For 7/26/25

• CtCloser • WHOZCONGRATSRUNNIN’ELSEWHERETHEMZ

RUMINATIONS

Bridge Construction – by CtCloser

A recent run from the native village of Kluti-Kaah north and west to the local “big town” of Glennallen, Alaska had me traversing a construction zone unlike any around these here parts. Around a lot of the state, there are no alternative routes. That was the case over the Tazlina River.

A Google terrain map of the Richardson Highway crossing the Tazlina River near Copperville, AK and the Copper River.

We had been traversing the bridge to get to Kluti-Kaah daily as we reported to the Wrangell Mountain Bible Conference where we had been ministering to the teens for the 8-day duration. The siding and road repair effort reduced travel to one lane with a sign crew and a lead car controlling traffic flow. As we drove the bridge daily before my planned run, I looked for a pedestrian lane and saw nothing. While it’s a stretch to say there are no pedestrians in that part of Alaska, there are few, so the shoulder of the roadway is the standard option.

The evening of my run, I reached the bridge at 10:00 with nightfall still 3 hours away. The flagger greeted me pleasantly: “You’ll have to jump into the lead car when it gets here.” As a regular passenger in our vehicle, just doing my thing, I had barely registered that there even was one. It approached from the opposite direction and pulled into the turnaround. “Just turn back from here and go back,” the driver volunteered. “Glennallen is my destination.” “Oh.”

A full Tazlina river below a concrete and steel girder bridge.
Alaska Science Center. “Tazlina River Bridge.” US Geological Survey, 2019, https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/tazlina-river-bridge

I hopped in and rode as the driver led the northbound assemblage of cars across the span. That is the process 24 hours a day for the multi-week duration of the construction project. Reaching the turnaround on the far side, she wished me a good run and let me out. Then as I continued the rest of my 12 miler, she turned around to lead the southbound assemblage back.
-CtCloser (Calvinthe) “Negative Split or Positive Splat” #dothedue.

FINE PRINT ¶Text by Calvin Wang (Wäng), CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. ¶Cross-published: Facebook Shawmont Running ClubShawmont Running Club website, Ruminations by CtCloser.

 

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WHOZ DOIN WHAT IN 2025

Through Next Month…

Nuthin’ to report

 

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CONGRATS-A-MUNDO TO ALL!

Nuthin’ to report

SEND YOUR RACE RESULTS TO: TEDMILLER01@GMAIL.COM

 

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RUNNIN’ OFF AT THE MOUTH

“The most difficult thing about a marathon? Working into every conversation for the next year.” –Unknown

“How do you know if someone ran a marathon? Don’t worry, they’ll tell you.” –Jimmy Fallon [Rerun from 12/7/24]

“If God invented marathons to keep people from doing anything more stupid, the triathlon must have taken him completely by surprise.” –P. Z. Pearce [Rerun from 5/10/25]

Source: The Gigantic Book of Running Quotations, Higdon, 2008 (Skyhorse Publishing)

 

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ELSEWHERE ON THE WEB – by Teddio [Rerun from 7/12/25]

Can Your Finger Length Predict Your Running Ability?

  • …The length of your ring finger compared to your index finger might offer a clue to how well you’re built for distance…
  • …The 2D:4D ratio could provide a quick, non-invasive insight into how well someone might handle endurance training…

(https://runningmagazine.ca/the-scene/can-your-finger-length-predict-your-running-ability/)

 

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THEMZ WHO WUZ THERE (except those forgotten or missed 😊)

Stats – We track attendance and Shawmont. Loggin’ the miles is just for fun.

Records: Attendance – 39 on 6/23/18. Shawmonts – 26 on 2/10/18.

This Week: Attendance – 15. Shawmont – 7.

  • Trail Name: Distance (Route)
  • AKA: 14 (SHAWMONT)
  • Alan Bravo: 8
  • All That Jaz (FKA: Jaz, JC, James): 5
  • Caiter (FKA Caitlin R, Kate R): 15 (SHAWMONT + 1)
  • CtCloser: 14 (SHAWMONT)
  • Jimmy Dee: 14 (SHAWMONT)
  • John NTT (No Trail Tag. FKA JR): 10
  • KayCee (AKA KC): 10
  • Kenny Baby: 10
  • Quietman Tom: 14 (SHAWMONT)
  • Rob Ray: 14 (SHAWMONT)
  • Scottsy: 12. Welcome to the madness!
  • Tall Dave: 15 (SHAWMONT + 1)
  • Terp Adam: 7. Welcome to the madness!
  • Thaddeus: 14 (SHAWMONT)
  • Ying1: 10

 

Thanks for reading. Let’s have a great week!
To read this Newsletter on email, send request to TEDMILLER01@GMAIL.COM

Email Newsletter Editor: Teddio
Facebook and Website Newsletter Editor: CtCloser

 

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