Hood to Coast: Epic Adventure of a Lifetime

There are some races we runners do which are once in a lifetime, epic events. I believe the comment from "Hood to Coast" the documentary was you can't do epic all by yourself. It's true in this case. This is an epic race, and you have to work as a team to do it.

My team had the bland name of Running Specialty Running Group - Team A. We renamed ourselves The A Team! Our team consisted of 12 people in two vans. In Van 1: Mary, Beau, Anna, Paul, Jason and Mike. In Van 2: Tim, Taylor, Jason, Mallory, Sam and me.

At Hood to Coast, the vans alternate routes. So Van 1 does the first 6 legs, Van 2 does the second 6, and this goes on for three van exchanges. So while you wait for the other vans runners, you can rest, eat, whatever you need to do to be ready for the next go round.

Our team's start time was 12:45. Mike led things off with the brutal first leg down Mt. Hood. For my van, we went to the exchange, and waited until about 3:45pm, when Paul came blaming through and passed the baton to our van's Jason. At this point, I need to say I was the slowest runner in this van, because Jason took off....I mean he took off!!! From this point it's a race to the next exchange point where Sam would take over.

What I found cool during this journey was how well Tim and Jason could figure people's times, and know exactly when we needed to be at the next exchange.

Sam was runner #8 and he was also a speedy demon. In fact, he got to the exchange with me a bit early. I was ready, but most of the van was waiting in line for the port-a-potty, so as Sam came in, I heard Tim yelling that Sam was there. I took the baton and off I went. I heard hurried teammates screaming at me to "Go Charlie Go!"

My first leg was a 5.32 mile paved trail. It was the 6:00pm hour when I ran, so the sun was beginning to go down. The scenery here reminded me of a hillier version of the Monon Trail back in Indianapolis. Lots of trees, fields.

Initially I was bugged that I wasn't as fast as the rest of my team, but I told myself the point was to have fun and be in the moment. My lack of speed meant I was roadkill. At Hood to Coast, when you pass someone, you are roadkill, and a good many vans kept track with tick marks of the roadkill. I was fine with that. It just would have been nice to pass someone and have a roadkill of my own. :-)

I will say this, almost everyone who passed me was very nice. Shouts of "good job", "keep it up" and "you're doing great" kept my spirits up, and was more meaningful than if there were a crowd of people along the route. There was one family who were being cheerleaders with pom-poms and everything. When I went by, they asked how I was, I said I was good, and was the ocean close? They laughed and told me they could smell the sea.

This was one of those runs where you can think. My first thought, which I said out loud was, "I am running at Hood to Coast, and this is fucking awesome!!!" At that point, I may have scared whatever wild animals might have been around.

Soon it was time to pass the baton to Mallory....... at least I thought it was Mallory. I came into the exchange really moving, and I remember giving the baton to a woman dressed in Mallory's clothes. In the van I thought, "God I hope that was Mallory I handed it to." It was!

Our initial legs ended in Portland. This was probably the more raucous and fun exchange spot. There was a festive feel to this exchange, more so than any of the others.

Our few hours in Portland meant a quick trip back to the hotel for a shower and some food...oh and a beer. I'm pretty sure you can't do epic without a beer. Dinner was at a Denny's, since there are no IHOPs in Portland(WTF???). We Grand Slammed ourselves at Dennys, and headed to the next van exchange. 

My second leg was one I was a bit nervous about. Leg #21 is on a gravel country road. My feet and ankles are not well equipped to handle terrain like that. Because I supinate, the changes of me rolling ankles increase. The other issue at that moment was a hard rain and lightning was going on. I'm not a fan of rain.

Jason and I knew Sam was coming in soon, so we jumped out of the van. The temps were in the low 60s, and in addition to the rain was wind. Jason asked me a few times if I needed my jacket. I think he saw me shivering a bit, and felt bad we jumped out of the van a bit earlier than we had planned. I told him I would be fine once I got going. Sam came in and I took off at about 4:45am into the dark.

The rain was coming down. My hat did a great job of keeping my glasses dry. I was getting soaked though. I worried about blisters and chaffing. Still I had a job to do, and I was going to do it. Let me be clear, about a mile into this run, I remember yelling "Why the fuck did you give me this leg Mary Arnold(our team captain)?!?!"

