Posts Tagged by relay race
10 Things I Learned from Hood to Coast
| September 1, 2011 | Posted by Lauren under Running |
You may not believe it, but I’m still riding that Hood to Coast high. Not sure what they put in the water nuun this past weekend – but it was addicting! So intoxicating, in fact, that when I finally ran yesterday for the first time since HTC, I felt like I was floating. It didn’t matter that my knee hurt and my hamstrings were so tight they were screaming…it just felt amazing to be out there running. That’s something I haven’t felt in a long time.
Yep, I’m definitely still smoking the HTC-pipe. And so I present to you Part 2 in what I’ve just decided will be a 3 part series of posts about my experience running Hood to Coast. I hope you’re not sick of me talking about it…because I feel like I’ve got so much to say!
The Top 10 Things I Learned from Hood to Coast
1.) Team uniforms make you run faster.
Particularly when that uniform is a Team Sparkle Skirt (which Kelly and Carrie generously donated to our team). Not only could we spot our sparkling teammates from a mile away, but other teams soon started recognizing us as the “Nuun girls.” And like I said, passing people while wearing a sparkle skirt was pretty fun….particularly if that person was a male.
2.) It is possible to meet people for the very first time, yet feel like you’ve known them your entire life.
Although Sweaty Emily and I go “way back” to the National Marathon, I had never met anyone else on my team before. Yet by the time Van 1 had made it’s way from Seattle, WA to majestic Mount Hood, it felt as though I had known my van-mates for years. Apparently a shared passion for running, Twitter, chocolate covered almonds, and nuun is all it takes to become instant friends.
3.) Never underestimate the power of a short, simple mantra.
For whatever reason, lately I’ve been struggling a little bit with belief – on many different levels in my life. So when Endorphin Warrior offered to donate Warrior Training Bracelets to our team, I knew exactly which bracelet I would choose.
I loved having that constant, one word reminder every time I looked down at my wrist. I still haven’t taken the bracelet off, and I’m not sure I ever will.
4.) Nuun is amazing.
And I’m not just talking about the product, which I truly believe in. It’s the only thing besides water that I can drink while running and will actually quench my thirst while keeping my hydrated.
No, nuun is amazing because in part because the company is amazing.
Every single person in that company went above and beyond for us last weekend. And the second I walked into the pizza dinner they arranged for us the night before, I knew we were in for a treat.
From Mason, the president of the company, who volunteered his time to drive us around all weekend, patiently took me on a trek to find coffee (or rather - espresso soup!) on the outskirts of Portland at night, and hopped out of the van to run 17 miles (3 consecutive legs) with his nuunmates in the middle of the night…all while wearing a pink sparkle skirt. If that’s not dedication to a team, I’m not sure what is!
And Kimberly, who organized every last detail, made sure we were provided with everything we’d need during the relay, and who allowed us to teach her the glory of Twitter (and consequently, get her addicted to it in the time it took to run one set of legs).
To all the other drivers, who gave up their weekends to drive around 20 crazy female bloggers, looked out for us, and helped us get through our runs.
To Kim, who took in the HTC stragglers, and not only allowed Alyssa, Susan and I to stay at her house for a couple of nights, but fed us and acted as an excellent tour guide.
I know I was chosen for this opportunity to represent nuun, and I was excited about that going in. I just didn’t know how in love with nuun I’d fall in the course of one weekend. Or how much gratitude I’d feel in my heart for all the wonderful people who made this happen.
5.) Pink and green are my new racing colors.
All of my fellow Afternuun Delight runners were colors of the rainbow – just like the flavors of nuun. My original intent was to be “lemon lime” but when I saw that the kelly green skirt matched my shoes perfectly, I knew I had to have it.
I spent the entire weekend racing in my new signature colors. There might not be an actual watermelon nuun flavor, but I think it’s an excellent racing look.
6.) Sometimes it’s good to save the best for last.
