Best Runs of 2009

My running year started off with a bang, but I feel like one more big event in the later fall might’ve been good. I also think I got a little too worked up about the unknowns of Hardrock in the earlier part of the year, and this took away some of my fun. Looking back, what stands out most is my favorite, most memorable runs were the self-supported backcountry trail runs in the North Cascades. I wouldn’t give up the camaraderie of my peers for anything, so I’ll be doing events until I can’t. Still, the backcountry stuff was both edgy, fulfilling, and on a different scale of wonderment.
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The other thing that was particularly notable this past year is I really got into wildflowers, and Canyon Creek, the Sunflower, and the Colorado runs were amazing for these. The Audubon Society just put out an app for wildflowers, and while I’m mentioning them, their recent photo issue that I just received has some absolutely amazing shots. I think its $20 to join, and in the Skagit there’s a separate, active chapter which I plan to join one of these days. I have a link to their website here.
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It's hard to pick best runs. Some events are obvious, but some regular runs during the week and on the weekends had amazing moments. I remember one night running at Lake Padden in Bellingham and seeing 30 bats flying over the water chasing flies, as dark was falling. Another night early in the year I was run/hiking up Chinscraper, and a coyote barked at me from 50 yards or so in the pitch black. There were some amazing hikes, like the full moon snowshoe and a few different jaunts in the North Cascades and Virginia. Then there were runs with friends, which are always more memorable, like taking an afternoon run up on the Ridge with friend BJ from out of town, who wanted to scout the North Face course.
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That said, here’s the list of best runs for the year:
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10. Baker Lake 50k. A blood red, full harvest moon to start the day and announce fall. A downed bridge for a turnaround. No rain, crisp air.
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9. Sunflower Run. A 21 mile trail race put on by the Methow Valley Trails Association which I've always wanted to do, from Mazama to Twisp. Right towards the end, you descend into a field of sunflower-like plants, which seems like a scene from Alice in Wonderland. Many good GBRC and Methow friends there too.
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8. Big Beaver Valley, North Cascades National Park. If you like thousand year old trees and nature preserves 15 miles from the nearest road, this is a good place to check out. Easy 24 mile run on cush single track behind Ross Lake. I go there every year.
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7. Virginius Pass, Colorado. In the week leading up to Hardrock, I scouted portions of the course. This section was a pure delight, with a sketchy climb through snow, using a tent pole as an ice axe, to reach a 15 foot wide pass that serves as an aid station during the race. Kroger's Kanteen, its called. We glissaded back down.
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6. North Face 50m-Bellingham. BJ came up and ran it, and Rick W. and I traded places all day. Great weather, well organized, and I ran pretty well for me. Saltwater and volcano views.
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5. Hardrock. I’m disappointed with the DNF on this one, but I made it over Handies Peak, a fourteener, and that’s not small potatoes, and I saw a good portion of the course. It’s a remarkable part of the world, and the passion people hold for this race is phenomenal to experience. Unfinished business, as they say.
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4. Canyon Ridge-Damfino Lakes-Excelsior Mountain. Post WTA trail work party run in the Mount Baker Wilderness which turned into one of the most spectacular bursts of wildflowers I’ve ever seen. Mount Baker right in your living room. To top it off, I got chased off the mountains by a lightning storm, which at first I watched like a ding dong as it came down a valley towards me from Canada, and then realized, a little late, that I needed to get out of there fast. Sort of touchy there for a few miles. I've done dumber things.
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3. Cascade Crest 100. Any time you finish a 100 should be cause for celebration, and Cascade is really gorgeous, even though I sort of fell apart for the last 20. I probably should feel better about this one, because it is such an incredible experience, but I know I didn't run my best or smartest. So what? This is one of the best races, period. The whole event is increasingly a family affair, and the organizers and volunteers are just terrific. Rich W. was a huge help to me too, and friends were there throughout and after.
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2. Devil’s Dome-North Cascades. A 42 mile loop through the Pasayten Wilderness with friend Mike C. I think we went 25 miles without seeing a sign or a person. There was place called Devil's Park that was just downright spooky, with no noise except the buzz of birds and bees. There was a place called Devil's Pass that was one of the more remote places in Washington that I've been. There were wildflowers, and creeks spread out every five miles for the anticipated water stop. Devil's Dome gave a spectacular view to the east and west, with Jack Mountain in the foreground. An eight mile descent to Ross Lake, and then a gorgeous lakeside run on the East Bank Trail. Totally doable, but not to be underestimated, because aid is not near.
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1. Easy Pass-Fischer Basin, North Cascades. We hit the right place at the right time-- autumn-- and the payoff was all sorts of fall colors in the heart of the North Cascades. The trail was straight out of a fairy tale book--I knew it would be good, but I'd be lying if I said I knew it'd be that good. 28 miles of clear trail, golden larches, red huckleberries, purple mushrooms, snow and dustings of frost on mountains, frozen waterfalls. I love the Fischer Basin. The trail was three miles up, twenty five miles of gradual down, through two or three ecological zones.
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Au revoir 2009! You weren't as bad as they say.

