October 10, 2014

Snapshots: Point Defiance Park

If you have to get a 9-mile taper run in on vacation, this is the way to do it. Gorgeous morning in the Pacific Northwest at Point Defiance Park in Tacoma, WA. I usually don't take my phone on runs, but I had to put it in the pack today to capture the views as I ran on a point overlooking the Gig Harbor and Tacoma Narrows bridge.

I hit Five Mile Road on Point Defiance early in the morning; the road is closed to traffic in the early mornings to allow cyclists and runner free reign of the park. And since it was a weekday, I only shared my mileage with the fog, trees, and a few deer enjoying their breakfast. I ran a couple loops, the fog hanging low in the forest of tall trees reaching skyward. It was almost surreal at times to be running in this place. As the morning wore on, breaks in the fog provided panoramic views of the water and brief glimpses of the bridge.

It was a relaxing and rejuvenating way to knock out a taper run. It's an amazing running landscape, and that's just the roadway. There were also miles of trail to discover. I capped off the day with a refreshing beer sampler at the Narrows Brewing Company.