Lake Samish Runs

What better way to kick off the New Year than by running a local race?! The cold, wet winter can send runners to the warm gym, or even cause them lay low in their homes until springtime appears. Cross training is very popular during the off season, but for some, there is no such thing as an ‘off season’. This is the first year I started running in the ice and snow while wearing cleats on my shoes and it was one of the most liberating experiences. I grew up in Colorado thinking that snow was only meant for skiing, snowboarding, sledding, or days off school…never once did I think anyone would choose to go run in it!

Scenic Lake Samish
By running in weather far below freezing or pouring rain with wind, showing up to race day with clouds and temps in the high 30’s sounded ideal! Earlier this month was the 41st Annual Lake Samish Runs, offering 6.5 or 13.1 mile options. I hadn’t run more than 8 miles since September, so going for the half marathon didn’t seem like a smart idea. We had two parking lot areas to choose from, and then had to wait for a shuttle to take us to the start area. Packet pickup was same day of the race for our bibs and chips. The chip timing was done by BuDu Racing which is VERY cool because they have results printed out as the event goes on. It is nice not to have to stay late afterwards (especially when waiting for a shuttle to take you to your vehicle) or sometimes wait a few days to see the official results.

The half marathoners kicked it off at 10:00am and the rest of us started at 10:15am. My only goal was to run a steady race and enjoy the scenery. I hadn't been training and wasn't about to push myself to the point of struggling and wanting the race to be over. The first mile was a nice little warmup and I'm surprised at how close each split was. The course was on low-traffic roads going around the lake and had some rolling hills, with patches of ice that still hadn't melted. I finished with an official time of 53:01, being 23rd out of only 90 racers and 4th in my age group. Our post-race goodies were in a beautiful lodge with a giant wood fireplace. I enjoyed some coffee and a cookie, snagged my ribbon, and waited for the shuttle to take us back. Next year, if you are open to the thought of running in Washington's unpredictable January weather, I highly recommend running the GBRC's Lake Samish Runs!



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