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Featured Interviews Misc

Shoeless Joe Interview #1 – Uli Steidl

Welcome to the first installment of the Shoeless Joe Interview! I say “installment” assuming this will a) not be discovered and deleted by higher-ranking board members and b) I’m allowed to make this a recurring feature here.

For my first interview I wanted to go big, and when it comes to Seattle running, you can’t go much bigger than Uli Steidl! He and his wife Trisha Steidl form a sort of royal union in the local running scene, with countless wins and accomplishments between them at a wide variety of distances. Both also extend their expertise to coaching collegiate running talent at Seattle University, where Trisha is the head coach and Uli is an assistant coach.

After his great performance at the 2012 Boston Marathon (1st Masters, 5th American, 15th overall), and his excellent first pitch at a recent Mariners game, I had to sit down and get to know more about the man(ly) Seattle legend. With an awesome view of Lake Washington in front of us, we had a great time. Enjoy!

********

Shoeless Joe: First off Uli, thanks for taking the time to speak with me! I don’t know if you know me, but my name is Joe Creighton and I’m on the Seattle Running Club board. So you could say we’re like teammates.

Uli Steidl: Joe, of course I know you. I’ve been to several board meetings. And you text with my wife Trisha all the time, and meet her for track workouts every Thursday afternoon. At least that’s what she says.

SJ: Oh cool! I didn’t know Trisha was your wife. That actually clears up some confusion I had. And explains why you live in her house.
Before we get too deep into this interview, let me say congratulations! It’s not every day someone gets invited to throw out the first pitch at a Major League Baseball game. Was that one of the biggest thrills of your life?

US: Oh, definitely! Growing up in Germany, almost every boy dreams to someday play in the Major League. Baseball is our national sport, almost a religion.
Speaking of thrills, the biggest thrill in my athletic career was running in the 2007 IAAF Marathon World Championships in Osaka, Japan. And more recently the 112th Boston Marathon, where I finished 15th overall, 5th American and 1st masters.

SJ: Wow! That was actually my next question, if Boston was your first marathon. But it sounds like you’ve run two total. Any racing plans for the rest of 2012? Perhaps a third marathon? Ever thought about trying out one of those “ultra” marathons?

US: Joe, you have to qualify for Boston, so it can’t be your first one. You call yourself a runner and you don’t know this? I’m not sure how many marathons I’ve run. Thirty five to forty. Fifteen of them under 2:20. I am planning on running another marathon this year. Twin Cities, in the fall.
And yes, I have done a few ultras.

SJ: Wow, thirty five to forty…I was a little off! LOL! If we can move back to your beginnings in Germany, what initially got you interested in running? For me it was a woman. Was it a woman for you? If your wife will get mad at you, just make something up.

US: My initial interest in running was there because there was a race that started half a mile from my home. I was 17 at the time, did a lot of biking–about 20 miles a day–but NO running. Entered the race and won.
No, women (or a woman) had nothing to do with me deciding to start running. But running has since strongly influenced my interest in women. I have never dated–or even kissed–a woman who wasn’t a runner. It would be hard for me to imagine being with someone who doesn’t share this part of my life.

SJ: I think I know what you mean. Women can make good things even better…like how Facebook does with life. Speaking of, I saw on Facebook that you went to college in Portland. What was the transition to living in the states like, compared to life in Germany? Food, music, bros, etc?

US: I’m not so sure I would put “women” and “Facebook” in the same category. You can’t hug or kiss Facebook. On the other hand, you can ignore Facebook for a month without serious consequences.

SJ: ?

US: Moving to the US was not that dramatic of a change. Lots of changes that American freshmen also experience, like moving out of your parents’ home and living with a roommate in the dorms; cafeteria food, new coach, new routines. I spoke English fairly well before I got here; good enough to get a 4.0 my first semester at University of Portland. But then again, I took familiar subjects such as chemistry, physics and calculus. I did, however, have to learn some fine nuances of the English language, such as “Uli, you don’t HAVE a shit. You TAKE a shit!”

SJ: LMAO! Can we say “shit”? Oh well. And that’s true about Facebook, but you can “like” Facebook on Facebook’s Facebook profile. Just like a woman!
Speaking of, on Facebook, as well as Myspace and Friendster and LinkedIn and this pro-wrestling message board I post at, I asked people to suggest any questions they think I should ask. Are you ready for the Fast-Acting Lightning Speed Round, which I should mention is sponsored by our fast friends at Fleet Feet Seattle? I will ask a question fastly, and you reply fastly. Like, lightning fast. Oh, also…you wear this eye mask to make sure you’re focused. Ready?

