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#SRCBROOKS 2019 YEAR END Update!

Boy howdy it’s another #SRCBrooks update! This time we rehash the end of summer, the perfection of autumn, and coming of winter. Which means TRAILS & XC! Or, if you’re Joe Kelly, road marathons!

Onto the (squints)…..bloody nipples?! Take it away, Joe!

Joe Kelly


The second half of the year was a big change of pace for me compared to the past 3 years on trails. I was focused on racing the Philadelphia Marathon, which would be my first road marathon in over 3.5 years. I got myself into great road shape by October with hopes of sharpening my speed with some XC races. Unfortunately, I pulled my hamstring in early October and wasn’t able to race until the end of the month. I raced the 7.6 mile distance at the October Cougar Race and placed third overall improving my time from last year by over a minute. A cool aspect of this year’s race was that it was scored like an XC meet. We went toe to toe on trails with the CNW guys. SRC went 2-3 but did not have the depth to beat our rivals on the men’s side. This result gave me confidence going into my marathon taper. Unfortunately, less than a week later, I sprained my ankle running on trails. I recovered quickly enough to be healthy on race day, but any confidence in my fitness was certainly lost. Philly Marathon conditions were very Seattle-like – windy, rainy, and cold. I went out conservatively and ended up negative splitting by 1:45 – my first negative split in a marathon. I ran my first marathon in Philly in 2009 on almost the same course and I beat that time by over a minute. It was also my fastest marathon since 2013 and 3rd fastest of my life. 2019 was an up and down running year for me but I’m proud to have represented the SRC Brooks team during that time. I won’t be returning for the 2020 season as I enter fatherhood but hopefully I’ll be back on the squad in the future.

Kristi Houk


Wow! What an amazing year for running. I find myself in a very happy state where I have finally found my stride and able to race, rally, and rumble! Through my most epic of trail races, I have developed a more realistic sense of what constitutes hills and running up them. To be frank, I do not enjoy torturing myself slogging up mountains (nor running recklessly down them either), but as of late they seem to be a consistent feature in many of my races. All year, Cougar Mountain has been what I would like to consider “difficult trail running” but that has all changed with my most recent endeavor, the Don Diablo 35k. The reason behind this particular race selection was not the eternal glory nor the numerous peso prize purse, but rather the ticket we (Alex and I) needed in order be invited to stay at a family member’s home in La Ventana (the race’s finishing point). Heck yeah I will run a race to stay in Mexico! Little did I know what I was getting myself into.

Prepared is not a word I would use to describe myself for this race. Yes, I had been running but not in heat, on mountains, or long distances. So with one sixteen miler under my belt, I deemed myself prepared…enough. The first day of “trail” desert running in Mexico was doable though running in sand and heat amongst organisms that stab, puncture, and sting was a bit challenging…and unnerving. After an hour and a half of running and one liter of water later, my prospects looked bleak. Nevertheless, the weather Gods heard my cries of desperation and brought forth a tropical storm which quenched my dehydrated spirit. Despite the relief, this particular storm almost canceled the race in its entirety with the dooming prospects of flash floods and eroding cliff sides. Yet, in Mexico, caution tends to be thrown to the wind and race went on as planned.

Race day started with guava empanadas at four in the morning with occasional swigs of GU. Breakfast of champions. Race start involved digging a potty hole in the sand like a cat and a mile sand shuffle before the major climbs and descents which left me grumpy and questioning my sanity. When the storm hit and the rain started, floods of mud cascaded down the mountainside causing me to lose a shoe, fall on a barrel cactus, and slip and land on my butt so hard that I got a bruise the size of a grapefruit on my rear. Navigating the race involved looking for Pop-tart sized markers on rocks, trees, and cacti. Did I get lost? Short answer, yes. Did I stubbornly go on without making sure I was on the right trail? Short answer, no. Alex, my voice of reason, made a point to tell me before the race to not trust my own instincts and go blindly in the desert at the risk of saving a few minutes. Bah. I guess the five minute time loss of waiting for some fellow runners to catch up so I could follow was small price to pay instead of the bleak alternative (obviously I would be chupacabra food). Though challenging, I have never felt more invigorated by such an experience that pushed me outside of what I thought I was capable of. From this point on, in my running, I crave that feeling where panic, bliss, and pain all meld into one insurmountable human experience.

Thank you to all SRC community, Brooks, friends, and family who help guide, challenge, enhance, and nurture me. I wouldn’t be half the human I am today without your support! I have enjoyed volunteering at the Cougar Mountain Series races, helping out teammates who are in a bind, and lending a hand in local fun run around West Seattle!

Here is another brief glimpse into my world of running:

  • 9/14/19 Redmond 6k 1st F, 1st overall 22:55
  • 9/22/19 Sounder Rave Green Run 5k 1st F 18:45
  • 9/29/19 Burien Brat Trot 5k 2nd F 19:02
  • 10/5/19 Curtis XC Invite 1st F on SRC Open XC team
  • 10/26/19 West Seattle Monster Dash 5k 2nd F 19:45
  • 10/27/19 Cougar Mountain Series #4 4th F
  • 11/10/19 PNTF XC 2nd F on SRC Open XC team]
  • 11/17/19 Don Diablo 35k (La Paz, MX) 1st F 4 hours 41 minutes
  • 11/23/19 Regional XC (Portland) 3rd F on SRC Open XC team
  • 12/14/19 Winter Wonderland 5k 2nd F 20:16
  • 12/21/19 Santa Paws (Palm Springs, CA) 1st F 18:38

Alex Bowns


The 2nd half of 2019 was a good one. I got another PR, found a few new running routes, and did some running with my local Lake Union SRC’ers.

I ended the year with a marathon PR down in Sacramento where I got to run the race with other SRC teammates! The race was a blast, great course with excellent organization and a high quality of runners. I didn’t know if I would be in shape to run a PR this year, but having other teammates running with me kept me motivated to push myself the whole way.

I did a little bit more volunteering at Cougar Mountain this fall. When I was out on the trails I was running with a little hand saw that I could use to clear downed branches and thin logs from the trail.

My highlight of this years running would have to be a trail run I did by myself out at Spray Park in the Mount Rainier wilderness. It was a 17 mile loop with a lot of elevation gain and great single track trails. While out there I ran past two bears! After that run, my quads were so shot that I could only hobble for the next couple of days while they recovered.

Aside from running, I celebrated a few other new changes. I started a new job, became a bike commuter, and got married! Looking forward to running into 2020!

Trisha Steidl


I thought I raced frequently during the first half of the year, but it turns out I ran more races in the second half. What fun! This was due to participating in the PNTF Masters Grand Prix, Cougar Mountain Race Series, and the XC season.

The Four on the Fourth and Labor Day Half Marathon (photo at right, PC Amon Mende) were both part of the Masters Grand Prix. I had never run the former and found it to be a fun race in a welcoming community with a “surprise ending” up a big hill into the finish. The latter, as usual, provided a competitive field which made the race experience more fun for me. I had not prepared for this race, so it was fun to set myself a goal pace and work to stick to it – which I did, despite it being quite warm!

I ran the July and August Cougar races this year. Looking back, I wouldn’t say my preparations were very smart. Not by design, Uli and I climbed Mt. Rainier 5-6 days before each race. In fact, I did a few dumb – but fun – things in the week leading up to the July race. By no surprise, I did not feel good for that race and it didn’t go well. The August race went better, mainly due to a significantly improved mindset/game plan…and doing fewer dumb things beforehand. While I wasn’t fresh for the race, I had a fun time competing and ended up gaining a new friend and SRC teammate out of the experience (photo at left, PC Somer Kreisman)!

The 2019 XC season was fun as usual. It’s always a blast – and a shock – to go from running for hours on end to racing for less than 25 minutes. We had a solid women’s team this year and I enjoyed racing with them throughout the season (photo at right, 2nd PNTF race, PC Somer Kreisman).

Mixed in with those races were two very different “race” experiences. I had decided early in the year that I wanted to challenge myself to run new-to-me routes and attempt at least one FKT (fastest known time). I found one route that particularly intrigued me in part because it included a trail I had run on last year as part of setting a FKT and quite a few people had run it previously. The short story is the first time I ran it, I had to keep stopping to check the route to ensure I was going the correct way, which cost me a bunch of time. I wanted to do it again with the confidence of knowing where to go and, thus, the mental freedom to put my head down and just run. It was very wet and foggy the second time, which wasn’t too bad, but also meant no views. The worst part was tripping on a tree I didn’t see due to an ill-timed check of the watch and falling hard on my knee and hands. I wasn’t able to run normally from that point on, but was determined to grit it out because I was running significantly faster than my previous attempt. I made it through and took a big chunk of time off the women’s FKT that will hopefully provide some fuel for other women to go for it! (photo above about a half mile from the finish, PC Michael Havrda)

My final two races of the year are the Kent Christmas Rush 10k and the Yukon Do It! Half Marathon. These are both a part of my build up for the Houston Marathon. Keep your fingers crossed for me on January 19th!

Along with racing, I had a good time volunteering at the Cougar races as well as participating in the final King County Parks & Rec/SRC trail work party at Cougar. I got a group of folks to run together for the trail work party and we were able to move three significant trees off the trails (photo at right of the group moving a tree).

