North Woods Trail Running

Afton 25K - 2011

2011-07-03T08:44:00.004-05:00

This year's Afton Trail Run was epic. Because of the MN gov't shutdown which started on July 1, there was a very last minute venue change from the usual state park site to Afton Alps Ski Area right next door.

Having done some alpine ski racing in the distant past, I am somewhat familiar with the hills at the ski area. The Afton Trail Run at the state park has always been known as a challenging and hilly course, so when we got last minute word that the race would instead take place on the ski hills and mountain bike trails, I knew it would up the ante somewhat - at least as far as being hillier. It was. My Garmin measured the 25K course at 5662 vertical feet of total elevation gain/loss. What I wasn't expecting was how technical the single track trails would be! Close to Superior Hiking Trail type of terrain (it would be an awesome training run for SHT races if only runners were allowed on the bike trails). In some ways it was even more challenging than SHT since the wear patterns on the trail were made by bikes, not feet. Kinda like running in the bottom of a bowl at times, so there were some real ankle burners. And lots of switchbacks on the exposed ski runs, so it seemed like we were always running side hills, even when the trail was relatively level.

Anyhoo, the course started and finished in front of the main Alps chalet and was an approximately 7.6 ish mile loop. We were getting ready to start an hour after the 50K, just when the lead runners were beginning to come through the start/finish area at the end of their first of four loops. It was already feeling warm and humid (though not nearly as hot as the previous 2 days when the heat index was close to 110 degrees. Yes, this is in Minnesota). Beautiful sunshine and not a cloud in the clear blue sky.

As soon as Patrick (lead 50K runner who would go on to win that race) came through, RD John started us off on the 25K. We quickly hit a log jam since the trail almost immediately hit the single track. At times, those of us towards the back were literally standing still and would occasionally have to step aside to let some of the other faster 50K runners come through. There was a fairly short section of single track, then the trail opened up on a gravel road for a little bit and people started spreading out. Back into single track (my favorite), we entered a trail that had lots of wet wooden boards (Bridge loop, I think it was called). A little bit slippery on the damp wood since it was also on a noticable incline. Still had to step aside on a fairly regular basis to let faster 50K runners through, (which is a downside of loop courses on single track trails), but we all made it work.

By mile three, my gimpy hip was really getting jacked up. I was already starting to question whether I would be able to pull this race off - something that has never happened in a short race. In other words, it was quickly becoming apparent that this course was going to be much more difficult than I had anticipated. The trail would alternately run through rocky and rooty single track in the woods, then pop out onto the ski trails where there would be switchbacks that we'd either run up or down hill. Even the switchback paths in the grass had rocks and ruts from bikes that made running a little tricky at times. The patches in the shaded woods weren't bad, but the exposed stretches on the ski hills were becoming Africa HOT and very humid. Thank goodness for the ice sponges and well stocked aid stations (as well as awesome volunteers)!

About five miles into the loop we came to the Pirates Cove, then a trail named Manhandler. It seemed like the switchbacks were becoming fewer, and instead the trail went straight up or down the hills. Just when I thought we were almost done with our first loop and was starting to relax, the course went straight up an exposed ski run called the Plunge. Yep, I remembered the Plunge from my ski racing days, but back then we rode the chair lift up and got to ski down. It's probably the steepest ski run at Afton Alps. Today, we had to hike straight up this thing, which was kinda like a "Mini-Me" version of the power lines at Voyageur. By now, the heat was really getting to me and my stomach was on the edge. I remember stopping about half way up the Plunge, bent over with my hands on my knees. I could stick my arm straight out and touch the trail in front of me - that's how steep it was. I looked down the hill behind me and saw another runner with both hands on the ground "crawling" up the hill on his hands and feet. LOL. A few switchbacks on a downhill and lap one was in the books - one more lap to go.

I did not want to do this again. My foot hurt, my hip hurt, and I was feeling sick to my stomach. Spent a lot of time in the aid station rehydrating, cooling off with ice sponges, drinking ginger ale (never occured to me to bring ginger to this race since I rarely have stomach issues), ate some watermelon and orange slices. Tried to think up some excuses for pulling the plug, but quickly realized that I'd never forgive myself for quitting just because I was temporarily uncomfortable. A little misery is just part of this game. I kept reminding myself that things could definately be worse - the race could have been yesterday when the heat index was 100+ degrees, or I could have signed up for the 50K instead of the kids race, or the race could have been canceled with all of the hassle caused by the government shutdown.

Loaded my hat with ice and went out for the farewell loop. At least we didn't have the log jams to contend with this time around! And by now I'd seen the course once already, so I knew what to expect. I just figured I'd have to take it slow enough so that my stomach would settle, pay attention to hydration and eletrolyte balance, and enjoy the trail. Encountered several of my friends who were either running themselves or volunteering, which is always a treat. Eventually made it back to the Plunge (the toughest part of the whole course, for me anyway), though knowing about it before hand allowed me to mentally prepare for it this time. Clear sailing to the finish line after that. Finally! Slowest 25K by far - about 50 minutes slower than my previous slowest at Superior.

Learned that several people had dropped from their race - seems that lots of folks were having trouble with the heat, and there were some sprained ankles (no surprize for either). A few others who were registered decided not to toe the line once they learned about the venue change. Of the 329 runners who were registered for the 25K, only 235 crossed the finish line (97 finished out of 164 registered for the 50K). One. Tough. Race.

Congrats and thanks again to RD John and his crew, the awesome volunteers, and Afton Alps for pulling this race off under extreme circumstances this year! As much as I struggled, I actually kind of like this course better than the state park version. At least we didn't have to contend with the long, straight, flat, dreaded rail trail ;)

If you'd like to thank the folks at Afton Alps for allowing 500 runners to take over their mountain bike trails for the day, you can contact them here. If you'd like to thank the RD and volunteers for pulling off a last minute miracle to save this year's race, you can contact them here. If you'd like to contact your state legislators to let them know what you think about the shutdown, you can find their contact info here.

William O'Brien 10 Mile

2011-06-27T13:31:00.002-05:00

I was really on the fence about even going to this race given the sore foot and hip thing that I've had going the last couple of weeks. Haven't been sleeping well either, which can also be a contributing factor for getting trigger points. I actually turned my alarm off, deciding that it would be foolish to run/hike 10 miles feeling miserable. Pity party of one, your table is ready.

Decided at the last possible minute that I'd go check this race out, since it's a new trail/park that I haven't run yet, and Wayne sent me a last minute message the night before that he would be there too. (By the way, we are all anxiously awaiting your race report from your first 100 mile finish at Kettle a few weeks ago. No pressure).

Got to the park and saw lots of unfamiliar faces along with a handful of very fast friends (Wynn won, Lisa took 4'th female, and Marise had a fast time too). About 70 degrees, very humid, but breezy with clouds peeking in and out. RD Jeff sent us down a gravel path that ran parallel to the beautiful St. Croix river for about a half mile before turning toward the interior of the park. There would be about an 8 mile loop before we would return to the start/finish the same way we came. Wayne and I were both taking it easy since I was feeling gimpy and he's still recovering from Kettle, so the wide and non-technical trail made it convenient to run/walk and chat. We ran through hardwood forest, past a pond full of very loud croaking frogs (reminded me of the reverb from a 1970's P.A. system), then into open fields full of yellow and purple wild flowers, back into the forest again - all with gently rolling hills. My hip and foot did pretty well most of the way, though I was feeling some twinges towards the end. Probably had just as much to do with deconditioning as anything else. We finally got to the finish as they were wrapping up the awards ceremony - and somehow, as slow as we were, we weren't dead last!

Thanks to RD Jeff and his crew for putting on a fun race! It turned out to be a great day - nice to find a new trail relatively close to home! I'll definately be heading out to this place more often to get some training runs in. Glad I didn't stay home feeling sorry for myself - got to catch up with a few friends and spend another day in the beautiful North Woods!

Sore Heel

2011-06-23T13:10:00.002-05:00

Been having some strange heel/foot pain lately, which has indirectly gotten my hip jacked up too, so I haven't been getting as much running in as I'd like. At first I thought it was my Achilles tendon getting riled up, then thought it was more likely the retrocalcaneal bursa, but the pain was intermittent. Started wondering about a bone spur, though they typically cause bottom of the heel pain, not back of the heel pain. Finally started wondering if it was referred pain, so I dug out the Travell and Simons Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual; Vol. 2., The Lower Extremities and low and behold, soleus TrP1 refers pain to the heel and was very, very tender.

Needless to say, I've been spending lots of time doing self myofascial release on my hips and legs, and there has been some noticeable improvement! Not completely resolved, but I think I'm on the right track. Perhaps these trigger points are also major contributors to my cramping problem during runs since all the tweaking I've done with hydration and electrolytes hasn't really provided any relief.

Here is a website that offers more basic info about referred pain and trigger points, and another decent book written more for laypeople rather than medical professionals is The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook: Your Self-Treatment Guide for Pain Relief, Second Edition. It's also about 90% cheaper than the Travell and Simons manuals ;)

Hoping to feel well enough to run the William O'Brien 10 mile this weekend!

Chester Woods 10 Mile 2011

2011-06-05T14:42:00.002-05:00

Finally got off my back side and jumped into a fun little 10 mile race down near Rochester that I've done a couple of times before: the Chester Woods 10 Mile. My training has been very haphazard for the last year and a half for a variety of reasons, and being out of shape and feeling like I'm starting at the very beginning has been frustrating. But, there's only one way to fix that - get back in the game!

This year, the race was held on the second day of summer. Meaning, we've had a cooler than usual spring, and the day before the race was our first day of 90+ degree weather with high humidity. Woke up on race day to cooler temps, but still sticky dew points (not my forte, even when well trained). Got to the race with plenty of time to spare and met up with a few running buddies that I haven't seen since last year (another good reason to get back out on the trails).

There were some minor course changes to the 10 mile race this year - mostly backing up the start line and having a different route to the finish. There seemed to be a little more asphalt than I remembered in previous years - glad I chose to wear shoes instead of going barefoot, which I was seriously considering. The prairie sections were brutally hot even early in the day, especially considering nobody has had a chance to get acclimated to heat and humidity yet. Pretty course, I was able to catch a glimpse of Lynn and Sara out on the trail as they were running the inaugural 50K (just added a few weeks ago). Kept leap frogging with Chris, who was running her first trail race! I would pass her on the downs and she would pass me on the ups. Eventually, she pulled away at the Big Dam Hill and finished about a minute ahead of me. Always fun to meet new friends out in the woods - the people are one of the best things about trail races. I ended up finishing with my slowest ever 10 mile trail time, which is to be expected when SOME one takes an 18 month vacation from regular training ;) Still had plenty of fun none the less!

Hung out afterwards and waited to see how some of my buddies running the 50K were faring with a new course in hot and humid conditions. There were some logistical problems with volunteers giving incorrect instructions out in the field, but the first time running a new race is bound to have a few bugs that will need to be worked out in the future. Congrats to Bill P. for pulling out a 50K PR!

Thanks to RD Jim and the Rochester Track Club crew for putting on another fun event! The dirty magazines, burma shave mile marker signs, and dill pickles at the finish line are unique to this race and make it a fun atmosphere. It's also getting to be a not so little race - I recommend putting it on your calendar and coming to the party next year!

Hyland Lake Barefoot Run

2011-05-04T17:00:00.005-05:00

Since I'd sent out invitations to dozens of people a few days ago asking them to join me for a trail run and raptor release at Hyland Lake this weekend, I decided I'd better head out there for a beta run to see what the trail conditions were like. Hyland is probably my favorite spot to run barefoot because the trails are soft, non-technical, and I still have sissy feet.

Ended up doing a leisurely 6.5 miles with my feet feeling wonderful! For the most part, the trails are dry and in excellent condition! Well, except when they're not:

Personally, I love running barefoot (or in this case, in VFF's) in the mud! Makes me feel like a kid again! I'll be out there doing it again this Saturday with some of my buddies in tow :)

Care to join us?

International Barefoot Running Day

2011-05-01T17:37:00.006-05:00

Kel, Justin, David, Katie, Christian, Chris, Donnie, Lyle, (missing Tomkin)

Headed out to Hyland today to meet up with members of the Minnesota Chapter of the Barefoot Runners Society to celebrate International Barefoot Running Day. The original plan was to kick off the day with a potluck picnic at noon followed by a short barefoot run on the trails in the park. I'd never met anyone in this particular group, but it sounded fun and Hyland Lake is nearby.

Woke up to temps just above freezing and howling winds. Happy flippin' May Day. Got out to the park to find Christian and Lyle huddled together in the parking lot waiting for the rest of the crew (we were expecting 15). It was windy enough that flags were sticking straight out from the flag poles and there were whitecaps on the puddles in the grass. They'd decided to cancel the picnic that morning because of the crappy weather, so some folks were confused about the new start time for the run. Slowly, a few more people trickled in and 9 of us finally hit the asphalt (yes, asphalt) close to an hour later.

A few in the group were trying barefoot or minimalist running for the first time - everyone seemed to be loving it in spite of the weather! Kept the run pretty short - only about 2.3 miles, but there were plenty of smiles all around! We hung out in the warm visitor center munching on fruit (thanks Lyle) for a bit afterwards before everyone headed off to do their own thing. I had a great time and met some cool new people - now I just have to convince them to get their feet off the pavement and into the dirt ;)

Hyland Lake Run & Raptor Release

2011-04-29T08:59:00.003-05:00

Come on out to Hyland Lake park on Saturday, May 7 and join me for a fun day of trail running, picnicking, and enjoying the company of eagles, owls, hawks, and falcons!

Meet at Jan's Place (near Edgewood Picnic area) at 10:00 am and run or hike whatever distance/pace you like. See summer trails map.

The Minnesota Raptor Center will be having their spring bird release at 1:00 pm, with education birds and exhibits open from 11:00 am - 2:00 pm. I've been to several of these releases and they never disappoint, but get there before noon if you skip the run to make sure there is parking space (earlier is even better). The event is free and kid friendly, so bring the whole family. Dogs are not allowed at this event, but cameras are highly encouraged! More info.

If anyone wants to picnic or join us after the run, bring your own lunch and we can meet near the Eagle exhibit at noon.

Hope to see you there!

Zumbro 2011

2011-04-17T09:23:00.016-05:00

View of the Zumbro 100 start/finish from the West Scenic Trail.

Sorry for the lack of blog action - Facebook is easier.

Headed down to the Zumbro River Bottoms to help out and cheer for my buddies running the Zumbro 100 Mile trail race last weekend. In it's third year, there were about 23 runners and 50 volunteers. Weather turned out to be excellent and the trail was in near perfect condition - just a few spots of snow and mud.

Located in the Richard Dorer State Forest, this is a gem of a trail in the bluff country of south eastern Minnesota. The course consists of 5 laps of a 20 mile loop through some beautiful country. Since a picture is worth a thousand words, I'll just shut up and post a few.

View of start/finish area from the top of the West Scenic trail early in the loop.

A little further down the West Scenic trail.

Running through a tunnel of trees shortly after leaving the West Scenic Trail.

On the gravel road between aid stations 1 & 2.

Second place finisher Matt at the tail end of the Ant Hill trail on lap 2.

Along the gravel road between aid stations 3 & 4.

Pine Trail Overlook, shortly after leaving aid station 4 and less than 3 miles from the end of the loop.

Rail Road Bed Trail - almost home!

New course record holder, Adam early in his third loop.

Women's course record holder, Susan running strong after 40 miles.

Congratulations to all of the runners who toed the line - you are an inspiration! Thanks to retiring RD's Larry & Colleen and new RD's John and Cherie for putting on a world class event!

Running Plans for 2011

2011-03-19T15:17:00.003-05:00

...are still very much up in the air. Had some BIG TIME changes at work back in January which basically turned my schedule upside down. Things are still falling in to place, but my training has been haphazard and as a result, there is no way I will be running Chippewa 50K next month, even though I'm registered. The only race I've currently committed to is Afton (and I noticed - to my horror - that I am now in the "Senior Master" division).

Having a "big birthday" has created some other havoc as well. Being self employed, I have to purchase my own health insurance. So, imagine getting a "Happy Birthday" letter from Blue Cross letting me know that since I'm now 50 years old, my monthly premium will be going up more than $100/month, and....get this... it will now cost more than my mortgage (this is with a high deductible plan, by the way)! I wish I were kidding. And I have a clean health history. I tried to explain to them that it wasn't really my 50'th birthday, but the 21'st anniversary of my 29'th birthday. They didn't see it that way (those people have no sense of humor at all).

Anyhoo, between work changes and health insurance premiums, I need to cinch down the check book and stick close to home. I'm considering the MDRA Mudball 4 mile (I actually won my age group the only other time I ran it - when I was simply a master rather than a grand master). Fun race at Wirth Park and free to MDRA members. I may even try it barefoot since that's the only type of running I've been doing the last few months anyway :)

Hope to get my old and wrinkly ass back out on the trails for some respectable mileage soon!

Snowshoes and Bare Foot

2011-02-14T15:50:00.003-06:00

OK, not at the same time ;)

But that's pretty much all the running related activity that I've been doing lately; either getting outside on the trails in snowshoes, or hitting the indoor track for a few barefoot miles.

The recent heat wave has me anxious for spring, mud, and longer trail runs.

'til soon

Snowshoeing...

2010-12-18T12:45:00.013-06:00

...has not only been great; it's been about the only way to get around in these parts recently.

