Sunday, February 18, 2007

SKATE-RUN WEEKEND





Saturday was Bake's birthday so, with his buddy Jake in tow, we headed to the incredible skatepark on Orcas Island. (Built by Grindline and largely backed, I believe, by Warren Miller of ski movie fame.) They had a grand time. It puts the Bellingham skatepark to serious shame. Everyone there wears helmets, most wear pads and though there weren't a lot of riders there (actually, good for us), the ones that were were darn good. As if I, who've never really skateboarded, know what I'm talking about. (Though I do know who Tony Hawk is. Danny Way too.)
Sunday was the last long run for the Chuckanut 50K group. There were just three of us so we weren't the Core 4 (or Fab 4), but rather, a Power Trio. We all seemed to be hurting for one reason or another--I don't know, maybe it's the 10 consecutive Sundays of hard 3- to 4-1/2-hour runs we've been doing--but we muscled it through: 3-1/2 hours with 4,000 feet of elevation gain. I'm happy to say my February cough is almost gone.
The race is less than a month away so from here on in it's taper time. Which means running less and trying not to gain too much weight. Allergies should be here in the next two, three weeks, so I do have that to look forward to.

Sunday, February 11, 2007

IT'S IN THE BANK!

Today, we ran the final 40K of the Chuckanut 50K course. (John Schick, John Clark, Scott Young and myself.) We all finished, we all ran strong, and we all enjoyed great weather on what is an arduous, 26- or 27-mile endeavor that gains some 4,300 feet. I take that back. John Clark, powered by Payday candy bars and the like, ran obscenely strong. He didn't finish at Fairhaven Park, but rather ran all the way home to his house in the Columbia neighborhood. (Show-off.)

Like half of Bellingham, I've got the February tubercular cough and spent the first couple hours horking up bit of trachea and lung. For the most part though, it sounded worse than it was. Though back in swamps of Lost Lake, I admit I had a few moments when I considered cutting it short (I'm sick, I've got an excuse, etc.) and figured I'm destined never to finish this run. But once I cranked the iPod, I was able to hang in.

Scott, Clark and I started the final stretch of the I'urban together but as always seems to happen, in about three minutes they were mere figurines on the horizon. It's as if they're running on a People Mover, like you see at airports, and I'm just walking on the trail.

So we're five weeks out and we've already got this run in the bank. Folks are dealing with the mid-winter break (that was canceled) and flight plans (on an airline that's canceling all its flights) so we're not really sure what's up for next week. Actually, I know what's going on Saturday: Baker's turning 8!

NOTE: Mega-thanks to Doug McKeever, Frank and Carol Schultz, and Sharon Hofnagle for doing a superb job clearing the Ridge Trail of all the blow-down from this winter's storms. The trail is in great shape.

Friday, February 09, 2007

PIANO MAN


A few days ago, Bake's second grade class put on a Freedom Play and Musical for the whole school. Along with playing the part of a Student Speaker, Bake was the accompanist which was pretty darn cool. He was relaxed, calm and played great. He even got to take a bow at the end.

In Chuckanut 50K news, looks like Christy Fazio is out. She took another fall this past Sunday and running downhill is just too painful. So it's down to four. The Fab 4, as I like to think of it, though others prefer the Core 4.

This Sunday, we're running the final 40K of the course, which is an annual run I usually find some way to avoid. But not this year, baby--I'm gonna do it up but good!

And now, please enjoy a photo I shot for The Seattle Times of a pug in Fairhaven with a statue of Dirty Dan Harris.



Friday, February 02, 2007

Bake McQ



So you know how it is, you're taking photos for your kid's passport and he starts hamming it up. First, it's the "Stella!" scene from "Streetcar Named Desire," (PHOTO DELETED AT SON's REQUEST) then it's his gang-bangin', baggy pants, playuh thang. Itsall guud.