Big thanks to SRC and Brooks for another great year of support!

2nd Half Race Results:

  • Four on the Fourth – 1st woman, 1st master
  • Cougar Mountain 10.8 mile – 3rd woman, 1st master
  • Chinook Pass Loop FKT – women’s FKT of 6:14:16; fastest time overall (as of July 19, 2019)
  • Cougar Mountain 14.5 mile (PNTF Association Trail Championships) – 1st woman, 1st master (PNTF Champion)
  • Labor Day Half Marathon – 11th woman, 2nd master
  • Chinook Pass Loop FKT – women’s FKT of 5:49:32; 2nd fastest time overall (as of September 16, 2019)
  • Emerald City XC Open – 14th woman, 3rd master 2nd SRC
  • WWU XC Classic – 2nd master, 2nd SRC
  • PNTF XC Masters Championship – 4th master, 3rd AG, 2nd SRC
  • PNTF XC Open Championship – 19th woman, 1st master, 3rd SRC
  • USATF XC Regional Championship – 24th woman, 3rd master, 2nd AG, 2nd SRC
  • Kent Christmas Rush 10k – 3rd woman, 1st master

Tyler Vasquez

Accomplished, tired, and reflective are some of the adjective and verbs which describe the second half of 2019.

Accomplished. We are always searching for the next goal. After finishing my 100 miler, I was searching for something new and felt that I needed more. This want and need made me feel unsettled. My mom referenced to me that I have accomplished many things in 2019 and that I have just glazed over them. At this moment, I realized that I have achieved more than I could have imagined. I have raced hard for 8+ months and the time has come to realize that I can feel accomplished with myself and my achievement. No need to prove anything, but just a general acceptance of my accomplishments.

Tired. As the darkness began to become a large part of our days so did sleep. Sleep became my best friend. I needed recover from the thrashing I did to my body and the sleep was the only way that I could recover. The heart was happy, mind was satisfied, and the body was tired.

Reflective. Running has become a part of me. As my body did not permit too much running in the latter part of 2019; running became a part of me, but more importantly being active became a part my life. I have become reacquainted with the athlete that was always there.

Thank you Seattle Running Club and Brooks for the experience of running hard, running with fellow runners, and running happy!

Adam Hewey


My marquis race for this year was the IMTUF 100 mile in McCall, Idaho in September. I was undertrained and underexcited. I thought I could mail it in and just finish for my 15th 100 mile race. I couldn’t, I didn’t. I DNFed at mile 50 because I really didn’t have it in me. It was and is a pivotal point in my maturation as a runner.

I have always been quite competitive and willing to work very hard to achieve my race goals. I enter races to be on the podium. I have many friends who are not blessed with speed who run for the love of running and race to be social. This year I turned 52. The competitive fire is still there but the commitment to the work in getting this jalopy on the road was missing. It all came to a head at IMTUF when I couldn’t let go of racing to just enjoy running. I wasn’t enjoying it at all and I stopped. Then I had to take a break and recalibrate.

I started running again a few weeks after my failure in Idaho. I ran because I wanted to. I ran because I wasn’t training for anything. I ran happy (Brooks, see what I did there?)

SRC Brooks team members get free entry to Cougar Mt. races. In all my years running in Seattle, I have never run a Cougar Mt. race. The 4th Cougar race this year happened to be the PNTF Championship in the 14.5 mile race. I signed up because I wanted to be part of the team. I was stoked to wear my Brooks SRC team shirt and toe the line with team mates. I had an absolute blast! Running fast on trails is so fun after a summer of slow 100 miler training. The racing is also a reminder of how much you can muster when you see another runner to catch! I caught a few and finished 13th overall and 4th masters.

The next Cougar Race was the final of the series and a chance to do an 8 mile race with Cross Country scoring. Fun. The trail was in excellent shape partly because a cadre of SRC runners, myself included, did some serious trail work clearing large trees and sawing off errant branches the week before.

I strapped on my trusty Brooks Calderas and braved a very cold morning to start with team mates and rivals from the dreaded Club Northwest. The race was fast and I thought I was doing well until I was passed by a guy in orange who I’ve battled with at all the XC races I’ve run. I let him go, relaxed and ran my race. A mile before the finish I caught him back. We battled all the way to the final puddle where he slipped and I beat him and another Club Northwester by 2 seconds to take 17th overall and 2nd masters. Both guys behind me were masters! Racing is fun.

My final race of the year was the PNTF Cross Country regionals at Woodland Park. 6k was the distance for Masters. I am not very good at XC but I love the camaraderie of the SRC team. I ran a very mediocre race and huffed and puffed to a sub par finish. The CNW guy I beat at Cougar finally beat me and was really happy. I was kind of happy for him too.

This year on the SRC Brooks team was great. I really enjoyed being part of a bigger thing and loved training in the Launch and Caldera. Trisha is an amazing leader and the team is a great asset to SRC, Brooks and the Seattle running community.

Somer Kreisman


I spent the summer throwing myself up and down mountains nearly every weekend, hellbent on developing the prerequisite neuromuscular groundwork and nutrition/hydration experiments required for trail racing. I’m not sure how many times I went up and down West Tiger 3 between June and September, but I’m certain I could tell you every strava segment location on the route.

The first four trail races in 2019 left me with valuable experience but little tangible success. Then there was Cougar July (10.8 miler). I started this race in my typical fashion: sprinting off the startline. I’m sure every coach will tell you this is exactly what you should do in any distance beyond 5K. Things were going well until the Wilderness section. For as long as I’ve been a trail runner (10 months?!), I’ve harbored this previously unfounded fear of downhill running. If you’re familiar with this section of the course, it’s a lot of switchbacks and a whole lot of descent. The week before, I did a course preview and told my training partner that if there was a section I was absolutely going to biff it on during the race, this was it. I’m not saying that I’m clairvoyant, but I’m not not saying it. Two to three switches in, in full send, I suddenly found myself sliding on my elbows in the gravelly dirt. Ouch. A quick damage assessment and a bee sting to my shin later, I started power hiking out of the bowels of Wilderness. I drifted into second place and then decided not to give any more time or places back as there wasn’t much racing left. I put my head down and held on til the finish, executing another trail race with 100% self-extraction. Bandaids aside, this marked the first inkling of success on the trails.

In August, I snagged a late entry into Rainshadow Running’s Oregon Coast 32K in October (#Baby’sFirstRainshadow). This became my ‘A’ race for 2019. The one I was going to put every bit of fitness I harvested all summer toward. A trail running festival featuring a half marathon in my hometown (Whidbey Island) was the week prior, and I thought this would serve as an excellent tune-up for Oregon Coast 32K. Well, as the saying goes: everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face. Or, more accurately, badly sprain their ankle… During the Whidbey Woods half, I was solidly in the lead for the women’s race, when at mile 6 my right foot hit a root at the perfectly wrong angle. On contact, I heard my ankle pop and I instinctively clutched onto the nearest tree for support. Instant pain. Many swear words. I checked to see if I could put weight through it. Nope. More treeholding. More thoughts swirling for what this was going to do to my 100% self-extraction streak. Another minute passed and I put my foot down. It wasn’t great, but I could hobble. Then hobbling gave way to jogging, jogging into running. I crossed the finish line and managed to hang onto first place despite slowing substantially. One trip to urgent care and a podiatrist appointment confirmed an incomplete avulsion fracture in my fibula and two ligament sprains in my foot. This also confirmed Oregon Coast was definitely out. I was heartbroken.

After a week, I could run without much pain or increased swelling. I felt robbed of the opportunity to compete at #BabysFirstRainshadow but decided this was not productive. While trail running was out for the next month to avoid a re-sprain, I could still accomplish a decent training block for the Seattle Half Marathon in December. I’ve got a lot of history with this race, so it proved to be a good substitute. I put my nose down for four weeks leading up to it, reeled everything back the week before, and gave myself permission to try on the day. I walked away from it with a third place finish and zero injuries, which was a fulfilling way to close the book on 2019.

Having the opportunity to be a part of SRC Brooks this year helped my running in ways I didn’t anticipate. I’ve always been trail-curious, but being a part of this community really pushed me into it head first. What I didn’t realize is that all those mountain days over the summer served as invaluable strength training that translated to road fitness in the fall and helped me whittle down my 5K season best from 18:47 to 18:14. Volunteering and giving back to the running community also makes participating in it even more rewarding.

2019 results through July-December:
-2F: Carnation Run for the Pies, July
-2F: Cougar Mtn Series 10.8 miler, July*
-1OA: Cougar Mtn Series 5K, August*
-1OA: Summer Blast @ Redmond Watershed 10 miler, August*
-1F: Labor Day 5K, September
-1F: Whidbey Woods Half Marathon, October*
-1F: Capt Jack’s Treasure Run, October
-3F: Green Lake Gobble 5K, November
-3F: Seattle Half Marathon, December
-1F: Kent Christmas Rush 5K, December

*=Trail

Olin Berger


Races

  • Cougar Mt. 50k: 4:41, 2nd OA
  • TNF Endurance Challenge 50m: 8:01, 33rd OA

Well, I did not quite have the redemptive upswing at the end of the year for which I was hoping. At least, not performance-wise. My biggest struggle in the second half of this year, apart from a pretty tenacious hamstring issue, has been finding/maintaining motivation to race, train, and generally just spend the same amount of time running that I normally do. I’m still working on what that means for my next year of racing, but think it’s an exercise that will help rebuild the mental platform on which the leg works rests.

