Ashley Glenn On the Go : September 2015

This year's Hood To Coast was definitely a memorable one. From perfect weather conditions at Timberline Lodge, to a stormy, windy monsoon finish in Seaside. It was my second year running, and my second year in van one; which always means the start on the mountain. This year the mist was so crazy looking at Timberline, you couldn't see the top of Mt Hood when we first got there, but it cleared up by the time my friend Chris took off. The first leg is always the fastest leg. It's a straight downhill run. I ran leg two this year, which meant I was up next. Within the first hour of our adventure, I was off on my first run; and it was a FAST one. It was definitely a PR for me, and as sore as it made me, I don't regret going all out.

We got to break in our home town, so it was easy to get showered, changed, and I got to run home and see my pups for a moment, which helped ease my mind and lift my spirits. I hate leaving on these trips, because I think about my dogs while I am running, and it makes me miss them. I felt better knowing that Adam would be around to check on them and love them; even if it's not the way that I would love them.
It didn't seem like much time had passed, until we were back on the road toward Portland to meet up with Van 2 under the Hawthorne bridge. We had a great time at that exchange! The energy was charged, friends stopped by to wish us luck and show us support, and I got Dutch Bros which was so tasty (but I later came to regret it...) Then in the blink of an eye, the exchange was made and Chris was off again; which mean that it was my turn to run next!
When we got to the next exchange, I was happy to see my mom and her boyfriend, Bob. A few quick minutes with them, and I was off on my second run! I was surprised that I was running at such a solid pace, and I felt awesome... Until about four and a half miles into my leg. The coffee made a comeback, and it was painful. Cramps instantly seized my stomach, and the desire to use the bathroom was a strong one. It slowed my stride, but I didn't stop until I made it to my next runner. I was surprised to see my mom and Bob once again, right before I got to the exchange; having their support really helped me push through the pain, and it felt nice having fans there to cheer me on!

Once again our van killed it, and we were trading the relay bracelet off to the other van. At this big exchange is where we got our first sign of the storm. Thunder, lightening, and then the rain came. We decided to head to Mist right away, in case there was another traffic back up, like last year. Luckily they had solved the problem, by opening up another field, and finding military personnel to guide traffic. We tried to sleep as much as possible, but there was no way I could find a comfortable position to sleep in. Not to mention, every little noise irritated me to the point where I was just laying in the front seat of our van, listening to people yell outside, and slam doors and I got not one moment of rest. It seemed like 5 minutes passed, and we were getting ready to go again.
My second leg started strong, and finished the same way the second one did; in cramping pain due to stomach problems, and pain in my hips. My hips always seem to be bugging me. I have taken to stretching, rolling, and hot tubbing more to help them relax. It doesn't help that I have been really stressed in my home life, and from what I have read stress can manifest itself as tense tight hips. I still managed to squeak my overall average min / mile under 10, but I was still disappointed that I had to walk. It's obvious the recent hot weather, and personal issues causing me to pull back on my training has slowed me down. But it hasn't killed my determination to finish strong, and I did finish my last leg strong, I am happy to say. It felt good to be done when I slapped the bracelet on the next runner. I was DONE! HTC15 in the books. I have to say, I lucked out weather wise. My weather was nothing compared to what my team mates had to endure. I would argue that I had the worst stomach problems though!
As each of our runners finished their final legs, the weather continued to get worse. The wind picked up, it rained harder, and the trees started shedding their branches. One of our runners claimed that a branch fell right in front of him, causing him to have to hurdle the branch. (Man I want to do an OCR soon!) The weather was pretty intense. Honestly, I got really lucky, and the weather was basically perfect when I ran my legs. Thank you Karma!
We finally got to eat, and I took the opportunity to catch up on some burned calories. I probably didn't make the best choice, but my stomach outruled my brain; I blame it on lack of sleep. To make matters worse, I was on the 6th day of my clean eating challenge. I don't feel bad. I ate healthy all week long, and then gave into temptation after running 17 miles and not sleeping for over 35 hours. That bacon cheeseburger was a well earned trophy, and I enjoyed every last bite. Sorry vegans. My will is weak at times.
I was so happy to make it home, and see my furry loved one, and my boo / manager Adam. Of course, I couldn't just go to sleep, because I had too much energy. Once I finally laid down for bed though, I was instantly out, and slept in until 8:30... Which is actually sleeping in really late for me, so I enjoyed that. Hood to Coast 2015 was definitely memorable. There were good, bad, ugly, and beautiful moments that made the experience, for me, once again all worthwhile. I love relay races. For some reason I tend to dread them, but I have so much fun during the adventure with my van mates, and although I am usually ready for them to be over at the end, I am always looking forward to doing it again!