Do normal people sign-up for a 50k only 6 weeks from the race date? Well for some reason after our 24 mile run this weekend we thought it would be a good idea. We are now officially signed up for PCT Buncker to Bonneville!
Mt Rainier, glaciers, alpine forests, and a trail through the heart of it all 16-18 Aug 2015 No run has reshaped the borders of my soul like circumnavigating Mt Rainier. No run has infiltrated my dreams like spending three days just running and not much else, in the middle of the longest summer in the Pacific Northwest's recent memory. No run has made me fall so deeply in love with the magical combination of mountains, wilderness, and summertime. Like all of our great long runs, Ann researched and planned this one. She discovered that most people run the 93-mile Wonderland Trail clockwise, and that we could split the route into three days with a cushy hotel stay each night. We, however, would run the route counterclockwise to start with the longest day of running first. We had a beer with our friend Heather McGrath, who had run around Rainier the previous year, to hear more about her trip, get tips, and make sure that our plan wasn't too crazy.
Friday Susan and I did our "long run", since she was leaving on Saturday for a 2 week vacation to Ireland. A long run meaning an incremental increase to what I did the week before, since I am slowly easing back into running because of my herniated disc . We ran 2.5 hours / ~13 miles in Forest Park. With the long run done and the long 4th of July weekend ahead of us, I planned a few harder hikes for John and me to do. The first being the Elk Mountain - Kings Mountain loop . From the top of King Mountain
On Saturday, November 1, Ann's dad, Fred, turned 70 and we celebrated with a big party in Hood River. Many of us stayed the night or weekend in town, including Ann's stepsister Gretchen and stepbrother Noel-- both of whom traveled from Texas and both of whom are runners. Bridge to rocks to bridge Noel is injured, but Gretchen, Fred, Ann and I all wanted to go for a run on Sunday morning (Made possible by my dad hanging out with my son. Thanks, Dad!). Ann looked for trails that weren't too hilly for our flat-land visitors, with enough miles to keep us all happy. After some waffling we settled on Post Canyon, even though there wasn't much information or detailed maps available. Look how long this bike balance beam keeps going! It's primarily a park for mountain biking, but with so many well-kept, wandering, interconnected trails in a lovely forest setting, it made a great place for a timed run. We just drove up Post Canyon Dr until we found a goo
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