MM#209 / JapanJoyful#803
SAy jon, I noticed there's an interesting "Bellevue Ghost" kinda quirky marathon the same weekend as the R&R Seattle. What do you know about that? And what's the Green River Marathon like on June 7th? Also intrigued by Ranier to Ruston, a 50 miler but you can do it as a relay. Any Seattle area folks considering that?
SAy jon, I noticed there's an interesting "Bellevue Ghost" kinda quirky marathon the same weekend as the R&R Seattle. What do you know about that? And what's the Green River Marathon like on June 7th?
Also intrigued by Ranier to Ruston, a 50 miler but you can do it as a relay. Any Seattle area folks considering that?
thanks aamosamyanni. You’re so far away in florida, I never dreamed we might get to see you again so just let me say that the Bellevue Ghost, Green River and Rainier-to-Ruston are three of the best events in all of the Pacific Northwest, if not the world, so please come to all three. .Like the Seattle Ghost was founded by early day SM’ers (when the entry fee was $15) as an alternative to the modern transformation of the SM to a $100+ extravaganza with expo-pickups, etc., the Bellevue Ghost is the day after the Seattle Rock’n’Roll which is a reincarnation of the Seafair Marathon you ran in '06 one of your many sub-3:30's in those days in Bellevue but it’s now over on the Seattle side, duplicating a lot of the Lake Washington view route of the superb Seattle Marathon you ran in ‘05 in 3:25, I think.
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Remember afterwards, you dragged me from my SMGhost/SM double saying, “you can’t deny it any more” to have me become MM # 209. It was the same time Divechief said, "you guys are crazy; i'll never run more than two marathons a year." .Unfortunately, being in the middle of the summer, the Bellevue Ghost suffers from fiercely extreme temperatures sometimes in to the high seventies but lots of MM’s double it with the R’n’R or instead of the R’n’R. The Bellevue Ghost encircles the shoulders of the roadways around Enki’s beloved Bridle Trails Park (otherwise called “horse poop park” by SRL, I think, and others <<<(me/me)>>>. It’s worth it though if you can arrange the double.. Unlike the $130 entry for the R’n’Roll, Green River is one of Steve Barrick’s (MM#31) freebies. However, since he’s got corporate sponsors to double his collections for Northwest Harvest, everyone throws something into the collection pot. The 26.2 miles from Kent to Alki Beach are mostly smooth bike paths that my bare feet love and the last the last five miles are along Elliott Bay across from divechief’s ferry terminals and downtown skyscraper/Space Needle vistas.
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Unfortunately, Green River is the same day (6/7) as the Rainier-to-Ruston which, I think, is mostly along the shoulders of roads and highways from the lower reaches of Mt. Rainier access roads to Puget Sound. I think Dove did it last year so maybe she can pop in. By a happy coincidence though, there’s a 50K on 6/8 down in the Columbia Gorge where Wildchild ran last year, I think. Maybe she’ll come back again too. <<<(please/please)>>>> As you know, with even the ancient one joining the ultra ranks too, it’s getting to be about time for your first ultra one of these days.
"Enjoy yourself. Your younger days never come again." 100yo T. Igarashi to me in geta at top of Mt. Fuji (8/2/87)
The Dovenator
OK. I'll chime in about Green River Marathon and Rainier to Ruston. Both are run the first Saturday of June. Green River is a free marathon on mostly urban paved trails. There are road crossing that require you wait for traffic lights and this can eat up a significant amount of time... so not a race to "race". Also pretty much self-supported.
On the same day is the 50 mile Rainier to Ruston. It's one of my favorite NW races. The start is on the lower slopes of Mt Rainier and the first 20 miles are on technical, sloppy, shoe-eating-muddy single track trails. Most years portions of the trail are under significant stands of water. at around mile 21 you hit paved Rails-2-Trails and continue on those until mile 40 or so. The last 10 miles meander through industrial parks, seedy areas of Tacoma and the Tacoma waterfront. oh yeah, theres also a 2 mile sand trap that includes deep puddles that you must wade through.
This race is also pretty much self-supported if you are running solo. There are aid stations but they are far apart. You can have several drop boxes... including one at the end of the single track so it's a very good idea to have a clean, dry set of road shoes at that point. I believe there is a 12 hour cut of for the 50 mile. This race is well worth running, but because its all downhill, train those quads to handle 50 miles of it!
"it's just like having fun, but different"
Maniac 505
Aamos:
it would be greta to see you out here for another race, even if it is an ultra (Though I will NEVER run another ultra ). right now, I am so far out of marathon shape you wouldn't believe it. With my current job position I am lucky if I can even do a few miles of fitness jogging every other week.
I don't expect to run another marathon until I semi retire expectantly at the end of 2015. early 2018 I will most likely have a semi forced full retirement, then the world is mine!!!
We had the perfect snow. Snowed 1" and melted the same day. Two miles with the pooch in shorts. Beautiful sunrise this morning.
Think I'll go run the estatoe trail today. This was a trading route for the Indians from the mountain settlements to their town Estatoe in SC.
This is one of the few groomed trails here. There are 400 miles of maintained trails in Pisgua Forest. and there are only a few I have not run. Jay I thought about the Southwest airline commercial. "Do you want to get away"