My first leg of Hood to Coast was a scorcher. High 80s, not a cloud in the sky, and down a long stretch of highway that had been baking in the sun all day. This leg was more about surviving than it was about soaking it all in. But each leg after that got better, until we reached my final leg. It was breathtakingly beautiful with a long stretch of amazing downhills – hills that will tear apart your quads if you race down them at top speeds. Which is what I proceeded to do, of course. And I loved every minute of it. There may or may not have been some tears of joy shed along the way.
7.) The west coast is a wonderful place.
In June, I took a trip out to San Diego and fell in love. My time in Seattle and Oregon only confirmed what I already knew – the west coast is a great place to be. The people, the scenery, the culture…it’s all pretty wonderful. This East Coast girl has a new love.
8.) One weekend really can change everything.
It’s no secret that the past couple of weeks have been low ones for me in terms of my running. Fatigue, leg pain, negativity. All of those things were weighing me down before I headed out to the Seattle for the weekend. But once I stepped off that plane, all the stress and worry of my daily life melted away. And it didn’t matter if my legs were sore or I felt tired – I was there to run. And run, I did! While Hood to Coast didn’t exactly help with the pain in my legs, it revived me. The relay gave me new perspective, and ultimately, got me pumped up about running again.
9.) In the end, a relay is just a relay.
It can’t be denied that the views on Mount Hood are unlike anything we ever see in Rhode Island. Running HTC is worth it just for the start alone. And it was also neat to be surrounded by so many teams, to be a part of such a huge event. But besides that, there were many times when the route we were running could be anywhere in the US. And we still had the same issues you face on any other relay – traffic, lack of sleep, stomach issues, leg cramps. Those things weren’t going to change just because we were competing in the Boston of all relays.
10.) It’s the people that make it.
Ultimately, that doesn’t matter. Because when it comes down to it – a relay may be just a relay, but it’s the people you run it with who make it really special. I couldn’t have asked for a better team. The excitement of all the bloggers and nuun staff just for being at Hood to Coast was palpable. As the weekend went on, that excitement only grew. I fed off all that positive energy, and ended up having the time of my life.
Dear Bart – I love you
I loved all the nuunies I met this weekend, but there will always be a special place in my heart for the members of Afternuun Delight, Van 1 – Mason, Kimberly, Jocelyn, Dorothy, Emily, and Alanna.
Next time I’ll actually tell you about my legs and the experience of the race. And then I’ll stop blabbering on and on about Hood to Coast and nuun. For now…
The Power of a Relay
| August 30, 2011 | Posted by Lauren under Running |
I am not sure if there is any event in this world that can bring together 20 different bloggers from all across North America and one awesome Seattle-based company for such an amazing adventure as well as Hood to Coast did.
Even now, 2 days and one very long flight back to New England later, I still haven’t completely processed the weekend…or stopped trying to re-live the glory. If you’ve never done a relay before, you might not understand the obsession – or what is so amazing about spending 28 hours in a van with strangers and running tough runs on little to no sleep. But although the running is a part of it, relays are about so much more than that.
They are about the scenery.
The people.
The team unity.
The van decorations.
The competition.
Both of our expressions are priceless – clearly he’s not a fan of being passed by a Sparkle Skirt
Fact: skirting >> chicking.
The exhaustion that comes from pushing yourself to your limits.
The food.
Lots and lots of food.
You’d think that running for over 24 hours would mean that you’d have to deprive yourself of normal food along the way. Not us. We found time to carbo-load to the max. …and take lots of weird pictures of ourselves doing it.
Nuun that flowed like water.
I have seriously never been more well-hydrated during a race. I have Nuun to thank for that (…and the craziness that apparently comes from drinking it)
The sleep-deprived crazies.
And the finish line parties.
Although I have done many relays before, nothing will ever compare to my first Hood to Coast relay with Team Nuun. Yes, there were snafus, frustrations, and difficult times along the way, but I loved every single sweaty minute.