Top 10 Movies of the Decade Vol. 1

It was a bad decade for movies. A limited amount of truly amazing movies. Art takes time, people. Or genius. Maybe luck too. I had a tough time remembering what I watched nine years ago, and so I got help at Metacritic. My list is heavy on movies which made a clear impression, even if they sort of sucked otherwise. If I still remember them, they have a shot at being on this most exclusive list. Sorry Lord of the Rings—you may be good, but the memories give me headaches. Orcs and wizards and such. But New Zealand, I want to visit you.

The Official Top 10 Movies of The Decade, Vol. 1:

10. Zoolander. Blue Steel.

9. The Valley of Elah. Get the troops home, soon.

8. Let The Right One In. Best Swedish vampire movie ever. What trips me out here is whether the older guy was Oskar once upon a time.

7. The Dark Knight. I didn’t really like this—when the hospital blows up, I felt like it celebrated terrorism a bit much. But this movie has wow factor through the roof.

6. Anchorman. Ron Burgundy, newsman.

5. Kill Bill Vol. 2. Women with swords.

4. No Country For Old Men. Mean people at the border.

3. Touching the Void. Two guys go out to climb a mountain and get into a scrape to end all scrapes.

2. Grizzly Man. Surfer guy hangs out with Alaskan grizzlies, eventually gets eaten.

1. Almost Famous. Best lines, hands down. “It’s all happening!” “I’m on drugs.” “I am a golden god!” “Call me if you need a rescue.”

Holiday Runs

The weather was great this holiday weekend, but I had some sort of cold that limited my running. Still, for purposes of later recollection....

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On Thursday, Christmas Eve, I knocked out a Chuckanut ridge run, starting at the Larrabee trail head, going up, and then looping around on the Interurban. It was a gorgeous day, and the view of Mount Baker and Shuksan was sharp, with the Coquahalla highway mountains visible in the distance, and a clear shot looking west over the bay. Good day.

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On Friday, I zipped around the Nookachamps before heading south. The birds are nuts right now. I scared a couple flocks off some telephone lines, and they would fly a 100 meters up the road, and we did this a few times. I'm not sure what they are, but "there's an app for that," I discovered, and have since downloaded some Audubon field guides on to my phone. This seems like a pretty good app to have, and so I mention it here. My cousin recommends Doodlebuddy.

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Saturday was a bust due to illness. Sunday wasn't much of an effort, but I went with some Skagit locals and did a short night run on the Baker Lake Trail. We only went for a bit more than an hour, but it was cool, and Baker really stands out at night, if you get the right clear view. The trail was pitch black, black as pitch, and I can't remember the last time I saw some pitch, but it was dark. The log crossing over Anderson Creek was really really sketchy, with a very slick covering of white frost, with the dangerously cold creek and rocks below. We lived.

