Not everyone who reads my blog is a runner. Not everyone who reads my blog exercises regularly...or at all. Not everyone who reads my blog is a parent...or ever wants to be one. Not everyone who reads my blog is a bona fide Baby Boomer (yes, I am).
I like it that way.
No "niche."
No box.
No limitations.
I am hoping that my non-running readers are hanging tough while I explode with excitement about being a part of Nuun's Hood To Coast Relay team, Nuun Platuun. I know it gets tiresome when you really don't 'get' it... but hopefully, everyone will get a little entertainment out of it, maybe learn something new, and maybe be motivated or inspired to make a change, either physically or mentally or emotionally, that will bring them closer to the life they want to be living :)
There is a whole lot of sentimental attachment to the words 'Hood to Coast' for me that have nothing to do with the Relay or running and nothing to do with Nuun. My daddy lived in Portland starting when I was about 10 until he passed away right before I turned 30. He lived in Portland ... my first leg goes into Portland. When he died, he had been living in Seaside... and his widow (my stepmom) lives there still. That is where I finish things off for my team :) We frequently went to Mount Hood, summers and winters. So if you think I might spend a little time bawling while we are on this route, you're probably right.
When we were chosen by Nuun to run this thing, we were to pick three legs we'd like to do. I was fortunate enough to have gotten my first choice... Leg 12. My daddy is why I picked 12/24/36. I joke a lot about how I wanted the easiest and the most glamorous slot, but truth be told... there really is no 'easy' on this thing. Nonetheless, it's funny how even though it's ranked 7th out of 12 in terms of mileage ( total = 16.52) and gets 8th in relative difficulty, the twelfth runner gets blasted with the monikers
Spotlight Hog
Attention Grubber
Glamour Legs
and even
Pussy Legs... thanks, Cupcake... I love you, too :)
Referencing the 2011 Hood To Coast Relay Handbook... click that link to see the route maps if you're interested... the elevation profiles provided are disturbingly .... ummmmm... flat, with the exception of that one long downhill near the end. Soooooo... since every other leg in the entire relay is fraught with massively steep or massively long hills (both up and down), one might not be entirely out of line for saying something about the ... ummmm... I don't know.... seemingly easiness of this runner's legs.
And finally... screeeeeeeemin' into Seaside...
whaddya say we just not pay a whole lot of attention to those numbers on the left :P
I am going to tell you what I am doing and when and how I am supposed to be doing it so that you can energetically root for me and help keep me in high spirits... keeping it strong and honest and maybe laughing a little here and there...
Leg 12...supposed to begin around 9 p.m. on Friday and cover the 6.37 miles in 57:35, which is just a hair over 9 min/mile pace, finishing just before 10 p.m. in Portland.
Leg 24...supposed to begin around 7 a.m. on Saturday and cover the 4.92 miles in 43:58, which is just a hair under 9 min/mile pace, finishing around 7:45 a.m. in Mist.
Leg 36...supposed to begin around 4:15 p.m. Saturday and cover the 5.23 miles in 47:15, again very slightly over 9 min/mile pace, finishing at right around 5:00 p.m. in Seaside.
You can also follow our Nuun teams several ways:
Energy in these vans will be high. It is going to be an incredible, rolling party-like something or other for 200 miles across half a state. EPIC. That's a word that is often used in relation to Hood to Coast Relay.
EPIC.
**************************
Remember also... if you're a lover of Nuun and want to stock up or if you've never tried and want to, there is a promotional code in the sidebar for 25% off your order online! Just enter "nuunplatuun" upon checking out :)
I like it that way.
No "niche."
No box.
No limitations.
I am hoping that my non-running readers are hanging tough while I explode with excitement about being a part of Nuun's Hood To Coast Relay team, Nuun Platuun. I know it gets tiresome when you really don't 'get' it... but hopefully, everyone will get a little entertainment out of it, maybe learn something new, and maybe be motivated or inspired to make a change, either physically or mentally or emotionally, that will bring them closer to the life they want to be living :)
There is a whole lot of sentimental attachment to the words 'Hood to Coast' for me that have nothing to do with the Relay or running and nothing to do with Nuun. My daddy lived in Portland starting when I was about 10 until he passed away right before I turned 30. He lived in Portland ... my first leg goes into Portland. When he died, he had been living in Seaside... and his widow (my stepmom) lives there still. That is where I finish things off for my team :) We frequently went to Mount Hood, summers and winters. So if you think I might spend a little time bawling while we are on this route, you're probably right.
When we were chosen by Nuun to run this thing, we were to pick three legs we'd like to do. I was fortunate enough to have gotten my first choice... Leg 12. My daddy is why I picked 12/24/36. I joke a lot about how I wanted the easiest and the most glamorous slot, but truth be told... there really is no 'easy' on this thing. Nonetheless, it's funny how even though it's ranked 7th out of 12 in terms of mileage ( total = 16.52) and gets 8th in relative difficulty, the twelfth runner gets blasted with the monikers
Spotlight Hog
Attention Grubber
Glamour Legs
and even
Pussy Legs... thanks, Cupcake... I love you, too :)
I have found so much helpful info on this woman's blog 110 Pounds and Counting. She ran it last year and gives a very detailed description of her experiences as the twelfth runner. I am so very grateful to her.
