2012 Hood to Coast Relay

Cresting the second of three hills on Leg #6

Wow, I can't believe that it's already been six weeks since I took part in the 2012 Hood to Coast Relay on August 24-25 as a member of Random Acts of Running, one of the 1,068 teams of 12 people each in a race that started 6,500 feet up on Mt. Hood in Oregon and ran nearly 200 miles to the Pacific Ocean in Seaside, Oregon.  This race consisted of many ups and downs for me personally over two days, but it is definitely an experience I will never forget.

After a great time leading up to the race that included an amazing complimentary dinner at the Outback Steakhouse in Tualatin where the staff went all out to treat us as celebrities and my love affair with the chain just continued to grow, we packed up our vehicles and tried to get a good night's sleep for the adventure that awaited us.  Fortunately, we didn't have an early starting time, so we knew that we should be plenty rested heading into the two-day event.

As part of Van #1 for our team, we needed to finally load up and head to the starting line for our 2:45 p.m. start.  However, on the way, we stopped at the local Krispy Kreme store to pick up a dozen donuts and some chocolate milk that they had graciously agreed to donate to help fuel us on the trip.  If you know much about me, you know that I love my donuts and see them as a great reward for all the running that I do.  This proved to be a great treat and I'm thankful to Krispy Kreme for donating them to us and for all the love they gave us on Twitter during the race.  Interaction with brands is priceless and it's why I'm a big fan of several you see mentioned in this post.

Random Acts of Running posing in Krispy Kreme

A look at all the goodness we had to leave behind.  :)

Our elite runner, Peter Arbogast, fueling up with a glazed donut prior to his run. I later showed the group how to eat one in a single bit.  :)  Yep, it takes skill and years of practice.

With the donuts and chocolate milk secured, we continued the drive to Mt. Hood.  Pretty soon, we found ourselves on the actual course for the race - just going in the opposite direction.  As we passed the exchange zone for the end of Leg #6 (my leg), I began to get excited and started studying the course that I would be running in a few hours.  The rest of the group did, too.  We knew that we had some challenges ahead of us, but we were excited to get the adventure under way.  As we got closer and closer to the starting line, the views just kept getting better.

The view of Mt. Hood from the parking lot as we approached the starting line.

We spent a little time at the starting line getting ready for the race and just soaking in the energy of all the teams around us.  I even ran into a couple of Central Ohio friends there, Brandon Button and Molly Stout.  It's always great to see a familiar face, but especially 2,000 miles away from home.  Molly's team was actually starting the same time as our team and she was running the same leg as me, so I knew that we might see her a couple of times.

Peter, Brandon, and I

O - H - I - O at the start.  Me, Molly, Sarah (a Twitter friend on Molly's team), and Peter.

Just before it was time for our first runner to take off, our van of six runners took a moment to all go to the starting line together and capture a picture to commemorate the start of what would be a great journey together.

I'm not sure there's a more picturesque starting line anywhere

When 2:45 rolled around, we all cheered as Sarah Suever, our first runner, took off straight down the hill on Leg #1.  She cruised over those 5.64 miles at an 8:18 pace and the race was on!  Before I knew it, Ryan Halley, our captain, had knocked out Leg #2 at a 6:29 clip, Brett Milliken hammered out Leg #3 at a 6:20 pace, and Amanda Smithberger rocked Leg #4 at a 7:34 pace.  As we dropped Peter off to do Leg #5, the butterflies were really stirring big time in my stomach as I realized it was almost time for me to get to work.  I had been waiting nine months for this opportunity and it had finally arrived.

It had been 11 days since my previous run as I had battled shins and just rested the legs in hopes that I could somehow pull out the three legs I was assigned for the race. However, after a brief little jog on the top of Mt. Hood earlier in the day as we waited to start the race, I knew that I was in for a lot of soreness if my legs even allowed me to attempt these runs.

I arrived at the exchange point for Leg #6 and eagerly awaited the arrival of Peter, who had the unenviable assignment as the #5 runner - the toughest assignment in the race.  I bumped into Molly briefly at the exchange and we encouraged each other.  Then, I saw Peter cruising up the final hill towards me and I began to get geared up to go. He handed me the relay bracelet and I was off!

