By: Bradley Crowe, 8th quarter DC Student and participant in Hood to Coast

The Hood to Coast relay is an annual event where teams of runners race from the Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood all the way to the town of Seaside on the Oregon coast. Every year the route changes slightly, but the race covers approximately 199 miles each year. Teams consist of twelve runners divided into two vans. The race is set up so that the six runners in van one take turns running and then hand over to the runners of van two. It continues to alternate throughout the race, so that the van that is not currently running can try to get food or some sleep before taking over running duties once again. Runners each run three legs of anywhere between four and eight miles distance, for a total of 36 legs.

University of Western States was lucky enough to get a team into the race this year. The team was called the Western States Running Club (WSRC). It consisted of, in order of running legs: Jimmy Westover, Natasha Smith, Matt Botcher, Savannah Shortz, Brad Crowe and Kelsey Woodland in van one; and Rachel Wysocki, Kaitlyn Haese, Sissel Holloway, Cornelius Van de Wall, Ryan Takagi and Parker Pratt in van two. The team wouldn’t be complete without our amazing drivers, who took time out of their weekends to support the team: Raquel Osborn and Dr. Jenny Nordeen in van one, and Hank Hirsh in van two. Thank you so much!

The race started on Friday, August 26 at noon. It was beautiful and clear, with temperatures trending up into the 90s. Gorgeous, but not ideal temperatures for running. The first leg was a fast and steep descent down Timberline Highway, ending at the Government Camp rest area. The transition area was chaotic with vans, spectators and runners everywhere. After the exchange, the race followed Highway 26 down the mountain. It was almost completely exposed, so the heat took a major toll on runners. Thankfully, many supporters left out bottles of water or hoses for people to douse themselves as they ran by.

The race continued along Highway 26 all the way to Sandy High School – the first major exchange between vans. It was amazing to be able to look back up to Mt. Hood and see how far we had actually run. Van two continued mostly along the Springwater Corridor bike trail, all the way to the Hawthorne Bridge. This was the second major van exchange, and it was crazy. The Portland to Coast race also starts here so there were hundreds of people and hundreds of vans everywhere. And it was dark! Fortunately, the teams had flags to help identify so we were able to connect seamlessly. The next section crossed the Hawthorne Bridge and then headed up to Highway 30. In the full darkness, it was an amazing sight. The stars were out, with hundreds of blinking lights bobbing off into the distance. This was the second section for van one, so many runners were slowing and struggling in this section, but the WSRC ran strong and were able continue pushing ahead of many teams that had started earlier in the day.

The next major van exchange was at the Columbia County Fairgrounds in St. Helens at roughly the halfway point of the race. Now it was true chaos, with hundreds of vans converging in the darkness as both van one and van two rejoined each other after more than 100 miles of running. Van two took over to run through the dead of night along country roads out to Highway 47. The temperatures cooled significantly, but the WSRC continued to run strong and pass teams throughout the night.

The fourth major van exchange took place near the town of Mist. Hundreds of vans were parked throughout the fields with tarps and tents laid out everywhere as runners desperately tried to capture even just a few moments of sleep. With the sun just rising, the exchange back to van one took place around 6 a.m. Van one continued to run down teams in front of them as they cruised along Highway 202 toward the coast.

The final major van exchange took place near Olney, where runners were again trying to grab whatever scraps of sleep they could. With that, van one’s job was done and it was up to van two to bring the race home to Seaside. Overcast skies made for perfect running conditions and WSRC runners felt strong right to the finish. The team finished their 199 mile run in 27 hours, 13 minutes and 58 seconds. This earned them a 9th place finish in their category, out of more than 130 teams, and an outstanding 97th place overall.

Thank you to University of Western States for the support in making this happen. Huge thank you specifically to Raquel Osborn and Pete Szucs, who were instrumental in helping to organize the team. And thank you again to Osborn, Dr. Nordeen, and Hirsh for being amazing and volunteering to drive. And a final thank you to our gracious volunteers: Leah Sartison, Kim Nicks and Tricia Clements. Congratulations to everyone who participated!