And this guy... I love this piece he wrote about Van 2 and the glamour leg.
Referencing the 2011 Hood To Coast Relay Handbook... click that link to see the route maps if you're interested... the elevation profiles provided are disturbingly .... ummmmm... flat, with the exception of that one long downhill near the end. Soooooo... since every other leg in the entire relay is fraught with massively steep or massively long hills (both up and down), one might not be entirely out of line for saying something about the ... ummmm... I don't know.... seemingly easiness of this runner's legs.
Leg 12
Leg 24
Leg 36
However...
if you look at a different set of maps, everything changes...
little rollers in leg 12...
and exaggerating into bigger rollers...
Then we move on to the next one...
blippy spiky things in leg 24...
and its exaggeration makes it look like that rock formation in
Close Encounters of a Third Kind...
Leg 36... HOLY COW! It'll be like jumping off a freakin' cliff!
whaddya say we just not pay a whole lot of attention to those numbers on the left :P
I am going to tell you what I am doing and when and how I am supposed to be doing it so that you can energetically root for me and help keep me in high spirits... keeping it strong and honest and maybe laughing a little here and there...
Leg 12...supposed to begin around 9 p.m. on Friday and cover the 6.37 miles in 57:35, which is just a hair over 9 min/mile pace, finishing just before 10 p.m. in Portland.
Leg 24...supposed to begin around 7 a.m. on Saturday and cover the 4.92 miles in 43:58, which is just a hair under 9 min/mile pace, finishing around 7:45 a.m. in Mist.
Leg 36...supposed to begin around 4:15 p.m. Saturday and cover the 5.23 miles in 47:15, again very slightly over 9 min/mile pace, finishing at right around 5:00 p.m. in Seaside.
You can also follow our Nuun teams several ways:
- Follow Nuun on Twitter (@ministryofnuun) HERE
- Follow me on Twitter (@xlmic) HERE
- Follow Nuun Platuun on Twitter (@NuunPlatuun) HERE
- Follow AfterNUUN Delite on Twitter (@AfterNUUNDelite) HERE
- You can also like my Facebook page HERE
- And Nuun's Facebook page HERE
Energy in these vans will be high. It is going to be an incredible, rolling party-like something or other for 200 miles across half a state. EPIC. That's a word that is often used in relation to Hood to Coast Relay.
EPIC.
**************************
Remember also... if you're a lover of Nuun and want to stock up or if you've never tried and want to, there is a promotional code in the sidebar for 25% off your order online! Just enter "nuunplatuun" upon checking out :)
I am so excited for you guys!!! And jealous. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting on my blog so I could find yours! woot!
Awesome! My hubby has done that relay twice (including running the 2am leg). So exciting. I just started training for my second half-marathon.
ReplyDeleteCannot wait to hear all about it on twitter! So excited for you! :) And yikes on the hills.
ReplyDeleteLeg 36, Mile 3.2, I predict a massive wall comes up out of nowhere that you have to figure out how to surmount. That "cliff" is going to destroy your quads (plus that will be your 15th mile or so). You're going to have to work for that last 1.5 miles, but that only makes the beach party sweeter, right?
ReplyDeleteyou realize it's just the the elevation scale is different between the two sets of graphs, right? My advice....You have to run what's there and there's nothing you can do about it so not to worry.
ReplyDeleteI know you'll be fine. Well, at least until you hit that massive wall at mile 3.2 of Leg 36. That might be a little less routine.
People…i KNOW they are at different scales. My hills are piddly. I am showing pics that make me look way more macho than the ones in the handbook. Trying to maintain my badass Commando-ness ;-)
ReplyDeleteI hate having to explain a joke :(
Pussy legs!! :) I am still waiting for your bra post (or did I miss that?)
ReplyDeleteSee you in like a dayyyy holy cow.
A
You do have a niche: awesomeness. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI'm exhausted just reading about all the running you're going to have to do. I don't care which leg I got, I would be forever known as Pussy Legs after that run. Way to go and good luck! I love that it has sentimental meaning to you in addition to being a kick ass relay.
ReplyDeleteOMG that is quite a difference in the elevation profiles. You will do great!
ReplyDeleteI got your joke. :P You'll still be epic, despite your "piddly" legs. :) 2 days!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you found some use from my posts! Good luck on HTC!!
ReplyDeleteYou are going to do GREAT!! I sorta wish I would have picked the last leg..
ReplyDeleteI hear a lot about the Hood To Coast relay. My cousin lives in Portland, and she did it last year.
ReplyDeleteLeg 36 looks like a burner on the quads. Good luck not falling off the cliff, so to speak.
Sorry about the weather. I tried like heck to get you guys, 65 and a light rain. Good running tomorrow.
ReplyDelete