Leg 25 {Power Arch for all!}: Hood to Coast 2012

I ran my last leg of the relay on Saturday morning. 
I think it was around 9 am.
After spending several hours in the van in a pretty uncomfortable position and getting very little sleep,  I got out of the van and my legs felt sore and heavy.  I was now feeling the pain from the severe downhill of leg 1 in my quads...aouchy.  
I was also still dealing with GI/intestine problems and I really wanted coffee!

One thing that was perfect: The weather!
See:  damp chilly morning...I LOVE that.



Yes I am ready.....No I swear... I am...really



No sparkly skirt for that leg, the reason is simple; it was too big.  It moved a lot during the 2 previous legs and it was a little annoying..other than that I liked it OK for this kind of occasion.  It won't be my choice of outfit for the Long Beach Half Marathon but for HTC it was great.   This was the last van exchange so we got to see people from the other teams.

I spent most of the time I had either in line for the porta potty or walking around to try to loosen my legs...but that did not do much.  It hurt just walking so I knew running would not be pain free.  Could not make up my mind on what to wear...long sleeves? short sleeves? no sleeves...?  Always best to be cold over being hot..so no sleeves! I lined up at the exchange station and waited {with Tricia who was waiting for Lindsay} for Kelsey, our runner 12.






I was happy that I still had a leg to run and that leg 13 (see previous post) was not my last memory of my Hood to Coast experience.  I wanted to go out and just enjoy Oregon and the nature and just BE in the moment.
I remember thinking "This is IT, you have waited since April 24 for this crazy ride and it is almost over....take it all IN"

Kelsey arrived and handed the stick to me one last time.

Leg 25 is all rolling hills.  Beautiful all the way.  I am so lucky.  I loved that leg.  Before the first mile, my $%$^ groin, who had been pretty quiet all along...even during the crazy downhill, decided that it was done with the running.   And I mean DONE.  Sharp pain and all.  Each step I felt it just like I did in Fontana.  I DID not CARE. I had told myself before leaving for HTC that if I had to rest for 2 weeks after it is over than so be it, I'll do that but there was no way in hell that I was not going to run my 3 legs.  I think I had been pretty lucky with the groin situation up until then.  

For the first time my team stopped to cheer me on while I was on the course.  (it was not allowed for Leg 1 and second one was at night).  I could see them from far and I got really emotional.  It meant a lot to me that they stopped.

  


And I got a Power Arch a la Dead Jocks!!!!! I LOVED it!!!



As I got closer to the end I was smiling and crying at the same time.  My stomach on the other hand was clear on what it was doing : The Revolution.  I went in dry heaves mode shortly before I got to the exchange....not again...seriously....



I needed a moment before joining my team.  Vanessa waited for me to make sure I was OK.  That girl is just so so nice. 
Mason was there also.  As soon as I got to him I thanked him for picking me on this team and for everything they did for us.  I told him I was so grateful to have been a part of this.  I also apologized for being the slowest one.  I was really overwhelmed in that moment and   
he was very supportive and kind.  Made me cry.  I won't repeat all that he said but in short...that the pace was not what was important and that he knew I clearly had given all I had and that he could not ask for more. 
And I did.  I can say for sure 100% that I left all I had on the road. 
Do I wish I had more to give...well yes of course.  Don't we all? 
I felt happy and proud. 
Thank you NUUN.


(I am left handed...this shows how overwhelmed I was....!)

I had completed my Hood to Coast!  We still had 5 more legs to go.  We stopped for everyone to cheer them on and played "Call me Maybe" super loud as we passed our runners. 

We mastered the art of the Power Arch! (Dead Jocks got nothing on us now!!)






Thank you for reading.
I got one more post....the conclusion...

Before I go...I do want to thank all of you who have read and commented on these HTC posts.  Thank you for your support on my last post.  I got emails and comments and several asked if NUUN did anything regarding what happened during my 2nd leg.  The answer to that really is I don't know (They did send beautiful flowers to my house when I got back home).  If they talked with HTC people, they did not share it with me.  I don't think that it is NUUN's responsibility to do anything.  I am an adult.  I contacted Hood to Coast once I got back and told them (again) what happened.  I received an email from them today and they said they would work on this issue for the future.  On their website I read that they have bike patrol security during the night for legs 9 to 12.   13 needs to be on that list.  Also several people said I was brave...I do thank you for that but really I wasn't...Brave are the people who are serving for their country..people fighting cancer like our teammate Harmony's husband and many others....people who went back in the towers...almost 11 ago.