Hood To Coast 2014 recap: Confessions of a first time relayer and first time team captain

A friend refered to me on facebook as "inspiring and intimidating" on facebook.... inspiring for how far I've come (losing 80 lbs and being able to go from a slow walk to a slow run) but intimidating because I am able to do a half marathon within a few weeks of each other and then go run "The Mother of All Relays" or "The World's Largest Relay" (full of people, not the world's longest relay).

I was surprised.  I didn't think of my athleticism as intimidating.  I don't do speed work.  I just started hill work.  I don't stretch before or after I run.  I'm lazy and don't see myself as serious.  Who the heck runs a mile warm up and then a mile cool down before and after 13.1 miles?!  The intimidating people do.  ;)  I'm just lazy.  Seriously.  If you are running 2 extra miles when you are doing a half marathon, you need an extra medal.  Those are serious people.   

And... maybe a bit of that lazy nature was how I approached Hood To Coast.  

After a death in the family, a note from our landlord to look for another place to live and then a friend going through a tragic stressful time... I sorta stopped running.  I hadn't done more than 6 miles since early July.  A team mate pulled me aside and was worried about me continuing to do Hood To Coast.  

I did it anyway.   And I lived to tell the tale.

I had no idea what I was doing as a team captain... and I was very lucky to be well connected in my little running community with lots of people who had run it before.  I still felt a little out of touch, but before long my friends who really are athletically intimidating volunteered to take the "hard legs" and I was given the easiest legs.

That isn't a bad thing.  I got to start the race off at the starting line, run through downtown Portland and then finish outside of Mist... the area is like running through a cold cloud.  

The race had lots of criticism and a couple blunders with traffic and safety that has left several people angry and frustrated (rightly so).  However, I'd like this recap to focus not on the unmoving traffic on exchange 24 and the runners left in the cold for several hours while neither of their team mate's vans had arrived or the scary gorilla jumping out to scare runners between exchanges 19 and 20... but I'm going to focus on my experience as a team captain and how my team did in this event (despite my leadership or the lack thereof.  Certainly a lack of experience.)  

Some of my favorite Hood To Coast moments:

Seeing the start line and THE mountain for the first time.  We watched the very first wave of runners start the relay.  Seeing the setting sun put Portland's skyline to a silhouette.  The relief of seeing the finish chute.  The exhilarating feeling of running my first leg down that steep mountain.  Meeting the friendly...mime at exchange 12.  My team mates crossing the finish together and one enthusiastically doing a cartwheel across the finish.  My sign on the windshield to remind us all that the van was our home for the next 36+ hours... not just home, but a "sweet" home?  Perhaps.  Seeing the Panda at the finish line party!  I saw him at exchange 24 waiting for his runner to come in.  I wanted to ask him for a bear hug to keep me warm.  I asked Bob Foote for a hug at the start line.  Hanging out in Seaside and reflecting on the event while my team mates journeyed home.  And sitting on the balcony of a hotel 4 stories up above the party below with my finisher's medal. 

Page 13 of the handbook states that when registering your team is making a commitment to average as a whole no slower than 9:45 minute mile pace or 32 1/2 hrs in total time.  We averaged a 10:31 min./mile pace and finished in 34 hours and 50 minutes.

Here are a few tips when you are a captain to a relay team:

* Get ready for surprises and don't get stressed by them.  Team members will quit, at the last minute.  Even if they don't want to.  Have back up runners available up to the day of the event.  Volunteers will quit.  Have back ups of those too.  

*  Reward your volunteers well.  Hood to Coast has them standing out there for 5 hours (on average) with little to no supplies.  Show them some love.

*  Reserve a hotel or beach house.  Everyone just ran a relay!!  I don't care how close y'all live and how much y'all want to sleep in your own beds, kick back with each other for one last bonding session, smooth out any wrinkles, enjoy a beer and chat about each other's personal experiences.  

*  Have a plan of when and where to go get food together.  Van 2 is going to be exhausted and need replenishment after the finish line festivities.  As soon as the "hangry" (hungry/angry) episodes can be avoided, the better.  

*  Relax.  Take it all in.  Enjoy it.  