We've had a little more snow than usual for December (it is still technically autumn after all) - a little too much for regular running (even with traction), but it's been awesome for skis and snowshoes!

Check out my recent travels through Bredesen Park:

Nine Mile Creek

Bredesen Park Bench

Wood Duck summer house

I also found my Christmas Tree while tromping through the snow! No, I didn't cut it down and drag it home - I left it where it was so that I (and everyone else) can continue to enjoy it year round - hopefully for many years to come. It's the third one from the left:

Wishing you all a winter full of joy and wonder. Hope to see you on the trails!

Pederson Benefit

2010-11-28T12:10:00.005-06:00

Went out to Afton yesterday for the Pederson Benefit Run with lots of old and new trail running friends. Very heartwarming to see so many people come out to support the Pederson family, who have given so much of themselves to the sport and community over the years!

There was an informal fat ass type of race, which Don spent over 6 hours marking by riding his bike up and down steep snow covered hills. The day started out in the single digits, but gradually warmed up to about 20 degrees for perfect, sunny, running weather :) I was glad I wore my gortex trail running shoes with sport tracks for traction since there was an inch or two of snow on the trails.

That was followed by an awesome pot luck lunch and a silent auction with all kinds of cool stuff! At the end of the day we were able to raise over $5000, which sounds like a lot, but probably doesn't even put a dent in the costs incurred by the flood damage.

If you missed out on the fun, you still have a chance to help out by purchasing a cool looking shirt or making a donation.

Surf the Murph 25K 2010

2010-10-31T10:38:00.009-05:00

Hard to believe that it's the end of October already, but that just means it's time to run Surf the Murph! This is a fun, low key event where the only awards given are for those who run their given race in costume.

Karen and Wayne ran the full 50 miles in costume.

Since I'd only run about 10 miles total since North Country in August (boring story), I decided that I would just be hiking the 25K this year. Actually, I reasoned that I would do the course at a 100 mile pace, but stop after finishing only 17 :)

Got to the park late enough that I missed all my buddies who were running the 50K or 50 mile since their races had already started, but had a chance to chat with a few folks before we lined up to start our own race shortly after dawn. I quickly realized that I had overdressed - it was already in the low 40's and shaping up to be a beautiful day. Found Mike near the back of the pack - he had a conservative plan too since his ankle is still tweaked - so we both were planning on taking it easy. About 3 minutes in to the race, my Garmin started wigging out. Again. This is something that I've been battling all year, but each time I think I've got it fixed it starts acting up again. I'm trying one final effort of a hard reset before throwing it in the garbage.

Anyhoo, back to the race. Ran with Mike for the first 20 minutes or so before I needed to get my jacket off and fix a shoe lace, so I let Mike go ahead as he blasted down a long steep hill. Soon I was at the North AS and headed south towards some of the steeper hills. This is a fun roller coaster section, wooded and a little rocky, with several short steep hills one right after the other.

By now I had the trail mostly to myself, though Duke came flying past me on his second of 3 loops shortly before I got to the Horse Camp AS. He would go on to repeat his 50 mile win! Shortly after leaving the Horse AS, I started having cramps in my left peroneus muscles and the arch of my foot. WTF? This early cramping non-sense has got to stop. I took an S-Cap and kept hiking on the flatter, open sections that are typical of the south end of the park.

Beautiful day to be out in the woods - I kept stopping just to look around and enjoy the scenery. Soon I was at the festive Natchez AS and lingered a bit to chat with Helen and Lisa. After a very short single track, we were back on the wider trails. The course had been tweaked a little bit this year to add some distance so that the 50 milers would only have to do 3 full loops (last year we had 3 loops plus an additional short loop). One of the new additions was a fairly long section of walking through grass that was taller than I am. Glad I got there after the 50 milers and 50K runners had beaten it down enough so that I could see where to go ;)

More meandering through the open prairies before arriving back at the Horse AS - last stop before the finish. My stomach was feeling "sloshy" so I took another S-Cap in preparation for the fun stuff to come. These last 4+ miles might be my favorite of the whole course since there are gnarly little single track sections to liven things up.

This is where you get to find the blown down trees, get caught up in some prickly ash, and climb a ridiculously steep hill - thankfully it wasn't muddy like last year - before arriving at the top of a hill with a clearing that allows a view of the Minneapolis skyline in the distance.

Nice view of the Minneapolis skyline.

Probably only about a mile to the finish now, but I managed to miss a turn and did a little bonus before figuring it out. Fortunately, I am a little bit familiar with the park and last year's course, so I noticed pretty quickly that I was off track and didn't waste too much time. Before I knew it, I was crossing the finish line in my slowest ever but possibly most fun 25K (which was actually 16.8 miles). The 100 mile pace thing probably wouldn't be too far off (except that I currently have no plans to do a 100 miler). Famous last words.

Fin. Photo courtesy of Jen Pierce.

Hung out for awhile and tried to see as many of my buddies come through the start/finish as possible. It was nice to catch up with folks since I haven't been running much this year and haven't seen many of them all summer. One of the best things about ultra and trail running is the people :)

Many thanks to RD Les & Cindy (who are relocating to Hawaii), Molly the Trail Boss and Future RD, and all of the volunteers who did an incredible job taking care of the runners!

Hope to see you all soon on the trails!

Pederson Benefit Run

2010-10-22T16:34:00.004-05:00

During the recent floods in southeastern Minnesota, Larry & Colleen suffered a tremendous amount of damage to their home.

Who are Larry & Colleen?

They are the race director's for the Zumbro 100, Superior Sawtooth 100, Superior 50 Mile, Moose Mountain Marathon, and In Yan Teopa 10 Mile trail runs. They helped found the Upper Midwest Trail Runners club, the Minnesota Trail Run Race Series, the Fab Five Fifties ultra running series, and the Gnarly Bandit ultra running series just to name a few. Many of the trophies awarded at these events are coveted works of wooden art, hand crafted by Larry in his wood shop. They are tireless volunteers who show up to help at most of the other trail runs in the area when they aren't directing one of their own. In other words, if there is something involving trail running in Minnesota or western Wisconsin, the Pederson's have been there to lend a hand.

Many of the local trail runners turned out to help with the clean up in Zumbro Falls and saw the devastating damage first hand. We wondered, what more could we do to help? That's when the idea of the Pederson Benefit Run was born.

When: November 27, 2010
Run starts at 7 or 9 am - your choice
Potluck and silent auction start at 1 pm

What: Trail run to benefit the Pederson's clean up effort starting at 7 or 9 am depending on how far you want to go. The course will follow the Afton 25K trail race map. Distance is anywhere from Zero K to whatever you want. Potluck and silent auction start at 1 pm in the visitor center.

Where: Afton State Park - the start/finish area is near the visitor center.

Who: You! Whether you're a seasoned trail runner or just want to give it a try, here's a perfect opportunity to share the trail with awesome people and help raise money for a great cause at the same time. You can run as little or as much as you like. You can skip the running and just show up for the potluck. If you can't make it to the event, you still have an opportunity to donate to the cause.

For more info about how to register or make a donation, check out the blog or the Facebook page.

Ben's 120 Pound Journey

2010-09-18T12:42:00.003-05:00

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step."
Lao-Tzu

This guy is an Iron Man if ever there was one!

North Country Trail Marathon

2010-09-03T11:59:00.004-05:00

I had originally planned on running the 50 mile when I registered for the North Country Trail Run back in early January, figuring it would be a good way to combine an ultra run on a new (for me) trail with a family visit in Michigan. Unfortunately, my winter taper led to a spring taper and a tweaked achilles, which led to a summer long taper while struggling with endless heat and humidity. Before I knew it, we were in the middle of August and I had managed only one 20+ mile run since running the 50 mile at Surf the Murph last October. Not enough for pulling off a 50. I emailed the RD and asked to switch to the marathon, but never heard anything back. As I was packing and getting ready to leave for the 2 day drive to Manistee, a message went up on the North Country facebook page stating that there would be no further changing of races. Crap. Quickly threw my "ultra stuff" into the car just in case and starting driving south east to get to North Country (that's not a typo).

Got to Manistee late Friday afternoon and headed over to the Big M trail head in the Manistee National Forest for packet pick up. Was able to confirm that I could just run the marathon after all (whew!) and picked up lots of swag: coffee mug, race shirt, polar fleece vest. This would also be the start and finish area for the race, so at least now I knew how to get there.

Woke up to an already warm (low 70's) and very humid morning and got to the start area just before sunrise. Trail and ultra runners are typically a pretty tight bunch, so it seemed very odd to be at a race and not know a single person. But, trail and ultra runners are also a very welcoming bunch, so it was no problem finding people to hang out and chat with. Everyone kept mentioning how difficult the hills are on this 25 mile loop course. It is also a popular mountain bike and cross country ski trail, all single track (my favorite).

The 50 milers took off, and we would be right behind them only 30 minutes later. This didn't make much sense to me: sending a herd of turtles down a narrow single track only 30 minutes before unleashing the hares on the same course probably got a little messy once the faster marathoners caught up to the slower ultra runners. Oh well, another good reason to run the marathon instead.

Before long, we were lined up and ready to go. We did a short little lap around the parking area to spread out a little before heading down the trail. My strategy was to treat this race as if it was a 50 miler: walk the ups, jog the flats and downs. Basically, a nice training run with no expectations of time or pace - just a fun day in the woods. With about 200 of us, we were like a freight train rolling through the woods for awhile. No sense trying to pass anyone - just relax until people get more spread out. I kept waiting for the huge, steep hills that people had warned me about, but they weren't showing up. Just a nice, smooth, somewhat twisty trail with gently rolling hills - kind of like Ice Age without the rocks.

Coming in to Aid Station 1

Since I was running with my Nathan, I cruised through the first 3 aid stations without stopping. Shortly after leaving aid station 3, we encountered the only somewhat steep hill that I remember on the entire course. I had to power walk this one, then realized that I had pretty much been running most of the hills rather than sticking to my plan. This is one of those "trail runners dream" type of trails - just flat out fun to run - and I found myself grinning like a village idiot cruising through the woods.

Shortly afterward, I took my first digger when my calf cramped up and I caught my toe on one of the few roots on the trail. I figured that I'd better pay more attention to fluid intake and S caps, even though I thought I was on target in that regard. Cramping after only 10 or so miles isn't a good thing, even in the shorter marathon race. The hills were neither big nor steep, but they were there and they were starting to catch up to me. Kind of like "death by a thousand razor blades" type of hills.

Aid Station 4

Made it to aid station 4 at the 13.4 mile mark when I realized that my Garmin had decided to take the rest of the weekend off. Oh well, I probably rely on it too much anyway. Now I could just forget about time, pace, distance, etc and enjoy my run. This was where I decided to refill my Nathan, and the aid station volunteers had funny looks on their faces as I pulled out a small baggie filled with white powder (Heed) and another small baggie with capsules containing an off white powder (S caps). Thankfully, I didn't have to explain to law enforcement that I was only going for a long run through the woods ;)

Back on down the trail in the beautiful forest, I noticed occasional thumps as acorns were hitting the ground. Started wondering if I was going to need a helmet - I think the squirrels were having a little game of their own to see how many runners they could hit....LOL. Time seemed to pass quickly and soon I was standing in aid station 5. Another runner was there too, warning about the upcoming monster hills. We headed out about the same time and chatted for a bit before she dropped off. I found the entire trail very runnable, but was still getting twinges in both calves and needed to slow down a bit just to prevent full blown cramping. Passed through aid station 6 and shortly afterward came upon more volunteers lugging coolers of food to aid station 7 located more than 3 miles away. That seemed very inefficient since the aid station they would be staffing was only a mile from the start/finish parking area, but that's what they were directed to do. Things that make ya go, "Hmmmm."

Caught up to a pair of women who had gotten off course and done some bonus miles, but they were still enjoying their day in the woods. We started talking about muscle cramping and one recommended trying coconut water as a remedy. Not coconut milk, but coconut water. I've never heard of it, but it might be worth a try.

Got through the last aid station and let the lone volunteer know that his relief was on the way, then headed down the trail for the short run to the finish. There was a nice, long, gentle downhill that seemed to go on forever (probably closer to 0.75 miles), then we eventually ended up on a two track. I took one last hard digger and left some blood in the forest - still not really sure what the heck tripped me up - but both calves locked up and it took a minute or two before I could continue. Was able to walk the cramps off, but decided to hold off on running until I could smell the finish line. I'm really gonna have to check out coconut water ;)

Finally made the trot across the finish line where we were given finishers medals and a bottle of water, then headed over to the barbecue for a freshly grilled burger and potato salad. I skipped the beer and desserts, but hung out for a little bit on what turned out to be a hotter than expected day (mid-80's and very humid). I'm glad I was able to drop down to the marathon because there's no way I would have pulled off a 50 miler on this day.

Thanks to first year RD Chris and his crew for taking over an established classic race so that the rest of us could have some fun in the woods! North Country is a good size race for a trail event (actually, 3 races: a 50 mile, marathon, and half marathon with a total of 600 runners on single track) and I don't think many people realize the time and energy it takes to pull these things off. The race organizers have already sent out a survey seeking feedback so that they can continue to improve the event in future years. The small army of volunteers were AWESOME! If you're looking for a non-technical trail with twists, turns, and roller coaster hills in a beautiful forest that are a pure joy to run, I highly recommend heading to Big M and running one of the North Country Trail races.

Day of Deer

2010-08-07T09:22:00.009-05:00

The heat and humidity have really wrecked my running plans this summer - enough that I will most likely be doing only the marathon at North Country at the end of this month. I just haven't been able to log the miles needed to pull off a 50 in three weeks. Seems like any time I went out with the intention of getting 20 or so miles in, I would end up pulling the plug after only 12-13 because I'd be so dehydrated I was cramping. Yesterday finally provided some relief!

I had only one early morning client yesterday, so I did the work thing at the gym and then headed out to Afton with the intention of getting a 20+ mile run in. Success! Two laps of the Africa Loop, Back 40, Northern Hill, and Campground Hill with no other people on the trail and more deer than I could count. Wish I had brought my camera - these photos are from a few years ago.

Saw the first doe and fawn less than a mile into the run while still on the main horse trail just past the ski area. Lots of butterflies in the open prairies up on the Africa Loop and lots of skeeters in the woods, especially the Back 40. Made the mandatory stops at the black berry patches (don't worry, I left some) before heading down to the river and starting the climb up the gravel road. About half way up, a spotted fawn popped out of the woods and stood in the middle of the road just staring my way. After a couple of minutes, there was some commotion in the thick underbrush and at least 3 or 4 other deer started to bolt deeper into the woods. Not the little fawn, he seemed quite content just watching me. A pileated woodpecker briefly joined the party, which seemed to help the fawn decide to go join mom in the woods.

Ran down the Northern Hill (which has become my favorite spot in the park) and then up to the Campground. For some reason, my Garmin went on a lunch break for awhile in this section, so I'm not sure what my actual mileage for the run was - at least 20.88. Refilled the Nathan at the solar powered water pump (which is now working), then visited the black berry patch in the campground before going for another lap.

The second lap was starting to feel hot, especially in the sun up on the Africa Loop. Even so, with the lower humidity I wasn't having any problems with cramping - yay! Paid another visit to the black berry patch and have some scratches to show for it :) Saw some blue birds this time around; they are so striking, just flashes of royal blue when they're flying. Ran back down to the river, back up the gravel road, then past the trail shelter on the way to the Northern Hill. Flushed up a bunch of grouse just past the old homestead, which never seems to happen on a weekend when lots of people are on the trails.

On the way up the Campground Hill, another doe started bounding off the trail and into the woods. A little further up the trail, I looked to the left to see two fawns staring back at me from about 20 feet away. They never did leave, and I just continued on through the campground. Finally got to the bottom of the Campground Hill just as several people were lugging their camping stuff up to the top - I guess the weekend is officially starting! I headed up toward the main horse trail to return to the parking area and just about got run over by three more deer bounding across the trail right in front of me. Pretty cool!

Finally made it back to a still empty parking lot and some how didn't seem to get stuck in too much rush hour traffic. Got home to find a $50 check in the mail from USA Track & Field for the prize money I'd won by finishing second in the old woman division at the Afton Trail Race. Great day for running!

Now I'll have to start pondering the rest of the season after North Country: Moose Mountain? Wild Duluth? Surf the Murph?

Quick Updates

2010-07-25T10:55:00.004-05:00

Afton State Park

Been trying to find out more info about the North Country Trail Run course since the race is only 5 weeks away. There is a surprising lack of beta considering the race has been around for a decade. Like, where the drop bag locations are (I've asked the RD that question 3 times since March - still haven't heard). Or the elevation profile (race reports I've found range from over 10,000 vertical feet to 19,000), but no official word from the race organizers. So, does anyone know where the drop bag locations are or what the elevation profile is like?

Since it seems apparent that my upcoming races are hilly, it makes sense to start doing more concentrated hill work (ie repeats). Had some clients out of town last week, which provided an opportunity to get out to Hyland Hills ski area for an hour Tuesday morning. The humidity has been tough lately, but the legs felt pretty good.

Went out to Afton yesterday with the hope of getting a 20+ miler in on the hills, but I was absolutely starving after a few hours and pulled the plug at 13. The humidity was tough again yesterday too. I also gave Vespa a second try, although this time I was drinking Heed (slightly less concentrated than usual) rather than just plain water. It worked better than last time, but I'm still not sure if I'm sold on it. I've never had bonking problems with my regular routine of gels, coke, Heed, etc so it may not be worth messing with something that already works.

