Category: Club News

Summer had led to fall, and the #SRCBrooks squad is still going strong, circling the state and beyond in races of all distances. You could find them at Cougar Mtn, in Utah, along the downtown streets of Seattle, and you could find a big chunk of them at the White River 50 Miler in late July. Keep reading to find out more!

Arthur Martineau

My first race of the summer was the White River 50 mile. I used it, as I do every year, as a warm up to Cascade Crest. My goal was to run hard but even. I had a good 1st half. I was on track for a PR but felt like I was running with much less effort than in previous years. Right after the mid-point Aid Station I started having some G.I. problems. They lasted for about 20 miles. I was forced to walk a lot but with roughly 7 miles to go, they finally went away. I had a lot left in my tank so I flew past about a dozen people and finished with a PR.

The weekend after White River I hosted my annual Cascade Crest 100 training weekend up at Snoqualmie Pass. It is three days of running on the course. Participants run 30-75 miles. My results for the weekend confirmed my fitness was better than any previous year. I was psyched for my upcoming big race!

My summer goal race, Cascade Crest 100 Mile Endurance Run is at the end of August. I spent a lot of time running in the summer heat, while being extremely over dressed. In previous years I felt the heat from mile 24 to 39 really hurt my time. I wanted to be more than ready this year. Ten days out it was forecasted to be very hot, then 4 days out that all changed. It turned out to be the worst August storm in history. I heard a lot of people lost power.

At the start it was just warm enough to be comfortable and that continued until the Sun set behind the mountains. Then everything changed! About an hour after dark while I was climbing to the top of a ridge, the sky opened up. The rain and wind tried to force every living creature to seek shelter. I didn’t hide in any of the warm tents that were posted every five miles or so along the course. I fought some severe winds From No Name Ridge to Thorpe Mt., but I didn’t give up. I could have used an extra jacket because the one I had on wasn’t quite thick enough. I was eating as much as I could, more than I can normally eat during 100 mile. It takes a lot the extra energy to stay warm when its 38 degrees, windy, and you’re soaked to the bone. That was energy that could have been used to run faster. I lost over an hour during the night. There were a lot of sections on the course where I had to slow down do it the slippery trail conditions. As the Sun came up, the weather seemed to improve, but I was also coming down off the higher peaks. I heard runners behind me had heavy rain well into the afternoon. I finished, in a light drizzle, with my canine pacer Lola that I picked up with 50 miles to go and my three kids that always run the last 200 yards, in a PR time of 22:20. At the finish the Race Director gave me an award for finishing 10 years in a row. It’s a green jacket that says 1000 miles on the sleeve. I love it!

I jumped into a bonus race after a short recovery from the 100 miler. I ran the Crystal Mountain Sky Marathon. This is the most beautiful marathon I’ve experienced to date (and I’ve run a lot of them). It has more elevation change than you see in races twice its length. Just remember, if you’re going to enjoy the incredible views, you’ll have to earn them! The climbs are long and steep. I ran very hard the entire race. My fueling was better than my legs could handle. About half way into the race my calves started to cramp, so I tried not to use them for a while. The cramps went away. A few miles later my hamstrings started to cramp, so I stopped using them for a while. This strategy worked well for five or six miles. With 5 miles to go I had to stop three times for about 7 miles total because my whole leg would cramp, there were no muscles left to propel me toward the finish. I ended up limping down the last hill, with a cramping leg. I finished 3rd in my age group, seven minutes faster than my goal time.

Trisha Steidl

My third quarter has been focused on figuring out a long-term, nagging, hamstring injury that has been bothering me for 1.5+ years. We’re on a positive path of getting things figured out, which also means I’ve had to back off regular training so it can heal properly (and more quickly!). Thus, I haven’t done much racing.

I did run and win the Labor Day 4 mile race on, you guessed it, Labor Day. I won this race a couple of years ago as well, so it was nice to be back and represent SRC and Brooks at this big, well-known event.

While I haven’t competed in any other races, I have been leading the SRC Wednesday Workouts, always wearing my awesome Brooks gear. We’ve got a huge group of wonderful people who have shown up for the XC workouts this year. The energy from this group is phenomenal and makes training fun, even on dark, rainy nights.

I do hope to be able to race XC by the end of the season. Right now my focus is on my health and my family with a focus on ramping up for next year on what I hope will be a 100% healthy hamstring.

Evan Williams

End of summer, start of fall. Amidst the much appreciated temperature drop, I’ve continued racing well! I’m closing in on 3000 mi for the year and the last 500 or so will be during the second half of club XC season. Not the easiest November and December ahead.

White River 50 mi (7hrs 28mins). Something like that. I’m not sure many people care about the precise minute time of a 50 mile race. The first third went well, the middle third was a disaster calorically, and the last half marathon was splendid (I literally ate my way back into the race). Thanks Mom and Dad for the strong stomach genes. I won an age group award, but I can’t remember what place that was. I guess all the details wash away relative to the colossal feat of being a finisher. It was fun! First 50 miler.

Sundodger 8k (27:45). This was the XC season opener. Despite feeling worse than ever before at the start line (no breakfast, barely a warm up, a couple hours of sleep), I snuck across for a 6 second PR. Being the chief organizer for the XC team really takes a toll on race day performance. Ooof.

PLU 8k (27:32). Yeah! This was a harder course than Sundodger, but I hit a groove and paced it well. PR again! Sloppy, rainy, muggy, fun XC race. The real deal. Couldn’t find my Mach spikes, but the spikeless version held onto the mud turns just fine.

Lake Padden Trail Half Marathon & USATF Championships (1:32:46). 10th place! I DNFed this last year because of a weird knee pain at mile 7. This year, I had a faster mile 7 split, no knee pain, and the determination to hold onto the second half. Couldn’t be happier. Brooks Pure Grits feel like old friends that know how to climb and descend on their own.

Claire Giuliano

It has been a hot, hot, hot training block in Arizona with temperatures often above 100F which doesn’t make for the most pleasant long runs. I also started a graduate program so it has taken great effort to remain focused on my running goals. My next race is the Phoenix half marathon over Halloween weekend; if temperatures are forgiving then I hope to make a new PR in the distance. Even though life is busy, running is my reprieve, and it has been exciting to gain fitness. Even during weeks when I am overly sleep deprived, I have still been able to hit satisfactory splits during my workouts and long runs. I am looking forward to cooler temperatures so I can test my fitness – hopefully right around the corner!

Keith Laverty

There’s something about the late summer/early fall season that always draws me in as arguably my favorite time of year to run. I raced four times and felt very strong all four times that included a hometown road race and one of the most memorable post-race celebrations.

With the Angels Staircase race being canceled this summer due to the devastating forest fire, I decided to hop into my Woodinville hometown, Columbia Winery 10k. And although my focus had been on longer mountain running, it turned out my legs had enough speed to run for my fastest time on the course (33:20) and 3rd time win at the event. Thanks to Brooks Running for putting up the race prize!

Coinciding with a friend’s wedding in San Francisco, I learned about a new race, the Calistoga Trail Ramble, nearby in Napa and hopped into this last minute too. 10 miles of rolling hills, technical sections and flat, speedy straightaways, I was able to pick up the win and a solid prize money payout. This checked off my bucket list item of getting one very large, over-sized check!