I'm sure there are lots of other great tips out there, but it all boils down to just have fun.  Just because all your teammates are your friends and like you, doesn't mean they will all like each other.  Make sure personalities are going to mesh and people can be at peace instead of at odds with each other.  

One other thing, pack comfort foods.  Even though I ran less than my long run distances, my gastrointestinal tract was not happy with it. I loved my chocolate milk, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (Thanks Dave's Killer Bread!) and salt and vinegar chips.  That was all I ate.  And Orange ricotta pancakes.   Take what you know, what you've trained with and under no circumstances should you try something new.  Even if your next run is in 6+ hours.  You can't always get to a bathroom when you need one. 

Eating my third PB&J with Dave's Killer Bread

Have you ran a relay?  What advice would you give a new team captain?

Getting closer to Hood To Coast!! (And maybe a teeny bit stressed about it)

I woke up this morning to my phone buzzing with text messages and alerts.  10 days until race day one of my runners has to drop out due to work conflicts and another may be dropping out depending how he feels after a half ironman this coming weekend.  A Half Ironman!!  I'm in awe.

And stressed.  We have alternates all lined up and eager to take their spots, but the unknown drives me batty.  Especially since I'll be away from the computer for 5 days while camping... right before the Hood To Coast relay.  Did I mention it's 10 days until race day?!

10 days until race day.

In other team news and updates, I picked up the team shirts and hoodies today.  They are amazing.   H&S Screen Printing did my Moms Run This Town shirts and they came through again with high quality, screen printed shirts with a beautiful design thanks to the hand drawings done by one of my teammates.  

(I think they might be better than the official race shirts.  Sorry Hood To Coast!  See the official race shirt HERE.)

"Robin From The Hood And Her Coastal Van of Misfits" is ready, or just about....

Have you ran a relay?  What crazy shenanigans have you faced in the last few days before "go time!"?

A little joy in a lot of stress

I would be half lying if I only posted the good things and never talked about when I am struggling.

My shoulders are balled up with stress.  This is what's on my mind:

My hands and feet are going numb for hours at a time.... right before I run my first relay race (more on that).  My doctor appointment is Aug. 15th.

I leave for camping on Aug 17th.  With two small children.... for several days.  Without my husband (who is at a new job).  What the heck do I pack for camping?  I realize now how much I rely on my husband for this kind of thing.  

Our gracious landlady has informed us to start looking for a new house to live in as soon as possible because she will be preparing to put her house on the market.  (Though this wasn't our official 30 days notice).

I run Hood To Coast on Aug 22-23.  I have never left my kids for more than a few hours.  This is going to be a huge thing for me....  I'm scared.  I'm still breastfeeding Squeakers in the evening, so this will be different.  I leave her with a friend at the beach on Wed.  Pack the vans on Thurs and run Fri and Sat.  I'll see her again Sat. night.

A dear friend of mine just went through a terrible medical emergency.  It didn't go well.  I am devastated for her.  I can't even begin to narrate the feelings in my heart for her and her family.

I am searching for a new place to live.
I am writing out my camping packing list, purging junk and getting ready to downsize.
I'm looking over running gear and trying to figure out what to pack and sort gear for each van.
I'm the team captain so I'm trying to get people the information about legs and other questions they have and help them feel confident, comfortable and relaxed.
I am excited to be asked to join the Run Oregon blog for a trial period to see how it goes.  They are an amazing group of people with a well informed blog on all things running in the Oregon and Southwest Washington area.  I feel like a little kid graduating to the big kid table.

And through all of this...  I am happy.  I am.  Okay, I cry a lot for my friend and I worry about camping and leaving my kids.  But in a way this relay race will be a small escape from reality for a couple days.

Then I got the mail today.  I sort of forgot through all of this that I had purchased a livingsocial deal for a photo collage blanket.

There was stress with that because the terra drive with every photo ever taken in the last 9 years was destroyed.  Squeakers was running, tripped on an ill placed cord and it went crashing to the ground.  The company we sent it to can not recover the info on it.  Hopefully we can find someone who can save it.