During my run yesterday I saw baby turkeys, a white tail doe who stood still and watched me go by from about 20 feet away without ever leaving, only 2 buzzards (neither of which were circling), and no snakes.

It was kinda weird being out at Afton for 3 hours and NOT seeing a single person that I knew. That's because everyone else was at Voyageur - congrats to those who toed the line or volunteered! Wish I could have been there with you!

I may regret posting this, but the blackberry patches are open for business. The Afton regulars know what I'm talking about ;)

Sorry about having to add comment moderation to this blog, but the Asian spam bots are getting to be ridiculous. Might be time to consider moving to WordPress.

Afton 25K 2010

2010-07-06T16:09:00.007-05:00

These Afton Trail Races are getting to be a habit! This was the race where I really got hooked on trail running on a 100-degrees-and-ridiculously-humid day just 4 years ago. This year's race would also be hot and humid (low 90's) and my slowest to date. It's still the best party in town during the first weekend of July if you're a trail runner in Minnesota.

I have yet to get through the 25K loop without major cramping during this race (though I can pull off 20+ miles of hill repeats on other days without that problem). This year was no different. I guess you could say that the score thus far is:

Afton Trail Race - 4
Kel - 0

This year's course was tweaked slightly because of some trail closures, but I honestly think the new version is an improvement! The start is the same: run down a gravelly horse trail for almost a mile before climbing up to the Africa Loop (my eyes were already stinging with sweat pouring down my face at this point. Yeah, it was humid!). The "old down" is the "new up", so getting to the turn off takes up almost the first mile. Steve Q was there directing traffic to make sure nobody pulled a Surf the Murph (you know who you are - and I admit I'm guilty too).

As soon as I got up to the Africa Loop, I noticed about a dozen turkey vultures circling. I hate it when that happens, especially this early in a race. Tried to pick up the pace a little to discourage the buzzards, then descended down to the Back 40. Proceeded without stopping through AS 1, did the little ups and downs of the Back Forty, then refilled my hand held at AS 2. Back up to the Africa Loop for more relatively flat, open meadow running past the blackberry bushes; then a descent down a single track path that runs parallel to a creek. A short, easy, flat run back to where Steve was directing traffic, but this time we would run down towards the St. Croix River and AS 3. I decided to top off my hand held here even though I still had about half - this would turn out to be a good decision.

Started the long climb up a runnable gravel road towards more open meadows atop the bluffs. Instead of descending via Nigel's Hill, we were rerouted to the Northern Hill and a magnificent view of the St. Croix River valley (my favorite addition to the course). Thankfully, there was a nice breeze all day long or the open meadow runs would have been unbearably hot!

Heading towards the Northern Hill - Photo courtesy of Matt

The Northern Hill drops out of the meadow and back into the woods with some steep downhill switchbacks, then pops out onto the (dreaded) Rail Trail for a short distance before we do a loop-de-do left turn that takes us under the railroad bridge and up the difficult Campground Hill. I love the smell of the pines near the top of the Campground Hill - makes it very tempting to linger ;)

The top of Campground Hill is an easy exposed run with more awesome views of the river valley, then a deceptively tricky descent back to AS 4. By now, I was starting to have some muscle twinges in my calves and knew I was getting a little dehydrated. Even though I was drinking well and taking S-Caps, I was sweating faster than I could reabsorb fluids. Refilled the hand held, had some orange slices, and was treated to the best tasting popsicle I've ever had! Gave me a good excuse to start the longer portion of the (dreaded) Rail Trail walking so I could eat my popsicle ;)

Finally got to the Meat Grinder, a short but albeit nasty climb back up to the top of the bluff. The new course trimmed a short section of somewhat meaningless trail in this section to make up for the changes earlier, so we were soon headed to the last AS shortly after reaching the top of Meat Grinder. Another refill (with some ice in the bottle this time), more orange slices, and I was off to the snowshoe loop. Nancy and I had been playing leap frog on the trail all day long, and we left this AS at about the same time.

The snowshoe loop is my favorite part of the course: narrow single track that can be tight and twisty. It was somewhat overgrown in places, so it could be difficult to see what you were about to step on (rocks, roots, snakes). It was also loaded with poison ivy encroaching upon the path in some places. I was having noticeable problems with cramping by now and would have to slow to a walk even when I had the energy to run.

Finally made it out to the last little bit of trail that parallels the state park road towards the start/finish area. Made the final left hand turn towards the finish chute - the line was probably less than 100 feet away - when both of my legs cramped and I was stopped dead in my tracks. Thought for a minute that I was going to have to lay down and roll across that flippin' finish line, but was finally able to hobble home. My slowest Afton Trail 25K ever, but still a blast seeing everyone out there and sharing a good part of the trail with Nancy and Mike.

Now comes the really funny part!

This year's Afton race was also the first ever USA Track and Field Minnesota Trail Championships. Prize money would be awarded to the first 3 finishers who were also USATF-MN members (this would be a key factor) in the open and masters categories for men and women in both the 25K and 50K races. In fact, RD John mentioned at the start of the race that the prize money would be enough to retire in the Bahamas :)

Those of you who've run with me know that I am slow enough to be in peril of showing up to a race and getting a bib that says "maintenance" instead of a number. I've already told you about the buzzards. So imagine my surprise after spending a few hours at the finish socializing and eating cheeseburgers when one of the USATF reps asked me if I wanted my check sent to the address that was on file with my membership. I was second fastest old woman and scored $50! In reality, I was about 20'th fastest old woman, but only 1 of the 19 in front of me were USATF members. Bahamas, here I come! Hehehe.

Many thanks to John, Alicia, and all of the volunteers that make this event as awesome as it is! And thanks to Nancy and Mike for sharing a good portion of the trail with me during this year's race! Looking forward to spending more time with all of you out on the trails!

Playin' In the Dirt

2010-06-27T14:53:00.003-05:00

It's been a fun weekend!

The recent torrential rains meant that the local running trails were good and muddy (though not as much as I'd expected) - perfect time to put on the Vibram Five Fingers and head over to Hyland! Did a 6 mile loop, left some foot prints that will probably have some folks scratching their heads, and got dirty enough that I needed to hose off before entering the house. Success :)

Finally got around to planting some flowers this weekend too. Since I got my feet and legs nice and dirty with trail running, I figured I should even things out a bit and get my hands and arms in on the action. Nice to finally have a little color on the patio!

I am in no shape to do any damage at Afton next weekend, but will still plod along the course and visit with old and new friends at the post race bar-b-que. If you've never run a trail race before, this is an awesome event. You'll get spoiled by the aid stations, which put out spreads that are like Thanksgiving feasts. The race shirts are becoming a local legend, and the people are awesome! So is the course, though it will have some minor tweaks this year due to trail closures. Looking forward to being there, even if I embarrass myself running-wise. Hope to see ya there!

Hills of Afton

2010-06-06T15:09:00.002-05:00

I've been getting out to Afton State Park for some hill training about once per week for the last month. Hoo boy, am I ever out of shape! Unfortunately, there's only one way to fix that ;)

As many of the Afton regulars know, two of our favorite trails are closed this year: Nigel's Hill and Horse Shit Hill (the trail leading up to Africa Loop on the 25K race course). I never knew the name of that hill, and I'm not sure it's official, but Tom & Nancy told me about it this morning and it fits - so Horse Shit Hill it is from now on. This means that the Afton race will have a slightly tweaked course this year - I'm sure we'll be hearing about the official changes on the brand spankin' new Afton Trail Run blog. I ran what I figured would be the new route: up to Africa from the "down" direction, then instead of Nigel's Hill I took the trail at the far north end of the park, which has a stunning view of the St. Croix River valley. Rumor has it that a little loop later in the course will be dropped - I think this new course may actually turn out even better than the regular course!

I've also been experimenting a bit with electrolytes/nutrition/sports drinks. In the past, I've had problems with muscle cramping and never could find a truly reliable strategy. I had been taking one S-cap per hour which sometimes seemed to work and sometimes didn't. I was starting to think that perhaps it wasn't really sodium depletion, but perhaps a magnesium deficiency, so I've been taking 200 mg of magnesium glycinate every day for the last few months. So far, no cramping problems, even when only drinking plain water and not taking any S-caps or any type of electrolytes at all during my runs (which have so far only lasted a few hours). Been sleeping better too!

Today I tried a newish supplement called Vespa, which supposedly encourages your body to rely more on fat metabolism instead of carbs, therefore sparing glycogen and decreasing lactic acid buildup. I drank only water so I could eliminate carbs from the equation to test the "bonk" factor. I have to say, I felt like I was running on fumes trudging up the last hill at Afton today (I only went about 11 miles) - can't really say I'm sold on Vespa, though I've only tried it once. I'll probably stick with my prior strategy of sports drinks and gels for the time being.

Hope you are all enjoying the trails!

Dubya Tee Eff?

2010-05-26T14:40:00.002-05:00

2010 has been a very odd year thus far.

After basically taking the winter off and then tweaking my Achilles in March, I'd really planned on getting some decent miles in the last couple of months. April was unseasonably warm and things were healing nicely. May started out pretty much the same way.

On May 8 while many of my friends were at Ice Age, I headed out to Afton for the first time this year (saw John P for the first time in awhile). Running on flat trails was going well and it was time to test the Achilles on hills. You never really know for sure if an Achilles injury is fully healed until you get some vertical miles in. Ran the Africa Loop and the Back 40 in mid-30 temps with a rain/snow mix. WTF? We haven't had any snow all of March and April, and now it decides to snow? I'd hoped to also get in Nigel's Hill and Campground Hill, but wasn't dressed appropriately for the "spring" weather. Cut it short at about 7 miles.

On May 16, I went back out to Afton while most of my friends were running Superior (saw Tom sans Nancy). One of the best things about running at Afton is I always see someone I know. Anyhoo, the plan was for a few loops of Nigel's & Campground Hills to get the aforementioned vertical miles in. Holy crap, it was humid! I felt very overheated after just one loop and pulled the plug early - only got about 6ish miles. WTF? Last week it was snowing and now I feel like I'm at Badwater.

Last Sunday I ended up at Hyland for what I hoped would finally be some double digit miles. Nope! The heat and humidity had me melting to the point of feeling sick to my stomach - done after only 6 miles. WTF? Done after six at Hyland?

This isn't exactly primo ultra training folks. I'm not even sure I dare sign up for the 10 miler at Chester Woods in 2 weeks - they might need a calendar instead of a watch to get my time. I'm glad I only committed to the 25K at Afton, and I'm thinking that the 50 miler at North Country is going to be an epic suffering session unless I can get things turned around in a hurry.

I've got a 4 day weekend coming up - not sure where I'll be running yet.

Hyland Barefoot Run & Hangin' With Raptors

2010-05-01T13:09:00.013-05:00

Finally decided to head out to Hyland Lake to attempt the 2010 Trail Mix course this morning, but realized that I had forgotten the map (thanks for posting it Jeremy) and hadn't uploaded the course to my Garmin. In fact, the ol' Garmin has been acting up lately - freezing on runs, shutting itself off, etc. I'm still trying to decide whether to plunk down $150 for another 305 or wait until the newer 310X drops significantly in price.

Anyhoo, as I was approaching the park I started to notice signs that said "Event." Uh oh. "Events" usually mean the park is crazy busy and you can't always find parking. As I was pulling in, the kid staffing the booth near the entrance said that there would be a raptor release later in the morning and afternoon. Sweet! I've been to several releases by the MN Raptor Center, and it's something I never get tired of watching. I had gotten there early enough that I parked at my usual spot near Jan's Place with the other few cars - the crowds hadn't arrived yet :)

Since I was wearing my VFF's and the raptor event was going to start in an hour, I decided to run the 3.5 mile south loop and see how the Achilles felt. As it turns out, the Achilles is 100% healed - now I am just ridiculously slow and out of shape. Sure enough, I haven't lost my touch for attracting buzzards.

The trails are in excellent condition - no mud what-so-ever. Trees are pretty much leafed out and the tom turkeys are on the prowl for mates. Got back to Jan's Place just as the park staff and Raptor Center crew were setting up and getting the education birds out of their crates. I almost had them all to myself for a little while!

Female and Male Kestrel

Great Horned Owl

Bald Eagles

Turkey Vulture

Merlin

As it turned out, the release would not happen for another couple of hours and I was starving, so I bailed before they got around to that part. Perhaps I'll catch another one in the fall :)

Awesome day to be out on the trails!

Recent Spectating and Pain Free Running

2010-04-17T14:25:00.004-05:00

One thing that I've been reminded of with my Achilles tendon tweaking is that the older I get, the longer it takes to heal. Apparently, this trend continues as we age. One of my 100 year old exercise class participants recently told me, "I just don't bounce back like I did when I was 85." Point taken.

Last weekend, I ended up heading down to Zumbro River Bottoms to support several ultra buddies who were participating in the second running of the Zumbro 100 mile trail race. Since the course was a little different this year (and even "sportier" than last year since Larry took out the flat part), I really wanted to get out on the trail to check it out. I also didn't want to do anything stupid that would set me back, since my Achilles tendon still didn't like uphills. Ended up just hiking from the start/finish area to AS 1/4 for about 6 miles of very pretty trail.

Zumbro River from Pine Trail Overlook

Got to visit with Jen who was manning the AS and Donny who had started sweeping the course. Alicia was also there and we got to see a few runners come through on their last loop before heading back to watch the finish. The weather for that weekend was absolutely perfect - it was tough to maintain the discipline to not run and re-tweak my Achilles! Everything was feeling great after the hike, though it did get a little stiff and sore later that evening. Not painful, just tender. My calf also felt like it was on the verge of cramping, but never really did lock up. I decided that my game plan worked perfectly: I stressed it enough to keep it rehabbing without overdoing it.

Today I ended up at Hyland Lake on another perfect day to support my buddies who were running at Trail Mix. Since the parking area gets ridiculously crowded for this race, I didn't get out there until after 11 am when most of the 25K runners had left. The rehab had been going well since Zumbro, so I decided that I would take a stab at running in the Vibram Five Fingers for the first time in 6 weeks. Hyland is the perfect place to try since the trails are soft, flat, and non-technical.

Saw a few familiar faces in the finish area: Eve and Kim had already finished first and second for the women's 50K. Decided to head down the trail in the reverse direction to see if I could find anyone I knew. Les was on his way in to finish his 3'rd lap, Shelly wasn't far behind. Did a little running on the Lake Trail and it felt wonderful! Got almost as far as the AS that intersects Lake and Hill trail junction when Wayne came along. I ended up running back to the start/finish area with him - still pain free running :)))

Decided that I would head over to the ski hill to catch another section of the course, but.... the course had been changed and there was no ski hill section. Went up and over the ski hill to get back into the park, but didn't see any sign of the course in that area. Ended up calling it a day after running about 3 barefoot miles..... 3 pain free barefoot miles....and heading home.

Time to get back to increasing miles, but still not do anything stupid by trying to do too much, too soon. Will probably decide at the last minute whether to head out to Afton with the gang tomorrow (50K fat ass starts at 8, picnic at 3), or go back to Hyland and try to figure out what this year's Trail Mix course was. I don't suppose anyone who ran Trail Mix captured the course on their Garmin and would like to share?

See you on the trails!

Back Into the Dirt

2010-04-04T13:17:00.003-05:00

The tweaked Achilles tendon is still not 100%, but very close. Walking and strength training are completely asymptomatic, but running..... still a little tender, especially on uphills. I'd only been doing short runs on the asphalt path near my home, but today I decided to get back onto the soft dirt trails and see how things went.

Headed out to Hyland, which is close to home and relatively flat. What a perfect day for a trail run! Sunny, little wind, no bugs, and the trails are in excellent condition! You would be hard pressed to even find a damp spot - very unlike Hyland in early April.

I parked at Jan's Place and headed towards the north end of the park, trying to remember what the Trail Mix course was (they have changed some of the trails since I last ran that race a couple years ago). I opted to skip the steep hill near the turn around point in the course as well as the ski hill (still a few patches of snow present) since hills are still bugging my tendon. This short cut would also give me the option of heading back to my car for about a 3 miler if things weren't going well. Thankfully, things were feeling pretty good as long as I didn't press on the uphills, so I did the rest of the loop to the south end of the park. Ended up with about 6 miles, which is more than I've run in what seems like forever - and so far the Achilles is still feeling pretty good :)

Felt great to get out there and play in the dirt again, and I think the softer surface probably helped a bit. Looking forward to seeing my trail running buddies again soon!

Starting Over

2010-03-27T13:53:00.002-05:00

Remember during our last episode when I mentioned that transitioning to longer mileage while running barefoot was taking longer than I'd hoped, but I was trying to be patient and not do anything stupid?

After a few months of consistent, gradual increases in easy barefoot miles on an indoor track, I decided that it was time to add in some "speed" intervals. This particular indoor track is very small - 16 laps/mile, which means that the corners are pretty tight. My plan was to run just a few half mile repeats after an easy warm-up and see how things felt the next day. The first couple repeats went just swell, but as soon as I took my first step on the third, my right achilles tendon had other ideas. Apparently, it doesn't like tight corners on a repetitive basis. Crap.

Next day my tendon was absolutely on fire! I figured that at least I know what to do to treat it and that it was most likely just the sheath surrounding the tendon rather than the tendon itself... and that it would take about 3 weeks to heal. Things seemed to be progressing as planned, and it even felt good enough for a test earlier this week. Until I took the first running step. No go. Back to foam rolling the calves, eccentric only calf strengthening exercises for gastroc and soleus, trying not to over do it too much during the six exercise classes that I teach every week at the nursing home, etc.