Returning to some PNW trails, I competed in the first ever Baker Lake Classic 25k, point-to-point course, put on by Northwest Endurance Events. I felt great and blazed through solo along a scenic, lakeside trail for the win.

One week later, I tested my lungs and flew out to compete in Park City at TNF Endurance Challenge – Utah Marathon. The race begins at the lowest elevation of about 7,000′ and climbs to over 10,000′. My strategy was to forget about the elevation and just get out there to compete. I started out breathing harder than usual on the first climb but told myself to relax and control it. Despite some late-race falters with my lower abdomen, I fought on to win by 16 minutes in a new course record. Later on, with an energetic crowd demanding at the podium…I went crowd-surfing. Great times!

3rd Quarter results:
Columbia Winery 10k – 1st, 33:20
Calistoga Trail Ramble 10M – 1st, 1:11:40
Baker Lake Classic 25k – 1st, 1:47:31
North Face Endurance Challenge – Utah Marathon – 1st, 3:47:07

Katie Bates

I have been hitting the dirt in some high altitude training sessions throughout the Cascades. I have also been training in various states while traveling. No matter where I go, the soft rooty trails of the PNW are my favorite. Any section of the Pacific Crest Trail is hard to beat! I have been digging the Brooks Ghosts while doing my local training runs along Lake Washington and save the Cascadias for the longer days in the mountains. I am in love with the shorts, which never chafe!

I cannot wait to put in a little sweat equity at the next Cougar event and give back to the community! Find me climbing up Chuckanut at the Bellingham Marathon and then trying to sneak into some Turkey day races to earn my grub!

Rachel Johnson

My racing since the Boston Marathon has been sparse however productive. A few injuries and illness have kept me on the sidelines. Of note however are the Portland Marathon on October 4th which brought a marginal result however I ran a consistent pace throughout running an average of 7:20min/mile pace. I’m looking forward to the next marathon and achieving a new PR. I recovered quickly and have had very strong training runs since. I also competed in the Salomon Valley to Peak mountain run and met some great competitors at that race finishing 4th in my age group. I completed this race solo while most completed it in stages as teams of three or four so I was happy to finish strong at this race. Lastly I participated in the White River 50 Mile Endurance run. Unfortunately I suffered an ankle injury at this race however was still able to complete 27 miles. I am proud of my teammates as there were great finishes at this race by my fellow SRC Brooks teammates.

My focus this quarter has been high intensity mountain running and I have sought out as much elevation as possible. I’ve been fortunate enough to be a part of several mountaineering trips this quarter as well including Mt. Shuksan in the North Cascades, Mt. Olympus, and a single push summit attempt of Mt. Rainier which contributes greatly to my training. I’ve also continued to pursue rock climbing with a passion and have climbed routes from the Enchantments to the North Cascades and up into British Columbia Canada. Mountaineering and rock climbing have become passions of mine so I hope to integrate these pursuits into my running and training. I believe it will strengthen my running even further.

Looking forward I hope to increase my speed for the marathon and continue to seek out mountain running challenges in the Northwest and beyond.

Olin Berger

This quarter was solely focused on the White River 50 Mile and the culmination of a spring and summer that involved my highest mileage totals to date. Sadly, that mileage converted into both race-ready legs and a case of plantar fasciitis. Being the highly intelligent runner that I am, I decided that the benefits of completing the White River 50 outweighed the potential negatives and ran the race anyway. Fortunately, my training pulled through and I was able to achieve a respectable 7:36 for 8th place overall, chasing teammate Evan Williams (6th overall). Unfortunately, the 50 miles were not the panacea I was hoping for and I took the following month of August off to recuperate. I have been slowly getting back into race shape in the past two months and am looking forward to the upcoming Lake Padden Trail Half-Marathon in October, my first attempt at the New York Marathon in November, and the Deception Pass 50k in December.

Martin Criminale

This quarter I competed in my primary goal events for the year, The Rut races in MT and the Crystal Mountain Sky Marathon here in WA.

My goal for 2015 was to compete in as many US Skyrunning events as possible and after the Angels Staircase 60k (also a US Skyrunning event) was cancelled due to a forest fire, these were what was left within a reasonable travel distance that is.

In MT I ran both the Lone Peak Vertical Kilometer and The Rut 50k. I got 3rd in the VK and 2nd in the 50k. Turns out MT has some fast Masters runners! And I have to admit, the elevation (we were never lower than 7,200′ and topped out at 11,100′) didn’t do this sea level dweller any favors. 🙂 That said it was a blast! Sure, these climbs were super hard but it was everything I expected and everything I could hope for. And the weather was fantastic.

At Crystal Mountain we again had incredible weather and the course was unchanged from last year which meant it was again just as hard. 🙂 Here I managed to win my age division and took about 15 minutes off of my 2014 time which I am very proud of especially since I was not 100% healthy.

Skyrunning events have to meet certain requirements. A vertical kilometer has to gain no less than 3,000m in no more than 5k total distance. And like all Skyrunning events, they all have to take place above 2,000m.

Skyrunning means you are frequently running where there is no actual trail, the course simply takes the most direct line from bottom to top or vice versa. At times you are running through a meadow, straight up or down a ski slope or scrambling up or down some massive scree field. Some hills are so steep the race promoter install fixed ropes! I have learned that flat running is my biggest weakness but I sure love this kind of challenge and seem to do relatively well when the course gets tough.

I wore my Brookis PureGrit 3 shoes for the VK and the marathon and my Brooks Cascadia 10s for the 50k. As always, the PureGrit provided awesome traction and the Cascadia provided the protection for the longer run. Which was especially nice when I was bounding down scree slopes! My Brooks shorts did just what they were supposed to do, be comfortable.

Here is my The Rut Vertical Kilometer race report.
Here is my The Rut 50k race report.
Here is my Crystal Mountain Sky Marathon race report.

Here are some VK pictures.

Here are some 50k pictures.

Here is a Crystal Mountain picture.

Matt Hong

What a Summer for running! In July I had what I like to call “The Greatest Running Month of My Life” which included adventure runs through London, New York City, and the Enchantment Lakes (30 mile unsupported solo). All my Brooks gear was a big contributor to this explosion of Run Happy. In addition, I won the Cougar Mountain 20 – which put me at 3 Cougar wins in a row. I ended the month with the classic Washington Ultra – the White River 50. There I experienced the highest highs and lowest lows of ultrarunning and beat my PR on the course by just under an hour – taking 23rd place in 8:31. It was my best performance in an ultra to date.

In August I ran the fourth race in the Cougar series and finished in fourth place – breaking my streak of wins but still won the overall Long Series by 1 hour and 10 minutes. It was a tough race for me as the cumulative damage of all the other long races leading into it finally caught up with me.

In September I ran at the Sundodger XC meet and a had a lot of fun running with the team although my performance was not what I would have liked it to be. All those college kids are so fast!

The Brooks Pure Grit 3 was my go to shoe all summer.

