Crazy cold this morning. 32 on the Ridge and 28F down in the valley. Finished up on the Ridge at 38F. Light wind from the north; sunny & somewhat overcast. Objectives: endurance run, club run, exploration, and Leg Builder Hill. Awesome run! So pleasant and so enjoyable. I started with my usual trip down the Parkway into old Snoqualmie. No one at the club in my pace, so I ran with my imaginary friends. They are always such good company. ;) Most of the club runners were going over to the Snoq. Valley Trail, so I headed over too. The small groups of faster runners all glided ahead of me, but then one by one they started to turn back. It seemed I always had someone in my sight. After I thought I'd seen the last of them, I turned around too. For some reason, I just felt really bored by the SVT today, and I always dislike the gravel. So I took a turn off the trail in North Bend and spend a very nice half hour or so exploring the back roads of NB, under the towering shadow of Mt.Si. This is my favorite kind of run, where there is lots to see and new places to find. Eventually I came back around to Snoqualmie, via Hwy 202 for a short stretch (not too bad) and Meadowbrook Farm. Successful gravel minimization. :) I hit the LB Hill (Snoqualmie Parkway) from miles 15.8 to 17.8. For new folks, I used to call this hill the Spirit Crusher but that seemed overly negative. Now it's the Leg Builder. Not quite as bad today as it has been the past two climbs. Finished with a few miles around the Ridge. Food corner... yes, I ran these 21 miles with no carbs and yes, I felt strong to the end. Gluconeogenesis rocks, once you get the hang of it. Brunch after run = organic turkey sausages, a pile of veggies, and my secret recipe almond-coconut pancakes. (It's a secret because I haven't written it down yet. I will definitely share when I have perfected it!) Good luck to Dale and Running Donkey on tomorrow's Mt Si Relay and Ultraruns. I really hope you get the kind of weather I had today. | 