Only complaint? That we didn’t win Best Team Outfit, Name, or Van Decor. Ladies – we were robbed!
Full recap to come! But in the meantime, I owe you a giveaway winner!
According to Random.org, the winner of the Hood to Coast movie is….
#29 – Michelle
Congratulations! I hope you love the movie as much as I do (I may or may not have spent the night after finishing the relay reliving it by watching Hood to Coast. Yes, I am certifiably obsessed). Just email me your address and I’ll get that shipped to you ASAP!
And now I need a nap.
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How NOT to Prepare for a Relay
| August 23, 2011 | Posted by Lauren under Running |
Want to win a copy of Hood to Coast, the movie? I never really announced the end of my giveaway, or did anything about it. So keep those entries coming! I’d say you have a pretty good shot at the moment. I’ll close the giveaway on Wednesday night.
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So that was sort of a dramatic way to disappear, no? Not intentional, I swear. To all of you who responded to my last post – thank you so much for your comments and emails. I haven’t gotten the chance to respond to you all personally yet, but I want to tell you that I appreciated every single word you wrote. I know sometimes it can be hard to know what to say when a blogger (aka perfect stranger) writes posts of that sort, but you all said the most encouraging things. And I want to assure you that I’m alive and well, back this week with a much better attitude. It really was nothing that a weekend, a wedding, some perspective, and a little {ontherun} time couldn’t fix. Oh, and a trip to the doctor…just in case.
And now it’s time to take all that energy I was using to focus on those should’s and should not’s and use to get ready for Hood to Coast. The problem is, I haven’t really been making the most of my time this week.
5 Ways to NOT Prepare for a Relay
Particularly the “Mother” of all relays…
1.) Freak out.
Good thing I got that one out of the way last week. I’m determined not to freak out again about this weird soreness in my legs. At this point, it is what it is.
2.) Stop running.
Or at least, cut back drastically. I had never planned to taper for this relay, but because I’ve been experiencing a lot of weird achey pain in my quads for the past week and a half now on top of a general feeling of tiredness, I decided the smart thing to do would be to stop pushing through it. I don’t want to be injured for this relay. So marathon training has taken a temporary back seat. The goal for the time being is to be ready for HTC (and worry about the rest later).
Problem is, this is a little bit more than a taper. I haven’t been running much at all for a week now. So I’m either going to be the most rested person out there…or the most out of shape.
3.) Use the weekend to {not} pack.
While I did go out and get myself two pairs of these lovely numbers (let the record show that these are the first pairs of booty shorts I have ever purchased), I haven’t actually started packing anything yet. (This is the packing list I’ll use, with a few minor changes)
Yes, they are short. And even more comfortable than I expected (who knew?)
At least I did laundry last night so my running gear would be clean. Now I just have to find it all.
4.) Schedule your flight immediately after work, during a week that you are trapped in long all-day trainings.
My schedule this week is jam-packed. Because I’m in a training for these next few days, I don’t even have my lunch break to use to run errands and get things together. And I have to leave immediately after work on Wednesday if I want to make my flight on time.
Oh and did I mention that I’ll be spending the night at a Pawtucket Red Sox game tonight? And that at some point I really want to run out and get myself a new camera? Now if only those clothes would pack themselves…
5.) Use what little free time there is to blog.
In case that’s not apparent at this point, I really hate packing. I’m not sure where this hatred comes from, but because of it, packing is something that I always avoid until the last possible minute. You’d think the excitement of my upcoming adventure would make me eager to get everything together. But no. I’m the same old procrastinator I’ve always been.
So on that note, I need to get off this computer. I’ll “see” you all from Seattle!
Quick vote: say you want to bring a sleeping bag on a plane, but don’t want to check anything. Do you think the airline will accept a carry-on suitcase plus the bag as my personal item? Or is that not gonna fly? (ha ha ha).
