Seattle Running Club

A Thousand Words

Post author By Joe Creighton
Post date October 25, 2013

Is a picture worth a thousand words? “No, of course not, what a silly question,” is how you would surely answer, if I had the courage to speak to you face to face. It’s what I thought as well, until I saw a particular team photo. A recent SRC team photo. You can see it above. It is the Seattle Running Club mens team at the Emerald City Open. Lower Woodland Park, October 19th, 2013. I think there are a thousand words going on up there easily. It starts and ends though, for me, with irrepressible laughter. In a way it’s not fair of me. We’re still waiting for the big guns to fill out the rest of our roster. The Steidls, Crowthers, Boyds, Lavertys, Barkhauses, etc. This team is and will be much better than that day a week ago when I was its 2nd finisher. Most likely at the very next race, PNTFs, on November 3rd a the same venue.*

*(come out and run with us, or cheer us on!)

This is my first time running XC since high school, and I’m having a great time. I love SRC and everything we stand for. I love our colors. I love our logo. I love the multitudes of disciplines and interests you can find within our club. And it’s a fun thing, once again being part of a team. Lining up next a bunch of determined guys, patches of matching jerseys making up the start line’s rainbow. Everyone’s ready for that burn. You all suffer together. Afterward you find yourself accidentally cheering for Patrick Niemeyer as he comes down the home stretch, simply because he’s wearing the same blue singlet you are. The singlet bonds you to others, if only for a race. Team photos like the one above though, those bond you for life.

While chatting with Patrick, I asked if he’d help me describe the feeling of bemusement (and helplessness) I feel when looking at the photo. He was less than helpful.

So it’s on me then.

**********

Destry Johnson

We’ll start with the team’s leader this day. I have literally never made eye contact with Destry since meeting him 20 years ago and NOT seen this exact face. Coupled with his hair that is surely made of a special kind of plastic manufactured in China, I’m 25% sure he’s a robot. Is it legal under USATF rules to have a robot running for us? Let’s hope so because Destry Bot 3000 will always crush me and this team needs him.

Lance Thompson

Lance and I go way back. I’m proud to say he almost took me to prom one year. He’s a great runner and a nicer guy you’d be hard-pressed to find. That all said, Lance is looking more prepared for the JC Penney photoshoot he’s apparently got scheduled than he is for the impending 8k.

Mark Davies

I met Mark about 45 seconds before this photo, which should be obvious given his slumped shoulders and defeated expression. I’m confident Mark will more easily tolerate me as we get to know each other. If he’s reading this, this blog post is probably a good start!

Evan Williams

Evan has great hearing, as far as I know (which, well…I don’t know very much about Evan. But I’m pretty sure he’s not deaf), so I’m sure he heard Win’s call for a team picture. He must be distracted though by the dog just out of frame that, considering the look on Evan’s face, is defecating on an American flag while somehow flipping him the double bird.

Patrick Niemeyer

As you can see from his blurriness, Patrick was still getting into position for our photo. What you can’t see is the waft of B.O. gently passing by my nose seconds later 🙁

Guillermo Gallacher

Fresh from Argentina, Guillermo was a surprise new racer for us. In addition to running fast, it appears Guillermo is not wasting any time in his mission to put us all out of our misery and take out Patrick Niemeyer. Godspeed, Guillermo.

Cliff Richards

Cliff wasn’t our fastest male runner this day, but, despite what some people allegedly think of *my* age, he was definitely the oldest. To his credit though, he displays a wisdom I can only hope to obtain as I grow older: the ability to see trouble brewing before anybody else and wisely hide everything but his hat from Win’s camera. Well played Cliff, but I know that’s you.

??

Hopefully by this time a week from now I will, but at the moment I have no idea who this guy is. I do know he ran with Erik Barkhaus’ bib number, which it seems he’s putting on in the photo while hustling to the start line. So I suppose in the meantime I will refer to him as Erik. He did whip Patrick’s ass during the race, which makes him alright in my book.

Joe Creighton

“Win, can you wait 10 seconds so I can apply my fake tanner? No, you’re going to go ahead and take the photo anyway? Well just wait all I need is 4 secon–”

**********

The obvious first idea I had for this photo was to print it poster-size and hang it above my bed at home. That idea was nixed though by an unnamed party.

One idea was to perhaps milk this photo and get some free product out of the deal:

“I don’t know about you guys, but my favorite pre-race snack is a delicious ProBar™ and as you can see, my teammates agree! Thanks ProBar™! #Probar™ @PROBAR™. I also enjoy ProBars™ immediately after races and once in awhile during races! Thanks again ProBar™!”

