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!
~5 min. w/u
5.77 miles @ 36:07 (~6:15 pace)
~4 min. c/d
Total: 7 miles
Course mapI didn't sleep at all between my second and third legs, but we did stop at Starbucks for some early morning caffeine, so I felt relatively awake and lucid at go time. Temperatures spiked dramatically after sunrise, and by the time our van took over for the third and final time at 9:30am, it was well over 75 degrees. My legs were absolutely trashed at this point and I was dreading another long leg with a substantial uphill in the middle. After reviewing the course rating, I discovered that my leg was ranked third hardest on our team, and I was definitely feeling this by the third leg. My goal was to run 6:40 pace but I doubted whether that was possible. Nonetheless, when I took off I was determined to give it absolutely everything I had. Rick's continuous war cry throughout the entire race was "Victory in the morning!" and I figured I should at least do my part to make that a reality on my third and final effort. By this point we had caught up with a much larger group of teams, and I counted 16 people that I passed on this leg as I ran through the undulating country roads. The last two miles comprised 1.5 miles uphill followed by a steep downhill, and by the time I approached the uphill I felt as though I was barely moving. When I crested the hill and began to pick up speed, I decided since my quads were already screwed I might as well sprint it in. I handed off to Alex at pretty much full speed and was pleasantly surprised to see my split. From there it was a quick jog followed by a celebratory Corona that Tara and I shared in the van to cap off the run. Now all we had to do was enjoy the ride while the rest of our van ran, then cruise to the finish in Seaside to watch our team come in several hours later. I can honestly say that the shower I enjoyed at our rented condo that afternoon was one of the best in recent memory...all it needed was some peach Lindeman's.
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~2 min. w/u
6.06 miles @ 39:35 (~6:35 pace)
~8 min. c/d
Total: 8 miles
Course map
After a fitful two-hour nap, our van rolled into downtown Portland around 2am to make the second exchange with Van 2. I was groggy, stiff, and completely uninterested in running any time in the near future. Unfortunately, Tara only had a four mile leg and then it was my turn again. At this point it was obviously pitch black and quite chilly outside, so I probably should've taken a longer warm up, but honestly I was just not in the mood. I took off from the outskirts of downtown Portland and ran through the streets of an industrial area pretty much the entire way. Had this run taken place in daylight it wouldn't have been described as scenic, but at 3am I didn't really care that much. I was just grateful that the streets were well lit and the footing was even, because I needed all the help I could get at that point. The darkness deceives you into thinking you're moving at a faster rate than you actually are, so while I felt like I was flying I was actually plodding along at a fairly pedestrian pace. Unlike my first leg, I actually saw a few other runners on this route, and passed 4-5 people along the way. My legs grew heavy toward the end and all I could focus on was grinding it out and handing off the bracelet to Alex as soon as possible. After I finally reached my destination and made it through the transition zone, I jogged down the road a bit to cool down before the van picked me up. I was now 2/3 of the way done and had nothing to do but play the waiting game for another six hours.
~5 min w/u
5.67 miles @ 33:30 (~5:52 pace)
~5 min c/d
Total: 7 miles
Course map
Van 1 teammates at Brooks headquarters before our journeyL to R: Liz, Rick, Alex, Bri, Tara, meAfter a traffic-intensive drive from Seattle to Portland, we arrived at the top of Mt. Hood around 6:30 pm. What a breathtaking view! Since I was in Van 2 last year (which doesn't go to the start of the race), this was my first time to journey to the top of the mountain and witness our team's sendoff. Through a combination of predicted time and lottery, we literally were among the final 7-8 teams to start the race, and our Hood to Coast experience kicked off at exactly 7:45pm. Tara Schwager, one of our customer service girls, ran the first leg and would hand off to me after about six miles. I would then continue down the mountain (literally) for another ~6 before handing off to a guy named Alex who works at our outlet store in Bothell. He handed off to Bri (customer service), who passed to Rick (sales VP), who passed to Liz (apparel sales), who then handed off to the first person on Van 2. Such would be the rotation throughout the entire race.
The ladies of Van 1 at the start:
Liz, Bri, myself, TaraBy the time I got the baton (read: slap bracelet) circa 8:30, daylight was waning rapidly. Though temperatures were in the upper 50s at this point, the humidity was rather high and I worked up a sweat pretty quickly. Race rules mandated that each of us wear a reflective vest and carry a flashlight during the night runs, and I was glad to have both as I weaved down the mountain around hairpin turns amid relatively heavy traffic. Everyone had warned me to neither push nor hold back on this leg, but rather to let the mountain carry me in hopes of preserving my quads for the next two legs. I tried to take this advice and concentrated on maintaining relaxed breathing and a comfortable stride. I also opted to wear a heavier shoe instead of a racing flat on this leg, which proved to be a wise decision. I've never run downhill for six miles straight before and it was definitely a strange feeling. It would've taken a tremendous effort to stop my downward propulsion; fortunately I didn't trip or stub a toe or anything because it would've been all over.
Van 1 at the start line
When I handed off to Alex at the next exchange I was shocked to see my split. If only running 5:50 pace could feel that effortless all the time! I jogged around for a few minutes and immediately popped an ibuprofen to prevent some soreness in my quads, but I could tell almost immediately that I was pretty toasted. At this point it was time to rest, hydrate and refuel for approximately six hours before my next run. I was just hoping to still be able to walk by then. Remind me again why I signed up for this??
AM: 60 mins.
8 miles
PM: Hood to Coast!
Gen and I awoke this morning to a pleasant 57 degree temperature and decided to go for an easy shakeout on the bike path. We ran out and back for about 30 minutes together before parting ways, she to go back to the hotel and me to add on a few more minutes. As I was winding along the path I noticed a bench with some flowers on it. Only as I got closer did I realize it was the memorial for Liz Duncan, a former Brooks customer service employee who was tragically killed when she was hit by a car during a run last year. I didn't know Liz, but she is always spoken of as a beautiful and vibrant girl who touched everyone with her kind spirit and her love for others. I lingered a few minutes at the bench, noting the bronzed shoes and the memorial plaque inscribed with what's become her honorary motto: "Life Is Short, Run Long." I teared up for a moment as I thought about how that has so many life applications, both literal and metaphorical. I sincerely hope that at the end of every day I can look back and say that I have lived that mantra out.
As I type this, I'm sitting at the hotel preparing to head over to our office and board one of the vans that's bound for Oregon. It's hard to believe that 24 hours from now I will have run 3 more times and be completely finished with my Hood to Coast role. I'm excited and nervous and eager to get the race underway. I'll catch you on the other side.
