nuun

after 28 hours, 12 minutes & 46 seconds after-NUUN delight completed our epic 200 mile hood to coast adventure. finishing in 5th place in the corporate women’s open (#393 overall – out of 1,200 teams).

even though  megan, our final runner, crossed the finish line in seaside, long before we ever arrived (due to an insane amount of traffic on those windy country roads), we were eventually able to complete the race together – as a team.

together we had accomplished something that was amazingly enormous, something that would have been nearly impossible on an individual level. but working together, as a team, we were able to attempt the impossible… running nearly 200 miles from mt. hood to the oregon coast.

it really is true what they say, together everyone achieves more.

what i didn’t expect to happen was the camaraderie i would feel amongst all of the other hood to coast participants, not just those on my after-NUUN delight team.

as the hood to coast movie explains “it’s an indescribable feeling, becoming part of a community that forms like a flash flood for the two days of the race. with the love and support that the runners show not only for their own team but for the other runners on the road, the individual truly becomes part of a whole.”

luckily, i didn’t have to leave behind the memories & lessons i learned from hood to coast. & every time i look at my hood to coast bling, i am reminded that i’m not alone, & that i can accomplish amazing things.

read about the ENTIRE totally-awesome-completely-fabulous-epic hood to coast adventure.

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we were lady bloggers living the adventure of a lifetime, running the race that bart yasso of runnner’s world deems “a must-do in every runner’s life.”

unlike most of the other 20,376 runners out there, our mission was two-fold…. run 200 miles from mt. hood to the oregon coast & hydrate the masses, while “spreading the nuun” along the way.

when we weren’t busy running, we were applying nuun tattoos, passing out fruit punch & grape flavored nuun samples, & otherwise spreading the nuun.

when you love the stuff as much as i do, recommending & converting total strangers to the fabulousness that is nuun, comes super duper easy.

hello?! what’s not to love? no sugar. no carbs, no caffeine (except for a touch in the lemon tea). only 8 calories, & a ton of flavor – i could (& often do) drink nuun all day long.

read about the ENTIRE totally-awesome-completely-fabulous-epic hood to coast adventure.

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amidst all the girl talk, a rousing game of would you rather & getting-to-know-you, spontaneous dance parties, potty breaks, tattoo applications, nuun sample distribution, picture taking, tweeting (which ultimately resulted with me landing in twitter jail on more than one occasion), CARaoke & a “pumped up kicks” sing-a-long or two…

i almost forgot we were there to RUN a race. & not just any race – the biggest-longest-on-course-party-of-a-race, the hood to coast relay, otherwise known simply as htc.

our teammates started the race (without us) at exactly 12:30pm, near timberline lodge on mt. hood.

being in van two means you miss the actual start of the race, but you have a couple extra hours to sleep in & prepare.

hood to coast leg 11

approximately 8 hours after our team started the race, it was my turn to run. wearing the required night-time reflective vest, a headlamp & my super-sparkly-no-reflective-vest-was-even-necessary team sparkle skirt i was ready to rock & roll.

it was nearly 8 pm at night, dusk was quickly setting in & i found myself running along the springwater trail through portland. the evening was beautiful, the weather was perfect, but  considering i didn’t encounter a single soul during my 4.84 mile jaunt – it made for an incredibly lonely, & road kill-less run. (road kill is hood to coast jargon for someone you pass.) luckily i had twitter to keep me company.

hood to coast leg 11 results

* 4.84 mile, easy run
* total time: 37 minutes & 32 seconds, with an average pace of 7:45/ mile
* road kills: 0

hood to coast leg 23

after a quick power nap (we slept no longer than one hour), it was time for van two to once again be under way. again, i donned the required reflective vest & headlamp (i had yet to take off my super-sparkly-no-reflective-vest-was-even-necessary team sparkle skirt), & started my second hood to coast run, leg 23, in total & complete darkness.

running along the shoulder of the narrow country roads surrounding mist, oregon was practically a spiritual experience.