The Cougar 50k was great this year since about ten times as many people were at the start than is normal. Though I quickly learned that they were all there to run a cross country race, so it was back to running around Squak wondering if anyone else had even signed up for the 50k. Someone had and they beat me.

I was primed to run the TNF50 last year when I was in great shape and injury-free, but then the wildfires came. Years of watching Joe Creighton practice his vape plume “magic show” had acclimatized my lungs to the most hardy of pollutants, but not all were so prepared and the race was canceled, leaving me to run it this year with a dearth of training and motivation. However, not caring a ton can be a huge benefit to one’s nerves and mental state during a race. I actually enjoyed a good chunk of it, appreciated the beautiful trails, and even logged some race miles with SRC friends.

I focused a lot on racing this year and ultimately came out a bit disappointed, as expectations were high. But improvement is a long process, should you decide to stick with it, and I’m not quite ready to shift my focus to becoming Seattle’s top scorer on Fleet Feet’s Track & Field arcade machine. I’m looking forward to looking forward to running more next year.

Tyler Cox


Fall of 2019 has been of fun time of running with friends and welcoming back that lovely PNW, grey raininess. After my 2-day jaunt around the Wonderland Trail towards the end of summer, I took a little time off before training for a fall 50k. I took advantage of some of the SRC related racing opportunities to do my best at not getting crushed too badly in a few cross country meets. I always love the feel of XC meets, although I likely could have used some more 8k specific training! My last big long run coincided with the October Cougar Series races, so I took the opportunity to run the hilly 19.5 mile course. I felt much better than when I ran this same race about 1.5 years ago, and managed to snag the win, which was a nice plus.

In November I traveled to Moab to meet up with some college friends and take my shot at breaking 4 hours on the speedy Dead Horse Ultra 50k course. While I almost went up in a ball of flames in the last 5 miles, I managed to hang on and run 3:49 for 5th place! The rest of this fall has been filled with recovering and trying my best to translate 50k fitness into 5k fitness in 10 days (it didn’t work very well).

Rob Bond


Back to the roads. The second half of 2019 was anchored by the California International Marathon in Sacramento. The race was in December and required a plenty of work on the flat path around Green Lake. My trips to Cougar Mountain were mostly to volunteer for the trail run series. We ran the Squak Mountain aid station during the 50k race in October and cheered the tired runners home. Fortunately, the weather that day was fantastic.

After a busy first half of racing, I ended up competing in only 3 events after August. I continued my unusual streak of silver medals by finishing in second place at both the Green Lake Gobble 10k and the Olympia Turkey Trot 4 miler. Both of these were smaller events centered around Thanksgiving, so the stakes were low and the blood sugar was high.

The final effort of the year came at CIM. The goal was to break a 3-year old marathon PR. Thanks to a solid crew of Seattle Runners I was able to knock 2 minutes off my time and run a 2:27. It was a great weekend for SRC with lots of PRs, PBRs, RNR, and DOMS.

Overall 2019 was a strong year of running for me. I ran over 4000 miles, had some really great PRs, and finished second in 8 races. Hopefully 2020 will include more great running and ideally a few more wins.

Katelen Phelan

Photo Credit: Somer Kreisman

  • Curtis Cross Country Invite 5k- 21:08, 4th F for SRC
  • PNTF Cross Country 6k- 26:40.44, my 2nd fastest 6k on course
  • Regionals Cross Country 8k- 35:11, 7th F for SRC

Photo Credit: Kristi Houk
It was cross country that got me into the sport of running back in high school. It was the chance to race cross country again that sold me on joining the Seattle Running Club (SRC) back in 2014. Since then, I’ve consistently raced each cross country (xc) season with SRC, but this sixth year of xc turned out to be my lowest racing season so far. Somehow, I managed to be available to race only three xc races this year, all of which were slightly different distances. The Curtis Invitational was a gorgeous and fast course. I had the pleasure of seeing a handful of former cross country runners of mine (I coach cross country at Sylvester Middle School) after their morning high school races and before we SRC ladies went head-to-head with collegiate runners. At PNTF, I had my second fastest time at the Lower Woodland Park course. At XC Regionals in Portland, I ran my first ever 8k and loved the distance because it felt like my endurance training was on my side. In my opinion, if all women’s xc races switched from a 6k to 8k, it would be the right choice. The SRC Wednesday Workouts during the xc season are always a treat because we’re off the track and in the parks and trails. Since spending the first half of 2019 training for my Boston qualifying marathon time, it felt refreshing to get back on some trails for the last bit of 2019. There’s a sense of comradery and friendship during xc that keeps me coming back year after year. Training-wise, I’m still getting a healthy dose of runs in with fellow SRC members at the Monday Flying Lion Brewing Runs, Wednesday Workouts, a couple tempo runs, and few Discovery Park trail runs. In the fall, I had the pleasure of coaching alongside former SRC member-Paul Young at the middle school where I work and occasionally now, we meet up for runs in Burien before the sunsets on these short winter days. In time for Christmas, I came down with pneumonia this year, so until I’m fully recovered, my training will be on pause.
Photo Credit: Doug Brown

Katy Gifford


After SOB 100k, I wanted to focus the rest of the year on improving my strength; physical and mental. I’d been giving myself too many breaks. Even though I had finished all the races, I felt I just scraped by. After a few weeks off, I decided to join a few SRC workouts and wanted to give cross country a try. While this was new to me, it gave me a new focus. The camaraderie was awesome! Between race and personal schedules, I was only able to race and attend one cross country race. I brought my parents along too; and they thoroughly enjoyed themselves and the vibe. Everyone was so welcoming; I can’t wait to join again in 2020.

In July, I had the honor of pacing a friend (Ling) at Cascade Crest 100. She and another friend were planning on running together, but the other had to withdraw from the waitlist due to injury. Ling was also contemplating removing from the waitlist, as she didn’t want to run alone. Thankfully, it was a “Seattle weekend” for me, and I was able to help in any way! I do enjoy running races, but I also really enjoy helping others achieve their goals. During the race, her crew kept me updated with her progress. I drove out to their rental house and was able to get a few hours of sleep in before meeting her at mile 69. Ling is super strong and determined, and also a gift to the running community. She captains aid stations at many Northern CA races, and has been doing so for many years. We set off before sunrise; she was in great spirits. She had the course notes for me to help keep her on track. We climbed to meet the sun, talked about her day, and saw her favorite animal – the pika! We never saw a goat, but I told her all about them. It turns out we just missed one! The course is beautiful! I took pictures as she continued toward the finish. She has many buckles, but that hoody was calling her name! She kept joking with me that I now need to run it just for that hoody (I do love hoodies)! That was her attitude the entire time; just kept it light and pressed to the finish. I was a great day; we’re talking about repeating in 2020.

The rest of the year I focused on road running, in preparation for my pace leader duties at California International Marathon (CIM). This would be my 14th consecutive CIM, 10th as pace group leader. I had a pretty good training block leading into CIM; the Sammamish River Trail is a great training area! I joined the YMCA and found a few classes to attend during the week to break up the running. Saturdays I ran an out and back from the Y, so that I was back in time for yoga. I felt really good going into CIM. Unfortunately, the weekend didn’t go as planned (at least the race portion). It has always been a great weekend, as this was my first marathon. It is also the same weekend as the Western States lottery. CIM…well the first 17 miles went well. My co-pacer and I were chatting and right on pace. Unfortunately, I had some stomach distress that caused me to stop (this never happens). I hoped I’d be able to catch her and the group, but I just wasn’t able to do so. I felt horribly for leaving her, and really felt bad in general. But, then I realized no one cares! I took in the cheers from the crowd (it really is an immense crowd, especially the closer you get to the finish). And ran with gratitude.

The day before CIM was really the exciting part of the weekend (and year). With 32 tickets (6 consecutive years), my name was selected! I don’t remember much of it; everything went quiet in my head, but I was told it was really quite loud in the auditorium. Those who are selected and are present in the audience, come up to the stage and have photos taken backstage. It was amazing! Many friends were also selected; it will be a great year!

Categories
Featured Member Information Race Reports

SRC Member Race Reports – October 2019

Once a month (lol) we’d like to showcase the races for members courageous enough to spend a few minutes filling out a Google Form, and until we get that sick shout-out from the CEO himself on Twitter or, preferably, Instagram® or Bumble, we will *NOT* promote Run Gum!

Your submission can be as brief or long as you’d like! Better believe I’m deleting any references to Run Gum though, unless I forget!

Are you racing or have you raced in NOVEMBER? I *might* race XC Regionals down in Portland if anyone wants to watch the slower CNW guys get visibly frustrated cause a fat 39 year-old passed them at mile four. Feel free to join me! We can simultaneously write our reports from the Olympia Jiffy Lube when TJ’s car breaks down on the way home.

