Last updated: 2007-08-10 12:00 AM
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27:17:28
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200 miles |
08m 11s min/mile
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Timberline Lodge to Seaside Oregon. I don't really know where to start in describing this event. It's HUGE. I was amazed by how many people there were EVERYWHERE and so many vans, but also how smoothly everything ran. There were 1,000 teams, with two vans of 6 people, wo 12 runners per team. I was in Van #1 and we ran 6 legs, then handed the baton to Van #2 and went to go shower/rest/eat while they ran their 6 legs. Repeat twice.
My first leg (#4) was 7 miles of slightly downhill. My favorite! I love a mild downhill and this was perfect. I got a PB for this run - 8:06 miles all the way. WOW!! AND I got 12 “roadkills”. (passed 12 people).
I handed off to Dennis who ran the infamous Leg #5 (which by definition includes 17 and 29). Non-newbies on this race know ALL the legs, can tell you when they ran them last, what the weather was the first two times, etc. etc. etc. It was hilarious. Everywhere we went people would ask what leg we were running. (It’s the secret HtC greeting.) "Hi, nice to meet you, what leg are you doing?" We would then have a nice chat until they asked Dennis. Then it was, "Oh. I'm sorry." And it would get all quiet. Then we'd change the subject. I'm sure he was beginning to freak out. LOL!! In his defense, Leg 5 is a tough climb (rated very hard), and leg 29 is pure torture - 3.5 miles of a really steep uphill followed by 1.5 miles of steep downhill – also rated very hard.
I thought that there would be a lot of down time, but there really wasn't. We would start the next runner, go park down the road and cheer and/or give them water, and then if it was a long leg, do it again. If it was a short one, then we’d go tot the next exchange, get in a big line to park, park, sit for maybe 10-15 minutes or stand in the porta-potty line, and go exchange runners.
My second leg (#16) was at 3am along the highway just outside Portland. I had a headlamp so didn’t have to carry a flashlight. This run was only about 3.5 miles but I still passed 5 people. I got passed once. One of the elite team runners passed me like I was moving backwards. I only run like that in a dead sprint for 50 yards. LOL. I did manage a 8:10 pace for this leg and I’m totally excited by this.
After the last leg for our van, we went to Scapoose High School and for $2 we showered in their gym locker rooms – brings back memories!! and got a pancake, egg and sausage breakfast. It was okay. I’m not used to eating that early and the whole sleep/eat system was all messed up. We were kinda cranky too. The other chick in my van got a shower that didn’t get warm, so she wasn’t real happy.
My third leg (#28) was at the base of the coast range. It was 4.1 miles of gradual uphill, rated easy. I don’t like uphills, but it wasn’t that bad. I was slower this time, 8:34 miles – pretty fast for me, but still got 8 roadkills. Woo hoo!!
I handed off to Dennis, and got in the van. We decided that even though he didn’t want a water stop, we would still stop and cheer. That was good – he ditched his cap the first time. And he liked the cheering. At the end, he said those 5.7 miles were harder than any run he’d ever done, even the half mary with the hills we did in April. Plus I think he got passed a lot. Most teams put their strongest runner on this leg, and he got passed by these two guys that were chatting on the way up doing sub-7s. They’re talking about the leg, saying, “Oh I always do #5, none of the others are any challenge…” -just what you want to hear as you diesel up a vertical road.
The last runner on this segment asked for water at the top of the hill. One of our guys who always was getting the water, got some and went to the front of the van. I was standing at the back talking to Dennis about his run, and cheered for our guy. He says, “Where’s my water???” Water guy was in the van!!! Crap! So I kick off my sandals and sprint after our runner with a bottle of water, and then discover that running barefoot on crappy pavement is NOT A GOOD IDEA!!! Duh. I am stooopid. My heels are KILLING me today. I think I bruised them. He did get his water though and I got a ton of cheering from the vans lined up along the road. All good. :)
After he was done, we drove to Seaside to meet Van #2 at the end. I lay down ‘for a minute” not expecting to sleep, and woke up to the Welcome to Seaside sign. So it was a quick trip for me.
The party afterwards was GREAT. We got to run through the finish line with all the team. They had a beer garden and big soundstage area. We didn’t stay as our ride was going back, but chicken and mediocre yakisoba noodles never tasted so good.
I can’t WAIT to do it again next year!!!
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Just right
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Yes
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5
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2007-08-27 3:26 PM
1903
Portland, Oregon
Subject: Nike Hood To Coast Relay
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Overall Rank = /
Age Group = Male, Open
Age Group Rank = 148/293
Packed some water, some gatorade, four changes of clothes, two towels, some baby wipes, and not nearly enough snacks.
Got out of the van, wandered around the starting area, and got a team picture. The weather was great - low 80s and sunny. We cheered our first runner off and got back in the van to give him water at the halfway point. Then it was all van, cheer, water, cheer, trade runners, sleep and ride. (Repeat.) One van had "Run, sleep, eat, repeat." Written on the side. That was pretty accurate!