The Amazing Race

Picture this...
"In the wee hours of the morning you’re standing on the east bank of the Willamette River in Portland, you’re about to cross over the Hawthorne bridge to head out through the small towns of Scappoose, Mist and Olney. On your trek to the coast you hear cows, see elk and are greeted by a spectacular sunrise. You are refreshed, you're energized, you're excited. You've exchanged Legs with your teammates a few times, and are on your final stretch. You're walking harder than ever before - tired, but exhilerated. Finally, you hit the sand in Seaside, OR 127 miles later. You cross the finish line amid cheers from your 7 teammates, family, friends, and the thousands of other supporters and teams that come out. What a feeling - there's nothing like it..."

Last weekend, I (Anne) participated in the largest walking relay race in the world - Portland To Coast. With a team of 8, in a little over 29 hours, we walked 127 miles from the eastside of downtown Portland to the coastal town of Seaside, OR. We walked morning, noon, and night, and when we weren't walking we were living (literally) in a Chevy van. My combined legs totaled just under 17.5 miles. This race (and the longer, running version - Hood to Coast) is a huge deal here, and I feel somewhat like an initiated local now that I have participated in it. There were close to 18,000 people participating in the Hood to Coast events.

I think my favorite part was my walk in the middle of the night. At first, I was dreading getting out of the van because I was exhausted, and a little nervous about walking in the dark. However, as I began walking on rural country roads, armed with flashlights and reflectors, I found myself getting really excited about my nighttime adventure. There was an amazing display of stars above and other walkers and vans (decorated with X-mas lights) were everywhere to keep me company. I had my best time on this 4.2 mile leg - 54:41.

I truly believe that anyone who has competed in this event could be qualified for CBS' Amazing Race.