Here’s an incomplete list of “races” I accept:

  1. Real races! (road, track, trail, relays, obstacle courses, bike races at Seward Park cause you’re tired of hanging with your run friends)
  2. Not really races(?) (stair climbs for cancer research, color runs, certain Mario Kart levels, Track & Field arcade tournaments at Fleet Feet Ballard, etc)
  3. Strava CRs! (no bikes)
  4. Strava CR attempts! (definitely no bikes)
  5. Short distance personal records running away from teens who you think might have just seen you get turned down asking for an job application at QFC.
  6. If you’re even wondering if it counts, it probably does! At this point I’m halfway to accepting E-bike racing vs. heavy-legged run commuters on E. Marginal Way, so check your Strava fly-bys to see if you’ve recently taken me on!

Submit Your Race Report!

Let’s hand it off to OCTOBER’S 2019’s *two* (squints at paper, grimaces noticeably) NOT WOMEN!
🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻

One of the Aarons

Member #: 1960
Race name: Cougar October! 7.6mi (~12k)
When was this race? Not a date; or rly a race. At least it wasn’t for me. 😻
How did you place?! Good question. It’s something I’ll never know and will always wonder about.
Race website: cougar.src.org/
*Your* website URL: https://www.rocheam.com/move.html
Race report:

Crashed car. Dealt with that for an hour and a half. Ubered to the race 35 minutes late. Got a bib. Ran hard. Finished knowing that was probably the right thing to do with the rest of my morning.

[This is more of a diary entry than a race report.] Sorrynotsorry, Joe. 😻

Dear diary,

Phew. Where to start? Well, I was up quite early, eager to get everything organized to make it out for my *FIRST EVER COUGAR MOUNTAIN RACE.* I ate, dressed, shaved, taped and body glided-up the important areas, rolled out, and fed kitty, not necessarily in that order, before heading out the door.

I hopped in the EV for the ~20minute ride out to Sky Country. It was still dark when I left at that morning hour, though visibility on the Seattle streets was fine. I got out of the neighborhood with no issue and almost made it to 90 before being run off the road by a guy trying to make a right turn from the left lane. He didn’t see me driving up next to him, pushed me onto the curb, and my tire was shredded from the impact.

I crawled to the next intersection and he followed me there. We exchanged info. We waited for SPD. He left, I waited for a tow company and listened to Jeff from Lincoln towing complain about my car not having a spare. “Sorries Jeff; just do your thang as quickly as possible and keep the conversation to a minimum” were my internal thoughts as I awkwardly grinned and nodded as he patronized me in this moment of extreme joy.

Shortly after Little Boy Blue was towed away, I re-downloaded the Uber app and asked for a pickup from where I stood on the side of MLK Way S and Renton Pl S. To passersby, I probs looked like someone who just escaped from a nearby tent city – hovering around my possessions.

These included:

  • one bag for race clothes.
  • one small backpack with post-race clothes and pre & post-race nutrition. @seattlegummycompany #seattlegummysquad #seattlegummyathletes.
  • one pair of trail runners.
  • two water bottles.
  • a few milligrams left of my self-worth. #metricfreak

Uber driver Issa arrived in his Prius (b/c of course it was a Prius) and when I told him wha’ ha’ happened he was equally appalled and upset about the way my day had started. So, ya know, that was just a refreshing reminder: EVEN UBER DRIVERS CAN EXPRESS EMPATHY. #theh00manrace.

We made our way to Sky Country on Cougar, just past the endless line of cars lining the road leading to the trailhead and the parking lot that was for sure 100% full! I shame-walked with my gear to the start/finish area and was first greeted by Christopher who notified me that I was in fact late to the race. Lol. Yeah. Fashionably late, AMIRITE??

Then I saw Eric and William; gave them the brief “TIFU. Got into an accident on the way to the race.” T.J. at some point came and gave me a pat on the back after asking if I was okay. Then Michael asked if I still wanted to race.

My response must have been “yes” because he handed me a bib in like record time. I pinned it to whatever clothes I was wearing atop my soulless body, tied my shoes with fingers that were already numb from jotting down insurance claim numbers, tow company phone digits, and the names of body shops that were recommended to me, and eventually found the starting line.

T.J. counted me down, I clicked my watch, checked to make sure my head was still attached to my body, then took to the 7.6mi course like a GD man possessed. ish. 55’ later, I got back and, hey people were there!

***

Stay tuned for the report on my actual race in about a week or so. Or, well, whenever I get it up on my blog. By then, hopefully the insurance company will have the towing sorted out so that my car actually makes it to the body shop. Maybe I’ll even have Little Boy Blue Back among all of my possessions! And those gloves that I threw into the air after I crossed the finish line! Thanks again for recovering those, Dustin!! Ugh. What a day!
#seattlerunning #blessed #humansbeingbros #alwaysanadventure #🌊

H/t Michael for getting me my bib. “As long as you finish before Trisha sweeps the course, then you’ll get an official time!” Uli for the mid-race high-five at the top of Tibbetts Marsh trail. Ryan for quickly grabbing his camera as he saw me approaching his spot on the E. Fork Trail. Kristi, the expert *navigator,* who drove me back home in her Escalade. And last, but not least, Dustin, for his race direction all year out from Sky Country on Coooo-gah Mountain! Photos: pre-race, T.J. capturing some memories on my phone. Race: Ryan Thrower, NW Trail Runs new “resident” photographer. 🤩. Post-race: William w/ 👊 on that team snap!

Did iRunFar interview you before or after the race?: No
Race image(s):

Shoeless Joe Sez!

“Ubered to the race”

“shaved”

“one small backpack with post-race clothes and pre & post-race nutrition. @seattlegummycompany #seattlegummysquad #seattlegummyathletes.”

If you think I’m linking to what is surely Nick Symmonds’ little side hustle venture, when he’s had two years to acknowledge that **I EXIST** and decided not to, then I’ve got an emoji I can dare you to use next to a misspelled word of your choosing.

“#seattlegummyathletes”

Ahh cool! Love this viral stuff!

yyyyyeesh

(tip toes away, stealthily)

“‘Sorries Jeff; just do your thang as quickly as possible and keep the conversation to a minimum’ were my internal thoughts as I awkwardly grinned and nodded as he patronized me in this moment of extreme joy.”

All my women readers/fans are nodding along with this sentiment, knowingly.

“Then I saw Eric and William”

For the record we’re about 1100 words into this ‘race report’ and Aaron has just now arrived at the race. ⏳

“T.J. at some point came and gave me a pat on the back after asking if I was okay.”

“…the names of body shops that were recommended to me”

WE GET IT, you’re a bad driver! Get to the race!

“55’ later, I got back”

aaaaand that quickly the “race” portion of Aaron’s race report has ended.

Seriously though, good on you for getting out there after #baddriving, and racing #alone, and most importantly of all, fitting this race report in between all that #socialmedia’ing!

Olin Berger

Member #: 1579
Race name: Cougar 50k
When was this race? 10/27/19
How did you place?! Who cares?
Race website: cougar.src.org
*Your* website URL: https://www.monsterenergy.com/us/en/products/muscle-monster
Race report:

Fresh off a hot string of DNFs, I came into this year’s Cougar 50k looking to be able to just finish the distance and not quit ultra running immediately after. Fortunately, it was a beautiful day and I’m pretty sure I was contractually obligated to do so.

The race started and, quicker than a male masters xc runner can jump ship to CNW, I needed to go to the bathroom. Too late I realized I could’ve taken one for the team and distracted the other xc teams by causing a commotion right next to the trail, but the SRC squad would need to fight their own battles.

I did my best Joe Creighton impression coming down from Wilderness Peak, hoping not to recreate a fall from last year which ruined my Cool Guy (TM) tights and, despite that, made it all the way to the top of Squak without yet seeing another 50k runner. This is when young Michael Tappel caught up with me. Instead of doing the polite thing and accompanying an “Out of the way old man!” with a shove into the bushes, he rode my bumper down to the next aid station, making the whole event suddenly a race, which is all very frustrating. I would’ve been fine with a nice cushy win, but having to work for it, ugh. Michael then had the audacity to let me leave the aid station at SR-900 first, forcing me to run almost the entire climb until tight hips shut me down and I waved him in front so he wouldn’t try to trick me into any speed on the flats. Then it was just the good old shuffling plod to the finish that wins the hearts of ultra runners the world over.

I finished just shy of my time from 5 years ago when I first ran this race, met Joe Creighton, and got involved with SRC. So maybe there’s some good way to cap off the report there with a kind of flashback montage of how far we’ve come to get to the same place, yada yada yada.

Did iRunFar interview you before or after the race?: No
Race image(s):

Shoeless Joe Sez!

“Fresh off a hot string of DNFs, I came into this year’s Cougar 50k looking to be able to just finish the distance and not quit ultra running immediately after.”

This is the kind of hard-nosed ambition you’ll get from our former World Championship team members!

“quicker than a male masters xc runner can jump ship to CNW…”

Speaking as a 39.7 year old…..I cannot *wait* for the email I’m about to receive from the Orange Boys. There are a ton of hard bodies over there I wanna interview!

“I needed to go to the bathroom.”

Gotta be all that Monster Muscle you’re (pretending to be) drinking.

“I needed to go to the bathroom. Too late I realized I could’ve taken one for the team and distracted the other xc teams by causing a commotion right next to the trail, but the SRC squad would need to fight their own battles.”

I can’t tell if this is coded language to appeal to your secret reddit group, but…did you actually end up shitting or were you just clenching cheeks for 30 miles?

