Where's the Donuts?

Sunny Sunday afternoon in the Pacific Northwest, and I made up for Saturday's slack-off travel day with a good run. Out to Tracyton boat launch, trying to keep the pace easy, though it was chillier than I planned. But the sunshine makes me forget that. 

Got to the boat launch and had some knee trouble with the left one locking up some, but that may have just been the cold. I did a few hills around Tracyton to add some extra distance and my left knee seemed to loosen up. Back at a decent pace, then along Shore Drive and home. 1;20:49

supernova glide blue -- 58

Good start to the week with these back-to-back, especially seeing the sun both days. Breezy, and downright windy at times so it wasn't exactly warm; but the Vitamin D makes me forget that. I ran over to Evergreen Park, where Mike was waiting, we did a loop up the Warren Ave bridge and around Lion's Park, then back to the Manette Bridge. We stopped halfway across and talked to the construction workers about the new bridge project. It's a fun route to run because you get to see the new bridge being build just feet away, you can almost reach out and touch the new girders. 

Legs felt good, we didn't rush at all but managed a decent pace after warming up. I was spent after running home though. Took Warren Ave. back and added a few hills up above Harrison Medical Center. I usually run that route backwards and before dawn, I didn't realize how steep some parts were. Exhausted after finishing for some reason (may have been the cold air and jet lag as much as the exertion), I napped for almost 90 minutes. 1:16:55.

supernova glide blue -- 69

Workout day. No snow on the ground or in the air when I woke up, which was a great sign. Not even as cold out as forecast. 

Three-mile warmup around Manette, then I hit the Jacobson Hill for 1-minute sprints. It's about a 250m incline that I run, and then back down taking two minutes slowly. The first was at 1:00, then they got slower before finishing a little better: 1:03, 1:07, 1:09, 1:06, 1:04. Legs felt strong up the hills, it's the fitness that isn't there. One mile cooldown. 45:58

supernova glide 75

Morning run on the Warren-Manette bridges loop. Pretty cold, but absolutely beautiful sunrise. Rainier was a silouette and the Olympics lit up pink. 37:03

supernova glide blue -- 80

Icy at the start for this one, and I even waited until later in the day. But 32 feels like, oh, zero here after a mild winter otherwise. I went to Green Mountain, and after the first half mile or so I had passed the other hikers who had parked and had the mountain to myself. Wonderful peace. 

The trail was iced over in places where there's usually run-off, and a few little frozen puddles, but otherwise it was in really nice shape. Twenty minutes in I had warmed up, and didn't have a problem with frozen digits after that. Kept a better pace once I warmed up and got past the icy uphills also, and I really enjoyed the Beaver Pond loop today. Got a good clip going.

I ran to the Gold Mountain parking lot, but skipped the little jaunt up to the vista (it was gray anyway, and that last stretch is all rocks. No reason to slip on an icy rock today.) Then zipped back down to the parking lot, feeling great. Really happy for a run that I thought might be a slog, and capped a pretty productive week. First one over 40 miles, and it'll just go up from here. 1:33:10

brooks cascadia VI -- 36