Hood to Coast Relay

Hood to Coast is coming up again. It's an important event in Oregon with runners on teams that run from Mount Hood to Seaside. It's an exhausting and exhilarating adventure. Last year on the team, Running in Harmony, my son, Ben and his wife, Amanda ran with my daughter, Gretchen, and her husband Chris. In the front row is Chris on the far right. In the center is Ben next to Gretchen. Amanda is the third from the left in the front row and is  next to Gretchen.

Hood to Coast is no longer allowing everyone to run who wants to run because the route from Mt. Hood to Seaside is so crowded with all the decorated vans for the teams and the runners. I think it's pretty sad that people are closed out of this wonderful healthy choice.

I am wondering if Portland to Coast is still run on the same day. If this is true, maybe Portland to Coast should have a different day so that everyone who wants to run Hood to Coast can. Or maybe there should be two events a year so everyone can be part of it. It is encouraging and inspiring for the walking teams to see the Hood to Coast teams whiz by and leave you in their dust when you are walking. It makes you dream of being a runner someday and being on a Hood to Coast team. If there were two events a year, fast teams can run both times a year so they can have twice the fun!

Portland to Coast is a walking relay and it also ends up in Seaside. I was part of the team, Red Hot and Rolling in 2003, a Volkswalk team. The road was crowded then. It was so much fun and I had a great time. It would be fun to do this again.

I really think that anyone who wants to be part of something like this, should be able to do it. Either we want to encourage health and fitness or discourage it. Those teams with the worst times are the ones who really need to be encouraged to continue!