Run Perry Run Club

Next Tuesday, September 1, we’re teaming up again with the folks from The Boulevard Race for Charlie’s Run. Initially, the idea was to provide an opportunity for folks to gather and remember a good friend and fellow run club member, Charlie Reed (1977-2024). And each summer since his passing, we’ve done just that, welcoming his many friends and family on a special Tuesday to run with “his” run club. Now, we say “his” club, not because it belonged to Charlie, in the traditional sense. But because this is the club HE chose to run with, the club HE wanted to belong to, populated with the folks HE enjoyed commiserating with (both during and after the runs). And in that sense, it truly was his club. Just as it is YOUR club. It belongs to EVERYONE who chooses to run with us. With that sentiment in mind, we want to say that Charlie’s Run isn’t just about remembering one person (we’re sure Charlie wouldn’t have wanted all the attention - at least not year after year!). It’s about remembering and celebrating EVERYONE we’ve lost too soon. So next week when we gather before the run, if there’s anyone who wants to get up on the bench say a little bit on behalf of someone dear to them, we encourage it. Or if there’s another way you might want to remember someone, perhaps something as simple as running with their name written somewhere conspicuous on you (calf, arm, shin… forehead 😊) we’re all for it. And if you want to invite their friends and relatives, have at it. Just so you know, we will be running the “Charlies Run” route which takes us by a couple of Charlie landmarks. But we’ll also have another route ready for those who might want to take things a little easier, after all, Charlie's Run is one of our tougher routes). Looking forward to a good evening and seeing you all Tuesday, September 1, at 6 PM.

We’ve seen plenty of ways to help out those in the community who lost so much in the fires this past month. But here’s one where you get to help, stay healthy, and have fun at the same time. This 5k is being put on just this weekend and all proceeds go to help those people. As it says in the description, it’s being put on in a hurry, so there won’t be awards, official timing, or results, but who needs all that? Only one person can win an actual race, while this run will help the community. This Saturday August 29th at the rotary fountain. Donations only, so pay what you can.

Phoenix 5K lululemon and Ambassador Andy Le Friec are teaming up to help the Spokane community in its time of need. The fires that swept through the Riverside state park…

Run No. 25!

Oh boy, do we have a run for you this week! (Said matter-of-factly WITH MUCH ENTHUSIASM!!!!) Yes. (Said flatly without emotion). That’s right, as with the preceding 24 weeks, we’ve chosen a route. But where this week differs from all those others where we’ve had you running aimlessly around Perry and into the adjacent neighborhoods, this week’s run will serve as a reminder that no dream is too outlandish, too out of touch, in this great land of ours. You see, for years pedestrians who’d wanted to walk, jog, bike, skateboard, roller blade, skip, and to a lesser extent crawl from Sprague Avenue, just east of downtown, to Spokane Falls Blvd., likewise just east of downtown, had to venture all the way over to Division St., all because of three sets of railroad tracks and a ravine which stood in the way. But that all changed in December 2018 with the unveiling of Spokane’s University Gateway Bridge. Loosely named and styled after the iconic “Gateway” Arch in St. Louis (which, by the way, merely “symbolized” the expansion of the United States to the West), the University Gateway Bridge enables literally tens -possibly hundreds- of pedestrians to freely cross in that area in not one, but TWO directions (both north AND south). An engineering marvel made possible through the sheer grit and gumption of local leaders, builders, and taxpayers, the bridge serves as a shining example of what can be accomplished when you want to do something and have money to spend. And this week, we get to experience it firsthand, as we run McDowell’s Arc™. The three milers will cross and then almost immediately cross back over the bridge, while the 5ish will cross, run to the river, cross two more bridges, and cross back over. And to think, back in 2017, one could only dream… See you all this Tuesday at 6!!!