there are no words to describe the beauty that surrounded by as the sun slowly rose during my journey. as i ran along the rolling hills, the river babbled on one side, the trees towering all around me, & the mist (that i can only assume the town is named for), surrounded & practically engulfed everything around me.

hood to coast leg 23 results

* 4.15 mile, easy run
* total time: 31 minutes & 34 seconds, with an average pace of 7:36/mile
* road kills: 15

hood to coast leg 35

after driving all morning, in traffic that would definitely rival LA rush hour, i barely made it to my third & final exchange in time. having run my previous two legs in almost total & complete darkness – i was worried i might melt in the heat of the day.

my third & final leg was 8.09 miles. not only would it be my furthest run of the adventure, it was the longest leg of the entire race. described as a hard 8.09 miles of “gently rolling terrain” – a description that held true for just the first four miles.

the sun was beating down on me, & while trees lined the beautiful mountain road – they provided little to no shade. there definitely was some uphill,  but i was always rewarded with a nice little downhill, enabling me to add even more road kills (or people i passed) to my list.

but then i encountered the hill. yep – a four mile hill that just kept going & going & going up. & while i never walked, i definitely slowed down quite a bit – but then so did everyone else…

hood to coast leg 35 results

* 8.09 mile, hard run
* total time: 1 hour, 13 minutes, with an average pace of 9:01/ mile
* road kills: 62

running hood to coast {recap}

in the end, i ran a little over 17 miles total in just over 2 hours & 21 minutes, averaging 8 minutes & 17/ mile on the whole. not too shabby.

read about the ENTIRE totally-awesome-completely-fabulous-epic hood to coast adventure.

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already i’ve introduced you to the entire after-NUUN delight team – 12 of the most amazing running bloggers i know. but considering i spent most of my 28ish hours with the ladies of van two – i thought you deserved to get to know them a wee bit better.

meet jen, a nuun employee & runner 7, 19 & 31

meet carrie of this mama makes stuff, & runner 8, 20 & 32

meet mel of tall mom on the run, & runner 9, 21 & 33

meet mel of will run for margaritas, & runner 10, 22 & 34

meet megan of watch mego run, & runner 12, 24, & 36

meet ken, a nuun employee & driver extraordinaire

and i simply can’t talk about after-NUUN delight
without once again mentioning van one, consisting of…

kimberly, lauren, alanna, dorothy, emily & jocelyn
& their totally & completely, absolutely fabulous driver – mason

i love how comfortable the president of nuun (yes! the president!)
looks wearing his hot pink team sparkle skirt – it just screams confidence.

read about the ENTIRE totally-awesome-completely-fabulous-epic hood to coast adventure.

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wearing a rainbow of team sparkle skirts & driving around in our tye-dyed psychedelic van, i’d like to think that afternuun delight may one day be considered a hood to coast legend.

but, when you are participating in the mother of all relays, the famed hood to coast, there a few legendary teams, that if you’re lucky – you may just get to meet.dead jocks in a box is a team of “over-the-hill-athletes” (their words, not mine) and one of hood to coast’s most beloved teams, who just happen to win (or nearly win) their division each & every year for 30 years.

the team is completely consists of men, over the age of fifty. they drive around in a van, with a coffin on the roof, rating other runners attire (mostly female) & placing worthy candidates on their virtual “fashion board.”

& while i wasn’t lucky enough to run thru a dead jocks “power arch” – i did get meet & greet the team.

another favorite team – the road kilts. 12 men, running 200 miles, wearing kilts. their only rule? everyone’s third (& final) leg MUST be run “commando.”

i don’t want even think about the chafing that must have been involved.

and finally, the award for  most creative (& memorable) team at this year’s hood to coast (in my humble opinion?) definitely goes to the “cereal” killers – 12 runners, dressed as 12 different “cereal” killers.

tony the tiger, lucky the lepruchan  to name a few. but my favorite by far was captain crunch.

all i have to say, while hood to coast is most definitely a race – it’s not the competition you remember, but the people.

read about the ENTIRE totally-awesome-completely-fabulous-epic hood to coast adventure.