The University of Western States (UWS) running club will be representing the university August 26-27 for the Hood to Coast Relay. Below are profiles of the runners and what inspired them to commit to this two-day, 198-mile relay race starting at Timberline Lodge on Mt Hood and ending on the beach in Seaside, Oregon. The UWS massage program will also be on-site at the end, giving free massages. Come by, say hi and cheer on the UWS running club.

 

Name: Kelsey Woodland
Program: Doctor of Chiropractic
Quarter: 8th

1. What inspired you to want to compete in the Hood to Coast Relay?
   When I first came out to Portland to do my school tour, the race was being advertised on TV and I immediately knew that I wanted to run in it. I have always loved sports and have been an athlete my entire life. I thought that the idea of a team relay starting at Mt. Hood and running to the coast would be an amazing experience.
2. Is this your first race? How did you prepare leading up to this event?
   This is my first time running Hood to Coast but I have competed in many other races including 5Ks, obstacle courses and a half marathon. My preparation for the event is running. I am trying to get in miles and run outside. I am a very active individual and I hike and strength lift as well.
3. How do you feel this process helped you to become a better student and, one day, chiropractic physician?
   I want to work with athletes and this event has helped me to further listen to and understand my body and how it works. I now know more about what it can handle, when to take a break, how to prevent injuries and what rehabilitation is best post-race. It makes me a better student because, like all team events, it challenges me to work with others, practice my communication skills and learn how to solve problems.
4. What has been your favorite part of this whole process leading up to the relay?
   I have really enjoyed getting into shape again. I was a collegiate soccer athlete at my undergrad and after the first couple of quarters of school I really let working out and being in shape fall to the wayside due to the workload. This event has helped me to time manage and learn to fit working out into my schedule as a priority.

 

Name: Matt Boetcher
Program: Doctor of Chiropractic
Quarter: 8th

1. What inspired you to want to compete in the Hood to Coast Relay?
   I heard about the race before I moved to Oregon (from Minnesota) and when I got here it just became one of the things I put on my list to do while I was here. I’ve never been a distance runner so it’s something that I wanted to challenge myself to do.
2. Is this your first race? How did you prepare leading up to this event?
   Before this I had only done a 5k. I used to run track however, so I know how to train but have had to greatly adapt my training style to prepare for something longer than a sprint race.
3. How do you feel this process helped you to become a better student and, one day, chiropractic physician?
   I like to continue to push myself to do challenging things and become better – this carries over into all aspects of my life. School and my future as a physician are no different. I will always push myself to learn as much as I can to be the best at what I do.
4. What has been your favorite part of this whole process leading up to the relay?
   Besides getting a new pair of shoes? Just adapting to a new type of training focused more on endurance than I’m used to. If you want to join next year, registration is really early. Do some research and stay on top of it when the registration starts. It fills up quickly.
5. Please feel free to include any additional information you think readers would want to know about you/ the relay/ your team, etc.
   Bradley Crowe has been unbelievable at getting this whole thing set up. He was the one to get the ball rolling all the way to where we are now. He deserves a lot of credit for how smoothly this whole process is going to play out for our team. A huge thank you for what he’s done!

 

Name: Parker Pratt
Program: Doctor of Chiropractic
Quarter: 8th

1. What inspired you to want to compete in the Hood to Coast Relay?
   I have run races while I lived in Utah and have heard about Hood to Coast from family who live in Oregon. When I found out the running club was going to run it, I wanted to join. This relay race has a good reputation and I wanted to experience it.
2. Is this your first race? How did you prepare leading up to this event?
   No, this is not my first race. I have been running more regularly and trying to eat better. Trying to find time to run while going to school and balancing time with family has been tricky, but definitely worth the effort.
3. How do you feel this process helped you to become a better student and, one day, chiropractic physician?
   I have had some small injuries while training for the race; I have had to learn what to do to help make the injury better at a pace that was good for my training.
4. What has been your favorite part of this whole process leading up to the relay?
   I have enjoyed the suspense. Not many on the team have run this race, so it has been fun to talk about what will happen and how we will handle each situation. I have really enjoyed training for it and figuring out which way to train is best.
5. Please feel free to include any additional information you think readers would want to know about you/ the relay/ your team, etc.
   As a first quarter not knowing anyone when coming into the program, I got to know a lot of upper quarters through the running club. It was just another way to get to know more students.