The road was difficult. For a leg which claimed to be mostly downhill, I sure went uphill a lot. The road felt like a semicircle to me. if I ran on the left, I could feel a lot of pressure on my right foot. So I would alternate between the left and right hand sides of the road. All the time I was dodging potholes. I could dodge a lot of the rocks though, and about midway through the leg, I rolled my right ankle on a couple of rocks. I knew I would pay for that later, but on I went.

Another tough part of this leg was my GPS wasn't working, so I never knew my pace or distance. Every now and then a runner would come by, and I would ask how far we were. That helped. The encouraging words from my fellow runners really kept me going during this.

The sun started to come up, and as it did, and the rain stopped, I was able to see the scene around me. It was a canopy of trees and forrest. I loved it. I wondered what it was like to live there. So peaceful.

By now my ankle was hurting, and my running had a limp with it. I was so glad to hand the baton to Mallory. When I got in the van though, I told my team I couldn't run my third leg. I felt I had let them down. My team was so nice and patient with me. They assured me they had not let me down, and they would figure it out, and they did.

Driving on the route, you encounter a lot of communities which provide a lot of food and services for the runners. Jason laughs at this, but I swear the breakfast sandwich I had at this tiny town was the best damned egg and cheese sandwich I ever had. Real eggs and Oregon cheese, and what tasted like a fresh English Muffin bread. We stopped at a school which provided food, a sleep area and showers. One of the volunteers told me that hundreds of runners come through and take advantage of their services. These are great fundraisers for these groups and schools.

As we got to the third legs for each runner, the wind picked up. We heard that the finish at Seaside had to be changed due to 80 MPH winds.  We were dealing with 40-50 MPH winds. Most of these legs were uphill, so the finish goes down towards the ocean. My team handled them all in better than expected times. At this point I was navigating, and helping Taylor drive. At the last exchange Tim got there before Taylor, but she still got the baton, and we all headed to Seaside.

Van 1 was waiting for us at the Elks Lodge, already drinking beers. We knew when Taylor would come in so we headed to the finish area, so we could all finish with her. Soon we saw her, and the wild cheers came out. We all got in behind her and ran. I didn't care how badly I was hurting, I was going to run the last few hundred feet to the finish. As we got to the finish, I began to cry. I cried as I got my medal, and I remember hugging Mary and crying.

Our official time was 29:01:56

This race was about my coming back from my heart attack last year. This race was about blocking the sadness of losing my dad a couple weeks ago. This race was about me, and how hard I worked to get to the race, and how hard I ran during the race. The emotions came spilling out. Mary was so nice to tell me how proud she was of me. I needed to hear that, and I'm glad this was coming from my team captain.

I was able to pull things together for the team photo though....

As I paraphrased at the start, you really can't do epic by yourself. A team is there to encourage, support, gripe. commiserate, laugh, swear, hug and be there for each other. Jason, Taylor, Tim Sam and Mallory could not have been any better. I am do incredibly glad to have gone through this journey with them. If we never meet again, at least we know we had this experience, and nothing can take that away from us.

I understand there are relay races all over, but there is only one Hood to Coast, and it is all it is advertised to be. It's full of stunning scenery, great volunteers, fun times, hard times, and just an out in out blast. You endure the fatigue, the stinkiness of your team mates, the mess in your van, the weather. You do it, and in the end, you are glad you did it.

As I sat at the Elks Lodge in Seaside having my celebratory beer, I was quiet and thinking about what brought me to this point. I thought about how all I wanted to do after my heart attack was run again. I thought about who angry I was about not doing Hood to Coast, and how much it meant for me to win the contest that got me there. That too was a team effort. Again...epic is not a singular activity.

Thanks to my van mates, my team mates, my staff at the store, RSG and Nike for this amazing adventure.

If you have the chance to run Hood to Coast - do it! I promise you will love it. Who knows.....you may see this guy out there again next year -------->


Charlie

Hood to Coast: Today's the Day

I haven't been able to blog over the last few days, and I will update you in a later post about the week. Needless to say our hosts at Nike have been wonderful, and we have the spirit of Pre with us.