US: Sure. Shoot.

SJ: …can you put the eye mask on, please?
US: [puts the mask on]

SJ: OK, buckle your seatbelt, here we go! And remember, if you think any of these questions are dumb, it’s because it probably came from one of my MySpace friends.

US: Just start, please.

SJ: Ok. How much ya bench?
US: I did 115 once in college. Pounds, not kilograms. Bench press max is irrelevant for distance running.

SJ: What’s something any American tourist should eat at least once while in Germany? And please don’t say Head Cheese.
US: Schweinshaxen und Sauerkraut.

SJ: Favorite flavor of Vitamin Water?
US: I don’t drink Vitamin Water. I try to avoid bottled water in general. Tap water costs 2 cents per liter in Seattle. Fruit juice, milk, chocolate milk, water, tea. And once in a while a beer.

SJ: I know he’s not German, but close enough — best Arnold Schwarzenegger movie: “Kindergarten Cop”, “Pumping Iron”, “No Really, That Guy Was the Governor of California?!”, or “Twins”?
US: Arnold is Austrian. Not German. Not even close! What’s next, you call a Canadian “almost American”?

SJ: (laughing) Touché! I was curious, what newspapers and magazines do you regularly read — to stay informed and to understand the world?
US: Seattle Times. I used to read the PI, but they went out of print. As far as magazines, Northwest Runner, Running Times, Ultrarunning. Oh yes and Fox News.

SJ: Is the Boston Marathon like the Olympics for marathoners?
US: (sigh) Not exactly. It’s the oldest continuously run marathon in the world. And the fact that you have to qualify for it makes it intriguing for many people. You actually have to be a decent runner to qualify. But the Olympics is a whole different level. You have to be world-class to make it to the Olympic marathon, and even that is not enough in many cases as only three athletes per country can run in the Olympics.

SJ: Oh, whoops. I suppose then that the Olympics are the Olympics for marathoners. What pair of shoes did you wear for the Boston Marathon?
US: A new racing flat from New Balance. It’s not available in stores until June 1st, and I only got my hands, or feet, on a size 10.5 when I really need a 10 or even 9.5. But it felt better on my feet than anything else I tried out. I did most of my training for Boston in the Scott eRide Trainer, though.

SJ: Do you think you could beat Ichiro in a marathon?
US: Yes.

SJ: What if it was just a half-marathon?
US: I think I can take him.

SJ: C’mon…a 5K?
US: Yep. I’d bet some money on me. Now, in the 400m, it might be a close race.

SJ: What’s your favorite spot to run in the general area, not including Cal Anderson Park, of course?
US: General area?! I like running along Lake Washington Boulevard to Seward Park. But really it’s not so much the place you run at, it’s the company you run with.

SJ: What would you do with all your free time if your legs fell off tomorrow and you could never run again?
US: What free time? I’d have to get a real job.

SJ: Is it true that Dirty Dancing is your favorite movie of all time?
US: Who told you that?! It doesn’t even come close to Pretty Woman! But I thought this was an interview for a running website, not ET.

SJ: Wow, great job Uli with the first-ever Fast-Acting Lightning Speed Round! Especially as our guinea pig. And yes I too am furious with my friends’ non-running questions. Although I already have a myriad of Pretty Woman questions I now want to ask…but I’ll wait for a 2nd interview.
Moving on, I wanted to expand a bit on something. You mentioned the New Balance and Scott shoes you wore leading up to and during that marathon in Boston. As you can see I’m wearing Vibrams. The cool white ones. Bikila. How long do you think it’ll be before the top marathoners such as yourself are racing in Vibrams and/or have you already raced in Vibrams? And before you answer, yes Vibrams paid me to ask this question.

US: I hope they paid you a lot of money! It tells you something when African runners who often grow up running barefoot all run in regular running shoes and racing flats. Personally, I will run in Vibrams when Christmas falls on the 4th of July.

SJ: (nervous laughter) Hmm. Well. This is awkward. I guess we’ll just have to agree to disagree. I think these have helped make me a much better runner. Maybe not faster. Maybe not less injury-prone. But better.

