The Anti-Running Runner

Back on April 28th, I ran the Claw Run 10 Miles with hubby, Hea, and Mike. Our friends Robert and Russ ran the 5 Miles. This race in beautiful Alafia River State Park has become a favorite of mine. I can't believe someone had to talk me into doing it the first time. We ran through forest trails, up and down hills and berms, through a green valley that smelled like mint, slid on our butts down steep slopes, splashed through ankle-deep water, and waded through a waist-deep river (probably my favorite part because it's a wonderful cool down). The best of all was that the four of us stayed together. Usually I'm at the back of the pack but someone is always kind enough to stay with me like Hea or Alyssa (who sadly couldn't make it this year). But this time, we ran as a group and felt like a team. Of course, staying together still meant staying with the slowest person (me), so I was especially grateful that everyone stuck to the plan. Later, it became clear why Mike, t...

My first Hood 2 Coast continued... The relay is over and I would bet people are already planning for next year. I left off the Pt 1 post with the Wonder Women. This was the shirt for our team in 2004: front back Because my family had been doing the race for years, I got to jump on board the team of mostly family members. I can't quite remember who talked me into it, but I know my cousin, Alyssa, and many of my aunts gave me great advice on how to train. My sister, Larisa, had done it the year before, and I wanted to try it. I started long-distance running in college. After college (I had no job except jewelry-making at the time), I spent a month in Oregon visiting family and training on the hills around my aunt's house. There is one really huge hill that is the perfect trainer for a Florida girl coming to do Hood 2 Coast. I did a lot of stairs during the months leading up to my trip, which helped. The relay begins at Timberline on Mt Hood. I was in van 1, le...

If the horrible 8-miler I did the week before The Claw Run was an indicator of my finish time for the 10-mile race, I would have guessed a three-hour, sluggish, slow, and painful finish time. Praise God that wasn't the case and my time was a respectable two hours and nine minutes. Luckily, the adventure run took my fears away as soon as the horn sounded. My cousin, Alyssa, and I took off through the woods on a shaded path behind my hubby and Hea's boyfriend, Mike. They got ahead of us pretty quickly, but Alyssa stayed with me the whole time. The sad part was the fact that Hea of Team Hea and Bria had a knee injury and couldn't race with us. She was a trooper and still came to cheer. Two other friends, Robert and Russ, ran the 5 miles and did great. Robert was kind enough to drive us again this year. Alyssa and I raced through forest trails, open fields, up and down "hills" (he...