In 13 days, I’ll be embarking on a new adventure. A once-in-a-lifetime (maybe twice if I’m lucky) running experience that I’m anticipating might be my most memorable and epic running journey yet.

Hood to Coast.

The countdown is officially on.

In case you aren’t familiar with Hood to Coast, it’s the world’s largest running relay race across the state of Oregon. Here are the deets:

• When: August 23-24, 2013
• Size: 1,050 teams of 8-12 runners (about 12,600 total runners and 3,600 volunteers)
• Distance: 198 miles long from Mt. Hood to Seaside, Oregon

As you know, because I’ve talked about it 300 times I’m running the race on one of the 3 blogger teams Nuun created: Team Lemonade. I am runner #10 on our team, and I’ll be running 3 legs (out of a total of 36) throughout the 48 hours, covering a total of 15.29 miles. Out of the 12 runners, my portion of the race is ranked 9^th out of 12 for both mileage and difficulty.

Here’s a glimpse at the 3 legs I’ll be running:

1. Leg 10: 5.12 Miles
My first leg is considered medium difficulty. It’s relatively flat and rolling terrain during the daytime hours. I like what I see on the elevation map!

2. Leg #22: 6.18 Miles
My second leg is scaring the crap out of me. It’s considered hard in terms of difficulty. The first 1.6 miles are a straight climb – from about 850 feet to 1,250 feet of elevation. *Insert curse words here.* If I’m still alive at the 1.6-mile mark, the rest of the leg appears to be very manageable and fun.

3. Leg #34: 3.36 Miles
My third and final leg is described as easy – gently rolling hills on paved country roads – for a total of 3.36 miles.

It’s always fun (and a little nerve-racking) to start an adventure you’ve never been on and don’t know what to expect. Running my first relay race is one of my 2013 goals this year, so I’m excited to tackle a new challenge, meet new, amazing people and experience Oregon for the first time!

Here are a few of my unfiltered thoughts with 13 days to go until my plane takes off for Seattle:

• I’m SO excited to meet 30 awesome runners and bloggers in real life. This. Will. Be. Epic.
• There are going to be so many unladylike moments on this trip! I am overjoyed by how many dirty, stinky, gross things I’ll have to share with you when I get back. *mischievously rubbing my hands together with a cunning look on my face* I will be running 3 times and showering zero times. I will be using porta potties and Mother Nature as my only bathrooms. I will be crammed in a van with 6 stinky women (I’ve never met) for 48 hours. Oh, I can’t wait!
• I hope I bring enough toilet paper. And wet wipes. Better pack some more. We know how handy wet wipes are.
• I will NOT walk up any portion of that massive hill during my second leg. Have we talked about my feelings on steep hills?
• Running up that hill is going to suck without my music. I’ll miss you Kanye, Miley and Carly. (No iPods allowed at Hood to Coast.) Sucking it up and moving on.
• I hope I don’t disappoint my teammates. I think I’m the only one not running a marathon this year, so I simply haven’t been putting as many run miles in as most of my teammates. I hope all my half Ironman training will translate to 3 strong legs and that I run fast enough to make them feel proud of my efforts.
• Nuun is a freaking amazing company. I’m going to be so bloated from drinking so much Nuun. Sexy.
• Sexy is also an unladylike runner wearing a headlamp. I hope my iPhone stays charged so I can document the evidence.
• Will I want to leave Oregon or move there immediately? Hmmm.

I’ll be writing a lot about this experience during the next few weeks, including my relay packing list, a recap from the race and any tips I learn along the way that might help anyone else thinking about doing a relay. I’ve also started a Pinterest board with tips on relaying I’ve been collecting.

You can also follow me throughout the journey on these other channels for up-to-the-minute pictures and unladylikeness when I’m not posting here:

• Twitter: @rUnladylike (Follow all the Nuun Hood to Coast ladies here.)
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com
• Instagram: http://www.instagram.com
• Daily Mile: http://www.dailymile.com/people/jesica

What tips do you have for someone running their first relay race? Feel free to link up to any blog posts you’ve written or love that I should add to my “Tips for running relay races” Pinterest board.