 

Name: Cornelius van de Wall
Program: Doctor of Chiropractic
Quarter: 10th

1. What inspired you to want to compete in the Hood to Coast Relay?
   I’ve been getting more and more involved in amateur running competitions since moving to Portland. Since being at UWS I’ve met a lot of people that have similar interests, Hood to Coast seemed like a fun experience to share with them.
2. Is this your first race? How did you prepare leading up to this event?
   Prior to Hood to Coast I will have done a 10k, a 5k and a sprint triathlon. My training for Hood to Coast overlaps with most of these fairly well, and recently consists of running 2-3x a week anywhere from 5k-10k.
3. How do you feel this process helped you to become a better student and, one day, chiropractic physician?
   I think that maintaining your hobbies and pursuing new goals outside of the program is essential to performing well in the program. For me, running has taken my mind off of school, as well as provided me with a first-hand experience to injuries/issues that patients who are casual runners may present with.
4. What has been your favorite part of this whole process leading up to the relay?
   Spending time with everyone together before we graduate is one of my favorite parts, but the personal fitness and stress relief has also been great.

 

Name: Sissel Holloway
Program: Doctor of Chiropractic
Quarter: 11th

1. What inspired you to want to compete in the Hood to Coast Relay?
   I have run races my whole life but I have never participated in a team relay race. Hood to Coast is one of the original team relay races in the country. It has been on my bucket list ever since I moved to Oregon.
2. Is this your first race? How did you prepare leading up to this event?
   This is my first Hood to Coast experience. I run ultra races and try to stay as active as possible to balance my lifestyle in school. The running club has been meeting up for trail runs and track workouts put on by the Nike headquarters to prepare for the race.
3. How do you feel this process helped you to become a better student and, one day, chiropractic physician?
   This is a great opportunity to get to know other active health practitioners. This is also a great opportunity to educate the public on what we do as chiropractors. There are still a lot of people in the general population who have no idea of what we do.
4. What has been your favorite part of this whole process leading up to the relay?
   Finding a solid group of people that can push each other and have fun at the same time.

 

Name: Brad Crowe
Program: Doctor of Chiropractic
Quarter: 8th

1. 1. What inspired you to want to compete in the Hood to Coast Relay?
      The Hood to Coast is a massive event. It’s one of those things that runners know of, even if they’re not from the region. So when I moved here for school, it was one of the first things that I looked into. I found a few people from school who might be interested and put in the application.
   2. Is this your first race? How did you prepare leading up to this event?
      I’ve been running and racing for about the last eight years, so I’ve lost count of how many events I have run. My focus has slowly been moving to longer distances, so now my main focus is on running ultra-marathons. Ideally, I like to train about 12 hours per week but with school I just get in what I can during the week. That means lots of loops around Glendoveer Golf Course with the rest of the team, or running in the trails around Mt Tabor. The main focus of my training is my weekend run, where I either head out to the Gorge for some good climbing or head to Forest Park for a long and fast run. I’m also doing a 24-hour trail relay at Haag Lake at the end of July, which will be perfect practice for Hood to Coast.
   3. How do you feel this process helped you to become a better student and, one day, chiropractic physician?
      For me, there are lots of things that transfer from running to the rest of life. One of the main populations that I would like to focus on working with is endurance athletes, so I think being an endurance athlete myself gives me some credibility and helps me to relate to them. Whole body health is a critical part of health care, and I think it’s also important to practice what we preach, so running helps to make me a good role model for an active and healthy lifestyle.
   4. What has been your favorite part of this whole process leading up to the relay?
      The camaraderie of the team is definitely the highlight. There is a group of us that often manage to get out and run together, which is great. Everyone also came together really well for the popcorn fundraiser that we did. It’s a good thing we get along, because we’ll be spending a whole lot of time together crammed in a sweaty van!
   5. Please feel free to include any additional information you think readers would want to know about you/ the relay/ your team, etc.
      The Hood to Coast Relay has been going on for the last 25 years. It starts at the Timberline Lodge and runs all the way to Seaside for a total distance of 198 miles. Teams are made up of 12 runners, with each runner doing three legs for an average of 16.5 miles per person. Our current predicted time is approximately 30 hours.