Top Albums of the Decade Volume 1

So...time to do a best of the decade albums post. This is hard--hard to choose....and hard to remember. I scratched out some notes. Rankings are next to impossible, but it's easier if I don't take this too seriously, even though granted, this is a very serious matter. My ultimate standard will be to list that which I listened to a lot, which I suppose is a little different than something meaningful. My cousin Paul went out of his way to belittle my opinion on music yesterday at X-mas, so be warned, but then all he listens to is NIN, Jack Johnson, and that Donvan F. guy.
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After my first foray into a list, I looked around, and sure enough, others are out there publishing. Some lists are better than others, and I had a real hard time mining the country music scene, maybe because country music listeners are less concerned about such things, as opposed to the indie/alt/pop scene. Country and hip-hop had a big decade, and sold the most, if Itunes is any place to judge. The country awards shows are tops. But Taylor Swift and Kenny Chesney don't make the list for me, and my respects to the Black Eyed Fleas and the well received Arcade Fire, but no dice here.
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Rolling Stone has a list--I do not like Radiohead, but they do. I have that one disc, and it just does not interest me. Paste Magazine has a really good list though. And I'd never heard of Glide, but their list is great too. Pitchfork is ok, but they're into Radiohead too, and I've totally given up on Pitchfork as a music reference. Country was less list-friendly, but there's Country Universe and No Depression, the latter of which is a little too Wilco crazy. I felt like I was reading a list from Stuff White People Like, but No Depression is a cool site and used to publish a great alt-country magazine.
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So, here's the OFFICIAL Before The Deluge Top 10 Albums of the DECADE:
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10. Mountain Soul by Patty Loveless. Somewhere around the time O Brother Where Art Thou and the whole bluegrass thing went big, this came out, and I listened to it a lot. If you're an Itunes person, I'd suggest You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive--you can feel that good ol' Appalachian destitution with every line. Brad Paisley does a nice version of this too, dedicated to the coal miner community.
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9. Twin Cinema-The New Pornographers. I got on a New P's kick for quite sometime, listening to KEXP for a while, and some friends and I caught them behind the Pyramid Brewery at a Surfrider benefit, and then later at the Nightlight. A bunch of Canadians and Neko. Every track grows on you. Start with The Bleeding Heart Show. Mass Romantic is good too.
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8. Rainy Day Music-The Jayhawks. Another favorite band, and this is pure alt-pop/country delight. Caught them at the Winery at a Costco managers only show. Ridiculous--about 500 people with a private show. Try Angelyne or Save It For A Rainy Day, or any of their older albums too, like Hollywood Town Hall or the album with Blue on it.
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7. Home-Dixie Chicks. Contemporary country radio stations never play the Dixie Chicks anymore, which is way overreacting. The Dixie Chicks got in a fight with Toby Keith, and made a whole movie out of the experience. This album predates all that, and has Travelin' Solider, Landslide and a bunch of others. (I'd favor the Mac on Landslide, and this video is weak.) They made some very smart albums this decade--not just pop-country hits, and I listened to them a lot for a while. I'm also partial to their later album Take The Long Way Home.
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6. Is This It-The Strokes. I might've been persuaded a bit by the critics on this one, but I know this album still sounds fresh as a daisy--this kid was playing it at the cleaners a month ago, and I was like, wow, that's the Strokes.
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5. Brighter Than Creation's Dark-Drive By Truckers. This is one of the coolest bands of the decade. They made a two disc rock opera about Lynyrd Skynyrd. Let There Be Rock is really worth checking out from Southern Rock Opera, or My Sweet Annette from Decoration Day. Creation's Dark is the album I listen to the most by DBT. That Man I Shot blew me away at the Showbox, and Three Dimes Down is another good one.
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4. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot-WILCO. Love this album, and it tops a number of other lists too. My memory on this one is listening to it five times straight after taking a wrong turn and getting lost for a few hours on dirt roads in the Flathead Reservation in Montana, coming back from Glacier. The whole album is genius, as far as these things go, but Jesus, Etc. and Pot Kettle Black are the catchy tunes.
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3. Murray Street-Sonic Youth. A lot of attempts were made to address 9/11 through the arts in the ensuing years. 9/11 was such a huge deal for everyone, but it really hit me hard because of my immigraton work and the post-9/11 reports I was daily taking in related to immigrants, hate crimes, and government "busts." Don Delillo wrote a book--Falling Man--I didn't really take to that. Springsteen's The Rising is really good, but it seems a little forced sometimes. Thurston and company make a mournful noise with Murray Street, and yet it sounds great--I played this a lot for a year or two. No one song stands out--it's an album.
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2. The Woods-Sleater-Kinney. This one is a little hard to listen to, but it is an out and out rock record in the vintage of hard 70s punk meets Hendrix. Really tough. Pearl Jam started doing a couple covers from it immediately. Friend Steve and I caught them at the Nightlight before they broke up. Modern Girl is probably the typical one to look for, or the ripping Entertain, but this also is more of an album than just a bunch of Itunes releases. The eleven minute Let's Call It Love sounds like Led Zeppelin with Chrissie Hynde or Susie Sioux singing.
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1. Fox Confessor Brings The Flood-Neko Case.-A true American gothic. Very dark and windy. Reminds me of The Band or Dylan. I listen to it all the time.
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TTFN

