• October 5th, 2014
• Redding, California
• 15th Annual Lions-Turtle Bay Run
• Sharon: 2:54:20
• Tim: 2:22:07

 

11 down 41 to go.

Well, that was a long ass drive. This is the first weekend we have had to go out of Oregon to find a race. We had originally signed up for the Orange Chicken run but it was cancelled. The closest race we could find was in Redding, California. At least we got to catch up on podcasts. Podcasts are great for long car rides and for walks and training runs. My current top 3 podcasts are: 1) Ben Greenfield – His intro, “Cutting edge, non run of the mill, fitness and wellness advice”, about sums him up. Me and Tim are usually eating car trip junk food during his nutrition segments. 2) The New Yorker short story podcast – Once a month a writer chooses and reads a short story from the New Yorker archives, Then they have a pretentious discussion about that story. 3) Ultra Runner Podcast – A podcast that interviews ultra runners (any distance more than a marathon). It’s way more interesting than it sounds. I have heard interviews with runners who have lost all their toenails, gotten hit by lighting, and had to run around a bear on the trail. Somehow my – “I’m chafing, I have a blister, it’s hot.” seems a little lame by comparison. I think my new mantra should be, “Suck it up buttercup.”

We were amused to find that we had been given the bridal suite at the hotel. We stayed at the Bugetel River Inn and we would recommend it as a clean, cheap place to stay in Redding. We particularly liked the practical joker at check-in who looked at our reservation and said “It says here you requested a room with a twin bed. I had to find one, but we did it.” We were so tired that we didn’t even get that she was kidding.

This was a pretty small, no frills race. Swag included a T-Shirt and a cheap metal. It was a benefit for the Lions Club and all the money went their projects. The course itself was lovely. It was along a bike path and over 3 bridges. I love bridges.

 

 

This was a hard run for me mostly because I was sick to my stomach for the whole run. I think the shrimp I ate at the Thai place Saturday night was a little off. I had some peppermint Tums and they helped a lot. If you ever have a queasy tummy and staying in bed is not an option, I recommend peppermint Tums.

I spent about 3 miles running and talking to a truck driver whose name I can’t remember. He told me that he belongs to a group of truck drivers that meet up and do runs. It makes me happy to know that there is a truck drivers running club.

The last 5 miles (or hour) of this run was really hot. After I finished I looked at the temperature on my phone. It was 91°! It felt even hotter. There is no doubt that since I have gotten fat I don’t deal as well with heat. I looked like I had taken a shower at the end.

Tim came and ran with me for the last quarter mile. There were a few iffy turns and he thought I might be worried about getting lost. He was right. What a great guy.

Cons

• Very hot
• They ran out of watermelon before I finished
• T-Shirt and medal only – no swag
• A couple of turns could have been more clearly marked

Pros

• Lots of parking close to the course
• Beautiful course
• Nice small race feel
• Good cause
• Bridges

We would recommend this race. It was hot the day we ran but I heard that it usually wasn’t that hot. It is a beautiful run by a river, over bridges, and mostly on a bike path. You do have to contend with some scowling bicyclists. It was pretty flat but not so flat that it was boring. It was pretty well marked so there is minimal danger of getting lost. It is put on by the Lions Club and they obviously care about the race. It was nice but didn’t make our must do again list.

I know that this short race report. I haven’t been feeling very well for the last couple of weeks. Next week is a trail race and I hope to have a longer report and lots of pictures.

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