Running in the Clouds

In any other state that title would be me trying to be whimsical. But in Washington, you really can run in the clouds. They will roll over hills and down the streets with you. You can run in and out of them. One moment it's a bright clear day, the next you can barely see 40 feet ahead of you.

sailboat at the end of the world

Pictures don't do this view justice. That little sailboat stood there on the enormous blue water, staring down the wall of fog and mountains. It seemed tiny and courageous.

drying out

A rare glimpse of January sun brought all the birds out.

hide and seek birds

I happened to look down at the rocky shore long enough to see a little rock move. I looked closer. It was a bird. Then I noticed there were lots of these little rock birds. Amazing how an animal can be so perfectly designed for its habitat.


through the clouds

Nature Run On Alki

My run didn't start out great. I stepped in a huge pile of dog poop. Huge. Yellow. Pile. I saw it just before my foot squished directly into it. I tried wiping it by dragging my foot around in the grass, but Mizuno running shoes have this big section cut out of the bottom. It make the shoe lighter but it's sorta annoying because big stones can get lodged in it. Or big piles of dog poop can get get packed into it. So I went in search of a stick to dig the poop out. I found one. As I dug this yellow, mushy poop out of my shoe the smell hit my nose and I gagged. But I needed to get it out, I kept digging. The next wave of poop smell hit me and I threw up my lunch of chicken salad. Digging poop out of a shoe, while revisiting lunch is a great way to start a run. I hope I at least threw up in the driveway of whoever decided to leave their dog's enormous dump on the sidewalk.

After the poop digging and puke session, I thought about cutting my run short. I was cranky. But I decided going down to the water might cheer me up. I got down there and saw a news van. Of course I ran past it in hopes of making the evening news, even though it meant going on the long route. They hadn't set up the cameras yet so I'm not famous yet. But as I ran along Alki it was like some kind of staged nature show. A seagull flew out of the bay with a HUGE crab in its mouth. It landed and let the crab go, because this crab was fighting for its life. I waited for the seagull to look away from its catch then ran at it scaring the seagull away. I wanted a look! And this crab was super weird. One huge claw, and one that looked like a needle. It looked like a tick. I had planned to save its life, but I quickly decided not to touch it. I think it was a snow crab... based on this picture.



As I ran I saw seagulls swooping into the water to snatch fish in their beaks. There were all sorts of birds hunting that I've never seen. Then a pack 3 or 4 sea lions showed up. I slowed down so I could run along side of them. I wanted to make sure they were sea lions so I stopped and asked an older couple with binoculars. The man was really excited about all the birds. I can't remember all the names he listed. But some were very rare ducks. It was hard to turn his attention to the sea lions so I could ask what they were, but his wife was like me and more interested in them. Which is understandable, because between a little duck and a huge sea lion, the sea lion is obviously much more exciting.

I'm excited for winter running on Alki, there are more animals every day and less people chugging Coors and lighting bonfires. I'm still waiting to see a whale... I don't care if it's illogical.

Time To Put The Headphones On!

I've been running again lately. Running had been a big part of my life routine since the 6th grade. It wasn't always a great part of my life. Running in college took away a lot of the childlike fun of it away from me. I finally took a break from it the past two years. It's taken awhile for running to be mine again. For it to be a place of strength and calm and not frustration and anger.

Even now that I'm "running again", it doesn't mean I love it everyday. I think it's a misunderstanding that "runners" alway love getting out there. I might have one great run every week, where I love every step. The other days are just training so I can run farther on that day I love. Seattle has some of the most beautiful running loops so I'd be lying if I denied enjoying it just a little everyday. At least by the end. I always see something I would have missed if I hadn't pushed myself out the door. It's such a big part of what I love about where I'm living that I think it needs a special place on One Rainy Day. Introducing "Things I Saw When I Was Running Today". I'll come up with something better.


Yesterday I went on one of my favorite loops. I can see the water almost the entire run, and even get to finish up on some trails in Schmidt Park. In the first neighborhood I run through there is a street on the edge of a cliff that overlooks the bay and it's crawling with stray cats. Every sunny day I run there I'm bound to see some collarless cat lounging in strip of grass between the road and sidewalk. Yesterday when I passed through a cat jumped out from behind a telephone poll. As if she'd been waiting for me. She ran beside me like a puppy. Of course I had to stop. After petting her I started to run again, sure enough she started to run next to me. I named her Sylvia in my head. And wondered if that made me some kind of suburban grizzly man (cat lady, I guess). The cats on this cliff are like wild animals. I can picture them making their escapes from the homes they came from. Dreaming of the cliff where cats run free. So if your cat has gone missing, you might want to check out Sunset Avenue in West Seattle. If you don't find yours I'm sure you'll find one you'll like to adopt.

After leaving Sylvia I ran down to the Alki trail. The crowds are thinning now that the days are cooler. In the evenings I usually see little seals swimming along the shore looking for dinner. Their sleek backs catching the sunlight as they dive down. It's wonderful how the same place can be so different every day. The same running loop is completely new each time I run it. Which, along with my ipod, is really the only motivation I need to get out there... even when I really don't want to.