Race Recap: GAP Trail Relay

Disclaimer: I received free entry to The GAP Trail Relay race 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!

Running a race can be hard, but it's even easier when you do it with friends! I was able to run the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) which is a 150 rail trail from Cumberland, MD to Pittsburgh, PA. A daunting task when you try to run it alone but the race is a relay.

You can have groups of 4, 6, or 8. I'm pretty sure you can have some mix in between but those are the sizes that you choose from. I was super pumped for this race because they sent the Bibrave team a little swag in the mail months before the race. It was a Read, Set, Move Box with so many goodies. This here really set the expectation for the race because they never lacked in the swag!

At race day check in I was the team captain so I picked up our bibs and welcome bags. Each bag had Balega socks, a tube of Nuun, Honeystinger gels and waffles, GU gels, a Nathan's tail light, a water bottle, Body Glide, and a gift card to Sheetz (local gas station). WOW! As a captain I got a few extra perks like a Brooks Run Happy Hat and a free pair of Brooks shoes of my choice. WOW again!

At the start they also had NYC bagels that were still warm, and photo opts with backdrops and frames. Brooks also had a booth to made signs to cheer along your team.

There was a mandatory safety meeting before the race started that detailed what to expect on the course for markers. This was super helpful since there are other people on the rail trail, so we knew what we had to look out for. They also set the expectation for safety gear during the night runs. Each runner was required to wear a reflector vest, headlamp or knuckle lights, and a tail light after 6:00pm and until 8:00am. This was important for people to see you and you see other people.

The race started prompt at 11:00am with the first leg. We printed out the directions to each of the exchange locations which was the best thing we did and a MUST do for anyone running the race. They did not print them for you. On the directions were turn by turn directions however there wasn't distance for each turn. So we got lost a few times because we were sure how long we were supposed to stay on each road. But then we realized that there were GPS coordinates for each exchange area. When we put those into our phones they took us right there.

The exchange areas always had a staff member from he race at them and a coned off area so we knew where to hand off the slap bracelet. As the race progressed there was so much food for us at the exchange areas. I'm talking pizzas, bagels and coffee, or Uncrustables and chips. They did not skimp out of make sure we had food throughout the race.

I ran the 2nd, 8th, 14th, and 20th legs. My total mileage was 24 miles. Scott had 30 which was the most of us all. Since the legs aren't the same length each time, we all ran different total distances.

In terms of what to expect from the course, the trail is relatively flat. It's a rail trail that follows the train tracks for the first maybe quarter of the race, then its just a trail through the woods. Not technical at all. A few of the legs had some hills but they were isolated legs, not consistent. The longest leg was 11.5 miles and the shortest leg was only 3 miles, so there was definitely a lot of variation between legs. The shorter legs didn't give us much time to drive to the next exchange area but we made it.

We did encounter some rain for the last half of the race. It wasn't the best but we had plenty clothes to change into so that we were stuck in the wet clothes freezing our butts off.

We all waited for Jenn to get close to the finish line and we ran as a team through the banner. The medal we got were HEAVY like a centimeter thick, like a said they didn't skimp on anything. We each got a pine tree sapling to bring home and plant.

Then we headed to the restaurant by the finish line and had beer, pirogies, and pretzels. That was the best was to celebrate, hot food and beer!

I really think you need to get a team together to try this race! It's a lot of run and has some beautiful views like waterfalls, rolling hills, windmills, and mountain top vistas. It was a soul feeding race for sure!

Preparing for your First Road Relay

Disclaimer: I received free entry to The GAP Trail Relay race 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!


Okay so it's time to get real. You just signed up for your first road relay and you have no idea what you got yourself into. What do you do? Panic? No, you should probably go for a run to get out any jitters, but you should be super excited!

I had just this reaction when I signed for the GAP Trail Relay, a 150 mile relay from Cumberland, MD to Pittsburgh, PA. I had never run a relay before but was excited for the challenge. The one thing that was exciting, and especially frightening was that depending on how you many runners are on your team, the amount of miles you need to run can change. Meaning that you're training for a race and have no idea how many miles you might be running. CRAZY!

So how do you train for a race that you don't know the final distance. My advice is to train for the long game. If you train like you're going to be running a lot of miles, then you'll be ready for when for them but if you end up running less then you'll be ready to crush those miles.

Now for the good stuff, packing for the race. There are a lot more things to consider when packing for a relay. Here are my top five things to keep in mind when packing for your first relay:

1.) Pack a running outfit for each leg of the race

The biggest advice is that you need to pack a running outfit for each leg of the race. After you finish your legs you will mist likely be hot and sweaty. I bet you can't wait to put those wet clothes back on for your next leg...said no one ever. Having a new outfit for each leg will make sure you are comfortable, dry, and reduce the chances chafing when you run again.

