A shaded section of path along the Summer Solstice 5k course.

A large contingent of Lizards turned out for the challenging and scenic Backyard Half on June 15th, testing their climbing skills and stamina, sustaining various wounds and cramps, and shaking up the Summer Series standings in the process.

Before the dust has even settled from that memorable effort, it’s time for Race #5, the Summer Solstice Sundowner 5k, Friday evening, June 21st, at Clackamas Community College. Two relatively flat circuits of the campus on roads and paths will likely be a welcome respite from the hills for most of the Series participants, though I know some of you relish the ascents.

Online registration closes Tuesday, June 18th, so change those bandaids, message those cramps, and get yourself signed up!  You can also register at the race site on Friday.  The race begins at 7:15pm, on the CCC track.  Parking is available at the Randall Hall Gym.

The Summer Series standings are still wide open, with lots of opportunities to move into a top 10 spot, so if you’ve been waiting to enter the fray, now’s the time!  Or you might just want to run it for the post-race popsicles.  That’s ok too.

Starter extraordinaire Mark Mochon in action at the 2013 Special Olympics.

One of the key dates on the Lizard calendar each year is the Saturday in June when club members turn out in force to help put on the Special Olympics regional track and field meet at Mt. Hood Community College. The incredible spirit and enthusiasm of the athletes draws Lizards together to help the runners, throwers, jumpers, walkers, and rollers achieve their goals.

This year was no exception, and the athletes and volunteers were greeted with a bright sunny day and no lack of spunk and exuberance.  Valuable lessons in sportsmanship and perseverance abounded, as well as simply the pure joy of competing.  Of course a few tears were also shed, but they were usually quickly followed by grins and hugs as the disappointment or anxiety wore off.

No one who volunteers at this event can help but be moved in some way, as many small moments stand out: The boy who leaped over the finish line at the end of his race; The runner who reached over to ring the “bell lap” bell as he crossed the line; The tiny 9-year old girl who was excitedly hopping up and down before her race only to stop with her arms crossed in disappointment when she saw her fellow runners, all at least five years older, pulling away; And the various exchanges of pre-race advice and encouragement between the athletes at the starting line.

Anyone who has experienced the meet usually leaves exhausted but happy, having contributed to a well-run and efficient event that allowed these great athletes to pursue their best efforts.  To see Janelle Henderson’s photos from this year’s meet, check out the Red Lizard SmugMug gallery.

The next Lizard volunteer opportunity will be on July 4th at the Flat Half aid station.  For more information, and to sign up for a shift, visit this thread on the TRL message board.

A view from the trail along the Backyard Half course.

It’s hard to believe we are already three races into the 2013 TRL Summer Series (especially since I’ve only run one race myself so far), but race number four is fast approaching. The White Salmon Backyard Half is coming up on Saturday, June 15th, and man, is this a memorable event! Extremely scenic and challenging, this race will make a great impression on you (perhaps literally!) and leave you with an amazing sense of accomplishment.

Well-organized and affordable (free, with a suggested donation of $12 to the White Salmon Columbia High School cross-country team), the race offers some nice amenities too.  Last year there were some stylish Scott McMullen-designed T-shirts for sale (and a few colorful limited edition versions handed out to the top finishers), and some great grub in the park at the finish.  (If you want to know how tough this race is, I was too exhausted to partake of the abundant chocolate chip cookies until it was too late and they had already been gobbled up – 80% by Ben Flaata alone!)

The race begins in White Salmon, WA, at Rheingarten Park at N. Main Ave and N.W. Lincoln St. at 10:00am. (Hikers can set off at 8:30, if you have any non-running family or friends joining you).  Pre-race instructions begin at 9:50am.  Every runner must sign a waiver and present a notorized last will and testament (OK, I made up the part about the will, although it’s probably not a bad idea!)  Check the TRL message board in the days leading up to the race for information about carpooling and a post-race gathering at the local brew pub.