 

Name: Savannah Shortz, DC
Quarter: MSDI Radiology Resident – 2nd year

1. What inspired you to want to compete in the Hood to Coast Relay?
   Oddly, being crammed into a van with a bunch of other runners while driving/running to the coast sounds pretty fun. The Hood to Coast relay is definitely a race that most runners have on their wish list, so when I was invited to be on the UWS team, I was stoked to be a part of it. Having to run three legs of the race, likely at odd times of the day, with questionable terrain, I know will be pretty challenging both physically, as well as personally. I always love a good challenge.
2. Is this your first race? How did you prepare leading up to this event?
   I started running consistently about four years ago training for my first 5k. Since then, I have participated in several other races including 5ks, 10ks, half marathons and I finished my first full marathon in May of this year. Training for the marathon was extremely helpful in preparing me for the Hood to Coast relay in order to build the endurance to last the three legs of the race. Since completing the marathon in May, I’ve started to work more on my speed by adding weight training into my workouts in addition to tempo runs.
3. How do you feel this process helped you to become a better student and, one day, chiropractic physician?
   As a current chiropractor, and future radiologist, I’d say that running in general has helped quite a bit in overall life management. Being able to juggle the stressors of both work and life have become much more manageable, and I know that is due greatly to the therapeutic benefits of running. The miles completed play a great part in the doctor I am and will be.
4. What has been your favorite part of this whole process leading up to the relay?
   My favorite part of this process has been setting a personal goal and being able to achieve that. The other runners on this team are very good and very fast. It was my personal goal to get faster to be able to add something to the team. In the past couple of months, I’ve been able to shed a solid minute and a half off of my race pace, which has been quite the feat for me. I think the upcoming challenge of running a race with such great runners has given me the extra push to really meet my goals, and I’m extremely thankful for that.

 

Name: Kaitlyn Haese
Program: Doctor of Chiropractic
Quarter: 11th

1. What inspired you to want to compete in the Hood to Coast Relay?
   When I moved to Oregon to start school at UWS in August of 2013, I quickly learned of this unique running event. I had interest in participating in this event, but never guessed I would have the opportunity to do so. Easy access to the running community in Portland, as well as the development of our own running community at UWS, has made running an activity that I look forward to squeezing in between class and clinic requirements.
2. Is this your first race? How did you prepare leading up to this event?
   I did a handful of road half-marathons when I lived in Wisconsin, and turned to trail races when I moved to Oregon. To date I have completed races as short as 15 miles and as long as a 50k. I am training for both this team relay race as well as another 50k race at the end of this summer.
3. How do you feel this process helped you to become a better student and, one day, chiropractic physician?
   Running in general has helped me to stay healthy, manage my stress level, and balance my time. These are all skills I will need to have in order to find a balance between work and life when I am a doctor. Because with balance, you can be fully present. As a runner myself, I think that this experience helps me to better relate to and treat other runners that I see in clinic.
4. What has been your favorite part of this whole process leading up to the relay?
   Several of the runners from the UWS Running Club have been participating in weekly speed workouts with Nike Run Club. Since I typically focus on endurance training, it has been a great way to stay motivated to work on increasing my speed, especially since each leg of this relay race is under eight miles.

 

Name: Ryan Takagi
Program: Doctor of Chiropractic
Quarter: 12th

1. What inspired you to want to compete in the Hood to Coast Relay?
   It’s an opportunity to be with friends. It’s also one of the longest and largest relays in the world — that’s pretty cool.
2. Is this your first race? How did you prepare leading up to this event?
   This is my first Hood to Coast. I don’t really have any training plans. I enjoy being outside, hiking and running with friends. Hood to Coast is a nice excuse to do more of that.
3. How do you feel this process helped you to become a better student and, one day, chiropractic physician?
   It encourages balance between work and play. We get to share our passion and connect with people from around the world.
4. What has been your favorite part of this whole process leading up to the relay?
   Even though we have all raced together before. This is one of the first times where it feels like we are a team. The matching jerseys make a difference.

