The Morning After

52 mins.
7 miles

After the soundest ten-hour sleep of my entire life (albeit in a condo housing 20 other people), Gen and I and a few of the guys from the Brooks men's elite team decided to embark on a shakeout/recovery jaunt through the streets of Seaside before boarding the vans back to Seattle. The first five minutes were some of the most painful I have ever experienced, as my quads are indescribably sore. Every bend, squat, shift and step hurts in some way. That said, as the run progressed I began to feel marginally better, and I'm glad I got out there. Chances are I'll stiffen back again on my red eye flight home tonight, but at least I can say I put in the effort.

Now that the dust has settled and the results have been tallied, I am pleased to announce that our team placed third overall in the corporate mixed category in a respectable 21:30:57. Also, our men's elite team placed second out of the entire 1200+ team field in 17:21:52. As for myself, after 18 miles, 2 hours of sleep, 3 Clif bars, about a dozen rice krispie treats and countless baby wipe "showers," I considered my Hood to Coast experience a rousing success. Once the soreness abates and my sleeping patterns return to normal, I'll be looking forward to next year's race. Victory in the morning!