Seattle Running Club

Our #SRCBrooks team has been enjoying the summer and early-autumn months with races of all distances and all around the world. We have seen 50 miler debuts, 50 miler wins, 100 miler debuts, and Stefan Redfield is even considering a race longer than 10 miles! Read more about their adventures below!

Stefan Redfield

After a full queue of racing for the first half of 2016 my focus moved back to building a good schedule to get more miles per week + integrating more strength training. As my fast teammate Erik Barkhaus sagely advised, 15 more minutes a day can move you from a 50-mile week to 65; I’m trying to find those 15 minutes.

That being said, the 2016 XC is mid swing and nothing is more exciting than leaves on the ground and mud under the spikes! Sundodger 8k was a fine opener for me, getting to run in a fat pack for the first time this year and bumping down into the sub 26 minute 8k range for the first time since diving into “adult cross country.” My next opportunity at the Emerald City 8k could be best defined as “uninspired,” but I have learned to accept bad races over the years and to keep eyes up. At the very least it was a good to experience the sensation of ice-skating around muddy turns in prep for the end of the season races.

All and all, it has been a mellow Q3, but I am very much looking forward to our next 2 races here in Seattle for the PNTF and Regional 10k XC championships! That followed by the Seattle Half Marathon will surely have earned me a temporary slumber in Valhalla for the winter.

Steph Grimm

In August, I managed to close out the series as the 8th female in the 14.5-mile finale, squeaking out the win in the women’s short series. There were many talented ladies who consistently finished ahead of me in races, but alas, they missed a race, leaving me the victor and with a new long run in the books. The next week, a few friends and I tackled running/hiking the Enchantments, which was absolutely stunning…and tough. My Cascadias were awesome and I managed not to fall once.

While I had a stronger training summer last year and have started slower than usual these first two cross country races, I am excited to finish the season strong at PNTF and Regionals before closing out the year with the goal of 5K road PR! Thank you, Brooks, for a great year!

Evan Williams

July/August – I took a break! For one week. Then I laced up my Pure Grits and spent a lot of time adventuring around the Cascades instead of stressing about races. Speed runs/climbs on Mount Stuart, Shuksan, and a variation of the Whittier Ridge-Lakes Loop (just north of Mt St Helens) were piles of fun (and rock). What a fantastic way to spend the summer. Picking one’s way on thin trails chopped into the sides of cliff faces with a water bottle in one hand and a coiled half-rope on the back. Beers waiting in the car upon return.

September/October – I made a real training plan for the first time in a while. I decided to queue up some organized mileage to get ready for a big effort at the Leavenworth Half Marathon. A hip injury, out the blue, four weeks before the race dismantled my training plan and I was left worrying about how much shape I would retain after hardly running for the final month.

I got a confidence boost with two weeks to go when I realized faster, better form running didn’t hurt so much and I jumped in the Sundodger XC 8k for a 1 min 20 sec PR. More injury followed.

The half marathon went well enough. No pain on race day, 1:14:56 (not a PR…the streak is broken!), but a win, beautiful course/weather, and a prize hydroflask growler from Icicle Brewing. The best non-PR ever.

I raced once more, at the Emerald City XC 8k, but my real focus has been solving the minor issues in the injury recovery process and getting back to my normal work commute pattern. It’s going well. The rest of the year looks bright! Mileage is increasing again. Legs are feeling good.

Sophia Liu

With relatively success first half of 2016, my 2nd half of the year as SRC Brooks member is going full speed. I have to say training is going well, after Full marathon PR (2:51:45) almost half an hour PR in white river 50mile (8:44,female 5th) and 2 minutes PR on a relatively hilly course in Vancouver RnR half marathon (1:22, female 4th) was the highlight of my recent races. In addition, I run my first home country marathon in September. With the race condition being hot and humid plus air quality issues, I still managed to run under three hours and became the 1st Chinese female to cross the finish line was considerably successful home run for me. Right now I am training for Seattle Marathon and the goal is to break 2:50 hopefully end the season with a cherry on top.

Recent race results:
White River 50 miles: 8:44 (5th female)
Seattle 10K 38:26
Iron Horse half marathon 1:24 (2nd female)
Labor Day half marathon 1:24 (4th female)
Beijing International Marathon 2:59 (8th female, 1st Chinese female)
Vancouver RnR half marathon 1:22:24 (4th female)

Keith Laverty

Coming off a fairly aggressive spring race schedule, the summer months included a little more time to relax by exploring new terrain and new trails in the Olympic National Park, and later on, in the Mt. Shasta wilderness.

In between these adventures, I did gear up once again for a harder race course that was both technical, and pretty far, the Squamish 50K (sporting the Brooks Mazama trail shoe) in British Columbia. It was fun, hot, hilly and maybe a little less fun, once I realized my body was depleted of sodium and electrolytes in the final several miles, resulting in some shocking leg cramps. An S-cap donated to me helped me stumble to the finish before fading back to 5th place in the final two miles, after running between 1st and 3rd place all day. I highly recommend this challenging, well-organized race and I hope to return one day to get it just right.

Shortly after Squamish, I suffered a 4-week long injury to my kneecap and super tight IT bands. All while moving from Seattle to the quieter, but still very hilly, Bainbridge Island. For my regular work commute, I opted for my own two legs to run to work instead of my VW Jetta. Despite the injury misfortune, I very luckily won a free entry into the week-long Max King Trail Running Camp near Mt. Shasta in the final week of September.

Besides fan-boying a little over Max King and his impressive, versatile running background, the camp really helped me reset, relax and reflect why I got into trail running in the first place. I made several new friends in the community, did some trail maintenance, learned more about map & compass work, and went on an epic 28-miler on the PCT and Castle Crags wilderness. There was one point where Max thought I got ahead of him (I was actually behind taking a quick bathroom nature break), so he went off to chase me down, while I was chasing him. Endless chasing!

The GOAT Run, or the Great Olympic Adventure Trail run was a point-to-point 14-miler that I was raced on my injured knee. With a little bit of Aleve and adrenaline, I was able to cruise on through for a new course record, finishing at Lake Crescent near Port Angeles. Another race that I would recommend for a weekend getaway on the Peninsula.

July-September race results:
1st overall, Carkeek Warmer (18:28 – CR)
1st overall, Summer Eddy 8M (54:42 – CR)
5th overall, Squamish 50K (5:40:17)
1st overall, GOAT Run 14M (1:23:39 – CR)

Alison Smith

The late summer and fall has been all about building a base of consistent training and strengthening relationships with the Seattle-area running community. Beginning in July, I’ve enjoyed the longest consistent ache-and-pain-free period of training I’ve had in quite a while (although I should probably knock on wood for writing that!). In August I celebrated the one-year anniversary of my time with SRC, which provided a moment for reflection and a re-commitment to racing purely for the fun of it. Rather than fill up an overly busy race schedule, I’ve stuck with several of the SRC favorites: so far, the Fat Glass and the Sundodger and Emerald City cross country races, each of which have been fun, challenging and muddy adventures. Looking ahead, I hope to keep increasing my mileage enough to try out my legs on longer, more ambitious trail races… I’ll keep you posted on that!

