"Dam."
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My last run on the Snake River was a fight against the 102 degree heat. Today wasn't quite as hot, but it was still in the low 90's. Despite the heat I felt strong. I admit that I have a slight advantage because I run with Sadie. She's an excellent pacer, and there is probably a direct correlation to my run times and her energy level. Today she was running all over the place and I had to push myself to keep up with her - but maybe she was running so fast because the asphalt was so hot.
The path is three miles long, but today we ran past the end of the path another half-mile all the way to the Lower Granite Lock and Dam. This blog really isn't the place where
I want to get discuss my thoughts on the huge controversy over the dam along the Snake River. (Much of the controversy surrounds the ability - or inability - for native salmon to swim back upriver to their spawning grounds with these big concrete walls in their way.) I would like to mention, however, that from a strictly engineering standpoint I love dams. I think they're pretty frickin' awesome. And locks are almost cooler. The photo was taken from about a half-mile away.Sadie loves this run almost as much as she loves being on mountain trails because here she can take a plunge into the cold river anytime she wishes. No comment on the rolling in the dead fish incident... Bad Sadie!
Another great thing about this run is that I have a clear view of the sky the entire time, which means I don't need to wear my watch because I can tell how long I've been just by the position of the sun. ;)
Today: 7 miles / 59 minutes (on my sun-timer)
Oh, and it felt SO good to take a swim in the river after the run. Nice and cold. My ice bath without the ice - or bath.
I'm going to have a nice day off tomorrow. Sweet.
-Scott
P.S. I was tagged by Marcy so I had to make this little me quiz. I had no choice...
excellent timepiece- that suntimer. :) if sadie is your pacer, i'm really glad i don't run with granite- he's way slow and likes to stop and lie down every 5 minutes.
ReplyDeletestill way braver than i am to get out there in the heat!
that dam run sounds fun.
ReplyDeleteSounds a great run, plenty of awesome scenary....I'm not sure I could have done the cold water plunge...it might be the end of July but that is still the Snake River...brrrrr
ReplyDeleteBTW....your quiz was totally funny...what gives with the big toe thingy.....
ReplyDeleteDang!! I thought I might be on a roll but I flunked. We're even, ok? LOL BTW you TOTALLY got the earlobe one wrong. It's def more sexier in the candlelight NOT under water :P
ReplyDeleteJen already stole my "dam" joke. Huh. I guess I don't have anything to say now.
ReplyDeleteDams are kind of scary - so big and overwhelming. I love the Ballard Locks - really cool.
ReplyDeleteAs for the "many and most" you mentioned in your comments - some runners are way serious when they come through and have no time to comment on the theme, others treat the aid station like a mini-vacation, one woman we even had to shoo out, she just wanted to hang out with us!
Hey, come on! Do a quiz where we can actually prove how much we pay attention when we read your blog!!
ReplyDeleteTooooo funny, though...I kept reading the questions to Petey just so I could listen to him laugh = ))
I wish the heat would return over here, but it is kind of nice to run in cooler temperatures. The dam and river look very inviting. I love Eastern Washington, always have. And yes, Portland really is that close. We still have time for lots of work to be done until then.
ReplyDeleteA swim? suuuuhhhwweeettt! Seriously you used the sun for your timer? IDONTBELIEVEYOU
ReplyDeleteCan you bring dogs on the ultra? I'm thinking not..but hey I had to ask ;)
Great job with the run. That looks like a beautiful place get a trail run in.
ReplyDeleteCool blog, and good luck training for JFK!!
LOL about the dam joke.
ReplyDeleteSounds like an all around great run. And now I'm off to take the quiz
In my defense...I couldn't decide if you would only pick sarcastic answers to the quiz questions...therefore I picked "upstairs"...clearly wrong!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you 100% on the dam thing. It isn't all about us. That's some serious heat training going on there, Scott. Nicely done!
ReplyDeleteYou run the "dam run", here we run the "breakwater run", but the end is the same: a swim!
ReplyDeleteWould you like to change run-mates? You give me Sadie and I send to you sir Giorgio.
You are one hard core runner! I have a Golden names Sadie, but your Sadie puts her to serious, lazy shame.
ReplyDeleteI have my eye on the stream we pass towards the end of our trail runs on the weekends. It keeps calling my name and would feel so good i am sure!!
ReplyDeleteSaddie is the best!! So glad that she is doing better.
So you had a shoe named after you?!! Too funny!
Sounds like a great place to run, im jealous! Dams are cool but that sucks for the salmon! Funny quiz, I enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteAh, an after-run swim sounds heavenly! I can just picture you and Sadie splashing around ;) I'm loving your timer, too. Maybe that is what I should start using instead of a real watch...I could be super-fast then ;)
ReplyDeleteSounds like an awesome run! I would love to jump in some cool water after my runs in the summer.
ReplyDelete