Hood to Coast: the Relay Movie for Runners Who Love Relays
Posted Feb 12 2011 8:01pm
If you’ve been reading HOTR or following me on twitter for any significant amount of time, you may have come to the conclusion that I’m obsessed with relays. And I probably wouldn’t try to convince you otherwise. The truth is, the 200-mile relay race is probably my favorite race of all. If someone were to come out of the woodwork tomorrow and tell me that they wanted to sponsor me so that I could run relays for a living, I would jump at the chance (any takers? ).
You may not believe it, but I wasn’t always this way. EC actually got into relays first. He ran one the summer before we started dating and was instantly hooked. A couple months into our relationship, he was already trying to convince me to sign up with him for next year. I was hesitant, not only because I wasn’t sure our relationship would even last that long (sorry, EC but it’s true!), but also because the concept didn’t exactly sound like fun. Spending over 24 hours in a smelly van with runners I didn’t know and having to run three different times on no sleep and limited real food? Not exactly the makings of a fun weekend.
But deep down, I couldn’t escape the feeling that this was going to be a crazy experience, and one that I should try at least once. So after a few months of convincing (and once it started to seem like EC might actually be a keeper) I signed up. And the rest is history!
So when I got the opportunity to see the encore presentation of Hood to Coast, I was super excited. The HTC relay is the largest 200-mile relay in the country — it’s the race that started it all. In the 27 years that it’s been running, the relay has literally exploded in popularity. Now over 1,000 teams compete every year. If you want to be one of them, you need to either place in your age category, or enter the lottery that is open for only one day per year (this race is harder to get into than the NYC marathon!). It’s definitely a dream of mine to be one of the lucky ones competing in this epic relay one day.
But for now, I was happy to at least be able to experience it through film. On Thursday night, EC and I met up with Becky , Lizzy , and Corey for a screening. In short: the film did not disappoint! I loved it (minus the Bart Yasso runway commentary at the beginning. Sorry Bart, I love ya but what were you thinking with those green glasses?!) and couldn’t believe how accurately the documentary captured the entire spirit of the relay. The movie followed four different teams on their journey through the 197 miles from Mt. Hood to the Oregon coast. Each team had a unique background, but they all shared a common goal. Their stories were moving, quirky, and inspirational. At the end, my only regret was that they didn’t show more – I would’ve loved the event to go on for another couple of hours!
What I found just as interesting as the movie, however, were our different reactions to it. Of the five people in our group, only Corey had not done a relay before. And while Lizzy had completed one Ragnar relay, from the sounds of it, the weekend was not such a great experience. Going in, I had thought that a movie about a 200-mile adventure race would easily make anyone who loves running instantly obsessed. With every scene, every conversation, Becky , EC and I found ourselves getting more and more excited about our upcoming relays. I think the only things that came out of my mouth the entire time were either, “Oh my gosh! That’s so true! That’s exactly how it is!!” or “Oh my gosh! I want to run this race so bad!!” Clearly I have an addiction…
I don’t think other two {sane} runners were quite as sold, however. While both really enjoyed the movie, I think it’s pretty safe to say they weren’t left with the same crazy feelings of excitement for running a relay as Becky and I. In fact, it may be hard for many people to truly understand our extreme love for these things. Even I don’t know if I can completely explain it. I’ve written a little about adventure relays and my love for them in the past, but as Bart Yasso says in the film — it’s one of those things that you will never fully understand until you’ve experienced it yourself. The camaraderie and bonding that happens when you’re supporting 11 other people through a crazy, extreme challenge; the feeling of running at night while the rest of the world sleeps, with only the sound of your own footsteps keeping you company; and the crazy high you get from accomplishing something so difficult — these are all things that make the race so unique. You may be tired, you may be sick, you may question yourself many times throughout the relay, but in the end, I can guarantee that you will feel incredibly, completely alive.
Becky perfectly summed up her reasons for loving the 200-mile adventure relay here . I couldn’t have said it better myself. However, if you want to read an unbiased review of the Hood to Coast movie from a sane person, you should probably read Corey’s thoughts on the film .
So what does all this mean? Do I think you should see the movie? Yes. But can I guarantee that you’ll love it and be inspired to do a relay yourself? No. I think the Hood to Coast movie is an awesome film for runners. It’s a tale about the triumph of the human spirit – a tale about ordinary runners accomplishing an extraordinary thing. But I know that running a 200-mile relay doesn’t appeal to everyone. And that’s okay!
However, if you’ve watched the film or read reviews and have somehow caught relay fever, I have a proposition for you. I’m starting the process of putting together a team for the 2011 New Hampshire Reach the Beach Relay (you can read my recap here ). If you’re interested, let me know. Leave a comment on this post or email me at lauren[at]healthontherun[dot]net and I can send you more information. I realize that September seems like it’s a long time away, but this relay fills up extremely fast, so we’ve got to sign up soon.
I think it’s safe to say that the Hood to Coast movie and relay planning has been just the thing I needed to lift me out of those winter blues .