I cruised through the first mile in 6:38 with a max speed of 4:49 during the initial acceleration. I passed one person during this stretch and then set off after two others who were in the distance on an uphill. I eventually caught both of them before the third mile ended as I covered those miles in 6:53 and 7:20 to stand at 20:51 after the first three miles for a sub 7:00 pace.

Approaching the exchange zone

This was where my legs began to really fall apart as it was just a constant struggle to manage the pain of what I thought at the time was really bad shin splints with the lack of fitness that I had to run that pace with all my time off as I started to really suck wind.  However, I started thinking about all of my Daily Mile friends along with those following on Facebook and Twitter who were cheering me on. I also thought about my goal to not walk at any point in my next marathon and I just kept pushing myself to finish the leg and then worry about what was next.  In the back of my mind, I also was trying to stay as close to the time of my friend, Carrie Jarvis, who had run the same leg a few hours earlier, and I knew that if I slowed down too much that Molly, who is super fast, would catch and pass me.  So, I just kept going.

Peter coming back to help run me to the finish...in flip flops nonetheless

The leg ended up being more hilly than I anticipated, but I knocked out the next three miles in 7:39, 7:28, and 7:29 before closing the final .70 at a 7:31 pace with a 5:41 burst at the end. I was utterly spent by the time I handed off to Brad Petersen to go on to Leg #7, but I had finished my first assignment. It wasn't the 7:09 pace I had predicted months ago when healthy, but I just missed by seconds (7:16 pace) and I was pretty pleased. I had to be helped to the vehicle as my legs were total mush and shaking, but I had accomplished my first goal of completing at least one leg.

The face of total exhaustion and pain right after I finished

Once I got back in the van, I began to realize that the pain I was feeling was not something that was going to subside any time soon.  Not that day and probably not in even the week to come.  I knew it was bad and that was confirmed in the days ahead when I was diagnosed with a stress fracture in each leg to the point that the muscle was pulling away from the bone.

Fortunately, I had taken a boot with me since I had been having issues with my right leg and that had seemed to help take some of the pressure off.  By the time we stopped at Amanda's house for an amazing spaghetti supper that her husband, Luke, had so graciously prepared for us, I could barely stagger out of the vehicle.  Going up stairs to shower or use the restroom required crawling and I ended up just collapsing on the floor in a heap and staying there for what seemed like two hours, but was probably more like 45 minutes.  I knew that I was in for a very long night being cramped up in the vehicle and I was also feeling really bad about the fact that now my team was facing the challenge of figuring out what to do about my remaining two legs that needed run.

We met back up with Van #2 after they had pounded out Legs #7-12 in better than expected time and it was time for our group to do its thing again.  We switched the order around enough so that Ryan ended up with an 8.82-mile second run, while Peter did two runs in the second round as he absorbed my second run on top of his own to do 11.31 miles in a short span of time.  I do admit that I wallowed in self-pity (and a lot of pain) for awhile and really questioned why I was there.  I just shut down and went into a shell and didn't say much.  I'm a team guy and I really felt like I had let the team down.

However, the more I watched my team rally to the occasion, the more I began to feel better.  The entire group just continued to pick up the slack and didn't complain and I stood by and watched with amazement and appreciation for great teammates as there was nothing else I could do. Or so I thought.  I started to look for little ways to help.  I hobbled to the exchange points with the clipboard to jot down times.  I gave up my jacket to the waiting runner so they could stay warm until they needed to start their leg.  I tried to be an encouragement just as much as I possibly could.  And I kept just soaking in all the amazing sights around me.  So many people working so hard to do things that individually would be impossible but together were doable.  I learned a lot of life lessons over the next few hours.

There were plenty of challenges the rest of the way.  Due to congestion on the roads, what should have been a four-hour opportunity to sleep in an open field never materialized to much more than about 20 minutes.  The final 12 legs of the race it was a constant adventure to try to get the next runner to the exchange point before the previous runner arrived.  It often meant that the a runner would have to run an additional mile or so to be there in time.  It must have been a good warm-up because our van just kept busting out amazing mile after amazing mile.  Brett ran my leg and his leg over the final round to finish with 12.55 miles in the round and he was stoked to do it.  In fact, I'm not sure on a healthy day I could have done what he did.  Once again, just super impressed with my team.

