Dec 22, 2007 9:27 PM
Beautiful tulip fields make up for another slow run (only five miles this time)
Intrepid summary (provisional) - Tulip Fun Run (5-Miles); Burlington, WA
49:03; oa - 239/410; no sex/no ag; no wind/55 degrees
8:56 / 8:56
9:52 / 18:48
9:37 / 28:25
9:49 / 38:14
10:49 / 49:03
This is the kind of plod-along, early-season training run-in-a-race that should remain deep within in my CR running log only as an indicator for possibly marking some improvement (I hope) by summer and fall runs. However, it really was a hugh shock that seemed to need sharing to be getting to celebrate the Easter weekend with suddenly seeing so many beautiful tulips, daffodils and other flowers after the long gray winter. Skip to bottom of page.
========================
With new respect for the half marathon distance after hitting the wall last month in that distance for the first time, the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival[/URL" target="_blank">?s 5-mile Tulip Run (1.5 miles of smooth roadway and then 3.5 miles of gravel trails and shoulders) seemed to be a convenient chance for some tempo or whatever redeeming speedwork before the Eugene Marathon at the end of the month. Besides, after Friday?s record 79 degrees, it might even be a first sunny day run since the October 1 Portland Marathon and the kind of day that got me interested in running weekend races as an excuse for some summertime exercise in the first place a long time ago. Unfortunately, not to be sunny but, though it was drizzling for much of the 72 mile drive north from Seattle, the sprinkling abated for a perfect dry run.
I?ve only run in one other five-miler (an annual 8K at the end of July) and usually by then can try to (but never do) break 40 minutes so I thought a 9m/m pace (45 minutes) would be realistic today. After all, it's only a whimpy five miles.
However, that not to be either even though I ran as hard as I could all the way, . . . and all the while while cute little high school track girls and young wives keeping in shape, and some who seemed in not quite enough (or too much) shape to run even a mile, passed me in their animated chatting.
However, even though slow, still was able to maintain 180 steps per minute (=10,000 steps total including a ~3/4 mile warm-up for my version of honoring Madam 10,000's four March 10K's, etc.) and, though the splits inexorably deteriorated mile-after-mile, the middle mile through graveled woodland trails alongside newly emerging yellow and green skunk cabbage[/URL" target="_blank"> at least seemed fast as I finally caught up to three of the local boomer goddesses I thought I'd be behind all the way and not seeing again. Maybe I just like goddesses, . . . I mean trails.
The 350 runners portrayed a colorful transformation from the rain-gear winter run greys of the last five months, including one guy someone said, ?you look like a tulip? in yellow thongs and shorts, and a past year?s red Easter Marathon shirt and matching red cycling cap. Initial green tri-trunks looked more like someone's Christmas Tree than Easter.
The running though was nothing compared to the marvelous transformation of the muddy, wet, sloppy fields that had just got done hosting overwintering trumpeter swans[/URL" target="_blank"> and snow geese[/URL" target="_blank"> to the now brilliant colors of millions of brilliant tulips (e.g., 20,000,000 tulips in 20 acres of one of the several bulb farms[/URL" target="_blank">) shining in multi-colors[/URL" target="_blank"> of red[/URL" target="_blank">, yellow[/URL" target="_blank">, orange[/URL" target="_blank">, orange[/URL" target="_blank">, purple[/URL" target="_blank">, lavender[/URL" target="_blank">, pink[/URL" target="_blank">, and white[/URL" target="_blank"> fields of blooming tulips, and daffodils[/URL" target="_blank"> too stretching to the seemingly endless horizon or nearby Cascade Mountain foothills like a painting[/URL" target="_blank"> before it got painted plus, reminding me of goddess econo?s playful woodland romps long lost over the long winter, an abundance of memories of last summer's blue skies in the ornamental tulip gardens with irises[/URL" target="_blank">, thistles[/URL" target="_blank">, hyacinths[/URL" target="_blank">, primroses[/URL" target="_blank">, violets[/URL" target="_blank">, forget-me-nots[/URL" target="_blank"> and a certain bell[/URL" target="_blank"> topped off with an American flag[/URL" target="_blank"> tulip portrait and Mrs. Statue of Liberty[/URL" target="_blank"> with her own Easter bouquet. No picking of tulips but many daffodils will be at Easter services on Sunday.
Happy Easter, happy spring, happy good weather, happy running.
