Packing for Ragnar

August 18th, 2011

It’s that time of year again. Today, I’m packing and shopping for my 4th Great River Ragnar Relay. I always over pack, but if you’re wondering what to bring, here’s my list of what to pack for a Ragnar Relay:

Clothes: Pack your favorite running clothes, but don’t over pack. You also get a very nice shirt from Ragnar in your race goodie bag.

1 or 2 Pairs – Running Shoes
3 – Running Tights or Shorts
3 – Running Tops
3 – Running Socks
4 – Comfortable Underwear
4 – Sports Bras
1 – Long Sleeve T-shirt
1 – Light Jacket or Sweatshirt
1 – Comfortable Shoes or Sandals
1 – Comfortable Top
1 – Comfortable Pants or Shorts
1 – Baseball or Running Cap
1 – Swimsuit
1 – Towel
1 – Gym Towel
1 – Wet/Dry Bag (or garbage bag)
1 – Reflective Vest
2 – LED Lights (or these might be built into your reflective vest)
1 – Headlamp (2 per van)
1 – Sunglasses
1 – Glasses with Clear Lenses
1 – Small Hand-held Mace (for farm dogs or those wild animals they warn you about in the race bible!)

Toiletries: You might not need all of these all of the time, but hopefully someone in your van has them when you need them.

Sunscreen
Chapstick
Gum
Bug Spray
Deodorant
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Floss
Ponytail Holders
Headbands
Hairbrush
Moist Body Wipes
Moist Facial Wipes
Pepto Bismol (Beware Runner’s Trots and Dehydration)
Tums
Travel-size Contact Lens Solution
Contact Case
Travel-size Shampoo
Travel-size Conditioner
Travel-size Toilet Paper
Travel-size Vaseline
Band-aids
First Aid Kit
Nail Clipper
Ibuprofen
Garbage Bags
Paper Towels
Hand Sanitizer

Food: This is for the whole van. Bring any special food items that work for you before/during/after running. Avoid new foods and restaurants on race days. Remember, you can always stop at a gas station or grocery store if you need to reload.

Water (bottles of various sizes)
Sports Drinks
Protein & Energy Bars
Fruit (not too fibrous)
Trail Mix

Entertainment: Race rules have changed and a lot of legs are non-support legs. Keep yourself occupied.

Car Charger for Smart Phone
Camera
Magazines
MP3 Player
Travel Pillow
Car Games
Sense of Humor
Good Attitude
Team Spirit

I’d love to hear suggestions and recommendations based on your experience with Ragnar Relay! Let me know what you pack and what you wish you did (or didn’t) pack!

Ragnar_Logo_Vertical_0

Wisconsin Pheasant Served at Obama Inaugural Luncheon

January 20th, 2009

Someone at the White House has good taste! Wisconsin pheasant, one of my favorite foods, was served at the Inaugural Luncheon.

http://www.channel3000.com/news/18525344/detail.html

Area Farm Discovers Its Pheasants Served At Inaugural Luncheon

MacFarlane Pheasants Filled Large Order For Distributor In D.C.

POSTED: 7:52 pm CST January 20, 2009

After Mary Jo Bergs, of MacFarlane Pheasants Inc., in Janesville heard about the menu for the Inauguration Luncheon, she started doing some investigating.

“I started searching the Internet, looking for any clue,” said Bergs, a sales rep for the Janesville-based pheasant farm.

“Once I started seeing the menu, that’s when I started having the little light bulbs go off in my head saying I need to look into this further,” Bergs said.

MacFarlane Pheasants had just filled a large order for a distributor in Washington, D.C.

After a little bit of searching and a few calls, it was confirmed. The Rock County birds were part of the event’s main course.

“It was one of those, kind of, ‘Oh my gosh!’ moments where you’re just like, ‘Wow, this is cool.’ Even though we’re not really in the forefront and playing a part, it’s nice to know that underneath it all, we are playing a part,” Bergs said.

No one on the farm had any idea they were contributing to the celebration in Washington.

“I had no thought of playing any sort of role whatsoever. It was something that just came out of left field, and sometimes those are the best surprises,” said owner Bill MacFarlane.

The farm, family owned since 1929, said it has always tried to produce a product of the highest quality. MacFarlane said he’s proud their product is reaching the highest office in the nation.

“Our farm, our employees, we take pride in what we do, and to think someone out there chose our product to serve at that luncheon, there’s a lot of pride and feeling good about it,” said MacFarlane.

MacFarlane Pheasants said it will use its role in the luncheon in its marketing efforts. Some employees got an early start by putting up a sign outside the farm Tuesday morning.

The sign read, “Serving Pheasant to Our President.”

And according to MacFarlane Pheasants website at www.pheasant.com,

MacFarlane Pheasants, Inc is the supplier of the pheasant being served to President Obama and guests at the Inaugural luncheon on Tuesday. The recipe, designed by Design Cuisine of Arlington, VA. is “Herb Roasted Pheasant with Wild Rice Stuffing” and is available online. It is gratifying to know MacFarlane Pheasants’ product is recognized for its superior quality and consistency. States Design Cuisinse Chief Executive Officer, Kathy Valentine, “Our focus is to source the best product.” For more information on how to locate MacFarlane Pheasants products in your area, please call 877-269-8957, email us (MacFarlane Pheasants) at dressedpheasants@pheasant.com, or browse our (MacFarlane Pheasants) online store.