Olin Berger

The past few months held my biggest win (in terms of largest race) and biggest race (in terms of miles) to date. I was thrilled to cut 30 minutes off of my previous time at the White River 50 miler and to win the race outright.

Less thrilling was experience at my first 100 miler, the Cascade Crest 100. A beautiful course, but I ran it like a 50 miler, crashed at mile 70, and ended up walking the rest. However, I did finish and came away with a lot of lessons for my next 100.

White River 50 Mile: 1st Overall (7:06)
Cascade Crest 100: 26th Overall (24:41)

I hope to close out 2016 by defending my 2015 win at the Deception Pass 50k.

Dustin Hinkle

Traditionally, my training/motivation wanes during the shorter/wetter days that come at the end of the year. This year, my training waned at the height of summer, but for a very different reason: my wedding and honeymoon. Running brings so much joy to my life, yet it is very often an individual joy. This summer I focused more on the social joy that came along with finding a kick-ass running partner to spend the rest of my life with.

We did get in some pretty cool runs on our honeymoon, though. In London, my wife and I ran along the Thames, past Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, and around Hyde Park. I loved wearing my SRC gear throughout the UK and Ireland. More people called out “Seattle!” than I would have ever imagined.

I have been ramping up my training again. Instead of fearing the shorter days ahead, I feel energized and motivated to finish the year stronger than ever.

Ellen Lavoie

For training I run 4-6 days per week in varying distances from 2-25 miles depending on what I’ve got coming up. Over the summer and into the fall I did some crazy training as I was gearing up to attempt to a solo run, with crew support some 300 odd miles in 6-7 days on the Iron Horse/Milwaukee (also known as the John Wayne) trail at the end of September. My training included many long back to back to back runs followed by a 24 hour race the second week of August to be followed up by a tough mountain 50k race Memorial Day weekend. I’ve had a mix of gnarly trails, mellow trails, and easy flat trails for training lately! My cross training in the past few months has been mostly just gym strength and conditioning type training. I’ve spent a great deal of time this past summer and into the fall volunteering at races to bring some cheer and encouragement to others when I’m not competing (and even then I hope I bring cheer!). In late July I was the captain of the ship floating at the SRC-sponsored aid station at White River 50 Mile Run and had a ball seeing all the familiar and new-to-me faces coming through just past their ½ way point for the day. I am still in love with the Brooks PureGrit running shoes whether it be on single track trails, packed dirt, or pavement. They have done a great job comforting my footsies after many many miles in a row!

Day 1 on my Iron Horse Trail solo run…a sandwich break.

I had a couple of big races this summer…the Hamster Endurance Runs 24 hour of which I finished with a 3rd place finish. Only three week after Hamster I ran the Bunker to Bonneville 50k on still-tired legs as training for the Iron Horse trail and only managed a middle of the field 13th place female finish. That one was a tough one as it has fairly significant elevation gain and at only four miles into the race many of us (actually I think most of the racers!) were attached by very angry bees of which I ended up with at least 6-7 stings.

Since I was gearing up for my epic solo run on the Iron Horse trail, I’ve tried to refrain from too many short distance races so I could concentrate on long slow runs. A few shorter races recently: Carkeek Sizzler with NW Trailruns gave me a 6th place female finish in the 4.2 mile race. The Interlaken Ice Cream Dash with NW Trailruns gave me a stinging 19th place female finish in a large-ish field.

Day 5 on my Iron Horse Trail solo run…being silly.

All my long distance races this year lead up to a solo run on the entire Iron Horse/Milwaukee (John Wayne) Trail that spans from N. Bend, WA east to the Idaho border in Tekoe, WA. I started off on my run on Sept 24th from N. Bend with my tiny crew (my boyfriend) and a car full of food and supplies. After 7 days of running long days of 10-14 hours with daily mileage from 21-45 miles, I ended up at the Idaho border in time for a reception from trial enthusiasts at a gala benefit for the John Wayne trail. My original plan was 300 miles but after skipping some dangerous for running road sections and (some temporarily) closed areas of the trail I wound up with a total of 200 miles (give or take a few tenths!). It was a massive undertaking and I am planning on attempting it again next spring except will logistically plan the road sections better. It was a massively great experience that can be followed on my blog.

My last long race of the year was the 20 mile option on 10/30 at the final Cougar Mt. race for 2016 finishing with a 12th place female placing. It was a tough one and I came out realizing my legs were maybe still a little fatigued from 200 miles in a week. After a couple of short 5-10 km races in November, my plan is to take a short break in December from competing in order to finish the year injury free!

Martin Criminale

July 16 – Eiger Ultra Trail E101

This was a 101km trail race in Switzerland. It packs more vertical into 100 km than Cascade Crest does in 100 miles. For this reason it is a UTMB qualifier which is my main goal in 2017. I got to run this with several friends and my sister which was a real treat!

This race was my first ultra after a lingering injury that lasted over one year and it was great to be back. We had perfect weather and I stopped countless times to marvel at the view and take pictures.

As is usually the case when your race pace exceeds your fitness, I had a low spot around km 60-80 but I recovered and finished VERY strong. My friend and I ran the last 6 km pretty much flat out which totally surprised me and let us pass quite a few runners.

Results
11th – Men 50-59
120/600 – Overall (Almost 40% dropped! It’s a tough course for sure.)
My race report

August 21 – Super Tunnel Marathon

I have always wanted to run this event, it’s down the John Wayne Trail from the Hyak parking lot all the way to North Bend. Obviously it’s a fast course so I’m not surprised that I got a marathon PR… more importantly I nailed my pacing and nutrition and was able to accelerate the entire time. That has never happened to me before.

Results
2nd – Men 50-59 (Missed the win by 5 seconds! I just couldn’t accelerate any more.)
16th – Overall
My race report

September 11 – Pine to Palm 100 Mile Endurance Run

This was my 2nd 100 ever. Again, all part of my “master plan” to hopefully run UTMB in 2017. 🙂

Once more I had a super low point just past the middle of the race (it was very hot) but again I recovered well and finished in great spirits. And this run, although very tiring, did not beat up my body! I think I am finally getting used to longer distances.

Results
3rd – Men 50-59
31st – Overall (50% dropped! It was a hard day.)
My race report

As a bonus, I also recently ran the famous rim-to-rim-to-rim route in the Grand Canyon. With my sister! What an amazing way to check an item off your bucket list. And we had perfect weather.