I’m not going to let you drop this plot point like we’re writing some Gilmore Girls spec script.

“I did my best Joe Creighton impression coming down from Wilderness Peak”

“…from 5 years ago when I first ran this race, met Joe Creighton, and got involved with SRC.”

💋

“yada yada yada”

Archived Member Race Reports

Categories
Race Reports

CCC-UTMB 2019: Melted Blocks of Cheese

The CCC-UTMB experience was awesome and terrible and I highly recommend it. It’s really hard. It’s really beautiful. It makes a small sport feel like a big deal. There was a good three-hour period during this race during which I had embraced the freedom of quitting competitive running forever and doing anything that doesn’t involve brutalizing your body for a period of time longer than most Netflix binges. I ended up dropping around mile 44 probably more beat up than I have ever been in a race. I was ready not to race again for a long time.


A few hours of hanging out in Chamonix post-drop started to change things. The energy in the town is immense. Thousands of runners and running fans (it’s a thing!) from all over the world are really excited to be there and it’s hard not to get some of the #stoke rubbed off on you, even if you’re feeling like a Garbage Patch Kid. It’s gorgeous; one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. Stunning views that impress even as you consider taking up a new life as a Swiss cowherd to avoid having to continue a race. It’s huge for a sport that usually considers a big scene being at least 10 people hanging out for a while after a Cougar Race and it’s cool to feel like part of something big even while relishing the sport’s weird niche. It’s immensely motivating to talk to runners from around the world and trade stories and race suggestions. One of the highlights of the local cuisine involves melting and eating a giant block of cheese. What more do you need?

Dropping is always a bummer, but injuries happen. My takeaway from this race is how exciting and beautiful this sport can be, even on a miserable day. It makes the prospect of a good day sound like something really incredible.

Categories
Featured Member Information Race Reports

SRC Member Race Reports – August 2019

Once a month (lol) we’d like to showcase the races for members courageous enough to spend a few minutes filling out a Google Form, and until we get that sick shout-out from the CEO himself on Twitter or, preferably, Instagram® or Bumble, we will *NOT* promote Run Gum!

I wanna hear your tales! Your submission can be as brief or long as you’d like! Better believe I’m deleting any references to Run Gum though, unless I forget!

Are you racing or have you raced in September? I did! Eighty minutes behind Evan Williams at Backcountry Rise (spoiler alert)! If so, send me a report! Fat Glass is coming up in like 10 days; I’ll accept pretty much any report of *any* activity at that den of sin!

Here’s an incomplete list of “races” I accept:

  1. Real races! (road, track, trail, relays, obstacle courses, 100 meter races in Oregon where you’re attempting to break 11 seconds, bike races at Seward Park cause you’re tired of hanging with your run friends)
  2. Not really races(?) (stair climbs for cancer research, color runs, certain Mario Kart levels, short sprints vs your friend Doug to the local Fleet Feet to not buy Run Gum)
  3. Strava CRs! (no bikes)
  4. Strava CR attempts! (definitely no bikes)
  5. Short distance personal records running away from teens who you think might have just seen you get turned down asking for an job application at QFC.

Submit Your Race Report!

Let’s hand it off to AUGUST’S 2019’s *two* boss hosses….and me!
🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻

Tyler Cox

Member #: 2086
Race name: Volcanic 50k
When was this race?: 8/3/19
How did you place?:I lost
Race website: Volcanic 50
Race report:

How many races can you do where you get to run around a whole volcano?? Possibly more than I think, but I still thought this race was cool.

Started off conservatively which was good as I got lost in the first boulder field and was only saved by a pack of 5 who actually seemed to know what they were doing and went the right way.

The race director warned of bees and sure enough I found some willing to sting me before the first aid station!

Managed to hold it together and pick some people off in the second half. I credit my ‘heat training’ that consisted of sitting in a sauna a couple times and sweating off a few gallons of water.

Ended up finishing second and had a blast!

Did iRunFar interview you before or after the race?: No
Race image(s):

Shoeless Joe Sez!

“How many races can you do where you get to run around a whole volcano??”

NO idea! Four?

“Possibly more than I think, but I still thought this race was cool.”

Fine, I’ll do this myself…

Damnit!

“I credit my ‘heat training’ that consisted of sitting in a sauna a couple times and sweating off a few gallons of water.”

Replace “sauna” with “library bathroom” and “a couple times” with “every Taco Tuesday” and “few gallons of water” with “Rockstar Juiced” and you have my heat training before Backcountry Rise 50k the other day where I…finished 81 minutes behind Evan Williams 🤪

I met Tyler during the 2018 XC season and was immediately endeared to him because he laughed at my jokes. Not to brag but I pretty much destroyed him in all XC races last season (by a LOT….and he’s like half my age 😎), but I don’t think I’ll ever beat him ever again in a race that doesn’t involve an NES controller.

“Big” Joe Creighton

Member #: 1028
Race name: Cougar Mtn 14.5 Mile
When was this race?: 8/10/19
How did you place?:I lost
Race website: I made this site with Derek:)
Race report:

I didn’t make it to the start line in time to hear what epic events or races Uli Steidl had run in the days leading up to this race, otherwise I might have been more confident during the middle miles on a #moist Cougar morning. As it is, I ran behind Evan Williams for about 2 miles (way too close, for way too long), and after he inevitably pulled away to hopefully not cut the course in any way, I found myself all alone in 2nd, running terrified of an #old German, the Smog Strangler, and a couple orange singlets.

I had no climbing legs this day, so I tried to and successfully made up for it with perhaps my best-ever hour-long stretch of downhill & flat trail running. My two minute lead over Uli only shrunk to like 90 seconds by the end of the race and you better believe I’m rocking my “2nd place” coffee mug at work to the delight of all the guys in the office who think they’re *really* clever.

Evan on the other hand beat me by 6 minutes and I believe had already done his cool down jog and showered by the time I’d hit the finish chute. I’m mostly certain he didn’t cut the course.

Did iRunFar interview you before or after the race?: No
Race image(s):

Shoeless Joe Sez!

I ain’t gonna comment on my own comments to my own race (I’m not a *loser*), so let’s look at the six strava login page background photos!

Hate when this one comes up, this 17 year-old ass looking kid reminds me of a cross between Andrew Miller, who dropped me at Gorge 50k in 2013 like a sack of potatoes as a 16 year old, and the #teen “comedians” at QFC who think it’s funny to point out to random strangers that I’m only buying milk and toilet paper, like they’d care (they don’t).

No way this woman uses strava, this is the company trying to convince us what their core demo–cyclists–looks like. I see (and smell) your core demo on every commute to work, strava!

We’re getting closer! Guys looking like they’re dressed for the Tour de France when really they’re just riding 15mph to work in slightly-too-threadbare (and always WHITE!!) kits that leave little to the imagination as they roar past me.

Nice ass crack, Mark!

Oh look, swimmers!


What % of strava users are primarily swim loggers? Are these literally the only two?

My favorite. Woman on the left with the “you’re not really going to use *that* photo of me are you?!” look on her face while the guy on the right looks spectacularly non-Samoan but seems to have stolen all of The Rock’s arm tattoos.

Consider me #inspiredtorun!

A-a ron, SRC Social Media 😽

Member #: 1960
Race name: Northwest Trail Runs Somer Blast; Half ‘thon
When was this race?: 8/17/2019
How did you place?: I lost
Race website: Link
*Your* website URL: rocheam.com/move
Race report:

Tl;dr Ran a trail half, came 2nd, decided that’s better than coming 1st, still gettin’ those illicit DMs bay-BEE! #spinstercatmom #livingthedream #roastme

This was my first race since a disastrous marathon debut back at the end of April, so I had pretty low expectations. In this new training cycle, I feel like I’ve restored some balance to my life. I had time to take Sulley to the vet for her annual check-up, was able to do some house cleaning, and had even gotten around to responding to all those DMs and Hinge requests that had been stacking up all of 2018 and well into ’19. Bah, the struggles of being a cat mom, hobbyist runner, and a social media addict. Any-hoo, life was starting to feel normal and running was fun again.

Rewind to this past weekend – or probably two months ago, depending on when Joe actually gets to this. I got to the watershed in plenty of time and saw a bunch of my SRC pals who were prepping for their races and/or volunteering. Shout-out to the Northwest Trail Runs staff and volunteers for another well-organized event. 🙌

At about 9:35am, Kati started the race via her countdown; there are no guns allowed in the watershed – just horses, and people, and I guess MTB’ers? But definitely no pets, 🚨🚨🚨*GUY WITH A PET OUT THERE! I SAW YOU!* 🚨🚨🚨

So, yeah, to the race: I got out with a group of two other dudes – Bill, the winner from two years ago and again this year and Virgil, a French-looking dude who was totes side-eyeing me before the race and was wearing a bicycle kit *AND* a hydration belt. “No fucking way was I going to lose to that guy,” I whispered under my breath. Well, as fate would have it, biker bro set the pace for the first three miles. See, I know it was three miles because his watch beeped at every fucking mile. Fuck I hate that so much. *SILENCE YOUR WATCH* and have some gah damn respect for nature, d00d!