Kade coming to the finish and you can see me in neon green under the arch

When our final six legs were done, we headed to Seaside and the finish line.  We made one stop for a well-deserved meal where I chowed on a plate of french toast.  Then, it was on to the beach to wait for the arrival of our other van.  When we finally saw Kade Chambless, our final runner, approaching with her trademark smile on her face, we all began screaming and cheering her own until she crossed the checkpoint.  Then, we lined up to cross the official finish line all together and get our official team photos taken and be presented with our medals.  Somehow, I hobbled boot and all through the sand across the line and grabbed my medal.  Wow, our team was amazing.  We were predicted to finish in just over 27 hours but had come in at 25:55:38 which was good enough for 97th place out of 1,068 teams.  Even better, we were 14th out of 360 teams in the mixed (6 guys and 6 girls) division.  Great job, Sarah, Ryan, Brett, Amanda, Peter, Brad, Becky Peach, Spencer Dries, Taylor Bailey, Claire Bailey, and Kade!

Here's five of the six members of Van #1 at the finish...the stranger who took the pic cut Ryan out of the shot. :(

Some other thank yous that I need to make sure to mention include my running friends who called me or texted me while I was on the trip and encouraged me even when I was down and hurting.  You guys are amazing!!  Thanks also to the MVNU athletic department for allowing me to take a rare couple of vacation days during the fall season to soak up this amazing experience that I haven't come close to describing in this post.  Seriously, I could write numerous posts about numerous sights, but let's suffice it to say that every runner should have this event on their bucket list.  You won't regret going.

I also need to thank several other brands in addition to Outback Steakhouse and Krispy Kreme who made this trip possible.  We received two of the latest sets of Knuckle Lights that were just available weeks before the race and they are amazing to use in the dark.  I highly recommend these over headlamps because you control the direction they shine AND they are much brighter.  In fact, I used them this morning at 5:45 a.m. on a foggy bike ride.

We also received a donation of the SC Johnson to get free XXL size Ziploc bags.  Let's just say that when you are traveling for more than a day in a vehicle filled with sweaty runners that being able to zip up your sweaty clothes and running shoes in an airtight bag really helps keep the vehicle smelling a lot fresher.  So, a big thank you for these!

We also enjoyed some chewy granola bars from the great folks at Quaker who sent us a very generous supply for the trip.  I can attest to the fact that I personally inhaled quite a few and it was great to have that as nourishment to keep us going towards are better-than-predicted performance.

One more thank you goes to Chipotle for donating a free burrito card to each of the 12 runners so that we could refuel after the race.  Thanks to Joe for making this happen and to the brand for always interacting with customers.

Hood to Coast shirt, bib, and medal

As you can tell, we had a blast, we ate well, and the team performed amazingly.  To me, that makes this trip a hands-down success.  I'm still in the process of recovering from the stress fractures that were already there before I went, but my hope is one day to return and successfully complete all three of my assigned legs.  I do know that I am a better person and runner from having gone on this trip!

RunFest...Be There!

Mark you calendars!!! This Saturday, July 7 from 1-4 p.m., the Nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus Marathon will be holding an event called RunFest (click for all the specifics and to RSVP) at Landmark Aviation located at 4130 East Fifth Avenue in Columbus.

This will mark the third straight year for this free event that will hopefully draw in excess of 1,000 runners and walkers. There will be giveaways, sneak peeks at this year's race shirts and medals, booths offering training advice and healthy living tips, free food from some of Columbus’ favorite food trucks, the full line-up of Nationwide Children's Hospital Patient Champions and more!

OK, that's the nuts and bolts for RunFest with plenty of links to surf to your heart's content. Now, here's my take on why this is such a great event and an important step in your marathon or half marathon journey. And it has nothing to do with the fact that I'm one of the meet-up hosts, but more on that later. ;)

For most us, we started out running or walking on our own and may even do most of our workouts that way. I'm fortunate to have a group of friends (the Mount Vernon Running Buddies) that I run with almost every day and it's a great way to stay accountable, get advice, and get the support needed to attempt these longer races.

Well, events such as RunFest are great ways to find out that you are not alone in your running or walking endeavors. Just like on race day, you'll see people of all shapes, sizes, ages, and abilities coming together with a common interest. And, there will be plenty of experts around to ask training-related questions as well as event-specific questions. If you haven't decided to commit to one of the two races, what better way to make that decision than to stop by RunFest, check out the course map and finisher bling, and then take advantage of the final day of registration savings by signing up for this year's event before the cost goes up $10 on Sunday.

