Portland To Coast 2009

Running Shoes - check
2 sets of Walking Clothes warm and cool weather - check
Socks (at least 2 sets) - check
Underwear & jog bra - check
Running hat - check
Water carrier/water bottle - check
Energy Food - check
Energy Drink - check
Water - check
Sunglasses - check
2 changes of dry clothes - check
Flip Flops - check
Warm Socks - check
Jacket or Sweat Shirt for night - check
Warm hat - check
Sleeping bag - check
Pillow - check
Money - check
IBU - check
Camera - check
Cell phone - check
Zune - check
Chargers - check
Toothbrush and paste - check
Earplugs - check
Eye mask - nope but I got the warm hat to cover my eyes - check
Book - check
Zip Lock Bags - check
Band aides - check
Walkies - check
All fitting into one back pack - check

Thursday night I went over my checklist 3 maybe 4 times and even packed extra if there was room in the backpack. I wasn't going to have Tara yelling at me cause I didn't fit everything into one backpack. I wasn't going to be that person that over packed.

Friday morning Jenn shows up at 3:50ish and I am ready to go. Well everything is packed and I am ready to get this show started. Butterflies a little but I have hours till my first leg so I am ok. I drink down my first Monster of the morning to wake me up, it is 4am and I don't tend to be awake at 4am very often. Still downing water to hydrate I think I was on my 3rd bottle for the morning. I was for sure going to be hydrated. By the time we got to the start I think I went to the restroom 3 times. I decided I was going to be hydrated. Everyone in my van can vouch for me. I was VERY hydrated! There was not one exchange where I didn't use the restroom. I may have even had to go a few other places too. ;-)

After hours of waiting and anticipating it was time. I grab my newly purchased Zune to get it ready and WHAT, are you kidding me, it is dead. I was so upset but Erin to the rescue let me use her iPod. It was around 5pm as we approached the exchange my stomach started flip flopping. I was freaking out. The exchange point I remember was kind of crazy and I see walkers going up a path through the wood. Erin runs to the car and hears someone say, "we won't be able to meet up with them for about 4 mile." Erin quickly grabs me her water pack runs it to me and tells me the WONDERFUL news. At this point I am close to puking and about to jump back in the van. I just think to myself, "You are fine. You have done 8 miles without water and the girls ahead of you for at least 6 miles. 4 mile a piece of cake." But trying convincing yourself that?

I see Claire as she approaches I get ready in the exchange lane, we exchange and I am on my own straight up hill through the woods. There aren't many people around me so I just focus on the path ahead and making that 4 miles. As I walk up the path I see road. What are you kidding me I don't have to wait 4 miles? NOPE!!! All of that stress and anxiety for nothing. I take a deep breath and a sigh of relief. As I hit the road and pavement I get into a grove and just start walking and watching ahead to see who my first road kill will be. After a few minutes I hear a few honks, yelling and see The Pork Chop Express with my girls cheering me on. At that moment a wave of emotion hits and I get so excited. I am doing it, after all these months of waking up early and hill climbing I am doing it. I was so proud of myself. I didn't care who else was proud of me, I was proud of myself. I knew I could do it but there was a little bit of doubt in my mind that I couldn't. At that moment for the next hour and 6.81 miles nothing else mattered and I tried to take in every moment of each step I took. Focusing on going faster and pushing my body to catch the person ahead of me. At that moment my toes and toenails could have fallen off and I would have never known. Well I might have.

It was one of the best 31 hours of my life. Sleeping in a field, driving in a mini van for 31 hours, eating the best ham and cheese croissant, sleeping on a grange gym floor, bonding with amazing friends, laughing, joking and making up crazy games counting the the number of Nike shorts we saw was all worth it. We were tired by the end but at the end we were ready to do it all over again the following year. So much that now I have considered taking on the Hood to Coast in 2010. Just think there will be that much more time to count the # of Nike shorts.

Thank you Tara for creating an amazing team of girls that could work so well together. Thank you to the girls in The Pork Chop Express. You were so encouraging even when we were tired ourselves and ready to be done. Knowing that you guys would be at the end got me over that last little surprise hill.

Final short count 30.

Thank you to all of those who supported me and the American Cancer Society. I ended up raising $530. It was the second part of my challenge and I was very thankful to all of you that contributed and supported my efforts.

Pictures to come later.