Run No. 24:

We here at Run Perry Run Club are constantly trying to provide a little something for everyone and this week is no different, as our route goes out to equally to lovers of obscure micro local historical fiction and/or hills. You see, back in 2012, when this club first began, we had a route that went up a hill, then down a hill, then up another hill, then down again, and then up one last hill, and finally down once more. That first year we ran it near Halloween. It was dark and near freezing, but despite these conditions, one club member ran it while wearing what we presumed was his son’s Iron Man costume helmet. We then ran it a time or two in the next season or so, but it never found its way into the main rotation. Perhaps it was because didn’t have a catchy name, having referred to it only as “the Halloween Run.” Following covid, the route seemed all but lost. But then in 2024, inspired by a chance viewing of Tea Loene’s brilliant 2004 performance alongside a baby talking Adam Sandler, the route made its triumphant return, this time with the perfect name. You see, the route had three sizeable hills. And hills, as we all know, can be a runner’s friend (when done correctly). And that movie we mentioned? It just so happened to be titled Spanglish. Sooooo… the route was rebranded, “Tres Hillmigos.” Come to think of it, perhaps this week is more for those who love boring obscure micro local historical fiction and/or hills, as opposed to just obscure micro local historical fiction and/or hills. In any event, we’ve got a great run for you, one which has been around for many years in one form or another, and one which is sure to get your legs and lungs a pumping. Now we just need the air quality to cooperate. Hint: It will. So, see you all this Tuesday at 6!

Week 23:

If only a regular ole person could type out a good whistling such that others (also regular ole people) could simply read along and understand the tune. In that alternate reality we’d type out “fwit fwhee fwee fwee fwh fwheeee fwheuh fwh fwhit. Fwhee fwut. Fwhee fut. Fweeeh fu, fweee fwhee, fwhee fut” and those of you’d who’d seen the movie The Life of Brian would be transported to its final scene. Those who hadn’t, you’d at least think, “now that’s a nice little carefree sounding ditty.” And we’d all think about how fortunate we (Spokane as a whole) have been, even though we’re by no means out of the woods and even though many continue to suffer through tremendous loss. Miraculously, there’s been no reported loss of life, and some of humanity’s best has shown in the form of a helping hand. For some, the shock of the fires is wearing off, and things seem to be getting back to normal. For others, it’s gonna take a lot longer. Whether you fall in the former, the latter, or somewhere in between, as we said last week, we’re here to provide a bit of normalcy and a distraction. Join us for a bit of both this Tuesday as we ramble up through Lincoln Park. Air quality’s looking good for now (currently 68) and temperature will be in the mid 80s. If all holds up, it should be a great distraction. See you Tuesday at 6!

Run/Walk/Envision 22:

To say these last few days in and around Spokane have really been something would be quite an understatement. Yes, over the past ten plus years we’ve dealt with our fair share of summer smoke, occasionally making light of it as a way to cope. But with rare exception, it’s almost always been someone else’s problem and merely our annoyance. But not this time. If you yourself haven’t lost something in this latest round of fire, you no doubt know someone who has, or at a minimum, you or someone you know has been displaced. And all the while, as life churns on, we all secretly worry about what could come next. Obviously, we don’t have any solutions. We’re merely a running club. But what we can offer is a brief distraction, some comradery, and a shared experience. We recognize the smoke is still rising, the embers are still falling, and the air quality is sub-par. Nevertheless, we’ll be up at the South Perry Lantern this Tuesday for a run, walk, or just a gathering. Your call. The air quality has been bouncing between “unhealthy” and “unhealthy for sensitive groups,” and we have no idea what it’s gonna be like at 6. So, as always, how you participate is gonna be up to you. This week’s route is one of our easier ones: Tug Boat. We’ll all run, walk, or perhaps just envision heading west on 15th to Cook, up to 17th, and then back across Perry to S.E. Blvd. If you’re gonna run, walk, or envision the 3ish, you’ll hang a right on 11th and head to the back of Grant Park, down to 9th, and then back up Perry. If you prefer to run, walk, or envision the 5ish route, you’ll continue past S.E. to Rockwood, up Rockwood to 20th, do a bunch of other stuff, and likewise return on 11th, just like the 3ish did. Who knows, if it’s too smokey, we might just envision running BOTH the 3ish and 5ish while having a couple cold ones on the patio. We’ll see. Hope you are safe and well and hope to see you all this Tuesday at 6!