Best Events of the Decade

One of my favorite websites is http://www.metacritic.com/. The site aggregates criticism, using some sort of proprietarial formula, and scores albums, movies, television shows, dvds, and games. For example, Avatar gets an 83, after scoring reviews by the NY Times, the Seattle Times, etc. Ninja Assasin gets a 34. (What????)
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If I’m bored, a good laugh is a sure thing by reading the bad reviews. Highly recommended. For example, “The Adventures of Pluto Nash” gets a 12. The critics say: “Eddie Murphy's latest comedy, The Adventures of Pluto Nash, takes place in the year 2087, which is about the earliest he can hope to be forgiven.” NY Daily News. “Cosmic slop.” Boston Globe. “So unremittingly awful that labeling it a dog probably constitutes cruelty to canines.” NY Post.
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Anyways, right now they’re putting up all sorts of Top 10s for the Decade. A few of my favorite bands scored very well, like Drive By Truckers, Neko Case, and Sleater Kinney in particular. No PJ though.
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All this got me thinking—I have a blog--why don't I try to figure out my favorite races of the decade? So, here’s a crack at it---my most memorable foot races of the decade. Not my fastest, not my best, necessarily, and definitely NONE of my Ski to Sea experiences, which are not fit for publication. Events only--just some of my favorite race memories:
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10. Silver Lake Cross Country 10k (2001). “The creators of “Lost” could not have written a better script.” I told some friends I knew of this great race up near Mt. Baker, got them to drive all the way up north, but I think somedoby pulled all the markings. I remember talking to someone in a field, “Which way is it?” and watching people criss-cross through trees and around hay bales without any assurance. The winning time I think was 46 minutes. Have you ever DNFed a 10k? I have.
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9. Cutthroat Classic (2003). I made it a half mile before taking my ankle out so bad that I was out for four or five months, I think. I crawled out. Not my finest hour--I learned a lot at this race. DNF.
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8. Seattle Marathon 2004. The green shirt year.
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7. Baker Lake 50k 2005. Rain, rain, rain. Sort of like Seattle, I had to pick one. I think I ran this one a little faster, but nothing to blog about. A lot of friends I came to know later were at this one.
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6. Rattler Half Marathon 2004. A near death experience, because I was in really bad shape. Friend Steve and I went over to Winthrop together, and he slept in the truck, and I slept outside next to a tumbleweed fire in really chilly weather before the race, because that sounded like a good idea, which it was not. In the morning, my internal organs felt like those blocks kids play with. I don’t remember sucking so bad in a race—I did have a pretty bad Turkey Trot once, but probably not as bad as this Rattler. Beautiful blue sage though, coming over the hill, which really made it worth it.
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5. Mount Masochist 2008. Dad crewed me, in my home state, Virginia, at the best time of year to be there, the fall. Maybe this should be number 1, but David Letterman never makes number 1 his best punch line. It’s usually four or five.
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4. Wasatch 2008. A hundred miles of heaven and hell. Amazing experience, and great summer of training and racing leading up to it. My friend BJ and I both won the lottery, trained, and both finished, which is all we cared about. Pretty cool. Plus Arches and Canyonlands the week before was pretty a dash ok.
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3. Cascade Crest 2007. I really wanted a buckle. First 100. Not fast, but steady enough. 18 hours of rain, and I cussed a few times.
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2. Whidbey Island 2002. Last time I ran a marathon with my friend Breean. It was the inaugural Whidbey—I was into inaugural stuff that year—also did North Olympic that year, I think.
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And the #1 event of the decade was:
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1. Chuckanut 50k 2004. My first ultra. Many friends showed and supported me. Holley ran the first eleven with me, which is probably illegal. Cousin Paul and Dave bought me my first DVD player while I was running, because they were very frustrated with how slow I was joining the DVD community. They also got me a Live Scorpions and a Scarface DVD to play in it. I ran horribly, awfully, with a sprained ankle the whole way, but I was determined I’d finish one of these things, after DNS’ing once or twice in the years before. Watersheds spring from humble streams.
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I’m forgetting something, many things, I'm sure. NB2V, Orcas, and USMC come to mind. I know my list doesn’t compare to others, but that’s ok. It’s still fun to mess with and reflect--it has been a good decade of running. I may toss a few more Best of Decade lists up if I get bored.
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Happy holidays, friends.

