Woolley Trail Run, Sedro-Woolley WA, Feb 16, 2013
Fort Ebey Kettles Trail Marathon, Coupeville WA, Feb 17,
2013
Dear Ocean, do I get Grapefruit credit for running on
Whidbey yesterday?
Friday night went to painful work dinner at the yacht club,
where you are cordially invited but it is understood you must go if you value
job security. I like my coworkers, but there’s something about a work party
that just makes me want to drink to oblivion. So had a couple/ few too many
cups of single malt when I got home, then had to get up at 4:30 AM to pack for
my double and get up to Sedro-Woolley by 6:30 for 7 AM start. Woke up fuzzy headed and overslept until 5, CRAP. Where are my water bladder, backpack, nuun, gus, snickers, tape, body
glide, extra socks, shoes, shirts, pants, sports bras, underwear, sleeves, gloves, hats, jacket, toothbrush, advil,
coffee, burritos, what else am I forgetting?
Barely made to the race start by 6:50, no parking, no
toilets in sight. I knew from last year there is only 1 porta potty on the
entire 32 mile course, located at mile 0.5, and not even any good bushes to go
in. Didn't want another Code Brown so waited for 2 faster people in line and by the time I got out, no one was
around. Soon caught up to a fellow Maniac from Tricities who was also doing a
double, and chatted for 10 miles. There are 5 races going on this holiday
weekend in the Seattle area, and it makes the drive across the pass more
worthwhile if you can catch 2. This is a flat, out-and-back course on rails to trails.
It rained about 80% of the day, slosh slosh slosh went the Hokas which felt
like they weighed 5 lbs apiece. Hangover headache and muscle cramps were helped
by 5 tabs advil and 4 S-caps supplied by aid station volunteers. They sit out
in the rain for 6+ hours in the middle of nowhere just to fill up water bottles
and offer up cookies, M&Ms, and pretzels and tell runners "good job". I look forward to volunteering
at an aid station just so I can save someone from feeling as crappy as I did. Somehow placed 2nd female
with a slow time of 5:38, there were only like 5 women total that day.
The Oceans graciously agreed to let me crash in Casa Muk between
races so I could save an hour of driving, and I must say Mr. Ocean’s culinary
skills are reaching new heights. Homemade Wiener Schnitzel and Spaetzle, if
only he liked parmesan cheese! The spaetzle are the new crack. I tried to blow
dry the Hokas, which were the only shoes I brought, then went for a stroll on
St. Andy in hail to stretch out the stiff legs.
Was awesome to be so close to the Muk ferry the next
morning. In all my trips to Whidbey had never taken the car there before. Fort Ebey state park was 32 miles up from Clinton to Coupeville, got to
pass Freeland, Greenbank, the elephant all in a few minutes.
Lots of Maniacs....
Walked down the grassy slope to the start. Lots of parachuters jumping from the bluff, and good wind to sail.
If biking Whidbey taught me WHIDBEY DOES NOT MESS AROUND, running it sure reminded me. 5000+ ft elevation, even if in short bursts of hills, add up. Ate all my bars but was still hungry.
Reached the half at 3:22, not a good
omen for the 7:00 cutoff, had no headlamp so might have to resort to using the
flashlight app on my iphone to get through the dark, rooty forest at the end.
Thankfully ran into fellow Maniac Monte who was also doing a double, his 23rd
double, 279th marathon. He had twisted his ankle, so we hobbled
along, and I asked him had he ever considered DNFing. He started to tell me
about a run where he missed a cutoff by 5 minutes but I meant, quitting early.
He seemed a little bewildered by the question, but no, he had never
contemplated quitting in all the races he’s done. I had already considered
quitting at least 3-4 times before the half, not to mention the dozen+ DNFs in
the past 2 years. I need to figure out what makes people like that tick.
The miles go by so much faster with company. Running in the dark, quiet forest on soft pine-needle carpet, pitter pattering to avoid rocks and roots, power walking up dirt single track can be meditative,
By then I
wanted to continue because the trail was so beautiful, my new favorite trail. I
always think every trail is my new favorite but this one might be. We barely
made it in 6:50. Will be back next year.