In addition to talking to experts, enjoying free food, and signing up for giveaways, you also get the opportunity to meet six people with various backgrounds who have been designated as meet-up hosts for this event. I'm very humbled to be one of these six people and I'm looking forward to meeting the other five for the first time myself. From my very first involvement with the Columbus Marathon via its Twitter account before I ever ran my first race, I've been thoroughly impressed by the great interaction that makes this large race feel like it was being put on especially for me. While I enjoy pushing myself to post the very best time possible, I also really thrive on the social aspect and all the great friends that I have made as a result of running in this race twice so far (half in 2010 and full in 2011). I've found that every runner and walker has a story and it has been a blast to hear a lot of them the past two years since I started my own journey. I would consider it a privilege to meet as many of you as possible on Saturday and would love to hear your story about what motivates you to run. So, stop by between 1:30-3:30 and look for the 6-foot-6 guy and introduce yourself. :)

See you at RunFest on Saturday and then at the starting line on October 21! Feel free to comment below or connect with me on Twitter to let me know you are coming.

One Half Goofy, Amazing Race Weekend (Part I)

Several months ago, I made plans with my 10-year-old daughter, Ashley, to run the Cap City Quarter Marathon with her, but little did I know what an adventure would be waiting for me as this would turn out to be just the start of an amazing race weekend. Ashley had done several 5Ks and a four-mile race, and the quarter marathon (6.55 miles) seemed like the next obvious challenge for her to undertake. In addition, the Cap City event (both a half marathon and a quarter marathon) is really one of the best races around from a crowd support standpoint, a post-race food standpoint (always important to a guy whose motto is "I run to eat"), and a relatively flat course standpoint.

So, we did a little training and joined up with nice-sized group of the Mount Vernon Running Buddies (pictured below) as we set out to attack the course. It was a hot, humid day, so staying hydrated and not overdoing it needed to be a big part of our race day plan, and I knew that I was going to need to watch Ashley like a hawk to make sure that she didn't have any problems.

We set out with Chad Sims and his 11-year-old daughter, Hanna, who was also doing her longest race. Starting in Corral B, I was a little worried that the girls would start out too fast, but Ashley did a great job of running a 9:55 first mile and just letting the crowd go. We hit the part of the course where you could see the lead runners coming back towards you, and it was fun to cheer on some people we knew including several of the Running Buddies and some Run DMC'ers including my pal, Brian Vinson, who was on his way to a blazing PR in the half.

We hit the first water stop and I had told Ashley to just stay in the middle and to keep running while I grabbed two cups of water. I made her drink all of hers and asked if she needed any more before downing the second cup when she said no. I'm awful about drinking during a race, but I knew that as hot as it was that I needed to set a good example and make her do it and to her credit she did every time.

Mile two came and went in 10:03 and then mile three in 10:14 even with a slight uphill that had some of the runners walking. Several friends passed us through here and it was fun saying hi. Usually the races are a blur if I'm focusing on my time and trying to meet a goal, so it was fun to be more relaxed and able to take in all of the other aspects of the event. At this point, we split off from the half marathon crowd and continued on and faced another hill during mile four that she conquered in 10:39. Man, she was doing great with no hint of walking at all!

As we headed into mile five, we merged back on to the half marathon course just ahead of the half marathon leader and eventual winner, Matt Folk, as he came flying along with over eight miles already completed! It was fun to see how effortless a 5:18 pace looks as he blew by on his way to a 1:09:20 finish!

It was also during mile five that the crowd really picked up in size and volume as we ran along High Street, across Nationwide Boulevard, and then turned on to Long Street. People were really cheering for Ashley and calling her by name, and the encouragement fueled her to pick up her pace as the crowd cheered even louder as she nailed a run-best 9:36 for that mile!

Mile six proved to be the toughest mile as the crowds thinned back out and the burst of speed took its toll. When we reached the 5.5-mile mark, we were entering unknown territory because she had never run that far before. She never complained, though, and she also became the inspiration for several runners as they saw her and ran alongside us. Those of you who ran along with her and encouraged her through this point...thank you! It really made a huge difference! Mile six ended with a 10:47 pace, but still no walking as she was determined to finish the whole thing on the run!!!