A Long December

It was not an exciting running weekend. I ran 17 miles on Blanchard yesterday, and then spent some time in a warm gym today, much like I did through the last week. A stick fell from a tree and hit me on the head. I don't think that's ever happened to me before. No injury. I ran into a couple sets of friends in the hills--fortuitous--probably because I ran in the middle of the day for once. It is pretty cold here right now, with temperatures rarely above 30 degrees for the last week. My friends said my hat had frost on it. There are big snow flakes dropping from the sky today.
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I have to say, a week later---I am really happy about my mental state with Western. I am already very focused, thinking about it. Thanks to everyone who called. It’s nice to have a race on the calendar to anticipate, to keep me from slacking during these cold months. Last winter I didn't have a real sense of anticipation of anything, and I felt it in my running come February. This year, because of Western, I find myself already going through that familiar mental process of thinking how can I be better, get ready, get more fit, make the most of my time? That’s so good for me, all around, and it is truly part of the “Why?” of why I do the whole ultras thing. Certain events really lend themselves to protracted favorable focus.
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So…last week I picked up a used copy of “The Huffington Post Complete Guide to Blogging.” It cracks me up, because "Before The Deluge" is definitely not a “best practices” example, on so, so many counts. I do recommend the book. For example, here are the Huff's “Rules for Great Blogging”:
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1. Blog often
2. Perfect is the enemy of done
3. Write like you speak
4. Focus on specific details
5. Own your topic
6. Know your audience
7. Write short
8. Become part of the conversation
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Checking them off….I try to blog once a week. That's probably not a lot in a Twittering world, but I don't care. I'm all about delivering the substance. Clearly a lot of substance here. Substance all over the place. My blog posts aren’t perfect--that's obvious, but at least I don't go ALL CAPS. I probably use longer words when I talk than when I blog. The devil is in the details. Satan. My topic is running, sort of, but I’m not beyond blogging about a trip, a book, a traumatic experience from eighth grade that I just need to share about. I own my topic, whatever it is. I don’t know my audience, but I do have 1 Follower. For now. I’m holding off on the Follower picture block though, because it kind of makes me think of Jesus. I probably write too long. There is no conversation here.
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So, I started this thing as part of a New Year’s resolution to get more with it technologically. For a few months, I had Technology Tuesdays. Those who know me know I have a habit of dedicating a day a week to some self-improvement issue. Technology Tuesdays was much more successful than Wasted Wednesdays and Fiscal Fridays. I have to say, a couple years later, blogging has been good for training, and I enjoy tapping the keys and posting the pics. It’s nice to have a photo album of each year, and I’m not one to make it too personal a space, but it’s nice to share with friends. I also like having a page to update with links that interest me, my own little cause forum, and posting a calendar I can aspire towards. So it's ok.

