Well it was not as bad as I thought, but I am still out of real running shape and need some real work. Here is a little detail of the Lake Union 10K which I finished in 48:33 a 7:47 pace
* Mile 1 – A little tight at the start, but a nice first mile. Will never understand why people who are slow and know they are slow must start up front. Mile 1 done in 7:36
* Mile 2 – Starting to feel pretty good. Group spaces out and there is now room to run. Find a nice little pace group to run with.Think everyone in the group has a Garmin, we all beep at the end of Mile 2. Mile 2 7:30
* Mile 3 – Crap, here come the hills and a little wind. About halfway through the climb I realize I may have bit off more than I could chew. Starting to fade. Mile 3 7:55
* Mile 4 – These hills will not let up. As we enter Eastlake there are a couple of hills that are short but lung searing, way too steep for a residential area and the shape I am in. Mile 4 7:52
* Mile 5 – Finally some flat areas and I am starting to kick this engine in. Actually feeling good and chasing some girl with an awesome tattoo on the back of her neck. Mile 5 7:30
* Mile 6 – I may have gone a little too early on my final “kick”. Look to finish this in sub 7:00 but cannot muster the energy. 7:03
Overall this was an awesome race and am very happy to be back in the game. Looking forward to a few more fall races, hopefully a half-marathon
Pray for me, tomorrow is my first timed race in about 14 months, the Lake Union 10K here in Seattle, WA.
The course map does not indicate the hills involved in this race, which while not lung searing are a pain in the ass.
While in the past I would look to run a sub-40:00 10K, I am hoping I survive this one and run this in under 50:00 minutes.
Lake Union 10K
Sorry it has been so long since we have been updated the blog, I guess the winter season has been tough on everyone with work and winter activities.
My winter activities have been exclusively on skiing the Pacific Northwest, where I have been skiing, Crystal, Mount Baker and Stevens Pass. All places are around a 2 hour drive from Seattle and are so good for being so close to a metropolitan area.
The one item of gear I picked up in the beginning of the season is a ski helmet. I have never skied with a helmet before but after hearing of all the injuries that occur I decided my noggin was worth the $$$ for a new ski helmet. I settled on the Giro G10 which I am happy to say is an excellent purchase. It is light, has vents and keeps my head extremely warm, and had vents when I need to cool off. And once on the mountain I noticed that a majority of skiers and boarders wear helmets now, not just the little kids.
The reason I was called to action today to write this post is reading the news that Natasha Richardson, the actress was apparently injured in a tragic ski accident and suffered a traumatic brain injury. It is horrible news and hope she is fine and that this does not happen to anybody out there, and the two best methods to avoid this are to ski safely and wear a helmet.
While the weather is still beautiful here in Seattle, I am on a mission to try to get as many hikes in as possible. My target today was Mt. Si (sigh) in North Bend, about a 45 minute drive from Seattle
Mount Si
The Climb: 4,167 feet (1,270 meters)
Distance: 4 miles from the parking lot to the summit plateau.
Vertical elevation change is about 3700 feet and starts at about 700 feet.
I had received warning from locals that the Mount Si trail gets extremely crowded as it is one of the best hikes close to Seattle and not to expect the place to myself. Luckily the locals were wrong and Mount Si was not empty, but the track was not packed and everyone moved off the trail to let my pass as I half sprinted up.
The dash to the top was great as the trail is somewhat narrow, but steep with a lot of switchbacks. As I got to the top I was a little worried about the clouds, but as you can see from the pics below, the clouds threatened but then cleared as I got to the top of Mount Si.
Overall this is a great hike and a little challenging up and down. 4 miles up is not too bad , but the 4 miles down are harder than you think and legs got a little soft for the last 1/2 mile.
Today I finally had my chance to get out into the Cascade Mountains and hike in a beautiful location and only a 35 minute drive from Seattle.
My trip was to the scary sounding Rattlesnake Ridge , where I did not see any snakes but did see some beautiful scenery.
Hiking Time to Rattlesnake Ridge: 1 hour
Miles: 4 Round trip
Elevation gain: 1,175 feet
It has been a tough couple of weeks settling into the new city but I have still managed to get a few runs in every week. The good news about running in Seattle is that the weather has been ideal for running. Every morning has been overcast and mid-50′s with no humidity. As far as running conditions go it does not get any better. The bad news is also the weather, I would like some sunshine when I run. The people here tell me it will be beautiful every day starting July 4th, but I am still a little skeptical.
Ok , on to the fun stuff. Hills!!! Seattle is extremely hilly and will whip your ass if you are not ready. Some of the hills are so steep that it is not really safe to run down them, because there is a good chance you will launch off. These are the small lessons I am picking up the hard way and keep thinking to myself that if I ever qualify for the Boston Marathon I will be ready for Heartbreak Hill.
As for were to run in Seattle, I have not done a lot of exploring yet but my two favorite places are Volunteer Park and Interlaken Park. These are just minutes from my apartment but once you enter you feel like you are far away from the city. Found some pics online that will have to do until I bring out the old Sure Shot.
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