Lance Thompson

My late summer/fall began with the Labor Day Half Marathon. After a nagging injury kept me from racing in the summer, I built up consistent training. Many workouts were related to the Half Marathon, so I signed up for the Labor Day Half. I then realized it’s actually been nine years since I’ve raced the distance.

Wanting to maximize my chances to go fast, I brought out the Brooks T7s for the race. Many think of the shoe more as a 5K-10K racing flat, but I figured it would serve me well over thirteen miles as well, and it turned out to be a great choice.

Once the race was underway, I settled into a great pack with Nicholas Bowden and Gabi Kliot. It was a great feeling to trade off the lead, and move up in the race as a peloton feeling strong the whole way. I finished 7th, in 1:14:45, which is about where I hoped to be at that stage in my training.

Since then, I’ve ran a few Cross Country races. At the University of Washington’s Sundodger invitational, I moved up among the college athletes to finish in 27:06. Then at the Emerald City Invitational, I dropped 25 seconds off my time from last year to finish in 27:40 on a very tough course.

Earlier in the summer, I helped with an aid station at the Cougar Mountain half marathon & marathon race. It’s always great to see how much fun everyone has at those races regardless of the pace they are aiming for or how their race plan is going.

I look forward to the races and events throughout the rest of the year.

Derek Reiff

Q3 started off with a bang, settled into a whimper, and is just about to the light at the end of the tunnel. Sort of.

It started wonderful, but hesitant. I was healing up from an overtraining injury (I suspect) that started about a week after running the Boston marathon.

But! a week after the second quarter ended I toed the starting line (albeit further back in the pack) at the White River 50 miler. I ran in my Cascadia 10s (again! my favorite shoe of all time) and not enough clothing. (I should’ve thrown on my a pair of Brooks arm sleeves.)

The race went better than expected, but came crashing down again as I tried to run a few days after. (I was feeling cocky that I was “up for running” the Tuesday after; my knee injury was back, but on a different leg!) I write a lot more about it here: http://derekr.net/blog/white-river

The past three months have been spent running about every other day, 4-9 miles, waiting for the pain to go down to zero. Right now I’m about a 1 out of 100 on that pain scale, but so close to zero.

I switch between Cascadias and Ghosts, Ghosts and Cascadias. I love these shoes.

Bonus Points: rallied two more friends for the Brooks fanwagon—Ghosts and Glycerins win favor in the midwest.

Destry Johnson

Summer running is my favorite, primarily because of the long days. It’s just a bit easier to put in those extra miles when the sun is still up…or it’s still light out…or it was light out not too long ago but is still warm. I’m feel like running faster in the summer and my Brooks PureFlow fit the bill and are, of course, awesome to train in! They are a great combination of support and agility and I put in many great miles.

My first race of the 3rd quarter of 2015 was the Seafair Torchlight 8k. I’ve been fortunate enough to win the event 3 times in the past and tell Chris Francis over at KIRO what a great race Seattle can put on and how great a club Seattle Running is! Could I do it again? Well, no, unfortunately my 26:16 was only good enough for 6th this year. That’s ok though, the event is always fun. It starts at Seattle Center and goes down the parade route so kids want to high-five you and everyone cheers. Then, you get to run on the Viaduct (not much longer!) and finish back at Seattle Center. Brooks was a major sponsor for this event again, and I got an awesome Brooks Pirate hat… that my son promptly put on his head an wore proudly.

The following race I entered was the Pacific Lutheran University cross country invitational on October 10th. The first PLU invite cross race I participated in was waaaay back in 1993. Yeah, I’m that old. The race is no longer held over at Fort Steilacoom but is now held on the old PLU golf course. This make for much better restroom access pre and post race, but there aren’t any hills. Instead there is fun rolling terrain that can be very, very muddy. That’s the way it was this year and I was slipping and sliding all over even with spikes. I also managed to get enormous blisters on both heels, so that wasn’t fun. Oh well, such is cross country. Next up: more cross country! Stay tuned friends and remember: Run Happy!

The 2015 #SRCBrooks team have been beating the heat by lacing them up and toeing the start lines. From everything to 4Ks to 78 milers, you can see these faces and legs all over the region, racing up a storm!

Matt Hong

It’s been an exciting 2nd quarter! I ran the 2015 Boston Marathon on April 20 in 2:54. I had my first overall win of my life at the Cougar Mountain 10 Mile on May 9th (1:24:46). My first ever trail run was the cougar 10 Mile in 2010 where I took 41st and was more than 20 minutes slower. It’s fun to see the progress year over year. I followed that up with a 5th place finish at the Brooks Trailhead 15k (58:29) on May 30. In June I continued the Cougar Long series with the 14M on June 13 where I also took 1st (1:56:50). I will continue to focus on the trail next quarter with the 3rd and 4th races in the Cougar Series. I would love to win the overall series and it would be amazing to win all 4 races. I am also running the White River 50 in between the final two races in the Cougar series. My go to shoe all Summer has been the Pure Grit. Love it! All my races and some of my adventure runs are documented on my blog: https://whatsnextmatt.wordpress.com

Eric Bone

After a period of more consistent training, I’ve been enjoying feeling like I’m getting into decent shape. I still have lots of room for improvement, especially in the speed department, and I’m hoping to raise the bar further for cross country season. I did do a bit more racing and had what I considered some successful runs:

June 3 – Club Northwest All Comers Track Meet #2 I ran the 3000m race as a fitness test. I hadn’t been doing a lot of speedwork and was just hoping to run around 10 minutes, so I was pleased to run a fairly consistently-paced 9:46.

June 13 – Cougar Mountain Trail Run Series race #2 I had been anxiously awaiting an opportunity to jump into one of the Cougar Mountain Series races, and I felt the 5k would not be too long, plus I love short, fast trail races. My goal was to break the course record of 19:52, and I decided the best approach would be to start out at around 6:00/mile pace, so that I’d have some buffer for slowing down up the hills. When I got to the hills after a mile into the race, my legs felt quite tired, and I felt like I was perhaps slowing down too much, but the downhill after the climb out of the aid station allowed me to take back some time on the way into the finish, and I finished in 19:29.

June 27 – U.S. Ultra-long Orienteering Championships I love the ultra-long distance race format in orienteering, and I went into this race with my sights set on a gold medal. What I was less sure about was how I would do against the Australian competitors who were also racing. The weather would peak over 100F in Idaho City, where the race was held, although fortunately the race was run in the cooler–but still hot–temperatures of the morning. The race went out fast, and I felt tired early on. I had good position within the U.S. field, but Kerrin Rattray from Australia was too fast for me to keep up. Midway through the race, I caught up to Kerrin when he had a small navigation problem on one checkpoint. From that point on, we ran more or less equal, trading the lead as we split onto different route choices and then came back together again. I did a great job of hydrating and taking electrolytes during the race, and I felt good later in the race, while it seemed like Kerrin was starting to struggle. I threw in a surge on a long, downhill leg to the 21st of 25 checkpoints; I made a break here, which was extended when Kerrin had a bit of trouble locating the checkpoint. I continued my surge through the final few kilometers of the race, extending my lead at the finish to 5 minutes, and finishing just under the 2-hour mark. I was happy to have not only won the gold medal, but win the race overall.

