As a professor, I’m intrigued with the ways companies put into practice what their owners and employees learn through peer groups, networking and educational events like the National Association of Landscape Professionals’ Elevate. I recently had the opportunity to join Pacific Landscape Management’s “Hood to Coast” relay team.

What follows are my observations during the 30-plus hour run, where teams of 12 runners take turns representing their team over the challenging 196-mile course. Each runner completes three stages — or legs. Pacific Landscape Management fielded two teams that competed mostly with each other (since teams fielded by professionals would likely win the overall race), which were each appropriately named “Lawn Gone and Hauling Grass Team 1” and “Lawn Gone and Hauling Grass Team 2.” I’ll focus on a few specific examples that might be useful for companies seeking to build a culture of teamwork while benefiting the local community.

Day 1

It’s 4:25 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 25 at Pacific Landscape Management’s Hillsboro, Ore., office and I’m climbing into the back seat of a borrowed 1995 Suburban. This will be my home for the next 36 hours. Our vehicle was brightly decorated (a Thursday afternoon team-building activity). Live sod, a lawn mower and a fully functional sprinkler head (more on this later) covered the roof. Most of the nearly 2,000 decorated vans at Hood to Coast had funny and clever sayings on them, which added to the uniqueness of the event.

Six of my 12 teammates ride along in this vehicle: Doug Crimin (account manager, Hillsboro branch), Larry Compton (senior financial analyst), Austin Morgan (business developer, Oregon region), Nicole Young (account manager, Vancouver, Wash., branch) and David Grover (branch manager, Sherwood, Ore.), who will each run in the order listed. I’m running the fifth leg (three stages of about 6 miles each), between Nicole and David for Team 1.

Following weeks of training, motivational group texts and fundraising (Bob Grover, president of Pacific Landscape Management committed $24,000 for cancer research and agreed to match each dollar raised), we embarked on the early two-hour drive for the starting line at Mount Hood’s famous Timberline Lodge. I was surprised and delighted that the first stop was Joe’s Donut shop — a tradition — where blueberry fritters and that black beverage that most of you drink were the apparent winners.

We were assigned a 7 a.m. start. As we parked the vans and got out to face the brisk morning air, I noticed that Glenn Armstrong (account manager, Sherwood branch), stage 1 runner from our Team 2, sported bright orange hair, the dominant color of Pacific’s vehicles, website, shirts and at least one of Bob Grover’s colorful sports jackets.

I asked him, “Hey Glenn, won’t that orange run into your face when you sweat?” His response: “No, it’s permanent!” This level of commitment doesn’t come the first time you do something. It is the product of tradition, loyalty and passionate energy that starts at the top.

Doug (from Team 1) and Glenn Armstrong were off. David enthusiastically rang the cowbell he acquired at Mississippi State during the National Collegiate Landscape Competition last March — a sound I heard so much that I now hear cowbell in my sleep. But enough of the back story and about crazy orange hair, here’s my top five observations and experiences during the relay.

1. A mentor is important.

Mentors guide a newcomer (like me in this case), as well as build confidence. David Grover ran each of my same legs last year, and shared helpful insights that guided me into the unknown: “The first 3½ miles of your last leg is all uphill and it gets steeper the higher you go. But, you are used to running up mountains in Utah so you will do great!” he told me.

Doug Crimin explained what to do when we arrived (after midnight) at the location where we would try to grab a short nap while our other van was on course: “Re-organize the vehicle first, showers are over there and the food is mostly pasta.” This advice from an experienced teammate helped me prioritize my rest stop and contributed to a few minutes of additional sleep.

2. Competition is a motivator in bringing out top performance.

Corey Petersen from Team 2, ran the same stages as me. Even though he is younger and faster than I am, I remember being both younger and faster. I ran hard to try to beat Corey. He had better times on at least two of the three stages, but I still ran faster than I would have had I run by myself. As it turned out, Team 2 beat Team 1 by 47 minutes and will have bragging rights for the next year. Bob Grover (Team 2 leader), Larry, Elias Godinez from our second van, and I are getting older, which is to say, slower (sorry Bob, but even your expensive new Nikes won’t get you back to running 6-minute miles). But based on the celebration at the finish line, you would have thought we had all just won Olympic medals.

3. Great team members back each other up.

As the run progressed, fatigue, soreness, sweat and even a few blisters set in. Sometimes a team member didn’t have (or couldn’t find) what they needed. I repeatedly observed team members looking out for each other. They shared first aid supplies, food and even headlamps, lights and reflective vests (required on the course during the night). Austin was generous with his trail mix when I was sick of gels and energy bars, and Nicole, mother of two young children, had a supply of wet wipes that she generously shared with all. Nicole and Doug caught me and prevented me from falling at the end of my 10:30 p.m. run — as I stumbled all over the place. Why so generous? With each mile we truly became more of a team, growing in our concern for each other and our goal to make it to the finish line together!

4. As a team grows closer together, they find the strength to do more than they thought they were capable of.

Competing with Corey from Team 2 helped me run faster. But I ran even harder and endured even more pain because I was running for my team — people I mostly didn’t even know 24 hours earlier. When I summited the final 3.5-mile climb of my last leg, they surprised me by holding a winner’s tape, letting me feel the victory of charging through it. You better believe I bombed the last 2.5 miles downhill, finishing before our vehicle got there. (With lots of traffic, David had to jump out of the vehicle and run to the exchange zone to be in place when I arrived — Larry joined him so he could catch me if I stumbled like at the end of the previous leg). Being part of something bigger than yourself is an amazing experience in achieving your best effort.

5. Finally, we often forget how important it is to laugh in this complicated world.

I mentioned earlier that our vehicle decoration included a fully functional sprinkler with a remote-control sensor. We mostly used it to mist overheated runners. But, we also sprayed some unsuspecting bystanders, who ended up laughing when we pointed to the top of the van and told them, “We’ve got to keep the grass green.” Of course, we aimed the 180-degree nozzle away from the vehicle and more cowbell ringing accompanied the spray of water.

Giving back one mile at a time

At the finish line, I finally caught up to Bob and he asked me what I thought of the experience. “It’s great,” I replied. It is a great way to build teamwork, motivate employees toward a healthy lifestyle and a wonderful way to give back to the community that supports your business.

Teams 1 and 2 of “Lawn Gone and Hauling Grass” raised $27,556 (as of Aug. 28), placing Pacific Landscape Management in the top five fundraising teams for Providence Cancer Institute.

Bob’s generosity knows no bounds. While he and his wife Teresa wouldn’t want me making a big deal about this, their donation of $2 million to Oregon State University will establish the “Grover Family Endowed Chair in Sustainable Urban Landscapes. As an educator, I am grateful to associate with such amazing leaders in the industry!