Deception Pass 25k

I had a fun day out at Rainshadow Running's Deception Pass 25k. I was a little nervous about the distance, because I haven't ran much the last two weeks, but I managed to keep a steady pace, while walking some of the uphills.

This is one of the best trail races in the U.S., I think. Provided the weather is good. I suppose it depends on what you want from your trail race. Here, the cliffs and views of the sea are ever present. The single track is a bit crowded sometimes. You might see a whale, an eagle, a porpoise, swans. I saw a woodpecker in the final half mile.

The finish line changed a bit this year, and is now down on the beach by the amphitheater. There were fires at the finish line, wood fired pizza, ale and soda, and it was all great.

My time was 4:08, which is slow, but I'm seeing modest improvements in my running.  I managed to avoid rolling my ankle, which was huge for me.

Its been snowing this week, and sometimes windy, but the weather turned out great for the event. 40 degrees or so, little wind.

Great to see James, Kevin, Terry and others. A good Sunday, all around, at least until I got home and saw the Seahawks score.

Deception Pass 25k

Ran the Deception Pass 25k yesterday.  Conditions were perfect for a mid-December day in the Pacific Northwest, with overcast skies and temperatures rising to the 40s. This year the 25k and 50k are being held on different days. I ran the 25k because I’m really not up for the 50k right now. 

I saw three seals swimming in Deception Pass as I crossed the bridge the first time.  Beautiful views throughout the course.  This is one of the more beautiful 50ks out there.

I was reduced to walking and jogging, due to ongoing issues. I finished towards the back.  But it was a good morning.  I stopped for cod and chips at the Shrimp Shack on the way home, prior to more Christmas activities.

Hopefully I can use this one to kickstart me towards more systematic training. Not sure what the next event will be, but I need to line something up.

Thanks Rainshadow Running and everyone involved in organizing the run.

Deception Pass 25k

Maybe I shouldn’t have, but I went ahead and ran the Deception Pass 25k yesterday.  Several months ago I signed up for the 50k.  I figured I could manage my way through 25k, bad leg or not, and I was right.  And it was worth it.  It was just too hard not to go forward—the race start is only 25 minutes from home, and the course is spectacular, and the turnout of friends was certain to be good.

After a week of rain, Saturday gave us perfect race conditions.  No wind, no rain, maybe around 40 degrees or so.  Snow in the hills, but clear trails at Deception Pass.  I’m guessing 250 to 300 people participated in the two distances.  Thanks as always James and all the volunteers for putting this event together.  It should be on any PNW runner’s list.  

 

Great to see Seth, James, Pablo, Jahson, Kathy, and so many others. The course does several loops out on points overlooking the ocean, and the many lollipops are conducive to repeat hellos. Extraordinary views of the sea, throughout. There were times when it is easy to imagine being on seaside bluffs of Ireland.

I seemed to be a lollipop or so behind everyone the whole way.  Pretty much what I expected.  I have a combination of a bad leg and withered fitness.  But this was a much better event for me than the Seattle Marathon a couple weeks ago.  There were stretches yesterday, for short periods of time, where I almost felt like a runner again, where I had a stride.  And then there was also a stretch where I felt unduly petered.  Overall, the 25k was just right for me.  

Supertramp on the drive out, in the pitch dark, coffee in hand.  Breakfast in America.  Nice walking to the check in by the beach, still dark, with real surf crashing in to West Beach.  

Deception Pass 50k

The Deception Pass 50k and 25ks are new races put on by Rainshadow Running aka James, Candice and volunteers.  Total winners.  They’ll probably sell out on the first day next year.  How cool is it to finish up a 50k, along a beach, to the sound of the tide coming in?  Or run on a bluff, above the Pacific, or alone on single track through old growth forest?  And here, all in the same day.

Deception Pass is the most visited state park in Washington, sitting on Whidbey Island near Oak Harbor and the Whidbey Island Navy Base.  I felt like I had to do the race, despite a messed up hamstring, since the race is only a half hour away from my home, and I had a really good sense of what to expect of the trails.

The 50k consists of 7 lollipop loops on cliffs above the sea, beachside trails, through old growth and second growth forests, with trips each way across the famous Deception Pass bridge. The cool thing about the lollipops was I kept seeing some most excellent people, running ahead of me most typically.  Lots of hellos and best wishes, coming and going.

