Weekly tips (2 this week) - night running and the race bible

Night running and elusive sleep

Fear the dark?  Don’t worry, with the exception of some of the park and bike trails, the dark is overrated.  There are street lights, house lights, and your van’s headlights and taillights -- we’ll keep you in sight whenever possible.

Your headlamp may give the illusion of lighting your way but this, along with the blinky vest, is most useful in alerting cars, pedestrians and animals of your presence.  And to allow your van to keep track of you.

Course markings are of course harder to see at night.  Your teammates will shepherd you as best they can from the van, but memorizing the turns and following other runners are proven techniques (the first will get you where you should be going, the latter will ensure you have company when you are lost).

You are likely NOT going to get a completely refreshing snooze on this journey, unless you habitually sleep in a van and have mastered the art.

Still, try to catch a cat-nap as soon as you’re done with your first leg. It’s easy to want to stay up all night cheering people on, but if you finish your first leg and lay down in the back of the van for an hour or so, you’ll feel much better later.

There is “down” time for each van. To make the most of the opportunities, bring a bag you can stuff with clothes to make a pillow, a light blanket or lightweight sleeping bag.  A space blanket can be used as ground cover.

The Rank Stranger record for hours sleeping, established by Rachel in 2005, is untouchable.   She slept in the noon sun at Lake Mills, WI, in the noisy van as it bounced from stop to stop, and even through breakfast in Zion, IL.  The conservative estimate is 8 hours of sleep.

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Exerpts from Ragnar's "Race Bible"

Race rules are common sense and old hat to veteran Rank Strangers but the following are a few things we need to watch for.

1. Reflective vests.   The team has 'em and we'll use 'em.  "Every person outside the support vehicle will be required to wear a reflective vest during the nighttime hours. "

2. "Team race numbers (bibs) must be worn and visible on the front of each runner at all times while on the road. "

3. "Each van will be required to have a safety officer/navigator that is awake and alert at all times. The safety officer is responsible for helping the team behave safely during the race. He or she must be seated in the front passenger seat and must have the safety guidelines and rules within reach at all times. The safety officer responsibilities may be rotated between team members. "

4. "Any team member crossing the road must do so with an orange crossing flag, day or night (This applies to the support crew – not the “on” runner) Teams will be given flags at the safety briefings. "

5. "No Van Support Leg Rules: (a) Team members are not allowed out of their vehicle on the roadway. (b) Teams are not allowed to provide water or food to their runner during these legs, (c) Teams vehicles may pull over where it is legal, to cheer and monitor runners, (d) if a runner is in distress and there is a safety concern, teams may assist their runner or a runner from any other team. All ‘no van support’ legs over 4 miles long will have at least one water station.  ‘No van support’ legs over 8 miles long will have at least two water stations."

6. "Rules are enforced based on a “three strikes you’re out” policy. There will be 12 race officials monitoring the course to enforce rules. Teams will be notified via text message each time they violate a rule. If a team receives three strikes they must check in at the next major exchange. A Course Marshal will meet them to review the validity of each violation."

The race bible is on the Ragnar Chicago web site.  Ragnar Chicago

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Rank Stranger trivia: Renee (13), Randy (8), Martin (6), Anne (6), and Chris (6), Brad (6), Kim (6), Debra (6) have run the most legs without running one twice.