Seaport Striders, Thoroughly Awesome

One of my great joys is the way the running community gives back to the rest of the community (think of all those charity walks and 5K's) and to the younger runners around them.

The Seaport Striders have an event every year, the Benefit Run, where they generously split the proceeds with our three local high schools. Wait, hold it - I'm incorrect.

They match the proceeds.

That's right - they pull money out of their own funds to help the kids. All we have to do is show up and run/walk/stagger for a 5K. Optionally, you can buy an entry and cheer, knowing that twice what you paid (it's only $10, BTW) goes to the programs as Asotin, Clarkston, and Lewiston.

So, Friday evening, 7PM, Chief Looking Glass Park. Low key, no awards, no times posted to the internet. Want bragging rights? We'll have a clock going for you. Don't care about bragging right? Ignore the guy with the watch and enjoy the company.

Snag an application here - or show up at 6PM and fill out an application on the spot.

See you there!

And thank you to the Striders!

Local Running around Asotin

Let's start with some fun news. The Seaport Striders held their annual fundraiser in Asotin Friday evening. The temperatures stayed up a bit, probably in the mid-80's, but that didn't stop Brady McKay from clocking a 16:30-ish time (I forgot the actual time, sorry). Brady's headed to LCSC later this month to run for Mike Collins and the Warriors. One of Coach Potter's kids from Lewiston was hot on his heels.

Mike Halverson organized the proceedings, with a major assist from Asotin coach Tim Gundy. They took an informal poll at the beginning of the race to see how many liked the evening race. About a third put up a hand. How many would prefer a Saturday morning race? Another third. How many didn't care? The rest. About average for a running group.

Tim Gundy set up the course for 3 miles, rather a full 5K. No one complained about the .1 difference, and most folks had a smile when they got to the finish. With the exception of some of the speedsters up front, the participants treated it as the fun run/walk it was.

I did not run. I timed, which makes me the lazy one for the event. Two of my daughters, my wife, and a couple of friends walked. The daughters pushed strollers with the little ones. I did pony up an entry fee, though. A good cause and the Striders match the entries and donate the proceeds to the three local high school programs. Not sure how much ultimately made its way to the schools, but every little bit helps.

Many thanks to the Striders!

Also on the good news front, I've had an article accepted by Like the Wind magazine. Not sure when it will come out, but tickled about the whole thing. For the runners out there, if you want a chance to publish an article, check out Like the Wind's contributor pages. They're open to a variety of writing styles and topics. Something to consider . . .

There's a whole lot of less cheery news on the running front. I think I'll tackle that on Tuesday, plus an update on the Kenyan adventure.

The Couch Potato Hall of Fame

Years ago, when we lived in San Diego, telemarketers would call and pester us incessantly. One evening, after dinner for a change, my wife ended up on the end of a sales call from somebody at 24 Fitness.

She listened to the spiel, tried to interrupt to say she wasn't interested. The guy on the other end kept rambling. My sweetie gave him another minute and finally, when the telemarketer stopped to gather breath and energy for another assault, told him this:

"I am the President of the Couch Potato Hall of Fame and want you to know that I could lose that just by talking to you on the phone."

The marketer laughed and hung up.

Mind you, my sweetie is more slender than I am and the doc keeps giving her good news on the checkups on all the usual issues, blood pressure, cholesterol, and what not.

She lost her Presidency yesterday in an act of voluntary resignation.

She entered the Benefit run, pinned on the race tag, and walked the course with one of my daughters and a granddaughter. My daughter is 8.5 months pregnant and pulled my granddaughters in the little red wagon around the course.

If talking on the phone put her at risk, pinning on a race tag puts her over the edge.

She's now the former President of the Couch Potato Hall of Fame.

---

Many thanks to all the wonderful people that showed up to walk or run the Seaport Striders Benefit 5K. It was a nice turnout. Mike Halverson, the President of the Striders, was there to help out and seemed quite happy to match funds for the race. He acted as starter for us and we actually got underway on time.

No one pushed especially hard so the fun run was actually . . . fun, though the last hundred yards got competitive a couple of times, especially as one young lady raced her dad to the finish . Apparently they had a bet - she won.

The weather, as promised, was nicer than it has been, dropping into the high 70's by the end of the race. With a 7PM start and the help of the nearby cliff, the runners were able to stay comfortable in shade the whole race.

A special thanks to all the volunteers. You folks, as always, were just awesome. The pictures are courtesy of Suzy Cowdrey, who volunteers at nearly all our races, usually handling the rush of people at registration.

To John Potter's son - I owe you a dozen cookies. We had prize giveaways after the race and I donated a copy of each of my books. John, the Lewiston xc coach, won his choice of cookies or a book. His son was pleading, "Not the book, Dad, not the book." John picked up a copy of Finishing Kick anyway - thank you for that and I hope you enjoy it. I'll get a dozen snickerdoodle cookies together for the son.

Have a great weekend!

Friday - Time for an Evening 5K, Right?

Getting my run done this morning. This evening is a 5K in Asotin. The Seaport Striders have pledged to match the entry fees for Asotin, Clarkston, and Lewiston as a contribution to the Cross Country Programs.

I will not be racing. I am the timer with a talented right thumb that will deliver accurate results for your race. My wife and daughter will not be racing. My wife does not run and my daughter is 8.5 months pregnant-they'll be walking. So will a granddaughter who was learning B Skips Tuesday night. Kinda, since she's only two but she thought it was fun to play with Poppa, especially when he's being a goof. Poppa has no problem being a goof for, and with, any of the grandkids.

It's a low-key fun race. Bring a towel - the beach is right there so you can take a dip to cool off afterward. And bring the whole family - running isn't solely for the fleetest. They only get the medals and stuff. Wait, no medals tonight - we have giveaways instead.

.Everybody gets a fair shot - see you there.

Paul

Benefit Run

If you're looking for a 5K next weekend, the Seaport Striders are hosting their annual benefit run. This run contributes all the proceeds to the local cross country programs at Lewiston, Clarkston, and Asotin High Schools.

Here's the application. The race starts at 7PM on Friday, August 8th. I have received a tentative agreement from Mother Nature to turn down the heat a bit but she's got to balance out the weather everywhere else to do it, so cut her some slack.

Starting location is Chief Looking Glass Park in Asotin.

For $10, you receive a shirt (while they last), a water bottle provided by Peak Performance PT,  and the satisfaction of knowing your funds are matched by the Seaport Striders. Timing is provided by the mostly reliable right thumb of this author. Prizes will be by lottery based on bib numbers.

A special thanks to Peak Performance Physical Therapy for their very kind donations.