Lance Thompson

My first race while working back into shape following a winter injury was the Nordstrom Beat the Bridge 8K in May. I was alone between groups until right before the third mile, as Nick Bowden caught up with me while I was just catching the next runner in front. We were then able to have a solid last two miles picking a few more people off. I finished in 11th at 27:08, which was about where I expected to be with my fitness level.

It was a fun event and a great way to help raise awareness for juvenile diabetes research.

Since then, I’ve unfortunately had a strained hamstring issue that has delayed further racing. It is now coming under control, and I look forward to racing later this summer and throughout the fall.

Trisha Steidl

My second quarter provided me opportunities for learning. Even though I’ve been running for quite some time, I’m still much better at coaching others than coaching myself.

The quarter started off fairly well with a 3rd place finish at the Rhody Run in Port Townsend in May. This is one of Uli’s and my favourtie runs and we’ve only missed it once since we started running it. It’s never easy to get there because it’s usually the weekend of the outdoor track & field conference meet, but we make it work. It’s fun to catch up with friends, race a tough, awesome course, and enjoy the beautiful scenery.

June started off with a surprise win at the Shore Run 10k. This race usually has a fairly competitive field. I don’t know if it was due to the hot conditions, but I quickly found myself alone in the lead. The race goes along Lake Washington, which is beautiful, but it’s also where I do a large number of my easy runs. Being alone, hot, and running into the wind, I found it hard to push myself and ended up with what felt more like a tempo effort. Nevertheless, I got the “W” and I won a badminton set in the post-race raffle! This was one of the single most exciting parts of my entire summer! Last year they raffled off a set as well and I’ve been coveting it since. I was so excited to win. I ran it home and we played a bit and now it’s become a regular part of our fun time!

The Titus van Rijn One Hour race is an interesting one that I did for the first time last year. This year it was surrounded by stress and was on a hot, windy day in June virtually by myself. (Thanks to Glenn Tachiyama for being Uli’s and my water provider, picture taker, timer, and cheerer!) I ended up with the 3rd farthest distance. This was a bit disappointing after almost setting the women’s record last year.

Unfortunately this was the beginning of the end for me. I had been focusing my summer on the Zermatt Marathon and White River 50 Mile. Long story short, I ended up dropping out at the half-way point of each of those races. While that was extremely frustrating, I know that was the right call. I should never have started either race and I knew it ahead of time. Hope and stubbornness are not always good things. This is where the learning part comes in. I am now working on figuring out what’s wrong and how to fix it. My hope is to have some helpful answers within the month and be able to move forward stronger and smarter.

My feet continue to enjoy my wide variety of Brooks shoes. Training never felt better than in my Adrenalines. Happy feet in workouts and races depend on a mix of the T7, PureFlow, and PureGrit, depending on the terrain and distance.

My variety of Brooks clothing keeps me comfortable no matter how long the race or the weather conditions. I always have just what I need to feel comfortable, whether it’s a recovery day or a race. Currently I’m loving my Epiphany 3.5″ shorts for training and racing. They are so comfortable, I don’t even notice I’m wearing them, which is especially key for ultra-distance races.

Keith Laverty

The 2nd Quarter, as just about every quarter, presented new challenges. For me this time around, it was a matter of overcoming sickness. Shortly after the Gorge Waterfalls 50k, I tested positive for the Epstain-Barr virus or otherwise known as mono from two different doctors. After feeling much better relatively quickly, I again tested positive for a nasty version of strep throat. Long story short, coconut oil (especially), good sleep, a few days staying home from work, hydrating and Vitamin C can solve those problems. Throughout April and May, I must’ve averaged 15 miles/week. With that said, my urge to get outside and compete again was only increasing. I started with a couple smaller trail races to get my confidence back, followed later by the Rattlesnake Ridge Trail Half and most recently, a race down to the wire at the Cougar Mtn. 10.8 mile, which featured USATF prize money up for grabs. Here are my spring results, which somehow “44” was a reappearing number in my times:

Echo Valley Trail 10k near Lake Chelan – 1st place, 40:44
Ravenna Run the Ravine 4k – 1st place, 14:44
Rattlesnake Ridge Trail Half – 1st place, 1:44:42
Cougar Mtn. 10.8 Mile – 2nd place, 1:15:56

My 3rd Quarter race schedule includes the Angels Staircase 35k (U.S. Skyrunning Series) and the North Face Challenge – Utah Half Marathon.

Martin Criminale

http://martin.criminale.com/2015/07/ragnar-relay-northwest-passage-ultra.html
This was my first time racing in the new Launch 2 and I freaking loved it! I have found my ‘race shoe’ and am so looking forward to my next road marathon in them. Since I’m not a light person, I have struggled to find a race shoe that gives me enough cushion and this shoe has enough. It also feels much faster than the weight would hint at, I’m not sure what it is exactly (the rocker shape of the sole?) but striding is about as easy as it gets. And it’s incredibly comfy. So glad to have found this shoe.

My injuries from early in the year are 95% healed up and my fitness is about 90% back. I am looking forward to running my goal races this year which are three US Sky Runner events starting in three weeks!

Derek Reiff

Aside from the Boston Marathon, Q2 was full of taking time off of running for injuries! But first, the race report.

The 2015 Boston Marathon

The run-up to the race was a diagnosis of petellofemoral pain syndrome about two weeks after my Chuckanut 50k race. I took nearly two full weeks off—only nine miles total.

With the help of a PT, whether a mental placebo or not, I set out to not waste money + the opportunity and continued on with the race.

It turned out…not bad? I still hit a wall that was worse, mentally, than any other wall I’ve ever hit, but it turned out as a PR.

I ended up bringing 3 different shoes to fit my day-of desires: Cascadia 10, Pure Grit 3, and my T7 racers. After advice from my very-smart sister, I decided on the shoe that would fit my orthotics: the Cascadia 10s. An unusual choice for a road marathon, but it would have to do…and I actually loved them.

Road was wet, so grip was a huge positive. And they’re more comfortable with orthotics, so, point 2!

Boston ended up being a 2-minute PR in trail running shoes closely following an injury! Brutal, but I’ll take it.

The following two months have been a LOT of stretching, another 2 weeks off completely, not enough miles to make this guy happy, and a HUGE race this weekend: the White River 50 miler. I’ll be happily wearing my Cascadia 10s again.

Also, let me put in a request for a stunning Brooks trucker hat to wear while racing the trails!

Brooks converts this year: ~5

Will have more on my blog later on.

Destry Johnson

So the first few months of being 40 didn’t kill me. And I can still run. Even better, my first few races went well and for the second quarter of 2015 I was looking forward to, wait for it… Bloomsday!!! Maybe I’ll be ok after all.

In April I ran the Magnuson series 10k. What a great day and a fun event in the park! I was using it as a tune-up for Bloomsday and pushed through the hilly little course in 33:20, good enough for first at the event. For anyone looking for a low key Seattle run in April I highly recommend this run. On the first weekend of May I was, of course, headed over to Bloomsday! I ran this course first when I was 11 and it really is the reason I first started running. This year was my 27th running of the event, and even including the year I walked with my high school girlfriend I’ve averaged 46:53 for the event. This year went pretty well for me and as I worked with SRC teammate Uli for a while. He pushed past me on Doomsday hill and I finished in 39:45 for a 3rd place Master’s medal! Wahoo, on the Master’s podium at last!