That idea was a dead-end though; my letter was returned unopened. 😐

I thought our friendly “rivals” Club Northwest could perhaps use it as a promotional brochure:

It’s been four hours however and I’ve yet to hear back from them.

Finally, I just went with my first instinct upon seeing the pic. It took me over 1000 words to get to the point, but here it is:
SRC Bad News Bears

My brothers and I look like the Bad News Bears, and I couldn’t be prouder to be among them.

“And another thing (Club Northwest), just wait til next week!”
Timmy Lupus

Tags Club Northwest Advertisement, Cross Country, ProBar, team photos

Misc

The once and future ultrarunner

Post author By Greg Crowther
Post date October 25, 2013
1 Comment on The once and future ultrarunner

It’s been over three years since my last ultramarathon.

Since then, I’ve weathered an Achilles injury and surgery along with various non-running distractions, leaving me unsure as to whether I’d ever do another ultra. But now I’m sure. 2014, the 10th anniversary of my first race beyond 26.2 miles (the Cle Elum Ridge 50K, for anyone interested in such trivia), will also mark my return to such races.

My long-dormant interest in going long returned unexpectedly last month when I was in McCall, Idaho for a wedding. On a whim, I decided to circumnavigate Payette Lake, a distance of about 20 miles. Suddenly I was an ultrarunner again, at least in spirit — aching to go far rather than go fast, happily committing to a multi-hour journey and the attendant logistical challenges of refueling and bathroom stops. It was a satisfying outing, and there was no heel pain at the end, just the dull protests of overworked muscles.

I’ve since increased my long run to 29.5 miles, rediscovered the art of eating while in motion, and started picking races. My current plan is to do the Bridle Trails 50K in January and the Mad City 100K in April.

In returning to these sites of past success, I’ll need to manage my expectations carefully. Not only will I be slower than before, but the competition may be faster.

An example from a different race: when I won the JFK 50 Mile in 2009, my time of 5:50:13 was the 2nd-fastest in race history. In the past two years alone, four people have surpassed that: Michael Wardian (5:43), David Riddle (5:40 and 5:45), Trent Briney (5:37), and Max King (5:34!).

It would have been just about impossible for me to keep up with those guys when I was in my prime, so what chance would I have against them now? I’ve become — sigh — “a top masters runner,” rather than a top runner period.

Despite all of that, it will feel good to get out there, post some times, and then try to improve.

Cross Country Featured Media

Emerald City Open 2013 Images

Post author By Win Van Pelt
Post date October 21, 2013

It was foggy and cool. Perfect running weather. Congratulations and good job to everyone!

-Win

Beautiful day with leaves flying, sun and warmth!!! Congratulations to those who raced!

-Win

Tags Cross Country, images, race images

Race Reports

One Goal To Go

Post author By Travis Boyd
Post date October 20, 2013

My goal at the Chicago Marathon was to run 5:15 pace and finish under 2:18, in order to qualify for the Olympic Marathon Trials. I was actually right on pace and feeling good through 20 miles, but at mile 22 my calves started cramping up pretty bad, so I ended up hobbling through the last couple miles and finished in 2:19:56. Although I was disappointed that I fell a couple minutes short of the trials standard, I’m happy to run a four minute personal record and I look forward to taking another shot at the Trials standard next spring. I plan to race the USA Half Marathon Championships in Houston in January, and since Baby Boyd #2 is due in mid-April, I’m thinking about doing a March marathon before our second is born. Which marathon, I have not yet decided.

As far as Cross Country, I plan to run the PNTF Championships at Woodland Park on November 3rd, and following that, the USATF Club National Championships in Bend, Oregon, on December 14th.

Happy running!

Ed. Note: Cool heavily-watermarked photos from Travis’ big day in Chicago, with interesting animated watermark effects on top of a beautiful blue SRC singlet, can be found here.

Tags Race Reports, Travis Boyd

Club News Race Reports

SRC Sweep at 2013 Labor Day Run

Post author By Seattle Running Club
Post date September 4, 2013

On Labor Day 2013, many Seattle Running Club runners took part in the very popular and competitive Labor Day Half Marathon in Redmond, Washington. SRC had a great showing, with the top 3 men all wearing the SRC singlet as well as Trisha Steidl taking the womens win in the 4 mile race.

Travis Boyd (pictured above) led the way with a 1:07:47 final time, followed closely by Uli Steidl (1:08:59) and Erik Barkhaus (1:09:53). Trisha’s 24:08 in the 4 mile race led all women by over 7 minutes and was 8th overall.

It was a great early-season showing as many of the club members are gearing up for a fast fall of cross country racing. If you yourself are interested in running XC with us, please feel free to come out to our team workouts on Wednesday evenings and introduce yourself! The more the merrier!

