2013 Issy Alps Turkey Trail Quad

 

My running posse

Anita, Allison (with a sliced thumb), and Jess

 

 

What an amazing weekend! The 1^st annual Trail Quad is in the books. We had amazing weather all weekend despite forecast for heavy rain on Saturday and Sunday. There was no rain whatsoever that fell on my running buddies and me for all the runs. Perfect running weather.

The months leading up to the run had me worried. After a bunch of hot training runs and hot summer races, my body just kinda peetered out. I was having muscle cramps in all of my runs. Finally, about a couple weeks before the quad, my body was mostly recovered and I felt almost back to normal for the four days. That's good because my running partners had me going at a good clip all weekend.

Thanksgiving Day  on Squak was the nicest with sunshine and temps starting in the low 30s and highs in the 40s. My kind of conditions. Jess Mullen and George Orozco met me at 5am so that I could mark the course before other runners came and to be done for Thanksgiving dinner. We missed our rendez-vous with Angel and Tim Mathis, who were about 10 minutes behind.  We were able to finish the first loop in 3:25, which included running in the dark for 2 hours.  It was nice not carrying the spray chalk can for the second loop. It was making a lot of noise as it became emptier from the ball that was bouncing in the can. I said goodbye to Jess, who was headed to Seattle to sweep the Wattle Waddle marathon and George who had to work later that day. I did a quick 3 minute break and headed out again. Jean-Michel Fouard started his 1st loop right before I went out for the second loop. Anita Schiltz joined me for the second loop. I was a little crampy on the really steep climbs but was able to recover with more water. We finished the second loop also in 3:25. Ran into Angel and Tim, who decided to run one loop and then head to Canada. We saw Vivian Doorn on the climb back up East Ridge Trail. She was also going to run only one loop as well. She had volunteered early in the morning at the Wattle Waddle, so could not get out until mid morning and needed to get to her Thanksgiving Dinner. So Jean-Michel and I were the only ones to finish all 28 miles Thursday, which was not enough for an official finish. We had at least 5 starters but not three finishers. This is the rule for races to count towards a Marathon Maniacs finish. In 2014, the requirement will be 15 starters and 10 finishers, which matches the rule for the Marathon World Ranking.  Oh well, it was a nice day out and left me hungry for a big dinner.

Friday for Rattlesnake was overcast but dry on the trails. Ran the entire run with Jess Mullen, Allison Moore, and Anita Schiltz. Only had to mark the 6 mile out and back. We got lost in the dark getting to the John Wayne trail! The out and back on Rattlesnake was a lot of fun. Saw lots of faces out there doing the whole thing. Shawn Leonard ran 50 miles to celebrate his 50th birthday. He started around midnight I think and did the first 24 miles on the rails to trails, went home for a break, then went out and did my run. His total time was 11 hours. Nice work Shawn! He wanted to be done in time to watch the Apple Cup. Hope you were a Huskies fan Shawn. We blasted the last 4 miles down from East Peak near the end of the run and ran into a lot of hikers going up to the ledge. Not many ventured beyond that. Some even had an umbrella! We only got wet in the heavy mist at the end of the run getting changed. The sprint to the end was probably just a bit too much. Was worried that I "blew my wad" on that one.

Saturday for Tiger was dry and overcast. There was a nice breeze. Ran the first loop (17 miles) with Jess, Allison, and Anita and the second loop (11.5) with Jess and Allison. I marked all the turns with white spray chalk. The climb up Section line told me that I did blow my wad on Friday. It took us just under 5 hours to finish that first loop, which had 5500' of gain. As we were finishing the second loop, saw Jean-Michel drive up the road. He had missed a turn and ended up calling his girlfriend to pick him up at the trailhead off Hwy 18. But this one counted since 5 did start and 3 finished.

Sunday  on Cougar, I ran with Jess, Allison, and Anita for the first loop (marking with flour) and Anita decided she had four solid days of running and called it good. Continued with Jess and Allison for the second loop. The weather was forecasted to be 100% chance of rain. It did not materialize. There was a sustained 15-20 mph wind with gusts over 30, which felt nice. Temps were in the 50s, so the wind helped cool us off.  I was totally overdressed. It had rained the previous night and the trails were muddy on Cougar. The second loop was kind of a sprint. I started out fast and Jess and Anita were able to match and continue the pace. I was completely spent by the end.  We finished the second loop in 3:11, faster than on our training run of one loop. Jean-Michel finished this one too, so another official finish.

I hope more people will come out and run next year and that we will have as good of weather. Here are the results:

 

Thursday 11/28/13 Squak Mountain 28 miles 7800’ gain: (8 starters, 2 finishers)

Two loops 28 miles                             One loop 14 miles

Jean-Michel Fouard 6:16                   Angel Mathis 3:15

Van Phan 6:53                                    Tim Mathis 3:15

                                                            Jess Mullen 3:25

                                                            George Orozco 3:25

                                                            Anita Schiltz 3:25

                                                            Ali Livengood 3:28

                                                            Vivian Doorn 3:49

Friday 11/29/13 Rattlesnake Ridge +6 mile out and back=26.5 miles 6200’ gain: (11 starters, 11 finishers)

Jean-Michel Fouard 5:41

Ian Goepferd 5:56

Van Phan 6:13

Jess Mullen 6:13

Allison Moore 6:13

Anita Schiltz 6:13

Trevor Griffith 6:48

Kathleen Leonard 6:51

Vivian Doorn 7:09

Shawn Leonord 7:29

Chris Bellevie 8:46 (Chris was doing the road Quad races Wattle Waddle, Ghost of Seattle, and Seattle Marathon but chose this one for his Friday run)

Saturday 11/30/13 Tiger Mountain 28.5 miles 8200’ gain (Loop 1: 17 miles 5500’ gain, Loop 2: 11.5 miles, 2700’ gain): (5 starter, 3 finishers)

Both loops 28.5 miles                         Partial finish

Van Phan 7:58                                     Jean-Michel Fouard 21.5 miles 6:35

Jess Mullen 7:58                                 Anita Schiltz 17 miles 4:57

Allison Moore 7:58

Sunday 12/1/13 Cougar Mountain 28 miles 6000’ gain: (6 starters, 4 finishers)

Two loops 28 miles                             One loop 14 miles

Jean-Michel Fouard 6:44                    Anita Schiltz 3:37

Van Phan 6:57                                     Ali Livengood 3:46

Jess Mullen 6:57

Allison Moore 6:57

Quest for the Quad Finishers 110.8 miles 28,200’ gain:

Van Phan 28hr1 min (6:53, 6:13, 7:58, 6:57)

Triple Threat Finishers

Squak, Rattlesnake, Cougar 82.3 miles 20,000’ gain:

Jean-Michel Fouard 18hr41min (6:16, 5:41, 6:44)

Rattlesnake, Tiger, Cougar 83.0 miles 20, 400’ gain:

Jess Mullen and Allison Moore 21hr8min (6:13, 7:58, 6:57)

Double Trouble Finishers:

None

Single Turkey Finishers:

Rattlesnake 26.5 miles 6200’ gain: Anita Schiltz 6hr13min

Other:

Jess actually did 3 ½ days (one loop Squak and full runs the rest of the weekend) which brings her total to 97.0 miles and 24, 200' plus the 10 miles of sweeping at the Waddle Wattle=107 miles.

 

Jean-Michel ran 103.8 miles and 24,000' if you count the miles he was on Tiger.

 

Anita's total for the weekend was 71.5 miles and 18,500' gain.

 

Thanks everyone! See you next year!