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i’ve already posted my running relay packing list – that’s where you’ll find my list of runners basics, you’ll need for any (& every running relay)… shoes, socks & other running gear. but, today we’re talking about my hood to coast “running essentials” – these are the goodies & must-haves, that made my hood to coast experience practically a luxury vacation.

* nuun – i never leave home without it. i’ve already waxed philosophical about nuun on mulitple occasions – but just in case you’ve been hiding under a rock & still don’t know how i feel about nuun – with 0 sugars, 0 carbs, only 8 calories & tons of electorlytes, it’s my secret weapon, it’s what powers me through workouts, races & every day life.

* my red team sparkle skirt & power bands – as team sparkle says… run hard. run pretty. there is NO better feeling than passing a guy while wearing a team sparkle skirt. seriously – being passed by a girl, has got to hurt. being passed by a girl in a skirt, must suck. but being passed by a girl in a team sparkle skirt? i can’t even imagine the humiliation guys must feel.

* my CONQUER endorphin warrior training bracelet – i must admit, i still haven’t taken off my endorphin warrior bracelet. just like i was running hood to coast, my CONQUER bracelet has continued to inspire & motivate me. i honestly think i need to order another one – i think BELIEVE is next.

* my special edition nuun head sweats hat – it fits perfectly & truly is the perfect hat. i kinda want to wear it everyday.

* my turquoise kt tape – another one of my must-have-can’t-leave-home-without-it products. i carry kt tape in my purse, that’s how much of an ubber fan i am. i honestly believe, that it would be impossible for me to run without this around my knees. i don’t know how, but after applying kt tape to my knees, something magical happens & the pain goes away, & i’m actually able to run.

* nathan’s power shower wipes – when you’re running 20ish miles, over 28 hours, & squishing into a van with several other people, you want the best. baby wipes are good, but i was blown away by the power shower wipes & i loved the fresh clean scent. they were definitely the next best thing to taking a shower.

* my stronger, faster, better inperspire towel: i love what inperspire says… “you supply the sweat, we supply the motivation.” so true. this towel has become my mantra – i can’t imagine working out, or racing without it.

* smart girls who surf sunscreen: i use this sunscreen every day, so there was no way i was traveling to oregon without it. i love that the products are  completely natural, loaded with antioxidants, chemical free, water-resistant and won’t sting my eyes. my favorite for on-the-go use? the face stick – it keeps my skin safe without getting sticky or gooey.

* build a sign car magnets: car magnets are key to a fabulous-looking relay car. in past years i’ve actually had magnets fall off the car! luckily, these car magnets were super-duper-extra-strength strong, making sure we could easily spread the after-NUUN delight love.

* sprigs bangee wristband: i love running with my iphone – that way i can listen to music, use the gps, and maybe on occasion tweet. but, up until discovering the bangee wristband, carrying my phone while running has always been a wee bit of a problem. luckily their BIG bangee is just big enough for my phone, & the zipper ensures it won’t fall out. love it!

* tye dye one love collections headband: i don’t know what i loved more – the way this headband matched my skirt perfectly, or how fabulous it feels on my head. this headband was definitely a relay staple i won’t leave home without. not only did it hold my hair back & keep the sweat out of my eyes – it also doubled as an eye mask when i was trying to get a bit of shut eye in the van.

* colgate wisp: these disposable tooth brushes came in so handy. seeing that we were constantly on the move, & with all the excitement of the relay, we were always forgetting to brush our teeth. gross, i know! luckily i had thrown these in my bag & they were an instant success with the folks in my van – definitely don’t leave home for a relay without them!