Bah, we wound up passing him just before the first aid station at about mile 4. Bill bolted ahead and I just tried to stay somewhat collected despite being furious by those GD beeps at every mile!! *Run, run, run* 8 miles later, I was still in 2nd and I started to ham it up with anyone and everyone whose path I crossed – thanks for the fly-by high-five, Dustin! I saw Somer K on the final stretch to the finish, flashed her a wink and a smile [yeah, no, I’m not that cool] and tried to get to the line under 1h27mins.

Meh. Finished in 1h27’05. Came second. Which I think can be more satisfying than coming first. And absolutely more satisfying than not coming at all. 🔵 🔵 Not bad for the first race back. #seattlerunning

Have fun with this one, Joe.

Love,
A-a ron

Did iRunFar interview you before or after the race?: No
Race image(s):

Shoeless Joe Sez!

“…had even gotten around to responding to all those DMs and Hinge requests that had been stacking up.”

(looks at watch)

(looks up Hinge)

“Bah, the struggles of being a cat mom, hobbyist runner, and a social media addict.”

“🚨🚨🚨*GUY WITH A PET OUT THERE! I SAW YOU!* 🚨🚨🚨

I really don’t understand Pez dispensers….the candy is awful, the plastic will never biodegrade, only loser man-child collectors keep this business model afloat and how in the hell have they never had a line of pro wrestling dispensers? It’s kinda weird that a half marathoner would bring one out to Redmond Waters—OH WAIT I now see you said pets. Nevermind.

“I got out with a group of two other dudes”

They have names, you know.

Bill, the winner from two years ago and again this year and Virgil, a French-looking dude…

“French-looking dude”? So, he looks white? Let’s see what he looks like:

Definitely looks more Czech to me.

“…who was totes side-eyeing me before the race and was wearing a bicycle kit *AND* a hydration belt. ‘No fucking way was I going to lose to that guy,’ I whispered under my breath.”

Let’s see what *Virgil* had to say about the race, and if he was as concerned about you!

“This was a trail Half Marathon. Not too hilly and very runnable. Came in 3rd with a time of 1:28:22. Temp was around 65* so very comfortable. GU Roctane sux!

Well, a little less color than your report, (sigh), A-a ron, but also a bit less mean-spirited about everything until the abrupt lane change into extreme hatred of Gu Roctane (which must have given him the shits the way he slammed it amirite?)…and you better believe I noticed Roctane and Roche sharing the same first three letters…🤔

“…tried to get to the line under 1h27mins. Meh. Finished in 1h27’05.”

Well this was mildly anti-climactic.

“And absolutely more satisfying than not coming at all. 🔵 🔵”

You already made this joke. #seattlerunning

Archived Member Race Reports

Categories
Featured Member Information Race Reports

SRC Member Race Reports – July 2019

Once a month (lol) we’d like to showcase the races for members courageous enough to spend a few minutes filling out a Google Form, and until we get that sick shout-out from the CEO himself on Twitter or, preferably, Instagram® or Bumble, we will *NOT* promote Run Gum!

Winners, losers, and everyone in between (even you Masters runners!), I wanna hear your tales! Your submission can be as brief, or *long* as you’d like! Better believe I’m deleting any references to Run Gum though!

Are you racing or have you raced in August? I did! Six minutes behind Evan Williams at Cougar (spoiler alert)! Maybe you raced (and lost) to a smug-looking guy in jeans riding an e-bike? Maybe you set a PR running to the corner market for more Epic bars? Here’s an incomplete list of “races” I accept:

  1. Real races! (road, track, trail, relays, obstacle courses, 100 meter races in Oregon where you’re attempting to break 11 seconds, bike races at Seward Park cause you’re tired of hanging with your run friends)
  2. Not really races(?) (stair climbs for cancer research, color runs, certain Mario Kart levels, short sprints vs your friend Doug to the local Fleet Feet to not buy Run Gum)
  3. Strava CRs! (no bikes)
  4. Strava CR attempts! (definitely no bikes)
  5. Short distance personal records running away from teens who you think might have just seen you get turned down asking for an job application at QFC.

In order to increase the rate of submissions from its current rate of 0.4 per month, I’d like to offer the following perks to reporters!*

  1. I’ll go with you to the nearest QFC and buy you a 6 pack of Leinenkugel.
  2. I’ll buy you a haircut at Sports Clips (I have a gift card a “cool” sarcastic teen gave me last year)
  3. Marshall’s shopping spree ($12 limit)
  4. I’ll send Ginger Runner youtube comments until he agrees to check out my Pliny The Elder bottle collection and do a Shoeless Joe interview.
  5. I’ll race in my favorite Big Dogs shirt at whatever the next Rainshadow Running race I’m allowed to enter the lottery for.

*Perks will not be honored

Submit Your Race Report!

Let’s hand it off to JULY 2019’s *two* boss hosses!
🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻

Joe Kelly

Member #: 1938
Race name: White River 50
When was this race? 7/27
How did you place?! I lost
Race website: whiteriver50.org
Race report:

Cliff Notes:
– Great first half
– Leg cramps the whole 2nd half
– Shoeless Joe ass slaps
– Scream vomit

This was my first 50 miler and I got crushed. The race started off great as the weather was cool and cloudy and I was cruising through the early flat section with fellow SRCers Rob Bond and Olin Berger. Some guy with huge delts took it out fast from the gun…we thought he probably wouldn’t sustain it but the joke is on us because he beat us all. I completed the first climb comfortably and reached the out and back section just as Shoeless Joe was getting there to cheer us on. Rob had already gone through there so he missed out on a nice ass slap. The ridge section was mostly fine except for when I ran through a left turn and got confused for about 20 seconds. When I went back to the trail I noticed a long line of pink flags pointing me in the right direction. This is probably when I should have noticed that it wouldn’t be my day.

I finished the ridge section and started to feel some leg twinges on the downhill – NOT a good sign at mile 21 of a 50 mile race especially since i had been very diligent about my food and liquid intake. I cruised down to the Buck Creek aid station where I was greeted by my wife and a boatload of cheerful SRCers. I reloaded with food and drink and headed on my way knowing the 2nd half would be a challenge with my leg cramp situation (thanks Parker!).

My legs immediately locked up as I started the climb – great, only 22 more miles of this! I did my best Tin Man impersonation up to the Fawn Ridge aid station where I started to feel nauseous. I grabbed some Coke and sat down in a chair but my body was immediately like, “Nah!”, and I violently scream vomited again (this also happened on Chinscraper at Chuckanut). SRCer Paul Young who also happened to be at this aid station had some good commentary during this episode. Post puke, I ate a ton of PB&Js and watermelon and was on my way. I continued Tin Man climbing all the way up to Sun Top but fortunately the stomach was fine. I was able to run most of the way down to Skookum with some stops for calf cramps. At this point, I was singing some TLC but modified the words to be “Don’t go racing ul-ltras, stick to the shorter trail races you’re used to.” I struggled through the Skookum Flats, getting passed by a ton of runners, including a 60 year old Shoeless Joe doppelganger and Adam Hewey with a mile to go. I got another ass slap from Joe and then finished (yeah!). It was over an hour slower than I wanted but it felt good to not DNF. To add insult to injury, the second zipper on my pack broke mid-race (the first one broke a week prior).

Did iRunFar interview you before or after the race?: No

Shoeless Joe Sez!

“Cliff Notes:”

#wellactually, it’s called CliffsNotes

Little known fact, about 80% of my college application essay was about my love of CliffsNotes. Only UC Santa Cruz accepted me. I ended up graduating from Chico State in 5 years. Now I’m here.

“- Great first half
– Leg cramps the whole 2nd half
– Shoeless Joe ass slaps”

Sounds like every White River 50 I’ve ever run

“- Scream vomit”

gifofsomeonelookingconcerned.gif

“…through the early flat section with fellow SRCers Rob Bond and Olin Berger.”

Look forward to their race reports…😒

“…and I violently scream vomited again (this also happened on Chinscraper at Chuckanut)”

dudeseriouslygotoadoctor.gif

Seriously though, thanks for reminding of the album I had on repeat during *my* first White River back in 2009

“At this point, I was singing some TLC but modified the words to be ‘Don’t go racing ul-ltras, stick to the shorter trail races you’re used to.'”

aboutoutoftimeherejoe.gif

“getting passed by a ton of runners, including a 60 year old Shoeless Joe doppelganger”

“I got another ass slap from Joe”

Thanks for alerting me to the fact that think I should maybe, umm, stop slapping guys’ asses.

“To add insult to injury, the second zipper on my pack broke mid-race (the first one broke a week prior).”

Way to bury the lede, Joe.

(Slaps ass, *hard*)

Evan Williams

Member #: 1305
Race name: The Escarpment Trail 30k
When was this race? July 28, 2019
How did you place?! 4th
Race website: http://escarpmenttrail.com/bs/
*Your* website URL: threeleftturns.weebly.com/
Race report:

The flat sections have the trickiest footing. Then, there are hands-required climbs and cliff jumping descents (except no water to land in). It’s in the east (Windham, NY), where “switch back” is not part of trail vocabulary. The weather was also humid and 92F by the second half of the race. Dick Vincent is the race director, who taught Steve Faluotico how to run, who taught me how to run. It’s becoming an annual pilgrimage, even though I haven’t “figured out” this race yet.

Did iRunFar interview you before or after the race?: No
Race image(s):

Shoeless Joe Sez!