Even though the race is free, you still need to sign up.  To register online click HERE

For more information about the race, visit the Columbia Gorge Running Club’s website: White Salmon Backyard Half

Perhaps you haven’t even been paying attention and don’t know what the TRL Summer Series is? Well, no worries – I can get you up to speed on the Summer Series pretty quickly. Each summer, TRL selects a handful of local races that we target for getting members out to. The series is meant to promote friendly intra-club competition (which it does), but the real thing it does is tell you where you can show up and find a fair number of your clubmates to race with and then often hang out with afterward. To date, we are 3 races into the 8-race series. But never fear, it isn’t too late to jump in on the fun and still find yourself with a shot at earning a top ten finisher prize. We have only had 2 people compete in all 3 of the races, and since only the best 5 scores count, you still have a shot at hitting 5 events. And even if you can’t run all 5 of the remaining races, it is possible to be in the top ten with fewer races than that. Right now we have a big of a break until the next 2 Summer Series races. But the next 2 will definitely be interesting…. talk about 2 polar opposite races – a hilly half and a flat 5k… Next up is the Backyard Half in White Salmon on June 15. To say this scenic trail 1/2 marathon has a hill in it is a bit of an understatement. But if you are up for a scenic run in the Gorge that will no doubt include a carpool out there and a post-run hang out (last year they had beer and BBQ available in the park at the finish), don’t miss this great event – which is FREE (you basically make a donation as your entry fee, but since the race is a fundraiser for the White Salmon XC team, it’s worth kicking in the $20-40 this race is worth). Then within a week of the Backyard Half, it is time to test those fast(er) twitch muscles with the Summer Solstice 5k (June 21). I know… the 5th race in the Summer Series is on the summer solstice… but that means at least half the races will be in the summer. If you were holding off until summer actually arrived, it is nearly here. Time to get out for some Summer Series race action Lizards! Current Summer Series standings after first three races: Men 1. Daniel Bartosz 287 pts. (3 races) 2. Torrey Lindbo 190 (2) 3. Dan Silvernail 170 (3) 4. Gary Adams 103 (3) 5. Joe Dudman 90 (1) 5. Steve Trautwein 90 (3) 7. Tim (XC) Johnson 80 (1) 7. Joel Phillips 80 (1) 9. Tom Skiles 73 (1) 10. Nick Cifuentes 70 (1) 10. Anthony Santa Cruz 70 (1) 10. David Harding 70 (2) 13. Pete Danko 60 (1) 14. Sam Taylor 47 (1) 15. Doug Lichtenwalter 20 (1) Women 1. Elle Davis 244 (3) 2. Clover Neiberg 112 (2) 3. Amy Al-Khalisi 100 (1) 3. Beth Armstrong 100 (1) 5. Angela Zimmerman 68 (1) 6. Helen Sherman 56 (2) 7. Sarah Silvernail 20 (1) 7. Debra Luther 20 (1)

Daniel Bartosz and Torrey Lindbo set the pace at Race #1, the Hagg Lake 10.5 miler.

Had enough hills after the first two Summer Series races? Ready for something flat and fast? Well, tough luck muchachos (and muchachoettes), because the Up The Lazy River 10k on Monday, May 27th has another nice big hill right in the middle.

But don’t worry, much of the rest of the course is less unforgiving, and the event is fun and well-organized, with a quiet and leafy suburban route that starts and finishes in a park. There’s even pineapple at the finish!

The race starts at 9:00am Memorial Day at Mary S. Young Park in West Linn. Register by this Wednesday before the entry fees increase.  Check this link for all the info: Up The Lazy River

After two races the competition is heating up, but the standings are still wide open with lots of opportunities to shake things up!  Even if, like me, you haven’t run a Summer Series race yet, there’s still time to enter the fray and establish yourself among the Lizard top ten.

Even if there’s nothing “lazy” about this race, there is a river, and there is definitely some “up”, so don your red on Memorial Day and join us for a fun time.

A view of the Gorge from Carson, Washington.

After the heat and hills of Hagg Lake, we thought we’d take it easy on you for the second race of the 2013 TRL Summer Series… Ha! Surely I must be kidding! Don’t tell me you fell for that. And don’t call me Shirley!

In fact, the Carson to Stevenson Ridge Run 16k is so hilly, the Columbia Gorge Running Club obscured the vertical scale on their elevation profile!

But the great Gorge setting and spectacular views will make up for the heavy breathing and screaming quads, and it’s always fun to compete and hang out with your fellow Lizards on a pleasant spring Saturday.

The course is a combination of dirt and paved roads, so plan your footwear accordingly.

What: Carson To Stevenson Ridge Run 16k (9.94 miles)

When: This Saturday, May 18th.

