Circumpolar Race Around The World

 Here's my silver buckle from my Circumpolar Race Around the World effort. Along with 9 other runners from around the world, we did a virtual relay of 30,000 miles or so over the course of 16 months, I think.

This was a wonderful distraction during the pandemic, giving me duty and excuse to explore the rural roads of Skagit County on a regular basis. Our team consisted of 4 Americans, 4 Canadians, and 2 Europeans. We kept in contact, and still do, via a private social media group. We encourage each other. Hopefully someday we'll meet--I think a few have.

We also received medals for each of 12 sections we completed, and a large wood board with a map of the world, for inserting the medals on to.  The board is tucked away, but I found a couple photos of regional medals.

This imaginary team run was one of the cooler things I've done in all my running years. It might not work for everyone, but it worked for me. The team motivation helped me get out there for a few extra miles on days I might not otherwise, and the steady miles helped me to explore new places near to home. I'll always associate the pandemic with this little 16+ month event. 

And, we now have six bonus regions we're working our way through. Right now, we headed through Northern Africa, with Europe ahead. This should keep us entertained for another six months or so.

Couer d'Alene Marathon DNF

 A quick post to memorialize my DNF in C'ouer d'Alene over the weekend.  

It was a good, fast Memorial Day weekend. The drive over to Spokane is a good 6 hours. I listened to some new Dead shows. The goal was to visit some very good friends, see Bob Dylan in Spokane, and then get up early and shuffle through the CDA marathon. Two out of three ain't bad, said Meatloaf.

As to the friends, one of my oldest running friends and I got together for the first time since the pandemic, along with his wonderful family. He got our numbers while I drove over, thank you. 

Bob Dylan is 81 years old. Mount Rushmore isn't much older, in current state at least. I'm probably a bigger fan than most, and can cite numerous songs. Nobody ever asks me to, for the common good. The concert was short, the room full, and the whole thing was kind of funny, since barely anyone knew any of the songs he was singing, and even if they did, it was sometimes hard to understand. And as I write, two weeks later, I'm still smiling about the whole thing, and there are five or six Dylan discs (still have a CD player) in the car. His Rough and Rowdy Ways cd is remarkably getting rave reviews--best release in 30 years type stuff. It isn't Katy Perry.

The short set was good in one respect--we had to get up early.

We zipped across the state line. I knew I had a stomach ailment of some sort, and it was likely to be a struggle. It was a great day for running, or walking, as the moment required. The course goes out 8 miles or so, and then returns past the start line. I decided the final 10 miles and a medal weren't in my interest. While ordinarily the distance would've been fine, even on a bad day, this was the right call for this day. Glad to have put a half marathon distance up on the board, and hope I can return soon.

My friend B did great. So impressed with his effort.  

The drive back was long, and a bit longer even, having discovered Moses Lake is a good stop over for Mexican food, and the cherries are tasty in Thorp.

Chuckanut 50k DNF

Just a brief post here, to report an abbreviated attempt at the Chuckanut 50k last Saturday.  This was pretty close to a planned DNF, although I left the door open for feeling good and going on. My ankle was still hurting from rolling it a few weeks back, and then something really disagreeable happened in or around my hip about a week before, when out on a lunch run. If I had to guess, I think it was some sort of hip flexor sprain, which might have been less likely if I did more or some core work, as the case may be. I've been slipping a little bit in my running these past couple months, due to weather, other commitments, and on some days, age.  

Anyway, I went ahead and toed the line, going with the early start with maybe 50 other early risers. It was a monsoon driving up to Bellingham, and I got soaked walking to the start line. Even with gloves and an OR sombrero, I felt like a wet cat. I started out on a jog up the Interurban, but my legs weren't into it.  Blah, they felt blah. So I walked some. And then some more. Jogged a bit. and then walked some more. And this was the flats.

At Aid Station 1, I saw Dean, Monica and others, and I started speculating about pulling out. Someone suggested I keep going, at least to Aid Station 2, and since the rain had stopped, that sounded good. I walked, mostly, and stood to the side as the head of the pack and then the front vanguard of the herd passed me. That was kind of cool, to watch the really fast folks zip up the Fragrance lake trail, working, but not bent. 

More people passed me on Two Dollar Bill ridge. I recognized a few more faces, although most were new to me. I was ok in spirit; just non-cooperative legs. I walked the final hill there out with my friend Sean from DC, who had caught up, and called it a day.

Then I walked back to the start--another five or so miles.

It might've been my last Chuckanut. I'll see. I get motivated to sign up in December, but then the winter months suck my training away. The ability to run up the hill, and the desire, are not quite what they once were. I find I'm more content to find quiet, flat trails and roads, where my ankle is less likely to roll. I'm still good with distance though--I like being out for a while.

Thanks to Krissy, Kevin, and all the other volunteers for making this a top notch backyard event for me and everyone else. 

Rock n' Roll Half Marathon - Las Vegas

We had reason to be in Las Vegas, and so I s5igned up for the Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon Vegas. While I like smaller events, I had a great time jogging up and down Las Vegas Boulevard aka The Strip, at night. 

