Nookachamps

Before the Nookachamps Winter Runs

I ran the Nookachamps Half Marathon this morning. The start line is about three minutes from my home, and so this was the easiest way to put in the weekend miles and see some friends. I run this course all the time, or some variation of it, and this was my 3rd or 4th Nookachamps race. Lots and lots and lots of runners--probably 600+-- doing the 5k, 10k, or 1/2 options. Everyone hangs out in the gym before the race, which are the pics here. There was a thick fog this morning--an aggresive mist---hanging over the Skagit farm fields, which made barbed wire fences, the occasional horse in a field, and the quiet ponds and standing water all a bit more mysterious.
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I ran horribly--I have no speed right now, and the all-you-can-eat spaghetti deal at the Co-op is inadvisable before any race shorter than a marathon. Living, and learning! Actually, I'll probably go back. I'm not too bright on these things. Really, I'm not. Some Homer Simpson in me, I'm afraid. Anyway, my hip also hurts these days ("You should stop running!"), and my hamstring is a tad too tight, and it was about 32 degrees starting out this morning. Then, also, I chose not to wear music, which was a total mistake, and my SHOES are getting older, and my socks, they were poorly chosen. Also, my hair is ALWAYS growing and I hadn't shaved, which is a total rookie error, with the wind drag and all. Whatever. It's January. I foresee more aerobic exercise in my future, and yoga, which scares me way more than it should. In the big picture, I ran with a herd in the foggy Skagit this morning, and I'm living well.

Skagit Valley College Bleachers

The Finish