Run no 21:

If you’ve ever been on The Price is Right you understand the skill it takes to spin that giant wheel and get it to land smack dab on $100.00. OK, ok, maybe that’s not the best reference. Let’s sub in Wheel of Fortune. Although on a horizontal as opposed to vertical plane, spinning that wheel also requires a bit of skill, especially if you’re hoping to land on the trip for two to Paris. OK, ok, ok, so perhaps that’s not the best one either. How about Fast Eddies and their birthday wheel? Even there it’s quite tricky to land on anything other than $5.00, despite the fact the majority of the board is made up of larger prizes. Ok, ok, ok, ok, have you at least played Twister? How about Milton Bradley’s The Game of Life? Spin the Bottle? What we’re getting at is that last week we received a suggestion, or perhaps more accurately "the sharing of a desire," a hope, a dream, that the club’s next run take us by a particular smattering of red roses situated on an otherwise non-descript street corner about a ¾ of mile north of the club’s home. Now, it’s not like we don’t have a route or two that can get us there. But quite frankly, you’re more likely to have a soft drink thrown on you by a passing motorist as you stand on the corner of 10th and Perry than you are to get your way in choosing the weekly route. Unless, of course, you’ve been around the block and have mastered the art of persuasion. With all that said, this week we decided, of our own free will, with no pressure from anyone, to run Le Nationale, which just so happens to take us by those pretty, pretty roses at 2nd and Perry. Perhaps their beauty will inspire you to continue south on Sherman and up Rockwood for the 5ish, or leave you satisfied enough that you simply hang a left on 10th to complete the 3ish. In any event, know it was all Eddie’s idea. Yep. That guy. See you this Tuesday at 6! You (EDDIE) better make it.

Run no. 20:

There’s a saying we seem to be developing here in Spokane to describe our summers, “Spokane, it’s not so much the heat, it’s the air quality.” And this week we may be trending in the wrong direction on both accounts, as the sky vacillates between clear and hazy and the temp continues to rise. Luckily, we’ve got a release valve of sorts when it comes to weekly routes. With Tuesday set to hit 95, and the air quality uncertain, we’re pulling the rip cord, so to speak, and choosing “the route with the outs,” Eazy-Duz-It. Constructed with supreme indecision and escapability in mind, the route offers numerous opportunities to call it an evening as it oscillates between Perry and Napa. Never getting too far from “home” to call it a day should the heat and/or the air become too much to bear. At a minimum, to prepare for the heat, you should probably make sure you’re properly hydrated before the run. As for the preparing for the smoke, all we can recommend is smoking a couple packs of filterless Pall Malls. But seriously, get hydrated, as it’s gonna be hot. And as always, if you’re worried about the heat and smoke, you’re welcome to just show up and hang out. We’re sure the bar would be happy to have you. See you Tuesday at 6!

There was once was a route from around the way... Eazy!

Run No. 19:

This week’s route was chosen by someone whose name contains both a C and an N. So as not create any deep seeded resentment towards this person (and also kind of in the spirit of the Comedy Central series South Park), for this week’s purposes, we’re going to refer to this person as Canada. So here goes. If you don’t like running up hill, blame Canada. Blame Canada! If you also don’t like running in 89-degree heat whilst doing so, blame Canada. Blame Canada! And if you happen to recall what your quads feel like while running from the South Perry Lantern to the top of Lincoln Park without the aid of any real break in elevation gain, blame Canada. Blame Canada!

On the other hand… if you enjoy running downhill (in the SHADE of Lincoln Park), then you might want to thank Canada, and choose the 3ish route. Or, if you’re in for the challenge of running 5ish miles and heading all the way up to 27th, but think you might enjoy a little bit of the Ben Burr Trail and some SHADY Altamont Blvd., then you too might want to thank Canada. Any which way, you’ll be able to voice your pleasure (or displeasure as it may be) with the route choice during the pre-run soliloquy. Just don’t take it out on the person up there on the bench, as they may (or may not) be the one who chose the burner that is The 27 Club. And while you’re at it (or not at it), ask for the depth reasoning for the route’s name. See you this Tuesday at 6!

P.S. We've got nothing against our friendly neighbors to the north.