Then, it was time for one final turn and we could see the finish line. The crowd was huge at this point and once again they were cheering her on by name!!! I'm still getting goosebumps and a little misty-eyed typing this recap three days later when I think about what she did. She gave it everything she had as she sprinted for the finish line...finishing the final .66 miles (yes, my Garmin had the course a little long, but it might have been me swerving to pick up all the water for both of us) at an amazing 8:58 pace that including a Kenyan-like 4:56 dash at the very end!!!! I had planned to make sure she crossed ahead of me, but there was no worry of that as I couldn't keep up at that point as she finished her first quarter marathon in 1:07:07 with me two seconds behind. Unbelievable!!! A 10:15 pace!!! (She ended up 561st out of 1,788 people in the race and 11th of 37 in the female 19 and under age group.)

After we spent a little while cooling down and celebrating what Ashley had just accomplished (yes, that means I had a few cinnamon crunch bagels from Panera), it was time to head back out on the course to cheer on other members of our group as they finished the half marathon. After cheering Teri Pokosh to the finish, I was waiting for my other running buddies, George Hartz and Scott Burgess, to come along. It was fun to encourage all the runners over that final half mile as they wrapped up their 13.1-mile journey in some tough heat and humidity.

It was during this time that I noticed one lady coming along at a pretty good pace, but with her legs getting a little more wobbly with every step that she took. After being at the finish line watching helplessly when Matt O'Brien collapsed last year just 25-feet from his goal at this race, I started to have a sinking feeling in my stomach. As I watched, she stumbled and started to fall as myself and several other spectators rushed out to her. She was very pale and was struggling to try to get back to her feet as dehydration had really set in. One lady who identified herself as a nurse helped me hold the runner up as she in a daze muttered about trying to continue on, but there was no way we were letting her do that on her own. Soon, another guy who had also finished his race and was waiting on his girlfriend to finish appeared out of the crowd and identified himself as a doctor. He told me to help him do a fireman's hold to make a chair for her out of our arms so we could carry her to the finish and she could cross the line.

As we got closer to the finish line, the runner was making attempts to hop off of our arms, so we decided to see if she could stand and walk across the line. The whole time she had been alert enough that she kept checking her watch as she kept murmuring about wanting to make it in two hours! :) We promised her that we would help her meet her goal, and we walked arm-in-arm with her to the end as the crowd cheered her on. Once she crossed the line (and I'm pretty she made her goal), we set her in a wheelchair and let the medical staff take over. I have no idea who she is although I think the name on her bib started with an "A" or who the other man was who helped me get her to the finish line, but I am just glad that she made it there safely and hopefully is fully recovered by now. I know first-hand after my recent Earth Day Marathon how the running community comes together to help each other, so it was a no-brainer for me to jump in and do what needed to be done. Any other runner would have done the same.

I have to give a big shoutout to the Cap City race staff on putting together another amazing event. Not only do they always have the best medals each year, they really do a great job of making sure that it's an event for everyone. The course is a fun course to run and this race will always be on my calendar as a must-do event if at all possible. While it would have been fun to have raced the half marathon as I've found that's my favorite distance, I am so glad that I did the quarter marathon with my daughter. It's probably just a matter of time and a few more races until she's racing me in the half. :)

And here's the crazy part...this is just the first part of what would be one half Goofy, amazing race weekend! Stay tuned for Part II!

Running is a Team Sport

For almost two years now, I've been able to call myself a runner. I started out on this journey to lose a few pounds and then stay in shape, but along the way I discovered that I really have a passion for it. Whether it is a long, pre-dawn solo run or a large race with thousands of participants, running has become a big part of my daily life and changed me for the better.

Just a couple of months into my running journey, I discovered that a few of my other local friends were also interested in getting together as a group to run. We formed the Mount Vernon Running Buddies and it is a huge reason why running has become so much a part of my life as the accountability that comes from being a part of a group really helps you to show up at 6 a.m. instead of sleeping in. These other runners have become some of my closest friends as we spend time working hard together to reach our respective goals. We've hosted numerous themed 5K's and also two charity ones to-date.

