Best Running Song for December!

Hey, I know you're happy to be out there running, right? Happy, happy, happy...who isn't happy?

Well, once in a while, when it's about 14 degrees outside and the wind is howling right into your face, and you're heading uphill (the first uphill of seven total on your route), well, right about then, happy just doesn't cut it.

But you know what does absolutely cut it? Yeah, the Deftones. Sometimes you need to run angry. Sometimes you need a song to just, well pardon my French, but you need a song to kick your ass to get you up that hill.

This is that song. It's called "Knife Prty" and of course it's from the amazing band, the Deftones. If you want to scream out in the middle of your run, in your best Mojo Jojo voice, "I rock SO hard!" Well, really, this is the only song that works for that.

And for something completely, utterly, and fantastically different...check out this acoustic version of the same song.

Get out there and rock those trails hard.

Past Best Running Songs:
November: The Kooks / "Always Where I Need To Be"
October: At the Drive In / "One Armed Scissor"
September: Silversun Pickups / "Lazy Eye"
August: Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros / "Johnny Appleseed"
July: Deathray / "I Wanna Lose Control (Uh Oh)"
June: Raconteurs / "Salute Your Solution"
May: Tea Party / "Save Me"
April: Bloc Party / "Like Eating Glass"
Ever: The English Beat / "I Confess"

Race T-Shirt Review!

Yep, it's that time again. Race T-Shirt time! And we've got a winner today. The race shirt from the Sacramento Cowtown Half-Marathon (yeah, I know, I'm a little late here) is N-I-C-E, nice! First, it's a nice, neutral color, sort of an off-white. Hey, that's all good. Second, it's a quality New Balance tech shirt...and short sleeve. YES! Third, it's got cows. No, really...cows! I don't care what you say, you just can't go wrong with cows. Sort of busy on the back with sponsors, but hey, they're paying good money for this nice shirt, so live with it.

Overall grade: A

Manny Runs for Another Record!

My cubicle-mate, Manny, ran in the inaugural Rock n' Roll Marathon Vegas today. And he once again, for the fourth straight race, lowered his marathon PR. That's all you can ask for, right there.

It's nice to see a professional group come into Las Vegas to put on a marathon. There have been so many that have come and gone there; hopefully, this one will stick.

Might as well go to Vegas...runs are pretty slim around here this time of year. Ah well...

Let's run!

RACES FOR WEEK OF DECEMBER 14th TO DECEMBER 20th

December 19th / Santa Marathon, Half-Marathon, 10 miles, 10k, and 5k / Rochester, WA

December 19th / Santa Runs Tacoma 10k and 5k / Tacoma, WA

December 20th / 12k's of Christmas 12k and 5k / Kirkland, WA

December 20th / Winter Solstice Run 5k / Eugene, OR

Happy 25 Years to a Great Run!

Wow, the Seattle Jingle Bell Run is 25 years old! I've got a lot a memories from that race. I've probably run it somewhere between 8-12 times. That was the race that taught me how loud jingle bells could be if you multiplied them by 20,000 or so.

It was also the race where we were hiding in the McDonald's by the Seattle Center, trying to get warm and waiting to meet my brother: he came running in, yelling at us, "I forgot my race number back at my house, we need to go get it!" I looked down at my feet for a moment, then back up, a horrible thought just coming to me. "Hell," I said. "We forgot ours too!" Thus began perhaps the fastest, most dangerous, lunatic, drive from downtown Seattle to Northgate and back in the history of the Puget Sound. We ran from our car into the already started race with our numbers waving around in our hands.

Good times. Goooood times.

And if you're really adventurous, you can run the Bellingham Jingle Bell run on Saturday (I've run that one about 5 times), then turn around and run the Seattle Jingle Bell Run on Sunday.

Hey, why not? It's to fight Arthritis - get out there and run!

