted a very informative podcast with Ragnar Race Management, and is even offering a team discount of $100! About 165 teams are expected to compete in this first-time event.

A bunch of us from Team UnRelayTed are meeting up the night before at a nearby vacation rental to crash and get to know each other a bit.  Some of us were friends before, but many of us strangers. It’s been fun following each other on social media over the summer and getting acquainted.
 
I checked the leg maps and no joke at least 90% of the legs have some kind of lake in the background.  Wow.   We are so lucky to be racing in #puremichigan!

My latest challenge is some knee pain which my doctor preliminarily thinks is a torn meniscus.  I just went and had an MRI. If we can agree that surgery is the proper course of action, I can get this done and be at least 70% by the race.  It isn’t getting ANY better from resting. Although my version of resting includes walking. #sorrynotsorry

Now we just are waiting for our official start time to be assigned. I’ll check back one last time as I’m packing for this epic race. 
 

Have you ever found the perfect race in one of your favorite places, make the commitment to go there, and then can’t find ANYONE to go with you?  I hate it when that happens. But sometimes, you just have to take the journey solo.

I’ve always loved to travel. While sometimes the idea of travelling alone to a race intimidates me, I am always glad I did it instead of passing on the opportunity. There is a fabulous race in my hometown of Flint, MI that I have to go back by myself for. I have taken the red eye for it, crashed at friends’ places, had to rent a car, but it was always worth it.

This summer I flew to Seattle to run the North Olympic Discovery half marathon. I had to rent a car and drive 3 hours, stay in a somewhat sketchy hotel and go out to eat by myself. But it was a glorious experience. I totally would have regretted not going.

Earlier this year, I fundraised for St. Jude to run in the Rock n Roll Dallas half marathon.  Taxis, hotel, getting to the expo by myself – but I also had the chance to meet up with friends in the area for dinner, which was great, and it was yet another chance to cross a state off of my list.

Last fall I ran in the Fox Valley half marathon in St. Charles, IL. Although I knew friends in the area, I still had to rent a car, worry about road closures, parking, and entertain myself before the race.

I’m faced with another one of these cases in October, when I will run the Runners World Festival of races hat trick (4 races in 3 days totaling 26.2 miles!) in the Philadelphia area. Although I will be meeting up with friends for the races, I will  have to fly in, probably rent a car in an unfamiliar city, stay God knows where, but I know it’s going to be AWESOME.

Probably my biggest leap of faith to date was doing Ragnar del sol with strangers (read more about that epic adventure here).  Like my husband dropped me off at someone’s house the night before where I knew NO ONE, and said to me “what if one if them is an axe murderer?” .  I ended up having a blast.

So the moral of the story here is – don’t say no to adventures – whether you have a partner in crime or not! Use social media to get local tips and possibly meet up with others!

Thanks for reading my post in the #FF link up! Next up is Brian Goldman @RRunnerReviews with his post Why Should I get a Running Coach?

The perfect lightweight summer hydration pack!   

"Disclaimer: I received an Endurance Pack from OrangeMud  to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!"

I recently started marathon training and I live in Arizona. These two things together do not bode well in late July/early August, but when I got the chance to review the Orange Mud Endurance Pack, I jumped at it! I needed a hydration solution to get me through the longer distance in the hot weather.

When I received the pack, I was first struck at how lightweight and compact it is. I have used bulkier packs in the past.  The next thing I discovered blew me away – the seal on the bladder was NOT a screw on cap!  That’s all I’ve ever owned in the past. And I’ve had issues with the cap not being screwed in tight, then leaking.  This design couldn’t be more streamlined – it folds over at the top and has this slider gadget that just slides on real easy and seals it up with no leaks. Boom.

Ok now it was time to put it to the test! I took it out for a 9 miler at 90 degrees in Phoenix. It provides a pretty snug fit in terms of no bouncing – but I think I need to play around with the fit a little more across my chest.  It felt pretty light, which I liked.  The hose is pretty long but I wrapped it across the front, tucked in the end into the loop and it stayed put. I did notice that even though I added ice cubes to my water, it didn’t stay cold.

The storage is impressive - see photos above! In addition to the large zip up compartment across the back which can hold way more than it looks – you can easily stash extra clothes, hat, gloves, whatever in there – there are two lower compartments in the front that can hold phone, keys, or a nice flask of electrolytes. There are also two pockets at the shoulder design to hold gels.

The pack was designed for a variety of sports – running, biking and hiking. There are even loops to hold hiking poles!
The bladder comes out for easy washing and the whole pack can be washed easily.

This product retails for $134.95. I received lime green but it comes in 3 colors. I totally recommend this! It’s great for longer distances and I can bring everything I need to be out for a long time. OrangeMud is a very respectable brand with high quality products.  They believe in living an active, outdoor lifestyle. Give them a follow! They offer 10% off when you join their mailing list as well.

Facebook – OrangeMud
Instagram – @TheOrangeMud
Twitter - @orangemud
Website: orangemud
 
Need some more opinions? Check out some other reviews from BibRave Pros!

Jessica
Mark -He has a great video that really SHOWS you all the cool features! 
Amy
Erica

Join us for #bibchat this Tuesday, August 9 at 6pm Central where OrangeMud will be our sponsor!