Today though is about the start of an amazing journey. My team has already started, and I will be running later today. If you have followed this blog, you know what this race means to me today.


My life has been about the physical obstacles put ahead of me: born with clubbed feet; battling to lose 100 lbs, and overcome a pre-Diabetic condition; and finally a heart attack last year. Each time I have won the battle.


Today has it's own challenges. I will be running 18+ miles of a 197 mile race. I've bitched a bit about the last leg I have. I've whined about the rain that is expected. The truth is I don't know what this journey will hold until I head out there and run.


My team knows I'm not the fastest guy, but they will know I will work the hardest to get the team to the finish. Taylor, Mallory, Tim, Sam, Jason and I are part of The A Team, and are in Van #2. Our team number is 998.


As I pack for the race, I realize what I've been through, and understand what I need to do. Now it's time to do it. Hood to Coast is here.


Charlie

Hood to Coast 4 Days Away: The Dream is Happening

A year ago I was dejected that I had been asked to run Hood to Coast and couldn't due to my heart attack. A few months ago, I was reminded sometimes dreams do come true, and tomorrow I am off to Oregon to live it.

It's an early pre-dawn flight to Portland, as I head out to run this year's Hood to Coast. Over the next few days I will be meeting my teammates, touring Nike, Eugene, OR, and of course running. I've been excited all day.

Nervous? The race will take care of itself. I wish I trained more and better, but I always wish that. So now I head out on an adventure. I will do my best to keep everyone posted as I am out there.

Just so excited!

Charlie

Hood to Coast 5 Days Away: Packing Day

I head off to Oregon day after tomorrow, but I begin packing today. An empty suitcase always looks like an opportunity to me. Time to plan and fill it with what I will be doing.

Let's see on this list.....

Running shoes
Socks
Running shirts
Running shorts
Sunscreen
Hats
Body Glide
A jacket in case of rain(it is Oregon)

I do need some non-running clothes. Other than that, I will have room to bring HTC goodies home. I love packing for a trip. It gives me the sense an adventure is coming up.

So now I get ready and the excitement builds.

Charlie

Hood to Coast 7 Days Away: What's Ahead?

A week from today the journey from Mt. Hood to the Pacific Ocean begins. This has been quite an experience getting to this point. What is ahead though?

In a few days I will meet my team. Yup, I don't know my teammates. We are a group of folks from the Running Specialty Group(RSG), coming together to run this. We are from all over the country. At this point all I know are names, but soon I will know the people. I'm very much looking forward to meeting my team.

We are guests of Nike on this journey, so we will be spending time at the Nike Campus. I know a good many people who are very envious of this aspect of the trip. Nike is an iconic brand, with legendary athletes who have run for and represented them. So this is going to be a very interesting part of the trip. They have promised us all kinds of fun and learning experiences. I know what previous teams have done, but don't want to say in case it doesn't happen.

Then there is the race itself. This is going to be challenging, confusing, fun, nerve-wracking, exciting, and an amazing experience. At this point, I think I've watched the Hood to Coast documentary about 10 times since I knew I was running.

Friends and loved ones have asked how I feel about running so sooner after losing my dad. I see the race very differently now. I see it as an opportunity to get away from what I've been dealing with. Death has a way of consuming your life, and I think when the chance comes to not think about it, you take advantage of it. I know that my dad was very proud of the fact I won this contest to get to this point. Something to know though....he never really understood my running. He told me it wasn't something he would do. That's fine. Not everyone runs, nor do they have to understand why someone runs. When I finished my first half, he asked if I had won. I explained to him that I won in a bigger way than the race.

I'm also looking forward to being back in Oregon. If you have never been to Oregon, you need to get there. It is an stunningly beautiful state. I can't wait to see it up close for the 18+ miles of it I will be running.

7 days and counting....this is going to be good.