 

Name: Rachel Wysocki
Program: Doctor of Chiropractic
Quarter: 10th

1. What inspired you to want to compete in the Hood to Coast Relay?
   I already love running and once you are done competing at school it becomes more of a solo sport. So the chance to run with teammates again is really exciting. Long relays like this are fun and miserable all at the same time. Going through those things with other people by your side is a lot like school. Difficult, but so rewarding when you’re done accomplishing it.
2. Is this your first race? How did you prepare leading up to this event?
   No, I have run a Ragnar (same kind of race but on the East Coast) with my family and have another one right after Hood to Coast. I run most days anyways so I didn’t really change much of my routine to prepare for the race.
3. How do you feel this process helped you to become a better student and, one day, chiropractic physician?
   I’ve always found that taking the time to take care of myself lets me put much more energy into school. Using this race as an excuse for training has definitely helped me mentally get through school. As a physician, it would one day be my dream to work solely with runners. Doing this race is just another way to relate to the patient population and go through what they go through.
4. What has been your favorite part of this whole process leading up to the relay?
   Meeting the other runners at school and creating a little bit of a community with them on campus.

 

Name: Natasha Smith
Program: Doctor of Chiropractic
Quarter: 8th

1. What inspired you to want to compete in the Hood to Coast Relay?
   I love a good challenge and I have never done this race before!
2. Is this your first race? How did you prepare leading up to this event?
   I have done a few races before. Typically, I run throughout the week and I like to incorporate weights for cross training.
3. How do you feel this process helped you to become a better student and, one day, chiropractic physician?
   Exercise always helps me feel better and then I have more energy. I strongly believe that a positive mind set can help you retain information. We all have those classes we don’t like and they are always the hardest to learn. So staying positive and focused helps me.
4. What has been your favorite part of this whole process leading up to the relay?
   I have enjoyed training, but race day will be the most exciting part.

 

Name: Jimmy Westover
Program: Doctor of Chiropractic
Quarter: 4th

1. What inspired you to want to compete in the Hood to Coast Relay?
   I have participated in relay races such as the Ragnar relay in my home state of Colorado. So when I was told that there was a race like that out here in Oregon, I was extremely excited to be a part of it. And after completing an Ironman in October, doing the Hood to Coast was a great new challenge.
2. Is this your first race? How did you prepare leading up to this event?
   I have done a few races that are similar to Hood to Coast. What I have been doing to train is incorporating high-intensity interval workouts with runs incorporated, along with Olympic lifting.
3. How do you feel this process helped you to become a better student and, one day, chiropractic physician?
   I feel that this experience will help me as a student because these types of events really bring the members of the team closer together. I feel that the bond made between individuals in this type of race will extend to lifelong friendships. These new friendships with people of varying quarters helps foster closer bonds and brings the school together. It will also play a role in school and in practice, because doing an event like this allows you to really get into the mindset of these athletes. It helps you understand what goes into doing an event like this so if you have a patient that has injuries but wants to do a race like this you know what it will take to make sure they are ready.
4. What has been your favorite part of this whole process leading up to the relay?
   Knowing that there will be memories made during this event that I will never forget.

 

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How you can help!

While their stories are different there is a common thread, they would love to see their UWS family members out there supporting them in any way possible. Here are some ways you can support the team and keep this tradition continuing:

• Interested in running, join the UWS running club. Many of the members are seniors and will be graduating soon. Faculty and staff, that means you too.
• Come down to the route and cheer the team on!
• If you live near the route, the team is also looking for a place close by to resupply, shower and rest.
• If you want to be more active than just cheering on, you can volunteer as a “side-line” person. This role helps pass out water and ensures the route is followed.

Interested in helping? Reach out to Bradley Crowe at [email protected].

 

Remember Kurt and Justina Slonaker? As a married couple, they decided to attend UWS together, Kurt in the doctor of chiropractic program and Justina in the massage therapy program. Their intention after graduation was to build an integrated practice together as husband and wife, DC and LMT. We caught up with them after graduation to see what they were up to now.

       

Kurt and I are currently living in Meridian Idaho. We are both treating patients at Gonstead Spine and Wellness. We work with a great team and have a busy clinic! Kurt sees patients full time and I work part time as an LMT. Kurt and I work closely together to determine the best outcomes for all of our patients. It has been really fun to work together! We have also been busy in our personal life. We now have a one year old son, named Bradley and we are expecting our second son in October!