US: If not faster and not less injury prone, in what way are you a better runner now?

SJ: Umm. Let’s switch gears, huh? The five-part Cougar Mountain Series trail races are starting up soon, in just a couple weeks. I remember one of my first-ever trail races, a number of years back, was the Cougar 10 miler…you won and I came in 2nd. It was real close; you out-kicked me. I don’t know where you went, but you weren’t at the awards ceremony afterward, so the 1st place prize of free shoes fell into my lap. And to this day that’s the best prize I’ve ever gotten.

US: You’re welcome. But what is your question?

SJ: Umm. I guess I didn’t have one. Heh. Hmm.
[rifles through papers]
Have you ever done any other Cougar races besides that one 10 miler?

US: Yes, I have done quite a few of them. In the first 2 years there was a guy who was opposed to those races and he would come out and change the course markings, directing runners onto the wrong trail. So sometimes I would run the course ahead of the runners, starting 10 minutes early and running with a can of spray paint and a roll of tape. But I also did a few of them officially, starting with everyone else.

SJ: If I see that guy at the 5 miler, I will give him a piece of my mind. I find the 13 miler to be the hardest, but the 5 miler to be the most frightening. Any thoughts on the progression of races? Do you have any advice for anyone who’s signing up for this year’s races?

US: Why is the 5 miler the most frightening? Do you have a lot of endurance but a lack of speed?

SJ: More or less.

US: The progression in distance of those races is ideal for beginning trail runners. Jumping from a road half marathon to a trail half marathon can be quite a surprise in terms of difficulty and the time it takes to complete the course. Starting with a 5 miler and working your way up gives you a good idea of what to expect. None of the Cougar Mountain trails are very technical by trail-running standards, but they are also not simple gravel paths either, so they are ideal for beginning trail runners.

SJ: That’s great advice, I agree! Maybe we’ll see you out there this year…and I can avenge my loss to you from that 10 miler!

US: I will for sure miss the 5 miler as I will be in Houston with the SU track team. So it’s your lucky day, as nothing stands in your way to win. Don’t know yet if or how the other races will fit into my racing schedule, but I will likely be at a few of them.

SJ: Awesome! I agree you will be out there!

US: …

SJ: Well, my girlfriend is going to kill me if I’m not home soon, so I think we should wrap this up…did you have any questions you wanted to ask me?

US: Sounds like your girlfriend is wearing the pants in your relationship! How do you feel about that?

SJ: (laughing) Well, it’s either she wear the pants, or I live alone in a dirty apartment, eating Chef Boyardee. I mean, Chef Boyardee is ok….but I’ll take the curfew if it means a few more dining options and a cool roommate.

US: I was also going to ask you if you know of a good way to stop hair loss, but it looks like whatever you’re doing isn’t working either.

SJ: (frowning) I dunno, wear trucker hats? No, I don’t know a good way, but I know a good silver lining. Me and you, we’ve got way more testosterone than other guys. That’s why our scalp betrayed us. Physically we may be repulsive, but in actuality, we are manlier.

US: I don’t know…you should get Trisha’s and your cool roommate’s opinion on that one! Or just solicit feedback from the readers of this interview.

SJ: Ok, I will! But what do women know about being manlier? I’m sure we’re manlier. And I think that’s a good way to end this. Thanks Uli, you’ve been very generous with your time! Congratulations again for Boston, for the amazing thrill of the Mariners first pitch, and good luck in all of your manly pursuits!

I want to thank Uli again for letting me into his house even though I was wearing Vibrams, and being the inaugural subject for what I hope will be a recurring installment here at the Seattle Running Club website. Both he and his wife Trisha are running ambassadors for our city. I was a little nervous interviewing such a talented and decorated runner, but I think I did a pretty superb job.

Call for Comments (from Joe)

  • Is Uli manly? (show your work!)
  • Are you bald?
  • Dirty Dancing or Pretty Woman?

Call for Comments (from Uli)

  • Is Joe manly?

