F3 Nation–

On September 11th 55 teams from F3 Nation will find their way to Grayson Highlands State Park in Virginia and begin the 2015 edition of the Blue Ridge Relay.  Congrats to everyone for a) getting registered; b) getting physically prepared; and c) trying to keep your teams together.  (C may be the most difficult)

In case you haven’t seen it, start times have been posted.

If you are looking to join a team or you are looking to fill a spot on your team, let people know.  Tweet it…tag your region or tag @f3nation   at this point, it’s the best way to connect.

1. There will be a lot of us.  F3 will be very visible. Let’s make sure that we realize that we are guests and show our appreciation to all the locals, other teams, and especially the volunteers.  This is an opportunity for us to make a positive impact on everyone that we encounter.  This is a Post that OBT shared last year.  I believe it accurately states the ideals that we want to uphold.
2. As the race gets nearer, people are training harder, running farther, posting more.  All good things, but….be smart.  It’s better to be 10% undertrained than 1% overtrained.  This is not the race to run with an injury.  If protecting yourself from injury is not enough motivation, then do it for your teammates.  If you can’t carry your weight, then your teammates will have to.  I bet every man running will be happy to step up, but how about we be smart and not kill ourselves the next 2 weeks and catch up with our training.
3. Navigation–there are a lot of stories of guys getting lost.  The cue sheets have mileage on them.  If you wear a GPS, use it.  It will help.  Nothing deflates team momentum like a runner getting lost on the course for an extra hour at 3AM.
4. Rules—there are a lot of RULES  Know them.  They are there for several reasons, primarily, your safety.  Everyone must have a reflective vest and lights.  Captains…please print these out and share them with your teams.
5. Nutrition–you will all be burning a lot calories.  Those legs, even the “moderate” ones are no joke.  Make sure you are eating and hydrating appropriately.  Its a fun event, unless of course, you collapse due to dehydration or completely cramp up because you didn’t eat enough…again, just be mindful.  Most of you don’t usually run 3-4 or even 6 times in 24+ hours.  You know who you are

One last thing, we’ve got a lot of new teams this year.  All you veterans, please feel free to chime in the comments for “best tips”

Best of luck to all you.  For those of you looking to compete next year, regisration opens December 1st.  I wonder if F3 can hit 100 teams next year?

See you in THE mountains!