Save Index Town Wall!

Index is awesome--Save The Wall!
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Dear Friends,

PLEASE HELP US SAVE INDEX TOWN WALL!
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On International Mountain Day, Friday, December 11, 2009, we will be holding a series of events to benefit the Index Climbing Fund. International Mountain Day was established by the United Nations as the day on which the world could focus on all the beauty and benefits provided by the mountains.
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The Index Climbing Fund was established earlier this year to purchase Index Town Wall, save it from destruction by quarrying, and give climbers access in perpetuity. What better way to celebrate all that mountains mean to us than by helping save Index Town Wall!
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During the day:

2-hour SELF-RESCUE CLINICS – FREE (but PLEASE donate!)
Whatcom YMCA Climbing Wall, Bellingham, WA
8:00 AM – 10:00 AM
10:00 AM – 12 Noon
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM

In the evening:

GIANT PARTY w/ Slideshows and Auctions – FREE
New York Pizza and Bar, Bellingham, WA 8:00 PM – 2:00 AM

10% of food & bar plus 100% of donation, raffle, and auction proceeds go to the Index Climbing Fund.For more information, and optional registration, please visit our website at http://aai.cc/imd.asp.
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Be sure to see the long list of GEAR, LIFT TICKETS, FREE TRIPS and other AMAZING stuff we'll be auctioning and raffling off. (Seriously ... Even we were shocked by our sponsors' generosity.) Sponsors include Black Diamond, Petzl, Kayland, Stevens Pass Ski Area, AlpineAire, the Access Fund, eGear, New York Pizza and Bar, Red Rock Rendezvous, Rock and Ice Magazine, the Whatcom YMCA, and the Washington Climbers Coalition.

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THE CHALLENGE: Save Index! Index has been Washington's premier granite crag for almost fifty years. Its steepness, the quality of its rock, and its clean, aesthetic lines are the stuff of legend. But it is located on private land, and in March the owner, under financial pressure, closed the land to climbers and began to seek buyers. A quarrying company expressed interest. Our beloved crag, apparently, would make fine building material.
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THE STRATEGY: Buy It.
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Enter the Washington Climbers Coalition. Moving quickly, in May the WCC negotiated an option to buy Index for the creation of a public park. The fund must raise $300,000; more than $100,000 has already been raised, and success is a realistic possibility.
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HOW YOU CAN HELP: Raise money and have a BLAST doing it! Come to our benefit events! The self-rescue clinics at the YMCA are FREE and open to the public, though pre-registration (at http://wire.mindfly.com/t/r/l/kjkyhl/jhmdrlid/y) is encouraged. The clinics are worth $80, and even if you donate just $25, you'll be providing BIG value to the fund and learning skills that might save your partner's life — or your own.
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At 8:00 PM, roll down to New York Pizza and Bar. You might win a free PETZL Nomad 9.8mm climbing rope FOR JUST WALKING IN THE DOOR! Once you're in, the first 50 people who buy raffle tickets will get a FREE night lift ticket to STEVENS PASS Ski Area.
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Alan Kearney and Alasdair Turner, guides extraordinaire and two of the best climbing photographers in the Northwest, will give slideshows.
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Then we'll auction off more gear from our sponsors, and we'll conclude by AUCTIONING OFF THREE OF OUR GUIDES! You could win a day in the mountains -- or a night on the town ;-) -- with an outstanding climber and teacher (worth $350). The party will go on until everyone's partied out, and the more you party, the more money we'll raise. So make sure you arrive hungry ... and thirsty!
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I don't know if I've reached you or not, so let me make one last personal appeal. First as a climber and then as a guide, I've known and loved Index since I was a child. My personal passion and professional life have been wrapped up in the Cascade Range for my entire life. Index is a gem, a place of perfect bliss and challenge. Losing it — permanently, irretrievably — is unthinkable to me. We are offering these events to express our commitment to our climbing community and to help protect the climbing way of life. American Alpine Institute and our guides personally are donating their time to help bring about a greater good for all of us. You are welcome to attend the Self-Rescue clinics free of charge and enjoy the party and slideshows for only the cost of food and beer. Even if all you give is your enthusiasm, PLEASE COME! Nothing builds a fundraising effort like enthusiasm. The magic will follow -- guaranteed.
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But if you do have some money to spare, PLEASE DONATE. You can donate either in person at our events, or by calling us with a credit card, or by visiting the WCC website. Please visit our website, http://wire.mindfly.com/t/r/l/kjkyhl/jhmdrlid/j, or call us at (360) 671-1505 for more information. Optional online pre-registration for the events is strongly encouraged.See you at the Y Climbing Wall, at New York Pizza, or in the mountains!
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Sincerely,
Dunham Gooding, Director
Jason Martin, Operations Manager and Senior Guide
and all the guides and staff of American Alpine Institute