This morning was 3 weeks + 1 day after the initial tweak. Instead of heading out to Afton and pounding hills with the gang, I opted for an easy 2 mile run around Bredesen park near my home to see how things went. Felt pretty darn good! I am optimistic that I can start adding miles again, but will have to go slow since I ran low barefoot miles all winter. Again: be patient. Don't do anything stupid.

Which brings up my 2010 running plans:

Instead of the time and expense of heading up to Lutsen for the spring Superior races, I'm going to stick around town and will probably run the Two Rivers Shuffle fat ass with Shawn and crew. Distance to be determined depending on how things go, but definitely not the full 50.

Kettle Moraine 100K is out for this year for a variety of reasons, but I'd really like to run it in the near future (2011?).

Since I won't be running Kettle, I'm pondering the 50K at Afton instead of the 25K, even though the heat and humidity of Afton in July can be overpowering. It would be 8 weeks before my 50 miler at North Country in Michigan, and it's close to home so I can save $. And I may actually get a legal parking spot at the park this year since the 50K starts an hour before the 25K ;)

I hope to run Surf the Murph again in late fall, but won't decide on which distance until after North Country.

See you on the trails!

February Update

2010-02-24T09:46:00.005-06:00

It's been awhile.

Haven't been doing any trail running, but have been doing lots of short barefoot runs on an indoor track. Only ran in shoes twice this month! Feels great, but is taking longer than I'd hoped to transition to longer mileage. Trying to be patient and not do anything stupid ;)

With the shorter mileage, I've also managed to put on a few pounds over the last 4 months since I've continued to eat as if I were still hammering out 20+ mile runs every weekend. Peri-menopause doesn't help in that regard either.

Been trying to eat healthier, as in more natural foods and in better combinations (ie veggies, good fats, protein, and carbs at every meal). This all came to mind after watching Food, Inc.and then listening to a dietician from Nutritional Weight and Wellness give a presentation. Even "good" carbs break down to sugar and result in insulin spikes when eaten alone, which in turn can affect blood cholesterol levels, inflammation, sleep quality, yadayadayada. Trader Joe's has an awesome natural peanut butter with roasted flax seeds (the almond butter with flax is pretty good too), and I've found a few local places that sell free range/grass fed meat, organic eggs, etc. Also found some awesome wheat berry and quinoa recipes :)

I've been enjoying watching the Olympics, though I seem to hear the results before I get to see the events, which kind of spoils it. I used to participate in alpine ski racing (the major source of my current knee problems), so those events are my favorite.

Still not sure what races I'll be doing this year - the column on the right side of the page will most likely change. Probably at the last minute in many cases. North Country 50 mile is the only race I've officially entered at this point, and I'll combine that with a family visit.

Can't wait for spring!

Black Bears Continued...

2010-01-23T09:17:00.017-06:00

OK, I found some of the old pictures from the black bear den excursions that I mentioned in my last post. Keep in mind, this was almost 20 years ago and the photo prints have faded/degraded somewhat. Now I am the one who has faded and degraded ;)

The study bears all wore radio collars, so we were able to locate them by using a tracking antenna. Here we are, trudging through the North Woods behind one of Lynn's assistants who is holding the antenna.

Peering into 395's den after some snow had been cleared from the opening. Her den was like a small underground cave, maybe 8 feet long and a few feet deep.

Here I am entering the den - hanging upside down with two guys holding my ankles. Many people ask if it smelled bad. No, it smelled like dirt. During hibernation, bears do not eat, drink, urinate, or defecate - and hibernation in northern Minnesota typically lasts from October until mid-April - about 6 months! Their physiology is actually quite fascinating! Most other mammals would die of dehydration or renal failure after only a week or two without water. Bears will lose approximately 25% (as much as 40% for a lactating sow) of their body weight during hibernation, but seem to retain muscle and bone mass, so it's all fat loss. They give birth and nurse their cubs during this time as well. Try doing THAT while you're"sleeping" :)

This particular bear, 395, had two cubs even though she was 21 years old at the time (that's an old bear)! For reference, Lily the Internet Sensation is 3. We got the cubs out first and promptly got them inside our jackets to keep them warm. Cubs are typically born in mid to late January and are practically hairless, weighing less than a pound. This excursion took place in mid-March, so the cubs were approximately 2 month old fuzz balls and weighed about 3 pounds.

Cute little buggers, aren't they? Their eyes were just starting to open. Check out the claws on the front feet!

And the little pink feet on the hind legs!

After the cubs were taken care of, it was time to get Mama out of the den. Since she was sedated throughout this entire process, she was limp as a rag, weighed about as much as the average human male, and you already saw the den opening. Not an easy job!

Once she was out, she got a thorough check up: weighed, blood drawn, breast milk sample taken, teeth checked and measured, pads of feet checked (they shed the outer layers of skin during hibernation), brand spankin' new radio collar put on, etc.

The sedative makes their eyes twitch back and forth - kind of eerie. Soon our job was finished and it was time to carefully put the bear family back where they belonged and say goodbye. The entire experience was one of the most fulfilling of my life and gave me a new found appreciation for black bears. Thanks for letting me tag along, Lynn!

Dr. Lynn Rogers, March 1991

Black Bears

2010-01-22T13:38:00.006-06:00

In March of 1991, I had the privilege of visiting (and entering) occupied black bear dens in northeastern Minnesota with a bear researcher named Dr. Lynn Rogers. It was an awesome experience: cross country skiing, snow shoeing, snowmobiling, and good ol' fashioned bushwacking through thigh deep snow just to get to the dens. The study bears all had radio collars, and Lynn's assistants had a tracking antena, which is how we knew where they were.

I remember one of the dens being in a small hidden cave in the ground somewhere between Ely and Isabella. Two guys held me by my ankles while I hung awkwardly upside down, wiggling between rocks to get into the den. The bear was called "395" and she had 2 cubs, a male and female, both of which weighed about 3 pounds (cubs are typically born in January and weigh less than a pound at birth). Their front feet were about the size of silver dollars and their claws made them stick to my ragg wool sweater like velcro. We got the cubs out first and put them inside our coats to keep them warm while we wrestled Mama Bear out of the den (she was sedated through this entire process). She was weighed, had blood drawn, had a breast milk sample taken, teeth checked and canines measured, checked to see if she had shed the pads of her feet, changed out her radio collar, etc. The cubs were also weighed, gender and identifying features noted, pictures taken. They bawled at first, sounding almost like human infants. Little pink feet and noses, their eyes were just starting to open (I really need to go find the pictures). Finally, Mama was gently lowered back into her den and her cubs were returned to her.

Dr. Rogers is still doing his black bear research in the Ely area, and this winter his team installed a camera into one of the bear dens. Late this morning, Lily the Black Bear gave birth to her first cub. You can watch it here:

Winter Blues

2010-01-18T11:33:00.004-06:00

OK, so winter isn't my favorite time of year for running. I don't like running on ice or in sub-zero temps, and the hamster wheel drives me stone. cold. insane. I've chosen to do more short runs on an indoor track while upping my barefoot miles, strength training, and I keep meaning to get to a yoga class but haven't pulled it off yet. I've also been working on getting my shoulders fixed up (tendinitis on both sides from teaching 6 theraband classes per week at a nursing home). That's finally healing up, and I just started more aggressive upper body strength exercises this past week :)

Speaking of the nursing home, one of my 98 year old exercise participants told me last week what he wants engraved on his headstone when his last day finally arrives:

"The pills didn't work."

The more I think about that one, the funnier it gets.

Still unsure of my 2010 race plans - there will probably be more "seat of the pants" last minute decisions and/or fat ass runs this year, mainly because of financial concerns and my current lack of training miles (haven't done a double digit mile run since Surf the Murph).

This weekend I will attend either the MDRA annual meeting to score some free pizza, or the NSCA Winter Strength & Conditioning Clinic to get some CEU's for one of my certifications.

Hope to get out on the trails soon!

Races That Intrigue Me

2009-12-20T11:31:00.005-06:00

So, I'm still trying to decide what races to run in 2010. There are lots of interesting runs out there, and which ones I do will more likely come down to cash flow (or lack thereof after swallowing a $1200 per month pay cut in October that isn't likely to turn around any time soon). But, I can still dream and put a few things on a "to do" list for when things finally do turn around.

In no particular order:

Bandera 100K - they have a 50K too, but if I'm going to go all the way to the hill country of west Texas, I may as well go for the longer distance. They bill this race as "A Trail Run of Rugged and Brutal Beauty where everything Cuts, Stings, or Bites." It's held in early January when most of the critters (particularly scorpions and rattlesnakes) are less active. Still plenty of cacti and wild boars to cut you up ;)

Rocky Raccoon 50 Mile - another Texas race (this one on the east side of the state), sounds like a relatively flat course with generous cut offs, but it won't be happening this year. Carl finished his first 100 miler here last year and gave it good marks.

Kettle Moraine 100K - so far, this is the one that's been tuggin' at me the most. Seriously considering doing this one in 2010.

McNaughton 50 Mile - another one that I am seriously considering this year. Generous cut offs, within driving distance, and a trail that I've never run before. Word is: MUD! I'm not a huge fan of loops, and this one would be 5 x 10 miles. It will probably be this one or Ice Age depending on finances. We'll see.

Ice Age 50 Mile - I did the 50K last year, and it was.....OK. The 50 mile spends more time on the Ice Age single track rather than the Nordic Loop, and it would be a good last long training run for Kettle. Strong possibility for 2010.

Marquette 50K / 50 Mile - would require a moderately long drive to the U.P. but would be doable. And it's near Lake Superior :)

North Country Trail 50 Mile - might be fun to take the car ferry across Lake Michigan rather than drive down through Chicago and back up to Manistee, run the 50 on what sounds like fairly non-technical hilly single track (2 x 25 mile loop), and I could combine it with a family visit. The race has a 14 hour cut off, free beer at the end, nice swag, and is at the end of August a week after Marquette. Seriously considering this one for 2010, which would mean no Marquette and most likely no Superior fall races.

Bighorn 50K / 50 Mile - sounds like a beautiful course, and I love the Rocky Mountains!

Oil Creek 50 Mile - sounds like gnarly single track trail through a very unique area of PA, and I could combine it with a family visit if I drive. I love gnarly single track :)

Superior 50 Mile - Speaking of gnarly single track, the Superior Hiking Trail is one of my favorite places on Earth. I'm more likely to do this one in 2011.

Wild Duluth - I had originally planned on doing the 50K this year, but ended up running the 50 mile at Surf the Murph instead. I think this will always be a tug of war since Surf the Murph is a 15 minute drive from home with no gas, food, or lodging expenses, and the two races are most likely going to be only a week apart if Les moves the Murph up a week earlier for 2010 like he mentioned. However, Wild Duluth takes place on a great part of the Superior Hiking Trail, and it's not that far.... Oh, the decisions!

Voyageur - another North Woods classic that's close to home, but in need of a new RD. Perhaps the half this year or next?

Dances With Dirt Bloodied, Boned, Bruised, and Burned Series - actually 4 different races that take place in 4 different locations, 3 of them in the Midwest (Hell, MI, Devil's Lake, WI, and Gnaw Bone, IN). Spring, summer, fall, and winter are all represented! And a trip to Florida in winter to run an ultra would be cool to round out the series.

Mohican 50 Mile - another one that I could combine with a family visit.

Shadow of the Giants 50K - running through a forest filled with giant redwood trees near Yosemite National Park. Wow.

Pacific Coast Trail Runs - pretty much any or all of them! I've never been to the west coast, and that's got to change ;)

Those are just a hand full of the trail races out there that sound like fun! Time to get over to the club and log a few miles on the treadmill or do a few miles in the Vibram Five Fingers on the indoor track. If I show up at least 12 times a month, I get 20 bucks back ;)

Snowshoeing at Afton

2009-12-02T12:43:00.003-06:00

Got the Afton State Park newsletter from Assistant Park Manager Rachel today, and it's got info about a new snowshoeing class that will meet at the park's visitor center. Classes will run from 2-3 pm on the following dates:

Dec 13
Jan 10
Jan 24
Feb 7
Feb 14

Classes will be taught by UMTR member Jim McDonell (who is also in charge of the brand spankin' new Braveheart Snowshoe Race Series) and is open to all abilities. Afton has some snowshoes available to rent if you need them :)

For more info or to register (no mention if the class is free, but snowshoe rentals are $6), call 651-436-5391.

New Trail Race Schedule Blog

2009-11-29T12:34:00.003-06:00

This seems a little silly since I haven't really been keeping up with this blog, but I've started another one just to keep track of the plethora of trail races that are coming and going in the great North Woods.

The Upper Midwest Trail Runners have a wiki that members can update as they see fit, including an activity calendar. Very cool idea! But, after spending a considerable amount of time adding info about different races from various locations that the club supposedly encompasses (I don't think we've had a single event in Michigan, Iowa, or North Dakota, but they do add a nice touch to the logo), the links end up getting deleted shortly after each race occurs. This means that rather than just updating next year's race date, one must relocate and reload all of the race info all over again each and every year.

Thus, the Upper Midwest Trail Races blog has been born! It is in it's very earliest stages at this point, but I hope you find it useful :)

Minnesota River Bottoms

2009-11-21T12:58:00.006-06:00

Got an email from the MDRA Polar Bears that they would be running the MN River Bottoms trail starting at the Sorensen Landing parking area this morning. After a sleep deprived week, I decided against setting my alarm clock so I missed the group run, but it did give me the idea to run the trail there for the first time ever. I don't know why I keep forgetting about this gem of a trail, especially since it's so close, but I have never laced up the sneakers to run here. Perhaps it goes back to my short lived mountain biking days and remembering how crowded and mosquito infested the trail could be.

Got to the trail head and a fairly crowded parking lot a little before 9 am. Decided to head west (to avoid the blinding morning sun shining directly into my eyes) and just go for 3-4 miles before turning around and heading back to my car. Beautiful morning: temps in the mid-30's, sunshine, no wind, and no bugs!

Going west, the trail starts out as a restricted access gravel road that keeps narrowing until it eventually becomes a single track. The tight, twisty turns reminded me of the Runnin' in the Ruff 10K course near Milaca. Passed a few runners that I didn't know heading back to the parking lot, but not many people out running at all! The trail was in excellent condition - hard packed dirt with just an occasional sticky spot. Running parallel to the Minnesota River, it was fairly flat in this section (I remember the section where I used to ride being much hillier). Just an occasional tree root - otherwise non-technical running.

After almost 2 miles, I got to the Nine Mile Creek crossing (see photo at top of post). The raft has been pulled out of the water for the season, but there is a solid bridge next to a fallen tree that makes it easy to get across without getting wet. About this time, I saw the first of what would turn out to be many mountain bikers heading the same direction that I was on the narrow trail. Since I only had a handheld with plain water and it seemed to be getting crowded, I decided to turn around after about 4 miles and head back to the start area. More and more mountain bikers - they just kept coming and I had to keep hopping off to the side of the trail. Now I was wishing I had gotten an earlier start since the bikers seem to like sleeping in too ;)

Time to cross the creek again (had to wait for 3 more bikers carrying their bikes across the bridge), then more nice twisty single track. Before I knew it, I was back at the parking area just as 4 more bikers were heading out.

This was a fun little run and I'll be back another time - I'd like to try going east next time to see if it's a little hillier and hopefully less crowded. Nice to have found another trail close to home!

Review of 2009 Trail Races

2009-11-18T16:40:00.004-06:00

Hard to believe that the 2009 trail racing season is over - at least, it is for me! This was my first year of doing ultras, and I pretty much hit the deck running! It also turned out to be a year of pulling some volunteer time and doing more travelling to races, so I got to see some new trails :)

Got to see the Zumbro River Bottoms for the first time in mid April - swept the course as a volunteer. Since the kid's race was a 100K that started at midnight, I simply wasn't qualified to toe the line. First year for the official 100K and 100 Mile event - I think this one will be another Minnesota classic!

First race of the year for me was the Chippewa 50K in late April, my first ultra run ever! The first race of the year is always fun, if for no other reason than I get to see many of my running buddies after a long winter :) I'd never run any part of the Ice Age Trail before, and this is a gorgeous trail even when there aren't any leaves on the trees. Goal was to finish, avoid attracting buzzards, and have fun. Goal accomplished!

The next weekend was a fun little 10K that I'd run last year: Runnin' in the Ruff near Milaca. Always fun. Always get to see bald eagles since there is a nest right on the course. Always muddy. Tight and twisty single track. Good stuff!

The weekend after that was my second ultra ever, just 2 weeks after my first: the Ice Age 50K. This race is held near the eastern end of the Ice Age Trail, not too far from Milwaukee. Just missed breaking 7 hours by a little over a minute - dang! Easier than Chippewa, this race was only partly on the Ice Age Trail and then had us doing 2 loops of a wide, roller coaster nordic ski trail. If I ever go back, it will most likely be to take a crack at the 50 mile rather than a repeat of the 50K.

After a few weeks of rest, it was time for the Chester Woods 10 Mile near Rochester. This was also a race that I had done last year, and it's another fun event. I mean - dill pickles at the finish! Burma shave mile markers! And a Big Dam Hill near the end! There is a strong chance that I will miss this one next year since it is the same weekend as the Kettle Moraine races. We shall see.