2.) Look ahead at the weather

This might sound silly but seriously check it out! You will mostly likely have a leg of the race that is in the middle of the night. That means color temperatures since there is no sun. Plan to have outfits for the warmer weather during the day legs and outfits for the cooler legs in the middle of the night. There could be rain on the forecast, that means packing Body Glide (which should be on your list anyways), but maybe a light rain jacket or tank top. Depending on the weather the rain jacket might be better at keeping you dry, but you also don't want it to lock in the heat. The tank top is a good idea in my opinion since there would be less clothes to get wet and chafe. Ouch!

3.) Make safety a priority

Safety has to be one of your biggest priorities, especially during a relay race. They're so many different scenarios that need to be addressed but to keep it simple I would say to make sure you are visible during the night runs. Wear reflective vest, have lights of some kind like a head lamp or Knuckle Light, and even a taillight. The more visible you make yourself the more likely other people will see you, whether they are cars, bikes, or other runners.

4.) Bring lots of fuel

Nutrition is a big component of running in general but there are additional things to keep in mind during relay. Before the race you will want to carb load to saturate your body with all the glycogen that it can store, like any race. But once you're finished with your legs you most likely only have hours to recover and be ready for the next leg. So you need to adjust your nutrition accordingly. After your leg you will want to consume protein within 30 minutes so that you body can start of the repairs. I also like to eat a serving of blueberries after each leg to help reduce inflammation. You also need to replenish the glycogen stores in your body before the next leg. So after you get that protein in then you need to start carb loading again.

BUT that doesn't mean feasting on the pasta and pizza. Remember you are going to be running again soon. You really don't want all that heavy food in yo
ur belly before you run. That's a recipe for a bellyache and then a trip behind a tree during the race.

5.)  Have fun

This is important for a few reasons. Most of us run to have fun so make sure that you do have fun during the race. Mindset is going to be a big part of running multiple legs, so if you start out having the mindset that this will be fun then you will have more fun. It's the power of positivity. During the down time between legs, have fun with your team. share stories and connect with them. It's going to build more camaraderie with each other and help them to all have fun too!

Now that you know my top five things to keep in mind as you prepare for your first road relay, get out there and have a great race!

If you're looking for a great road relay I would recommend the GAP Trial Relay. It's a newer race that is so organized and sure to be a blast for any running team!

Product Review: Aftershokz XTrainerz

Disclaimer: I received a pair of Aftershokz XTrainers 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!

So a few months ago I was able to test the newest and greater Aftershokz Areopex. Aftershokz took the amazing design and performance of the Aeropex, and like any amazing company, made them better!

The Xtrainers, pronounced "cross trainers," are designed to be used for many more sports but do not require a phone to be connected with. I'll say that again, they do not require a phone to be connected with. The Xtrainerz have storage capacity built into them so you treat it like a flash drive and you can upload all sorts of audio files to it, music, podcasts, and even audiobooks. It has 4GB of storage which is a lot for the slim size of the headphones

Did I mention that the Xtrainerz are fully waterproof for up to two hours at a depth of 6 feet? That means that you can take them in the pool, lake, and ocean without having to worry! With most underwater headphones you have cords, or limitations with bluetooth. The Xtrainerz have none of these issues. They use the same bone conducting technology to play the music while you swim. They even come with ear plugs too boot!

Biking with the Xtrainerz is so much more comfortable than you would think. I like being able to have my phone with me for the sense of comfort in case I need to call for help. But now I'm not tied to the phone, draining the battery with my headphones, so my phone will have the power to make a call if I need to. It's also nice to disconnect from my phone while biking too. I'm not constantly having the notifications distracting me.

The Xtrainerz charge is just 2 hours and have a battery life of 8 hours. What new to this design is a third button between where the normal volume button is. This button turns them on. The volume buttons have addition features like skipping tracks.

Let's get on to the benefits in terms of training. I am currently training for a marathon and found these headphones to make a big impact on my training. My cross training has been more effective since getting the Xtrainerz. I had a waterproof MP3 player and headphones but they were cheap and started to lose sound in one year. So during my swims I would be fighting with them to play music and keep the water out of my ears. Since the Xtrainerz come with ear plugs and use bone conducting technology I get to spend more time focusing on the workout.

It's also made me look forward to my cross training. I've recently gotten into listening to audiobooks. So when I cross train and listen to a book it's my time to disconnect from the world and enter my book. I find myself making time to go swimming just to continue with the book. This keeps me active and helps to give my body a break from all the running.

I think the Xtrainerz would be beneficial to anyone who used them. I can't wait for the opportunity to race a triathlon with them so that I can use them the entire race. The possibilities are endless now that they are waterproof and don't require bluetooth connection.

If you're interested in getting them you can use code "BRBUNDLE" - $50 off the endurance bundle.

On Tuesday October 22nd Aftershokz will be sponsoring the week Bibchat! Join us at 8pm EST.

Here's what the other Bibrave Pro's are saying:

Erica Jessica Christine Corey Meridith Scott Stephanie Nicole