After Bloomsday I worked toward the Seattle Rock n’ Roll 1/2 marathon. It’s not an easy course, but it is fun and Seattle Center is enjoyable afterward. I Ran a great 10 miles… unfortunately its a 13.1 mile race. Struggling through the last few miles I finished in 4th with a 73:52, but wasn’t passed during that window, so that’s something I guess. The day was great, like it always is that time of year, and Brooks does a great job sponsoring the event.

Next up for my old body was a 5k… a downhill 5k. Good idea? Probably not, but the Independence Day 5k in T-Town is lots of fun, if for no other reason that you feel AWESOME fast for at least a mile. I finished 2nd with a 14:58 and was in no way near in that kind of shape. Immediately afterward I went home, walked our neighborhood parade, played soccer with the kids and then ran around setting off fireworks until we ran out. We then promptly walked the neighborhood looking at other people’s fireworks. Busy day and I was a little sore from my too-fast 5k.

My last race of this quarter was one of my favorites (do I say that too much?). The Seattle Torchlight 8k is a real fun event whether you walk it or race it. It starts at Seattle Center and goes down the parade route so kids want to high-five you and everyone cheers. Then, you get to run on the Viaduct (not much longer!) and finish back at Seattle Center. Brooks was a major sponsor for this event again, and I got an awesome Brooks Pirate hat… that my son promptly took from me when I got home. Anyway, I won last year so I was hoping to run well this year again. I didn’t have my legs back, however, and I ran a 26:15 which was good enough for 6th place. Oh well, you win some you get 6th in some…

Overall I’ve still been having lots of fun racing and am loving the Brooks products more than ever. They have been upgrading their products like a forward thinking company should do, and I appreciate that. With that, Run Happy, friends and I’ll see you out on the roads, trails, byways…

Evan Williams

Eugene Marathon – 2:41 (PR) This was my fourth try at a marathon and I finally connected. Even better than the time, was my race plan execution. I started 20 seconds per mile slower than goal pace and finished the last 10k 20 seconds per mile faster than goal pace. I was lucky to have Joe Creighton with me for the first 13.1. The value of a teammate and good friend (of the same pace) is extraordinary. Go SRC!

Brooks Trail Head 10k – 35:09 (PR) A pretty good race, and a win! I was still wiped out from the marathon, but paced myself well and pulled ahead after the two guys in front of me started too fast. I stayed consistent and used the final 3 mi as fast tempo training to get my legs in order for the Fremont 5k.

Fremont 5k – 15:46 (PR) Brooks Mach 16 Spikeless, big blue sunglasses, a lot of nerves, and some fast splits. This felt great. I took a big mileage break the week before the race and felt full of energy at the start line. Coming from longer training miles, the 5k was over before it started, which was good – it still hurt. I got a nice look at some of our Club Northwest rivals before XC season in the fall. I’m much faster this year. Pumped!

Miles and miles of trails and smiles – I did tons of elevation and winding trails in preparation for the White River 50 Mi. I ran my first 80 mi week, 90 mi week, and then 100 mi week. It felt great! Everything is coming together.

Finally, my masters thesis is done!

Claire Giuliano

The second quarter of the year has been focused on my build up for the Vancouver Marathon. I threw in a short 10k for some speed work at the Snohomish Women’s Run and pulled away with second female overall. The Vancouver Marathon proved to be harder than anticipated with a very hilly half and temperatures in the 80s but it felt great to finish my third marathon!

My favorite racing gear in the current warm months include the Brooks Lite Tank, it is breathable and extremely lightweight (hence the name) which is ideal for hot weather. I raced the Vancouver Marathon in the Brooks Launch which was a great lightweight trainer. It was durable for the distance but didn’t weigh me down.

I’m looking forward to transitioning to the trails for the rest of the summer because it’s the best time of the year to be in the mountains!

You can read a full race report of the Vancouver Marathon and the Snohomish Women’s Run at dualnaturerunning.com!

Katie Bates

My 2nd quarter was derailed by being to eager to return to running post-postpartum. I jumped into the 10.8 mile race at Cougar Mountain on May 9th just 3 months after having a child. I had been running distances greater than this in training. But, all of my runs were on flat ground and at a mellow pace. I did really well in the race. I got 2nd with a time of 1:36:43! But, the next month was a slow rebuild of my very loose joints that suffered greatly during that run. I shared this cautionary tale with my running mom cohort in South Seattle. Since then, I have been loving the Ghosts as a great shoe that provides cushion as a rebuild my strength and improve my fitness. I am still on track to compete in the Oregon Coast 50K in October and plan to use many races before this to hone in my speed. I am lagging on volunteer hours due to surprise visits from family members. But, I remember from last year that volunteer numbers dwindled by the end of the year and so I plan to be a huge help for the remaining events.

Rachel Johnson

Boston Marathon/ April 20th/ 26.2 Miles/ Time: 3:47:56 Gender 5683
It was an honor to be running the Boston Marathon. Going into the race with a 3:04 marathon time made me eager to drop below three hours for this race. Unfortunately temperatures were cold and rainy…some runners managed to still salvage a decent performance, however many suffered hypothermia among other cold injuries. I was riddled with misfortune suffering an ankle injury early in the race and felt the effects of the cold weather in the second half. This race turned into a race of survival. I’m happy to have been a part of the Boston Marathon and look forward to returning in the future.

Sunshine Salutation (Northwest Trail Runs)/ June 23rd/ 10 Miles / 1st Women
This race is a part of the Northwest Trail Runs Tuesday Night Trail to Grill Series. These are shorter races allowing runners to get out and enjoy the trails during the summer months. This was a great race in which I finished first among women and overall thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere of the event. We ran among the trees at Redmond Watershed and Preserve in Redmond, WA.

Cougar Mountain #3/ July 11th/ 20 Miles/ 3rd Women
The Cougar Mountain races serve as great events to challenge yourself against some of the best runners in the Northwest. I went into this event fresh and finished as the third women overall. A nice aspect of these races is their increasing length. The twenty mile option was a great choice to prepare for future races. I look forward to more races out at Cougar Mountain this year.

Olin Berger

I had a great second quarter of racing, winning two ultras and setting three personal records!

Mt. Si Ultras 50-mile (4/26/15): 1st place overall in 6:10:30
My second 50 mile race and first 50 miler in Washington. A very flat course, so I was hoping to get a pretty fast time. I got worried when I was ten minutes off first place after the first ten miles, but patience paid off and I took the lead and held it after around mile 28.

Redmond Watershed Preserve 12-hour (5/16/15): 1st overall in 78 miles
My second 12 hour race. I was really hoping to crack 80 miles this time around, but had trouble with my legs locking up in the last couple hours. A great course with some definite climb to it, but fun, as far as those things go.