Call for Support (from Joe)

  • Did you enjoy this? Are you already a club member, like Uli? If not, consider becoming a member, like me, and help support us! Who knows, maybe I’ll be able to do a second interview!
  • Did you not enjoy this? 🙁
Shoeless JoeUli Steidl (left) & Shoeless JoeUli Steidl (right) & Shoeless Joe

All photos of Uli & Joe: Terry Creighton

Categories
Club News Featured

Uli Steidl Wins Masters At 2012 Boston Marathon

Uli Steidl at the 2012 Boston Marathon
His brand-new Masters career is off and running! SRC’s own Uli Steidl (pictured above on Saturday before the race) braved the heat en route to a 2:23:08 finish at the 2012 Boston Marathon. Despite being about two minutes back at the half marathon mark, Uli took the Masters lead at about mile 23.5 and never looked back. He stated after the race that he didn’t know he had the Masters win until after the race.

Uli also finished 15th overall and was the 5th American finisher.

ULI STEIDL
Split    time  diff  pace    mph
5K      16:04 16:04 05:11  11.61
10K     32:41 16:37 05:21  11.22
15K     49:40 16:59 05:28  10.99
20K   1:06:53 17:13 05:33  10.82
HALF  1:10:36 03:43 05:28  11.00
25K   1:23:46 13:10 05:26  11.06
30K   1:41:10 17:24 05:37  10.71
35K   1:58:52 17:42 05:42  10.54
40K   2:15:30 16:38 05:22  11.21
FINAL 2:23:08 07:38 05:36  10.74

Also, check out a couple graphs made by SRC member Patrick Niemeyer, which show how strong Uli finished relative to the other top finishers. The first graph on the left shows Uli as the baseline (lines below him finished ahead, lines above finished behind). The heatmap graph on the right show, in Patrick’s words, “the fastest legs in the race, color-coded across the top 50 finishers (that is: the reddest cell in column H was the fastest person for the 25k split).” Patrick notes that Uli’s 40k split was the 5th fastest in the entire field. Thanks Patrick!

2012 Boston Uli Delta
2012 Boston Race Leg Heatmap

[Top Finishers at Boston 2012]

Categories
Misc

Once A 5Ker

Joe Creighton at the 2008 Fremont 5KThe 2008 Fremont 5K was a long time ago.Photo: Chuck Bartlett

I ran my first marathon in 2005. My first ultra in 2008. I’m considered by my many many friends to be a “long-distance runner,” and I don’t waste my breath debating the fact. It stands though that the only race I have scheduled in 2012 for which I will actually train and go “balls out” is a mere 5k.1 Just 3.1 miles. In early June I will cross town to Fremont and run the evening 5k they hold (I forget what it’s called, sorry). Despite my “distance” reputation, this is the only event I’m thinking about this year. After a few years of slow and somewhat uninformative trail miles, I want to test myself again.

A couple years ago I grew weary of road races. I was tired of paying some exorbitant fee to run on Highway 99 and two days later find out my chip time wasn’t recorded. I slowly gravitated towards the trails (discovering Seattle Running Club in the process), and for a good amount of time I was happy. My finish times at the (less pricey) Cougar Mtn Series races were always accurately recorded, though a little less helpful in terms of measuring my fitness. The trails at Cougar and Tiger (and Mt. Si and Crystal Mtn and hell, even Discovery and Lincoln Park) were soft and scenic. Long runs became longer. Race distances climbed from 5Ks >> marathons to 50ks >> 50 milers. Occasionally the thought of hitting a 100 miler would tempt me, if for no better reason than simple bragging rights. I truly believe I am a better runner today because of the long, slow, dirty miles accumulated over this time. One thing I couldn’t shake though was the desire to set concrete, black & white goals and then lay it on the line to achieve them.

In all 50ks I’ve run, a time goal has never been formulated. It’s more a vague guess on where I should wind up based on familiar names and the times they’ve posted in prior years. At the Chuckanut 50k last month, I expected “something around 4:45-4:59:59,” but at no point during the race was I thinking about how on-pace I was for that window. It never extended beyond “gee, I wonder what my finish time will be.” While it was nice to finish a few minutes earlier than anticipated, the sense of satisfaction was finite. What *did* I really accomplish? Was that even a good time, considering my fitness? Maybe my prediction was a little soft. These lingering thoughts are frustrating for someone who, unlike most ultrarunners, is not simply out there for the run itself. I don’t get the spiritual experience many of my facebook friends seem to get while traipsing through the trails. I’m not fast enough to compete with the big dogs,2 and the varying nature of ultra races (weather, course conditions, one mishap with a gel at the wrong time, a bear, BEES!!) can lead to wildly differing results, making it hard to compete even with myself, let alone the ghosts from ultrasignup’s results archive. At least not with any significant amount of closure.

