HTC 2010 .... "Life is a hiiighway. I'm gonna RUUUN it ... all night long."

Part 2 of this post.  (Thanks Chery.  I stole some of your pictures.)

<-- (Jeff's aversion to all things sweaty, including old girlfriends and wrist wraps ..... you had to have been there .... )

It only took one experience with the Hood to Coast Relay to be completely hooked.  It rocketed up to the top of my list of MOST Fun Things Ever!  So needless to say, we set our sights on 2010.  Husband and I naively volunteered to co-captain a team.  Previous teammates were invited and new ones were recruited to fill the gaps, including Daughter .... also known in this blog as FRP.  A couple of newbie-runners (spouses of teammates) decided to give it a go, signed on, and instantly began stressing.  (My mantra was, If I can do this at my age, after one year of running, ANYONE can.  No excuses.  Buck up.)    ;-)

It's fun to watch the newbies fret and worry, because we were all there once.  And I was the worst of them.

"Aren't you scared to run alone in the dark?" they ask.

"Nah, you're never really alone.  Not with all the axe-murderers and drunk drivers out there.  It's a regular party!"

"But when do we sleep?"

"Sleep?  You can do that when you get home.  Or just shove the pop cans and food wrappers aside and stretch out on the floor of the van.  Here, take my Reeboks for a pillow.  No problem."

"I dunno if I can run that long."

"You can walk some if you have to - just not until the van passes.  But you didn't hear that from me."

"And what about showers?"

"Showers??  Hahahahahahaha!"

Our team, named GoLDS, consisted of me, Bryce, Lindsay, Chery, Jon, Jeff, and our driver Steve in Van 1.  And Brent, Amy, Kimberly, John, Mark, and Ben, with driver Bill in Van 2.

Each team has a specific start time in order to spread out the congestion of over 2000 vans on the road, which is assigned just a few weeks prior to the event.  To my dismay, we were put in the FIRST wave of runners, 6:30 a.m.  That meant our trip to Timberline Lodge began at 3:30 a.m.!  It was still dark and COLD when we pulled into the parking lot.  I was the first runner and had to dress up like a Christmas tree with all the required reflectors, blinkers, headlight, bib number, etc. even though by then, daylight had arrived.

 The infamous First Leg of the HTC is 5 miles of steep downhill.  It's a knee-killer.  But it turned out to be my favorite.  A new wave of runners started every 15 minutes, and being in the first one, I was hailed by a lot of arriving vans as I ran down the road.  "There's a runner!!  It's started!!!"  HONK!  Wave!  Cheer!!!  SO exciting!  But the best cheering happens when your own van passes you as it drives ahead to wait at the next exchange.  Some people need drugs or alcohol for a high.  They should try this.

Bryce hands the wrist-wrap "baton" to Chery.

  

From Jeff to Jon, literally father to son.  Due to a knee injury, driver Steve took over for Jon for his last two legs. 

Lindsay brings it in to Brent and Van 2 takes over.  Sad to say, I don't have photos of Van 2. 

Naptime.

Here comes Amy, our final runner, approximately 31.45 hours from our start on Mt. Hood.  The team waits on the sand to cross the finish line together.  

How could anyone not LOVE this group??

This was the year we saw lives changed.  My favorite quote came from Amy, just after she finished her last leg: "I didn't know what I could do.  Now I know."

  

In less than two months, I will run in my 3rd HTC with team Van Hailin', and the excitement/stress is building.  You'll see some familiar faces in the photos and some new ones.  The addiction continues to spread.  It's this time of year when we all think- Why did I agree to this??  What was I thinking??  But afterwards, we can't wipe the silly grins off our faces nor can we WAIT until next time!  Each year I say will be my last.  We'll see.  

Care to place a bet?