run: seattle = fargo???

I lived in Fargo for about 5 months back in 2000.  It was cold.  I’m now back home in temperate Seattle – where the weather is always in the middle.  Not so the past few days.  It’s been ridiculously cold.  I’ve been having fargo flashback nightmares!  Yesterday I took advantage of the snow and took what will end up being one of my last runs in Carkeek Park for awhile.    I’ve come to dearly love these woods in the city.  A nice little hidden treasure.  For this last jaunt, I couldn’t resist taking a few photos to capture the moment.  As you will notice, I had to throw on my spikey shoe covers because of all the ice – this was the icing on the cake (pun intended)!

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beats today: 8,400
my beats to date: 1,103,300

run: seattle is still wild

While last Tuesday made the streets of Seattle wild with excitement as the votes came through, this post is dedicated to a different kind of wild. 

On my run around Green Lake today I spotted a HUGE bald eagle sitting atop an evergreen.  The tip of the tree was totally bent over from the weight of this bird.  I was a little nervous it would swoop down and take me home for dinner, so I ran a little faster just to be safe.  So while townhouses continue to go up around us, some “wild” life are still holding their ground.  For how long though, that’s the question.

 

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beats today: 8,400
my beats to date: 807,900

run: eaten by a lion

I pushed the limits on running visibility this evening.  (As Seattle’s long summer days quickly fade to mere hours of daylight, I have a feeling this will be an ongoing theme.)  Anyway, I took my favorite route through the upper trails of Carkeek Park for my 8 mile fartlek run.  I knew I was asking for trouble when upon entering the woods visibility was minimal.  Well, obviously it only got worse.  As I jogged along the trail wishing I’d eaten more carrots, I couldn’t help thinking about the book I’m reading “What is the What.”

The section I’m on at the moment is where the author is retelling his experience as a young boy travelling through the night with all the other Lost Boys of Sudan.  Describing the fear and tactics that are unavoidable when facing the potential of being eaten by a lion at night.

The biggest potential danger I had on my run was tripping over a root!  It’s hard to imagine how I would be or who I would be if placed in that reality those boys faced.  Would I stand up and protect the young ones or would I selfishly do everything necessary to protect myself?  Would I be brave in the face of danger or wet my pants?  Would the real Mike please stand up?

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beats today: 8,800
my beats to date: 312,500

run: contrasts

This will be a short journal entry even though it was my “long run Sunday.”  The two hours trotting through Seattle seemed to bring forth the idea of contrasts this evening.  Here’s a few examples:

Contrast #1

-Passing by the three homeless (and my guess, hungry) folks living under the I-5 bridge

-while my stomach is digesting my lunch from Red Mill (verde burger, onion rings, fries, and chocolate shake – note to self: not a great pre-run meal)

Contrast #2

-The cute little duck on Green Lake diving for food at sunset

-The rat/mouse I saw just a little later scurrying from a bush to grab a half empty bag of chips

Contrast #3

-How far my body was telling my brain I should be running this evening

-How far my brain was telling my body I should be running this evening

And finally, the “not so much” contrast:

-My chaffed nipples (no pics required)

-My chaffed upper thigh area (yeah, no pics required on this one either)

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beats today: 16,800
total beats: 253,300