Anyway so grainy facebook pics and low res phone photos have been sent to me and I treasure each and every one of them.  I sent them in to collage.com for my photo blanket and I got this:

Isn't it amazing?!
Bugaboo has to help me hold it up... it's that big.  The theme is running and my family.  My first race (5k) ever and nursing Bugaboo at the finish line.   My second race (5k) a year and a half later and nursing Squeakers at the finish.  My first half marathon with my kids under the big black umbrella to cheer me in the typhoon.  Their first kids' dashes and their first race medals.  Running in costume together, doing color runs together....

Photos carry a lot of meaning to me and I can't believe they are gone, but I won't lose hope that they can't be recovered someday.

I won't lose hope that my friend and her family will heal emotionally from this devastating time.

I will keep my hope strong that I can camp with my kids, be independent have fun and stay sane.

I know I will walk into Hood To Coast exhausted from the camp trip but I know it will still be fun.  I hope to keep my tears at bay so that it is fun for me teammates as well.

This blanket came in the mail just at the right time.  I look at it and think of the example I am now to my kids.  How they enjoy running and doing races as much as I do.

I look at it and smile.  Life is complicated, difficult, beautiful and good.  It's all good.

Product Review: Noxgear Tracer360 visibility vest (Or how a little, light weight vest could light up my life!)

Product Review: Noxgear Tracer360 visibility vest (Or how a little, light weight vest could light up my life!)

If you haven't had a chance to check out the Tracer360 from Noxgear, check out this video:

• 360 degree illumination
• Full Color Spectrum
• 360 degree reflectivity with 3M Scotchlite reflective waistband and the edge of the light source on the back
• Unit will alert you when batteries need replaced.  When you power on and off, a green blinking light indicated the battery life is good.
• Vest is able to be worn in all seasons.  It is rain proof, snow proof and pretty much Oregon proof.  Everything I need.
• It is super lightweight an comfortable!  6.5 ounces and feels like it is hardly there.

The vest is tubing that illuminates and attached to a light source (to be worn on your back) and a stretchy waistband with the 3M reflective strip.  As you can see above, the flash on my camera picks up the reflectivity.

This vest is very comfortable and lightweight, extremely easy to navigate and adjust size with no chafing, bouncing or any other undesirable issues while wearing it.  

The possibilities are endless for this piece of "running gear".  Maybe you aren't a runner, but need to be visible while riding your bike in the twilight hours?  Ultimate glow frisbee at night?  Maybe you are participating in a night race or glow themed event...

I'll be sporting this at Hood To Coast relay along with my team mates.  

I can't express enough how much I love this.  My neighborhood is surrounded by 3/4 mile with no sidewalk.  The shoulder gets a little thin at times.  I want to be seen.  Most of the time I stay on areas with sidewalks and I've noticed cars slowing down and moving over... even with me on the sidewalk.  Bicyclists ask me where they can get one.  I can't wait to post more pictures from Hood To Coast with my team lighting up the race course!

To check out more of the features and size options, check out Noxgear's website HERE.
and when you are ready to pick one up, I have a 15% off discount code posted below... but hurry!  You want to get one before the code expires September 30th.

With cool summer runs in the evening, relays at night and the sun slipping away into shorter days with Pacific Northwest winters and rain, I am looking forward to using this vest year round.

Hood To Coast Packet pickup

Yesterday (July 26th, 2014) was packet pickup for all local teams for "The Mother Of All Relays".  This is my first year running Hood To Coast and my unlucky team mates get me as a team captain.  (You might recall I won a contest... on my birthday no less... to get into the elusive, lottery based race.)

I am a sucker for packet pick ups for races.  Some are just go in, look up your name and number and walk out with your bib.... others are a big festival of an event.

Packet pickup was in the open sun at Providence Park.  As you can see, this is right at a MAX stop so no need to locate a spot to park.

Once I made my way into the park, I was greeted by a volunteer ticking people on a counter and handed a pack of ten blue drawstring bags.

My 11th bag was at a table full of puffed corn goodies..

Photo courtesy of Hood To Coast's facebook page 

And the 12th bag to complete my set for all 12 team mates was at the check in point to claim my team handbooks and official race shirts.