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http://This message has been edited by Tetsujin30 (edited Apr-11-2007).
49:03; oa - 239/410; no sex/no ag; no wind/55 degrees
8:56 / 8:56
9:52 / 18:48
9:37 / 28:25
9:49 / 38:14
10:49 / 49:03
This is the kind of plod-along, early-season training run-in-a-race that should remain deep within in my CR running log only as an indicator for possibly marking some improvement (I hope) by summer and fall runs. However, it really was a hugh shock that seemed to need sharing to be getting to celebrate the Easter weekend with suddenly seeing so many beautiful tulips, daffodils and other flowers after the long gray winter. Skip to bottom of page.
========================
With new respect for the half marathon distance after hitting the wall last month in that distance for the first time, the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival[/URL" target="_blank">?s 5-mile Tulip Run (1.5 miles of smooth roadway and then 3.5 miles of gravel trails and shoulders) seemed to be a convenient chance for some tempo or whatever redeeming speedwork before the Eugene Marathon at the end of the month. Besides, after Friday?s record 79 degrees, it might even be a first sunny day run since the October 1 Portland Marathon and the kind of day that got me interested in running weekend races as an excuse for some summertime exercise in the first place a long time ago. Unfortunately, not to be sunny but, though it was drizzling for much of the 72 mile drive north from Seattle, the sprinkling abated for a perfect dry run.
I?ve only run in one other five-miler (an annual 8K at the end of July) and usually by then can try to (but never do) break 40 minutes so I thought a 9m/m pace (45 minutes) would be realistic today. After all, it's only a whimpy five miles.
However, that not to be either even though I ran as hard as I could all the way, . . . and all the while while cute little high school track girls and young wives keeping in shape, and some who seemed in not quite enough (or too much) shape to run even a mile, passed me in their animated chatting. However, even though slow, still was able to maintain 180 steps per minute (=10,000 steps total including a ~3/4 mile warm-up for my version of honoring Madam 10,000's four March 10K's, etc.) and, though the splits inexorably deteriorated mile-after-mile, the middle mile through graveled woodland trails alongside newly emerging yellow and green skunk cabbage[/URL" target="_blank"> at least seemed fast as I finally caught up to three of the local boomer goddesses I thought I'd be behind all the way and not seeing again. Maybe I just like goddesses, . . . I mean trails.
The 350 runners portrayed a colorful transformation from the rain-gear winter run greys of the last five months, including one guy someone said, ?you look like a tulip? in yellow thongs and shorts, and a past year?s red Easter Marathon shirt and matching red cycling cap. Initial green tri-trunks looked more like someone's Christmas Tree than Easter.
The running though was nothing compared to the marvelous transformation of the muddy, wet, sloppy fields that had just got done hosting overwintering trumpeter swans[/URL" target="_blank"> and snow geese[/URL" target="_blank"> to the now brilliant colors of millions of brilliant tulips (e.g., 20,000,000 tulips in 20 acres of one of the several bulb farms[/URL" target="_blank">) shining in multi-colors[/URL" target="_blank"> of red[/URL" target="_blank">, yellow[/URL" target="_blank">, orange[/URL" target="_blank">, orange[/URL" target="_blank">, purple[/URL" target="_blank">, lavender[/URL" target="_blank">, pink[/URL" target="_blank">, and white[/URL" target="_blank"> fields of blooming tulips, and daffodils[/URL" target="_blank"> too stretching to the seemingly endless horizon or nearby Cascade Mountain foothills like a painting[/URL" target="_blank"> before it got painted plus, reminding me of goddess econo?s playful woodland romps long lost over the long winter, an abundance of memories of last summer's blue skies in the ornamental tulip gardens with irises[/URL" target="_blank">, thistles[/URL" target="_blank">, hyacinths[/URL" target="_blank">, primroses[/URL" target="_blank">, violets[/URL" target="_blank">, forget-me-nots[/URL" target="_blank"> and a certain bell[/URL" target="_blank"> topped off with an American flag[/URL" target="_blank"> tulip portrait and Mrs. Statue of Liberty[/URL" target="_blank"> with her own Easter bouquet. No picking of tulips but many daffodils will be at Easter services on Sunday.
Happy Easter, happy spring, happy good weather, happy running.
. . . . . . http://This message has been edited by Tetsujin30 (edited Apr-11-2007).
