The 31st annual Hood To Coast Relay was last weekend. It is one of the longest and largest relays in the world with 18,000 total participants. The course runs approximately 200 miles from Timberline Lodge on the slopes of Mount Hood, through the Portland metropolitan area, and over the Oregon Coast Range to the beach town of Seaside on the Oregon Coast.Walkers can choose to compete in the Portland To Coast which is the last 127 miles of Hood to Coast and what my team participated in. Sure, walking… DONE! Okay, I feel duped seeing that walking was not as effortless as I assumed. Nor did anyone warn me about the muscles used when trying to get somewhere fast without RUNNING. I mean really. It’s kind of ridiculous how unprepared I was for this. I pulled both hip flexers due to forward hip flex swing motion that I was convinced would get me from A to B faster. I know I probably looked amazing and all making those motions but I should have just saved it for the dance floor. Which is exactly what we did after celebrating our finish on the beach. My feet needed more of a beating and honestly I could have used one more injury; a stiff neck from hair whipping. You’d be proud Claire, Michelle and Megan.
Anyways, big THANKS to Heather for inviting me to be a part of the team this year and for organizing it all. It was more fun then imagined and would totally do it again.