Masters Running

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Light at the End of the Tunnel & RAfamily party (Read 79 times)

Mariposai


    The Tunnel awaits us all and it is time to plan for some serious RAfamily reunion!

     

     

     

    I decided to start this thread to see who is interested in a carboloading get-together the night before the marathon and post marathon dinner.

    For those of you who are visiting Washington State, my family is more than willing to take you for a short hike or some "sound" sighting before you need to head back home.

     

    Seattle has so many wonderful places to visit and I will be counting on the Seattle friends to suggest the places to go and things to see while in Seattle.

     

    So, for starters, please tell me if you are interested in a carboloading dinner before the race and if you are staying in the area after the race.

     

    BTW, the posie family will have a cooler full of post marathon party food at the finish line for everyone (some bubbles too Smile) after all, we will have two birthday divas on the race course.Wink

    "Champions are everywhereall you need is to train them properly..." ~Arthur Lydiard

    Mike E


    MM #5615

      I'm in for whatever everybody else wants to do...as long as I get some pasta with a light marinara sauce...and a good night's sleep the night before the marathon.  By the way...that tunnel looks kinda scary...

      pfriese


        Mariposai,

         

        I do not arrive until late Saturday evening so will be unable to attend any pre race festivities. It really will be a short trip for me. Flying in on Saturday evening and flying out on Monday evening. My DD and her family live in Samammish which is where I'll be staying. Immediate post race get together is probably the most I'll be able to do. I'll see if my son-in-law can provide a bit of his beer for post race tasting.

         

        I am looking forward to meeting up with PNW RA/CR runners and I gotta agree with Mike E, "that tunnel looks kinda scary...."

         

        Paul

        TammyinGP


          I'm curious how many runners will start this race and how many finish it? I'm thinking a few don't make it out of that scary tunnel.

          Tammy

          Mike E


          MM #5615

            Oh great....now, I'm going to have nightmares!

              Mikey, hopefully your batteries on your flashlight won't go dead inside the tunnel.  There is no light at all.  And dank water dripping from the crumbling ceiling.  And weird echos.

              "During a marathon, I run about two-thirds of the time. That's plenty." - Margaret Davis, 85 Ed Whitlock regarding his 2:54:48 marathon at age 73, "That was a good day. It was never a struggle."

              stumpy77


              Trails are hard!

                Enke--whatever you do, don't mention the bats.................................................

                Need a fast half for late fall.  Then I need to actually train for it.

                 

                TammyinGP


                  Mikey, hopefully your batteries on your flashlight won't go dead inside the tunnel.  There is no light at all.  And dank water dripping from the crumbling ceiling.  And weird echos.

                   

                  crumbling ceiling in an underground tunnel. that's always reassuring . . Surprised

                  Tammy

                  Mike E


                  MM #5615

                    Oh...is the marathon THIS July 14th?! Umm...I completely forgot...I...Umm...I have an appointment this July 14th...yeah...I have a dentist appointment. Can't cancel a dentist appointment, you know...teeth are too important. Bats, you say...and crumbling ceilings...yeah, I have a dentist appointment.
                    TammyinGP


                      and isn't there a fault line that runs right through that area? that might explain the crumbling ceiling. . .

                       

                       

                      oh wait! I just read the title of this thread - this is supposed to be a PARTY thread!!  Or maybe it's a "if you are lucky enough to make it out of the tunnel alive we will have a big party" thread.

                      Tammy


                      MM#209 / JapanJoyful#803

                        Mike - don't listen to them. Sure, it used to be very VERY dangerous, and, in fact, was closed for a couple of years even after the Light-at-the-end-of-the-Tunnel marathon started when holes started opening up and slabs of granite rock dislodging and water pouring through leaks along the way. In particular, with little drainage through granite (and no sun to evaporate), the puddles could get pretty deep. 
                        .
                        However, they got all the leaks plugged now and, with a couple of exceptions, there’s no water pouri.. I mean dripping down now-and-then on runners anymore.
                        .
                        In addition, recent improvements to the surfaces and regular sweepings have eliminated all the erratic rocks that seemed to break off every once-in-a-while and trip up careless runners who didn’t have good enough lights to see far enough ahead to avoid them. However, it’s so smooth now that mariposai’s DS ran through the whole thing last year without any light at all, just looking at the pinpoint light ahead of him to keep him on track (and other runners ahead of us too) without any problem with footing.  When I tried it, footing was not an issue but I found myself inadvertently drifting over to the sides of the tunnel and, catching myself just before careening into/off the sides and falling down, I went back to using my light the rest of the way without any further problem. Well maybe, at my pace, it probably wouldn’t have been a “careen.”  Oh well. 
                        .
                        Quite frankly, with the new surfaces, especially if M’s DS could do it, you’ll probably do just fine running with other runners at your fast pace without any light at all.  In fact, I think the winner last year was so fast the light didn’t go him any good anyway.
                        .
                        End-of-message to Mike

                        message to rest of regular runners: Mike’ll be too fast to notice but, based on my four Tunnels, if it’s been raining beforehand, there can be lots of leaks, sometimes pretty bad, like taking a shower along the two miles plus so be sure to wear a billed cap to stay dry (and warm as it's chilly inside), to say nothing of having a good light to watch out for tripping up and falling down over the little six-eight inch drainage ditches about six inches deep that Mike-like runners won't even notice angling across the surface occasionally to minimize the puddles along the way.  In fact, if it’s been raining hard in the days leading up to race day, many runners will use lightweight garbage sacks or dry cleaning bags to stay dry and warm.  If race day is raining hard, us slower runners’ll have dry clothes in our drop bags on the other side.  At least there’s never been any of the bear encounters inside the tunnel yet like held up M’s DS and me two years ago at around mile eight or so.

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

                        Mike E


                        MM #5615

                          Thanks tet!  I feel so much better.


                          Maniac 505

                            Mike:  You really have nothing to worry about.   I understand the rats have the leach population under control, and it would have to be a Really hot day before the snakes would regulate their temperature in the tunnel  besides,  very few of the shakes are venemous.

                             

                            I'm having issues with photobucket or I would post a picture of the tunnel exit soon after entering.  (A pin point of light that is two miles away)

                             

                            Sadly, it looks like I will be working that weekend so I doubt if I will be able to join any of the fun.

                            Dave


                            MM#209 / JapanJoyful#803

                              Dave - no particular reason for blackm...encour...., I mean, inviting you to join the birthday girls at their Light-at-the-end-of-the-Tunnel Marathon but I have some pictures of a guy in an big salt water aquarium in Japan that look a lot like you.
                              ps - what's your boss's name?

                              .
                              Besides, I need all the help I can get in blackm..., encourag...

                              I mean inviting mariposai to share one of her storytelling stories with us this time.

                              In the meantime, let me tell you the story
                              of a man named Mikey on a tragic and fateful day.
                              He put two gu’s in his pocket,
                              kissed his wife and family,
                              went to run in the tunnel, they say.
                              But, did he ever return?
                              No, he never returned and his fate is still unlearned.
                              He may run forever in the tunnel darkness,
                              He's the man who never returned, . . . .

                              ...............................ain’t you Mikey?

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

                              Tramps


                                Mike:  You really have nothing to worry about.   I understand the rats have the leach population under control, and it would have to be a Really hot day before the snakes would regulate their temperature in the tunnel  besides,  very few of the snakes are venemous.

                                 

                                 

                                I've heard the snakes and rats are gone now, too.

                                 

                                Have fun!

                                Be safe. Be kind.

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