Northwest Running and Triathlon Calendar - November 2013 - Thanksgiving Races and Turkey Trots

Yep, it's Thanksgiving Day - the single biggest running day of the entire year. This year, we've got 46 different races on Turkey Day. That's pretty good.

But even more amazing is the fact that you can run three marathons over Thanksgiving weekend...in the same city! Yes, Seattle has three marathons in four days: Thursday has the Wattle Waddle, Saturday has the Ghost Marathon and Sunday has the Seattle Marathon.

Sure, go ahead and run them all. Why not?

Let's race!

-Green Text for Trail Runs
-Red Text for Marathons and Half Marathons
-Blue Text for Triathlons and Duathlons
-Orange Text for everything else, the normal 5k, 10k, etc

RACES FOR WEEK OF NOVEMBER 25th to DECEMBER 1ST

November 28th / West Linn Turkey Trot Trail Run 5k / West Linn, OR

November 28th / Wattle Waddle Marathon and Half Marathon / Seattle, WA

November 30th / Seattle Ghost Marathon and Half Marathon / Seattle, WA

December 1st / Seattle Marathon and Half Marathon / Seattle, WA

November 28th / Turkey on the Run 12k and 5k / Wenatchee, WA

November 28th / Turkey Day 5k / Boise, ID

November 28th / ORRC Turkey Trot 8k / Portland, OR

November 28th / Tofurkey Trot 5k / Portland, OR

November 28th / The Oly Trot 4m / Olympia, WA

November 28th / Beat the Bird 5k / Bellevue, WA

November 28th / Magnuson Series Thanksgiving Day Trot 10k and 5k / Seattle, WA

November 28th / Gateway's Run for the Hungry 5k / Washougal, WA

November 28th / Cheney Turkey Trot 5k / Cheney, WA

November 28th / Longview Turkey Trot 3.5m / Longview, WA

November 28th / Mini-Cassia Turkey Trot 5k / Paul, ID

November 28th / Race to Feed the Hungry 5k / Idaho Falls, ID

November 28th / Club 24 Turkey Trot 10k and 5k / Echo, OR

November 28th / Walk for Water Turkey Trot 5k / Ridgefield, WA

November 28th / Runucopia 15k, 10k and 5k / Salem, OR

November 28th / Huffing for Stuffing Run 10k and 5k / Bozeman, MT

November 28th / Portneuf Turkey Trot 5k / Pocatello, ID

November 28th / Oregon Turkeython 10k and 5k / Portland, OR

November 28th / Struttin for Stuffin 10k and 5k / Nampa, ID

November 28th / Give and Gobble Thanksgiving Day Run 10k and 5k / Sherwood, OR

November 28th / Turkey on the Run 12k and 5k / Wenatchee, WA

November 28th / Seattle Turkey Trot 5k / Seattle, WA

November 28th / Turkey Day 5k / Boise, ID

November 28th / Run, Turkey, Run! 5k / Billings, MT

November 28th / Bainbridge Island Turkey Trot 5k / Bainbridge Island, WA

November 28th / Newport Turkey Trot 10k and 5k / Newport, OR

November 28th / Burn the Bird 10k and 5k / Great Falls, MT

November 28th / Give Thanks Run 5m / Redmond, WA

November 28th / Benton-Franklin Red Cross Turkey Trot 5k / Kennewick, WA

November 28th / Skamania's Turkey Trot 5k / Stevenson, WA

November 28th / Gig Harbor Holmes Chiropractic Turkey Trot 10k and 5k / Gig Harbor, WA

