Saturday, December 31, 2016

My 2016 Running Year

A peaceful run for the final day of 2016
The every-day running of 2016 was fairly ordinary, but not to say dull. And there were many runs of the exceptional-not-so-every-day variety! Of the 2,361.5 miles of 2016:
  • 33 miles less than last year but more mileage than each of the two prior years;
  • many runs with a variety of friends - always fun!
Connie & Anita, weekly running buddies
Reunion of the original Satboys Running Gang










  • runs along some of my most favorite routes both in Colorado and in Michigan
Many a run along Little Traverse Bay this year with Taz

  • just two races: the Bolder Boulder 10k and the Beat the Blerch Half-Marathon (in Carnation, Washington);
  • another successful Relay for Life - a night of incomparable camaraderie with thousands of dollars raised for the American Cancer Society;  
  • and a good start in my quest to run a trail in every state, checking off 13 states in 2016 (Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, California and Nevada), Trail suggestions for any of the remaining states are welcome and encouraged!
I seem to have stumbled upon the perfect quest for my temperament and marriage. Kendall thoroughly enjoys road trips to new and different places, and I thoroughly enjoy finding new places to run with an emphasis on interesting locales and no worries about distance or type of trail (dirt, gravel, sand, whatever). We're just having a good time being out there. This marker from the Erie-Lackawanna Trail, my first trail, seemed to be a sign that this quest is meant to be - and the photo from the Beat the Blerch Half-Marathon on the Snoqualmie Valley Trail captures the joy that each of these adventures has brought us.



 My friend Lysa gave me a quote she found that she said reminded her of me: "Those who wish to sing always find a song." I will be singing as I run my way through 2017 doodah! doodah!

Monday, October 03, 2016

Northwest States & Trails Extravaganza

A few months ago, running buddy Randall contacted me saying she was registered for a trail race in Washington state, was not going to be able to run it and, knowing about my quest to run a trail in every state, would I like her to transfer her entry to me. Why, yes!  With our eldest living in Oregon, what a lovely road trip that would be! Then our long-time friends, Mort & Lysa, heard about our travel plans and we decided it would be even more lovely if we all went as a dynamic duo of RVs. Thus the Northwest States & Trails Extravaganza was hatched. In all, we toured through eight states and I ran trails in seven of them....a fantastic trip!
The NW Traveling Crew: Lysa, Mort, PJ & Kendall (in Nevada)
Wyoming
 Our first stop was at my old boss' farm - where he moved a few years ago. It is quite a change from suburban Denver life and he's jumped in with both feet - and a whole lot of livestock and vegetables!
Boss Bob explaining his garden to Mort and PJ
Wyoming turned into a two-trail state: the first along the shoreline of Buffalo Bill Reservoir along the Shoshone River in Buffalo Bill State Park and the second in the Old Faithful Geyser Basin. So much variety!
Buffalo Bill State Park/reservoir shoreline - September 13, 2016

Old Faithful Geyser Hill trail view - September 14, 2016

Old Faithful Geyser Basin
Old Faithful

Montana & Idaho (September 15, 2016)

While Wyoming was two trails for one state, Montana and Idaho were one trail - the NorPac trail - for two states. My run started at the Lookout Pass Ski Area which straddles the state line. I dipped down into Montana for a few miles & back, then into Idaho for a few miles & back - singing all the way to let the bears know I was coming.
NorPac (Northern Pacific) Trail history sign


Lookout Pass ski area today














Montana side of the NorPac trail - stellar autumn colors

Idaho side of the NorPac trail - a tall-pine corridor
Finishing Idaho - State #9 in the Trail Quest!





Washington (September 17, 2016)
Washington offered the germination of the Northwest Extravaganza idea - all for the Beat the Blerch trail race on the Snoqualmie Valley Trail beginning in Carnation, Washington. And what a race it was! Rain! Mud! Trail! Costumes! Great Great Fun!!!!

Pre-race:
Packet pickup time
Costumes galore!

Oh how I love a run in the rain!

Start:










Finish
 

 Post-race:
I love love love running in the mud!
Finally I get to eat cake!













Oregon
Oregon gave us a chance to visit our eldest, revel at the magnificence of the Pacific Ocean & Oregon coast, run the 804 trail (part of the Oregon Coast Trail) and visit with Kendall's sister, our niece and her family. A most excellent chunk of the trip!
 
Cannon Beach visit - and Kendall trying not to get pushed into the waves











 
Niece Shana, her boys Tony & Andrew, sister Cheryl, and Kendall
at Shana's new house in Medford



















 And the trail portion of the Oregon adventure (#11 of the Trail Quest) (September 20, 2016)


The "official" Oregon Coast Trail sign
The "804" trail sign









Would you just look at that ocean behind me! Magnificent!!!

California - September 22, 2016
My Rails-to-Trails book claims that the Bizz Johnson trail is arguably the most beautiful of the California rail trails - plus it has tunnels and bridges and follows a river - so how could I pass it up?!

 





























 


 


















 
Nevada
I must confess, Nevada is not my most favorite state and I wondered just where I would find a trail to run that would be fun yet quintessential Nevada. Aha! A Pony Express Trail - to what the BLM describes as "the best preserved Pony Express Station, the Cold Springs Station." Built in 1860, it went out of use when the Pony Express went out of use in 1861. The trail was certainly Nevada-esque: dirt, rock, scrub, lizards (one running right between my legs!), and coyotes howling, yipping & barking just one gully over. At that point, I seriously considered turning around but I figured if my Trail #13 was to be a run to the Pony Express Station I needed to continue on to that Pony Express Station - so I picked up handsful of rocks and on to the Station I went! (No coyotes were ever spotted - but a hare, more lizards, the Cold Springs Station and magnificent views graced the run throughout.)



"XP Trail 1860 1861" marker


Station walls looking southwest














Station walls looking northeast















Nevada view

Armed for coyotes


Nevada! State #13! Done!













 









And none of these running exploits would be possible without Kendall -
 my partner in life and love - and husband of 41 years as of tomorrow (October 4).