* my saucony “find your strong” drawstring back pack: this little pack was the perfect place to store all of my goodies while we were road tripping. & the best part? every time i dug into it, trying to find something, i was reminded to find my strong.

so there you have it…. my hood to coast “running essentials” list. these definite must-haves will definitely be on all future relay packing lists, they helped make my hood to coast experience totally & completely fabulous.

read about the ENTIRE totally-awesome-completely-fabulous-epic hood to coast adventure.

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when your hood to coast team name is after-NUUN delight, & you’re team is wearing a rainbow of team sparkle skirts (representing your favorite nuun flavors)… it’s only fitting that your transportation screams “skyrockets in flight, after-NUUN delight…”

yep! we opted for a tye-dye inspired form of transportation – we wanted to make sure everyone on the hood to coast coarse saw team after-NUUN delight coming.

decorated with super-strong car magnets (thanks to build a sign) featuring our twitter names, pictures, names & websites – we definitely felt like rock stars with our pimped out ride.

and what’s a totally psychedelic van without a skirt-wearing driver? luckily, we had our own, personal, nuun employed chaffeur – met ken (doesn’t he look HAUTE in his banana yellow skirt?).

ken’s a 20-something college grad who loves hiking, camping & all things out doors. he is an amazing driver, has no problem taking charge, is an excellent dj, can survive on just an hour of sleep,  is one of the creative masterminds behind the nuun branding, & now knows way more than he ever hoped to, about 6 running bloggers.

hopefully he remembers that what happens in the van, stays in the van.

read about the ENTIRE totally-awesome-completely-fabulous-epic hood to coast adventure.

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i’ve joined a movement – a fashion movement that is. sweats, work out pants & sometimes even pajamas have become the norm much to often. so i’m linking up with the always fabulous lindsey to document what i wear & how i wear it. there’s nothing like having a little outfit accountability to get you motivated to actually get dressed each & every day.

this past weekend, sweats, work out pants & a even a sparkle skirt (or two) weren’t just the norm – they were expected. that’s what happens when you embark on a crazy adventure, running 200 miles (from mt. hood to the oregon coast), for 28 straight hours (with only one hour of sleep), with 12 NUUN drinking, running bloggers.

so, this week i’m documenting what i wear & how i wear it on my hood to coast relay adventure.

{hood to coast relay adventure uniform}

black tank: nike
red sparkle skirt: team sparkle
running shoes: newton

each member of our after-NUUN delight team wore a team sparkle skirt representing their favorite flavor of NUUN – if you haven’t already guessed, my favorite NUUN flavor is fruit punch.

& while i did wear the same basic uniform for nearly 36 straight hours, there were a few accessory changes, along the way…

keeping my hair out of my eyes at all times was my super-fabulous tye-dye one love collections headband & matching rainbow sunglasses.

& considering i was running the relay representing NUUN, you can be sure i made sure i was spreading the nuun love… one tattoo at a time.

when it was time to run, & i needed to keep the sun out of my eyes, i choose my NUUN head sweats hat – & honestly, it’s my new favorite hat.

& if i wasn’t running, it was almost guaranteed i was wearing my after-NUUN delight sweatshirt – had to make sure i was representing my totally awesome, totally rock star team,  at all times, & in all places.

my rainbow striped team sparkle race legs to kept my leggies warm, on both my late night (9pm) & early morning (5am) runs.

& you can be sure i was always sporting the brand-spanking-new, TURQUOISE colored kt tape. (p.s. this tape’s REFLECTIVE too. perfect for my night runs.)

my big banjee wrist wallet made carrying my iphone easy-peasey, enabling me to tweet on the run. yep! tweet ON the run.

what can i say? when emily issued a challenge, i couldn’t help but accept.

& finally, my conquer endorphin warrior training bracelet. this is one hood to coast souvenir that i am still wearing around my wrist – i just haven’t managed to take it off, & honestly, i don’t know if i ever will.

so what did YOU wear this week?

read about the ENTIRE totally-awesome-completely-fabulous-epic hood to coast adventure.

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