The 50k and 25ks are on the same course for the first half--mostly ocean viewing on the west of the bridge, with a stiff climb around mile 13 straight up over Goose Rock. The 50k then adds a double loop trip around the Hoypus Point National Forest lands, out past Cornet Bay. Woods, ships, and another bay.

Most of the course is quite runnable, if you're healthy.  A bit rocky and rooty, here and there, but basically fast single track. Elevation gain was probably b/w 4000 and 5000 feet, maybe.  I thought it was kind of similar to Chuckanut in terms of effort exerted.  

I should’ve ran the 25k, in light of my lame hamstring, but that was a lot like trying to practice restraint at the Thanksgiving dinner table.  Basically, I exercised poor judgment, deciding to see the whole trail and course, figuring I’d get through it, one way or another. And I did, but it seems the hamstring issue is not going away—I’m going to need to do something. The scenery and friends more than made up for my struggles, though I miss running easy.

And, so great to see so many friends on the trails.  It was truly a happy, supportive scene.  Joe, Roger, Eric, Laura, and SETH!, volunteering.  Many many others running.  Like the shirt too.  Patagonia lightweight capilene. 

I need to get a new Ipod Shuffle—lost the last one in Nepal.  All day I had Taylor Swift’s “Why you got to be so Mean?” stuck in my head.  Not good.  I tried a couple times to get some Pearl Jam going, but every time, “Some day, I’ll be, living in a big old city…”.

The day started with a lunar eclipse on the way to the run.  Pretty cool to watch the full moon disappear, as I drove out to Whidbey, coffee in hand.

Deception Pass

The forecast wasn’t particularly good for Saturday, and so I tried to dream up some place new and interesting but snowfree for a long run. I came up with Deception Pass State Park, on Whidbey and Fidalgo Islands.

I’ve driven over the famous Deception Pass bridge many many times, but I’ve never truly explored the park. The State’s website says it gets 2 million visitors per year, and my neighbors and other friends have told me of camping trips there. It’s only a half hour away from home, and so it's kind of been on my list of to dos.

Turns out Deception Pass is a really good trail running location. And just an amazing place. There are a whole lot more trails than I realized, with trails circling little peninsulas on the sea, ridge runs on high bluffs, sand dunes and beach runs, old growth. Lots of ecological variety—a good example of “succession,” as one sign said.

I found green tiger slugs, a big garter snake, a bald eagle, a lot of mushrooms. Tidepools. Running on a cliff above the sea, the Whidbey Island wind spirit stole my Udo's Oil hat. One second it was there, the next it was over the cliff and into the ocean. Goodbye Udo's Oil hat!

Part of the reason I chose to go to Deception Pass was that I heard the North Cascades Institute is leading a mushroom class there in a couple weeks. This made me curious. I wanted to compare a seaside zone to the high country we were in last weekend.  There weren't as many as in deep in the old growth of the Fischer Creek Valley, but still quite the variety.

I enjoyed reading some of the naturalist signs--lots of great quotes from Emerson, Thoreau, Chief Seattle, and others. One by Gary Snyder struck a chord:  "Nature is not a place to visit. It is home."

Years ago, I read a terrific book on Whidbey Island's environmental history--it's slow and science oriented, sort of, but I recommend it:  "Land Use, Environment, and Social Change: The Shaping of Island County, Washington." Author Richard White, a University of Washington professor, later was awarded the MacArthur Award (aka genius grant), presumably for his work in developing the field of environmental history studies.

Despite all my stops, I got a good run in. About four hours on the trail, with plenty of running time. Not the most disciplined of workouts, but sufficient to leave me tired by the time I got back to the rig. There is plenty of up and down in the Park, and so if you want it, you can get some. All the promontories, and up to the bridge, and back down to the beaches a few times--it all adds up. Also, the footing is not all that safe sometimes--you are literally hiking and running along cliffs and steep ridges.

Saturday ended up being a long day. In the evening, I checked out the band Deer Tick with Erik, Steve, and other friends. I don’t really like their name—in general I’m not a fan of deer ticks, because they have lyme disease--but it was good times with friends, and they were a really fun live act. Sort of an alt-country band, with a Jayhawks/Son Volt/The Band type sound. They kind of look like Stillwater from Almost Famous, with the lead singer looking like that blond stoner dude in Dazed and Confused.