This was the first year of the Snoqualmie Valley Half and it was a great race! I would do this one again, for sure. The race is completely on a path--no running on a road. Most of the path is an old railroad grade that is now dirt and gravel. There was plenty of room for runners and it was shaded most of the way (thank goodness because it would have otherwise been a hot day for a run). There were also a few well-stocked aid stations along the way. It was an out-and-back course with an elevation gain of about 400 feet going out. You might think that change in elevation would be imperceptible. But I noticed and it was reflected in my pace. I ran about 30 seconds per mile faster on the last half of the race. And to finish it off, there was a cool finisher's medal when I crossed the line!
I loved the path. It feels so much better to run on dirt than pavement!
We ran over cool bridges and along a river. Okay, so there was pavement on the bridges.
Cool sculpture I saw along the way.
The photographer, Ross Comer, was a great sport trying to take my photo and high-fived me after the last picture.
I had a little scheduling snafu this weekend. I was registered for 2 races but my husband was out of town and my babysitter for Sunday morning's race backed out Saturday afternoon. I tried to find a replacement babysitter but I was unsuccessful. I think it was a blessing in disguise though. My body is tired and I believe I didn't do a good job of recovering from the hard races the weekend before. I also had a lot going on Sunday afternoon and I was crazy to think I could do it all. So, I missed Rattlesnake Ridge Run. I wanted to do it but I'll have to wait until next year.
Soaking in Epsom Salt: I have really benefited from soaking in Epsom salt. I have used Epsom salt on weekends when I am running 2 races--I'll soak Saturday night after the first race to help recover before the second race Sunday morning.
It takes a lot of Epsom salt in warm water to reach the high concentration needed for a therapeutic effect. So, I don't soak in the bathtub because I would be buying a whole lot of Epsom salt! Instead, I put a gallon of very warm water in a bowl along with two cups of Epsom salt and stir to dissolve. Then, I put a towel in the bowl and get it soaking wet. I lay a black plastic bag on my couch and put the towel on top of it. And then I settle on the couch for a half hour. I usually soak my hamstrings but you could wrap the towel around any parts of your legs that feel sore.
The Kroger brand Epsom salt pictured below is specifically for soaking and it has peppermint and spearmint and rosemary oils in it. It smells a little like "Icy Hot" but much better.
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