****

I feel bad for Greg Crowther. The guy loves running far too much to have been injured for the past 15 years3 with a mysteriously persistent heel injury. Meanwhile, my running schedule has remained largely unimpeded over the same time frame, despite the fact that my “love of running” doesn’t really exist and is more accurately defined as a “hatred of being obese.” It isn’t fair; he deserves the miles more than I do, and I can guarantee without having to txt him for confirmation that he wants them more than I do. In fact, struggling through the composing of this paragraph has been more fun than any of my training runs this past month. Outside of those fleeting moments when the stars are aligned and everything is easy, running is merely something I do so I can eat a horrible amount of food later that night while simultaneously fitting into the same clothes I’ve been wearing since 1997. Greg on the other hand has been chewing on his arm, threatening to write “Nora Ephronesque rom-com novella[s]” while his heel heals far too slowly. Surely all the more frustrating since, when healthy and fit, I can think of only one other guy in the vicinity with the kind of 5k >> 100k range that Greg has. (I won’t name him here, even though he’s also a card-carrying SRC member. I’ll just say his name starts with a “U” and ends with “li Steidl”.) The recent passionless runs I’ve been subjecting myself to leave me feeling not only uninspired, but guilty.

Instead of sitting around with my finger in my nose, waiting for inspiration, I’ve forced it. Sometimes the magic of running comes not from winning races, or tagging a summit, but from discovering yet another way to keep the flame alive, if only for one more race. If I cannot stop and smell the roses during my interminable daily runs, I will pick a number and run for it. That number is my 5k PR. It is 1000 seconds. I ran it four years ago. I’m a very old 32 years old,4 and time is slipping away, but Fremont has a 5K in early June (I’ll get the official name eventually). A glorious Friday evening. I have recruited a friend with similar goals. On Tuesday evenings from here forward we will make a mockery of Fleet Feet Seattle’s store run.5 On Thursdays we will be found at the Garfield High School track, reminding ourselves of our own mortality. Though I’ll always prefer the trails, and I will return, at this moment I need something concrete to shoot for. I’m excited to hit the roads at least one more time, in honor of my smoking buddy Mr. Greg Crowther, and in tandem with my temporary teammate, Mr. Brett Walton.

They had better record my chip time though.


1Not counting the 2012 Fat Glass 50k, of course.
2That guy with the ponytail from irunfar.com has never requested an interview, even though my email and cell # and home address is easy to find.
3Give or take
4Physiologically, I am nearing the big 5-0.
5Come join us!

Categories
Featured Member Information

Passing the baton

As many SRC folks are aware, Win Van Pelt succeeded me as SRC president this past November. Win was a founding member of the SRC and has talked with many of you at various trail runs and races. But for those who don’t yet know him, or who wish to know more of the story behind the perpetual Van Pelt smile, I thought it would be useful to (re-)introduce him here on this blog. So without further ado, here is a small window into Win’s World, provided by Win himself.

* * * * * *

I was training for my first marathon, running up to 16 miles on the pavement. My knees hurt, my hips hurt, everything hurt. I liked hiking; what about training on trails? Hmmmmm….

After 3 weeks of running on the trails and feeling much better, I thought to myself, “Wouldn’t it be nice to run with some others on the trails?” I was running up Wilderness Peak and ran into an enthusiastic group coming down the hill. Wow — I’m not alone! “Hey, do you run trails very often?” The curly blond hair leader, Scott, said yes! Awesome!!! Ever since I have been hooked on running trails.

I kept hearing this word “ultra,” so I asked, what is an ultra? I was very inspired by these ultra runners who took me under their wings. I was thinking to myself, how do they take all this time to run and compete locally and nationally? I called Scott McCoubrey (the founder of the Seattle Running Company) and shared my thoughts on starting a nonprofit. Scott said that he had been thinking the same thing. We worked together (Scott did most of the work), and the Seattle Running Club was born.

One fall Scott asked me if I would run cross country — they needed another male runner. The race was that week. Crazy! I hadn’t run cross country since high school. Cross country was great. It made me a faster ultrarunner and the team spirit is so much fun.

I am thankful for this fun and enthusiastic group who want to live large and be out there enjoying God’s creation. We are lucky — lucky to live in this beautiful part of the planet with lots of trails and adventures to explore. If you haven’t, I hope you will come out and experience this warm, welcoming community of runners.