Stone Cold Stephen Walston

I finished White River 50 (my first race that distance) in July, coming in just under 10 hours. It was a perfect day weather-wise, the course had plenty of spectacular views. And it couldn’t have been more well-supported. There was plenty of pain to go around that day, but I forgot about it pretty quickly (beer and barbecue helped). I wore the Brooks PureGrit 4 which held up fairly well.

Since then it’s been off the trails and back on the roads for me, though I did join in for a rain and mud-soaked Emerald City 8k two weeks ago at Woodland Park. Between SRC cross-country training on Wednesday nights and getting back into weekend/tempo runs on weekends, I’m gearing up for the Seattle Marathon on Thanksgiving weekend. The Brooks Launch 3 has been a reliable shoe for interval and tempo runs, and Transcend has been fantastic for my usual after-work easy runs during the 60/70 mile weeks.

Trisha Steidl

2016 hasn’t gone the way I had hoped when I planned out my goals for the year. For one reason or another, this has been the least successful or productive year of running I’ve ever had. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been in good shape, it just hasn’t resulted in anything to get too excited about.

Running the entire Wonderland Trail in 24 hours or less was my main goal for the year. Logistics prevented me from being able to make this happen, which was extremely disappointing. I had put all of my energy and focus this year on this goal and then wasn’t even able to start.

I thought of what else I could do that would be easier logistically. There are plenty of other mountains to run around in the PNW and Mt. St. Helens had been on my list since 2004. I wasn’t really trained for something this short in distance, but I knew I was in decent shape, so I decided to go after the FKT! I was excited to go somewhere new to me and tackle the challenge of racing without really racing.

As we started off, I was unsure exactly what the day had in store. I had done information-collecting as much as possible, but nothing is the same as experience. Many of my friends had posted incredibly scenic pictures from their runs here the week before. I couldn’t wait to see in person what they had posted! Unfortunately we were greeted with clouds, fog, and rain – at least it wasn’t windy! I was bummed, but there was a goal to shoot for, so I put myself in a focused mindset.

We tackled the boulder field first. Using a friend’s GPS watch for the first time (to make sure I’d have proof I ran the loop) turned out to not be the best idea. Seeing the watch display my pace being so slow was a mental downer for which I wasn’t prepared. I knew this was a slow section, so tried not to let it get to me, but that on top of not feeling too great on top of it being a dreary day was taking a mental toll I was trying my best to overcome.

Around three hours in, I was heading up a longer climb and realized the watch was either malfunctioning or I was finally getting a groove! My legs were feeling pretty good and I was climbing the hill like it was no big deal. Maybe I could get this FKT after all!

Despite the look on my face, I was feeling good going up this climb.

We finally got to a flat section. I was feeling good and doing math in my head. I figured out that I could still get the FKT, which I had determined earlier wasn’t going to happen. Upon realizing that, I decided to pick up the pace and take advantage of the flat as best as I could. I was running pretty fast, feeling hopeful…and then, all of a sudden, I was on the ground, sliding forward. I realized I had no idea what the side of the trail was like. Was it a cliff? How far down did it go? Was it rocky? I had no idea and I was still sliding!!

I finally came to a stop. Half of my body off trail, with my left arm wrapped up in a small tree, my right leg up on the trail. Uli asked if I could get up. I tried to push off my hands and knees and couldn’t. They all hurt too much and my body was contorted in a way that I couldn’t really shift myself. He came over to me, put his arms around my torso and lifted me to my feet.

I didn’t want to look down at what had happened. I brushed the dirt off my hands and saw they were torn up. Fortunately my friend’s watch appeared to be unscathed – whew! The bracelet my mom gave me was fine, too. Uli asked me if I could run. I said, “Yes,” and started to go. I quickly realized running was not possible. In fact, I could barely walk. I finally looked down to see my knees swollen and bruised, with my right knee bleeding a considerable amount.

I was devastated. Seriously?!?! How could this happen? I was finally feeling good; finally going to have my training result in something this year and now I could barely walk?! Uli gave me a big hug and I cried in frustration (and some due to the pain now that the adrenaline was wearing off). To make matters worse, I asked him where we were around the mountain and he told me we were almost exactly half-way. It wouldn’t be shorter to turn around and head back and there wasn’t any way to go over the mountain. We’d have to walk the rest of it. So walk we did. I tried jogging every once in awhile, but that would only last a couple of minutes before my knee would hurt too much.

On the positive side, we got to see two elk up close, then saw a herd of elk as well as a herd of mountain goats. We did get some sunshine along the way and we did circumnavigate the mountain. Unfortunately it took as long to walk/jog the second half as it should’ve taken me to run the entire thing. Little did I know more pain was to come in dealing with the wounds from the fall. In fact, I had to take a majority of the month of October almost completely off from running due to issues arising from that fall.

Beautiful flowers along the trail.

Before those injuries caused me to take time off, I had one of my most memorable experiences which was the last-minute opportunity for Uli and I to lead a group on the Wonderland Trail! How fortunate to be able to run a majority of the trail that had been my goal to run this summer. To do so as a tour guide for people from around the country who came to enjoy the wonder that is Mt. Rainier and the Wonderland Trail was even better.

Looking back, this was the top most positive and fun experience of my summer. With the most laid back approach I’ve possibly ever had in trail running (partially due to knowing I could not fall on my knees again for fear of incurring a potential long-term injury), I ran the biggest back-to-back mileage days I’ve ever done.

The first day was Longmire to Mowich Lake (~35 miles) and the weather couldn’t have been better.

St. Andrews Lake – good swimming spot!

The second day we ran Mowich Lake to the White River Campground (~25 miles). Another beautiful, scenic day. We were so fortunate with the weather. It was a blast to be a tour guide pointing things out, telling stories, taking pictures, laughing together, and helping these new people I was getting to know through tough times. I greatly value the happenstance opportunity provided to me to meet new, wonderful people and go on a journey together, wondering at the beauty of Mt. Rainier together, toiling together, and laughing together.

Seatte Park

We learn the most from our ups and downs. I feel like this year has been relentless in the “down” department and am looking forward to what 2017 must have in store for me!

Here’s a list of the Brooks gear that got me through my adventures:

These shoes kept me going with no problems whatsoever:
Pure-Grit 3 and 4
Mazama

The clothing is so comfortable, I never notice it (which is a great thing!):
Distance Shirt
Chaser 3’ Short
The Just Right Racer really is right. It’s supportive and ultra comfortable.

Happy trails!

Matt Hong

My focus this quarter was visiting as many of the classic NW trails as possible during the Summer. My Brooks Pure Grit 5 and Cascadia 11s were perfect for bagging some epic peaks and Alpine Lakes. This summer I ran up the following for the first time:

Mailbox Peak – everything they say about the brutal incline up the old trail is true! Insane climb to the top with epic views. Loved every minute of it.

