CPR / Claws pt 2 (HTC part 2)

(CPR / Claws pt 2 is one of my new favorite songs to run with.  By Typhoon.)

Surprisingly I only used my music on my first run...

Anyway, it's hard to choose what to write and what not-to.  (I've got to edit or you'd all be here at least a week.)  So how about the big UPS and the big DOWNS?

DOWN:
Friday afternoon it reached over 90 degrees.  But in the Hood to Coast you run when it's your turn.  Oh boy did we bake!  My first run was pretty brutal (7 miles in the oven) but I managed to stay within 2 minutes of my projected time.  There were lots of pep talks going on in my head.  I was nearly in tears but I just couldn't stand the thought of getting my team behind on my first run..

UP:
I am pretty proud of that first run. 

Jenny our rooftop go-fetch girl

DOWN:
Friday night, because of some insane road congestion we were not able to sleep AT ALL.  Our few hours of designated rest-time were taken up by sitting in stopped traffic for nearly 3 hours...

UP: 
The other 5 gals in my van were fun, friendly and FANTASTIC!  Not bad company for those long hours.  By late morning we got our smiles back on and just ran in our zombie state!

Sheri handing off to Jenny

DOWN: 
My last run was slow.  With no sleep my body was wonky and I couldn't eat for fear of being sick.  So I get a few miles into that last 8-mile run, and I am HUNGRY!  Dang it.  That was rough.


UP: 
I RAN ALL 8 MILES.  The scenery was awesome.  And that stretch brought us into Astoria with country roads that were so pretty I was scouting out houses to move into so I could run that road daily!

a little tension from sharing a van for 31+ hours?

DOWN:  
I wasn't on my parents' team like last year.

UP:  
I got to see them bunches!!  Their team had the same start time (5:15 AM- gag!) and we kept bumping into them along the way.  That was unexpected and AWESOME!!  (Not to mention- my team was cooler-than-cool...)

Sheri stretching before our night runs

DOWN:
Did  I mention NO SLEEP?

UP:
Another neat reminder that I can do hard things.

Yeah, we had fun...

DOWN:
Because of the traffic (HTC increased the number of teams this year and it really affected the roads) we missed our final runner coming onto the beach. 

UP:  
The team waited for us all to arrive so we could cross the finish line together.

UP:
We all ran well.  Solana conquered her dreaded mountain climb.  Sheri was worried she wouldn't even finish.  (She totally did.)  Jenny was an easy-going warrior-runner.  Tammy and Heather (my new friends) were fun and FAST!

UP:
After a couple nights of rest I'm all smiles.  "Downs?  What downs???"

UP:
I highly expect I'll get to do this again.

UP: 
Yesterday when completing a little run around my neighborhood I expected some cheers.  (Should that be a down?  ...Down?  What Down???)

UP:
UP:
UP:...