Part 2 of ???: Hood to Coast Relay Recap -- Our Support Crew

The Nuun-Hood to Coast teams would never in million years been possible if it weren't for the tireless crew at Nuun. Before I can even begin to delve into the weekend, I want to use a post to highlight all the people who gave up their personal hours, sweat, tears -- oh, and a whole lot of time alongside their daily job duties -- to make this happen.

Kimberly

Kimberly was my original contact at Nuun. She's in charge of the Ambassador program I am a part of, and she and I have been in touch for a long time. It was so nice to finally get to meet her in person, see her in action, and get to know the personality behind her name. This lady is hardcore and pushes herself to unimaginable limits... perhaps not always in the best of ways. ;)

Mason

Mason is Nuun's new president and was the driver of AfterNUUN Delight Van 1. He hopped out of the van and ran with many of his own runners (running something like, what, 17 miles in a row himself??) just to cheer them on and offer his support. He has a great set of ears and was so eager and willing to hear about our experiences. Having him listen to us meant so, so much.

Kim

Kim may just be the sweetest, most accommodating, gracious lady I have met. She's an accomplished runner and an asset to the running industry, and I think we all count ourselves lucky for having shook her hand (or in some of our cases, stay at her house, drink her beer, AND let her do our dirty laundry!). Kim excludes class and grace off-road, but she knows how to let herself go when it comes to pounding the pavement.

Casey

Casey, Nuun's CFO, never stops smiling. No really. He never stops smiling. Even when he's sleep deprived, hungry, and being driven crazy by a bunch of stinky ladies (sorry, Nuun Platuun Van 2), he's still optimistic and happy -- and he doesn't even take caffeine! He gave up his weekend from his wife and family to hang out with us in a less-than-glamorous capacity. As the driver, he not only provided his runners with what they needed from the vehicle, he even jumped out and joined them when the going got tough.

Alex

Alex was my personal chauffeur and my Nuun Platuun Van 1 driver. I will never be able to speak enough praise about how essential he was to our team. Heck, without Alex, we wouldn't have even had a team. The weather in Oregon was brutally hot, and Alex would ensure that all of us had what we needed. If we were out on the course and needed water, he would jump out and pass off bottles while running alongside us. At one point in a traffic jam, he took off running toward the van exchange to let Van 2 know we were coming. Alex never once had a single complaint about being trapped with crazy women (really, not even once!) and as a volunteer for Seattle's Search & Rescue, we couldn't have been in better hands.

Caitlin

Caitlin might just be the cutest person ever. Her energy and smile is SO contagious, and while she claims she's not a runner, she took a spot in my van, Nuun Platuun Van 1, and ran some hardcore legs at an incredible speed without training. She is so spunky, peppy, and optimistic, and having her sleep-deprived hallucinations in our van made for a riotous good time. Everyone needs a Caitlin in their life.

Ken

I don't know much about Ken other than he's Nuun's killer graphic designer and he looks like he's 12. I wasn't sure he was legally able to drive, but he apparently did... and since everyone came out of AfterNUUN Delight Van 2 alive, it looks like he did it well.

Jenn

Jen was a (super speedy!) runner for AfterNUUN Delight, and she was a constant source of smiles and boundless energy.

Not only did Nuun provide us so much during the race, they lent us their space before AND after Hood to Coast!

They hosted a pizza & beer party for us in their company's swanky loft-like headquarters.

This seat is made out of cardboard, I think? Some sort of filter? Either way, it was really cool and surprisingly comfy, and a really nice addition to their office.

They gave us allllll the Nuun we could imagine! I totally stocked up on Banana while I had the chance. (I tear up thinking this flavor will be discontinued...)

Not a bad view outside their office, either.

And as for after the race? Kim was kind enough to let us stay at her house so we could save some big bucks instead of getting a hotel! Thank you, Kim, for feeding us, providing us tasty beverages, letting us crash in your living room, AND doing our stinky laundry! :)

Kim, Susan, Lauren, and me taking over Kim's condo.

Aside from the unbelievable support from the Nuun staff, we had many other sponsors who stepped in to provide us with so many goods for the race. Thank you to all the companies who provided us with a Christmas-like morning; we fully utilized all your donations during Hood to Coast!

• Running Skirts


• Tommie Copper


• Moving Comfort


• RoadID


• 2Toms


• FlashBrite


• Buildasign.com


• GU Energy


• Jamba Juice


• Jenny Craig


• Jack Black Skin Care