Skagit Flats Marathon

 

I did a smoky hot Skagit Flats Marathon today. I am now on the couch, happy to have done it, and pretty achy after running a half last Sunday too.

The Skagit Flats Marathon, Half, and Five Miler are sponsored by the Skagit Runners, and supported by the local cross-country teams of Skagit County. This is the 45th year. Many many thanks to these volunteers who go out every year and put on a terrific event. Their smiles and good cheer made my day, through a tough effort in the smoke. This is my running club--glad to be a member of a running club. Some years I volunteer--last year I was at the 13 mile turnaround--but I've really wanted to do the full marathon, which now is on a different course than in years past. Glad I did it.

I mentioned the smoke twice already here. We've had a pretty good summer, smoke wise, as compared to recent years, but the fires took off this weekend due to tinder conditions and a strong breeze. They closed Highway 2, because it was really bad out that way. Skagit was pretty dark yesterday, but a bit better today. We even had a bit of rain this morning, but the smoke persisted, and this guy felt it quite a bit, especially in the second half of the run, when the heat turned up a bit too. 70s to low 80s today.

I love the flats. As I've written here, I've taken to running around the flats quite a bit in the past couple years, passing farm field after farm field -- corn stalks, potato fields, pumpkin fields, berries. Workers showing up early on a Sunday morning--farming is business that requires dedicated attention, 7 days a week. Which reminds me--my tomatoes could use water.

The first half went ok, and the second half not so much, but I kept a trot most of the time. Hard to know when the smoke was really taking me out, but I'm sure it was. The news says the conditions were the worst in the world in Seattle, and I don't think it was that bad here, but I probably should've ran the half or taken a pass. Running in smoke is now smart, so dumb me won out over smart me this morning.

And I'm glad, nonetheless. The couch is good now, and I'm catching up on football, after the 8 minute drive back home from the start line. 

Remembering 9/11, this day.

Rock and Roll Washington Half Marathon

 

A Labor Day weekend down south, visiting family and running the Rock and Roll Washington Half Marathon.

I've ran many Rock and Roll races at this point, and for me the biggest difficulty is getting down the day or two before the race to pick up my number for the race. I get roped in usually by an email solicitation or perhaps a great registration rate from the year before, but then realize it will take two trips to the Seattle area to complete the mission. 

This year, the Huskies were playing the night before the race, 7:30 start time, so I went with family to the game. So nice to go to the game in shorts. The band and all the good vibes of a season opener were there. The Huskies took care of business, which is not something anyone takes for granted these days, but they were 21 point favorites against Kent State. New coach, new era, hoping good things.

I think I got 4 hours sleep, maybe, on a couch, before leaving at 5 AM or so for the 6:30 race start in Bellevue. I was interested in running this race in large part because I liked the course, which would show me roads I haven't been on in decades. I lived and worked in Bellevue at different times in the later 1980s, and so have memories of many streets, restaurants, grocery stores, etc. Of course, much will have changed, and it has, but many of the streets and buildings are still the same.

The course started down by Bellevue Square, and did a big square, heading north, east, south, west, and back north again. Basically, out towards 520, up Bel-Red towards 156th- Crossroads, south towards Lake Hills, and then back downtown, if any of that makes sense. The course was pretty hilly for a half marathon, especially heading east. I liked it, but if I was seeking a personal record, I'd pick a different course.

Weather was good--pretty sunny, but it was early, and so not truly a factor. 8000 runners, so crowded at times. The finishing stretch was a bit too crowded when they got it down to one lane with intermittent traffic coming towards runners. Not enough gels on the course, for the entry fee. Great water stations, great volunteers, and the music is always fun.

This was a training run for me, pretty much, with aid station support. I finished in 2:22 at an easy pace. Feel fine today, which was the goal, especially with the short night of sleep. I only saw one person I knew, which shows how things have changed. Afterwards, celebrated a birthday at a breakfast brunch, and then we made our way back north.