I finally set off on the path. There were a few unmilitary looking walkers. I passed the air strip lined with large C-17 globemasters and C5A Galaxies. I ran through a random campsite with a couple of dozen RVs. The path went through a brief wooded area. I heard a small explosion on the other side of the trees. I saw an open area where firemen in training had set fire to an old military plane and were extinguishing it with a hose. The paved path ended and turned into a dirt path that ran along the barbed wire fence which enclosed the base. The dirt path was pretty isolated, however I couldn't think of a safer place to run than on a barbed wire enclosed military base. Not even a grizzly could get past the armed guards at the gate. The majestic firs were typical of the Pacific Northwest. This beautiful sunny day seemed pretty atypical. I thought Seattle was supposed to be rainy and depressing! Wasn't Kurt Cobain depressed? (Too soon?) Since I didn't have Map My Run activated to clock my distance, I just estimated that one hour and forty minutes of running was probably close to twelve miles.
We went out to dinner that night at Ray's Café which is right upstairs from Ray's Boathouse. I had the delicious King salmon cooked rare. Pete's college friend, Michael, a businessman turned amazing educational entrepreneur, explained that the glorious 75 degree summer days in Seattle are the trade offs for the gloomy gray winters. Michael ran a half marathon last year in Kenya. Unfortunately, he was not going to run Hood to Coast.
Tad Seder, Sound Sports' team captain (that would be my team captain) was also at dinner. Again, he tried to convince me that I was not going to get lost unless I tried. He also informed me that there were no timing chips except for the last leg. Weird.
No run until race day.
Entrance to the campsite
The charred remains of a retired military plane.
Fire! Call the fire depart...oh, the fire department set the fire...okay...I guess I'll just watch. And take pictures.
Not so creepy path
This means I'm safe, right?
Gorgeous day!
Do I look ready?
What a great post! Thanks for sharing your experience. I love the picture captions. I've been to Seattle but never had the chance to run there (just long days spent inside Amazon HQ). You are fortunate to have access to the military base, although I'm not sure that exploding planes are safer than bears...
ReplyDeleteYes, you certainly look ready. It's common on relays to only tag the last runner because it would be expensive to equip the entire team. After all, the only measure that counts is when your team crosses the finish line. BTW, Tad Seder is such a great name. No way you guys can lose. No matter what, be safe and have fun.
Washington really is beautiful. Love the Olympic and Cascade mountains. We saw Mount Rainier right outside the plane window. We hung out in Portland OR last night, another pretty, little city. There was a fun Italian festival in Pioneer Courthouse Square with delicious food and live music. My 2 year old was shaking her booty like a rock star!
DeleteVery cool running spot!
ReplyDeleteYes, you look ready (and slightly annoyed at said 2 y/o).
Have a great race. Enjoy your runs, even if you do get lost.... ;-)
2 y/o wasn't with me for that run. We all enjoyed her impromptu dance recital.
DeleteYes, I think I could get used to running up here. Perfect weather, scenery, and terrain!