Okay. So this déjà vu thing happened to me last weekend. I was registered for the Grey Rock 25K near Yakima, WA. It is about 150 miles away so I booked a room in a motel and drove over the night before the race. When I did my online search for a motel, I was looking for something close to the race and cheap but clean. I arrived at the motel. I parked. I saw the pool. And I instantly knew I had been there before. It was a family vacation when I was probably 5 years old (I did the math, it was probably 46 years ago). I am going to search my parents' house for pictures of that vacation because I know we have pictures of us kids swimming in that pool!
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| This pool looked the same almost a half a century ago. |
Back to the race details. I got up race morning, made oatmeal in the microwave, and hopped in the car to start driving. The race was more than a half hour drive away and into the mountains at Tree Phones Campground. The sun was just coming up. I got a big surprise when I tried to back out of my parking space and figured out that I had a completely flat tire. I started taking the flat tire off to put on the spare (a full-sized spare, thankfully) when someone offered to help. I accepted, but I knew I wouldn't make it to the start of the race in time. So, I relaxed and resolved to just go with whatever the day would turn out to be.
I arrived at the race just minutes after the 50K folks had taken off. The 25K race was starting in a half hour. I talked to the race director, and checked in for the 25K. My plan was to go beyond the 25K turn around for as long as I could and still make it back before the cut-off time.
The course was amazing! It was an out-and-back. The first climb is to Whites Ridge. Then a huge descent to a river. And then it was uphill again to Foundation Ridge. The sun was shining and warm in the valleys, but the temps were very cool on the ridges. I saw Mt. Adams and Mt. Rainier from the ridges. I didn't make it all of the way to the 50K turn around but I couldn't complain. My day turned out great!
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| Beginning of race. Heading up to Whites Ridge. |
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| Out of the trees and getting close to Whites Ridge! |
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| View of Mt. Rainier from Whites Ridge. |
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| Whites Ridge. |
360 degree view from Whites Ridge. The first mountain is Rainier and the second is Adams. They both look a lot alike to me!
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| Heading downhill to the valley. |
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| My turn-around point on the way up to Foundation Ridge. |
360 degree view from my turn-around spot.
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| Approaching Whites Ridge on my way back to the start. |
The race was supported by a search and rescue team. They took their job very seriously. I don't think they appreciated me going beyond the 25K turn around. I checked in with every crew as I passed by and promised to return before the cut-off times for each station. This race was advertised as an excellent training run for the White River 50 miler. I agree whole-heartedly.
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| The search and rescue volunteers manning the aid station on Whites Ridge. These guys were in constant communication with each other on their radios. I felt like they knew where each and every runner was at all times. |
After the race, I enjoyed some yummy barbeque and baked beans. Then, I headed to a tire shop to get my tire fixed. And there was absolutely nothing wrong with it. I think some kids that were staying at the motel had let the air out of the tire.
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| I thought I had tan lines at the ankles. |
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| I was wrong. It was just dirt. |