“The flat sections have the trickiest footing.”

This sort of reminds me of a brief time a few years back when I tripped and fell about 3 times in 2 weeks whilst street running on sidewalks around #WestSeattle #RoadBoy #CNW

“…hands-required climbs and cliff jumping descents (except no water to land in).”

I don’t have much to make fun of or joke about in this race report of what sounds like the world’s worst race for someone like me, so I’ll just remind/inform everyone that I beat Evan fair & square* in a 10 mile race in April of this year, down in Bend.

*Ok fine, Evan wore jeans and a long-sleeve Carhartt shirt that seemed to absorb every drizzly drop of rain that fell that morning…

Pic: Liam Pickhardt

…while I exposed my hairy shoulders and thighs and beat Evan by 2 mins and 5 secs, aka the length of time required for me to chug a beer during a boat race.

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White River 50 – 2019 Race Report

I signed up for this year’s White River 50 hoping to redeem my previous performance, which had started as a bid for a third win in a row and devolved into equal parts getting passed on climbs and squatting in the woods. Then, a couple months prior to the race, as I was throwing the training plan into high gear, I blew a hamstring and only started training again about a week before the race. Of course, I planned to race anyway for fear of losing the moral high ground needed to tease Joe Creighton about his previous DNF. Fortunately, I pay someone smarter than myself to manage my training plan and he strongly suggested I consider the health benefits of not running 50 miles on a recent injury. I’m somewhat proud of my progression as a runner that I actually took his advice.

I also learned a couple things about a DNF at White River that I hadn’t really known before:

  • The first half can be much more enjoyable knowing you don’t have to run the second half.
  • The disappointment of not completing the race lessens as you look into the hollow-eyed stares of runners contemplating the climb to Suntop as you contemplate which gummy bear flavor pairs best with Rainier.
  • Grinding down your body with physical misery isn’t always as fun as hanging out with your friends talking about those in physical misery.
  • You can still be a winner (First place DNF!)
  • The plot of everyone’s favorite 1988 Tom Cruise vehicle “Cocktail” makes as little sense after 20 miles as it does after 50.

So, redemption is on the table for next year. But, if that doesn’t happen, at least I know there’s nothing to fear in the DNF corral.

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Featured Member Information Race Reports

SRC Member Race Reports – June 2019


Once a month (lol) we’d like to showcase the races for members courageous enough to spend a few minutes filling out a Google Form, and until we get that sick shout-out from the CEO himself on Twitter or, preferably, Instagram®, we will *NOT* promote Run Gum!

Winners, losers, and everyone in between (even you Masters runners!), I wanna hear your tales! Your submission can be as brief, or *long* as you’d like! Better believe I’m deleting any references to Run Gum though!

Are you racing in July? Cougar? Maybe you ran in a town called Carlation and won a pie? Or you ran next to someone who won a pie? Maybe you set a personal 400m record running away from an angry crow mother? Here’s an incomplete list of “races” I accept:

  1. Real races! (road, track, trail, relays, obstacle courses, chasing that teen around the track after his friend Todd dared you to race him)
  2. Not really races(?) (stair climbs for cancer research, color runs, certain Mario Kart levels)
  3. Strava CRs! (no bikes)
  4. Strava CR attempts! (definitely no bikes)
  5. Short distance personal records running away from dive-bombing crows

In order to increase the rate of submissions from its current rate of 0.3 per month, I’d like to offer the following perks to reporters!*

  1. I’ll go with you to the nearest QFC and buy you a 6 pack of Leinenkugel.
  2. I’ll go with you to the nearest QFC and you can see what happens when I offer to buy a random #teen a 6 pack of Leinenkugel.
  3. We’ll go to the nearest Target and I’ll ask the nearest non-male cashier if they have “condoms for virgins” and if so “I’ll buy 3.”
  4. I’ll email Ginger Runner over and over until he agrees to check out my Pliny The Elder bottle collection and do a Shoeless Joe interview.
  5. I’ll race in my favorite Big Dogs shirt at whatever the next Rainshadow Running race I’m allowed to enter the lottery for.

*Perks will not be honored

Submit Your Race Report!

Let’s hand it off to JUNE 2019’s kind sir whose report reads like he composed it during his (spoiler alert) mile 7 poo break!
🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻

Paul Young

Member #: 1824
Race name: Grandma’s Marathon
When was this race? 6/22/2019
How did you place?! Who cares?
Race website: grandmasmarathon.com
*Your* website URL: paulheartsdolphins
Race report:

This was my second time running Grandma’s Marathon. It’s in Duluth, Minnesota, which is upcountry Minnesota. I think Duluth is Anglo for Grandma??? It sounds like doula. Which reminds me of Paula Abdul. Um, oh the race. Well, I ran pretty poorly in my first attempt (2:55), but it was a fun time after the race in what was known as the “tents,” where all the upcountry folk and hill people come to town and jive. Anyway, I’ve been “training” at altitude so I thought I could come back to this race and find some redemption and run sub-2:40, that was my A GOAL. The B goal was to finish without projectile vomiting right before the finish like last time…unless I was close enough to the line to get it on video. Yeah, this race has cameras from the left, right, and center as you cross the finish line. I really appreciate this about the race.

Anyway, the race itself was pretty good. I ran 2:36 and 34 seconds. That’s about 6 minute pace. I went out a bit faster though, 5:50s because I knew I needed to bank some time for bathroom breaks. I took a wee leak at mile 2 and then a quick squat at mile 7. Nothing else eventful happened as it was a road race, point-to-point, net elevation loss (ie no elevation), aided by a massive tailwind. I think a headwind would have been better as it was a bit warm (60s? that’s hot for Duluth). For reference I got 138th place, but 8 of those were women. Also, I didn’t wear the 4%.

Did iRunFar interview you before or after the race?: No
Race image(s):

Shoeless Joe Sez!

“This was my second time running Grandma’s Marathon.”

Weird flex, but ok, continue.

“It’s in Duluth, Minnesota, which is upcountry Minnesota.”

I admit my SAT geography score wasn’t great, but when did Minnesota become a country? Is this like the Alaska or Texas or Utah thing where the state that no one likes acts all put out and continually threatens to secede from the rest of us and use dogecoin as a currency and start their *own* Ninja Warrior franchise? I only know one guy from Minnesota but I don’t speak to him anymore and I don’t care to end the feud just to ask him to clarify this for me (screw you, Patrick!).

“I think Duluth is Anglo for Grandma??? It sounds like doula. Which reminds me of Paula Abdul.”

I Bing’d “thing’s to do in duluth” and the #2 result was “ride a Lime Bike to Wisconsin.” Which reminds me to remind you all that I went to same high school as Aaron Rodgers and I know a couple guys who know his brother.

“Um, oh the race.”

“Anyway, the race itself was pretty good. I ran 2:36 and 34 seconds.”

“That’s about 6 minute pace.”

“…aided by a massive tailwind. I think a headwind would have been better as it was a bit warm.”

Uh huh. Nothing farts up a marathon performance than one of those annoying tailwinds. Turn that wind around and you def woulda been 2:2x!

For real though Paulie, that’s a helluva performance….writing this race report! And your marathon result is one to be proud of as well! Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go fall into a Paula Abdul music video wormhole and pretend I’m Keanu Reeves.

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SRC Member Race Reports – May 2019

📸Evan Williams

Once a month (lol) we’d like to showcase the races for members courageous enough to spend a few minutes filling out a Google Form, and until we get that sick shout-out from the CEO himself on Twitter or, preferably, Instagram®, we will *NOT* promote Run Gum!

Winners, losers, and everyone in between (even you Masters runners!), I wanna hear your tales! Your submission can be as brief, or *long* as you’d like! Better believe I’m deleting any references to Run Gum though!

Are you racing in June? Cougar? Probably! Rock & Roll?! (Haha!) Here’s an incomplete list of “races” I accept:

  1. Real races! (road, track, trail, relays, obstacle courses, chasing that teen around the track after his friend Todd dared you to race him)
  2. Not really races(?) (stair climbs for cancer research, color runs, certain Mario Kart levels)
  3. Strava CRs! (no bikes)
  4. Strava CR attempts! (definitely no bikes)

In order to increase the rate of submissions from its current rate of 0.2 per month, I’d like to offer the following perks to reporters!*

  1. I’ll go with you to the nearest QFC and buy you a 6 pack of Leinenkugel.
  2. I’ll go with you to the nearest QFC and you can see what happens when I offer to buy a random #teen a 6 pack of Leinenkugel.
  3. We’ll go to the nearest Target and I’ll ask the nearest non-male cashier if they have “condoms for virgins” and if so “I’ll buy 3.”
  4. I’ll email Ginger Runner over and over until he agrees to check out my Pliny The Elder bottle collection and do a Shoeless Joe interview.
  5. I’ll race in my favorite Big Dogs shirt at whatever the next Rainshadow Running race I’m allowed to enter the lottery for.

*Perks will not be honored

Submit Your Race Report!