November 28th / Tacoma City Turkey Trot 5k / Tacoma, WA

November 28th / Issaquah Turkey Trot 5k / Issaquah, WA

November 28th / Clark County Turkey Trot 10k and 5k / Vancouver, WA

November 28th / Southern Oregon Turkey Trot 8m / Medford, OR

November 28th / Oregon Mid Valley Road Race 5.2m and 3.75m / Albany, OR

November 28th / Bend Turkey Trot 5k / Bend, OR

November 28th / Run Wild Missoula's Turkey Day 8k / Missoula, MT

November 28th / Norpoint Turkey Trot 5k / Tacoma, WA

November 28th / OAC Turkey Trot 10k and 5k / Corvallis, OR

November 28th / Turkey Trot Eugene 4m / Eugene, OR

November 28th / Turkey Stuffer 5k / Springfield, OR

November 28th / Hood River Turkey Trot 12k and 5k / Hood River, OR

November 28th / Keizer Turkey Dash 5k / Keizer, OR

November 30th / Winter Wonderland of Lights 6m, 4m and 2m / Portland, OR

November 30th / Seattle Marathon 5k / Seattle, WA

November 30th / Christmas as the End of the Road 5k / Winthrop, WA

December 1st / Hot Buttered Run 12k and 5k / Vancouver, WA

My History in the Marathon

So two days away from my running of the Skagit Flats Marathon, I've been pondering my strange history of my love/hate affair with the 26.2 mile distance.

I've run four marathons so far. The Skagit Flats will be the fifth. That's not so much, of course, but it seems like so, so much more. Maybe it's just the horribly long training periods that make it seem like I've done more than four of these things. I mean, I've been training since May 6th for the Skagit Flats. May 6th!! So it really shouldn't be surprising, with such a long training period, and then with the race itself being so disturbingly long, that some bad luck might occur during the prep and/or race.

My first marathon was in 1997. Wow. That was a long time ago. I was all of 30 years old, but in distance running years, I was just a little bouncing baby boy. I was all about 5k's and sprint triathlons back then. That marathon in 1997, the Seattle Marathon, was a total fluke. Jen and I somehow decided to try one and just did it. I was in no type of shape to run a marathon and my race time shows that. The Seattle course was not fun, I hated just about every rainy minute of it and it's really no great shock that it took me 13 years to try again.

My second marathon, in 2010, was the Eugene Marathon. I'll blame my friend Manny Balesteri, from Springfield and the UofO, for getting me back into the marathon after such a long break. He was, and still is, seriously into the distance and his love of the race made me wonder if it was really as bad as I had remembered it. Yeah, it probably was. I was in OK shape at this race, but still had not committed to the training that's required to actually race for 26.2 miles. I was well trained for a half here, but definitely not a full.

The third marathon, in Newport, was where I thought it would all come together. I trained hard for this one, following Pete Pfitzinger's marathon plan to the letter. I thought I could get a Boston time here, but after about 10 miles realized that was not going to happen. A very short time after that, I had the worst GI issues I've ever had in my life. And that was that. Somehow, this one is still my PR.

The fourth, and latest if not for long, was the CIM in Sacramento, CA. I hurt my ankle a number of weeks before the race and basically did no training at all for this one. Plus this was the Hurricaine CIM of 2012. I'm lucky I made it to the finish line.

Which brings us to the present day. And the Skagit Flats Marathon in two days. I've had three pretty good months of training for this one, over 600 miles total in June, July and August combined, and then two pretty bad weeks heading to the start line. I pulled a muscle in my leg and have just been nursing it along for about 10 days now. How much will it affect my race? Only time will tell.

Eventually it will all come together. The training, the nutrition, the race...everything. Not in two days' time and maybe not in the next race or the one after that. But I'll get it one of these days.

See you out there.

Seattle Marathon 2012 Results - Uli Does It Again!

There are lots of fast runners out there. But there aren't nearly as many fast, tough, runners. You know the kind - they never have a really bad race. When they don't run particularly well, they end up taking 3rd or 4th. DNF's just don't happen for them. They excel at one type of race, but throw them in something new - trail, ultra, road, whatever - they exceed everyone's expectations.

You know these runners, right? People like Meb Keflezighi. People like Oregon's own Max King. These guys just never disappoint. Like Canada's Ellie Greenwood.

Well, there's one more name you need to add to the list of Toughest Fastest Runners: Uli Steidl.

Hey, Seattle's Steidl has been around for a long time - he's now 40 years old. But damn, he's almost as fast as ever. Yesterday, he won the Seattle Marathon for the ninth time. Ninth! I know some people think that there isn't a lot of competition at the Seattle Marathon, but there's a reason for that. It's a tough, tough course! Most elite runners are too damn scared to run it. They don't want to work their asses off on a tough course and just have an average-looking time to show for it.

But that's what I'm talking about with Steidl - he's not afraid to go out and earn it. Congrats to Uli.

-Seattle Times article on Uli's win in the Seattle Marathon.