Photo courtesy of Hood To Coast's facebook page

Team "Heart N Sole" checked in runners and gave us our handbooks and bag of shirts.
 (You should know them if you watched the movie documentary "Hood To Coast".  It is worth a watch!  Very fun, funny and heart wrenching too.  I think I'll go watch it, again.)

If you watch the one minute intro to the team below, the lady who puts on the dragon temporary tattoo was the friendly volunteer who helped me with my packet. (0:56 mark below... but watch the whole thing... it's so cute.)

She pulled up my team name:

Robin From The Hood and Her Coastal Van of Misfits

And she was really excited about it.... which made me happy about it because I'm not too sure that everyone on my team loves it.  Ha!  She even called to Cathy and Linda "This is Robin.  Captain of  'Robin From The Hood and Her Coastal Van of Misfits'!  Isn't that cute?  You need misfit names."   I felt like a star to have these movie starts fawning over the team name.  ;)

We better get on that.  With my heel striking, can I be "Monster Stomper" besides "Robin From The Hood" ?

After that adventure, I sorted out sizes of the shirts given to be compared to the sizes written on my team roster.  There were a couple mistakes that were no big deal.... easy to exchange, but it was made harder by two people walking by and trying to walk off with some of my shirts.  

"Excuse me.  These are mine.  For MY team." 
"Well then.  How am I supposed to get shirts for my volunteers?"
Maybe by not stealing and asking?  I decided to check.  Shirts would be fun for volunteers who work so hard for the team.  If a local team does not provide 3 volunteers for race support that team will be disqualified and finisher medals withheld.

Social media is already exploding with pleas of help to get volunteers.  I want mine to feel extra special and know how important they are!

No dice.  No shirts for volunteers.  Well, I guess I know why people were trying to steal mine as I laid them out and organized by size to see who was missing which shirt.

Then I ran into a friend I made on my first (awful) half marathon!  It was so good to see you, Karen!

We got in line and I claimed my free beers and headed with her to the "Team Captain's Meeting".

Bob Foote started the meeting with explaining a new way they are seeding teams this year and then introduced his daughter who is the race committee President.

After logistics and rules were discussed, a state trooper was giving us information about traffic laws and construction zones when he closed with sharing about how many years ago... his team was seeded too late and his team CHEATED (!) in order to finish in time... They finished in 20 hours, and he said that in a way that suggested that cheating still didn't help his team much.  I was laughing because Bob didn't look overly amused at his colleague to admit this to a bunch of team captains... but it was really amusing to me that 20 hours was a big deal somehow, like it was still a very long time... I'm slotted to finish in 33 1/2 hours!

Then a Providence Team member stood up and spoke about her team and the fundraising efforts Hood To Coast now does with Providence and cancer research.... and she felt the need to share how her team had cheated.

Now it was feeling like an awkward confession time or "pick on Bob Foote" time for the way he seeds his teams and wave times.

It will be interesting to see how the new seeding program works.  I'm thrilled to have a start time of 7:45am.  i can't imagine the difficulty of trying to sort out teams, their paces the after party and the congestion between the start and finish.  That alone has to be a full time job between race dates.

I am so so so very excited and looking forward to this adventure with some good friends, new friends and friends i need to get to know better....

Our race shirts!

Here's the official 2014 race shirt!  My initial reaction was love, but it also has a bit of a quirky quality to the design.  I don't care what others think of it, I think I'll wear it everyday.  :)  It's pretty comfy too!  (But word to the wise, "woman's fitted" tends to run a smidge on the "small side".  Not sure about the unisex cut, but my shirt still fits if not as loose as I was hoping.  That's okay.)

I'm getting some funny comments from team mates about the race shirt design.  It's funny the things they are coming up with to describe it... maybe a dash of 70's vintage with some holiday sweater.  It was pointed out that the chevron design on the bottom was supposed to be the ocean.  i didn't know that.  Oops.

What do you think of it?

Product Review: RoadNoise Safety Vest

Product Review:  RoadNoise Safety Vest.

As with any review, the opinions expressed are my own.  I offer my review and input of running gear and related products now and then and offer advice if it is something you should consider investing in....  Check this out:   

As the video above mentions, this safety vest is highly reflective, no batteries, cords or extra nonsense to deal with and comfortable to wear.  I have not had any bouncing or shifting on the several runs I have used it on.

