Snow Day Run Along The Skagit River

Snow changes everything! Mount Vernon got hit with a bit of a White Christmas, and then even more snow the day after. The snow will stick around for a few days, due to persistent low temperatures. For me, this is not too disruptive, as I already had penciled in this week as a slow week for work. 

Snow in the lowlands seems to come around for a day or two most winters, but never sticks around long. I chose to take one of my usual running routes, next to the Skagit River. The road is closed to through traffic right now, due to a bulge in the dike from flooding a month or two ago. This means few cars--pretty much an open trail. I was able to make fresh tracks on the road--see the "S" above. 

The snow shows a bit of wind drift patterns--nature's designs. Below, a log is covered with snow, after washing up a couple months ago, when water levels were 10-15 feet higher. The air was crisp--and cold--and my little 7 mile jaunt on my normal route ended up being one of the good days outside. As usual, trumpeter swans, Canadian geese, snow geese, and more. 

 

Virtual New York City Marathon

 I once again ran the Virtual New York City Marathon this weekend. I did this last year when things were more locked down, This year, I able to land an automatic live entry for 2022, provided I complete a virtual 26.2 this year, within a two week window. I completed my run yesterday, in somewhere between five and six lonely hours.

Yesterday was not ideal.  Last weekend would've been better, but family matters come first. Also, a week after running the Snohomish River Marathon, I stepped in a puddle-hidden pothole on a run, and rolled and sprained my right ankle. This is the ankle that rolls so much that I'm not running as many trails as I used to. The cycle is somewhat predictable -- roll the ankle, do some stretches and take it easy--and get back at it in a couple weeks. However, that didn't work this time around, because my Circumpolar Run Around the World team was pushing out the miles to reach a goal this past week (finish Europe). 

The virtual NYC race gives you a two weekend to run, and in the northwest this time of year, it'd be ideal to miss out on rain and cold, which comes and goes. I ran out of time, and had to run yesterday.  The forecast was driving rain and 45 mph winds. Not a problem for a short run, but running alone with no support in bad conditions is a drag.

I got up early and got out the door at 5:20 AM.  It looked like the weather would turn worse mid-morning, and that's what happened. The first hour and half was in the dark, on flat country roads, but not too much rain, and not too cold. My course from home was the same as last year--Mount Vernon to Conway, a half circle around the outer perimeter of Fir Island, and then return via the backroads from the Rex. Three bridges over the Skagit.  Great route.  

The rain was sporadic, but came on hard towards the end. My ankle was not cooperative, which meant I favored my other leg throughout, making it a much harder run than it should've been. I also got to the Rex before it opened at 9 AM, and so wasn't able to re-stock up on water. I ran with a hydration pack, but hydration was nil for the final 8 miles.

The snowbirds are here, again. I'm reminded of T.S. Eliot's line, about measuring life in coffee spoons. It brings a smile to see these big birds fly in pairs over the house each fall, and then see them out in the fields on my runs and drives. Windy days are special, with some of the raptors soaring. The flocks of snow geese are more like hoards- a bit scary, if assigned ill intentions. Beautiful and National Geographic worthy, in truth.

The app is terrific. Great to get some encouragement at key points of the race--"crossing the Queensboro Bridge!" "Welcome to Central Park!" etc.  The battery in my phone held up, which was a concern for this not-so-Strava guy. 

Glad to get it done. Now I can think about returning to NYC for the run the five boroughs again. 

And then, I got up early this morning to watch the actual running of the marathon. ESPN2 had it on, and I was disappointed in the coverage, but enjoyed all the sights and history. They watered down the race coverage by doing features all the time, and missed some of the key developments. The announcer kept referring to Molly Seidel as Molly Huddle, an absolutely unconscionable error. But then Bernard Lagat's sister Viola Cheptoo came in second in a Central Park sprint to the finish, and Molly Seidel beat the American record, and all was good. Really enjoy getting up and watching this event.

Snohomish River Run Marathon

 

Adding the Snohomish River Run Marathon to the race list for this year. I got up early50 this Sunday morning, and drove south to Snohomish. I've been a little curious about running down in this area. I know there are a few long trails. This event included the south side of the Centennial Trail, downtown, and then a long out and back on the River Road plus a trail to be named later.

It was supposed to rain and be windy, but instead we got great, 50s degree weather. The trees are all changing colors, and there were views looking across the Snohomish Valley. Very pretty day for running.

