Alexa Hasman, Owner and Coach at Fit Life and Gorgeous Guru What you should do and not do when living the #vanlife during a relay race. If you have never done a relay race, spending 12-36 hours in a van with 5 other smelly, sweaty people can be the most intimidating and stressful part of the race. After years of relay race experience and as a running coach I am here to breakdown how to survive, thrive and run well while experiencing the relay race van life. Food, Drinks and Gear: You are going into a relay race and you are sharing one space among 6 people and a ton of running gear, clothes, shoes, blankets, pillows and food. Van space is small, in case you haven’t experienced it, and precious. My biggest tip for how to make sure you don’t over pack your van and end up sitting with mountains of gear surrounding you is to create a list of must-haves and have your team members sign up for what they want to bring. I make the list and post it in a team facebook group and everyone comments with what they want to bring and with anything extra and special they want to include (beef jerky is a popular add-on for my teams). Below I have an example list of items for you to get an idea from. Doing this ensures that you don’t end up with 65 bananas and 17 tubes of icy hot.
Being A Good Van Mate:
Spending that much time with 5 other people when you are exhausted, sore and gross feeling can test your emotions. That is why it is very important to remember these things to make sure the relay is fun and everyone gets along.
Staying Healthy and Running Happy: Being in a van after you just ran your heart out can be a sweaty and crampy experience. Knowing that you have to do it again in a few hours can be daunting as your legs tighten up and you feel muscles you didn’t even know existed. Being successful in relay racing means keeping your body healthy as you sit in the van. Here are my top tips for keeping your body functioning and working well.
Relay running is an adventure with so many fun times and memories to be made. Remember to cherish this time and your ability to do this with all your awesome van mates. Have fun and happy relaying! If you need anyone one-on-one advice or want to train with our awesome groups, reach out to us at www.thefitlifepdx.com
3 Comments
4/30/2021 10:27:57 pm
I enjoyed reading the article above, it really explains everything in detail, the article is very interesting and effective. Thank you and good luck with the upcoming articles.
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