  

I can't think of a single "con" with this product.  If you can't hear your music over traffic or other noise in your surroundings, that is probably a good cue to check out your surroundings.  I can hear everything around me and still hear my music.  If the traffic is loud or there are lots of people around me, then I should probably be listening to that instead anyway.

As with any piece of running equipment, order the proper size and you will be good to go!  The vest is reflective, light weight, easy to take on and off and speakers are positioned at the shoulders, so music can be easily heard without anything in the ears.  The price is perfect for what you are getting.  The vest is water resistant and the company knows what kind of downpours we get in Oregon!   Speakers and output cable are easily removed so that the vest can be washed.

This is the perfect solution to running safer on training runs or for a race that discourages headphones/earbuds.

...Such as Hood To Coast.

From the RoadNoise website: 

 THE MOTHER OF ALL RELAYS IS ALSO THE MOTHER OF INVENTION.

OUR FAVORITE 24 HOUR RACE OF THE YEAR REQUIRES RUNNERS TO WEAR A REFLECTIVE VEST FROM 6:00 PM TO 7:00AM. IN 2010 THE RELAY BANNED THE USE OF HEADPHONE/EARBUD TYPE DEVICES. RUNNERS ON OUR TEAM THAT USE MUSIC FOR MOTIVATION AND JUST PURE ENJOYMENT CAME UP WITH DIFFERENT SOLUTIONS SUCH AS SPEAKERS ATTACHED TO SHIRTS. THESE JERRY-RIGGED MUSIC PLAYERS COMBINED WITH SAFETY VESTS ADDED ADDITIONAL COMPONENTS, BATTERIES, WEIGHT, WIRES AND HASSLE. THIS LED TO THE CREATION OF ROADNOISE. THE RUNNING APPAREL THAT COMBINES SOUND AND VISIBILITY. WITH INTEGRATED SPEAKERS RIGHT BELOW YOUR EARS YOU HAVE THE SOUND YOU WANT WITHOUT ELIMINATING THE SOUND AROUND YOU.

PROBLEM? SOLUTION!

WHEN WE TESTED OUR FIRST MODEL WE WERE HOPING TO FIND A GOOD SOLUTION TO A SPECIFIC RACE ISSUE. WHAT WE DISCOVERED WAS AN ENTIRELY NEW AND PLEASANT WAY TO ENJOY OUR RUNS, DAY OR NIGHT. ROADNOISE VESTS GIVE YOU THE ABILITY TO HEAR YOUR FOOTSTEPS, YOUR BREATHING, AND YOUR SURROUNDINGS ALONG WITH YOUR FAVORITE MUSIC.

Without a doubt you can completely hear your surroundings, your foot falls, oncoming vehicles, bikes, other runners trying to pass behind you.   I have tested it in several environments and with the speakers at my shoulder, I can have my music on the lowest volume setting with my MP3 player and no one else will hear it.  You can't even tell it's a vest that plays music!

Now I can listen to music again!
"Again?"  You ask?
Well, last summer I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings and was in a situation that put me cold turkey on listening to tunes.  Music that helped get my heart pumping and get my moral boosted.

The story:  6 months into my running hobby, I was bebopping down the sidewalk with my earbuds in... It was twilight hours and most people were in for the evening.  I hear a huffing and clomping runner behind me.  I ignored it as a concern and thought it was another runner trying to run in the cool of the evening.  I aslo figured with my slow pace that they would pass me soon enough.  But I have a competitive spirit and I *might* have picked up my pace a little to make them work to pass me.

CLOMP CLOMP CLOMP

"What gives? Pass me already."

This person was right behind me in order to be heard over my music and my app spewing off splits.  (But I assure you it wasn't loud to begin with... I knew to keep one ear bud out, listen to cars... etc etc.  Still.  He wasn't audible until he was on my heels.)

