After a speedy Portland, I was hoping to reach, at least, the 16 laps needed for 50K in today’s annual Carkeek “toughest 12-hour out there, bar none” Fun Run that’s been possible since 2009 and, until the last three years, more but only got to 15 full laps and two of the half-mile add-ons at the end for 30-miles. However, couldn’t be happier that my fishhook leg could do that well. Maybe I should have taken the crutch they gave me after yesterday’s failed minor surgery at the city’s annual health clinic to try take it out.
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In particular, there are no losers in timed races and the results just give total miles so, even though the younger runners ran twice as far as me in their allotted 12 hours (course record = some 72-miles), I “beat” several MM stars who only ran four-or-five hours to their 26.2 mile MM race goals for the day.

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I never thought a regular runner who was always wasted at the end of a regular marathon could ever run an ultra without extensive training but my ultra mentor Paul Piplani who I wondered why I could keep up to him in marathons when he regularly ran 100-mile ultras said it’s the same as running a marathon on half marathon training by moderating the pace by a couple of minutes per mile, except my 13:46 pace for Portland was greatly reduced to 23:36 min/mile today. I bet nobody except me has ever been that slow in any race, . . . , at least, until next year.. . 
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As a result, 6:00:34 for 26.2 miles at Portland, best in four years, took almost four hours longer (9hr/25 minutes) to get to 26.2 miles today. No wonder, with the 430' every two mile lap comparing to about 180-or-so feet up from St. Helens Hiway to the top of the St. John’s Bridge down there (I think) to bring today’s total to 7,015'.

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In addition to White River 50-mile, I wish wildchild and zigalina and others can do the Carkeek 12-hour too someday. It’s getting so popular, there’s now a spring version in the opposite direction (clockwise).

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Unfortunately, heavy rain from 6 am - 1:30 pm made the Portland Marathon look like Palm Beach and had everyone drenched like drowned rats on a sinking ship as Seattle broke a rain record for October (nearly ten inches) but, like Portland at 60^o, it was warm enough at 57^o so never really got cold. Fortunately, sun broke through at 1:30 and provided a beautiful Puget Sound sunset for the 6:00 pm finish.

Either way, I don’t think there’s enough rain left anywhere else to bother anybody else’s upcoming marathons. <<<(t^wocat/twocat)>>>

Two hours later my 52 b/m HR from yesterday’s med exam is still 88 two hours later

ps - trekking poles.

here's a race photo of francesca and her trekking poles from a couple of years ago coming down the final descent to the start/finish aid station every two miles that gave me the idea to use them for the two steep ascents on Carkeek's climbs up the bluffs overlooking Puget Sound climb, so steep they have a total of 133 stair dug into the sides of the hills (1,995 stairs for 15 laps+ 48 for the last two add-on laps exceeds the 1,200 stairs I love in several temple climbs in Japan).  They also prevented two serious falls on the muddy descents when I jurched forward out-of-control.

Inadvertently, taking off without mine on one of the early laps dropped the circuit back more than five minutes and in the later laps, other runners with way more laps than mine were commenting how they could not keep up to me as I used the trakking poles to push my way up the two 10-15 minute ascents along the way.  No wonder my shoulders are so tired.  However, a 100-mile Hard Rock/Western States veteran was the only other one using them.

ps - race photos by Glenn Tachiyama who is famed for his trail running calendar

and the White River photos on a little downhill travers near the top of the first

mountain ascent up to Corral Pass with spectacular Mt. Rainier backdrop making

even us slower runners look like pros. Though mine is more than ten years old now,,

it's still my favorite runing photo. 

Very cool, Tet!

What is not to love about Tetsujin?

Impressive, just impressive

Yikes Tet!! You really are amazing!!