Cove to Clover 5K Tackles Snake Hill

My race bib, with the reptile representing Snake Hill

I'm not an authority on exercise, to be sure. At 40, I'm a surprising newbie to what many of you have been doing for years. Of my 1900 fellow 5Kers today, the vast majority are in better shape than me. At my weight, my joints can't handle a long run, and when I tried running parts of the 5K today, I aggravated my IT band (outside of knee).

But there's one area I'm increasingly confident in - climbing stairs or hills. Do it. It's not hard*. It's among the most efficient modes of exercise there is. And you'll amaze your friends and wow your colleagues. (*Well, like anything else, it's difficult at first, but quickly gets easier as you gradually increase your capacity.)

For months now, I've been hearing about Snake Hill, the defining feature of the Cove to Clover 5K race. The "Cove" refers to a community beach on Puget Sound in Normandy Park, Washington. "Clover" is a play on Mick Kelly's Irish Pub, located on high ground in Burien. The two are linked by Snake Hill, a winding ascent of sleepy neighborhood streets climbing nearly 1,000 feet in vertical elevation over the first mile of the course. The legend of Snake Hill grows every time a runner - especially the strong ones - talks about the pain they have felt on the incline.  

For me, I was attracted to Cove to Clover because of Snake Hill. Most of you know I did the Big Climb last March, a 1311 stair challenge in Seattle's Columbia Tower. I'm doing it again in two weeks, so Cove to Clover provided a great opportunity for a tune-up.

Amazingly, C2C is only in its third year. Today, nearly 2,000 participants ran or walked the 5K, 10K, or kids race. The coolest part is the partnership with local schools. Students are able to participate through angel donations of registration costs. And locally based Brooks donated hundreds of running shoes for the kids. I've worn Brooks for more than a decade, and I was proud of them when I saw so many beautiful running shoes on the kids, many whose families qualify for free lunch at school.

As the 5K participants lined up at the start line, the 10K runners whizzed by with lots of encouragement from the waiting contestants. The head of the local schools foundation - the foundation is a major beneficiary of the race - revved up the assembled racers until it was time to go, and then we were off! The hill starts right away, so after some ceremonial steps jogging, most people settled into a steady uphill walk.

Snake Hill was my best part of the race. I passed a lot of people on the way up. Granted, I started in the back of the pack and the serious runners were far ahead of me. But my well-honed, steady climbing pace propelled me by others my age, and some of the kids. I never had to stop, which some had to.

As we approached the top of the hill we heard bagpipes. That motivated those around me who were worn down by the mile-long incline. When we reached him, we found a fully decked out bagpipe player standing at a clearing that showed just how far we had come from sea level. It had a sense of accomplishment to it, and the image, which you will see below, reminded me of the end of a leg of the Amazing Race.

But the race was not over! It settled into a more normal 5K from there. I mixed walking and running, catching up with an old acquaintance along the way. There was only one more eventful aspect to the race - the "uprising!" This was random - a stack of hay bales across the course that runners had to climb over, or take a small detour as a penalty. I went over the obstacle, and it was fun, including a boisterous group of local high school students acting out a Celtic battle.

Shortly after, we turned for home on a relaxed straightaway, passing homes fronting a small lake and crossing into several blocks of trendy restaurants. Although I had walked ever since my IT band acted up, I broke into a run for the last part of the race and finished feeling good.

Believe it or not, I was scheduled for softball practice an hour later (unlikely timing, because we only have one or two practices a year and just eight doubleheaders), and I headed for my car after greeting some friends and co-workers in the post-race area. It was a day of scattered showers in the Seattle area, and cold. My car's thermometer read 46 degrees when I got in. Fifteen minutes later, it stood at 40 degrees as I pulled up to practice - and it began snowing. I was actually relieved as we filled out the registration forms and called it a day. A good day, with a 5K!

Here are some cell phone pictures I snapped during the Cove to Clover 5K race.

Racers gathered for the 5K start cheered passing 10K runners with the race's blue gloves

Racers forge up Snake Hill

A bagpiper played as we reached the top - look how far up we climbed!

I don't think you'd be taunted like this after one mile of a normal 5K!

Approaching "The Uprising!"

High school ballplayers mimicked Celtic soldiers - random, but fun

Someone out there has a picture of me on the route. I'll post it if I get a copy.

Finally, regarding last week's post, I settled on My Fitness Pal. I can't believe how much I'm learning from it! And so far, so good. I wasn't perfect last week, but I did well enough to lose 2.3 pounds (before the race!). Thanks for your advice about calorie counting apps. Have a great week everybody!