Win Van Pelt
President, Seattle Running Club

Categories
Misc

Ideas on Running and Writing

I am a runner who wants to be a writer. I don’t call myself a writer because the title implies a level of worth that I am not ready to presume for myself. I’m not sure which milestone I must pass to gain a sense of belonging to the group that calls themselves writers. Do I need to write longer stories or a novel? Do I need to get published? I’m hoping the answer isn’t so product-focused and instead I’ll feel a writer when I simply write every day.

Similarly, I have met many runners who back away from the label “runner.” They might say, “I run, but I wouldn’t call myself a runner” or “I jog, I don’t run.” It is funny that I would say to them, own it, give yourself that validation. It feels good to say this is a part of who I am. Perhaps I shared that mindset when I started running twenty plus years ago; I can’t quite remember. I certainly avoided the term “athlete,” because I disliked P.E. and lacked anything beyond rudimentary coordination. I was one of the gangly awkward kids left standing after the stallions were auctioned off for dodgeball teams, and I’d pray to be second-to-last and not last. Running was a relatively safe bet because the team (cross country or track) didn’t seem to care whether I was good or not. In other words, I couldn’t let them down. I could focus on the improvements in speed and endurance that came with daily devotion to running and a gradual increase in miles. Somewhere in there, a runner was born. Horizons opened up for me because suddenly my enhanced physical toughness spawned mental fortitude.

I’m pondering what running has taught me that I can apply to writing. It’s important to make it habitual, so it becomes second nature. So that to not run or to not write feels weird. Once I’m in a training groove, to run every day helps ward off the dread. Yes, you read that word correctly. If I’m honest with myself, I know that there is dread even toward something I love as much as running. It is there for several reasons. There is a part of me that follows Newton’s first law, that a body at rest tends to stay at rest. It requires force to break out of inertness. There is dread of the unknown and possible discomfort due to weather that is too hot or too cold, too wet or too windy. There is dread of pain from sore or tight muscles. And sometimes there is dread of failure when my heart expects and desires a run in a certain time and my legs cannot keep up. As I get older this is an inevitability that will become familiar. But I can’t let that keep me from coming back, day after day.

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running

Writing, which is a way for me to fill the void, scares me too because it’s unchartered territory. I worry I’m not up to the task. But courage and self-trust, which are integral to running, will also serve my writing dreams. Haruki Murakami wrote a remarkable little memoir on his running and writing life (What I Talk About When I Talk About Running). He wrote of how his running has enabled better writing. Writing requires, as he described it, physical strength and endurance. A writer’s heart isn’t pumping quickly while s/he is sitting with pen and paper. But meaningful writing requires reaching and drawing from the inner core of our beings, and continuing, despite resistance, to grapple with messy problems and explore a multitude of paths without guarantee of success. Staring at the blank page of a writing project can be like toeing the line at the start of a race. There are hopes and expectations, but all of that can and will change minutes, hours or days later. Running gives me a sense that I can complete what I started, so why not a children’s story or a novel too?

One other factor that applies to both running and writing is, beyond discipline, there must be enthusiasm. Julia Cameron talks a lot about this for creativity in The Artist’s Way. Those every day encounters, with my running shoes or my pen and paper, need to have an aspect of play and exploration. I shouldn’t crack the whip over myself to get it done and check it off the list. An early morning run should be about moving amongst the stars and taking in the dusky sunrise that washes over the mountains in evanescent hues. It should mean finding a new road and not checking my watch. And writing should be about discovery and following a whim and playing with words.

Categories
Featured Media

Chuckanut 50k Images!

Beautiful day and challenging with snow and rain…..happy ending in the sun! Congratulations to all who ran and we hope to see out there again soon! Thanks to Krissy Moehl and Ellen Parker for another great race!

-Win

[Chuckanut 50k]

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Categories
Club News

2012 Brooks SRC team announced

The Seattle Running Club has finalized its 2012 roster of Brooks-sponsored athletes following a competitive application process.  Returning  team members Travis Boyd, Julie Cassata, Marlene Farrell, Max Ferguson, Destry Johnson, Trisha Steidl will be joined by Lance Thompson, John Wallace, and Wendy Wheeler-Jacobs.

Team members were selected according to their running-related achievements and service to the SRC and the running community as a whole. They will be visible as representatives of Brooks and the SRC at various local, regional, and national events this year.

