Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Call me crazy....

...because I am pretty sure that I am. I will explain why in a minute.

Last Friday, as I drove to work, I began to pass a bunch of runners/walkers. They were a part of the Portland to Coast Relay, which is a subgroup of the annual Hood to Coast Relay.

Hood to Coast is a massive event held every year. The relay race includes over 1,000 teams of anywhere from 8-12 and treks along 198 miles - from the top of Mount Hood all the way west to Seaside, Oregon. It starts Friday morning and finishes on Saturday with the biggest beach party on the West Coast. I only know a few people who have participated, but people come from all over the country to take part. There are 36 legs of the race, which means each runner must do at least 3 of them - each one is anywhere from 3 to 8 miles. When you aren't running, you can *try to* sleep in the team vehicles.

So what does that have to do with me being a little crazy? Two things.

1. While passing the runners this morning, I thought to myself, "I should do that next year." Never in my life have I had an urge to run a marathon, a half-marathon, or even a 5k. I am NOT a runner. So where did this come from? I don't know...but it would be something to work towards throughout the next year and would be an amazing accomplishment afterwards.

2. This proposition: Who wants to join my team? ....this is the really crazy part. After I thought about participating in next year's Hood to Coast, I thought, "How awesome would it be to get 11 other bloggers to join me in this?"


My plan was this - if we could get a group of 12 ladies to come together, we could spend the next year encouraging one another in our training, sharing tips and ideas for healthy recipes, and get to know each other personally. Then, at the end of the year, we would be able to meet everyone in person. I know some of you have met other bloggers in person already - but I haven't gone there yet. There are a couple of details I should include.

The cost to enter the race is $1,404, which if you have a full team of 12 works out to $117 per person. This is the rate from the 2013 race, which took place this past weekend. I would imagine the price might increase a bit each year...Also, I already mentioned this is a HUGE event. Participation is based on a lottery system. For example, this year over 2,500 teams entered, but only 1,050 were able to actually participate. This means that even if we get a full team together, there is a chance it may not happen. Registration must be post-marked on ONE DAY and ONE DAY ONLY. So it has to be done on time (this year's registration was due last October). I believe the lottery winners are announced within a couple of weeks....late October or early November. I would think that if our team is not chosen, the fees would get refunded...but I would need to look in to that for sure.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This is in and around Portland, Oregon. Obviously, that may mean traveling from all over the U.S. I would be more than willing to open my home to you ladies for a few nights before and after the race - it could be one big slumber party!

Do you think I'm crazy yet? Because I'm still not sure myself....I guess if this actually happens, I must be somewhat sane! I know that there are others of you out there who are working on losing weight or eating better or just getting healthier in general and in better shape. I would love be able to build a small community with you girls over the next year with the goal of participating in this event.

This would be a big commitment - especially if you live outside the northwest. But how amazing would this be? If it is going to happen, we will need to try to pull the team together as soon as possible. I would imagine registration will be sometime in October again. I am going to start scoping out the official website and start watching for information for next year's race. If you are AT ALL interested, even just a "maybe, kinda sounds fun but I don't really know if that's my thing", PLEASE PLEASE send me an email. I would love to talk to you more about it. My email is kaeley *dot* a *dot* mull *at* gmail *dot* com. {YOU CAN ALSO JUST CLICK THE LITTLE ENVELOPE ICON IN THE SIDEBAR I GUESS...}

Just writing this makes me wonder what in the world I am thinking - but I am throwing it out there and I'm not taking it back. So - any takers?!?!?

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I'm not sure how many times I have mentioned it - probably too many - but I LOVE black & white photos.  So - even though I was excited about the above proposal, I had to make sure to link up for Black & White Wednesday, too.  Here are a few more images from Seattle - tomorrow I will share the rest.






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4 comments:

  1. These are gorgeous in black and white!! Like them all - but especially the one with the clock!

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  2. I think it's an awesome idea, wish I were closer. We have a color run coming to town, and I'd love to start small :). Lovely black and white shots!

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  3. I wish you well in this endeavor Kaeley -- due to geography and a bad back, I'm sorry I can't join in. :)

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  4. I love these black and whites! I am seriously thinking about this, but I am such a disaster when it comes to trying to run...I have started and failed like a trillion times and the expense would be pretty substantial for me coming all the way from TX, but I will give it some more serious consideration over the holiday weekend and let you know.

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