Labor Day Run Full Results
Labor Day Run Photos

Tags Labor Day Half, Race Reports

Club News Featured Race Reports

Cascade Crest 2013 – 100 Miler Lessons

Post author By Joe Creighton
Post date September 4, 2013

I don’t know if I’ll ever run a hundred miler. (Oh yes, I should mention up-front that despite the post title, *I* learned no lessons at Cascade Crest this year. At least not first hand. But bear with me.) I admit the allure of triple digits appeals to me, because unless you’re Yiannis Kouros, it’s pretty much the final frontier. And since the absurd idea of running 100 miles at a time first occurred to me a few years ago, I figured the most likely venue would be the central Cascades of this beautiful state (read: nearby) and the Cascade Crest 100.

That said, I bailed on a wimpy little 50 miler just over a month ago because I felt overwhelmed by the effort it would require, so who really knows how or when I’ll obtain the huevos to double that distance PR.

I do know that if I ever *do* get the courage, I have recently received three very thorough and entertaining guides on what I can expect. SRC members Martin Criminale, Angel Mathis, and Tim Mathis (no relation unless I’m wrong…? Win can you double check this before taking it live? And if they’re not married can you get me Angel’s phone number? Thanks! Also please delete this before taking live that would be embarrassing! ;p) all ran their very first hundred miler on August 24th, all at Cascade Crest, and all published imperative information for anyone wishing to do the same someday.

A lot can and will go wrong when you start talking about running for 20-30 hours in a row (or so I’ve heard). If you yourself are also weighing the risk/reward ratio for this ridiculous endeavor, I advise you to perhaps bookmark these three race reports, if not find a talented tattoo artist and have our SRC friends’ new wisdom permanently secured to your arm.

Martin’s Report (photos)

On Low Points
Everyone I talked to said, “Dude, it’s not if but when…” All that talk kind of scared me. Subsequently at the start I was trying to ’embrace the journey’ as they say and take on whatever was thrown at me. Mile 20 came and went, no low point. Mile 40, still no low point. Mile 54, no low point. Heck, on No Name Ridge at mile 80, STILL NO REAL LOW POINT. Then came the climb up to Thorpe Mountain (mile 83); without realizing it I was suddenly practically on my hands and knees. My power hike had turned into a survival hike and I had to stop twice to literally put my hands on my knees just to conserve strength.

Martin: “Oh man Luke… I am beat down.”
Luke: “You’re doing okay.”
Martin: “Feel. Very. Weak. How long has it been since I have eaten?”
Luke: “Back at the last aid station, about one hour.”
Martin: “Oops…”

That was when I had my first gel. And half a mile later when I got to the Thorpe Mountain aid station I had another. And a cup of Coke. I chased this with the contents of my last wrap and threw the tortilla into the trash. Sometimes you just need to do what works even though I knew it was the beginning of the end for my stomach. I guess I figured that making it through this bad patch and not being able to eat solid food for the remaining 15 miles was better than loosing an hour or more and only maybe getting back on the solid food. I think it was the right call.

Angel’s Report

After Aggie handed me and the tutu off to Alicia, we were on our way for a little bush wack and a treacherous stream crossing that on legs that had run 68 miles at 2:30 a.m. didn’t seem all that dependable. One of the first things Alicia said that I remember is “Check this shit out” as she flashed her brighter-than-the-sun flashlight. This made me laugh the moment she said it, surprised me when I saw how bright it was, and came as a great comfort to me later on the section of the trail known as the “trail from hell.” It has this reputation because it is extremely technical, has log crossings, a lot of rocks and roots to trip on and drops right off the side into a lake so if you trip, your life could be in danger. The race director, Rich white, reassured the runners that the only person who had ever fallen off and swam to safety was a person who littered on the trail. I was sure not to litter! I made a rookie mistake on this section of the trail and forgot to grab the spare set of batteries packed away with my crew. My lights were becoming dim, but with Alicia’s light, we had no worries except for the long shadow that cast from my feet covering the trail directly in front of me.

Tim’s Report

Even with a friend driving us back, the car ride back to Seattle was excruciating, with knee tendinitis bothering me more than at any point during the race, and muscles, realizing that they could relax, locking up and generally taking the opportunity to protest what I’d just subjected them too. We made it home though, and as I was showering Angel came in and announced that she’d finished making her “nest” – a pile of pillows on our bed surrounded by drinks, bags of chips and a lap top. “That’s where I’m going to spend the next day.” From the nest we ordered some Thai food, updated our Facebook statuses, and fell asleep at about 7:30. Today my legs are as sore as they’ve ever been, our house is still trashed with drop bags, and I can’t bring myself to do anything requiring physical exertion. But I’m happy, and pretty darn proud.