Gem Lake / Snow Lake – ran up it early and beat the crowds. Beautiful lakes and peaks. I saw my first avalanche up close but luckily not too close.

Granite Mountain – It was a beautiful clear day and an awesome run. Great 360 degree views.

Sahale Glacier and Hidden Lake Lookout – It was overcast for most of the day when I ran these two. However, I was able to get above the cloud level on my way up Sahale and was treated to a majestic cloud waterfall.

Kendall Katwalk – Great views and a really unique trail.

I did a few semi competitive races. I took first place at the Access to Justice 5k in my Brooks Racer ST 5s. I also took first rockin’ my Pure Grit 5s at the August Cougar Mountain Trail Series 5k.

I ran the Sundodger 8k open with the Cross Country team and took 275th in 30:50. It’s always fun and humbling to go up against the collegiate athletes.

I ended the Summer by completing an adventure run I’ve been dreaming of for a long time – a two-day circumnavigation of Mount Rainier on the 93 mile 22k feet of gain Wonderland Trail. It was the adventure of a lifetime and the hardest thing I’ve ever done in terms of running. I did it solo and I carried all of my own water and food – although I did resupply between day 1 and day 2 when I slept at the National Park Inn at Longmire. I loved how the views of the mountain changed as you traveled around it. I also appreciated the rhythm of running down the switchbacks, crossing a river, running up the switchbacks, and getting overwhelmed by natural beauty – repeated 10 times.

Ethan Linck

​When I left off with my midyear report in early July, I was still living in western Colorado and about to hit my yearly. This peak coincided with an 8-day stretch where I ran two shorter-distance mountain races in the San Juans on consecutive weekends during 90+ mile
weeks: the Kendall Mountain Run, where I placed 9th in 1:53, and the Kennebec Mountain Run, where I placed 1st in 1:57 to outkick my main training partner by less than half a second for the win. Logging the second-fastest time ever on the 15 mile/+3400’ course (which tops out on a cross country section above 12,000’), I’m not sure I’ve ever had a better race — previously,
only one other person other than course-record holder Eric Skaggs had gone under 2 hours.

I then began a three week taper for the season’s goal race, the Leadville Trail 100 . With my family and friends on hand to crew and pace, it was an unforgettable experience, even if it didn’t turn out how I had hoped. Despite running with restraint and feeling relaxed around 7th place for
the first 50 miles, my stomach ended up turning on me, and I managed to keep less than 400 calories down for the second half, eventually finishing in 22:58 for 38th out of 700+ starters (though half the field would eventually drop).

After 10 days completely off and a few weeks of easy jogging, I began to return to focused training with a renewed emphasis on speedwork. Without any late-season goals in mind, I nonetheless decided to jump into a hilly 5K at my alma mater in Portland on October, which I won (by about a minute) in 17:09. Now, I’m focused on laying down a strong block of training in preparation for next year’s goals and the coming skimo season. Thanks for the support!

Whether it be beer relays, ultra marathons, milers, or bike rides to Woodinville for wine tasting, the #SRCBrooks has been hard at work this first half of 2016, and the results speak for themselves! Keep reading to find out more! Thanks to Brooks for keeping these athletes clothed this year and allowing them to focus their time and energy on their fitness and self discovery!

Alison Smith

The first half of 2016 has been a bit of a rocky training period for me. In late December, I developed a case of runner’s knee that continued to stifle my training hopes until mid-March, when I began running consistently again and slowly began building up mileage. Since then, my training has proceeded in fits and starts, as I’ve most recently had recurring shin splints that have limited my mileage to exclusively short runs. As a result, I’ve become an expert early-morning cross-trainer at my neighborhood pool and YMCA. 

Despite these aches and pains, I’ve still had some wonderful moments with the Seattle running community and with my SRC-Brooks teammates, particularly participating in the first two races of the Cougar Mountain trail series. Both on and off the trails, the the support and enthusiasm of my SRC-Brooks teammates has kept me motivated and inspired. (Thanks, guys!)

In the coming months, I hope to actually, for real, increase my mileage and develop a more consistent training base from which to compete. I’m hoping to participate in Seattle-area trail races throughout the fall and to continue exploring the local trails.

Dustin Hinkle

Cedar Mountain 5 Miler – First Place
Spring Eagle Half Marathon – First Place
Pacific Northwest Marathon – Fifth Place (3rd time w/ a sub-3 hour marathon)
Chuckanut Mountain Marathon – Third Place (one week after PNW Marathon; two top five marathon finishes in one week)

Arthur Martineau

My main focus for the first half of 2016 has been trying to find a new balance in my life. The three things that take up most of my waking hours and my mental energy are work, family, and running. My running keeps me sane and stress free. My family lifts me up. And my work tends to wear me down.

This year, to prevent injuries, I’ve moved most of my running to either the trails or the track. I’ve tried to stay off the hard roads as much as possible. My body, at 48 years old, likes running on trails way better. I recover faster and can put in more time/miles on the dirt. The varied surface is good for my legs and my mind. My training has been a lot lighter this year than in previous years, as I’ve taken on more coaching. Hopefully I can find a balance in the second half of the year that will allow for more time on the trail.

I’ve had a good year of youth and adult coaching. A few of my athletes set new school records. I enjoy running the workouts with my distance runners. I love seeing the rapid growth in their abilities. It’s too bad they can’t do more miles with me.

I ran a race called the Starlight Overnight. It’s a fun run that starts just before dark and goes until 5am. It’s a 2+ mile loop. It had a good varied terrain with lots of single track horse trails. I started out quick. I figured I could get in 2 or 3 loops before it got dark. I ran for 3 hours, took a nap, then ran for 3 ½ more hours. It was fun to run a 50k in the dark with so many people on the loop. I could always see the next light to pass up ahead.

I’ve been running the monthly Cougar Mt. Trail Series. I choose to do the long series. So far I’m in the top 5. The last one was the 20 miler in which I took 1st Master (over 40). I love the way they get longer each month. There is 1 more race to go it’s the 26 miler in August.

I have 4 races in the next 2 months. These should really get me in shape. They are 50k, 50m, 26m, and then 100m. See you on the trails.

Trisha Steidl

I have spent the majority of this year training for the Wonderland Trail. My mom passed away in late January and, even before her passing, my plan was to run it in her memory. She was a thoughtful, positive, strong woman. I intend to use that to motivate me through the tough times I’m sure to endure on such a long, hard journey as I know running 93 miles with 25,000’ of elevation gain (and loss) will be, especially since my longest run to date is 50 miles/8 hours.