Brooks Trailhead 15k (5/30/15): 2nd Overall in 54:53
A very short race for me. I wasn’t sure how this “sprint” would go, but I felt pretty good holding a relatively fast pace, though I was certainly glad when it was over. Happy to set this PR and not challenge it for awhile.

Bend Beer Chase Relay (6/6/15): 2nd Overall in 7:26:34
A fun, but brutally hot 70+ mile relay in Bend, OR. Felt good about my team’s result given that we only had three runners to first place’s team of six. Next year, we hope to give them a real race for the top of the podium.

Arthur Martineau

Pigtails 200 mile Challenge
The race started on Thursday morning May 21st. It was hot and dry for a day in May but we’ve become used to that lately. On the first day I was able to keep hydrated but I fell way behind on the calories. This didn’t seem to affect me too much because the pace was still easy. I was aiming for around 40-43 hours with 48 hours being the least acceptable goal. The first night was pretty uneventful. After about 24 hours I had to push harder to maintain anything that could be considered “running” while still walking up all the hills. I changed shoes at about 150 miles. Toward the end of the second day I started getting blurred vision and hallucinations. I’ve never had both together before, that was a challenge. The last 50 miles were really hard. I was running but I wasn’t really getting anywhere. It was dark so it was very hard to tell what kind of pace I was doing. I won in 45 hours and 9 minutes. Second place finished nine and a half hours later. I wore the Brooks Launch 2.

Cougar Mt 10.8 miler
This was a USATF race which meant two things, prize money and super fast runners. I tried to find the fast looking Masters runners at the starting line. It easy because they make you wear your age on your back. At the gun we all took off at what felt like a 5 mile pace, not a 10 mile mountain race. I saw a couple runners in my age group and slipped in behind them. One was gone before we hit the woods. I kept the other one in just barely my sights. I didn’t want to go that fast so early. I knew if I didn’t let him get out of sight I’d have a chance in the last couple miles. I caught up to him at about the halfway point and stayed there for a couple miles, actually pushing his pace. I think it was around 7 miles that he started to lose it. I quickly went by and picked up the pace. I passed a lot of runners but never saw the first place Masters (over 40) runner. I finished second in my age group with a course PR of 4 minutes and a small check. I wore the Brooks Pure Grit 4.

The 2015 #SRCBrooks team is off to the races! Below, read (and see) what everyone’s been up to and what’s to come in the summer (hint: lots of Cougar Mountain Series races!).

Derek Reiff

The first quarter being an SRC/Brooks team member went great! (For the most part!)

My year started with a long vacation in Europe.

In Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and Germany, I paired my favorite pair of shoes with my favorite pair of running shorts: fire-red Cascadia 9s & 5″ Sherpas. They were the only pair of shoes that I needed, and I stretched them from smooth bike trails in the Netherlands, a whole lot of cobbled sidewalks everywhere, and the German countryside—and up mountains to a castle or two.

At the Brandenburg Gate, another couple of runners ACTUALLY said “Toll schuhe.” (At least, I’m 75% confident that was the phrase. It actually might’ve been “super schuhe.” Either way, they loved my shoes.)

In Paris, I don’t think I ran past anyone that didn’t glance at my feet. I couldn’t tell if they were offended by the color, or they REALLY liked them.

In February, I picked up my mileage to the highest it’s been since college! I ran in Ghosts on the street, Cascadias & Grits on the trails.

In March, I ran my first 50k with thousands of feet of elevation.

It went so much better than I anticipated, and I wore my NEW favorite shoe for trail running and racing: Pure Grit 3. It was Type-1 fun for the first 30, followed by Type-2 fun for the last 20. (Type-1 is fun when it’s happening; type-2 is fun ONLY in retrospect.)

There were some tough spots on the Chuckanut course, but the Grits have enough traction for rocks, mud, and regular-old trail. It was a blast.

Now, mid-April, I’m gearing up for the Boston Marathon.

I’m really quite excited for the marathon, but have a bit of a knee issue I’m working through. With luck I’ll be finishing—and with a goal time of 2:48—but I’m preparing for some pain!

I’m optimistic, though, and will be running in T7s!

Evan Williams

Read Evan’s Multi-faceted Spring Report

Rachel Johnson

The first part of the year has gotten off to a great start. I’ve had many training runs and try to get up for Win Van Pelt’s weekend long runs at Cougar Mountain as often as possible. Saturday April 11th 2015 I completed the Squak Mountain Half Marathon 1st in my age group and 8th Overall. This was a wonderful course with many switchbacks built in, allowing for significant elevation gain throughout. The hill climbs during the first half and the winding single track to finish off the race were superb! This was a great race for me as I was well rested and felt strong throughout. It’s giving me confidence as I look forward to my upcoming marathon on the 20th.

Training has been intense and has included early morning destination runs followed by full days of climbing and/or skiing. This has
included Mazama (Methow Valley), Skaha (Penticton, British Columbia), and Frenchman Coulee (Vantage, WA) thus far this year.

I’m looking forward to the Boston Marathon on April 20th and feel very strong going into this race! Beyond that I plan to make as many of SRCs weekend and weekly workout runs as possible while also racing throughout the state this year. I’m leaps and bounds ahead of where I was this time last year so I hope to have a strong cross country season with Brooks Running and the Seattle Running Club!

Claire Giuliano

Not much of a report from me as I have been getting over an injury…but I am finally healthy! I have had a great year so far building strength (Pure Barre) and endurance through miles on road and trail. I am looking forward to the month of May in which I will race for the first time in 9 months (!) at the Women’s Snohomish Half Marathon and the Brooks Trailhead 10k.

On my training runs, the long sleeve has been my favorite piece (I have one with the screwed up logo). I have a picture attached when I decided to wear it up Granite Mountain. There was a 10 degree temperature change from bottom to top and it was the perfect material. I also like how soft it is – I don’t have to worry about any chaffing.

There will be much more to share after May!

Caroline Austin

Thus far in the SRC singlet I have been having a lot of fun. After a fun full racing cross country with everyone, it was time for me to hit the track. I ran my first steeplechase of the season at the Spring Break Open. Although it was not the race I wanted, I won the event and learned a lot that I will be taking forward with me as I gear up to race at the Mt Sac Relays. Training with everyone on the track at Wednesday night workouts has been a blast, not to mention the energy and support has been wonderful! I am excited to see what this team can do in each of our personal events. My favorite new gear to train in is the Brooks T9 Racer and SRC tank top; it feels comfy and fast. 🙂

Happy Running!

Katie Bates

The first quarter of my year as a Brooks team member has been dedicated to increasing my base miles, improving core strength, and planning for the rest of the year. I have done many training runs at Grand Ridge, Bridle Trails and Cougar, as well as along Lake Washington, while wearing my Launch, Ravenna, and PureGrits. I have also been an active member of a moms fitness group while wearing #SRCBrooks gear and shoes. My goal is to increase the number of races I participate in throughout the year and peak in October and again in December.

