Hood to Coast - Van 1

Van 1 at the starting line
Let's get this straight: I love Hood to Coast. It sounds crazy to take 12 runners in two vans 200 miles from Mt Hood to the coast, and it is. It's also raucous, exhausting, hilarious, challenging, illuminating, messy LONG event. You really get to know the people in your van. And when two of those people are my dad and my brother, and the rest are friends and/or rad new people, it's well worth the sleep deprivation and  muscle pain.

Our "go crazy" pic. Not crazy yet.
I ran leg 1 this year-- my ninth-- as I "collect all 12" to make my own full Hood to Coast. It was a great year for it, since #1's second leg had three miles added to it because of construction near the Hawthorne Bridge, which is the usual exchange between runners 12 and 1. I relished the extra distance in the otherwise short set of runs.

Okay, let's actually go get ready now
I was also pleasantly surprised by the first leg, which is known to cause some injury because of its steep downhill. Obviously I've been running some mountains recently, because it didn't seem that steep to me. The road was very even and gentle, and I ran 7:08s-- a personal best that I will never top unless I am running down an even steeper mountain on perfect terrain.

Lined up at the start at Timberline Lodge on Mt Hood
It was a trend, too, because everyone in our van kept beating their predicted times. This lead to a bit of frustration on the part of the captain (me) who was trying to plan and time everything.

Kat on her first leg, #2
Ultimately, we all had a great time and enjoyed each other's company. We also came up with some great ideas for next year. You know it's a success when everyone is already excited for next year!

My dad slapping fives on leg #4

One of the main improvements we hope for next year is to spend more time with both vans. By the time Van 2 got to the coast and we met up in the thick crowds, Van 1 was cranky and tired (okay, maybe mostly me). It's tough to hang out at the van exchanges, though, when you're trying to get rest beforehand and then you have to jet off after your runner.

Killin' it
Go Honey Bucks & Buckettes!

Adam is so fast that all I got was this one blurry photo

Selfie at the start of leg #13 on the Springwater Trail

The Hawthorne Bridge and city lights at night
Me running across the Hawthorne Bridge at night



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