End of Year Notes

A few quick thoughts I had before the New Year:

Snow Shoe Bling

• It’s snowing like crazy outside.  Colorado is getting crushed, New Mexico slopes could use a bit more.  Either way, the course should be set for next weekend’s Snow Shoe Classic 5K/10K up at Norski.  I just happen to have a sneak peak of the hardware on the line for this year’s races.  I won’t be running but I’m bringing my cowbell.  Snow shoe rentals will be available at registration courtesy of REI.  If you're not signed up yet you need to clear your schedule and get moving on this.  

• Swimming is a horrible sport.  Swimming in goggles that leak scrapes the barrel of things that suck.  From what I can tell, swim workouts are not done for fun and enjoyment but rather from a well of pure spite.  

• I missed the once-in-500yrs lunar eclipse last week.  I should have set my alarm in retrospect and am having remorse.

• Tracked my Holiday miles and spending at GoMiles.com - A site that tracks credit card points and travel points.  It's the new start-up of my running/climbing buddy Mike Komarnitzky of climbingboulder.com fame.  Go register and track your stuff people.  

• There are a lot of trails in Seattle, and I ran on none of them while visiting.  Worse, our plane flew right past Mt. Rainier – twice – and because of clouds and/or darkness we saw it zero times.

Deliciousness

• Thankfully Seattle and the Northwest has lots of good beer.  I had plenty from Washington but none were as good as the three below.  Suggestions are welcome in the comments if I’m missing out.  The top three from the trip:    1. Winter Solstice Ale, Anderson Valley Brew Co., CA.  Really good.  Really, really good.    2. Full Sail Amber, OR    3. Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Deschutes Brewery, OR

• Santa Fe Brewing closed its bar and grill out on NM 14 last week.  The brewery and tap room are still open, and a new tap room has opened out in Eldorado.  It’s possible now to run/bike the railtrail from the Rail Yard out to Eldorado, stopping three times for a cold pint. This is a fine and welcome development.

Three Pint Thirteen Miler - Clickable map below:


View Three Pint Half Marathon - Santa Fe Rail Trail in a larger map