-Seattle Times Photo Gallery of the Seattle Marathon.

-Chat with Uli and his wife, Trisha (another great Seattle runner).

-Results from the 2012 Seattle Marathon.

Northwest Running and Triathlon Race Calendar - Thanksgiving Races

The biggest single racing day of the year, absolutely bar none.

Count them up - 38 races on Thanksgiving Day! Thirty-eight!

It's never been so easy to pre-burn that turkey and pie.

Let's race!

-Green Text for Trail Runs
-Red Text for Marathons and Half Marathons
-Blue Text for Triathlons and Duathlons
-Orange Text for everything else, the normal 5k, 10k, etc

RACES FOR WEEK OF NOVEMBER 19th TO NOVEMBER 25th

November 22nd / Thanksgiving Dirt Feast Trail Run 7m and 4m / Mercer Island, WA

November 22nd / Wattle Waddle Marathon and Half Marathon / Seattle, WA

November 24th / Ghost of Seattle Marathon 50k, Marathon and Half Marathon / Seattle, WA

November 25th / Seattle Marathon and Half Marathon / Seattle, WA

November 22nd / Bonners Ferry Turkey Trot 10k and 5k / Bonners Ferry, ID

November 22nd / ORRC Turkey Trot 8k / Portland, OR

November 22nd / Upper Valley Turkey Trot 5k / Rexburg, ID

November 22nd / Club 24 Turkey Trot 10k and 5k / Echo, OR

November 22nd / Mini-Cassia Turkey Trot 5k / Paul, ID

November 22nd / Burn the Bird 10k and 5k / Great Falls, MT

November 22nd / Huffing for Stuffing Thanksgiving Run 10k and 5k / Bozeman, MT

November 22nd / Red Cross Turkey Trot 5k / Kennewick, WA

November 22nd / Turkey Day Boise 5k / Boise, ID

November 22nd / Seattle Turkey Trot 5k / Seattle, WA

November 22nd / Run Wild Missoula's Turkey Day 8k / Missoula, MT

November 22nd / Portneuf Valley Turkey Trot 5k / Pocatello, ID

November 22nd / Bainbridge Island Turkey Trot 5k / Bainbridge Island, WA

November 22nd / CSI Turkey Trot 5k / Twin Falls, ID

November 22nd / Issaquah Turkey Trot 5k / Issaquah, WA

November 22nd / Turkey Trot Clark County 10k and 5k / Vancouver, WA

November 22nd / Keizer's Turkey Dash 5k / Keizer, OR

November 22nd / Gig Harbor Turkey Trot 10k and 5k / Gig Harbor, WA

November 22nd / Turkey Trot 5k / Stevenson, WA

November 22nd / The Oly Trot 4m / Olympia, WA

November 22nd / Oregon Mid Valley Road Race 5.2m and 3.75m / Albany, OR

November 22nd / Southern Oregon Turkey Trot 8m / Medford, OR

November 22nd / Run for the Hungry 5k / Washougal, WA

November 22nd / Norpoint Turkey Trot 5k / Tacoma, WA

November 22nd / Oregon Turkeython 10k and 5k / Beaverton, OR

November 22nd / Turkey on the Run 12k and 5k / Wenatchee, WA

November 22nd / Bend Turkey Trot 10k and 5k / Bend, OR

November 22nd / West Linn Turkey Trot 4m / West Linn, OR

November 22nd / Turkey Stuffer 5k / Springfield, OR

November 22nd / BGCCO Turkey Trot in Bend 10k and 5k / Bend, OR

November 22nd / OAC Turkey Trot 10k and 5k / Corvallis, OR

November 22nd / Turkey Trot Eugene 4m / Eugene, OR

November 22nd / Hood River Turkey Trot 12k and 5k / Hood River, OR

November 22nd / Salem Runucopia 15k, 10k and 5k / Salem, OR

November 22nd / Run Turkey Run! 5k / Billings, MT

November 22nd / Give and Gobble 10k and 5k / Sherwood, OR

November 24th / Seattle Marathon 5k / Seattle, WA

November 25th / Hot Buttered Run 12k and 5k / Vancouver, WA

Seattle Marathon Earlybird Registration

And the Portland Jingle Bell Run too!

So get in now if you want to save a bunch of money at the Seattle Marathon. Same deal with the Portland Jingle Bell Run - sign up early and save some cash.