RACES FOR WEEK OF DECEMBER 7th TO DECEMBER 13th

December 12th / Jingle Bells Run 8k and 5k / Eugene, OR

December 12th / Solstice Run 5k / Bainbridge Island, WA

December 12th / Girls on the Run 5k / Seattle, WA

December 12th / Christmas Rush 10k and 5k / Kent, WA

December 12th / Run Rudolph Run 5k / Edmonds, WA

December 12th / Jingle Bell Run Against Arthritis 4 miles / Bellingham, WA

December 13th / Jingle Bell Run Against Arthritis 5k / Seattle, WA

Turkey Trot Race Review!

Just for a little fun, and as my first official effort back since my time off to rest the hurt quad, I participated in a little Turkey-Day 5k in Gig Harbor, WA yesterday. We were in Gig Harbor to visit Jen's parents for Thanksgiving, so why not.

That's what I thought when I signed up anyway...

When I woke up on Thanksgiving morning, on very little sleep, I checked outside real quick and, oh yeah, we were definitely back in the Puget Sound. The rain was coming down furiously. Uh oh...I had barely talked Jen into the race in the first place - she wasn't going to be happy about the rain.

So we suited up: me in shorts, a tech shirt and a light jacket. Jen in sweat pants, t-shirt, hoody sweatshirt, and puffy down vest. Yeah, she was ready. As we stood at the start line waiting for 8:00 am and the start gun, our clothes soaking in pound after pound of rain, I asked Jen her race plan.

"No plan," Jen said. "I'm going to run very slowly. I'll be lucky to beat a half-hour. You just take off and I'll see you at the finish."

Yeah, right. I had heard this before. "You know as soon as we start, you'll be trying to beat me and everyone else within striking-distance."

"Not this time, I'm not in good enough shape," Jen said.

Hmmm...

So after a few more damp minutes, we started and I moved ahead as fast as my stiff little achilles would take me. I felt like I was moving along pretty well, even though I was shuffling along and not really striding out.

Still, I felt all right. I was passing up a few people. I felt like I was pulling away a bit coming up on the mile one marker. Then...

"Wow, I almost lost you on that first hill. I barely caught back up," Jen said.

And then you can picture me with my ego deflating like a popped Macy's parade balloon. Somebody grab a mop.

"Oh hey," I said. "Nice to see you."

And of course, from that point, there was no way I could lose her. Even though she had to take off her vest, then her hoody, then tie the hoody around her waist, then put the vest back on...still couldn't lose her. She even sprinted away from me on the last uphill to finish three seconds ahead at the finish.

"I KNEW it," I yelled after crossing the line. "The old bait and switch again. Just like always."

Jen just smiled. When you finish in front, it's easy to take the losers' complaints.

Grrrrrr, when's the next race?


Thanks to KOMO for the rain map.

Nanowrimo...Fail!

How lame would I be if I used moving into the new house as an excuse for not doing Jack in Nanowrimo?

So we've been moving into our new house for the last week or so and consequently...I didn't do Jack in Nanowrimo. Well, that's my story and I'm sticking to it. I don't know, there were other issues, I suppose. Like, say, the fact that I had about 30 pages of plot and I needed 200. Or the fact that the 30 pages were highly derivative of one of my favorite novels from Pete Hautman.

Yes, I was massively underprepared.

But mostly it was the house.

As far as you know.

Turkey Trot Dead Ahead!

It's been awhile since I've done a true Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving day itself, but I'm signed up for one this Thursday in Gig Harbor. Just a 5k, so not much, but enough that I won't feel bad about slamming some pie later in the day!

Let's race...and eat!

RACES FOR WEEK OF NOVEMBER 30th TO DECEMBER 6th

December 5th / Turkey Trot 5k / Rexburg, ID (Odd, a week and a half after T-Day...)

December 5th / Civil War Relay 55 Miles / Albany, OR

December 5th / Beaver Fun Run 5k / Corvallis, OR

December 5th / Shellburg Falls Trail Run 10k / Lyons, OR

December 5th / Holiday Fun Run 10k and 5k / Ridgefield, WA

December 5th / Toys for Tots Airport Run 10k and 5k / Arlington, WA

December 5th / Fairhaven Frosty 10k and 5k / Bellingham, WA

December 5th / Skagit Jingle Bell 4 mile Run / Mount Vernon, WA

No runs on Sunday this week. Hmmmm...run to church, I guess.