What is next:
Grand Ridge Half Marathon – May 2
Cougar Mountain 14 Mile – June 13
Cougar Mountain 20 Mile – July 11
Angels Staircase 35k – Aug 9
Oregon Coast 50k – Oct 10
Deception Pass 50k – Dec 12

Olin Berger

Q1 Summary
I mainly focused on training this quarter, averaging in the mid-to-high 60s for miles per week and logging my first ever +100 mile weeks. My race results include an overall win at the Bridle Trails Winter Running Festival 50k with a time of 3:33:23, a 17th overall, 5th age group finish at the Chuckanut 50k with a time of 4:21:32, and a 6:11 win at the Mt. Si 50 Mile at the end of April.

Gear Used
I have been putting my arsenal of Brooks shoes to good use, already logging +500 miles on a pair of Glycerin 12s. I have also raced in the Pure Grit 3s and train with the GTX Ghosts, Glycerin 12s, Pure Grit 3s, Cascadia 10s, and the ST Racer 5s. Other gear I use frequently are the Essential 3.5″ split short, Infiniti 3″ split short, Essential SS II top, and LSD Lite Jacket IV.

Upcoming Events
Next on my racing calendar are the Cougar Mt. Racing Series, the Brooks Trailhead 15k, the Cascade Relay’s Bend Beer Chase (with teammate Derek Reiff), and the White River 50 Mile. I may likely add another 50k in May or June.

Arthur Martineau

12-27-14: Loop the Lake Marathon – tie for first in 3:07; marathon PR; Brooks Launch
1-3-15: Tiger Mt Fat Ass 50k – 5:39, course PR, 3rd place; Brooks Cascadia 9 with screws for the ice/snow.
1-10-15: Bridle Trails 50k – course pr in 4:17, 7th place; Brooks Pure Grit 3
2-1-15: West Seattle Fat Ass (75k) – tie for 1st in 7:27; course PR; Brooks Launch 2
2-14-15: Sedro Woolley 50k – 1st place in 3:52; 50k PR; Brooks Launch 2
2-28-15: YMCA Fund Run 6HR – tied for 1st after a 20 mile jog to the start; Brooks Launch 2
3-21-15: Pacific Rim One Day – 1st place, 115 laps; Brooks Launch2, silver bullet jacket, LSD jacket
4-11-15: Rock Creek Ramble 100k – 1st place in 11:33; course record; Brooks Launch 2, compression socks, white hvac hat, SRC blue gloves, blue long sleeve SRC shirt, blue/grey SRC Pure project short sleeve, LSD jacket.

Trisha Steidl

I’ve had three focus races this winter/spring and one fun race.

Fun race first: Uli and I ran the 50k pairs relay at Bridle Trails again for the first time in 10 years! Our goal was to lower the course record we set back in 2005. Both of us were in good shape back then, so we knew it would be a pretty lofty goal. Despite me having a not-so-great day, we lowered it by 3 minutes!

Focus races: The first focus race for me was the Hillbilly Half-Marathon. This is a hilly, trail half and is the first race in the La Sportiva Mountain Series, so it brings good competition. It ended up being a beautiful sunny day with just a light breeze, so I peeled off a bunch of my layers right before the race started. I finished a solid 3rd place behind a woman who was 11th at NCAA DI XC Nationals a few years back and a woman who won the US Trail Half-Marathon Championships last year – not bad. I wore the PureGrit 3 for this race, especially because there are quite a few big mud puddles along the upper section of the course. I wanted to be sure to not have to worry about traction and the shoes pulled through!

The second focus race was the Gorge Waterfalls 50k. This was the main focus of my spring and I was ready to go. I knew there would be good competition and I was excited for the opportunity to compete. It was also the first ultra I have run a) outside of Washington state and b) where I didn’t know the entire course beforehand. That was a strange feeling. I held myself back at the beginning so I wouldn’t overdo it because there’s a huge hill to climb at the end of the race and I wanted to be able to make a strong push at the end. I lead the race from start to finish (minus a few minutes a few miles in where another lady went ahead briefly and then I passed her and never saw her again), winning by 11 minutes over Krissy Moehl. I wore the PureGrit 3 again for this race and those shoes felt incredible! For me to wear a pair of shoes for 5 hours and not even have a blister afterwards is a huge deal. Usually my feet hurt me during races and that ends up travelling up the chain, causing issues around my knees and/or hips. There wasn’t a chance for that to happen wearing these shoes. I love the fit, traction, support, and comfort!

My final race wasn’t as much of a focus race because I was travelling the few days before for work to California and I knew circumstances wouldn’t set me up for having a great race. With that said, I knew I could still run well and it was important to me to get the experience in. I ran the Whidbey Island Marathon, having not run a road marathon in 4 years. It was a lonely race for me as I was by myself for all but the first 3 miles. I was 2nd woman AND 2nd overall – very strange experience to not have any men finishing ahead of or around me. I beat the 1st place guy by almost 6 minutes and the 3rd place woman by almost 20 minutes. It was good to get a feel for a road marathon again, even though my body was tired from travel. I have to gush about the PureFlows. I have worn a lot of different pairs of shoes for road marathons and have always experience foot issues, painful blisters on my right, big toe, and not enough support from the shoe so other areas up the chain would hurt. My feet felt great the entire way! Turns out I got a fairly big blood blister on my right, big toe, but I hardly felt it and was surprised to see the blister when I took off my shoe. This shoe was awesome and makes me even more excited to run another road marathon. Double thumbs up!

As always, my Brooks apparel was super comfortable. I never noticed it during any of my races, which is a great thing. If you notice what you’re wearing, it’s probably not fitting you right. My favourite is the Versatile Shape bra. That thing is supportive, comfortable, and I haven’t experienced any chafing, even during a 5 hour race! Fantastic work, Brooks!

Next up for me is the Zermatt Marathon in Switzerland, which is a combination of road and trail. It starts at about 4000′ elevation and climbs almost the entire time, ending at about 8500′. Three weeks after that is the White River 50 Mile trail race where I’ll be taking on not only the women’s competition, but also some of my male SRC and SRC-Brooks teammates – I’m certainly the underdog in that race! I’m looking forward to racing 50 miles again as it’s been 12 years since I last raced that distance.

Destry Johnson

Man, 1st qtr over! How time flies…

I was nervous being selected for the Brooks Seattle RC team this year as a was staring the Big 4-0 in the face. Could I still run, let alone race? I wasn’t sure, but then I remembered SRC member Uli Steidl still kicks butt and is a couple years older than me, so I got over it and kept logging miles. My updated Brooks Ravennas and PureFlows keep my feet comfy and the Brooks wet/cold weather outerwear keep me dry and warm. The effort Brooks has made in the last year on their clothing line really shows now and the quality is immediately noticeable. My first race came in early March where I went back to my Alma mater to race a 5k. I’ve been running my season opener there almost every year since 1994 with time ranging from 15:20 to 15:50. This year turned out to be no different when I completed the race in 4th place with a 15:38…take THAT, 40! This was my first race with the new bright yellow T7 racers and they were awesome! In late March I had the opportunity to assist Brooks with shoe development testing at the new headquarters building in Seattle. The folks working at Brooks are dedicated to making the best running shoes on the market and I was pleased to help. Next I’ll be racing at the Earth Day 10k in Magnuson Park as I prepare for the worlds best 12k in Spokane: Bloomsday!

Eric Bone

I started off 2015 injured, and I’ve done no running races–and not a whole lot of training–since receiving my SRC Brooks Team gear.