I ran well for me. It must be that I didn't sabotage my day with bad eating the day before, and I've been running steady with the virtual runs. Finished at 4:22 or so, which is my best time in a long time. I kept it very steady at about 10 minutes per mile, and didn't really fall apart. Glad to be able to get out and do these things still.

My friend Eric ran too, and well, but we were unable to connect. One of these days we'll share some trail.

The marathon had about 300 runners. The half seemed to have many more. A nice red jacket, red shirt and big medal came with this event, which is celebrating its 10th year. The event is put on by the Snohomish Running Company, and they can use support--great effort was put into making this all happen, and keeping the participants happy. I particularly liked the frequent aid stations.

Downtown Snohomish has a whole lot of bistros, alehouses and such. Will have to visit again some time. I opted for Ivars in Marysville on the way home, followed by some RedZone on the couch.

Baker Lake 50k

The Baker Lake 50k is back! Last year I ran the course with a few ghosters during COVID restrictions, but some 100+ runners came out yesterday for this annual first Saturday of October event.

The streams were flowing more than I can remember before. My feet got a bit wet. I guess we've had rain in the past week. I also saw a few red sockeye from Baker Lake bridge near the turnaround, which is a first for me. I knew they were in there, sometimes, and I always look...this time I was rewarded. The river there was running much higher than I've seen in recent years, which was kind of cool. A big eagle was circling in the sky a bit upriver.

I did the early start, as I've been doing these past few years. Great to see so many friends and acquaintances. The spirit is good here. Thanks to Terry, Delores and everyone at NW Endurance Events for hosting things. The eats and treats at the end were great. They do such a great job--thankful. I especially liked the extra water drop at Noisy Creek this year. Good as always to see Stanley at the start and turnaround. 

Weather good. 50s to 60s, short sleeves. Not a lot of sun. Mountain out. My phone wasn't opening up because it was wet, which probably kept me going, but I got a few shots early on. Above is the Anderson Creek crossing, which is about 3 miles from the start.

My time was not remarkable, but I traveled the out and back faster than in recent years. I made it to the turnaround in 3:37, spent a few minutes, and took about 4 hours on the return. Ran alone, as I tend to do. 7:41. 18th year in a row. I haven't been running hills, but I have been putting in miles on flats along the river, as part of my run around the world team. Running has been a retreat and respite for me during the pandemic. My body went through a few different phases of sweat out there. I had to top off my water a few times.

Annie's Pizza afterwards, on orders from home. Straight 80s music driving in and coming back. A clutch Mariners win on the tele to close out the day. 

Cutthroat Classic

I got up at 4:05AM yesterday and headed east to run the Cutthroat Classic. It was a really good day. The wildfires have created smoke concerns on the east side, but it rained the day before a bit, which pressed down the smoke, and then the weather was terrific yesterday.

Due to COVID, the race was supposed to go with six waves. Instead, with the benefit of chip timing, they changed things up, and just did a rolling start. I think this is great, but it lead to a bit of confusion for me, as I bussed up to the start, and I was hoping to meet some family members who were also running. I wasn't sure whether to start or if they were coming, since there was no cell service. Eventually, I took off, and I had the trail to myself pretty much for the first two miles, which was very nice.

This race used to be two weeks earlier, but they've pushed it back, I think, because of fire risks for cancellation. This is kind of cool, because now you can really start to see the colors change.

I ran this race for my first time in 2002, and I've ran it many times since. It is nearly 11 miles, point to point, from Rainy Pass on Highway 20 down to the Cutthroat Lake trailhead. The first portion of the run in on the PCT and there were a few thru hikers there, nearing their finish. I ran sort of ok. I was tired, to start, and I ate poorly the day before, and then I took pics, but I'm moving better than in recent years. I finished in 2:20. My best is about a half hour faster; my worst probably a half hour slower, or so. 

The best part was Holley, Reese, and Dan running, and then seeing the rest of their families afterwards. We had lunch down in Mazama, and then I found my way back to Mount Vernon.

On Sunday, I helped out the Skagit Flats Marathon at the 12 mile turnaround. Rainy day, but so peaceful out there in the flats. Football afterwards, Hawks win.

 

The Big Island in 2021

We had a terrific trip to the Big Island back in April, and I decided better late than never to throw a few pics and comments up here. The trip will almost surely be the big trip of the year for us, the way things are going, although I guess you never know. Tempt fate on that, I will.