Travis Boyd is a graduate of UW, where he ran track and cross country. His personal records are 14:29 (5K), 30:11 (10K), 1:07:56 (half marathon), and 2:23:23 (marathon).

Julie Cassata spent much of 2011 hiking the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). Previous major events included the 2008 Boston Marathon (3:22) and 2010 Umstead 100 mile Endurance run (21:30).  She is the secretary of the SRC in addition to working part-time at SRC partner store Fleet Feet Seattle.

SRC board member Marlene Farrell is a 2-time Olympic marathon trials qualifier with a PR of 2:45:16. Other recent PRs include 1:18:54 for half marathon (Geoduck 2010) and 36:58 for 10K (Wenatchee 2011). One of the perennial leaders of the SRC cross country team, she also coaches middle school and high school runners in her hometown of Leavenworth. She blogs at runwenatchee.org.

Following a 3rd-place finish at the 2011 Amica Seattle Half Marathon, Max Ferguson is looking forward to a full year of racing in 2012. Probable events include the Seahawks 12k, Yakima Skyline 25k, Vancouver Marathon, Seattle Marathon 10k, Salmon Days 10k, Seattle Half Marathon, and a fall marathon. He works at SRC partner store The Balanced Athlete.

At age 37, Destry Johnson continues to compete very successfully in the open division of local road and cross country races, setting PRs of 14:55 (5K) and 1:08:58 (half marathon) in 2009 and coming within 4 seconds of his 12K PR (38:30) last year at Bloomsday.  Target races this year will include Bloomsday, the Seattle Rock ‘N Roll Half, Puyallup City Blast, Torchlight 8K, the New York Marathon, and his usual slate of local/regional cross country races.

Trisha Steidl, head cross country and track coach at Seattle University, remains active as an athlete, winning the Seattle Marathon for the third time in 2011.  She also won the 2011 Bridle Trails and Cougar Mountain 10-mile races.  Previous times include a 36:22 10K, 1:21:53 half marathon, and 2:48:17 marathon. Her activities as an SRC board member include volunteering at many club events (Cougar Mountain, White River) and other events such as Club Northwest’s All Comers track meets.

Lance Thompson has best times of 9:13 (3K steeplechase), 15:16 (5K (15:29), 25:29 (8K), 1:13 (half marathon), and 2:39 (marathon).  He volunteered at a Cougar Mountain race and as a Seattle Marathon pacer last year, and looks forward to more running and racing in 2012.

SRC treasurer John Wallace has not missed a day of running since 1989, ran across the United States in 2004-05, and plans to run one ultramarathon a month in 2012.  “I am a mix of the everyday runner and the every day runner,” he notes. “You can count the number of races I’ve won outright on one hand…. You can count just 86 Americans that have run more consecutive days.”

Wendy Wheeler-Jacobs is well-known as both an athlete and volunteer at running events.  She has helped mark the Cascade Crest 100 course, and raised money for the Washington Trails Association through the creation of Glenn Tachiyama’s trail running calendar. For the past three years, she has been among the top 6 masters at both the White River 50 and Where’s Waldo 100K.  Her 2012 schedule includes the Oregon Trail Ultramarathon Series and Angeles Crest 100.

Categories
Media

White River 50 Mile Videos

SRC treasurer John Wallace III can often be found at various club events with a variety of cameras in hand. Some of the best footage he gets is most people’s favorite part of the renowned White River 50 mile race: the finish line! We just bumped our clocks an hour ahead, which means it’s basically spring here in Seattle. What better time to get fired up for one of the best ultra races in the country? To set the mood, check out the finish line footage from last year and 2010 as well as a big ol’ heaping plate of finish line photos. If you ran this race either year, chances are you’ll find yourself in here somewhere! Happy training and we hope you see John this summer (July 28th) at the 2012 White River 50!

2011 Finish Line Top Four

2010 Finish Line Video

2011 Finish Line Photos (facebook)
White River 2011 Photos
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

2010 Finish Line Photos (facebook)
White River 2010 Photos
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

Categories
Featured Member Information

Cross Country 101

Marlene Farrell, SRC[/caption]

Are you toying with the idea of running cross country for the Seattle Running Club this fall? Or, are you interested in a fun, social, exciting opportunity to run and race in a different way than road or trail races? If so, then read on.

