HOOD TO COAST!

As I begin this post, I've got a nice big smile on my face.  Just can't help it.  :)

Where to begin???  I'm thinking perhaps a little Hood To Coast 101. 

In 2010 they made a documentary type movie about Hood To Coast.  Here is a link to the 2min30sec trailer for that movie.  It does a really good job of giving you a visual glimpse into what I got to be a part of.  :)

Hood To Coast Trailer

* You run on a team of 12 people.
* You each take turns running for your team.
* As a team you run 198 miles.
* The relay starts at Mount Hood and ends at the Oregon coast in Seaside.

* A member of your team is running at all times AROUND THE CLOCK.
* The relay is broken up into 36 pieces called "legs."  So each runner gets 3 "legs" each.
* Each team has 2 mini-vans.  (6 team members in each van.)
* Van 1 starts and each of it's 6 passengers takes a turn running.
  When they are finished, van 1 "rests" while the 6 team members in Van 2 take a turn running.  This is repeated 3 times.

Got it? . . . . . Good.  :)  Just a little more background info.  

* There are relays all over the country.  But Hood to Coast is called: "The Mother of All Relays."
* There are 1,050 teams.  (The relay I was in last year had less than 400 teams.)
* There were teams from all 50 states and over 30 different countries.
* So many people want to do Hood to Coast that teams are selected by a lottery process.  You send in your teams registration postmarked on certain day in October.  They place all teams into a hat and the first 1,000 drawn out get to participate.  The exception: If you run Hood to Coast and finish in the top 6 of your division, you are guaranteed a spot the following year and don't have to be put into the lottery.

THE POINT of all that: Getting to run Hood to Coast is a rare, highly sought after, opportunity.  I consider myself very lucky to have gotten a chance to participate. 

There, now all of my stories and memories that follow will make a little more sense.  :)

Left for my adventure Thursday afternoon.

My fellow Van1 runners and I, stopped at Chipotle Mexican Grill to redeem our buy-one-get-one-free coupon that came with our race bibs.  The biggest burrito I have eaten in my entire life. 

The picture does not do it justice.  It was monstrous. 

We stayed the night at a hotel near Mount Hood and finished up last minute things like putting on our glitter tattoos.  (It's supposed to look like a mountain and a wave, you know - for Mount Hood, and the coast.)

The next morning we got our van decor on.

And had breakfast.

In my opinion, it was just after breakfast when the "adventure" aspect of this endeavor started to kick in. 

Our team's assigned start time was 12:30pm with a required safety equipment check in at 12:10.  We entered our destination into the GPS and our predicted travel time was 1hour 37 min.  I looked at the clock and saw that it was already after 11:00!!!!!!!!!!  (Do the math.)  Ahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!  This is Hood to Coast!  Not some neighborhood friendly 5K.  You show up late you don't get to just jump in and start late.  You don't start at all!  This is the big-wig-coveted event of the year and even possibly a once in a lifetime opportunity.  You don't show up late to that!!!!!!!!!  You show up an hour early just in case!  Ahhhhhhhhhh!  Our fearless captain got behind the wheel and charged up the mountain.  She politely and effectively made our need for hastiness clear to any poor driver who happened to be driving in front of us.  Her efforts paid off and we arrived at the check in tent at exactly 12:10.  Not exaggerating.  We didn't have a minute to spare, literally.  Heavens to betsy.  I still can't believe we made it.  The whole way up I was imagining what were we going to have to say to Van2 if we didn't make it in time.  Blahhhhh!  Awful!  Ahhhhh.  Ahhhhh some more!  (Ok I'll try to calm down now.)  How 'bout some pictures from the top.

I got to be runner number 2.  I was thrilled.  Only the first 3 runners actually run on the mountain.  The rest run from the base of the mountain to the coast.   I really wanted a piece of the mountain.  Why?  For the challenge.  :)  I had read about how challenging the first 3 legs could be because of being such a long downhill grade.  Usually downhill translates into an easier run, but after mile 3 or 4, "easy" turns into "quad killer".  This was a new thing to me.  New, different, and would require a different approach to my training.  After completing my marathon I desperately wanted to again have something to work towards and focus on.  We had big strong guys on our team and I was nervous that they would get the mountain legs.  But I got my "piece of the Hood."
This is a picture of me waiting for my most anticipated leg!  I was pretty excited.

 I LOVED the view.  So pretty.  Driving up to the start we had driven right past the cloud level and into the sunshine.  By the time it was my turn to run we had made our way back into the cloud level.  Everything was so nice and cool and misty.  It had such a pretty look to it.  I try to visualize it again in my mind and wish I had been able to take a picture of what I got to see and enjoy.  But I guess that's part of what made getting to do all this, so special.  I got to see and do things that most people never get to see or do.
My friend did get this picture of me running though.  You can kind of see the mist in the trees in the background.  Oh it was awesome. 

AND my pace time was lightning!  I usually run 9 min miles.  8:30 if I'm racing and feeling competitive.  I clocked in at 7:18! 

After everyone in my van had their turn running we met up with Van 2 and helped them get their vehicle decked out to go.

Then we grabbed a bite to eat and geared up for our night run.

A vocabulary word I for got to explain in Hood to Coast 101 is roadkill.

ROADKILL: When you pass another runner.

* Because of how things are organized, there is LOTS of roadkill.  All the slower teams start early in the morning so they have enough time to get to the beach.  The faster you are, the later in the day you start.  It works out so that everyone makes it to the beach at about the same time.  As all those fast runners try to also make it to the beach, they pass the slow ones.  Teams keep tally marks on the side of their van for how many "roadkills" they've made. 