Cascade River Road

I went for a Sunday drive today, up towards Cascade Pass on the Cascade River Road, east of Marblemount. I was hoping to get out in some backcountry snow but the road was gated 17 miles in, before it got high enough for any real snow. Great drive, just the same. The River Road had all sorts of old growth, right by the side of the road. I was hoping to see eagles on the way up, and they’re not here in droves yet, but I saw about fifteen. A few were in the river, feeding on steelhead, and then I saw a few pairs circling above. The picture above is of the Sedro-Woolley town Christmas tree.
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Fairhaven Frosty

25 degrees this morning in the Skagit. Brrrrrr. It took 15 minutes to warm up my truck, and I was slightly concerned about the water to antifreeze mix. I lost a $500 Peugeot for that reason years ago. So, I made a game-time decision this morning to do the Fairhaven Frosty. Love the Frosty. I do it most years. It’s a 10k put on by the Great Bellingham Running Club, with two loops for the 10k, one loop for 5. Lots of B'ham and Skagit friends I’ve been seeing at these events for years. The “race” starts at Fairhaven Park, the same place that C-nut starts, and the run then goes up C-nut Drive, take a left on Old Samish, left on the Interurban (trail that you finish C-nut on), and then loop back to the Park. I like the race because I always seem to do it with friends, usually at less than full speed. It's great to just hang out in the cold weather. Last year we were throwing snowballs. Also, the Frosty is a great bounce back run from the Seattle M, and I’m still a touch sore from that.
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Afterwards, it was lattes at Tony’s with friends. Of course I check my phone because I’m curious about Western States….and there’s an email from Alvin. Unbelievable....I got in! It's like a 17% chance. Completely unexpected, except that it was out there in a "you gotta play to win" sort of way. I'm excited, of course, and very surprised. It sure changes things for next summer, as I was beginning to put together plans to visit the ANWR in Alaska, which I still might do.
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So…here it is, reader(s)….the Top Secret key to winning ultra lotteries….the key is to hang out with Dean T. on the day of the lottery. Seriously. It’s worked every time. Same thing happened last year—we were running Alger Alp when the HR lottery went down. Dean’s the real deal. Also, I’m a Pisces. Someone was asking this week, so maybe that matters.
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Actually, my first reaction was to feel for those who didn’t get in. I don’t lead packs, I don’t run races every weekend, and I guess I'm a little self-conscious with regard to everyone else. I think of myself more as a trail guy who likes to run races because you don't have to pack a lot. I feel like there are others who would die for this, who are faster than me, that are more worthy. Make no mistake—I really want to run Western States. I love trails, I read Ultrarunning Mag cover to cover, and this is a granddaddy—that’s why I put in. Still, I really feel for those who did not get in. I guess I’m just very thankful for this terrific luck-out, and I’m going to make the most of it, especially as we sail through these winter months.
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