Charlie

Saying Goodbye

Over the last few years I've told people the part of being an adult I hate the most is watching your parents go. It's is the most difficult thing we do. Our lives start with them caring for us, educating us, passing on their values. As we get older, they still offer us their wisdom, but subtle changes happen, where we, as adult children, feel we are on more equal footing with them. Finally comes the time where you have to be the caretaker and make the decisions. I've read all my life about how the roles of child and parent switch. I don't think it's as much switching, as we just assume a new role.

This morning my Dad, Joe Colpaert passed away. He was 97. That's a long life. During his lifetime, he had a great many joys, and probably more than his fair share of sorrow. He wasn't the most politically correct man. He was an honest and smart businessman. He and my mom traveled the world. He saw so much, and learned so much.

He and I did not always have the easiest relationship. The two of us are so different. It goes WAY beyond Republican vs. Democrat, heterosexual or gay. We were just too different. He didn't always want to see the world my way, but I know he expected me to see it his way. There were times I didn't speak to him, and there were times he didn't want to speak to me. Through all that though was a love we had for each other.

Death has a way of bringing that love to the surface. I won't go into the details of his death, as I feel that isn't appropriate. I will say, that before things went bad, he was able to convey to me how happy he was for me with my store, and its success. I am honored that my face was the last face he saw before leaving us.

He is at peace.

If there is truly is a Heaven, I am glad he is with Mom and David, as I know how much their passings affected him, and now he can be reunited with them, and all is well.

Now we deal with the what he left behind. More than things, a house, and memories, there are important lessons he left me with. I understand that the truly successful people in this world are honest, hard working, who treat people fairly and with respect. While I feel he was a man who did not easily show emotions, and would rather I not show the emotions I do, through him, I learned putting yourself out there has its pitfalls, but the rewards are so much better when you do. He probably didn't mean to teach that to me, but he did.

While I didn't always like or appreciate the fishing trips, the journeys to the endless boat shows, or all the other things he did with me that bored me to tears, I am glad to have had those experiences.

As I said my goodbyes to him before his passing, I told him I loved him, and I thanked him for everything, and to please tell Mom and David I love them. I'd like to think as he looked at my face he was telling me he loved me, and he would pass along my love.

Rest in peace Dad.

Love,
Charlie

Hood to Coast 19 Days Away: Special

Runners have races that are special to them. Whether it be Boston, New York, Chicago, Western States, or a particular 5K you love, there are races each one of us holds special. For me, my most special race was the Sunburst Half Marathon in South Bend, IN. Finishing on the 50 yard line at Notre Dame Stadium is still one of my most favorite moments.

I anticipate this race will become special for me. I've stated it previously, and I want to say it again. This race means the world for me to run. A year ago, I was in the hospital recovering from my heart attack. I was scared how life would proceed. I was so afraid I wouldn't run again. The doctor probably got tired of me asking when I could run again.

Bill Kirkendall, President of RSG knows how badly I wanted this. He came to my store shortly after we opened in March, and he asked me what he could do to help me. One of the things I told him was I wanted to realize my dream to run Hood to Coast. He told me there would be a way for my dream to be realized.

For those who don't know, a contest was held among all the RSG stores, and the top 6 managers who exceeded their goals by the most won a spot on the HTC team. My store was #1!!! My Assistant Manager, Josh and I had a deal. I would help him get his bonus, if he helped me get to HTC. Done!

Now, was we are under 20 days until the race, I am running well, studying the maps of my legs, watching any video I can find on the race, and mentally preparing myself for what's coming. It's also important to take stock of the special nature of this race. 197 miles, 12 people on a team, all trying to get from Mt. Hood to the Pacific Ocean. I will run the most miles on my team. While I'm a bit nervous about that, all I can think of is how special running through Oregon is going to be.

Are my expectations high? Yes! But Hood to Coast set this bar by creating something unique and wonderful for thousands of people to enjoy each year.

19 days and counting....this is going to be special.

Charlie

Hood to Coast 21 Days Away: Blank Stare

It's sometimes difficult to explain running and races to those who aren't runners, especially who make a point of telling me they would never run. This morning I spoke to our landlady, who is a very sweet woman. She told me she knew I was running "something" in Oregon, and asked what it is. I told her.