So, we stayed 11 days, which is a pretty good stay, but these days with work from home and all, more seemed apropos. I didn't work that much, despite idealistic intentions. In fact, I abandoned email after not too long.  

We had to get tested 72 hours before we went, which was both stressful, taxing, and somewhat pricey. Stressful, inasmuch as we had to hope for the best for not testing positive, and ruining our trip plans. Also, stressful, in figuring out where to go (Seattle, in a trailer somewhere by the Needle), and uploading the results correctly. Then there was the what if I have COVID and you don't discussion. This is Hawaii, after all. Pricey, as in probably $175 each. We both tested negative, and so the trip was on like a gong.

We were fortunate in our timing. I booked everything in the middle of winter, in darker days of COVID, based on refundable offers for the flight. Hawaii was pretty closed off for a long time in the first year of COVID. Quarantine requirements et al.  We got in just as things were starting to get going, and our car rental was still affordable, before the Islands started running out of cars and charging hundreds per day.

Onwards...half empty island means good times and open roads. One morning we drove right up to Hapuna Beach, one of the finer tourist beaches on the island. It is a very nice beach--but I say tourist because its not a secret. But we had space. Afterwards, we ordered a box of custom malasadas from a truck on the side of the road, and these were ridiculous. Guava, coconut, lillikoi, mango, and other Hawaiian fillings, hot, with special powders.

Then there was the Hilo trip, to the Farm Market there. We got there kind of late, after a day of visiting Farm Markets in smaller towns and Volcanoes National Park. We saw twisters developing over the live crater. The volcano crater was a few orders of magnitude wider than the last time we saw it in 2017 (I think), since the 'cano blew.

We basically stayed pretty still one day, and then the next we'd drive somewhere far off. We made it up to Hawi, a favorite little town of mine to the north, which sits across from Maui and Hana. Then there was a visit to the Place of Refuge, and we found this amazing roadside restaurant that makes the best Lau Lau and other Hawaiian foods we've found. 

Then there was the Painted Church, which Saint Father Damien helped found or visited--need to get my facts straight--but he was an amazing person, who lived with the lepers on Molokai later.  We found this Botanical Garden in Kona that had the most amazing places to sit and look at the ocean. Another place with religious ties, though no specific religion was represented. Loved the coffee there too.

I had hoped to run a race, but that was not in the cards. I have a hard time running over there, but I got in the habit of getting up at 4:30 or 5:00, before the sun was up, and got in my miles each day. Kona is an interesting place to run at that hour, as a few people are out and about, but its pretty quiet and you can see the Milky Way once you get out of town.  And then each day ended with a sunset over water...so Mother Nature was in the house the whole trip.

Someone asked why do we keep going to the same place?  The Big Island feels like a home away from home for us. Familiar, yet always revealing something new. This trip seemed to have a few pretty cool food discoveries, plus less people than normal. We feel fortunate to have made our escape. There will be other adventures, but we never regret time spent in Hawaii.

Wishing well to all my friends. 

 

Return of the Great Sedro-Woolley Footrace

 

The Fourth of July tradition around here is to run the Great Sedro-Woolley Footrace, aka Loggerodeo.  The run normally precedes a 4th of July parade, with people in lawn chairs lining the street on the last two turns of the run, watching guys like me huff it in.  The run is 5.17 miles long, with a 2 mile option, and the locals of Woolley, including the Rotary Club, and the running club stalwarts, have much to do with it coming off.

I've done this event a dozen times or so. Its low cost, comes with a t-shirt, and is basically a great way to kick of the holiday.  I ran into many friends this time around--great hellos and such.

I guess I'm burying the lead. This was the first race for many, many, in a long long time, due to the pandemic closures. I snuck in the Montana Marathon last fall, but for many this was the first timed, organized event in over a year. Lots of smiles, without masks.

It's been hot. We had record heat this past week, with temperatures rising above 110 in some places. I've struggled with it, as I don't do well with heat, and we don't have air conditioning. Thankfully the office has a/c, which helped for a few days. We took a couple of the grandkids to the local spray park one day--good times. Thank you Parks and Rec.

I ran well for me at the Footrace. 45:20 something, which is basically 9 minute miles, which shouldn't be a big deal, but that's the best I've done in several years. I also had a head cold, and so if not for that, I probably would've ran a 35 minutes or so. Probably not, but maybe a minute better. 