Since this is a totally new adventure for me, I’ve focused my time on training rather than racing. I’ve made a point of heading out to areas I’ve never been before to get in good, tough training. Of course I’ve utilized the trails at Cougar, Squak, and Tiger. I’ve also run on the PCT and trails off of that on which I’ve never been (like Mt. Catherine) as well as the Teanaway area and even the Austrian Alps for some beautiful terrain at high altitude. It’s been a beautiful and tough journey doing this training. I look forward to doing something that’s, for me, incredible with the fitness and experience I’ve gained.

Hopefully everything will line up – trail conditions, weather, and the necessary support crew. If it doesn’t work out for this year, however, I have a Plan B, C, D, and E, and will certainly focus on making the WT happen for sure in 2017.

I’m extremely thankful for the Brooks gear I’ve received as a member of the SRC-Brooks team. I’ve put so many miles on my trusty Pure Grits! I can’t say enough how much my feet and body love those shoes. It’s incredible how long I can run in those and still feel good. My Adrenalines have been my go-to road shoe for training and my T7s have gotten me through all of my half-marathons and speed workouts (I can’t wait to try the new Hyperion!).

The shirts and shorts I’ve received are so comfortable that they are my #1 go-to for long runs. I’ve never experienced any chafing or really even noticed my clothing on all the long runs I’ve done (which is a good thing). A shout out specifically about the Distance Short Sleeve. That shirt is the most comfortable I’ve ever worn. I wore it the first time on a 6 hour run and it was awesome!

I have raced two half-marathons (Mercer Island Half, where I finished 4th, and the Mother’s Day Half, where I finished 3rd) and the Cougar Mountain 10+ Miler (where I finished 7th woman, 5th PNTF).

The Cougar race in particular helped me learn many things about what not to do leading up to a race. I will conclude with what I posted on Facebook:
Beginner Tips For Racing/Things I Learned Today/Things I Should Already Know
Don’t expect to race well if:
1. You ran three of your longest training days back-to-back-to-back the week before…especially when they’re at 8000-9000′ altitude AND
2. You travelled from another continent less than a week ago AND
3. You ran your first track workout in a few weeks, while dehydrated, a few days earlier AND
4. You haven’t slept normally for several days AND
5. You received tragic news the day before AND
6. You didn’t eat for 8 hours the day before AND
7. Your run the day before was a LOT slower than it felt and then your legs didn’t feel good afterwards AND
8. You’re running a race that’s 1/9th the distance you’re training for AND
9. Your legs feel like cement blocks on the warm up.
When all of these things happen (ideally before you get to #9), that would be a good time to realize that racing may not be the best idea or, at least, that it’s unlikely to go well.
This is likely unsurprising to everyone reading it, but apparently I like to learn things the hard way and I also happen to be very hopeful, despite hope not having proven itself to work yet.
On the positive side, I got to help a guy run a 5 minute PR today! That was 100% worth me taking my focus off myself and focusing on helping him. So cool to see how hard he worked, have it pay off, and celebrate with him afterwards!

Evan Williams

This year, I’ve completed 6 races, worn out 4 pairs of shoes, led 23 group runs from Flying Lion Brewing, watched 7 movies, and called my Mom 10 times. Despite all of this, my mileage was defined by 240+, 5 mi work commutes. The game of balancing standard work hours and marathon-plus training has led to some interesting lessons and experiences – meetings with bosses while wearing 3” split shorts (forgot my pants), happy hour where I’m too smelly to sit near, happy hour preceding a 30 x 400m Wednesday Birthday Workout, eating half of the office donut box myself, swapping ultra stories with a co-worker in the adjacent shower stall…

It has become a beautiful routine and something I rely on to keep my head on straight. My car is getting dusty.

Bridle Trails 50k Relay – As part of a stacked SRC lineup (Greg Crowther, Stefan Redfield, myself, Olin Berger, Ethan Linck, and Keith Laverty), we took down the Klick’s Racing CR at our own Winter Running Festival in January by 8 minutes. Mach Spikeless Flats are a dream at high speeds.

Chuckanut 50k – 3:59:32! Snuck in there under 4 hours. That’s 9 minutes faster than last year.

Boston Marathon – 2:38:23. Big PR in tough race conditions. Smart race plan execution put me in at 99th Male.

Bend Beer Chase Relay – Another 6-person SRC relay victory (Team Sack Lunch), dethroning the previously undefeated Sole Brothers with an across the board domination in speed, flair, and beer consumed. We brought sack lunches for all the other teams too. Lunch! Lunch! Lunch! Thanks Captain Olin Berger.

Washington Beer Festival 5k – Victory. There was no way I was going to get beat in this race. My brother had just won Best Stout, Third Best Pale, and tied for Brewery of the Year the night before for Flying Lion Brewing. SRC! FLB! SRC! FLB! Again, in Mach Spikeless Brooks kicks. Zoom.

Cougar 10.8 mi PNTF Trail Championships – The week of the race, I heard the top entrants were all Club Northwest members to this SRC-managed event. A last-second plan change meant I could race. Uli Steidl and Eric Bone also signed up (SRC) and we came away with a clean sweep: 1 (Uli), 2 (me), 3 (Eric).

Sophia Liu

Start of the year 2016, I had three goals: 1) Stay healthy and injury free 2) Drop my marathon time under 2:50 3) Train and race well for White River 50 mile. I am healthy with a few injuries but no major issues, which are reflected in my racing relatively frequent and well.

Open the season with Bridle Trails 10 mile female course record and the win; The Rain Run half marathon female champion; Fragrance Lake trail half marathon 3rd place; Chuckanut 50K 7th female (4:35); BMO Vancouver Marathon female 7th place, although 3:02 was not the result I was looking for. After Vancouver, I gave myself 3 days to regroup then get back at it. I run couple of shorter races before another targeted marathon in Seattle, which included Big Back Yard 5k female winner (18:46), the Shore Run 10k female winner (38:54), Mother’s Day half marathon 2nd female (1:24), Brooks Trailhead 15k female winner (58:37). Six weeks after Vancouver marathon, I ran 2:51, a 3 minute PR, and brought home the female championship in 2016 Seattle RnR Marathon. It is not the goal time yet but one step forward.

Without any break, the coming race for me is White River 50 mile. The preparation has not been smooth, I twisted ankle on the 1st course preview run and strained quads later that week. Although I managed 3rd female finish in Cougar 10-mile race one week after injury, on the same weekend the 2nd white river course preview run did not go well. I was really tired, doubted my ability, and experienced some very low points during that run.

Currently, I am cutting down the mileage 3 weeks before the final test and hopefully feel fresh and ready to battle with the tough female field. White River is a classic PNW Trail race hosted by our club, so I really want to represent our club well, but in the mean time there are a lot I need to learn and improve on the trails.

