STORMY (Squamish Test Of Running Mettle, Yeh!) is one of my favorite runs. It's one of a handfull of runs that I try to do every year... and the only one of those that I've participated in every year it has been held.
As usual, the weather was perfect. The refinements in the course kept me on my toes, but I didn't get lost. As if by devine retribution, one of the places I got lost a few years ago (named "Jackson's Dilemma" by then race director Paul Cubbon) was added into the official course this year.
While I can't say I raced the course, I didn't hike it, either. It was fun to hang back near the back of the pack and chat with old friends and new without any expectation of catching the leaders. I felt very good on the last third of the course and expected to catch up with veteran sandbaggers Ann Taylor and Paul Cubbon, but despite all of the hooey about being injured or not running since 1999, both kicked my butt resoundingly.
John, thanks for the great chat. Des, thank you for the cool Guiness at the finish! That really hit the spot.
One of the great features of STORMY is that the finish line is next to a community center and all participants get access afterward. I look forward to a dunking in the hot tub even if I've been running in the heat all day...and I swear going for a dip in the pool afterwards does something to tired muscles that makes them less sore the next day.
Then there's the picnic and award ceremony at the finish line. Rich Rawling and Wendy Montgomery, the co-race directors and both winners of STORMY in past years, handed out prizes and swag from a bottomless box and it seemed just about every volunteer and runner came home with a little something extra for their efforts.
If that wasn't enough, Rich opened his home and offered a free pint to all who cared to stick around for the evening. Having awoken before 4:00 am, I ran out of gas around 9:30, but Rich and Wendy, who apparently had not slept at all, partied on.
Congrats to all who completed the 64K course this year and thanks again for an awesome run, Wendy and Rich. See you next year!