I continue to participate on my virtual team, circling the world and logging miles each day. Right now we're in Burma, having come up through Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand.  I'm logging 40-50 miles a week, generally.  My miles aren't too much on trail, and there's not a lot of hill work, but I've been pretty consistent. This program will continue on for at least 6 months more, which is good for me, as the team concept holds me accountable to my teammates for my miles/kms. This is sometimes enough to get me out the door on a rainy day, but we probably won't get one of those until September. Summer, it turns me upside down.

Centennial Trail

 I didn't take any pictures, but for the record, I headed down to the Centennial Trail Northern Terminus at Nakashima Barn and ran 10 miles this morning. There was a low key marathon going on there, amounting to five out and backs to Pilchuk Creek.  

I've never been on this section of the Centennial Trail, which stretches 30 miles down Snohomish County. Its been on my mind for a while, as I know it is popular. The barn at the end is the Nakashima Barn, which  was my good friend Stanley's family. He called me about the event. 

I checked on the way home, and the trailhead is only 15 miles from the house. I really need to use this trail more---maybe an out and back run to Arlington (16 miles) or Bryant (8 miles).  I have it mind that some day I'll take a day and try to get down to my cousin's place in Woodinville, by bike or foot. This is the way, or a big part of it.

Today was hot, by northwest standards. Could say it was glorious. But I don't do well with the sun, so after the run I chilled at home. I got my second shot yesterday, and so all activity needed to be somewhat muted. Not feeling ideal, but Kershaw, Darvish, Greinke and a bunch of other aces are pitching tonight, so all good. Mariners are in first place. 

Cascade Trail

 

I usually write posts here after a race or some sort of trail run. I haven't been doing a lot of either lately. Most races are on the shelf due to the pandemic, and I've been content to get my miles in closer to home. I have been out running, as part of my run around the world event. I've been logging about 40 to 50 miles per week, though I probably dropped a little off average in January and February due to weather and a bit of restlessness. Sometimes steady carries me, but sometimes steady is hard to find, with the semi-lockdown and the daily barrage of COVID news. There is so much discontent and unhappiness out there.

Yesterday I drove out to Sedro-Wolley and hit the Cascade Trail for an 11 mile out and back. First I ran towards town, and then I ran towards the flooded creek, the name for which escapes me now, bit which I know is some four miles down the trail. This trail gets better with age for me, probably because I don't have to worry about rolling my ankle, and I'm as likely as not to run beneath a sitting eagle, as I dd yesterday. The deep green farm fields with the snow covered hills, barbed wire fence, and occasional cows are the perfect counterpoint to the confusion of the world. The trail is not empty, but people are widely spaced out, generally with smiles.

In past years, I tried to average an event per month, but I'm not really into going too far out of my way to find the odd live event right now. I have my one virtual relay race--we're not "virtually" crossing Antarctica, a 3400 mile journey-and then will transverse Australia. That has been good. New York Road Runners has a few good things, and I may do their half this month, for a time. I'd like to pick a few trails to cover this year, but haven't quite got there yet in the planning. Time to start thinking about it, as the weather warms up.

Nookachamps Double

 

Another January, glad to be here. Most years I run the Nookachamps Half this weekend, as the start line is minutes from the house, and the road is one of my regular running routes. This year, COVID, still.

Anyway, I went ahead and ran a modified half on Saturday, for 16 miles, and then met with Craig, Chris and Jason on Sunday, running a modified 10k route, for 7.5 miles. Calling it a double, like shots, but not. 

Weather was great, and my running was pretty steady too. Actually, this weekend has been relatively restful, aside from the running. Took the Xmas tree down, finally. And someone got their first shot. A different kind of shot, the good one these days.

I've been seeing all kinds of birds lately. The other day I saw a belted kingfisher just down by Lion's Park. On these Nookachamps runs, the winter birds all checked in--eagles, swans, snow geese, other waterfowl, herons--good stuff. Last weekend I went by a flock of thousands of snow geese, which went nuts when someone started shooting. Lots of shotguns going off in the distance.

My running is going ok. I'm not doing too many trails, as I'm tired of rolling my ankle. But my road base is set, and so I'm able to jog roads well enough. I'm logging miles with my Circumpolar team, as we try to virtually run around the world. Right now we're 500 miles from the south tip of South America. We virtually passed some sea lions and penguins on Google maps this week. The team thing is different, but I'm liking it--I think we have two from Europe, four from Canada, and four from the US.  I feel like I'm more active than usual this time of year, when in the past I'd drop in the gym and do a soft hour on a bike or elliptical while reading.

The news of the world is tough these days.