Let’s hand it off to MAY 2019’s brave soul who obviously spent a lot of time on his report and I can see why so many of you are intimidated to do so yourself!
🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻

Brett Winegar

Member #: 1830
Race name: Sun Mountain 25K
When was this race?05-19-2019
How did you place?! 2nd – by 4 seconds and closing
Race website: Ultrasignup
Race report:

Sun Mountain – finished 2nd by 4 seconds. Don’t know who the winner was but I was so freaking close to catching him…just ran out of distance. He gapped me by a good minute in the first half. There was a CNW guy that was dogging me most of the race. I finally put a couple minutes on him in the last 3 to 4 miles while I was trying to chase down the winner. All 3 of us had a huge gap on the rest of the field.

I was 2:05:32. Times where slower this year but the course had a few little changes that made it a little longer…just a hair under 17 miles total.

It was a very solid race for me – I ran as well as I could on the day.

Did iRunFar interview you before or after the race?: No
Race image(s):

📸Evan Williams

Shoeless Joe Sez!

“There was a CNW guy”

Booooo!

“…that was dogging me most of the race.”

I’m….wait what?

“Times where slower this year but the course had a few little changes that made it a little longer”

I used to “dog” races that changed their course every year, but now that Cougar Mtn had to change it a bit this year on account of felled trees, I now have no issues with course changes because I am cool.

In fact the Sun Mountain 50k I ran a number of years ago before lotteries were a thing and I remember multiple junctions of no signage and got frustrated and gave up and stopped “racing” and later wrote a whiny pity-party blog post about it that maybe 3 people read but one of those three was the race director and he apologized and I felt bad and so to make it right I made sure my site was hosted by a shit company that eventually lost my database and of course I didn’t back it up so the whiny post is gone.

Archived Member Race Reports

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Featured Member Information Race Reports

SRC Member Race Reports – April 2019

Once a month (lol) we’d like to showcase the races for members courageous enough to spend a few minutes filling out a Google Form, and until we get that sick shout-out from the CEO himself on Twitter or, preferably, Instagram®, we will *NOT* promote Run Gum!

Winners, losers, and everyone in between (even you Masters runners!), I wanna hear your tales! Your submission can be as brief, or *long* as you’d like! Better believe I’m deleting any references to Run Gum though!

Are you racing in May? Cougar? Probably! (No Run Gum at Cougar aid stations, I can assure you) Here’s an incomplete list of “races” I accept:

  1. Real races! (road, track, trail, relays, obstacle courses, chasing that teen around the track after his friend Todd dared you to race him)
  2. Not really races(?) (stair climbs for cancer research, color runs, certain Mario Kart levels)
  3. Strava CRs! (no bikes)
  4. Strava CR attempts! (definitely no bikes)

In order to increase the rate of submissions from its current rate of 0.2 per month, I’d like to offer the following perks to reporters!*

  1. I’ll go with you to the nearest QFC and buy you a 6 pack of Leinenkugel.
  2. I’ll go with you to the nearest QFC and you can see what happens when I offer to buy a random #teen a 6 pack of Leinenkugel.
  3. We’ll go to the nearest Target and I’ll ask the nearest non-male cashier if they have “condoms for virgins” and if so “I’ll buy 3.”
  4. I’ll email Ginger Runner over and over until he agrees to check out my Pliny The Elder bottle collection and do a Shoeless Joe interview.
  5. I’ll race in my favorite Big Dogs shirt at whatever the next Rainshadow Running race I’m allowed to enter the lottery for.

*Perks will not be honored

Submit Your Race Report!

Let’s hand it off to APRIL 2019’s ruthless & rabid reporters, starting off with a familiar face!
🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻

“Big” Joe Creighton

Member #: 1029
Race name: Horse Butte 10 Mile
When was this race? 4/07/19
How did you place?! Who cares, I beat Evan Williams*
Race website: results
*Your* website URL: boyz.exposed
Race report:

TBH I mostly only agreed to join Stefan Redfield and Evan Williams at this race in Central Oregon as I wanted to see Max King’s calf vasculature up close and in person.

My dad mailed me a birthday check, but it bounced, so when my mom wired me my birthday money a few days later, I signed up and found a pair of 1991 Guns & Roses Tour denim shorts to rock. The race sort or requires it of anyone running semi-seriously to wear denim since the inevitable winner every year (King) cosplays as a roided-up Al Borlan in shorts and Salomons. I’m going to wear my full Nike kit that I got on clearance at Big 5 and lose to King by four and half minutes instead of five minutes in daisy dukes? Nahhhhh.

(Shows clerk at Goodwill my handful of denim shorts made for 14 year old girls)
“I’d like to use the change room, please. Also do you guys sell Monster Energy?”

Ten miles and a breakfast of four (4) bananas later, I finished 4th place, seconds behind Stefan’s college friend who wore the (orange 😒) Nike kit he got from Big 5 and somehow still managed to have a wife, so I maintained 3rd overall in the Denim Division.

A few minutes after finishing, the race director congratulated me on being the first Masters finisher.
*Evan raced in full length jeans

Did iRunFar interview you before or after the race?: No
Race image(s):

Martin Criminale

Member #: 1348
Race name: REVEL Mt Charleston Marathon
When was this race? 4/27/19
How did you place?! I won
Race website: runrevel.com/rmc
*Your* website URL: martin.criminale.com
Race report:

This is a downhill course and is all about qualifying for Boston. The first half descends, the second half is mostly flat with some short climbs in the last five miles. I started out feeling great! Doesn’t everyone in a downhill road race? But when I hit a hill at mile 22 the wheels came off. Luckily I had enough time in the bank to win my age group and I got a marathon PR. This is a VERY well supported event, there are aid stations every two miles and they all appeared to have toilets. The finish line expo is also pretty good with everyone getting one free beer, piece of pizza, and slice of pie. They also had towels soaked in cold water! That felt heavenly after running the Las Vegas heat.

Did iRunFar interview you before or after the race?: No
Race image(s):

Shoeless Joe Sez!

“This is a downhill course and is all about qualifying for Boston.”

Did Rufus make it this time?!

“The finish line expo is also pretty good with everyone getting one free beer, piece of pizza, and slice of pie.”

Is this was the Seattle Marathon, the halfers would have walked off with an average of 4 beers (Red Hook oh yeah!!) & pizza+pie slices apiece, leaving you marathoners with one warm milk, one cup of limp celery, and one dixie cup of raisins apiece.

“They also had towels soaked in cold water!”

We marathoning in a Mad Max society now? How is “cold water” getting a shout out in a race report?

“(nothing about experiencing Carrot Top’s act at Luxor)”

I know I’m asking for “race reports” but in my mind, the true race experience isn’t relegated merely to between the start gun and finish line; it’s also about describing at length Carrot Top’s set at the Luxor later than evening! *Most* marathoners hit a hill around mile 22 and the wheels fall off, but how many can describe witnessing a yoked Carrot Top pulling his latest wacky inventions out of a steamer trunk a mere 12 hours later?!

Marlene Farrell

Member #: 1155
Race name: Horse Lake 25k Trail race and Sunflower Trail Marathon
When was this race? 4/27 (Horse Lake) and 5/4 (Sunflower)
How did you place?! 2nd woman, 1st master’s at Horse Lake and 3rd woman, 1st Master’s at Sunflower.
Race website: Horse Lake
Sunflower
Race report:

Horse Lake had crazy winds (over 30mph) and hail. I’m proud of my result at Sunflower because I really wasn’t recovered from Horse Lake and I made the poor decision of wearing new shoes which made my feet feel like they were on fire. But I loved the wildflowers, as always, at both of these races.

Did iRunFar interview you before or after the race?: No

Shoeless Joe Sez!

“I made the poor decision of wearing new shoes which made my feet feel like they were on fire.”


You know, I know no one thinks Vibram makes shoes anymore, but they–hold on, let me check…

Ok yeah they still make shoes and let me assure you they no longer pay me to pimp them out, but the airflow you get from some of their models can be, with the right post-purchase adjustments made using a sharp knife or pair of scissors, marginally better than some of these “fancy” or “cool” shoes you can still purchase at actual brick & mortar shops.

Keep a spot open at the Cool Masters Table for me, Marlene! I’m on my way!

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Dehydrating at Canyons 100k

It’s taking a while for me to fully appreciate, but slowly sinking into my brain is the concept that ultra racing is pretty hard. I’ve always felt that one of my great strengths lies in a lack of trepidation about taking on any distance or race, as I don’t hesitate to throw myself in the mix and give it a shot. The downside of this method comes about 60% into a race when things start getting rocky and reality comes flying at me with an elbow from the top rope. But, over the last couple years of racing I’ve been learning how to take the hit.

I came into The Canyons 100k off a great training block and joined a field of many other golden ticket-seeking hopefuls with similar skill levels. It was feeling like it could be anyone’s race without relying on missed turns or allergic reactions to take out a front-runner. After the first 50k, the climbing legs had done their thing and I came through the half right on plan in 6th place around 10-15 minutes off the lead. Here’s where I hoped the leaders would fade a bit and I would surge. Instead the heat surged and a Seattle spring had left me unprepared for the California sun. I made it to the turnaround at Rucky Chucky mainly via sponge baths at every aid station. I was getting caught by a few runners at that point, which provided enough motivation to get my legs back under me and tough it out through the final quarter, during which I managed to get back my 6th place spot. It wasn’t the best race, but it’s always nice to finish on and upswing and running instead of dragging myself in just to avoid a DNF. Chalk this one up as experience earned and a stepping-stone towards something better.