One Week {and a giveaway!}
| August 17, 2011 | Posted by Lauren under Running |
One week from today, I will be boarding a plane to Seattle to join the nuun team for 24 hours of running, peanut butter eating, coffee chugging, van sleeping fun on Mount Hood and along the Oregon coast. As cheesy as it sounds, this is the opportunity of a lifetime!
When I first applied to be on the team, most of my excitement was just about the relay itself. For whatever reason, I didn’t think much about the other bloggers who would be on the team, and the fact that this experience would connect me with women I never would have even heard of otherwise (which is dumb, since I always babble on and on about how much I love the team aspect of relays).
Since being selected, however, it’s been all about the other ladies running. This group is easily the most excited team I’ve ever run a relay with. We’ve come up with a team logo, team uniforms and warm-ups, amazing van decoration ideas, and more. This has taken the team camaraderie that I love so much to a whole new level. Now I’m just as excited to fly out west to meet my teammates as I am to actually run.
Anyway, since we’re so close to the event that has consumed {almost} every waking thought for the past couple of months, I thought I’d take some time to answer all those questions people didn’t actually ask me (I’m sure you all were thinking them though, right?)
Frequently Never Asked Questions
How in the world did you get chosen for this thing?
In case you’ve started reading Health on the Run recently, here’s a link to the application that started it all – I Wanna Run Hood to Coast!
I head HTC is hilly. How exactly have you been preparing to run through mountains at elevation?
Umm….well Providence is sort of hilly too. And I run up those hills on every run. So that counts, right? (Let’s forget about the whole “sea level” thing for now)
Have you done double/triple runs to prepare for the fact that you’ll be running 3 legs in 24 hours?
Sometimes I do a workout in the evening and then get up in the morning to run. But I’ll admit that’s more because of the way my schedule works out than because I’m trying to be intentional about practicing. Plus, in those situations I have about 12 hours between workouts – which is double the amount of time I’d have on the relay.
So…no.
Okay, it sounds like you haven’t really trained for this at all? Is this true??
Yes and no. Honestly the only thing I’ve done is just continue to marathon train. I’ve been trying keep up with lifting regularly and I’ve mixed in some tempo runs/speed work/races, but those are things I’d be doing anyway. I don’t mean to make light of this whole race, but I ran 17 miles last week – which is about the total distance I’ll be running through the course of the weekend. Yes, I’ll be doing those runs on much hillier roads, but I’m hoping my marathon training will have given me enough strength to make it through this relay.
What are these team uniforms you speak of?
Sorry, but that’s top secret, classified information. Okay, so not really but I’m still going to make you wait until the relay to find out. Just think lots of color – people are definitely going to see us coming!
What is your favorite relay snack?
Nuun will be providing most of the food for our vans, which works out great because I’m flying across the country. But I might try to sneak in a few of my favorite things. Like Justin’s nut butter packets (so much easier than bringing an entire jar!) and my new favorite relay treat, peanut-butter filled pretzels. Seriously – I couldn’t get enough of the saltiness after running.
Becky modeling the crack snack she brought for us on the Cape Relay
Will your awesome Bondi Bands be making an appearance?
Why yes, of course – because I swear this thing makes me run faster. As does my I <3 26.2 shirt, of course.
“In my dreams I am a Kenyan” and “Will run for ice cream” – both so true
This sounds like so much fun! How can I track your every move next weekend?
I’m so glad you asked! I won’t be blogging through the relay, but we have created plenty of opportunities for you all to follow along on the adventure. Ready to be overloaded by social media?
- Follow me on Twitter (if you don’t already). I promise my sleep-deprived tweets will be mildly entertaining
- Follow our team AfterNUUN Delight on Twitter (@afternuundelite) – seriously, we need more followers
- Follow the other {almost as cool} team Nuun Platuun on Twitter (@NuunPlatuun) – I know it’s not a competition, but Nuun Platuun already has twice as many followers as we do. I know they’re all cool and intense and everything, but we’re all about the love, so follow @afternuundelite, okay??