The Afton 25K was on the Fourth of July this year, and the humidity took a toll on me even though the temps were actually quite nice. This is a sentimental race for me since it's where my trail running started just a few years ago - and another social event that brings out the less frequent runners as well as the regulars.

Grand Island Marathon was another road trip - almost like going back home. I lived in the U.P. for 4 years during college and drove right past Grand Island more times than I can remember, so it was nice to actually spend some time there. Beautiful course! Rather unique event that includes getting picked up at your hotel by buses and then a boat ferry ride to and from the island. Oh! And running right on the sand beach - not once but twice! Who knew Lake Superior had 12 mile long white sand beaches?

Days of Old Track and Trail 10K was another race in the MN Trail Run Series that I included mainly to try to get 6 shorter runs in, and it was a nice sharpening run before my first crack at 50 miles a week later. Half of it is run on a nice single track trail, but the other half is gravel road and running along the shoulder of a highway - probably won't do that one again.

Next up was my "big" vacation trip and my first crack at 50 miles, the Lean Horse Half Hundred. Unfortunately, this was the race where I learned a valuable lesson about the difference between oil based and water based sunscreen. I also got my sooner-or-later DNF out of the way. Had a nice trip anyway :) And my legs were fresh as a daisy after imploding at 24 miles, so I was able to climb to the top of Harney Peak and do other Black Hills and Badlands hikes.

Did some volunteer time at the Superior Trail Races, then did another old familiar favorite, the In Yan Teopa 10 Mile near Frontenac. Such a pretty park, and I always forget to bring my camera.

I was finally able to get the monkey off my back by completing my first 50 miler at Surf the Murph on Halloween!! My greatest running accomplishment to date, by far! And I had a blast doing it! What an awesome park only a few minutes from home :)

Capped off the official racing season with the Upper Midwest Trail Runners awards banquet this past Saturday. Wish I'd had more time to get around to socialize with all of my running friends - hopefully I'll still get to see them out on the trails before the 2010 season rolls around. There were awards for each age group for the MN Trail Run Series as well as the Fab Five Fifties Ultra Series, and Darryl was the first ever "Gnarly Bandit"! Awesome stuff! Wayne and Helen in particular both received much deserved awards - I'll let them tell their stories ;)

I'm still ponderin' what's next for me: possibly the Fat Ass 50 near Hell, MI which is tentatively the day after Christmas and I may be in the area. If you're new to trail/ultra running and are wondering what the heck a fat ass run is - here is a brief history. Not sure if this one is the same course as Dances With Dirt, but it sounds like a blast!

Thanks to everyone who shared the trail with me this past year - let's do it again soon!

Surf the Murph 50 Mile

2009-11-03T08:05:00.004-06:00

Short Version:

I did it!

Long Version:

Got up at 4 am to head out to Murphy Ha nrehan park with hopes of finishing my first 50 miler and getting rid of the pet monkey that I picked up in the Black Hills back in August. It had been a stressful couple of weeks with work stuff and my head really wasn't in the game all week. Even driving down to the park, I still wasn't all that excited to start the race.

Arrived in time to pick up my pre race packet, get my number pinned on, get my drop bags to where they needed to be, one last pit stop, a chance to say a few "hellos" and it was time to toe the line. Kinda like sleep walking. We were to run three 15.7 mile loops after completing a short 3+ mile loop, and RD Les was telling us that there would be a volunteer out on the course to make sure we all made the turn for the short loop. Alrighty then! I was lined up near Wayne, Karen, and Rick who all had Halloween costumes on, and off we went into the dark.

My strategy for this race was just to finish, and I'd planned a pace that would take most of the 14 hours allowed. Still, it's tough to figure out how much time you'll need for AS breaks, bio breaks, unanticipated issues like foot care, etc. I ended up just settling in to a slow and easy pace at the back of the pack with Mike and Wayne. We got to the wooden bridge that spans a marsh at about the 1 mile mark, and it was so slippery with frost that everyone was having a difficult time getting up the little incline. Those who made it up the little ramp would turn around and offer a hand to help the person behind get up onto the bridge. Yep, ultra runners help each other - at least near the back of the pack ;)

Soon we came upon some course markers near a trail junction and wondered if this was the spot where we were supposed to make the turn for the short loop. Nobody was there to direct us as we'd been told, and there were other race distances being held on the course that day too - perhaps this was the turn around for the marathon? We decided to keep moving forward along with the other runners in front of us. After a little while, we were starting to have doubts about the turn... finally got to the first aid station and asked if we'd missed it. He said no. We went a little further and realized that we were indeed on the big loop and had missed the turn for the short loop. We also encountered another 6-8 runners who had stopped on the course and were realizing the same thing. Oh well - too late now, especially since it was a loop course and we'd just ask Les if we could make it up later (the answer was yes).

Made it to Londell's aid station at the horse camp just before sunrise. I dropped my headlamp, wool hat, and gloves and picked up a baseball cap and handheld with Perpetuem. My plan was to use the handheld with Perpetuem on each of the 6 mile south loops and just drink Heed from my Nathan for the rest of the course. That would help fend off flavor fatigue as well as allow me to get more protein and a little fat for energy intake. By now the runners were starting to spread out and I was running alone but could see Wayne just ahead of me. We were treated to a very pretty sunrise, lots of mud, and a stiff breeze as we started out on the south loop. While the northern part of the park is hilly and wooded, the south end is flatter and open prairie, making the wind very noticeable. Finally caught up to Wayne just about the time we made it to Helen's aid station. Helen had gone the extra mile and even asked for food requests from the runners a few days prior to the race - I would end up spending way too much time here munching on banana bread during my 3 trips through :)

Finished up the south loop, but had to make a short side trip to get back to the horse camp AS 2 to drop my handheld and take another bio break. From here on, I would end up running the rest of the race by myself. The next section is a fun little mile of single track until you get to a road crossing, then it's back into the wooded hills and the north section of the park. The actual race course had been changed a bit from when we did our training runs with Les - gone was the nasty little hill past the patio furniture near AS 1, but a new section of single track was added. This section had a nasty little hill too, and we would come out of the woods at the top of a hill where you could see the Minneapolis skyline. Then it was just a short jaunt to the start/finish area where Molly and Bonnie were helping out. My Garmin measured the big loop at 16 miles and it took a little under 4 hours. Time to reload the Nathan with Heed, restock a few gels, and off I went for lap #2.

The day was shaping up to be perfect for running - cool temps, no precipitation, and the sun would peek in and out of the clouds. Time seemed to be passing quickly and without my noticing - a good sign. Made it to AS 1 where Steve was working, but just passed through on this lap. Got through the next section of hills and before I knew it, I was back at the horse camp and Londell's AS. I decided to skip the handheld on this lap because I was feeling good and didn't want to take the extra time/distance getting back to horse #2 to drop it.

Coming in to horse camp #1 on lap 2 - photo courtesy of Londell

Meandered through the south loop back to Helen's AS with her awesome banana bread where Bonnie and Donny were also visiting. Duke soon showed up covered in mud - turns out that he really did surf the Murph and took a header in the mud after catching his foot on a stick. He would go on to win the 50 mile! Finished up the south loop again, then back into the woods for about 4 miles of hilly trails and single track. Lap 2 was soon in the books and I was feeling great! Another reload of the Nathan with Heed and I was on my way to start the final big loop. Since my furthest run prior to this race was 50K, anything that I did now was a personal record for distance. I knew at this point that the day would be epic!

Made it to AS 1 and visited with Steve a little bit while sipping Coke and eating a few pretzels. I still had a lot of energy and was holding a decent pace. Once again pulled in to Londell's AS at the horse camp, grabbed the handheld with Perpetuem and my headlamp, and went off for the south loop one more time. The windy conditions were helping to firm things up a little bit, but there was still plenty of mud. I could smell a campfire as I was coming in to Helen's aid station - got the last of the banana bread and continued on. I was still in good spirits, and I never did feel the mental letdown that many ultra runners experience.

Got to the trail junction where I could choose to go back to horse AS 2 or continue on the course - Londell, Mary, Lisa, and Leslie were there to cheer and take my handheld for me. Thanks! Having friends at each and every aid station on the course is just as good as having someone crew :) Everything seemed to be clicking: no cramping, my stomach felt good, no hot spots or chafing, no bonking, still peeing, no bloating... Just some hand swelling and sore knees.

By now it was getting close to sunset and I wanted to get as many miles in as I could before dark. Londell let me know that Wayne and Mike were only about 10 minutes ahead of me, and I saw Guy a little bit behind as I left the south loop. I got as far as the single track on the hilly north end before needing my lights, which was better than I expected. I don't have much experience running in the dark, and I found that I really needed to slow down because my depth perception was a little wonky. Got through the tough climb on the single track and got to see the Minneapolis skyline all lit up in the night. Guy caught up to me just as we were coming in to the start/finish area - he was able to run it in to the finish and was done. I was done with my 3 big loops, but still had to make up the short loop.

Molly let me know that we were just going to run an out and back to a set of cones that were placed about 1.5 miles out to make up the short loop. I was still feeling good except for my knees - they were incredibly sore, especially on downhills. Got to the bridge - 1 mile down. Saw 2 headlamps coming towards me - it was Mike and Wayne, with Wayne still in his costume. Finally, there are the cones and the turn around. I'm noticing now that I'm really hungry! Oh, and it's a near full moon! See 2 more headlamps - don't know either runner. Hit the bridge again - 1 mile left to go! Soon another headlamp - it's Molly sweeping the course. Finally, there are the bright lights of the finish area! Found enough energy to do a minor jog to the finish line - I DID IT!! Made it under the 14 hour cut off too :)

Headed in to the warming hut for some pizza and post run chatter, then headed home for a shower before crashing. What perfect timing to go off of daylight savings time and gain an extra hour of sleep ;) I still have a lot to process about lessons learned, but everything seemed to go right except for 1 missed right turn.

Special thanks to Les and Cindy for putting on an awesome event and to all of the volunteers who helped make the day epic! It was a blast! And the pet monkey has been set free in the forest :)

Long Run at Murphy-Hanrehan

2009-10-11T10:38:00.010-05:00

Went out for a nice long run at Murphy-Hanrehan park yesterday morning with RD Les and a host of other people. My intention was to get to the park early enough that I could park at the horse camp, do a complete loop of the south end in the dark to test out my lights, then run the Surf the Murph course up to the main lot and meet everyone who would be starting their training run at 8 am. Goal was to do 2 complete laps of the race course for about 31 miles total without worrying about pace.

As it turned out, the roads were absolutely treacherous after the first snow of the year and it took me longer than anticipated to get there. Coming down Hwy 169, the bridges and overpasses were glare ice, especially near the Bloomington Ferry Bridge and the ramp leading off to Hwy 13. Saw more cars in the ditch than on the road in that area.

Finally got to the horse camp about 6:20 am and headed out in the dark with temps in the upper 20's and windchill in the teens. The south end of the park is flatter and more open than the hilly, wooded, north end, so the wind was very noticeable. I don't have much experience with night running, and it was a little tough to see with the snow flurries reflecting light right back into my eyes. I was using my Nathan to carry Heed and soon after starting out I realized that my drink tube had frozen solid. Took a few minutes to get that undone - then I remembered Carl telling me long ago about blowing back into the tube in cold weather to prevent that from happening.

Because of the difficulty with visibility, I ended up walking more than running, but was keeping about a 15 min/mile pace which felt very easy. There was a fair amount of mud, and the horses had really chewed up the trail making it very "lumpy" in places. Had to skip a loop at the southeast corner of the park because of my late start, and made it back to the horse camp just before dawn.

Stopped at my car to drop my lights, exchanged the wool hat for a baseball cap, and headed back out to the single track trail towards the north end of the park. Again, I had to take a short cut in order to make it to the main lot by 8 am, but it was nice to see a different trail rather than getting so caught up in running the actual course.

Arrived at the main lot at about 8:04 on my watch, just as everyone was gathering and getting ready to head down the trail. Had to make a quick pit stop, then run to catch up with everybody. Chris came back to meet me and we finally caught up with Les, Carl, and Wayne. By now the sun was up and it was looking like it would be a great day! The snow was on top of near-peak-fall-colors, kind of cool.

The trails in this part of the park are really fun to run - a few rocks and holes (which will all be hidden under leaf litter by race day), ups and downs, twists and turns - gorgeous! While the hills are not very big, they are steep and plentiful. We met Maria, Doug, and one of their sons running in the opposite direction - I don't think I've ever seen so many people out on the trails in this park as I did this day.

We soon arrived at the first of the "bonus loops" - one that I had remembered as having a very steep climb. There is a turn onto some narrow single track past a collection of patio furniture that the local teenagers have assembled in the woods, then a short jaunt through an open area, past a small pile of junk, then a short, very steep climb up a dirt hill. I'm short enough and the step up to the next foothold is long enough that I sometimes need to use my hands to keep my balance, especially since the gravelly dirt is a little slippery on the steep grade. If it's muddy, this climb will be a real adventure ;)

Les, Carl, Wayne, and Chris heading up toward AS 1

We came back out onto the main trail and got to the horse camp in no time. Since my car was there, we were able to use it as an aid station and fill up on banana bread and Coke. I refilled my Nathan, restocked my gels, and then forgot to pick up my handheld filled with Perpetuem (I'm still experimenting with nutrition strategies for all. day. long races). Carl was not going to run the south loop, so he left on his own. Les was getting cold, so he went on ahead and we planned on catching up to him but never did.

South loop

With my first lap (although shortened) done, the three of us (Wayne, Chris, me) headed out for the south loop. Although it was mostly sunny, the wind was still noticeable on the exposed parts of the trail. Les had drawn arrows in the dirt for us to follow, though I've run this loop enough to know the race course except for the "extras". We did hit a little snag on the bonus loop at the southwest end of the park, but quickly figured it out since Wayne and I had run it one other time with Les about a month ago. We made it back to my car at the horse camp for more banana bread and Coke, then headed back to the single track for the 3.5 miles back to the main lot.

By now I was feeling tired, especially my hamstrings. This was making me nervous since I was not even at the 25 mile mark yet - how in the world will I pull off 50 miles in 3 weeks if I'm ready to be done after 20? We finally reached the main lot where Chris and Wayne were done for the day. Les was there in his car and let me know that I would have "extra hours" if needed to finish the 50 miles. In other words - don't worry about cut offs. That may or may not be a good thing ;)

Everyone left and I headed back down the trail on my own to finish the 5.75 miles back to the horse camp. This leg is probably the most difficult, especially between miles 3 and 4 (which includes the wicked little climb up to AS 1). My pace was dropping noticeably, probably because I was running alone and didn't have anyone pulling me along. I had also been out there running for several hours and was mentally fatigued and getting easily distracted. I was starting to get a headache, but didn't seem dehydrated so I tried another S cap. I was starting to negotiate with myself: "you can skip the short steep climb to AS 1, it won't subtract much as far as miles are concerned" vs "it will psych you out if you don't do that short little climb just because you're tired, and you're going to have to do it 3 times 3 weeks from now when you'll be much more tired!" I did the little AS 1 loop and practically crawled up that dirt hill. But, I did it and I'm glad I did.

Finally made it back to the horse camp with no headache - done running for the day! Garmin said 27.33 miles, Sport Tracks said 27.54. Took 7.5 hours, with 41 minutes of that being time I spent milling around in "aid stations". I felt encouraged that the pace I ran would be good enough to finish under the cut off times, even though the cut offs are soft. On the other hand, I only ran a little more than half the race distance and I know I'll be slowing down considerably later in the race, especially when it's dark and harder to see again. Since this run was more about miles than paying attention to pace, I also wasn't worrying about how much time I spent stopping to refuel, take bio breaks, etc. That wasted time was also factored into my pace since the clock doesn't stop running just because you do.

Things I learned:

*For once, I dressed appropriately for the weather.
*Drink tubes freeze. So do gels.
*My hydration and electrolytes seemed to be pretty well balanced - no hand swelling, no cramping. In 7.5 hours, I drank 3.5 liters of Heed, 1 can of Coke, and took 4 S caps.
*I need to get more calories in if I expect to keep going much longer. I did OK for 27+ miles, but was falling a little behind and would have bonked big time if that were only the half way point. In addition to the Heed and Coke, I had 2 or 3 slices of banana bread, 5 gels, 8 or 9 grams of BCAA, and 1 vitamin B complex tablet. More gels or Perpetuem would make the most sense (I had planned on 8 gels + 1 bottle of Perpetuem), but the yuck factor is no small thing. Solid food takes several hours to digest and absorb, which is great for recovery but doesn't fuel one's race. Unless I'm out there for a day and a half, which is not out of the question ;)
*I move slower in the dark, but that may not be a bad thing. Brisk walking is much easier than slow running, and I can maintain that much longer.

Today I'm a little stiff - the arthritis in my feet and knees are speaking to me. Will probably do some cross training today rather than more running. See you on the trails soon!

Running Plans This Weekend

2009-10-07T13:46:00.003-05:00

I noticed on the Surf the Murph web site that RD Les is having another training run at Murphy-Hanrehan park this Saturday. I will probably join him with the intention of running 2 loops in weather that is currently being predicted as snow showers with temps starting in the 30's and warming to the mid-40's by afternoon. You know, a real scorcher. I'll be wearing running tights for this one, so hopefully I can avoid another prickly ash bite like I got a few days ago:

My current plan is to park at the horse camp, run the 3.5 ish miles from there to the main lot, and go with whoever shows up from there. I'd like to review the "bonus loops" that aren't on the map but ARE part of the course. There is a "fun little hill" (as Les puts it) up to the first aid station that had me using my hands the one time I did it - and that was with a dry trail. In wet weather we may need screw shoes to get up that thing!