Most recently on the racing front, I ran unofficially in my own trail run, the “Spring Run for Fun @ Redmond Watershed” on March 8, finishing the 5-mile race in 30:06. I wore my royal blue Brooks Seattle Running Club racing singlet for that race.

Being eager to use the new gear, I’ve been going for training runs around the neighborhood in the Adrenaline GTS 15 or the Adrenaline ASR, and I took the Mach 16 XC spikes for a track workout, after which I wowed my Facebook friends with a photo of the bold shoe design.

In the off-road and off-trail department, I took a silver and a bronze medal at the U.S. Orienteering Championships and Team Trials the last weekend of March, and I earned a spot on the U.S. Team racing at the World Orienteering Championships in August in Scotland.

I’m looking forward to jumping into some local races, maybe Earth Day 5k at Magnuson on 4/18, Spring Eagle Trail Run on 4/26, and the Cougar Mountain 5k on 6/13. I don’t have any big goal runs on the horizon, as I’m primarily focused on building my training up.

Matt Hong

I’ve had a busy first quarter of the year running for the #SRCBrooks team. My first race of the year was the Bridle Trails 10M on January 10 where I took 3rd place. I used February as a heavy training month and spent a lot of time running trails in my new Pure Grit 3s, roads in the awesome Ravenna 6, and getting used to my first pair of racing flats – the Racer ST5. In March I had two big races. First was the Lake Sammamish Half Marathon on the 7th where my first race in flats paid off in a 3 minute PR (1:18:25) and 12th place out of over 1800 finishers. On March 21 I ran my first 50k at the classic Chuckanut 50k and learned some good lessons – taking 36th place in 4:45:07.

Super stoked for next quarter where things begin with a bang on April 20 with the Boston Marathon which I hope to run in about 2:45. Training has been going well and I love marathon time in Boston. In May I’ll begin my goal to show well in the Cougar Mountain Long Trail Running Series by running the Cougar 10. I plan to put some serious mileage on my Pure Grit 3s this summer. Then I’ll run the Brooks Trailhead 15k on May 30 – which will be my first 15k. June will bring the Cougar 14. You can read all about my running adventures on http://whatsnextmatt.wordpess.com.

Lance Thompson

The first part of this year in running has been about getting back in shape. I was out from October to late January with a strained Achilles. It’s always humbling how long it takes for the top fitness level to return, but it is awesome to be back running again. I started with regular runs, then started doing a workout one day a week. From there I progressed to two while slowly building up the mileage.

Rotating several pairs of Brooks shoes has been a big help building the strength and flexibility back into my Achilles and calf. I’ve been rotating between a pair of Ravennas, Ghosts, Glycerins, Launches, Racer STs, T7s, and Pure Flows. The early morning run commute to work was never too cold with the Essential top.

I gave back some volunteer time for all the hundreds of events & races I’ve done in the past by helping at the Arnie Young High School Track & Field meet. As a distance runner who has never had any hops, it was impressive to see great performances in the High Jump while officiating it.

I plan on running Beat the Bridge as my return to racing, then look forward to a great summer and 2015.

Martin Criminale

This year has mostly been an exercise in patience and frustration for me but there was a bright spot.

I came into the year nursing an injury that was extremely hard to shake but slowly building fitness. My goal this year was to run some ‘warm-up’ 50k events to get stronger and then to run the UW Sky Running Series races in August and September.

My first race was the Bridle Trails Winter Running Festival.
http://martin.criminale.com/2015/01/bridle-trails-winter-running-festival.html

I was going slower than I wanted but paced myself well for my current level of fitness. Unfortunately my back gave out after five laps and I had to drop with one lap left. I wore the Brooks PureGrit 3 and it was fantastic. Light, not too light, and very comfortable.
Here are some pictures.

I followed Bridle Trails with a snow race and my first time running almost an entire event in the snow. Hard! But also a really cool (literally and figuratively) experience. And I got second in my age group.
Here are some pictures.

I wore my Brooks Cascadia 10 shoes for this race and they were fine but it probably didn’t much matter what you wore… 🙂

My next race was the Orcas Island 50k.
http://martin.criminale.com/2015/02/orcas-island-50k.html

Conditions for this race were WET! Based on the reports of others it was the worst it has been in years with rain all during the previous night and right from the start. And I had fun. 🙂 Again, my pace was a bit slower than normal due to my fitness level but I paced myself really well and never slowed down. I wore the Brooks PureGrit 3 again and where everyone else was sliding around I either had traction or at least felt in control. I was skiing down descents with a big smile on my face.

On the flats and climbs my fitness was my limiter but on the descents i was able to pass lots of people and this along with the fact that I didn’t slow down at the end meant I still won my age division.
Here are some pictures:

After Orcas my injury flared up again and I had to take some time off. Just as I was coming back a second time I was halted by a hernia and had to withdraw from both the Chuckanut 50k and the Yakima Skyline Rim 50k.
http://martin.criminale.com/2015/03/laparoscopic-inguinal-hernia-surgery.html

I will hopefully be able to start running again soon and I am guardedly optimistic that if I go slow, I will still be able to achieve my primary goals for this year which are the US Sky Running races starting in August.

Being part of this team is fantastic and the camaraderie is awesome! I really miss the group runs and the Wednesday night track workouts but for the next few months I’m going to be living vicariously through everyone else.

Keith Laverty

The first three months of 2015 were jam-packed full of new challenges in trail racing, six to be exact. From a humid, jungle run in Nicaragua to my debut ultra in the Columbia River Gorge, I could always rely on Brooks shoes and gear to get me through. I logged most of my mileage in the Brooks Ravenna 5 and 6, often beginning runs at my neighboring Ravenna Park while still finding time in the mountains to train and race with the Brooks PureGrit 3. It’s a great feeling to know I can mindlessly throw on my Brooks shoes without needing to worry about anything going wrong. I’ve been able to rely on the gear which allows me to focus on my training.

I spent about five total weeks of this first quarter fighting colds and sore throats (I suppose that taught me to not skip the flu shot next time) which forced my training plan to rely more on the key runs each week and less on building a stronger base. Despite this challenge, I was able to still exceed my goal race plans. The biggest highlight was winning my debut ultra at the Gorge Waterfalls 50K. Taking the advice of my peers proved to pay off: eating a lot at the aid stations and not really “racing” until more toward the second half of the race. Other race accomplishments included taking a very close 2nd place at the Fuego y Agua “25K” (it’s a 33K) on a volcanic, lake island of Nicaragua (Fuego y Agua race report) and a 4th place finish in the very competitive Hillbilly Half Marathon near Olympia. The remaining three races in my schedule all included 1st place finishes at the Fragrance Lake Half, the Capitol Peak Mega Fat Ass 26K and the Bridle Trails Winter Running Festival 5 Mile.

My spring/summer schedule is far from being set in stone but I plan to continue competing in trail and mountain races. A few races I have tentatively planned are the Armstrong Redwoods 30K near Napa, a Cougar Mountain series race and the Angels Staircase 35K. Thanks again to Seattle Running Club and Brooks Running for the amazing support!