Keith Laverty

The first half of 2016 has been a blast to be representing SRC-Brooks. One of my goals this year has been to find more competitive races on a national scale (Lake Sonoma, Broken Arrow) and races that were outside my comfort zone and “unlike” of me to enter (Moab Red Hot, Broken Arrow).

Bridle Trails has now become a favorite race of mine to kick off the new year. The 2016 edition was forecasted with icy cold, hard, compacted dirt – prime for any CR’s to go down. For the 2nd time in four years, I had broken the previous 5-mile CR only to get outkicked in the end.

Orcas Island 25K was one I’ll never forget. With winter temps and snowing at the top of Mt. Constitution, I tried to get it all over with as fast as possible to get warm again. This turned out to be the new CR on the updated 25K course (since 2012).

Both Moab Red Hot and Broken Arrow Skyrace 26K were “trail” races of an entire different breed, as I liked to call them: adventure running. Both had national-class competition, courses that sent nearly everyone off-course and lost, and some tough terrain ranging from slab rock, snow fields to glacade, ridiculous climbs, and that thick, red clay mud.

Lake Sonoma was this year’s big, big “A” race. My debut 50-miler in probably the second-most competitive 50-miler in the country, boasting 10,500’ of gain over unrelenting rolling hills. To keep myself from freaking out about how my body would respond after the 35-mile mark, I told myself to stay patient, and to eat a lot. And it seemed to work! Besides going out a touch too fast (which felt like I was really holding back) to the 1st aid station, I executed my overall plan pretty successfully as far as nutrition and pacing. Although the last 10 miles certainly had more power-hiking than the first 10 miles! This was by far, one of the most memorable and learning experiences in my racing career.

One week later, I ran and won the OAT (Olympic Adventure Trail) 12k in course-record fashion in Port Angeles, WA. I was just as nervous for this race as I was for LS50. Would my legs recover in time? Yes, but barely.

Sun Mountain and Trail Factor also went well this year, with only six days rest in between. These courses featured very fast trail, that seemed incredibly easy, after experiences like Moab Red Hot. Both races, I tested out the “go out fast, then run scared” race tactic, and both worked like a charm!

Thank you to my wife, Elisa, for her incredible support at each and every race and making sure I stay strong!

Shoes worn throughout racing and training:
Launch 3 – This has been a great, lightweight trainer. Suited perfectly for the runnable trails of Lake Sonoma and city long runs.
PureGrit 4 – Light and fast!
Ravenna 7 – My staple trainer for training runs and when I need that little extra support.

Race results:
2nd, Bridle Trails Winter Running Festival 5M (27:43)
1st, Capitol Peak Mega Fat Ass (2:07:35)
1st, Orcas Island 25K (2:11:12)
6th, Moab’s Red Hot 33K (2:20:18)
1st, Hillbilly Half Marathon (1:30:38)
11th, Lake Sonoma 50M (7:13:23)
1st, OAT Run 12K (43:46)
1st, Sun Mountain 25K (1:38:47)
1st, Trail Factor Half Marathon (1:28:11)
14th, The Broken Arrow Vertical Kilometer (48:04)
9th, The Broken Arrow Skyrace 26K (2:42:50)

Stefan Redfield

1/9/2016 – Bridle Trails Relay Member – Team 1st overall with Course Record
2/14/2015 – UW Open 3k – 8:42 – 34th overall
3/20/2016 – Mercer Island Half – 1:12:24 – 2nd overall
3/26/2016 – Willamette Invite Alumni Mile – 4:28 – 1st overall
4/16/2016 – Fun with the Fuzz 5k – 15:24 – 2nd overall
4/24/2016 – Top Pot 5k – 15:35 – 4th overall
5/2/2015 – Cinco de Mayo Half – 1:12:41 – 1st overall
6/1/2016 – CNW Summer All Comers Meet 5k – 15:13 – 4th overall
6/4/2016 – Bend Beer Chase Relay Member – 1st overall
6/11/2016 – Cougar Mtn Series 8 mile – 54:15 – 2nd overall
6/29/2016 – CNW Summer All Comers Meet 5k – 15:07 – 2nd overall

Steph Grimm

My first race of 2016 was the Bridle Trails 5-Miler. The trails were in perfect condition and despite never having control of my breath, I was first female and tenth overall with a time that tied the course record (Note: Sophia beasted out through the 5-mile right ahead of me…and then ran five more miles to win the 10 Mile race.).

A little over a month later, I took on the Lord Hill 5-Mile and- hot damn!- was it a hill. This race was where I learned my first lesson about trail racing. I remember looking at the course record for women and scoffing. Of course I would take that down! I was actually proud of this race; despite having to walk a portion of the hill, I felt like I really raced the whole five miles. So imagine my surprise when I ran 42:41, or 8:32 pace. Never in my life have I raced anything slower than 6:40 pace, but I knew I had given my max effort out on the trails. That was when I realized trail running is a whole ‘nother beast. I was still 2-for-2 in 2016 on the gender wins, so I was happy on that front!

In March, I ran the Redmond Spring Run for Fun and won the 5-Mile overall, a first for me! This was not a great race. I felt flat and was way more excited for SRC member, Kate Impastato’s win in the half marathon! The streak continued at 3-for-3. April brought about the first ever races held at Tiger Mountain and I was stoked to run the 5K. My fourth trail race made my biggest weakness evident. I suck at hills. I didn’t always suck at hills. In fact, I used to be awesome. Then I got a nice stress fracture in my left femur, my glutes stopped activating properly (or at all, basically) and my hamstrings and other muscles and fascia that have no business providing certain functions have been compensating ever since. I have been seeing Dr. Nate at Elite Sports & Spine to work on my functional movements and mobility and will be focusing on those things over the next few months. Annnnyway, I did end up with the W in the 5K, keeping my win streak.

THE END OF AN ERA: My lovely teammate, Alison, ended my domination of small trail races when she crushed me in the Cougar Mountain 5-Mile by two minutes after barely training at all! In an attempt to start stretching myself beyond my comfort zone of 800m-5M, I signed up for the short series, which ends at 14.5 miles. The longest long run I have ever done is 13 miles. Youch. A few weeks earlier, Boundary Bay Brewing GM, Janet Lightener, reached out to Trish and asked if she had any women who wanted to be a part of their legendary Ski to Sea team. I raised my hand and waved it around vigorously! So on Memorial Day weekend, I took the timing chip from our downhill ski leg and ran 8.2 miles down Mt. Baker. Our women’s team was not only victorious, but finished in the top ten overall out of 300+ teams. If you’re a masochist, you can read all about my pain here.