Anyhoo, my car at the horse camp can serve as another aid station that I/we can hit twice on each loop for whoever cares to join me.

For future runs I'd like to run a few miles in the dark to get used to the trail with my headlamp and handheld flashlight to try different options. Trails have a way of looking completely different in the dark, and this one's got enough rocks and holes to make things interesting, especially when they're hidden in leaf litter. Just thought I'd put that out there for another near future training run idea ;)

Harvesting Hay

2009-10-01T09:01:00.003-05:00

Time to put some hay in the barn!

Last weekend I ran the In Yan Teopa 10 mile trail race on Saturday (thanks Larry and crew!) and a single loop at Murphy-Hanrehan on Sunday. Not enough miles to prepare for a hilly 50 miler coming up in 4 weeks.

I'd toyed with the idea of doing a second lap at Frontenac to get 20 miles in on Saturday, but knew I'd end up socializing after the race and bag it in the end. (I was going to post a race report, but realized that it was basically sounding like a cut and paste job from last year. If you're wondering how it went, here's the 2008 version - the only differences this year were that I knew more people, skipped the electrolytes and gel (mistake), felt hotter, and ran my slowest time ever). I also figured that I would benefit more by doing a longer run at Murphy the next day on the actual race course - hoped to get at least 20 miles in but was absolutely starving to the point that it was distracting after only 1 loop. So, I pulled the plug and got home just in time to watch an awesome finish to the Vikings game!

Well, now it's time to put some big miles in over the next 2 weekends before tapering. I'm thinking a shorter run (maybe 10-ish miles, not sure where yet) this Saturday and 2 laps at Murphy-Hanrehan (about 28.5-29 miles) on Sunday. I'll probably park at the horse camp so that I have access to my car (aid station) twice each loop. If anyone wants to join me, we could leave a car at the main lot and have 3 aid stations/loop. I'm a slow runner and won't be worrying about pace this trip - just getting the miles in. Probably end up between 15 - 16 min/mile average at best. I know that it's the same day as TCM - good luck to those of you running!

So, who's in for a lap or two at Murphy-Hanrehan this Sunday?

Fall Running Season

2009-09-23T15:57:00.004-05:00

I've been having a difficult time trying to decide which races to do the remainder of this season. The biggest obstacle was figuring out whether or not to take another crack at 50 miles this year, or put it on the back burner for awhile. I really want to bag a 50 miler, especially since I couldn't pull it off at Lean Horse last month (say "hello" to my new pet monkey).

Last Saturday I went out to Murphy-Hanrehan for a loop of the north and south ends of the park (most, but not all of the 15.6 mile loop that will be part of the race course). My pace ended up being about 14:45, which was slower (and felt harder) than I wanted it to for only doing a single loop. The 50 mile race has 3 of these loops plus some bonus miles in the hilly north end. This run didn't do a heck of a lot for my confidence as far as finishing 50 miles on this course goes.

The other thing tugging at me is that I really want to do the inaugural Wild Duluth 50K, but it's just 2 weeks before Surf the Murph. Three or four weeks would have been perfect as a last long training run, but 2 weeks is cramping my style a bit.

One potential solution would be to run just the 50K at both events, but that would mean I'd have to put up with the monkey living with me in cramped conditions all winter long.

It finally came down to a coin toss: heads would be the 2 50K's, tails would be the 50 miles. First toss was tails. I still stewed about it for another 2 days and realized that I've already got my spreadsheet set up for Surf the Murph (right down to how many gels, how many ounces of sports drink between aid stations, when to drop and pick up my lights, etc). Got out the coin again: this time heads. Crap. I was hoping for a slam dunk to make this decision easier.

Today the coin came out one last time: tails. My Surf the Murph 50 mile registration is in the mail. I still haven't decided what to do about Wild Duluth - perhaps a course sweep, aid station volunteer, or 50K hike?

What the hell am I getting myself in to?

Hope to see you in Frontenac for the In Yan Teopa 10 mile this Saturday!

Superior 2009

2009-09-16T11:12:00.005-05:00

Bean Lake

For this year's fall Superior races, I chose to participate by spending time on the other side of the table at Oberg aid station. Volunteering gives a whole new perspective to races when you see just how much work goes on behind the scenes!

Drove up to Gooseberry where I would camp for the weekend on Friday afternoon. Got to the Silver Bay trail head about 4:30 and decided to hike up to Bean and Bear Lakes with the hope of getting some nice photos of the 100 milers coming through on their way to Tettagouche. As it turned out, I was a little too late and only encountered 3 runners on the trail before meeting the sweeps near Bear Lake. Temps were unseasonably warm and the humidity was ridiculous for this time of year. It was hazy enough that I could hear the fog horn in Silver Bay going off the entire time I was on the trail.

Bear Lake

Just barely made it out of the woods before dark, though I did at least have the good sense to bring my headlamp along just in case. It was pitch black by 7:30 and still very warm and humid. I didn't sleep very well that night in the tent because it was too warm for the sleeping bag, but too cool to remain uncovered for very long. I think the temps only got down to the mid-upper 50's overnight (that's what you hope for highs, not lows when running long distances).

Woke up shortly after 6 am and drove to the Crosby Manitou aid station on my way up to Oberg to watch the 50 milers go through. It was the first opportunity to meet crews or drop bags for this group, so I figured I could snag lights or extra clothes from runners who didn't have crews and relocate that stuff to Oberg where they might be needed again later. Doug and Maria had the place decked out with glow lights, lanterns, tiki lamps, leis, etc. Must have been very festive for the runners coming through, especially the 100 milers who passed through overnight!

Crosby Manitou aid station

Unfortunately by daybreak a third of the 100 milers had already dropped, most likely because of problems caused by the heat and humidity.

Got to my assigned aid station at Oberg by 10 am where I would remain until 9 pm with Kate, Jim, and Curt. Oberg is the "Last Chance Saloon" for all 3 races (marathon, 50 mile, 100 mile), and this year many of the runners wouldn't make it that far. Those who did should be proud even if it took longer than anticipated - it was a tough day on an already tough trail!

By far, the most common question runners had when they rolled in to Oberg was "What's this next section like?"

Kel: Do you want me to tell you the truth, or should I fluff it up a little?
Runner (ponderin'): ummm, tell me the truth.
K: You've got 3 hills and 7.1 miles left.
R (gulp): Are the hills bad?
K: The middle one is noteworthy.
R: How long is it?
K: I don't remember exactly, but it's called "Moose Mountain."
R: What's the trail like?
K: Some rocks and roots. It's well marked - just follow the orange flags.
R: Can you give me more details?
K: Yes, but they probably won't help.
R (staring across the Oberg parking area towards the trail head): Tell me anyway.
K: It's at least 0.1 miles across the parking lot to the Oberg trail head. When you get to the top of the hill, you'll come to a trail junction - make sure you stay to the left. It will be well marked with orange flags - keep the flags on your left. You should see a little inland lake on your left as you follow the trail. If you see a great big lake on your right, you're most likely doing some bonus miles on the Oberg Loop. It's a delightful little loop and I highly recommend doing it some time, but not today. This first hill really isn't that noticeable, and you'll descend to Rollins Creek which means that you've got 5 miles left to go. Then you'll start climbing a steep hill. And climbing. And climbing.
Curt: It's the stairway to heaven.
K: Once you're at the top, it's fairly flat and runnable for a bit - just make sure you don't take the spur trail up to the gondola. Stay to the left. Then you have a steep descent. Once you're done with Moose, you've only got 1 hill left. It isn't nearly as steep or technical, but it keeps going for awhile. Eventually, you'll hear the sound of water running - that's the Poplar river and you're almost home. You'll pop out of the woods where you've got a long, gentle downhill on a gravel road into the finish area that's more than half a mile long. So, you've basically got just 10K of running in the woods and a little bit of flat, easy gravel.
R (still staring across the Oberg parking area towards the trail head).
K: They have beer at the finish.
R (perking up): Well, I guess it's time to go for it. I'll just follow the orange markers.
K: Good idea.
R: Thanks!
K: Have a great run!

Next runner in to Oberg: What's this next section like?
Kel: Do you want me to tell you the truth, or should I fluff it up a little?

Thanks to all of the runners who toed the line at Superior this year! It was a pleasure and a privilege to serve you!

Some Runs in the Park

2009-09-08T08:57:00.004-05:00

Murphy-Hanrehan Park

I've been getting some fun runs in ever since returning from South Dakota a couple weeks ago!

Last Saturday a bunch of local runners showed up at Afton to help Karen celebrate a big birthday. I did a 7 mile hill loop which included zipping up to the top of the Africa Loop, but skipped running around Africa and the Back 40 and just came back down to the river, then did Nigel's Hill and Campground Hill before heading to the visitor center for our vegetarian picnic. Lots of fun hanging out with the gang! Felt good to get some hills in after running flatter stuff in preparation for Lean Horse and Grand Island.

Sunday I headed out to Murphy-Hanrehan to check out the south end of the park. I'd only ever run the hillier north end in the past, and thought it would be fun to see other parts of this gorgeous park that sits only 20 minutes from my house. Got about 6.5 miles in on the sandy trails that are a little more rolling hills on open prairie compared to the steep, hilly, wooded north end. Saw more horses than people on the trails. The 2009 Surf the Murph course includes all of last year's trail plus these southern trails, so this run really got me thinking about doing this race again.

This past Saturday, I headed back out to Murphy-Hanrehan to meet up with Les (Surf the Murph RD) and Wayne for a tour of this year's Surf the Murph course. Wendy and Steve were also doing the training run, but they were running well ahead of the three of us most of the time. We had originally planned on doing the full 15.6 mile loop, but ended up cutting it a little short and just did 13+ miles since some folks have a rather longish race looming large this weekend ;)
I didn't remember so many steep hills on the course last year - I think some new ones have been planted! There are a few extra loops that are not on the trail map that provide some little surprises too! The prairie grasses are really pretty this time of year, and some trees are already starting to show fall colors. Running with the RD has got me seriously considering taking another crack at 50 miles this October!

So Sunday, back out to Murphy-Hanrehan I went. This is quickly becoming one of my favorite running spots and I can get there in half the time that it takes to get to Afton. I still get a little turned around on some of the trails and need to take a map with me. Ended up doing just 6.5 miles in the northern hilly section and only met one other person on the trail. I'd say that in general, the hills at M-H are shorter, steeper, and more plentiful compared to the longer hills at Afton.

This weekend I'll be working the aid station at Oberg on Saturday, giving all of the runners at the Superior races one last gentle shove towards the finish line. Hope to get some hikes/runs in on the Superior Hiking Trail Sunday - perhaps the Bean and Bear Lake loop near Silver Bay.

Great stuff!

Harney Peak

2009-08-28T17:49:00.012-05:00

View from top of Harney Peak

One of the nice things about imploding at only 24 miles into my race at Lean Horse was the fact that I felt fresh as a daisy within a very short period of time. Took advantage and spent the next couple of days hiking and sight seeing in the Black Hills. Saw lots of wildlife and awesome scenery - you can see some pictures here.

One of the highlights was doing the moderate 6 mile round trip hike from the Little Devil's Tower trailhead along the Needles Hwy to the top of Harney Peak, the highest point in South Dakota at 7242 feet. Beautiful trail through Custer State Park and the Black Elk Wilderness, which is part of the Black Hills Nat'l Forest. Man, they have some really nice trails through fragrant pine forest with plenty of rocks (mostly granite) and roots - I wish the Lean Horse course used some of these types of trails rather than dusty gravel roads!

Now THIS is more like it!

The trail meanders past many different rock formations in the Needles district and eventually hooks up with the #9 trail from Sylvan Lake.

It then begins to climb more steeply and ends with a few sets of stairs to the top of an old fire tower at the top of the peak. The tower is no longer used for fire spotting, but is still open to allow the plethora of tourists who make the hike a birds eye view of the surrounding area. On a clear day you can see 5 different states, but it was a little hazy during the time I was there as you can see.

View from the other side of Harney Peak

One of the coolest things was watching a hawk soar.....below me! Bizarre!

In spite of not accomplishing my goal of finishing the Lean Horse Half Hundred, I had a great trip and am already ponderin' which 50 mile trail race to do next. Giving some serious thought to Surf the Murph this fall and/or McNaughton next April. I may have to sacrifice doing Wild Duluth and Chippewa in the process though. Decisions, decisions!

Lean Horse 2009

2009-08-24T18:55:00.010-05:00

I had every intention of coming to Lean Horse and accomplishing something I'd never done before.

Be careful what you wish for.

I suppose that ultra runners who participate in the sport for any length of time fall into one of two categories: 1) those who have DNF'd a race and 2) those who are going to. I took care of business and got that obligation out of the way this past weekend.

Here's how it went down:

Broke the 11 hour drive up into 2 separate days and got to play a little bit at Badlands National Park on the way out to Hot Springs. You can view the pictures here. Got settled in to my motel, did the packet pick up thing, met up with several other Minnesota runners (I'd mention names, but I'm afraid I'll forget someone), had the pre-race dinner, yadayadayada.

Got to the start line just before sunrise. The temps were nice and cool but were expected to reach the low 90's that day (it actually got even hotter than predicted - high temps ranged from 96 to 100 degrees depending on who you ask). I had what I thought was a solid strategy: walk the ups, jog the downs, everything else was negotiable depending on how I was feeling. Primary goal was to finish, deep down goal was to finish in under 12 hours which was the official (albeit soft) cutoff for the 50 milers.

We toed the line, counted down from 10 and off we went, right on time at 6:00 am. I was feeling pretty relaxed and enjoying the cool temps. We had about a 3 mile run through town on an asphalt path before hitting a gravel/dirt road to the first aid station 4 miles later.

Heading out of Hot Springs on the asphalt.

I was using my Nathan, so I cruised right through the first aid station. We crossed through a grassy field and landed on Argyle Road, a twisty, hilly gravel road with no shade what-so-ever. We would be on this road until 16+ miles into the race (and again after the turn around on this out and back course) before finally getting on the Mickelson trail. The second aid station was at mile 10 and I cruised through this one too. At this point I was slightly ahead of my planned pace and was feeling great! Eating a gel every 30 minutes, a BCAA cap every 30 minutes, an S cap every hour, slurping Heed. Everything was clicking.

I was expecting another aid station just a couple miles later since it had been listed on the web site when I was planning my race, but it had since been eliminated without my noticing. This was where I was planning on refilling my Nathan the first time. Big lesson learned - double check race logistics right before the event to catch last minute changes. The miles came and went - no aid station appearing on the horizon. I started to ration my Heed to make it last, and at about 15.5 miles I was starting to feel like I was getting slightly behind with my fluid intake. I was also getting to the point that my stomach was tired of Heed and I'd rather stick pins in my eyes than eat another gel - waaaaaay to early to be feeling like that! I had a hand held with Perpetuem planted in my drop bag at the 16 mile aid station, along with another flavor of Heed, so I didn't panic.

The Road to Hell - aka Argyle Road

Got in to the Argyle aid station at mile 16 about 10 minutes ahead of schedule, but lost that standing in line for the 1 water jug with about a dozen runners wanting to refill at the same time. Took a bio break and headed down the Mickelson towards the next aid station at 20 miles. By now, I was starting to notice the heat, and had to power walk even the flats. How quickly things can change!

Ulli the Walker cruising down the Mickelson Trail

The Mickelson trail was much prettier than Argyle and had a few small spots of shade. The down side was the rock walls on either side were radiating heat, and it was probably hotter on some portions of the trail than the air temps. Now I know what it feels like to be a slice of bread in a toaster! The Perpetuem was not sitting well in my stomach, and neither was the Heed. I was trying to force myself to drink, but seemed to be feeling worse. I didn't even attempt a gel through this stretch.

Reached the Lime Kiln aid station at mile 20 and knew I was getting in to trouble. Now my stomach was really feeling pretty queasy and I had a brief moment of feeling light headed. I knew I was dehydrated. Tried drinking some Coke, which usually works like a charm when I can't handle gels any more. Not this time. Found a tiny spot of shade to sit down and tried eating some grapes. Rested in the shade for at least 5 minutes and was starting to feel a little better. Drank more Coke which went down better this time. Topped off my water bottle with just plain water and was keeping up with the S caps. Got a ziplock bag full of ice which I tied up in a bandana around my neck, put more ice in my hat, and began walking the 4 miles towards the Pringle aid station which was just a mile before the turn around.

I started out of Lime Kiln at a slow walk. Making the 12 hour cut-off was no longer a realistic option with the way I was slowing down, but I still wanted to try to salvage a finish. I was feeling bloated, hot, and my stomach was on the edge. Tried eating some ginger, but it didn't help. About a mile or so down the trail, I felt like I was going to do the good ol' "yawn in technicolor" every time I tasted Heed or water-laced-with-Perpetuem. I tried slowing my pace even more to try to let my body absorb fluids - a pace so slow that turtles could have rear ended me. No joy. This was when the official death march began.

Warning: this next bit's a little ugly and full of graphic details.

By about mile 22 I started vomiting. Every time I tried to drink either water or Heed I would start heaving, even though there was nothing left in my stomach to eliminate. Had a few brief spells of feeling light headed again too. Just couldn't get any fluids to stay down. I don't know how long it took to go the 4 miles from Lime Kiln to Pringle, but anyone who saw me stagger in to Pringle was probably convinced that Hell is full and the dead are walking the Earth.

