It’s hard to start writing these Hood to Coast recaps, since I feel like once I blog about it, the whole experience will actually be over. (This is why I still haven’t seen the final Harry Potter movie or read the last two Hunger Games books, all the while refusing to throw out old running sneakers and chocolate bar wrappers from Ghana.) Also, It’s pretty impossible to record all the tiny details and explain the energy: the miles, excitement, exhaustion, and bliss. However, I can highlight the good stuff and show you pretty pictures as I try my best to explain how Hood to Coast was hardly about the running, yet changed me as a runner. I swear sometime down the (blog) road that’ll make sense. 

But first, Seattle.

A bunch of us arrived late Tuesday night, so we had the whole morning on Wednesday to explore the city before going to a Mariner’s game with Nuun. Of course, we decided to go for a run. Now…something I failed to mention on here was I’ve been injured; I’ve never really been hurt before, and now for the first time in my life with Hood to Coast and my first marathon coming up, I woke up one morning and could barely walk. Looong story short, I have peroneal tendonitis, and was wrapped up, drugged up, and told I was done training if I wanted to actually run the relay. Going to Hood to Coast and not running a step three weeks prior? Sorta stressful. 

By some miracle, that run on Wednesday felt good, and I experienced only a little pain! Susan, Jocelyn, Steph, Lauren, and I went for a nice four miles along the waterfront and ended down by the famous Pike Place Fish Market with Caroline before heading back up to the stadium for the game. There, we met more runners and Nuun staff, and happily enjoyed some delicious IPA’s while “watching” the game. (I cheered whenever Casey and Mason did.) By the time the night was over, I was jet-lagged, full of beer and whiskey, in a social overhaul haze, and was both so incredibly excited and exhausted. I slept like a champ.

The next morning, we headed to Green Lake Park in Seattle, where we ran a nice five miles (still almost pain free) while stopping in to visit Oiselle HQ! Oiselle is an awesome women’s running apparel company, and they generously showed us around the office, told us the history of the company, and even gave us shirts with their tagline “Go Fast, Take Chances.” Later in the day, we headed over to Nuun’s HQ, where we gawked at ALL THE NUUN TUBES while opening up our swag bags (many thank you’s to come) until we went on a scavenger hunt around the city. After walking around and taking ridiculous pictures, giving homeless people Nuun tattoos, and catching/kissing fresh fish (don’t worry about it), we went back to HQ to eat dinner, decorate the vans, and promptly pass out. 

More to come on the actual relay soon!  

and PS… ever since I was younger I felt like I should live in Seattle. This is now confirmed. Who’s coming with me?