Seattle Marathon Dec 1 2013

The last half marathon for 2013, I cannot say that the Seattle Amica event was one of my favorites. Way too expensive (and the costs came from multiple directions), unimpressive finishers medal, a horrible mandatory packet pickup event but it did have aid stations on every mile.

Finished half marathon number 13 for 2013 yesterday.

Finished half marathon number 13 for 2013 yesterday. Had a small ball of pain behind my left thigh since last Tuesday. So I took it very easy and finished without too much pain. Here is a picture of the bling collected!

Snohomish River Run Half Marathon - Oct 27 2013

Well, I've almost made my annual goal of thirteen half marathons in 2013, the Snohomish River Run was number twelve in the list. I liked it quite a bit and the first half of the race was dry and pretty. The second half was wet, not so pretty but I did like the cooling effect!

Seattle Biggest Loser Half Marathon - October 13, 2013

Gotta love the selfie!

Have been looking forward to this race for months now and it was a little different than I expected. There were runners of all shapes and sizes, the mood was very upbeat and lacked some of the competitive air of other races. I liked that a lot and will try to participate in their other races when I can.

The event started and finished at Gasworks Park, a very nice venue for this and surprised I haven't seen more races use it. The course was very similar to the Lake Union 10K we did earlier in the year and the Fremont Running Tour we did the year before.

Brenda with her US Bank crew at the starting line!

An over the back shot I took at the starting line, just goofing off really. It didn't turn out to bad.

They provided free pictures and this is the only one I used. Ironically, it is because of how much weight I've gained since taking the new job in May.

Labor Day Half Marathon - Number 10 For The Year

This was the tenth half marathon of the year for me and the third that started at Marymoor Park in Redmond. Brenda and our friends Karl & Brenda ran the 5K and it was great to meetup together before and after the race.

It wasn't one of my favorite races because the course (although flat) wasn't all the fun to run and it was a hot day. I didn't have a very good time and I got a little sick a half hour or so after finishing. Liked the shirt and the medal!

Lake Union 10K - 2013

My buddy Karl has a Brenda and I have a Brenda. They have become friends as well and we decided to run the Lake Union 10K together while Karl was visiting family in Indiana. It was a fun race and some of the course through Freemont matched the running tour thing we did a year or so ago.

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August Weekend In Coupeville

Went to Coupeville on Whidby Island for a half marathon race. We made a weekend out of it with Brenda inviting her friend from US Bank and renting a house on the beach.

The house was fantastic and loved the sunsets!

The race is set to take runners through the national parkland area known as the Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve, whose more than 17,000 acres have been home to Native American tribes like the Skagit Indians as well as explorers like Captain George Vancouver and Joseph Whidbey, for whom the island was later named.

Today, the reserve is dedicated to preserving the remains of its farming, shipbuilding and seaport past, as visitors can take in sights like the city that was built in nearby Coupeville as well as Fort Ebey and Fort Casey.

Enjoying a post race beverage and looking at the view!

Half Marathon Number 8 For 2013 - Run Like The Wind In Ellensburg WA

Brenda told me that I couldn't do the Seattle Rock and Roll Half Marathon because she wanted to do something special. I was in the mood for a run and we compromised on this run in Ellensburg. Later we found out there isn't anything special in Ellensburg, so this turned out to be a day trip.

The web site said the race was a mixture of trails and roads and that turned out to be largely untrue. This turned out to be a half marathon trail run that had about 25% roads mixed in and that was all at the last half of the course. 

I hadn't not prepared properly for this race and I did pay a price. I passed out dead on my feet in the parking lot after the race. Literally took a dirt nap from a standing position and luckily Brenda was able to catch my head before it slapped on to the ground.

This was a very poorly managed race, in fact the worst I've seen in my experience running. I have never ran a race that had zero mile markers and my RunKeeper iPhone application had a hiccup in the middle of the race.  In fact, I would say it was both the most challenging and worst managed race I've come across and this is a wake up call for me going forward.

Another factor that came into play was the closing of I90 for two hours due to blasting. I should have arrived at the race about two hours ahead of time but only arrived soon enough to put on my racing bid and go. Literally, I got zero time to stretch, it was that close.

Although the web site did nothing to prepare a person for this type of run, I do blame myself. I should have taken the lack of information on their site, the mention of it being the inaugural run and the location as strong hints to prepare myself. My arrogance is the true target of blame for passing out.

As you can see, one thing that I did do right was bring a camera. In fact, I had packed water bottles but didn't have enough time to go back to the car and get them. Luckily Brenda (my savior again) met me at the 6 mile mark and handed me a water bottle.

I think that Brenda was my guardian angel for this race, I thank God for her being there to help offset my arrogance and lack of preparation for this race.

2013 Half Number 7 - Helvetia Oregon, June 8 2013

Oregon's Helvetia Half Marathon, 5K & 10K takes runners on hilly, challenging course on rolling paved country roads along the northern rim of the Tualatin Valley in the West Hills of the Portland area.

In the last year, I've tried to focus on runs with character and scenery. This ranks right up there at the top but it was a grueling set of hills from mile 3 to mile 9.

I think this race is one that I'm going to try and do every year. It was well managed, beautiful and a lot of fun!

Even the dogs like the visit to Portland and the ride back home.