On My Mind 1: Ragnar Isn’t Healthy, But It’s Worth It, Here’s Why (And Tips To Prepare)

May 12, 2023
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Your host, Tawnee Gibson, MS, CSCS, CISSN, is embarking on a new chapter with Endurance Planet where she will be recording some solo, short-format epsiodes in a series called “On My Mind” or “OMM” for short. This is episode 1, and she’s already breaking the rules by featuring a guest, her husband, John Gibson, but for good reason: They are both coming off hosting and running in the SoCal Ragnar Relay with their two teams and on this episode they share some thoughts on the event, tips and more, including:

  • When prep, life, and other variables make it difficult, mental strength comes into play more than ever and lends to success.
  • Why Rangar is not the healthiest race to do, physically speaking, but the positives outweigh the negatives–what does that entail?
  • If you’re going to train for one of these get your posterior chain in tip top shape—glutes, hams, calves and Achilles. Hams and calves flare up the most—likely from going form sitting to running to sitting to running, etc.
  • Sleep deprivation… like heat, I don’t think you necessarily need to train for sleep dep, it just adds stress that’s unnecessary. A healthy body will handle it!
  • It’s ok to have FOMO and bow out if you’re not ready though—it is quite violent and aggressive, do it in the season that’s right for you.
  • What you eat matters. We provide food, clean and healthy, but may not fit everyone’s gut. Preparation to avoid GI distress! Even more than most races because the downtimes you risk “overdoing it” with foods that may not agree later.
  • Be well… and celebrate that—a healthy body can take a beating and bounce back quickly (enough). A run-down overstressed body will struggle, especially in the weeks following. Know where you’re at. It’s ok to have limits and boundaries.

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