One of the great aspects of our group is the fact that we try our very best to make sure that no one ever finishes their runs by themselves if at all possible. On our daily 5K's, we loop around and run in with the last runner. At races, we always wait until the entire group has crossed, and we also find ways to encourage each other even when we can't all be there. Even when one of us has been down with injuries, the rest of the group has worked hard to keep the injured runner encouraged.

The Mount Vernon Running Buddies are also now part of a larger group of Central Ohio runners known as Run DMC (or Daily Mile Columbus). This group is made up of runners who have connected via the running social media website Daily Mile. The group schedules training run meet-ups to keep people from having to run by themselves and then usually has a great presence at most of the Central Ohio races and beyond. It's been fun for me to meet other runners and find other places to run.

On Sunday, these two groups came together with at least 20 total runners along with others there to support the runners at the Earth Day Challenge half and full marathon in Gambier, Ohio. There was a fun time of catching up in person and meeting some people for the first time in real life, and then it was time to head to the starting line for the business at hand. I was one of four people in the combined groups to have signed up for the full marathon, and I set out to attempt what was my second marathon with a lofty goal of a 3:15 to BQ after posting a 3:52:04 in my first marathon attempt at Columbus last fall.

The first 13.1 miles of the race was so much fun as I ran pretty much a perfect race according to the plan that I had going in and I crossed the halfway point in 1:36:10. Since the course was an out-and-back course there were a couple of times in the first half that you crossed paths with all the other runners and it was so much fun to share smiles and encouragement with all of my other running friends that also included a lot of MVNU students. This made those first 13.1 miles just fly by as we all helped each other.

Then, I passed the turn off for the half marathon finish, high-fived my daughters (pictured above), and headed out to the much less traveled second half. Boy was it lonely! The only four people I saw the next three miles were volunteers stationed at cross roads to protect us from traffic. I kept churning out the miles, but all of a sudden my legs started to fail me around mile 17. Two of my Run DMC friends, Brandon and Peter (who was pacing Brandon after running Boston himself on Monday) caught me as I started to slow down and they tried to get me to go with them. I did for about half a mile and then faded again. Mike, another Run DMC friend, caught me just after the turnaround and also tried to get me to hang with him, but I was pretty much toast at that point. (My best guess is that I didn't drink enough water the first half and dehydration hit my legs hard.) A smile and some encouragement from Candice, another Run DMC'er, and Chris, a fellow MVNU alum, helped me keep trotting along for a few more miles as we crossed paths. However, by mile 22, a bad cramp in my left hamstring brought me to a screeching halt and I started to walk.

As I approached another cross road, I saw my Mount Vernon Running Buddies group, Chad, Teri, and George, as they had come out to cheer me to the finish. Seeing all of them REALLY lifted my spirits and I started to run again and thought "OK, I can definitely do this" and continued on. Since they had each run the half and had driven out there, they had to drop off after a short run and drive back to the finish, but just the brief minute or so they were there really helped and I trudged on.

Before I knew it, another familiar face popped up in the distance. This time it was Molly, a new friend I had made through Daily Mile and then had met in person for the first time the week before at a 10-mile race when we ran the first half of it together. She had finished the half marathon with a new PR and as the fastest female, but she took the time to come out along with her brother to help run me in to the finish. We jogged along to around the 25-mile mark and then the Mount Vernon Running Buddies (including Donald in jeans and all) appeared again along with Peter to create quite the contingent to get me over the final mile and to the finish line.

As we got closer to the finish, my daughters also joined in the running group (pictured above) and I saw that a huge portion of the Run DMC group had stuck around for almost two hours after finishing their half marathon race to see me cross the finish line. Talk about a show of support!!! Every single one of them helped will me to the finish line and I crossed it more than 10 minutes faster than my previous best time with a finish time of 3:41:39. While I still have a lot of work to do to reach that elusive BQ, this is a race that I will never forget because of the kindness, encouragement, and support of my family (Carla, you were a trooper to have the girls there for over four hours!) and a huge contingent of running friends. While our times are recorded individually, I am more convinced now than ever that running IS a team sport. We have the opportunity to encourage those around us and help push them to more than they think is possible. This PR belongs to every single person who helped me cross that finish line. Thank YOU!

P.S. If you want to see exactly how amazing this support has been, check out my Daily Mile page with the race report there. I'm blown away!