It's great to make a roadkill and all, but it says something about your running skills if you pass someone, but get tired and they pass you back. Not cool.

I worked HARD on my night run.  There was nothing refreshing about it.  I was having to remind myself that I was supposed to be enjoying this.  Part of the reason I was going full throttle was cause it was dark and who wants to hang out on a dark lonely street in the middle of the night.  But this was compounded because of roadkills.  I wasn't killing myself trying to pass people, but  a couple of times someone would be in front of me and staying behind them was slowing my pace down.  So I moved in front of them.   Which is fine.  But NOBODY wants to be roadkilled back.  So if you're gonna go in front, you better have the umph reserved to stay there.

So here is what happened.  I would roadkill someone.  Then a little while later I would hear footsteps coming up behind me.  Thinking my roadkill was trying to get me back I'd go faster and faster trying to keep them from passing me back.  Well 3 different times, those footsteps coming up behind me were not the poor soul I had passed.  It was some long-legged elite professional Olympic runner who was passing us all and I was killing myself trying to keep in front of them!  Cause it was so dark this happened multiple times!  :P  Man, that whole run kicked my butt.  It was work.  Ended up with my usual 9 min mile pace. 

I pushed myself so hard on that run that I didn't feel very good and spent some time in the back seat trying to doze a little while others took their turns.  By the time everyone in my van was done we were approaching 4 am.  We started making our way to our next resting area.  We were in stand still traffic for far longer than I care to admit.  It was at this point that I was beginning to question my sanity and question whether anyone would ever be able to get me to do this ever again. 

But we finally made it into the field and I started to realize how epic all this really is. 

This race has over 2,000 vans that are constantly fluxing in and out of runner exchange areas.  There are over 12,000 runners.  Each of those runners have digestive systems that need to be accommodated all along the way.  The logistics behind this event are absolutely dumfounding!  Normally I don't care for the word "epic".  I think it's down right silly when people use that word to describe their all night pizza party or something.  But this, all this, yes, I decided that this was an appropriate use of the word epic.  And I got to be a part of it.

Epic or not though, we were SO ready for some rest.
Even our van's three "Beasts" turned into caterpillars for a while.

 

But alas, the sun was coming up and it was getting brighter by the minute.  We only had about an hour and I just couldn't bring my adrenalin levels down enough to actually sleep.  But either way it felt so good to lay down.  It felt like the comfiest piece of ground I'd ever laid on. 

Then we were off and at it again.  My 3rd leg we were in an area with no cell service.  So the app on my phone that I usually use to track my miles and pace was no good.  But the more I thought of it, I was kind of glad.  I was fatigued.  There was no way I was gonna get a rocket pace.  And listening to my phone tell me how slow I was would have just been discouraging.  So I just gave it my all.  Pushed 110% of whatever juice I had left in me.  It was good enough, cause I had no "numbers" to compare it to.  Just ran my heart out.  Felt pretty good and just tried to enjoy my last run in this Hood to Coast.  And according to my team member who was keeping track of our times, despite my 17 miles on 30 min sleep, I still pulled out under 10 min miles.  That was enough to put a big smile on my face.

Then it was off to the finish line to wait for the Van2 runners.   I'd wager it was the most grandiose finish line I will ever see. 

It was here that we snuck in just a little more adventure and just a little more adrenaline. 

When I ran my marathon I paid $2 so that my mom would receive automatic text messages of my progress.  Our captain also signed up for a text message when our runner crossed the finish line.  We were all sitting around out of the way of the crowd anticipating about another 30 min before our last runner should arrive.  Then our captain gets a text that says "congratulations!"  What?  She crossed the finish line???  None of us were there when she got there?  Heck, the rest of van 2 was still finding a parking spot!  What???  We split up, got on the phones, jumped over walls, and dodged security guards in a desperate attempt to gather our team.  Daft technology.  In fact our last runner had NOT yet arrived and we all stood around for 10min more waiting for her.  Sigh.  But in the end, she arrived and we all finished and survived our Hood to Coast.
 

It took us 30 hours to complete.
We placed 190th out of the 327 teams in our division.  661st overall.

 

Being together for 30+ hours straight, it's just not something you're gonna forget.  I really enjoyed getting to hang out with my running buddy.  It was fun being a part of her first relay . . . . and I'd wager, it won't be her last.  :)

 

 

Just in case you've been wondering, our shirts said:
"Look like a Beauty, train like a BEAST."

Hood to Coast was an amazing adventure and opportunity.   Crazy, bordering on insane, but awesome.  It brings a smile to my face and I feel very blessed.

I can't record my memoirs without thanking my love.  So supportive!  Supportive of me and my crazy dreams.  So willing to let me do what makes me happy.  I feel so lucky to have him in my corner. 

I thought I'd never want to be the captain of a relay team.  But I confess, this journey has started me dreaming about next summer.  Maybe . . . . just maybe.  Maybe a relay in Utah?  . . . . . . .  With my sisters and my best friend from high school???  Hmmm . . . . . :)  We will see what adventures life has in store.  Either way, I'm one happy mama who is looking forward to FALL.  My running adventures get set on the back burner for a while, but I'm excited for starting up home-school again, making Halloween costumes, cool temperatures, pumpkin cookies, comfy sweatshirts and hot chocolate. 

Thanks to all my friends and family who support me in my adventures and cheer me on. 

BONUS PHOTOS:
The army bunkers we slept in the night after the race.
Believe it or not, it felt SO COMFY.  But that might have had something to do with my level of exhaustion.  :)

If you ever watch the Hood to Coast movie, you'll know why this picture is cool.