A 24 Relay Race? Who Comes Up With These Things?

Well, I suppose this is a turning point. Instead of boring you with deep, emotional reflections of my trip and long drawn-out philosophies of life, I’m moving on to the next big thing. Just three short weeks after I pedaled my way to the coast of Oregon, I’m headed to Washington D.C. for Ragnar Relays.

Famous for running overnight relay races across the country, Ragnar operates on three simple principles:

• 12 People
• 2 Vans
• 24 Hours

And yes, it’s going to be awesome. Over the course of the race we’ll running roughly 200 miles from Cumberland, MD into Washington D.C. It’s no 6,000 mile bike ride, but my knees need a bit of rest anyway.

As if the premise isn’t hard enough though, we will be adding a bit more to the challenge. Our full team is only 11 people...sure to make for an interesting end to this 24 hour extravaganza.

I’ll be joining these wonderful folks from Brooklyn, New York:

Team Captain: Mishka Vertin
The Guy Who Convinced Me to Run This Ridiculous Race: Brian Cicero
Deirdre Brill
Mark Loudon-Brown
Jen Uhrowczik
John Adelman
Sarah Deri Oshiro
Elizabeth Sinclare
Ashley Kaper
Max Frumes

Some of them have stemmed from the NYC-renown North Brooklyn Runners, but mostly we’re just a motley crew of crazy (and soon to be sleep-deprived) runners. They did win the territorial fight though - our team name is The Brooklyn Gladiators. Pictures of ridiculously awesome costumes to follow...

With that out of the way, here’s the important part!

The great thing which sets Ragnar Relays apart from other races is it's charitable nature. The official charity of Ragnar D.C. 2011 is Back on My Feet. Here’s a bit of background:

“Back on My Feet is a nonprofit organization that promotes the self-sufficiency of homeless populations by engaging them in running as a means to build confidence, strength and self-esteem.

Back on My Feet does not provide food nor does it provide shelter, but instead provides a community that embraces equality, respect, discipline, teamwork and leadership. If members maintain 90 percent attendance for 5:30 a.m. runs Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, they can access education and jobs training and placement programs that partner with the organization. The nonprofit currently has chapters in Philadelphia, Baltimore, DC, Boston, Chicago, Dallas and Indianapolis.”

Learn more about the charity here: www.backonmyfeet.org

In an effort to donate to this wonderful organization, we would like to ask for your help. We are aiming to donate $90 per person to Back on My Feet. This means we need $900...can we get a counter?

DONATIONS NEEDED UNTIL GOAL IS MET: $900

Any donation would be greatly appreciated. Just hit the “Donate” button below and PayPal will help you out. Alternatively, you can send a check to:

Brian Keefe
7 Lincoln Lane
Simsbury, CT 06089

Thank you everyone for you generosity and support. I also want to thank everyone who helped me our on my bike trip once again. It wouldn't have been possible without all of you, and I am forever grateful.

The race is this Friday and Saturday. Check back soon after that for tons of pictures and stories.

So, I guess this leaves my blog at a dangerous point in the road. Shall I continue updating it with everything exciting that I do, or shall I let the Ragnar Relays mark it's closure. I guess you'll just have to keep checking back to see...