Let's Race!

-Green Text for Trail Runs
-Red Text for Marathons and Half Marathons
-Blue Text for Triathlons and Duathlons
-Orange Text for everything else, the normal 5k, 10k, etc

RACES FOR WEEK OF JUNE 4th TO JUNE 10th

June 7th / Grand Ridge Solstice Trail Run 10m and 5m / Issaquah, WA (Thursday Night Run!)

June 9th / Lake Youngs Ultra 28.8m / Renton, WA

June 10th / Clear Lake Memorial Trail Half Marathon and 5m / Clear Lake, WA

June 10th / NW Adventure Sports Festiva Trail Run 10k and 5k / Port Gamble, WA

June 10th / Footzone Dirty Half Trail Half Marathon / Bend, OR

June 6th / Three Towers Run ~15m / Olympia, WA (Wednesday Night Race!)

June 9th / Helvetia Half Marathon and Drop Top 10k / Hillsboro, OR

June 9th / Three Sisters Marathon and 5k / Redmond, OR

June 9th / Teton Dam Marathon, Half Marathon, 10k and 5k / Rexburg, ID

June 9th / High Valley Half Marathon / Union, OR

June 10th / Edge to Edge Marathon and Half Marathon / Tolfino, BC

June 10th / Winthrop Marathon and Half Marathon / Winthrop, WA

June 10th / St. Joe River Marathon, Half Marathon and 5k / St. Maries, ID

June 9th / Blue Lake Sprint Triathlon and Duathlon / Fairview, OR

June 9th / Moses Lake Olympic and Sprint Triathlon / Moses Lake, WA

June 10th / Blue Lake Olympic Triathlon and Duathlon / Fairview, OR

June 8th / TRCI Wellness Run 5k / Umatilla, OR (Friday Night Race!)

June 8th / Fremont 5k / Seattle, WA (Friday Night Race!)

June 9th / Tough Rhino Mud Run 5k / Benton City, WA

June 9th / Flight for Sight Fun Run 10k and 5k / Everett, WA

June 9th / Run for Your Life 10k and 5k / Moses Lake, WA

June 9th / Tumbleweed Fun Run 5k / Pomeroy, WA

June 9th / Sound to Narrows 12k and 5k / Tacoma, WA

June 9th / Adoption Run 10k and 5k / Snohomish, WA

June 9th / HandsOn Superhero Dash 5k / Salem, OR

June 9th / Sage-n-Sun Fun Run 5m / Ephrata, WA

June 9th / Marysville Strawberry Festival 5k / Marysville, WA

June 9th / Mountain Fun Run 5k / Wildcat Lake, WA

June 9th / Stomp Out Polio 10k and 5k / Richland, WA

June 9th / Run for Ohm 10k and 5k / Roseburg, OR

June 9th / Cancer Crushers 5k / Eugene, OR

June 10th / Furry 5k / Seattle, WA

June 10th / Run Like a Girl 5k / Vancouver, WA

June 10th / Shore Run 10k and 5k / Seattle, WA

June 10th / Run for the Love of Dove 5k / Portland, OR

June 10th / C'mon It's Summer! Fun Run 5k / Cannon Beach, OR

168

Finding a good run...

Far be it from me to knock someone while they're down, but...

In case you haven't already seen the Seattle Times article, the Seattle Marathon is under quite a bit of scrutiny for advertising the race as a fund-raiser for UW Medicine, but not actually giving a cent of the $120 entry fee to UW Medicine. And the article goes on to say how a large (VERY large) amount of cash is paid to race director Louise Long.

Since I've been writing articles about running, I've interviewed dedicated runners. I've interviewed passionate race directors. I've interviewed smart, funny, warm, giving, open, and just plain nice people involved in every aspect of the running world.

I've also interviewed Louise Long.

While I've got nothing against huge benefit races in general, for your next race try a small, local run. They usually give their money to good causes as well...right there in your home town.

In fact, if you're looking for a race in the Skagit Valley, try the Nookachamps Winter Runs on January 12 in Mt. Vernon. Race Director Keefer Whan is one of those plain nice people, plus he's one of the fastest runners in the area, so you can ask for tips before the race.

The photos are from last year's Nookachamps race. Yes, it was cold.