Highlands Heading to the BRR

Men of MECA,

This is your formal invitation to throw your name in the hat to join the first ever F3 Highlands Blue Ridge Relay (BRR) team.  It will be my first rodeo as well but I understand that the event is nothing but a flat, short (208 mile), slow mosey.

Talk to the M, clear your calendar, and get back to me by next Tuesday (Feb 17^th) with a response; either aye or nay.  You can also comment on this post to stay in the loop on future updates to this post.  This event sells out every year – we need to make decisions now.

Some details:

1. I’m not a “runner.”  Why the **** would I sign up for a flat, short 208 mile, slow mosey?
   1. Cause everyone is doing it?
   2. The 2nd F is off the charts for this event.  Do you want to get to know some of your pax better?  Spend 30 hours in a sweaty van with them.  That ought to do it.
   3. You have 7 months to turn into a runner.  Start tomorrow.  We will help.
2. How long will I be apart from my loving wife and adoring family? They may not be able to bear the separation.
   1. You will be gone from home either the evening of Thursday Sept 10^th or early morning Friday Sept 11^th through 8PM Saturday Sept 12^th.
3. How far do I get to run on the flat roads of the Blue Ridge Mountains?
   1. Depending on the size of our final team you will run about 3 different legs of the race for a total distance of between 13 and 22 miles.
4. How does this thing work?
   1. Our team will be split into two groups which will be in one of two rental vans which will leapfrog us around to get the correct runner to the correct leg at the correct time. Logistics on this event are key.
   2. We will need at least two (four would be better) drivers for the two vans. If you want in on some serious 2^nd F – sign up for one of those spots.
5. Will I have to prepare for this flat, short 208 mile, slow mosey, all by myself?
   1. We will be doing some team training sessions leading up to the event.
   2. We will be doing some team social gatherings to do some planning leading up to the event.
6. Lay it on me Dr Nanny – what is this short, flat run going to cost me?
   1. Each runner’s out of pocket cost will be in the neighborhood of $200 – $250 for race entry, required safety gear (reflective vest, lights, etc), van rentals & gas. That is $35/month from now till the race – easy to squirrel away if you plan for it.
   2. Once we nail down Hard Commits (HCs) I will reach out to you for the initial deposit of about $120 – $140 bucks to cover our team’s race entry fee.
   3. If your heart, mind, body, and schedule are willing, but your wallet is not – talk to me. We want you at this event and have some funding options available to us.
7. September is soooooo far away. What if I can’t predict my schedule that far out?
   1. Just do it. This will be the best investment you make all year b/c it will get you out of the fartsack when your normal steely resolve might fail you.
   2. If something happens schedule-wise that prevents you from joining us in the event, we will do things the Mud Run Way and work together to find a replacement for both your body and your investment.
8. What if I am one of those persons who needs to know more about this before I commit?
   1. I suggest reading through the following backblasts to get a flavor for this event. These are in order of suggested reading priority.  Gapper did an awesome job on a write up last year – his is at the top of this list.
   2. Harrisburg’s 2014 BRR BB: http://f3nation.com/2014/09/12/id-rather-be-spooning-in-prison-blue-ridge-relay-2014/
   3. Brothers from another Muthaship 2014 BRR BB: http://f3nation.com/2014/09/17/brothers-from-another-muthaship-brr-blackblast/
   4. Winston Salem BRR BB: http://f3nation.com/2014/09/08/brr208/
   5. 2014 BRR Race Day Planning post: http://f3nation.com/2014/08/20/2014-brr-critical-info-for-race-day/
   6. 2014 BRR Pre-planning post: http://f3nation.com/2014/02/07/gas-up-the-van-2014-blue-ridge-relay/
   7. 2013 BRR Planning post: http://f3nation.com/2013/08/15/the-kitchen-sink-and-the-brr/
   8. 2013 BRR pre-planning post: http://f3nation.com/2013/06/07/2013-blue-ridge-relay-brr-update/