The Basics

Women and men race separately. At some events, masters (over 40 years old) race separately from open divisions. Women run 6km and men run 8km or 10km, often on lap courses.

The race course surface is generally a combination of grass and dirt. Trails and pavement are accidental – hence the usefulness of spikes, particularly through mud.

Scoring

Individuals are recognized for their overall placement but what really matters is how the team’s combined score of the five best runners compares to that of other teams. Each runner gets a number representing his/her finishing order and the team with the lowest combined score wins.

Why You?

Have you ever had a chance to compete as a part of something larger than yourself? Perhaps you’ve done a relay, or raced to raise money for a good cause. Cross country, likewise, fuses the thrill of the individual best effort with the knowledge that your effort also contributes to your team’s placement. As you pass competitors, your team score is improving, one tick at a time.

Is It Too Short?

No way. Cross country races are the perfect distance for speed over uneven terrain, around tight corners, hustling in a sea of runners, unless you’re lucky enough to be leading what can feel like a tide threatening to engulf you.

The Team Aspect

As a member of the open women’s team, I love warming up with my teammates, no matter how well we know each other, and concurrently cheering for the masters out on the course. And then, in my cool down, the open men are battling it out and happy for some encouragement. We all wear the same jersey, but underneath, we are more alike than that. We’ve come together for a love of the chase and the opportunity to both participate and support fellow runners. The bottom line, given the variety of courses, is not time, but a chance to push very hard and see what happens – this is an exciting task to accomplish and to witness in our fellow team members.

Why Now?

Why not? Last year our team was bigger than ever, with nearly 50 club members coming out to participate in one or more races. We were able to field five teams at Club Nationals, which was held in Seattle. We want to keep our momentum up so that means we need you. Cross country experience isn’t necessary. You learn it all in your first race or two. All we need is runners with grit, determination and courage to run in a pack and get dirty. And if you have other fall goals, a marathon or ultra, you can still race with us and get the benefit of a great tempo training run. The cross country races are short enough that you’ll be training again the next day.

SRC has fared well in cross country in the past. However, other teams sometimes have a stronger showing at events. Why not help SRC build a formidable team and fuel our rivalry with our local friends in orange and in red? Need more info or more reasons to join? Talk to me @ marlene@team-farrell.com or other group leaders listed here.

Categories
Featured Media

PCT Happy Dance

The PCT Happy Dance represents the exuberant side of thru-hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. From the get-go, I recorded a dance every few days, featuring myself, my trail compadres, and the scenery of the trail. The purpose of the project was to find a way to share the experience, particularly the thrill of living this life immersed in nature. Immersed is not the right word; it sounds like being an engulfed object. This life is much more like being dispersed in the great wild winds of Nature.

The video consists of 66 clips, peppered along the 2,650 mile footpath, across a six month long time span. On trail, there was never any music playing while we danced. I’ll let that be our excuse for any criticisms that may have crossed your mind regarding our dancing skills! My trail name was Tiny Dancer. That was my simple identity while I made a life for myself on the trail. I hiked most of the trail alone. The second-most frequently featured star of the show is Anchor, or Matt, my partner that shared this experience with me through the High Sierras of Central California and all of Washington.

Who are the people of the woods, who appear around minute 4:32? That’s the Seattle Running Club! Then-president Greg Crowther, current President and Sunday run coordinator Win Van Pelt, and good buddy Damon helped organize a run and hike event, to meet up with us once we arrived at Snoqualmie Pass over Labor Day weekend. Many SRC members showed up to either run the Kendall Katwalk route, or hike it with Anchor and me. It was a treat, for one day of my 140 hiking days, to hike with a group of friends from home.

Many great thanks go out to the Seattle Running Club, Brooks Sports, the Washington Trails Association, the Pacific Crest Trail Association, and many businesses and trail angels along the trail. These organizations, businesses, and people provide an outpouring of opportunity, and I am thankful to benefit from their generosity. Much love and thanks go to my family and friends for supporting and encouraging me not just on this hike, but continuously.

To provide an update regarding the whereabouts of Tiny Dancer, I now find myself in many roles: volunteer secretary of your Seattle Running Club, office administrator of your Washington Trails Association, and fit specialist and training coach at your local running specialty store, Fleet Feet Seattle. I’m thrilled to be serving my people and playing a part in you pursuing your adventures, your dreams, your wild winds!