Out for a quick run at lunch in some quickly changing weather due to a phenomenon that happens here quite frequently called the convergence zone.

When winds are blowing in from the Pacific ocean towards Seattle they hit the Olympic Mountains to are west and our forced to wrap around, like a river split by a small island. The two streams of air wrap around the mountains and smash into each other on the other side.


The winds are forced upwards when they collide and this wrings out the moisture like a squeezed sponge, causing rain. This rain can sometimes setup over one area for hours or can drift north and south. The precipitation caused by the convergence zone is generally to the north of where I live, but right over where I work.

If conditions are just right it can cause a very localized snow. The heavy rain drags cold air down from the upper atmosphere and 38 degrees quickly drops below 32. This happened in early January. I left for work on perfectly clear roads with no rain or snow, as I neared work a light rain started falling. Half mile from work there was snow and I pulled into a parking lot covered by a few inches. For a weather geek like myself this was ridiculously cool.

Pressed for time so a hard run around my corporate complex. 26 minutes.

After a week with only one run due to a nasty head cold I was eager to wake up at 6:00 for a Saturday morning run with the group. The weekend runs have been following an intermediate half-marathon training program leading up to the Mercer half in early March. Today called for a 5 or 10K race in the area so the guy who leads the group offered either one lap around Green Lake (3.2 miles) or two laps.

Took the first lap at an easy pace with a couple new guys, one of which dropped off for water after we completed the lap. The second guy asked if I'd like to pick up the pace and we slowly accelerated through the lap. Turns out he is a Biology teacher in Tacoma and he also coaches the cross-country team. He must be working out with the kids because I got a strong feeling he could have easily dropped me.

In the last mile or so the easy conversation we'd been having ended as we concentrated on holding pace. I'd call it 5K effort over the last mile and we averaged 6:20 pace for the lap which included a stop to tie a shoe. Cooled down with 2 miles. A great way to start the weekend.

The gray winter is really starting to grate on me but then you have a day like today, perfectly clear, the mountains the setting for a beautiful sunset and a picture perfect peak at Mt. Rainer while driving down I-5 just past 145st street. Things don't seem so bad. Even getting out on a short walk for lunch buoyed my spirits. Maybe these posts make me sound depressed but its not like that. You just need 15 days of uninterrupted clouds to really get and appreciation for the sun.

The day has lengthened to the point that if I get out the door quick enough after work I have 20 minutes of light to start my run. Ran a variation of the Phinney Loop. Heather had an awesome dinner in the works and I promised to be back in 40 minutes so at the 20 minute mark I cut the route a little short and headed back. Finished in 39:40. Thought the loop was 5 miles and was wondering why I had to work so hard for 8 minutes miles. Turns out it was 5.7 miles and 7 minute miles made much more sense.