First Race of the Year.

Winter in Seattle can put a serious damper on my running schedule. It "might" have something to do with the four hours of sunlight and incessant rain. Whatever the exact reason, Henry Weinhard's St. Patrick's Day Dash is almost always my first race of the year. It starts at the Seattle Center, and ends at Safeco Field (a short, 3.5 mile course). The crowning jewel of this race -- besides the great costumes worn by many of the runners -- is that we get to run down the upper level of the Seattle Viaduct. The Viaduct, itself, might be an ugly hangover from the 1950s car culture, but the view of Elliot Bay, the Puget Sound and the Olympic Peninsula during the race is worth every pounding step. (Don't take that statement as an endorsement for keeping the Viaduct -- it needs to be torn down.)