I turn around to see a guy who is clearly not a runner right behind me.  (In 80 degree weather wearing dark clothes, a hoody with hood on and boots instead of running shoes.)  I should have been paying better attention.  I squared my feet, looked him in the eye and raised my arms like I was going to give him a bear hug.  I have no idea why I did that.  He struck the same pose.... actually.... I'm not sure who did it first.  After a millisecond (that felt like time had stood still.)  He turned around and ran away from me.

I was lucky.  But I stopped listening to music all together (along with taking some self defense classes).

This frustrated me because I have read lots of studies about how listening to music you enjoy will boost your endorphins and help you emotionally and physically through something that is physically arduous.  Running was/is not easy for me.  (The studies given to me years ago by my Doula when preparing for a medication-free childbirth.  Music was an anesthetic for the soul, so to speak.  At least a good distraction when facing some "discomfort".)

Anyway, to the point:

After a year has passed, I can now enjoy the guilty pleasure of rocking out to Snoop Dogg "Sweat" (David Guetta remix to be specific) or singing along to "Let's Get It Started" by Black Eye Peas while also being safe, alert, completely hearing my surroundings and quiet enough that no one has to know if there is a sugar pop tune on my playlist.

Thank you Roadnoise!

Check out the website here for more info, sizing chart or where to buy your vest:  http://www.roadnoise.com/

What is on your playlist?

Product Review: Schmidt's Natural Deodorant (A runner's take on natural deodorant in the heat of summer)

Product Review:  Schmidt's Deodorant

A couple months ago I found myself chatting up a professional makeup artist with my smelly woes.  I have incredibly sensitive skin.  I mean really.  Being in the sunshine for more than 30 minutes has me a heap of red, blistery misery.  Anyway... 

I can't even wear deodorant without a stinging circle of red, irritable, angry, pain appearing.  I just stopped wearing deodorant all together.  My social life has suffered for it I'm sure.  Well, at least I hope not but my self confidence has.  I'm always trying to check my pitts if I'm smelly and if I am any fun to be around or if people are going to run for the hills.

That's on a normal day.

On a day that required any cross training or running I needed to also promptly run off to the shower and clean up before I offended anyone or caused some poor person to pass out. 

Harmony, the patient makeup artist who listened to my smelly woes, could relate and suggested a natural deodorant....  I scoffed and rolled my eyes before she could finish.  I had been down the "natural" road before.   Don't get me wrong... actually a lot of the natural brands and companies have in mind the things that are important to me.  Cruelty free.  Paraben free.  Phthalate free.  No needed extra dyes and other weird chemical concoctions and preservatives.  No unneeded stuff that could potentially hurt my skin.  

She smiled at my disdain and explained that she was skeptical at first too but she gave this deodorant a try and would never go back to anything else.  Okay.  What is it?  If I don't break out in a killer rash with armpits so swollen that I can't lower my arms, maybe it'll be a keeper.

Well, guess what.  Not only is my skin happy.  But it works.  It keeps me smelling like a smell-good person on an awful, hot day.  On an awfully awful hot day that had me going from a long run straight to a crowded children's birthday party with no shower in between.  People stood next to me at the party and still smiled.  I still smelled like ylang-ylang and calendula.  I kid you not! 

What is this amazing natural deodorant?

Schmidt's Deodorant.   

This stuff is amazing.  It's natural, the company has a philosophy I can get behind, and I'm supporting local with an Oregon based business.  Made in the USofA with natural ingredients. 

I've been using the product for over a month now with no issue at all with my skin.  It smells divine and I have had two instances where something has come up or I had poor timing and went from a sweaty workout to a social gathering without a shower.  I still have friends.  No, really. I didn't stink the place up and people are still inviting me out.  (With my skin issues and not being able to wear deodorant before, this was an issue for me.)

It's not your typical stick or spray.

Step 1.  Remove a small amount of product with spatula provided with the jar.

Step 2.  Roll the removed product into a pea-sized ball.

Step 3.  Place a pea-sized ball under each arm and allow to warm up to body temp for a few moments.  (You can do this by clamping your arms down to allow deodorant to melt a bit or put it on a saucer and heat in the microwave for 5 or so seconds.  Do this at your own risk as you don't want to heat it for too long in the microwave and burn your (sensitive) skin.  