After Ski to Sea, I could tell my body was revolting and needed a break. After finishing third female in the second of the Cougar Mountain short series races (8.2) to Jo and Alison, I said goodbye to running for two weeks. I didn’t miss it all. This is okay to say, people. Sometimes you need a break. Sometimes you’re Uli and you haven’t taken two weeks off since 1999. I am just now coming back after running the third of the Cougar series (10.8), which was double the longest run, time-wise, I had done since the last race. My main struggle in 2016 was my complete lack of goals. I thought that was a good thing at first, “Oh, I’ll just really enjoy running and get better at running trails.” Ha! I would never let an athlete count that as a goal. My lack of goals led to unfocused training and ancillary strength training that was not nearly progressive enough.

For the next five months, my focus is on training for the cross country season and increasing my functional strength and mobility. I will finish out the Cougar Mountain short series next month and will turn my focus toward the 6K. I’d like to take on a road 10K before XC starts because, well, I have never done one. GASP! Long term, I am super excited about the honeymoon Thorin and I are planning…in ICELAND!! We are going to run/compete in Run Iceland, a 5-stage 110K race across the country. Run Happy, y’all.

Ellen Lavoie

Training:

Typically I run 4-6 days per week in varying distances. For the first 5 months of this year I was doing back to back long runs on the weekends but am currently doing a long 20-25 mile run on a weekend day followed by shorter distances varying from 3-10 miles on 4-5 other days. It seems to work better logistically than two long runs on the weekends. My long runs can be anywhere from a flat rail trail to hilly technical mountain terrain, and I generally avoid hard surface roads. In March I started hosting a casual Thursday night group trail run for interested SRC members and the general public. Usually they are held at Ravenna Park but Magnusson and the Arboretum have been scheduled also. Cross training for me includes hiking (usually integrated with running), strength and conditioning type work at a local gym, and hot-styled yoga. I spend almost every other weekend and many summer Tuesday nights volunteering (and very often racing also) at various races, mostly for North West Trail Runs. I’ve volunteered at a variety of SRC races and sponsored Cougar trail maintenance days. I am currently exclusively training in Brooks PureGrit runners whether it be on single track trails, packed dirt, or pavement. I find them the finest comfort and fit I’ve come across in ages. Other training attire: I’m loving the fit, comfort, and ruggedness of the provided Brooks singlet and running shorts. Comfort and durability is key when training and racing are so much an important part of life as with me!

Highlighted races:
As I am gearing towards distances longer than just an average “ultra”, my year started out with a successful 24 hour run at Across the Years in Phoenix (Aravaipa Running), starting the morning of Dec 31 and ending January 1 with a final tally of 71.4 miles and 42nd out of 162 overall. This training run for a 100 miler was a highlight for me for it far exceeded any distance or time on feet I’d accomplished so far. In April I attempted my first 100 mile run at Zion 100 (Ultra Adventures) in Utah in record rainy conditions but failed to make an aid station cut off coming close to the half way mark. I learned a lot from that race and decided to immediately sign up for another 100 – Pigtails 100 (NW Endurance Events)in Renton, WA in May. Pigtails was successful in that I accomplished the elusive 100 mile distance in 31:53 with eight minutes to spare! Coming in as a last finisher was not only humbling but strangely satisfying as there were many DNFs. Having pulled up nearly unscathed, not much a break could be had to prepare for a 24 hour race in the Hamster Endurance Runs in Bellingham in August. All the long distance races this year will lead up to a solo run on the entire John Wayne Trail that spans from Tekoe, WA west to N. Bend, WA that I will be doing in September with a support crew. The run will be not only for personal satisfaction but also in honor of two charities: Friends of the John Wayne Trail in WA and Sober Sisters, in NH (https://www.facebook.com/elgranola32/).

I generally use races of less than ½ marathon as “speed training” as speed is often a difficult feat for long distance runners (I am not exception to this). The following is some shorter distances races so far this year: Carkeek 5 km (NWTR): 7/12, 29:27 (PB at Carkeek), 24, 68 overall; Taylor Mt marathon (Evergreen Trail Runs): 6/25 5:52, 36/50 overall; Ravenna 4 km (NWTR): 6/7, 23:22 13/35 overall; Wilburton 4 km (NWTR): 5/24, 22:47; Coal Miner 5 km (NWTR): 5/7, 28:29 3rd overall and 2nd female; Redmond Watershed ½ mara (NWTR): 3/6, 2:19 (PB), 53/103 overall; Frost Eagle Soaring Eagle Park 5 mi (NWTR): 2/6 49:17, 49/178 overall. Completion of the winter trail series that secured me the 3rd place female masters win; Interlaken Icicle 5 km (NWTR): 1/23, 34:02 44/186 overall.

Olin Berger

The year started off well with a great team relay victory at the Bridle Trails Winter Running Festival. Not only did our team (comprised mainly of SRC-Brooks Team members) win the race, but we also set a new course record.

I followed up that win with another victory in January, this time a solo effort in the Capitol Peak Fat Ass 50k. Definitely no CRs were set during this muddy slog, but it was good training for later distance races to come.

My next race was the Chuckanut 50k in which I hoped to redeem myself for a late stage blow-up last year. I did not reach my goal of breaking four hours, but was only five minutes off and did manage to snag 9th in a pretty competitive field.

I made up for my disappointment at Chuckanut with a win at Rainshadow Running’s Sun Mountain 100k (my first race of that distance). I also set a course record for this race, but this year being the race’s first, that achievement was somewhat dampened.

Undampened was the thrill of winning this year’s Bend Beer Chase relay put on by Cascade Relays. Again, this team was comprised mainly of SRC-Brooks Team members and we were able to handily secure victory over the local team that had beaten us last year.

Upcoming, I have my two biggest races of the year, the White River 50 Mile and the Cascade Crest 100, my first 100-mile race!

Martin Criminale

My year started out with a big break from running. After some surgeries and a persistent injury, I was forced to take an extended break. Never have six weeks felt so long…

By the end of those six weeks the pain from the injury was gone and all my care providers told me it was okay to solely reintroduce running. So I did. Very tentatively. Six more weeks later I got off the treadmill and went for my first outdoor run; with no pain. Three weeks later I went for my first trial run; with no pain. And the last four weekends have been a succession of amazing trail runs, each one longer than the last, all with no pain!

Am I healthy? I’m still not sure. But man is it great to be running again without my body complaining.

My takeaway is that sometimes you need to really rest and not just fake it. And faking it is what I used to do.

It was incredibly frustrating watching races that I had registered for come and go but these last three weeks have been a total turnaround for me and a huge boost I moral. In fact, I am about to leave for Switzerland and go all in at the Eiger Ultra Trail 100k. I’m psyched! And as long as my body doesn’t break down I don’t care about pace. My goal is to finish with a smile. If I can I will consider myself “back” and ready to really train.

Matt Hong

Knowing I would have a new baby joining the family in July I front loaded my race schedule this year. It has been an exciting six months of running, with a good combination of adventure runs, trail races, and road races.

