On Friday and Saturday I participated in Hood to Coast. I ran on a corporate sponsored team with many of my co-workers. There are 12 people per team and they each run 3 legs to complete the 197 miles. Teams have two vans that haul their team to each exchange point. I ran leg 8--which wasn't one of the longer in milage, but it did include one leg that was ranked VH--Very Hard. This ranking was due to the steep incline, and the fact that half of it was along a windy, narrow road. The other half was on a dusty, gravel road that became even worse as vans drove alongside the runners, causing the dust to stir and us to choke. I wore a bandanna to prevent the thick dust from getting in my mouth. The other factor in difficulty may be that the majority of runners experience this leg in the middle of the night--meaning pitch black conditions. Despite this difficult leg, I absolutly loved running in Hood to Coast. My teammates were so much fun and very positive. It took us about 27 hours in total to run the race. I was able to sleep off and on in our van but I was still exhausted at the conclusion of the race. The feeling of accomplishment and adventure combined for a wonderful adrenaline rush and I am already excited to participate next year!
Some of my teammates from "The MachSquad" Nike Golf Corporate Team