Step 4.  After rubbing in the warm deodorant like rubbing on lotion, bask in the greatness that is your new smell.  You will smell fantastic!  

Schmidt's offers several great scents (and a non scented option) in their line and I love them all.  (I especially like my husband to wear the Cedarwood and Juniper.)

You can click here to find a store near you that carries this product.  Go and try a sample if there is a tester jar... or at the very least go smell it and fall instantly in love.  If there isn't a store near you, take my word for it and give them a try by ordering online.  It is so worth it.  I can not fully express how happy I am to find something that works against body odor, is nice to my skin and doesn't stain my clothes (like some of the DIY versions I had been trying was doing). 

This deodorant will be going to Hood To Coast with me.  I have no doubt it will stand the test against a relay race and a van of smelly runners.  It's what I use everyday... so why not race day? 

Over the Hill (work) and Birthday Cake... (Chocolate Stout Cake with raspberry frosting)

Saturday's awesome hill...

The tip of the arrow touches the top of the hill where I start my decline.

My sweet husband drove me to the top of this hill with the goal to meet me at the bottom and drive me to the top again for a total of 5 miles of running down a 14% grade hill.  I'm training for Hood To Coast's first leg starting at Timberline Lodge.  It's a doozer of a leg... quite the incline (err, decline!).... but lucky for me I found a great hill!  Steeper than the popular Terwilliger Hill in Portland...

And this hill I found is quite the run.  I ran one mile down it and was incredibly sore in my calves.  Yikes!  This is a great workout!  

When I got to the bottom of the hill, one mile complete, my run plans were dashed when I found my husband with his head under the hood of our broken down car.  It was running, but would not disengage from park.  Something was up with the transmission?  Well, after ditching the car and going home to do some research, he found that the solution was a 10 minute trip to the autopart store for new fuses.  I'll have to tackle this amazing, steep hill some other time.  

In the meantime, while hubstud worked on the car (at my hill), I analysed my amazing hill's decline to that of Hood To Coast's first leg.  Huh.

My one mile descent was 400 feet.

Leg one at HTC covers an average of 500 feet in a mile... (unless I'm reading the graph wrong...)  One hundred more feet per mile, I'm venturing to guess, is going to be quite a difference.  Oh boy.  Feeling nervous.

Well, when I was done fretting over the hill work and hubstud finished working on the car, it was time to celebrate his birthday.  Last year's cake was the "Mario and Princess Peach" Toasted Pecan Cake (and a blog post about how supportive and amazing he is to help me with my training... I'd like to also state that he isn't really a runner.  [Not yet anyway... ;) ]).

So, I suppose to stay consistent, here's the recipe for this year's cake.  As you can see, he is still amazing, super supportive and helpful with my running.  :)  

I'm a lucky girl. 

Chocolate Stout Cake with Raspberry Buttercream frosting

Cake:

2 C flour

1/2 C unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

2 sticks of unsalted butter

1 1/2 C light brown sugar

2 large eggs

~ 2 cups (or less) of Rogue Chocolate Stout  (save the rest to drink with the completed cake, or just drink it while the cake bakes and enjoy the Voodoo Doughnut Pretzel, Raspberry & Chocolate Ale with the cake!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter/grease a 9 inch cake pan.

Mix together flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt. 

In a separate bowl, beat together sugar and butter until fluffy.  Beat in eggs and then stir in half the flour mixture until well incorporated.  Then stir in half the beer, mix and the rest of the flour and mix.  Then the rest of the beer.  

Pour into cake pan and bake about 35 min or until center of cake is cooked.  (Insert a "cake tester" or toothpick and if it comes out clean, cake is fully cooked.)

Frosting:
1/2 C salted butter (to go with the pretzel theme of the ale... unsalted is fine also)
3 to 4 C powdered sugar

1/4 C raspberry jam

splash of milk if frosting is too thick...

In a mixing bowl, cream together (with electric mixer) jam and butter until incorporated.

Add powdered sugar (one cup at a time) until desired consistency is achieved.

If it's too thick, add a little milk.

Spread on cooled cake!

We enjoyed the cake.  Here's to loving life... and loving some hill work in my future.

Do you think my hill is good enough?