The course is straight forward-- down the strip, turn around, run the other direction, and then turn around one more time, finishing at night in the middle. I think there were about 15000 runners. The start line corral management requires showing up an hour or more before race time.

The run starts somewhere around  5:00 PM, and it turns soon from dusk to dark. Bands and DJs are et up along the way, booming out classic rock songs. 

I actually ran the first Rock 'n Roll Marathon in San Diego back in 1998, I remember mailing in the entry checks and registration, months in advance, and I think a travel agent handled the airline ticketing. I hurt my knee a week or two before, and had to walk half the event. The organizers failed terribly on water station management, making it a long day. After finishing, everyone got a ticket to see Huey Lewis and the News. Joan Jett and the Loving Spoonful too, I think.  I later went back and visited friends, and did that one again, and then a couple of these in Seattle, at least.

This was by far the best R 'n R production I've been too. The night time flip to the race gives it the edge, and the music was better. The race is now run by the Ironman people, I think.

My run went fine, I guess. I didn't care about time, and stopped a few times. Its hard to run a good time with slow people in front of you, with this many runners. But this was more run-sight seeing. My right ankle rolled. a week or two ago, and so it was crunchy, but some new shoes helped. I've slipped a little bit from a few months ago, but I'm running better than a few years ago.

The visit to Vegas was otherwise great too, although I'm not much of a Vegas guy. I suppose the eye opener to me is now most of the places I went too were pushing high end food by named chefs. Vegas used to be the place for cheap eats and drinks, and I imagine that is still true somewhere, but there seems to have been a change. That said, we had some great eats.

Conway Loop

 

The temperature was right below freezing when I got up, but the sky was clear, and it looked to be a good day. I didn't watch the news to find out; so much bad news. I haven't ran a 15+ mile run this year yet, I think, and so I decided to do the Conway loop.  This is a loop I've been doing a lot in the past couple years, of about 17 miles, which is flat and by the river and farms. This morning was a particularly nice one, with empty farm roads, frozen standing water, winter fowl, and long views. I ran pretty well for me, which is always nice when it happens. Nothing super fast, but steady.

Today also will likely mark the completion of my team's circumnavigation of the globe. Over 30,000 miles by ten runners, in less than 16 months. This effort has been a wonderful distraction from the world, and has pushed me out the door many days when I might not have gone out otherwise.  We have some bonus regions now to pursue, but I just might start all over again after these, if the powers that be allow it.

January Miles: Centennial Trail, Fairhaven, and Skagit River

 

The weather has been mixed for running in January, as is the norm. We've left behind the snow and ice of December, and traded that for rain, cold, fog, and dark. I keep getting my miles in as my virtual team pushes through Texas to the southern border, but it doesn't feel like that here.

Last weekend I decided to head down to the northern terminus of the Centennial Trail in Snohomish County and do a couple out and backs. The trail was not that busy and plenty flat.  My run was a bit of a struggle, as I just had a shot the day before. Not too remarkable, but glad to have the get up and go sufficient to get some miles in. In non-COVID years, last weekend would've been the Nookachamps Runs, I think.

During the week, when in Fairhaven, I've been running out to Bellingham and back over the water. The picture above is of the lights of the Taylor Dock, which heads out to Boulevard Park. This is now a fixture in the Bellingham trail system, and as I write this I'm reminded of when I used to have to wander the railroad tracks to make it down to Boulevard. The dock is pretty cool--on a sunny day, the mountains of Vancouver's north shore are clearly visible, and some nights I can see the ski slope lights up that way.

Today I did my normal loop out along the Skagit River. Very, very foggy, with limited visibility. A good morning nonetheless. Hoping to have a steady year with the miles.

2021: COVID, Virtual Runs, and the Skagit River

 2021 was another year with COVID limitations. I suppose things were better than the full-on lockdowns of 2020. I continued to center myself by getting out on long walks and runs around the Skagit Valley. Less events but more miles than ever, maybe. 

The outdoors highlight of the year was our 12 day trip to the Big Island. Something happens with Hawaii visits when they stretch beyond the first week. For a little while, it starts feeling like home, with mini routines setting in. Racing came back a bit, with a few innovations, like the rolling start. I continued with my virtual races, including a virtual New York City Marathon, the Great Virtual Run Across Tennessee, and the Circumpolar Race Around The World. These virtual events drew me back, time and time again, to the Skagit River, with new routes discovered from home. The River had quite the year, between low and then flood-stage levels, salmon runs, and heavy snow.

 

Here are some highlights from the runs, outdoors and events of 2021.

 

1.     The Big Island

 

We visited the Big Island from late April into May, and it was an amazing trip. Somehow we timed things just right, missing the surge of crowds which came a month or two later, as well as the surge in prices.  I ran every day in Kona, usually at 4 or 5 in the morning, before the sun came up, under the stars and Milky Way. We made it Volcanoes National Park and saw a much larger crater. Farm markets, local eats, crafts, and sunsets by the beach, every day.