If you’ve been reading HOTR or following me on t witter for any significant amount of time, you may have come to the conclusion that I’m obsessed with relays. And I probably wouldn’t try to convince you otherwise. The truth is, the 200-mile relay race is probably my favorite race of all. If someone were to come out of the woodwork tomorrow and tell me that they wanted to sponsor me so that I could run relays for a living, I would jump at the chance (any takers?
).
You may not believe it, but I wasn’t always this way. EC actually got into relays first. He ran one the summer before we started dating and was instantly hooked. A couple months into our relationship, he was already trying to convince me to sign up with him for next year. I was hesitant, not only because I wasn’t sure our relationship would even last that long (sorry, EC but it’s true!), but also because the concept didn’t exactly sound like fun. Spending over 24 hours in a smelly van with runners I didn’t know and having to run three different times on no sleep and limited real food? Not exactly the makings of a fun weekend.
But deep down, I couldn’t escape the feeling that this was going to be a crazy experience, and one that I should try at least once. So after a few months of convincing (and once it started to seem like EC might actually be a keeper) I signed up. And the rest is history!
So when I got the opportunity to see the encore presentation of Hood to Coast, I was super excited. The HTC relay is the largest 200-mile relay in the country — it’s the race that started it all. In the 27 years that it’s been running, the relay has literally exploded in popularity. Now over 1,000 teams compete every year. If you want to be one of them, you need to either place in your age category, or enter the lottery that is open for only one day per year (this race is harder to get into than the NYC marathon!). It’s definitely a dream of mine to be one of the lucky ones competing in this epic relay one day.
But for now, I was happy to at least be able to experience it through film. On Thursday night, EC and I met up with Becky , Lizzy , and Corey for a screening. In short: the film did not disappoint! I loved it (minus the Bart Yasso runway commentary at the beginning. Sorry Bart, I love ya but what were you thinking with those green glasses?!) and couldn’t believe how accurately the documentary captured the entire spirit of the relay. The movie followed four different teams on their journey through the 197 miles from Mt. Hood to the Oregon coast. Each team had a unique background, but they all shared a common goal. Their stories were moving, quirky, and inspirational. At the end, my only regret was that they didn’t show more – I would’ve loved the event to go on for another couple of hours!
What I found just as interesting as the movie, however, were our different reactions to it. Of the five people in our group, only Corey had not done a relay before. And while Lizzy had completed one Ragnar relay, from the sounds of it, the weekend was not such a great experience. Going in, I had thought that a movie about a 200-mile adventure race would easily make anyone who loves running instantly obsessed. With every scene, every conversation, Becky , EC and I found ourselves getting more and more excited about our upcoming relays. I think the only things that came out of my mouth the entire time were either, “Oh my gosh! That’s so true! That’s exactly how it is!!” or “Oh my gosh! I want to run this race so bad!!” Clearly I have an addiction…
I don’t think other two {sane} runners were quite as sold, however. While both really enjoyed the movie, I think it’s pretty safe to say they weren’t left with the same crazy feelings of excitement for running a relay as Becky and I. In fact, it may be hard for many people to truly understand our extreme love for these things. Even I don’t know if I can completely explain it. I’ve written a little about adventure relays and my love for them in the past, but as Bart Yasso says in the film — it’s one of those things that you will never fully understand until you’ve experienced it yourself. The camaraderie and bonding that happens when you’re supporting 11 other people through a crazy, extreme challenge; the feeling of running at night while the rest of the world sleeps, with only the sound of your own footsteps keeping you company; and the crazy high you get from accomplishing something so difficult — these are all things that make the race so unique. You may be tired, you may be sick, you may question yourself many times throughout the relay, but in the end, I can guarantee that you will feel incredibly, completely alive.
Becky perfectly summed up her reasons for loving the 200-mile adventure relay here . I couldn’t have said it better myself. However, if you want to read an unbiased review of the Hood to Coast movie from a sane person, you should probably read Corey’s thoughts on the film .
So what does all this mean? Do I think you should see the movie? Yes. But can I guarantee that you’ll love it and be inspired to do a relay yourself? No. I think the Hood to Coast movie is an awesome film for runners. It’s a tale about the triumph of the human spirit – a tale about ordinary runners accomplishing an extraordinary thing. But I know that running a 200-mile relay doesn’t appeal to everyone. And that’s okay!
However, if you’ve watched the film or read reviews and have somehow caught relay fever, I have a proposition for you. I’m starting the process of putting together a team for the 2011 New Hampshire Reach the Beach Relay (you can read my recap here ). If you’re interested, let me know. Leave a comment on this post or email me at lauren[at]healthontherun[dot]net and I can send you more information. I realize that September seems like it’s a long time away, but this relay fills up extremely fast, so we’ve got to sign up soon.
I think it’s safe to say that the Hood to Coast movie and relay planning has been just the thing I needed to lift me out of those winter blues .