Pictured at top: Martin taking care of feet in the middle of the night, which I’ve heard is a popular ritual in hundred milers; Tim successfully finishing…also a popular ritual.

Tags Cascade Crest 100, Race Reports, wisdom

Featured Member Information Race Reports

Running El Camino

Post author By Tim Mathis
Post date August 28, 2013

On July 18th, my wife Angel Mathis and I (both proud SRC members!) completed a 4 week, 550 mile run from the Southwestern corner of France to the Atlantic coast in Spain on El Camino de Santiago – a 1200 year old pilgrimage and trade route. Along the way, we ate hundreds of pounds of tapas, ran a bunch of marathons and a couple of ultras, and met interesting people from all over the world, including: a Scottish runner who did 80 miles in one day and used the Camino to complete 20 marathons in 18 days, a family who walked across France and Spain with two infants and a donkey, and a bunch of Eastern Europeans walking 50 kilometers a day.

My wife wrote about her experiences here.

I did the same here as well as about preparing for the adventure.

[edited to add: it took us awhile to get this live, so please also enjoy Angel & Tim’s much more recent respective recaps of running their very first 100 mile race this past weekend at Cascade Crest!]

Tags El Camino, Tapas

Featured Media

Cougar Mountain 2013 Images – 8 & 14 Mile

Post author By Win Van Pelt
Post date June 8, 2013
1 Comment on Cougar Mountain 2013 Images – 8 & 14 Mile

Congratulations everyone for a great day of racing, and thank you for contributing to the Cougar Mountain Parks by running. Thank you volunteers for your great spirit of giving to make this race possible. I look forward to seeing everyone on July 13th.

Cheers,
Win

—————

Cougar Mountain 8 & 14 Mile
June 8, 2013
Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park
Race Results

Tags Cougar Mountain Series, images, race images

Featured Race Reports

SunFlower Trail Marathon & Red Devil Challenge 25k

Post author By Marlene Farrell
Post date June 4, 2013

Sunflower Trail Marathon, Mazama to Twisp
May 11

On the same weekend as the first Cougar Mountain Series races, I ran a beautiful trail marathon that goes from Mazama to Twisp, called the Sunflower Trail Marathon & Relay, put on by Winthrop Mountain Sports. I won the race, and ended up beating the male competitors too (that was a surprise). Two relay teams did beat me, but they had two people and five people, respectively. My time was 3:22:49 for a slightly-long course with just under 2000 feet of elevation gain. My next competitor was 3:29:37.

It was one of those races where everything came together. I could have had a problem with the heat, but I drank at every mile (when my new Garmin beeped) and I was more acclimated than most, because we had experienced a heat wave in Leavenworth. The elevation was less than I’d been training on, so that
was fine.

I was nervous for a few reasons: 1. It was my first running race of the year; 2. I hadn’t done a marathon since Pigtails in December but the difference was that I had really trained for this one, so more was at stake; 3. I love this race and hadn’t run it in several years, so I had high expectations for myself.

But it all went really well. I was able to have a strong finishing kick (when there are finally spectators again, after a lot of alone time), so I knew I had paced myself well.

The big bummer is I wore my new awesome Brooks team uniform and just checked the race photos and somehow there is a photo of everyone except me! I do think Kay Allen got a photo of my on her iPhone (standing still at the finish).

Red Devil Challenge 25k Trail Race
June 1

This race is 3 years old and I’ve run it every year. I also won it the other years and had a title to defend. Last year the next woman was very close to me so I couldn’t rest on any laurels this year. I was getting over a cold but that didn’t seem to affect me, and in fact it probably made me take last week a little easier, so I was more rested. I felt steady for the long initial climb (2000 ft in 4-5 miles), but I wished I was a little faster. My downhill running felt effortless and light and I was slowed only a bit by the mud patches. There’s still an extra 1000 ft of elevation gain, but it’s done over undulating terrain and I loved it because I enjoy switching from uphill to downhill mode and back again. I never saw the 2 men in front of me, but I think they were ahead by virtue of the uphill and if anything I think I gained on the downhill. I was thrilled to find out that I was over 7 minutes faster than I was last year, proof that my trail specific training is going well.

Hope your running is going well. Hope to see you on the trails…

Tags Brooks Team, Marlene Farrell, Race Reports

Featured Media

Cougar Mountain 2013 Images – 5 & 10 Mile

Post author By Win Van Pelt
Post date May 13, 2013

Running, sun, music and prizes…what a great day!!!
Thank you for all who came to watch, race and volunteer.
Cheers,
Win

—————

Cougar Mountain 5 & 10 Mile
May 11, 2013
Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park
Registration still open for upcoming races!
5 Mile Results | 10 Mile Results

Tags Cougar Mountain Series, images, race images