The aid station volunteers filled my bottle with ice water and I sat down on a bench in the shade. Tried drinking the ice water and was feeling like I was going to start heaving again. The light headed feeling returned and I put my head down between my knees - then everything went black and I passed out. I remember hearing the sound of water - only to realize that water was running out of my nose and on to the ground. The little bit of water I was able to swallow was still coming up even though I was completely out of it. I had no idea where I was. Thought I was dreaming. Finally came around enough to recognize that I was at an aid station in a race in South Dakota. In reality, that entire sequence probably lasted less than a minute, though I'm just guessing. Other runners were trying to offer electrolytes, ginger, encouragement, etc. That's one of the best things about ultra running - we take care of each other even if it means losing time in our own race. I would like to publicly thank those of you who offered aid during my time of trouble, especially since I can't really remember who you were under the circumstances.

OK, graphic details over - you can look now.

I ended up staying at the Pringle aid station for about an hour before officially dropping, even though I knew immediately after arriving at that AS that I would be stone cold insane to keep pushing myself in those conditions. Took another 3.5 hours to get a ride back to Hot Springs since there was no cell phone reception and nobody could call the cavalry. During that time I was able to recover well enough to drink 4 liters of water and was feeling reasonably well by evening.

Things I learned:

*I already mentioned the bit about checking last minute details.
*Another runner mentioned to me after the race that sunscreen can inhibit one's ability to sweat by blocking pores in the skin. I used a gel sunscreen for the first time for this event since it was so exposed and I was going to be out there All. Day. Long. Don't know if this is legit, but it kinda makes sense.
*Though we often rely on aid station volunteers or crew to take care of us, it is ultimately up to us to take care of ourselves by not making stupid decisions. Like continuing to run when you know you're in trouble. Actually, I didn't just learn this - I already knew it - but I was "gently reminded" of it during this race.

Thanks to RD Jerry and all of the volunteers who put countless hours into making this event happen! In spite of not being able to finish my first 50 miler, I learned some things and still had a very positive experience :)

Days of Old Track & Trail 10K

2009-08-15T12:54:00.001-05:00

Today was the 2009 version of the Days of Old Track and Trail 10K in Maple Lake.... aka "last dance before Lean Horse."

Woke up about 2:30 am with a horrendous cramp in my left calf. Never really did get back to sleep - until about 15 minutes before the alarm went off. Hauled myself out of bed and halfheartedly decided to go ahead and run the race so that I'd get another run in towards the 2009 MN Trail Run Series. My calf was still a little sore from the middle-of-the-night cramp and I was feeling a little cranky. More stress related than anything I think, since I've really been feeling like I've bitten off too much too soon by signing up for a 50 miler next week on my ridiculously low mileage.

Got out to Maple Lake, picked up my shirt and race number, and decided that I'd try running with a hand held containing Succeed Amino sports drink to test out for next weeks ultra. After 4 swigs of the most vile tasting sports drink ever created, I dumped it out in the grass and went sans fluids. Even with the high humidity, it was the right choice.

Same course as last year... a 1.5 mile run on asphalt/gravel roads to the park, then a 3 mile loop on a nice, relatively flat trail through the woods that had just about every root and rock spray painted to alert the runners that there was (gasp!) an obstacle on the trail. Return trip on the 1.5 miles of asphalt/gravel roads back to the school. Beautiful morning to be out running, even with the high humidity :) Finished a minute slower than last year, but didn't really care. It was fun to catch up with Brook, John, and Marise afterward, but I think the best part of the day was watching the kids take on the 800 meter track run with the promise of ice cream cones for their reward. There are some "up and comers".... wonder how many of them will become trail runners a few years (or more) from now?

Thanks to RD Ben and all of the volunteers who did the work so that the rest of us could have some fun on the trail! Hopefully they raised a lot of money for the Maple Lake high school cross country teams :)

As I mentioned, I've been experimenting with lots of different sports drinks lately in preparation for Lean Horse. Some work, some don't - at least for me. I've got extras of the following up for grabs - if anyone wants them just let me know and I'll bring them to my next race/training run:

Succeed Amino - 4 single serving packets
Succeed Clip 2 - 4 single serving packets
Nuun - partial tube of Lemon Lime

The current weather forecast for Lean Horse is sunny with high temps in the 90's.

This one's gonna hurt.

Planning for Lean Horse

2009-08-09T17:05:00.004-05:00

Lean Horse is looming large, and I don't feel ready.

I'd hoped to get at least another 20+ mile run in since Grand Island Marathon, but each of the last 2 weekends all I could muster was about 12.5 miles at Hyland. Last weekend, my hamstrings were starting to tighten up, so I pulled the plug early. Yesterday the humidity took it's toll and I got dehydrated to the point of feeling light headed and nauseous. Part of the problem may have been that I've also been trying some different gels and sports drinks - I guess that's why you do it in training rather than race day ;)

I'm still undecided about my nutrition strategy for the race and probably won't decide until race day. Kind of like what to wear - it always seems to go down to the last minute. Between Steve's ultra calculator and my own sports nutrition spreadsheet, I at least know my caloric and fluid needs and can plan my aid station stops accordingly. Right now I'm thinking that I'll carry Heed in my Nathan and perhaps leave a hand held in 2 different drop bags so that I can supplement with Perpetuem or Clip2 or Amino. I'd really like to forget about the hand helds and just blow through the aid stations, but the whole flavor fatigue thing and the need for protein over longer distances might make it worth while. Plain ol' gels and Heed won't cut it! I may just carry some branched chain amino acids in capsule form too (some gels have them, but in such small amounts that they don't even really count). Solid food takes too long to digest and basically just sits in your stomach during the race - nutrients aren't absorbed until long past the finish line. Decisions, decisions.

Well, the hay is in the barn as they say. I have a small barn and not much hay....will it be enough? I guess we'll know in 2 weeks!

Grand Island Marathon

2009-07-27T07:05:00.014-05:00

One of the things that I enjoy about trail running is that each course is so different, even when they are on opposite sides of the same lake! Moose Mountain Marathon on the North Shore of Lake Superior comes to mind ;)

Back to Grand Island Marathon...

Made the 8+ hour drive to Munising on Friday - it was my first pilgrimage back to the U.P. since graduating from Michigan Tech 26 years ago. Yeah, I'm old. Where did the time go? I've driven the stretch of M-28 right past Grand Island I don't know how many times when I was in college, but never took the time to explore it or the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. I'm so glad I went back to run this beautiful race!

Grand Island is part of the Hiawatha National Forest and is located about a half mile off shore from the mainland. Because of the remote nature of the course, just getting to the start line is part of the charm. I'd been warned by someone who'd run this race a few years ago to make sure to get to the boat dock early - some runners were late to the start that year because they didn't catch the ferry early enough. Because there wasn't room for all of the runners to park at the dock, shuttle buses started making the rounds to all of the local hotels at 5 am Eastern time to pick us up and drop us off at the boat landing (the bus shuttle and ferry ride were included in the race fee). Considering the hour time change, I had to get up at 3:30 am Central time to eat, get dressed, and catch the bus.

Got to the boat dock while it was still dark, but the pre-dawn light was showing rather ominous looking clouds (the forecast was for rain and scattered T-storms all weekend long). The winds were calm and Lake Superior was like glass. Fish were jumping out of the water. While we were waiting at the ferry landing, I started chatting with one of the dock workers only to find out that we graduated the same year from MTU. Small world.

View of mainland from Grand Island boat landing
(couldn't get AutoStitch to work).

Finally got over to the island where we picked up our timing chips and found the spot to leave our drop bags. Everything was well organized and was running smoothly. The rain was holding off, but the mosquitos were fierce. Glad I put some DEET on beforehand! It was getting light out and the smell of the pines after the night rain was refreshing. I love the smell of the north woods after a light rain :)

Finally, it was time to toe the line and get this party started. The course basically circumnavigates the island on a 23 mile long trail with one short little out and back section to make the run a full marathon distance. With Lean Horse looming just 4 weeks away, my goal for this race was to treat it like a 50 miler by brisk walking all of the uphills (even the gentle ones) and trying to maintain a steady 13 min/mile pace. I was hoping to feel fresh as a daisy at the finish, and I figured that this would be a good test to see if I had the mental discipline to do what I needed to do (power walk) when everyone else would be doing something different (running). Having a strategy is useless if you can't execute it!

We started out on a flat sandy road that eventually turned into a two-track. A little bit of mud would be present all day long, but nothing too bad. The first 4 miles were pretty flat and I was taking it at a slow and easy jogging pace. Felt very comfortable. Temps were nice - probably close to 60 degrees, but very humid. Shortly past the 4 mile aid station, we started what was probably the longest and most noteworthy climb of the course. We were in a tunnel of mostly maple trees - it must be stunning in the fall with the autumn colors. This was the short out and back leg, and the only time I saw Tom the entire weekend (never did see Nancy). I was near the back of the pack, which is exactly where I expected to be. Power walking this section was going well. Got to the turn around and had a fun downhill run back to the aid station - right about the 7 mile mark.

Shortly after the 7 mile aid station, we came out of the woods and onto a long white sand beach. Everyone was trying to run on the wet sand right at the water's edge - it was like playing cat and mouse with the waves of Lake Superior lapping at your feet. The beach run is about a mile long with sandstone cliffs at either end and you can see the Pictured Rocks across the water. Awesome. The skies were actually showing some clearing and the weather would turn out to be beautiful!

Trout Bay Beach

At the end of the beach, we began mile 8 by heading back into the woods for a short uphill climb on single track to the top of the 200 foot tall cliffs. We ran for several miles in the woods along the cliff tops on wide, flat, roads that provided occasional views of the Pictured Rocks off to the east.

Hidden Beach

This was where it got tough to execute my power walking plan, because it was pretty flat for several miles and was very runnable. I just stuck to walking even the smallest of inclines, and by now I was pretty much alone on the trail. Had a Clif Shot just before the 11 mile aid station and continued on along the cliff tops for more spectacular scenery. Peering down from the top, the water of Lake Superior is so clear that you can see all the way to the bottom. Very interesting patterns in the sand, and strange looking perfectly straight lines under water as a result of the local geology.

At about mile 14, I started passing people even at my slow pace. We had another short beach run, then another single track climb back up to the cliff tops once more.

North Beach

Made my only aid station stop at mile 16 to refill my Nathan - still sticking to the power-walking-anything-remotely-uphill plan. Very easy running the rest of the way, which made the walking plan more challenging, especially since I was starting to pass more people. Several people. Heard some twigs snapping in the woods off to my right, but never did see the bear that was most likely creating the noise.

Went through the last aid station at mile 22 and was jogging the gentle downhills and flats. At about the 24 mile mark, the course comes near another beach (we didn't run in the sand at water's edge this time - just on a trail near the beach). You could see 2 smaller nearby islands off to the west and the mainland once again came in to view. I'm still passing people. Nobody's passing me.

Finally got to the dirt road that led back to the start/finish area near the boat landing. Crossed the line feeling pretty good - like I could go for another 10 miles or so - but not like I could do another lap. My pace was 12:14, so even though I was doing lots of walking, I still need to slow down a little more to conserve energy if I'm going to pull off a 50 miler in 4 weeks. I'm feeling very nervous about Lean Horse!

A huge thanks and congrats to the RD and the small army of volunteers who supported all of the runners for this spectacular event! This was one of those races where the number of volunteers may have exceeded the number of runners when you consider all of the aid station volunteers, folks patrolling the trail on mountain bikes, radio support, medical, transport, etc. I'd love to run this one again, especially since dense fog and rain rolled in the next morning and I didn't get to spend as much time as I would have liked exploring the island or other hiking trails in the area.

Grand Island Marathon is run on a relatively flat, non-technical trail that would be a perfect introduction to trail running (there is also a 10K for those not feeling up to a marathon distance). Unlike running Moose Mountain where you don't dare take your eyes off the ground if your feet are moving, this course provides plenty of opportunity to soak in spectacular scenery while still making forward progress. Highly recommended!

Trail Closures & Other Frustrations

2009-07-12T18:24:00.003-05:00

It's been kind of a frustrating week!

Went out on Tuesday morning before work to get a good tempo run in at Bredesen Park, which is walking distance from my house. Only to find that the trail will be closed for resurfacing/maintenance/whatever. For. Three. Weeks. I had just enough time to get to Bredesen, do my thing, and get to work. Ended up having to scrub my workout that day.

Went out to Hyland Saturday morning to get some trail time in. I decided that the flatter terrain at Hyland is closer to what I'll encounter at Grand Island and Lean Horse compared to Afton, and it's a LOT closer to home. Just about every trail I encountered at Hyland was blocked off for maintenance/replanting/whatever. The only open trail was the flat wood chipped trail along Hyland Lake, which isn't much to speak of. No notice of how long this is expected to last. I was so pi$$ed that I went around some of the barriers and did 6 miles anyway.

Today I ended up with a 10 mile run around Lakes Calhoun, Harriet, and Isles. At least the path was open. Wanted to try some new sports drink for Lean Horse - Sustained Energy by Hammer. This stuff has a little bit of protein in addition to maltodextrin, which would be beneficial in longer runs. Problem is....it tastes like crap! I even tried the unflavored variety, and believe me, it isn't "unflavored." Tastes kinda like pancake batter, but sticks to the back of your throat and makes you gag. I even added some Hammer raspberry flavored gel - no joy.

I've got a lot of things to sort out before the end of August!

Afton 25K 2009

2009-07-05T08:22:00.003-05:00

Afton is where I ran my first trail race 2 years ago and has become one of my favorite training sites in addition to being one of my favorite races. This year it landed on the Fourth of July, which turned out to be a warm but very humid and overcast day.

Got to the park early enough to score a good parking spot and have time to visit with several runners before the race: Jim, Dan V, Marise, Keith, Wayne, (I'm sure I'm missing a few). Before long it was time to toe the line and begin our single 25K loop of the park. The first 0.85 miles are mostly downhill on a gravelly horse trail before taking a left turn up the first of several steep climbs (total elevation for the 25K loop is a little over 5000 vertical feet). This first climb leads to the open prairie of the Africa Loop, which is a relatively flat, grassy trail. I seemed to be breathing a lot harder than normal for the pace I was running, and I was already feeling overheated even though the temp was only about 70 degrees (humidity was 90%).

A short distance later the trail leads downhill to the first of 5 aid stations, which is about the 2.5 mile mark and the beginning of the Back 40. I blew through AS1 without stopping and began the mile and a half loop through the woods which leads back to the same aid station (AS2) to top off my hand held with Heed. A short mix of woods and open meadows, a few ups and downs, then another climb back up to the Africa Loop. Thankfully the sky remained overcast or this section would have been a scorcher! After more relatively flat running on the grassy Africa Loop (the blackberries are starting to show on the bushes but are still very green), the course turns into the woods for a fun, runnable downhill that leads to AS 3 at the 6.1 mile mark. Londell was there taking pictures and told me that the first place woman had just run through the aid station shortly before I got there - except that she was on the other side of the table (AS 4). Hehehe.

Refilled with Heed, popped some electrolytes, grabbed a few pretzels and some ice, and headed up towards Nigel's Hill. While this is a noteworthy climb, it is basically a gravel road and is very runnable. Usually. Not today. I did some slow jogging at the beginning of the climb, but was really feeling hot with a queasy stomach and needed to slow down to a walk. I told myself that since this was my strategy for Lean Horse (walking all of the uphills), just think of this "race" as a good training run for the Half Hundred rather than trying to better my Afton time. Just keep up a brisk walk; keep moving forward.

Finally got to the top for another short stretch of flat, exposed running and then the somewhat tricky descent of Nigel's Hill. A short easy run along the river and then the long, tough climb up to the Campground. This is probably the longest and toughest climb at Afton and this little loop is one of my favorite hill workouts! Had a Clif Shot on the way up and was actually passing several people even though I was just walking. The Clif Shot seemed to help a little and I was able to run the rest of the way to AS 4, although the downhill is a little tricky. Stopped for another refill, more pretzels and electrolytes, and probably the best tasting fresh strawberries I've ever had. That really hit the spot! Also managed to grab about 5 ice cubes and was able to get them to stay in my hat. This seemed to help immensely, and I started passing people the entire way along the long, flat rail trail that runs parallel to the river.

The end of the river trail brings runners to the Meat Grinder at about the 11 mile mark, another nasty uphill that is technically tougher than the Campground Hill but not as long a climb. A few more ups and downs through some woods and open prairies, then finally in to the last aid station where Tom, Nancy, Eve, and others were taking care of us. More strawberries and a final refill of Heed, then off to the very fun snow shoe loop. While this part of the course is probably my favorite trail at Afton, I don't run it very often because I usually emerge covered with ticks even when I use DEET. Unlike the other trails which are typically 3-6 feet wide, the snow shoe loop is single track through woods and open meadows with tall grass. Tight, twisty turns, some technical running with rocks and roots, some short steep ups and downs that were a little slippery - this is just flat out fun to run! Too bad that I'm usually cramping when I get to this point.

Eventually the trail led back out to a wide grassy path and one more hill that I had to walk before running in to where John P, Wynn, Larry, and others were working the finish line. My time wasn't very good, but I didn't expect it to be given the trouble I was having with the humidity. Met up with Wayne and Marise who both had good runs, and soon others were stopping by to chat too. Had a great post race feed of barbequed burgers, watermelon, and chocolate chip cookies, and I ended up spending several hours hanging out and socializing afterwards. There were so many people at this race! Was able to see Steve, Carl, Zach, Dan M, Les, Bryan, and several others finish the 50K. Finally got to meet Mike, Bill, and Lynn (who will also be running Lean Horse), had time to chat with Molly about her adventure racing, Maria about Bighorn and numerous other runs/races, and Helen who won the women's 50K (again).