Adventure run highlights included running to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back, Exploring the red rocks in Snow Canyon State Park in Utah, Summiting peaks in the Olympic National Park and Stuart Peak in Montana.

In addition, I was able to do some international running adventures. In England I ran to a prehistoric stone circle in Ilkley Moor. I also loved the fantastic network of trails in the Rhine Gorge in Germany – a particular treat was running up the Lorelei Rock.

My go to shoe for adventure racing this year was the Cascadia 11. It has enough protection and support to go long and handles all kinds of terrain. I loved this shoe when running through the Grand Canyon and Bryce Canyon.

My road racing was mostly focused on the build up for my major race goal of 2016 – completing my first 100 Mile race. As part of a 30 mile training run I ran the Lake Sammamish Half Marathon. During my recovery from my first 100 I ran the Boston Marathon with an Ultra twist. I started alone at the finish line four hours before the official start time and ran up to the starting line. I reached the start in time to begin the race with the rest of the entrants and then ran to the finish following the normal course. My Launch 3s served me well through the entire 52.4 miles.

Trail races were the focus for the first half of the year. I took 5th place at the Bridle Trails 10M in January. In February I took 3rd place at the Frost Eagle Half. At the end of March I raced in the Badger Mountain 100M challenge. This was the main focus for the year and much of my training was focused on strength and ultra distances. I finished in 2nd place in 20 hours and 45 minutes for my 100M debut. It was an experience I will never forget – truly transformative. My Brooks gear was especially important when the distances got extreme and the margins for error small. With varying weather, it was important to have just the right layers and between the Brooks Sherpa shorts and the LSD jacket I was always comfortable. I wore my Cascadia 11s for the first 50M and the Pure Grit 4 for the back half. Both pairs of shoes were just what I needed for that stage in the race.

In May I beat my PR on the Cougar Mountain 10M course by 2.5 minutes – although my time last year was enough to win the race last year and this year the PR only earned me 6th place. As these amazing races grow in popularity the level of competition has risen.

In June I ran the Cougar Mountain 14M and took 6th place. Another great day on the Cougar trails as part of this epic Summer series. For both of the Cougar races I ran in the Pure Grit 4. I love this shoe for going fast on trails – the footing is great and I feel like I’m flying with them on.

Ethan Linck

In the usual arc of my athletic year, I started 2016 with a focus on backcountry skiing and shorter distance trail and road races, slowly building volume and distance to the present. After helping SRC-Brooks cinch the Bridle Trails 50K Relay in course-record fashion, I grabbed 1st at the Geoduck Gallop Half Marathon in Olympia in 1:14, which — given it was my first attempt at the racing the distance — was necessarily a PR. I then focused on logging long hours on skis to prepare for the Elk Mountain Grand Traverse, a classic 40-mile backcountry ski race from Crested Butte to Aspen in Colorado on March 26th. I had a bit of a rough race, and my partner and I finished 23rd in 8:53, but it was a beautiful, memorable experience. Back in Seattle, I hit my first two exclusively-running 70 mile weeks of the year, always a benchmark that I’m getting serious about training, and ran the always-hot Yakima Skyline 25K to finish 2nd in 2:21.

During a 6-week stint doing research in San Francisco (I’m a Ph.D. candidate at UW, studying evolutionary biology), I held decent volume, capping my time in the Bay with 1st place at the San Bruno Mountain 1/2 Marathon (1:31, a young CR) and 1st place Rodeo Valley 50K (4:27, definitely not a CR). Continuing my itinerant summer, I moved on to Colorado, where my girlfriend lives and where I’ll be working and training until September. Last week, I managed to grab 6th in the Gothic to Crested Butte 1/3rd Marathon in :53, in spite of relatively limited acclimation to running above 9000’. Now, my focus is on logging higher mileage in the mountains in anticipation of the Leadville Trail 100 in August, which I earned an entry to winning the Leadville Silver Rush 50 back in 2014. Other than a few niggles now and then, I’m healthy and feeling and fit, and will be running a few shorter distance mountain races in preparation for game day. Stats as of 1 July, 2016? 1511.4 miles covered, climbing 226,049 vertical feet in the process.

Stone Cold Stephen Walston

“Each of his workouts were attended by ten thousand or more spectators…”
-Seabiscuit: An American Legend

Earlier this spring I finally got around to reading Seabiscuit which, despite its equine hero, made its way onto my reading list for Endurance Athletes Who Have Already Read Born To Run™. It’s an inspirational underdog story that shows how the simple joy of running can carry an athlete beyond the expectations of others, and if you haven’t read it yet I highly recommend it. In his heyday Seabiscuit was the most famous personality in the country, athlete or not, and a household name on par with FDR. I imagine it must be surreal to have ten thousand spectators show up to watch you train, even if you are a horse.

At last count, only three spectators have appeared to witness my workouts, but they weren’t fans or journalists. I recently volunteered to participate in a study of running mechanics designed by the exercise physiologists Seattle University. After data collection and measurement of VO2 max on a treadmill I was outfitted with 3D motion sensors and followed around the Garfield High School track in an attempt to understand how the movement of our bodies changes as we get closer to maximum running effort. It’ll be interesting to see the final conclusions.

“We had to rebuild him, both mentally and physically, but you don’t have to rebuild the heart when it’s already there, big as all outdoors.”

2016 kicked off with a bang but promptly slowed to a crawl as a nagging ankle injury flared up during Chuckanut training. With the aid of rest, time, cross-training on the stationary bike and some custom orthotics, the issue has been fortunately quiet since then.

So I was pleasantly surprised when when my first run at Chuckanut ended with a PR for the 50k by about 7 minutes. Attending the course preview arranged by Eric Sach and race director Krissy Moehl definitely helped me plan my strategy – something I never really took seriously as a runner until recently.

Then in May I made it to the West Seattle 5k. This has been one of my favorite races in the city and was my first 5k in about 2 years, and I left with a new PR there as well.

The main event of 2016 will be White River, my first 50-miler and what I’m quickly learning will be a grueling course. Aside from a preview run there earlier in July I’ve really tried to hit the trails at Cougar and Tiger Mountain as much as I can to prepare, and I’ve also been experimenting with different hydration/nutrition strategies. With the relatively cold and wet conditions so far in the northwest this summer it’s hard to predict exactly what I’m going to need. Through all of this I’ve been extremely impressed with the Brooks PureGrit 4 which were with me at Chuckanut and I plan on using at White River as well.

With White River closing in I try not to let nerves get the best of me, however. This past weekend I biked the Burke-Gilman trail to Woodinville, WA and visited some of the local wineries for tastings. Sometimes “cross-training” has to get a little creative, I guess. I was sure to represent SRC all along the way.

But today it’s back to work, and back to training. I think in the end, no matter what I do, a lot of it is going to come down to a heart, with any luck, as big as all outdoors.