800 Mile Club

1

race reports (Read 10 times)


MM#209 / JapanJoyful#803

    Running for fitness and fun since 1977, I’m not much of a racer anymore, if ever, but, when it’s 12 straight hours of pure, unadulterated exercise in the “toughest 12-hour out there,” who cares if it’s running, walking or a lot of not doing either.
    .
    The two 200'-plus hills in Carkeek Park near Seattle are so steep and daunting that few park visitors venture up either of their forested ascents from the adjacent attractions of Puget Sound tidal flats, 100-car train paralleling Puget Sound, and chum salmon digging out redds in their long-lost natal stream after two-or-0three years of thousand mile migrations far into the North Pacific Ocean feeding grounds.
    .

    After total extermination by 1929 from overfishing and railroad construction,

    the little remaining habitat supports annual spawning migrations, . . .

    and weekend influxes of kids enjoying it too,

    . . .Carkeek Park playground.... Carkeek Park - Train passing . . .at Carkeek Park throughout

    After running down along the parking lot, across Carkeek Creek for the first of 32 times the day would bring and a grassy field, most runners immediately become walkers on the 78 steps dug into the slope of the first hillside to a Puget Sound overlook.  Several sets of from 7 or so to a dozen stair sets get you to the top of the second hill (40 stair steps later).  In between, there’s more salmon looking for mates higher up the creek, and the bulk of the 113 descent stairs on the way down..

    .. . . . . some of the 78 steps up the first hill

    . .. . . .

    .

    someone <<<(that would be me)>>>

    comin' down the last set

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    In my last Carkeek outing (in 2012), I barely completed 16 laps (30.88 miles) in enough time for a final 0.59 add-on lap for runners whose remaining time is insufficient for a final real loop.
    .
    In order to do the same again, I’d need to average 43:10 for each lap, including enticing pit stops at the all-to-convenient start/finish grounds at the parking lot, replete with boiled potatoes in salt, potato chips, M&M’s, Twix/Snickers and all sorts of mini-candy bars, various flavored gels, energy bars, pastries, oreo/chocolate chip/oatmeal-raisen/etc. cookies, Nuun hydration, etc.
    .
    I only got disoriented three times as the straggler on the first lap in 44 min but improved to 37 / 44 / 42 / 40 / 34 and 40 for the next six go arounds to 10:35 a.m. The second at 37 was spurred by trying to avoid being lapped (it worked) and the 34 was chatting some of the faster runners on their respective walk breaks.
    .
    Unfortunately, the next nine to 4:57 p.m. portended a marathon distance at best: 48 / 43 / 46 / 50 / 48 / 46 / 50 / 51.
    However, as I resignedly shuffled off for the final circuit, what did I see?
    Is she walking back to me, . .  pretty woman.”

    (2013 Matt Hagen staff photo)

    .
    Pretty woman would be an understatement.  Driving out to Carkeek after a day tending to her retail store in Bellevue, Francesca was stunning in an immaculate, pure, bright white running shirt, angel-like aura, dispensing cheery encouragements like stardust to her many otherwise grimacing running friends facing their final laps too.  
    2012 Carkeek photo
    .
    The 100-miles she had just run in Arkansas as a final qualification to apply for next year’s Western States 100-mile Endurance Run on the way back from a family trip to Italy and France (where DS is in soccer camp) put my16 laps vs. the 52 she would have needed for 100 miles into a perspective that resulted in lap 16 not only being my fastest of the day (33-minutes) but it left ample time for two mini-laps and a 32.— total. No wonder I love running so much.

    .

    Good luck on your Western States quest francesca.
    .

    Postscript one - miscounted laps.

    Another reason I was slogging into the last lap was that, although I had counted 15 laps to the 4:57 mark, the official counter said it was only number 14 and I would not meet my 50K target by 6:00 p.m. Fortunately, in order to mark progress around-and-around the park, the same official had checked his cell phone to give watchless me the time of each lap. Having each lap time in writing on the back of my bib no. 887 was all the evidence needed for full 50K credit.  whew!
     .
    postscript two - costume contest.
    Though 11/1 was a day late for the first time, ultra-lady bugs, bumble bees with butterfly wings, skeletons, tigers, etc. put even more fun into each lap. Unfortunately, everyone’s so used to my straw rice paddy hat, samue happy coat set and zori thongs it’s getting to be not much of a costume anymore.

    .

    2009 staff photo with original RD  . . . . . . . "let's dance"

    perfect training run for. .. . . . . . . . . .  . .Nope, come the wee hours of

     

    Postscript three - quads.
    As a former avid mountain climber, I can handle ascents worthily but the relentless  quad thrashing of bounding down steep stairs on each hill for each lap left me grimacing for the next five days at the thought of having to stand up, get up or stepping down stairs, or even off a innocenet curbside. Have you ever been so sore you just sat air drying in the bathtub dreading trying to get out after the water drained out?  Gives an appreciation that that’s not how it is all the time for some people our ages.
    .
    Postscript four - laps

     

     

    postscript five - photos from Matt Hagen Photos / Glenn Tachiyama Photos / Google search

    "Enjoy yourself. Your younger days never come again." 100yo T. Igarashi to me in geta at top of Mt. Fuji (8/2/87)