Where: The race starts in Carson, WA, at Backwoods Brewing (1162 B Wind River Road, Carson, WA 98610) and finishes at the Skamania County Fairgrounds in Stevenson (shouldn’t it finish at the brewpub?!). Shuttle vans will leave Stevenson at 7:15am to take runners to the start in Carson, but carpooling is encouraged.

What time: Runners start at 8:30.

Carpooling from Portland:  It takes about an hour to get from Portland to Stevenson, so Lizards may want to meet at the I-205 Mcmenamins for a 6:00am departure.

Click here for an entry form ($20 with shirt/$10 without shirt): http://www.columbiagorgerunningclub.com/attachments/File/ridge_run_waiver_13.pdf

More details about the race are available at the Columbia Gorge Running Club’s website: http://www.columbiagorgerunningclub.com/ridgerun.php

An athlete crosses the finish line at the 2012 Special Olympics Regional Track Meet.

By Jeff Malmquist

Hey Reptiles! The 2013 Special Olympics Regional Track and Field meet will be Saturday June 8 @ Mt. Hood CC. We need lots of paws (do lizards have paws?) on the ground for this one. Come on out and volunteer!

For more info and a list of volunteers tasks/times, go to the Red Lizard Message Board. To sign up, just reply to the thread in the Message Board, or send me an e-mail. Questions, let me know. I guarantee you’ll enjoy this experience!

Jeff Malmquist
Red Lizards – Special Olympics
jmalmquist6974@gmail.com
Home 503 227 2544

Hagg Lake is the bucolic setting for the first race in the 2013 TRL Summer Series.

Time flies, and so do Lizards! Believe it or not, temperatures have hit the 70s and the first race of the Summer Series is right around the corner.

This year’s series gets under way with the traditional hilly loop around a lake, only this time it’s a different lake! Saturday, May 4th, Lizards will converge on Hagg Lake in Washington County for the Oregon Road Runners Club’s Hagg Lake Run, a 10.5 mile scenic tour along the paved road that circles the rural lake.

The race starts at 9:00am, and all pre-registered runners receive a pair of ORRC socks!

All the details are here: http://www.orrc.net/races/hagg/hagglake.htm

In addition to the usual great organization and friendly volunteers associated with an ORRC event, the Hagg Lake Runs are also famous for the post-race random drawing for pies!  That alone is worth the price of admission, though of course communing and competing with your fellow Lizards and earning Summer Series points is still the main attraction.

There is a $5.00 fee per car at the park, so carpooling is highly recommended.  A good place to meet to share rides is the Tri-Met Park and Ride garage at the Sunset Transit Center (10470 SW Barnes Rd, Beaverton), just off Hwy. 26 past the 217 interchange.  Meeting there at 7:15 should allow time to make it to the race early enough to check in and warm up.

To get to Hagg Lake from Portland, take Hwy. 26 west to Hwy. 6, then at Banks take Hwy. 47 south through Forest Grove and look for the signs to Hagg Lake on the right.

This is a beautiful and challenging course, and a great way to kick off the series.  Let’s see a crowd of Lizards toe the line! Come for the race, stay for the pies!

Team Red Lizard is proud to offer a special opportunity to purchase a TRL branded sports bra made by Brooks. They come in sizes ranging from small to x-large. To place your order look for the message board thread or send an email to bhavana@redlizardrunning.com. Be sure to include your size and contact information. You will also need to send your payment to Team Red Lizard by May 24th. Our address is: 5331 SW Macadam Ave, #258-401, Portland, OR 97239

These bras retail for $34 but you can get yours for only $30.

Patriot’s Day in Boston. For runners, this local holiday means one thing – the Boston Marathon. For many marathoners, this is the equivalent of going to the Olympic Trials. You qualify, you train, you travel, then you take on the legendary course and experience the camaraderie and community it offers.

Whether you were at the marathon, or like me, were stuck in the office all day, there isn’t a person who hasn’t heard about the tragedy that unfolded during the event.

Today isn’t about PRs, but rather about survival, support, and recovery – things runners are familiar with, but not to this extreme.

Team Red Lizard is proud of all our athletes and all those who followed the blue line to the finish. We celebrate them, as well as this historic event, and all things positive in our running community. With great sadness, we offer up heartfelt sympathy and support for all those affected by this tragedy.