 

2.     Circumpolar Race Around The World

 

The Circumpolar Race Around The World is a 30,000+ mile, 12 stage event, requiring teams of up to ten persons to log their mileage each day. My team started in 2020, and will be finishing up in early 2022. We keep a private group where we discuss our progress and encourage each other. The team has ten members: 4 Canadians, 4 Americans, and 2 Europeans. Each day after logging miles we can go to Google Maps and see exactly where we are. I’ve found this collaborative effort has helped me to lace up and put in 5 or 6 miles on many a day when I would not have, otherwise. There have been rainy runs, snowy runs, sunny runs, and many evening walks. I’ve spent much time looking at the Skagit River, the fields around the valley, and various neighborhoods.  I canceled my gym membership when the pandemic, and picked this up instead, and overall I think it has helped my health.

 

3.     Cutthroat Classic

 

I was glad to once again run the Cutthroat Classic up in the North Cascades. This rates high on the annual list, because I got to see several family members I hadn’t seen in a year or so, three of who also ran the race. We had great weather and views. This year there was a very odd rolling start—“start when you want to”—and it worked well for me, as I had the trail largely to myself for the first three miles or so, after starting late. Nice hat and after-race meal. Really special because Reese ran with us. Reese was a newborn the first time Holley and I ran this together.

 

4.     Snohomish River Run Marathon

 

Snohomish is the county just to the south of Skagit. My friend Eric suggested I run this one with him, and I was glad to, as I wanted to check out the area for running. The course is flat and lends itself to a pretty fast time, I think. The first half is an out and back on the Centennial Trail and the second half is basically an out and back on the River Road. Very pretty fall views of the valley to the south. I had a very steady day and my best marathon splits in some time. I almost felt like a runner.

 

5.     Floods of 2021

 

Northwest Washington experienced record flooding in November this year. In Whatcom County, whole towns were flooded. In Mount Vernon, flood walls had to be installed to hold the waters back from spilling into the town. And the walls worked!  On one night, I was unable to drive home on I-5, forcing me to take Chuckanut, and then turnaround twice before finding a clear route across the valley. The next day I ran the Skagit, witnessing the high levels.

 

6.     The Great Sedro-Woolley Foot Race

 

5.17 miles, again! Thankful for this Fourth of July tradition. Great to see many Skagit Runners, at a live event, after a year of shutdowns.  A very simple day.

 

7.     New York City Virtual Marathon

 

Back to Strava. I don’t use much technology in my running. I’m pretty resistant, I guess—I don’t want too much data, even if it would probably turn me into a better runner, especially if I paid attention. But, I’ve used Strava a couple times now, to do the virtual NYC marathon, and both those experiences have been great. The NY Road Runners app talks to me as I run, giving me encouragement and noting a few key points along the course. I love the NYC marathon, and so this is all endearing. 

 

I did the same course as last year—home to Conway along the Dike Road, half a turn around the outer edge of Fir Island, and then back to Mount Vernon via Rexville, Beaver Marsh, Kamb, and McLean Road. Or three bridges over the Skagit, as another way I think about it.

 

This year was a pretty tough run, actually. I had a sprained ankle, which was only slightly healed. The weather was bad, and I got soaked in the final four miles or so. Also, one of my “water stops” was closed, leaving me thirsty for the final 8 miles. But I hit my finish line, right by Mr. T’s..

 

8.     Snow Runs on the Skagit

The year ended with a serious freeze. Christmas had a bit of white, and then the snow fell down much more, with maybe a foot or so. The snow stuck around for a week, and turned to ice. I got out on the River Bend road and elsewhere, breaking tracks, watching birds, and freezing my nasal passages. The running wasn’t strong—it was more like slow cross-country skiing, but each day was beautiful. The Skagit Valley felt a lot like the Methow Valley to the east, for this time of year.

 

9.     Baker Lake 50k

 

My favorite race makes the list again. There’s a temptation to leave it off, because I do it every year, but this is a big reason why: its always pretty, and usually a good day out. I had no trouble with the distance this year, although it was mixed in with a five week period of Baker Lake, Snohomish River Marathon and the virtual NYC.  I think I was fresher for this one, though. It was a beautiful day, and for the first time I spotted red/green sockeye salmon, from the bridge at the turnaround.

 

10.  Centennial Trail

 

It was many years overdue, but for the first time I ran the Centennial Trail from north end and Nakashima Barn. Stan Nakashima mentioned an event out that way, and while I didn’t marathon miles in me that day, I got in a solid 11 and set myself up for a longer run to come, maybe this year. Great to see some friends out there, including Stan.

 

The year was short on events, because of COVID, but I got to get together with many good friends, as well as family.  We didn’t get out as much as in the past, but we took in the Aquasox and I won amazing seats through Global Citizen to see John Legend in Woodinville. He was amazing. No Mariners, no Seahawks, and only one true visit to Seattle. Pike Place was disorienting after so much social distancing. The family visits were the best of things.

 

Wishing all my friends and those who come this way a healthy and happy new year.