Rainy Seattle Arboretum Run

It rained.  All day long.  I know this isn't something surprising in the Seattle area, but the past couple days were so awesome, I just didn't want to believe it.  So I waited well into the afternoon to go for my run, hoping that maybe the sun would come out.  It didn't.  Eventually I knew I had to get out there, so I sucked it up and hit the road.  For this run I wore my Patagonia Everlongs and my Houdini Jacket.  Honestly, in 50 degree weather and rain, the Houdini Jacket is almost too much; probably would have been better with just a thin long sleeve shirt.
Starting off, I had never been to the Arboretum before, so I just explored.  I found the soccer field, where people were playing soccer, then went on forward to the main gate.  Behind the Japanese Garden was a trail that went...nowhere.  Odd, but I turned back and started running on the actual sidewalk trail.  This eventually goes on for a while with some ups and downs, but nothing too challenging.  More of just a nice stroll through the park, but you have to stop every twenty feet because none of the paths make sense.  So finally I found the end of that path, but had seen a way to go under the 520 bridge earlier on a map. Off I went, across a cool old foot bridge and onward toward Founder and Marsh Islands.  The UW rowing team was out in numbers, but not much of anybody else.  As you near Marsh Island, there is usually a floating bridge thing that takes you across the water, but today there was water about five inches deep, to the point where I saw ducks swimming over it.  Regardless, I ran through this and onto the bridge that looked like it should have been from Myst.  The rest of the island was muddy as well, but it was like running on water soaked wood chip ground.  Bouncy but not sticky like mud.  All in all, I eventually got all the way to the channel connecting Lake Washington and Lake Union, right near UW.  Pretty darn cool!  All in all did about nine miles.

Quick Run Down Lake Wash Blvd

Ok, one day down on my race training plan.  The hard part is actually sticking with it so I really wanted to get today's in.  Luckily it was just a six miler and I knew exactly what I wanted to do.  In Seattle, there are two bridges across Lake Washington, one of them the 520 which is more convenient but has a toll, and I-90 which is way out of the way, but toll-less and has a pedestrian path.  Ever since I came down this way, I've really wanted to run across the I-90 bridge, eventually running or riding it to work.  Needing six miles, I knew I wouldn't make it to the bridge, which is around four miles, but I could at least get an idea of where it is.  Starting out I was a bit sore from yesterday's run, but loosened up pretty well after a few minutes.  After a bit of dead end street running, I found Lake Washington Blvd and followed that for some time.  Ending up in Leschi just after the Marina was about three miles and the turn around point, but before getting there I got to witness Kirkland on the West Side.  I really think that Leschi (people will promptly correct you if you pronounce that how it looks) looks exactly like the waterfront houses in Kirkland, but maybe that's just the part I was running by.
The weather was beautiful out and I of course cursed myself for not bringing my camera.  Next time I say!

Madison Ave Out and Back

In preparation of the Grindstone 100 Miler, I have finally decided to start being smart and using a training plan.  Although I've done a ton of ultra marathons in the past, the majority of these were simply by relying on my pre-established mileage and experience.  Basically, I can do a 50k without too much training, have fun, and finish.  That was fine when I was simply trying to get used to it all, but now I'd actually like to feel good about my time and challenge myself.  And what better way to do that than with Grindstone!
So, today is the start of a training plan that should get me up to doing several weeks of 70 miles per week prior to October 3rd.  The plan I'm using comes from "Relentless Forward Progress: A Guide to Running Ultramarathons" by Bryon Powell and Eric Grossman which I'm reading anywho.  I picked it simply because it had the distance I needed and Dr. Horton has an essay in the book.  Good enough for me.
Today's run started in my neighborhood, at the east end of Madison Ave where it runs into Lake Washington.  Following Madison west, it eventually crashes into the Puget Sound, at Coleman Pier.  All told, it's only about 3.5 miles out and back, but the fun is in the elevation.  Starting at my place, its flat for just a minute, then begins a slow gradual incline for a bit under a mile.  As that mile comes to an end, we arrive at the Arboretum and keep going up Madison, but the incline returns quite a bit more sharply.  About the time I get to 18th (or Trader Joe's, however you measure these things), the downhill starts.  At this point its all downhill to the water, with the last five or so blocks being straight "I'm afraid I may fall forward and start rolling and not be able to stop till I hit the water or a car" down.
Finishing the out portion, I started in on the back.  This includes going back up those hills, which I am quite happy to say I actually ran up them all with only stopping for traffic lights.  Then its a long gradual uphill to 18th before a slow down, an easy up, and gradual downhill all the way back home.  
I needed eight miles but I only got 7.5.  Let's just round up given the incline.