Case's Chuckanut 50k Scouting

Last night, Iheaded up to Chuckanut to run just a small section of the course. Starting from Aid Station #1 he headed up the jeep trail toward Fragrance Lake which was a pretty uneventful climb with the exception of a few spill overs (waterfalls) and washed out banks. Upon arriving to the Fragrance Lake Trail the map did not show great detail as to which way to go, so I opted on taking a loop around the lake. This was fun as there were a number of small bridges and cool rocks to run over. The perimeter of the lake was just under 2 miles, once back at the trail head, I hung a left and started running uphill again until there was snow and an overlook that showed nothing as the fog and rain had really rolled in by that time. So, off on the return journey I went, all downhill which I need to practice. In summary the trails look to be in fairly desent shape and should only get better in the next few weeks leading up to the race. I plan on doing 1 to 2 more 15+ effort days before I begin tapering and getting ready for race day.

Tearin' it up at Tolt

Jeff and Case met up for a mtb ride at Tolt this past Saturday and they couldn't have been more pleased with the trail conditions. Despite a few low spots having some puddles the trails were dry and as a result "fast". They tore them up for a little over an hour and then starting to head back down, decided to make one more loop and that is when they heard a loud SNAP. Jeff had ridden over a bridge and started to ascend a steep hill when his chain broke. Fortunately, he has seen his fair share of PQ's and knows how to kick bike back to the downhill, where they zipped down and finished their ride. Total mileage was just under 10 in 1hr 15min.

If you aren't familiar with the Tolt trail system it is one that is highly recommended by Thrive AR as a lot of our training sessions occur there with 2 of our 4 teammates living near by. The trails are technical with many ups and downs, forcing you to keep your focus throughout the entire ride.

Thrive AR's New Website

has a new web site. Filled with the current team roster information, 2009 race calendar, a multi media section and much more. Not to worry though, thrive's blog will still be updating you all with information on their latest adventures in training and various other things. If you are tired of just living and want to start THRIVING!!

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Enjoy everyday!!

Double Workout proves effectiveness

Tiff, Joe and Case met up at Pioneer Parks on Mercer Island to compete in an orienteering event put on by COC The course was somewhat challenging as there were a number of different trail options from one control to another. Tiff finished with the fastest of the three of them and cracked the overall top 10, while Case finished 16th overall and Joe 45th. Below is the map of course 7 which is what the three of them competed in.

Upon finishing the race, they piled into their cars and headed off to Tiger Mountain where they summited 6 of the 12 summits (a popular ultra training ground). The initial climb was a brutal way to start out, especially after the race from earlier in the day. Total distance for the day was ~20 miles and left all of us a bit soar, yet looking forward to the next time we can get together.