As I explained about the relay, the distance and why I'm so excited about running it, I saw the blank stare take hold of here. You know what I mean. It's the look like they are trying to pay attention, but they honestly don't care, and they were just being polite. When I was done telling her about it, I saw more of the blank stare. Then came the, "I could never run a  marathon" comment. No, I didn't correct her.

I get it. There are people who will never run. They will never run for fun, competition, exercise, etc.. I understand they will most likely only run if there is a zombie apocalypse.

Now my landlady was very nice. Sometimes the blank stare people are not so kind. I sometimes get the blank stare, then the comment, "Oh I hate running, I don't know how anyone does something so boring." At moments like that, I wish I had the nerve to say something like, "no one has a gun to your head to run."

The good news is there are plenty of people in my life who don't give me the blank stare, and they want to know how training is going.

So far, training is going pretty well.I'm on track to run about 16 miles this week. I feel pretty healthy. I'm studying the course map and figuring things out. In short, it feels like I am getting ready to race.

We are three weeks away, and the excitement just grows.

Charlie

Hood to Coast 23 Days Away: Je Suis Runner #9

Yesterday we received our leg assignments. This is something the team eagerly awaits. We give them our input on what we feel we can do, and then the team captain looks through everything, and decides who will run which legs. I am runner #9 on the 12-person team. What does this mean?

First off there is a degree of difficulty in the legs, ranked 1-12. I had requested because of my health and foot issues I run anywhere from the 10th - 12 most difficult. I will be running the 2nd most difficult. When I saw that I had anxious moments.

Runner #9 runs the following legs of the race - 9, 21 and 33. I'm going to break down each leg. Leg #9 is 5.38 miles, and listed as a moderate leg. You run on the Springwater Trail, which is a long gravel/paved bike running trail. According to the elevation map, you start at 550 ft, go up a bit, and then descend to 350 ft. So it looks like a gradual decline.

Leg #21 is the leg which has me a bit nervous. This leg is 5.06 miles, with a long decline from 1050t, to 850 ft.. What worries me is this is a gravel country road, with a lot of dust. If I am going to have a night time leg, this looks like it will be that leg. You are encouraged to wear a bandana around your face, as there is a lot of dust as vans go by. It's a combination of the gravel and the darkness which worries. I will have a headlamp, and or another light with me. Still, I worry about taking a wrong step, or how big the gravel is.

Leg #33 is my longest leg. Who doesn't want that for their final leg. This is a 7.72 mile leg, on "rolling hills on narrow country roads." The map does look rolly. I will go from 0ft to 100ft, and back down a few times. I will be tired, and not sure what I will have left at this point.

Overall I am running 18.16 miles. I worried and fretted yesterday for a time. I started reading people's accounts, and watched various You Tube videos on those legs. By the time I went to bed I said this to myself, "Well Charlie, you wanted to run Hood to Coast, well you are running Hood to Coast, so suck it up." By suck it up, I wasn't being mean to myself, I was telling myself to stop being a baby, and get ready for it.

Training will now consist of more hills, and night/earlier morning runs. I have over 3 weeks to get this figured out. This is where the real work begins. If anyone reading this has run any of these legs, any and all advice is welcome.

Je Suis Runner #9!!!

Charlie

Hood to Coast 26 Days Away: When to Run?

Normally when runners head out for a run, they do so at a preferred time of day. Some like an early morning run. Others like to run in the evening. Mine is an early morning. You can't really do that when training for a relay like Hood to Coast. You will be running at various times in a 24 hour period, and to be honest, you should train for that.

Most of my runs have been in the 5am hour, but I have also done Noon time runs, and evening runs. The only run I haven't done yet is a night time run.  You have to have some experience running at various times of the day, so you can be prepared and acclimated to the time. You will also experience different weather. Assume the early part of the day and the night will be your coolest times of the day.  Middle of the day will be the hottest.

This morning I procrastinated and headed out about 8:45am. It was already in the 70s, but there was low humidity. Still I felt the Sun beating down on me. It made for a warm run. I did this 3 miles this morning, and felt good. I always think it's a good run if you feel you could do a little more at the end of the run.

So now we are 26 days away. I'm feeling good. I feel anxious for this to start. It's all good.

Charlie