- For you non-Twitter users, we have created a Facebook page! “Like” Bloggers Spreading the Nuun Love” on Facebook to see updates from both teams in one place. Plus, I heard all the cool kids are doing it.
- And finally, I will also try to post occasional updates, photos, etc to the Health{ontherun} Facebook page, in case the other options aren’t enough for you.
Phew, I know that’s a lot! But I just want you all to be involved in the fun.
And now, because I want everyone who reads this blog to be just as excited by the Hood to Coast relay as I am, I have a fun surprise for you all!
Hood to Coast DVD Giveaway
As you may {not} know, the Hood to Coast movie recently came out on DVD. Not just any DVD, either. A 2-Disc special that includes over 95 minutes of extras. Hours of Hood to Coast fun in one little package?? Try not to get too excited.
In the small chance you haven’t ordered it already (because I know most of you pre-ordered the movie months ago, you were so excited, right?), I have decided to give away one copy of the DVD to one lucky HOTR reader. I might also throw in a few tubes of Nuun…if you’re lucky.
To enter -
Simply comment on this post and tell me your best relay experience OR one reason why you don’t think you’d ever run one (because I know we’re not all so crazy – though if you hate relays, I’m going to sort of wonder why the heck you want the movie…). Or you could ask me a question that you might actually have about the relay/nuun team/etc, give me some last minute tip or even leave some nice encouraging words (is the elevation really going to kill me??). Basically, if you comment on this post and say anything related to relays, I will consider you entered (unless, of course, you don’t want to be. Which is fine!!).
I’m not going to ask you to do a bunch of other things, but I will give you ONE bonus entry for following the Nuun Teams on Twitter, liking our Facebook page, or liking the Health{ontherun} page (all listed above). Sorry, but following me on Twitter doesn’t count. Just leave a separate comment telling me what you did so I can count it as an entry.
And even if you don’t want the bonus entry, you should follow all our team pages anyway!
Edited to add: I guess I should specify when this thing ends. I want to order the movie before I head out west, so the giveaway will run through midnight on Monday, August 22nd. I’ll choose a winner that Tuesday – so enter before then!
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*This giveaway is sponsored and funded purely by me. The only connection I have with the relay is the fact that I’m running it next week. I just want to spread the Hood to Coast love to all my readers!
An Exciting Opport(nuun)ity
| June 23, 2011 | Posted by Lauren under Motivation, Running |
We interrupt our regularly scheduled blogging for a brief announcement:
I’m In!
No, I’m not suddenly running the NYC Marathon (just wait till 2012), but I like to think that I have the opportunity to do something even more exciting -
I’m running Hood to Coast this summer with Nuun and one two teams of fabulous female bloggers!!
When I started scheming up ways to get on a team with Becky and EC after watching the Hood to Coast movie, I never in one million years thought I’d actually get the chance to run the relay a short few months later. To say this is a dream come true is an understatement.
I am still jumping up and down and giddy every time I talk about it.This is without a doubt the coolest opportunity that has come from my blog since I started it last year. And I know I couldn’t have gotten it without your help.
So thank you (so very much) for your outpouring of support, both for this contest and always. The community of bloggers is one of those great, unexpected perks of blogging – I never realized such an awesome community even existed before I started my own blog. And now it’s one of the best things about it.
I absolutely cannot wait to visit Oregon for the first time with Nuun in August. I can’t think of a better way to see this scenic state than by foot (and while crammed into a smelly van)! And I’m so excited to be running this truly epic relay with some bloggers I’ve already met (like Emily and Susan) and a group of bloggers I can’t wait to get to know.
Of course I’ll be updating you throughout this experience (both on the blog and via Twitter), but for now, if you want to read a little bit more about what the weekend will entail, you can find it on Nuun’s blog here.
I hope you all are ready – the relay excitement is growing stronger than ever!
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In other news, I was able to borrow a computer, so hopefully I’ll be back to regular blogging tomorrow.
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