Thanks to RD John, Alicia, Afton State Park, and the army of volunteers who continue to do an awesome job every year putting on a premier event! Great trail, great volunteers, great aid stations, great post race barbeque, and great friends - I can't think of a better way to spend the Fourth of July :)

Hope to share the trail with all of you again soon!

June Ramblings

2009-06-29T12:14:00.006-05:00

Once I got past my 2 spring 50K races, I decided that I needed to include a few more tempo runs into my schedule to try to maintain at least a little bit of speed (remember, speed is relative). I've got a few shorter races on my schedule and it would be nice to get through them without completely embarrassing myself. However, once I plunked down my race fee for the Lean Horse Half Hundred, I began rethinking how to plan my training.

One of the things that many ultra runners consistently mention after they finish a breakthrough race/distance is that they wish they'd done more walking in their training. Brisk walking. The kind that keeps you moving forward at a pace that is still meaningful but allows some degree of recovery (or at least slows down the onset of an impending implosion). Basically, I need to travel slow enough so that I'm relying primarily on fat metabolism rather than burning through glycogen. So, I've been getting on a treadmill once a week and walking hills at 4.0 mph for an hour. True, I'm not crazy about the treadmill, but it forces me to maintain a certain pace, and right now my short little legs find it difficult to keep up walking 15 minute miles on 9 or 12 degree inclines. I've discovered after only 2 treadmill walking sessions that 4 mph is starting to feel a little more comfortable, so I plan on continuing with this activity. This is more a neuromuscular exercise than conditioning since I'm only doing it for an hour.

Another area that needs some work before Lean Horse is getting acclimated to heat. Last weekend, I ended up pulling the plug early at Afton after only 11 miles (goal was 20) because I was feeling so overheated (it was low 80's and high humidity - not exactly brutal). It takes a good 2 weeks of hot weather to get acclimated to heat, and the current forecast isn't cooperating in that regard (although I love our current weather).

Finally, I've gotta start getting some long runs in (or at least time on my feet moving forward). Managed to get about 19 miles in at Hyland Lake yesterday - beautiful, relatively cool, breezy-enough-that-there-were-no-bugs kinda day :) The arthritis in my right foot was starting to act up, or I would have pushed it a little further. I figure that there's no sense pushing to the point that I don't have time to recover for my next races (aka supported training runs), which are Afton 25K this weekend, Grand Island Marathon 3 weeks later, and possibly a 10K the weekend prior to Lean Horse.

I figure I need to maintain a 13 min/mile pace at Grand Island to make the AS cut offs, and about 14 min/mile at Lean Horse if I allow 20 minutes total for AS stops, bio breaks, foot care, etc. On paper it looks easy - doing it will be another matter.

Hope to see many of you at Afton this weekend!

Ponderin'

2009-06-14T10:11:00.004-05:00

So, lately I've been thinking about my race schedule and how certain races lend themselves as great training runs for other, bigger, longer races. Since my foray onto the "slippery slope" of ultra running, I was able to knock off 2 50K races 2 weeks apart this spring on very low mileage and began thinking about attempting a 50 miler. I haven't even been running 50 miles per week - can I really expect to pull off that kind of distance in a single day? Will my arthritic knees and feet hold up?

Whenever I've got some ponderin' to do, running usually provides the best environment to think things through. Helps clear my head of extraneous noise so I can sort things out, especially if what I'm sorting is running related :)

Went out to Afton yesterday for 16.5 miles of hill runnin', snake hoppin' (those fox snakes really, really seem to like sunning themselves in the middle of the trail on the Africa Loop), and ponderin'. Not too many folks out on the trail even though it was a beautiful day - guess many of the "regulars" are still recovering from FANS and Kettle last weekend. Ran into Janel, and before I knew it, I was mentioning running Lean Horse later this summer.

Lean Horse will be a month after the Grand Island Marathon, which is a relatively flat, fairly non-technical trail. Hmm, good timing for a last long training run. And Lean Horse would count towards the Fab Five Fifties ultra race series. And my arthritis isn't going to get better, it will only progress as time goes on, so perhaps I should go for it now. And I will probably never feel "ready" to just go run 50 miles - it's a BIG jump up from 31. But I don't really need to run 50 miles - much of it will be walking. And I haven't had a vacation since I started my own business more than 12 years ago - the Black Hills would be a nice place to spend a week after the race. So, why not tug on the Big Girl Panties and toe the line to find out what 50 miles feels like?

I sent off the Lean Horse Half Hundred registration this morning. I don't think I've done anything this stupid in, ohhhhhhhhhh, at least a month and a half.

Chester Woods 2009 Race Report

2009-06-06T17:56:00.004-05:00

Got out for another trail race after a few weeks off after Ice Age, this time a 10 miler down at Chester Woods just east of Rochester.

Last year when I ran here, I was struggling with some tendonitis in my left foot and had my slowest 10 mile time ever. This year I've been having a little trouble with minor plantar fasciitis in my right foot, but really wanted to beat last years time even though my training has been almost nonexistent lately. Alrighty then!

The weather was shaping up to be pretty miserable: upper 40's, steady rain, and wind. Once again, right on the edge of "what should I wear" decisions. Got to the park with enough time to get checked in and find the start, but didn't really have time to socialize. I was cold enough that I decided to keep the light water/wind proof jacket on over my long sleeved light weight tech shirt and shorts.

The race started with a very short road section before turning on to a grassy trail. My foot was feeling a little stiff at first, but warmed up quickly and never bothered me the rest of the race. Everything felt just right for about half a mile, then I was getting too warm and decided to shed the jacket. Some day, I will learn how to dress properly!

I soon came upon the first of the Burma Shave mile markers and I noticed that my pace for the first mile was about what I would run tempo intervals on roads - a little faster than I planned to go at this point, but it felt good so I went with it. The early part of the race is run on fairly flat grass, some asphalt through the campground (not too many campers out cheering this year), some wood chips, and a short dirt road section before hitting the nice dirt trails in the woods. At about the 4 mile mark, the 10 mile and 5K courses split at an intersection that overlooks a beautiful valley (one of the trademark photos of Chester Woods park, I'm sure). By now I had slowed a little and was settling in to a more comfortable pace that I could sustain for 10 miles.

Running in the light rain was actually kind of nice, and the wind was hardly noticeable in the woods. There were a few rolling hills, and I was walking most of the uphills when Judy caught up to me. We had a nice chat about Ice Age and a few of the local road marathons while we ran together for a bit, then she went on ahead. After crossing a creek and coming in to the 6 mile aid station, I refilled my water bottle and then was off to an out and back loop. Got to see Dan and John, both of whom were looking strong!

After coming back and passing through the aid station once again, the trail passes through some deep sand with a short, steep, tricky-if-you're-not-paying-attention downhill. Back into the woods, another creek crossing (boy is the water ever low), about a mile to go. I had forgotten all about the Big Dam Hill, but here it was :) The views from the top were better than last year - you can see much farther during a steady rain compared to a downpour! Perhaps some day I'll get to see it with blue sky and sunshine.

Chester Woods 10 Mile Elevation Chart

Just a few small roller coaster hills through some woods and open meadows, then in to the finish. While my time wasn't stellar, it was still almost 10 minutes faster than last year. Got to chat with RD Jim for a few minutes, but then started getting cold now that I was soaking wet and no longer moving. Had a post race dill pickle, changed into some dry clothes, and was still cold so I ended up driving home with the heat turned on the whole way.

Thanks to Jim and all of the folks who volunteered so that the rest of us could play in the rain! It's much tougher to volunteer in lousy weather than to run in it, and I think I can speak for all runners that we really appreciate your support. The Rochester Track Club puts on lots of great events, and this is one that I highly recommend!

Time to get some hills in and get ready for Afton!

Memorial Day

2009-05-25T15:50:00.003-05:00

I haven't been blogging much recently, primarily because this is a trail running blog and I haven't been doing much trail running since Ice Age 2 weeks ago. I've had some minor plantar fasciitis that hasn't been bad enough to stop me from running, but I know that I need to get it resolved before it becomes a real problem. So, rather than running I've been doing more strength training and a little biking to try to keep my fitness from backsliding too far.

Got out to Afton today for my first run on trails since Ice Age! Just a short hill loop (up to Africa, down to river, Nigel's Hill, Campground Hill) to try out a new pair of trail shoes. Garmin measured it at about 6.5 miles with total elevation coming in at 2589 vertical feet. The shoes felt great - no blisters or hot spots! The shoes that I've been running in for the last 2 years served me well, but they are Gortex which gets hot in the summer, and I've started having blister problems more consistently. Perhaps they are just ready for retirement :) Anyhoo, I think this was the first time in a long while that I've run out at Afton where I saw lots of people but didn't know a single one of them.

Being Memorial Day, I rented a movie from Netflix called "Taking Chance" - a perfect film for this occasion. Here is a brief description:

Based on the true experiences of Lt. Colonel Michael Strobl, who wrote eloquently of them in a widely circulated 2004 article, Taking Chance is a profoundly emotional look at the military rituals taken to honor its war dead, as represented by a fallen Marine killed in Iraq, Lance Corporal Chance Phelps. Working as a strategic analyst at Marine Corps Base Quantico in VA, Lt. Col. Strobl (Kevin Bacon) learns that Phelps had once lived in his hometown, and volunteers to escort the body to its final resting place in Wyoming. As Strobl journeys across America, he discovers the great diligence and dignity in how the military, and all those involved with preparing and transporting the body, handle their duties.

Very moving film that transcends one's political views about the Iraq war. I highly recommend watching it.

Matt Cavanaugh is originally from Woodbury and is a West Point grad currently serving in the United States Army. After serving 2 tours in Iraq and seeing many of his comrades injured, he decided to run ultras as a means of raising funds and awareness to help severely wounded vets recover. His original race schedule has been altered, but he is still planning on running at Afton on July 4 and Twin Cities 10 Mile this October. You can read more about his story and the Wounded Warrior Project on his blog.

Ice Age 50K

2009-05-10T10:02:00.003-05:00

I've done a race every Saturday for the last 3 weekends, and 2 of them have been ultras (both part of the Fab Five Fifties race series)! In fact, I've pretty much been getting my entire weekly mileage done just on Saturdays lately. I'm going to have to work on changing that ;)

Yesterday's race was the Ice Age 50K. I entered this race at the very last minute, basically waiting to see how I would come through Chippewa 2 weeks earlier. I also wanted to scope out the course after my inquiry about "best first 50 miler" a couple months ago. Lastly, I'm signed up for the Fab Five Fifties and need to get 3 50K races in this season - Ice Age supposedly being one of the easiest. Alrighty then!

Made the 5.5 hour drive out to La Grange, WI (waved to Mindi as I passed through Madison) on Friday. Did the packet pick up thing, settled in to my hotel in Elkhorn, and began the "what to wear" strategy with the weather forecast calling for temps in the low to mid 40-50 range with rain and winds gusting to 30 mph. Sounds lovely.

Race morning was indeed raining and windy for the 50 milers who started at 6 am. By the time the 50K start rolled around, the rain stopped, the wind calmed down, and we were treated to perfect running weather with overcast skies and cool temps. As we were gathering for the 50K start, I managed to catch a glimpse of a few of the 50 milers running by as they were finishing the 9 mile Nordic Loop. Matt was looking strong, Bill and Deb were in great spirits even though they were soaked. Lined up with Brook and her friend Bree, then off we went.

The course started with a short jaunt through the woods on the wide Nordic Trail and then a half mile on a horse trail before heading down the single track Ice Age trail for a 13 mile out and back leg of the course. Mildly technical with some minor hills, a short climb with nice views at the top, fun trail to run! I started noticing the inconsistantly consistant hot spot starting to form on my right foot shortly after the start. Crap. I'd painted the area with new skin, used Blister Shield powder inside my Drymax socks, and I'm still having problems on this particular day for still unidentified reasons. Oh well, nothing much I can do about it now.

Reached the turn around at a pace that was only slightly slower than my 10K time at Milaca last weekend. Oops! Better reel it in a little. By mile 9 I was noticing some slight cramping in my right calf. I figured I was probably getting a little dehydrated, so I started drinking more of my sports drink and took an S Cap. (I'd decided I may have overdone the fluid intake and S Caps at Chippewa which may have contributed to the swelling I was experiencing, so I was going to try to back off of both a little bit, especially with cooler temps). It was a little frustrating to have to walk some of the plentiful easy running spots, but I was cramping and I wasn't even a third of the way done! Slowing down allows you to enjoy the scenery a little bit, and I realized that we had run right through several burned areas of forest. I never noticed that on the way out.

Once we finished the Ice Age Trail leg, we were off for 2 loops of the 9 mile long Nordic Trail. Fairly non-technical (only a few rocky spots), some long flats as well as a few roller coaster sections, this is a wide cross country ski trail rather than single track. Lots of tall pines that smelled wonderful and soft running on pine needles. I actually didn't see many people on my first loop - got passed by some of the 50K relay folks, but didn't run with anyone. The cramping was getting a little better, but my stomach was feeling a little off. The Clif Shot gels that I've run with for the last 8 years without any problems were just not sitting well in my stomach.

Refilled my Nathan with my own sports drink at the 18 mile mark, and also slammed Coke at the aid station. Continued with S Caps every hour and Coke at 2 remaining aid stations instead of the Clif Shots. This seemed to be working and I decided that I had a shot at breaking 7 hours if I could finish the second loop of the Nordic Trail in under 2 hours.

Started out the Nordic loop feeling pretty good! Was able to run fairly well until I hit some of the bigger hills on the roller coaster section, then both calves started getting crampy on the uphills. Had to slow down again just to keep moving forward - the 7 hour goal was going to be very close. Never saw another soul on this loop. After passing through the final aid station without stopping, I caught and passed a couple of people (also got passed by two 50 milers who were still looking strong). There was a long, flat, pine needle section before a couple of minor hills - a little over a mile to go with 9 minutes left to beat my goal. As hard as I tried, the cramping wasn't going to allow running up the last couple of hills - finish time was 7:01:19. I missed my goal time by less than a minute and a half :(

Got to hang out with Matt and Bryan at the post race barbeque for awhile and watch other runners finish. Since I was planning on driving all the way back to the Cities after the race, I left at about 4:30 and didn't get to see my other buddies come in. I'm looking forward to hearing their race reports!

A huge thanks to RD Glenn and his crew for putting on a well organized and awesome event!

Things I learned:

*I still have a lot to learn about managing fluid/electrolyte balance, which is constantly changing with weather conditions, heat acclimation, hormones, diet, etc.
*I still have a lot to learn about blisters.
*I really like running with the Nathan. It allows me to control what sports drink I'm using and is a real time saver blowing through aid stations.
* I didn't bonk, so I must be managing the energy intake fairly well so far. We'll see what happens when it starts getting hot.
*This ultra thing is pretty darn fun.

Even though I didn't have my best running day and missed my goal time, I still beat my Chippewa 50K time by almost 50 minutes. My Ice Age 50K time was about a half hour faster than my Moose Marathon time, even though I was better prepared and in better shape for the Superior Hiking Trail. I'd have to say that even though Ice Age isn't easy, it's definately easier than the other trails that I've encountered so far in the North Woods.

See you on the trails!

Runnin' in the Ruff 10K

2009-05-02T15:25:00.003-05:00

Today is the first Saturday in May, meaning it was time for the 16'th annual Runnin' in the Ruff 10K trail race in Milaca. This would be the second of 12 races in the 2009 MN Trail Run Series and also the 2009 championship race, so I was expecting a big turnout! I thought I heard the RD say that they had a record number of people registered for the 2 mile and 10K races, though I really didn't see many people that I recognized. I thought I spotted Keith warming up prior to the race and John P. heading towards the start, but I never got a chance to visit with them. Kate and I lined up together, but didn't really run together much at all.

The beginning couple of miles were pretty crowded - they moved the finish line a little bit, and therefore also moved the start further up the gravel road so that we entered the single track almost immediately. Full on love train at times. The twisty, turny single track is a joy to run, though it gets tough to pass people if you're feeling the need for more speed than those in front of you. Mildly technical, fairly flat, just enough small roots and rocks to make you pay attention to the trail.

Last year's race was the muddiest trail run I've ever experienced (if there had been any more standing water on top of the shoe stealing mud, we may have needed scuba certifications to run certain sections of the course). This year still had some very muddy spots, but also lots of soft dry trail. I remember trying to jump over a water filled ditch last year - this year it was completely dry. Similar to last year, the highlight of the race (for me anyway) was running past the bald eagle nest near the half way point. Just one parent home this year, but it's cool to look up and see an eagle perched in a tree watching people run through the forest.

The trail through this section of woods gets very twisty and muddy. You can see other runners on a different section of the course at various places and you're not sure if they are in front or behind you! Steve was manning "Confusion Corner" to make sure everyone stayed on course (and getting a well earned rest from racing this weekend). Eventually the trail runs parallel to the Rum River and through some pines before popping out onto a grassy hill below the cemetary. Just follow the course markers to the bridge crossing the river and in to the finish.

I didn't stick around for the post race festivities this year, though I did get a chance to meet Jesse and Dan who are planning to "shoot the moon" for both the Fab Five and MN Trail Run Series. Good luck guys!

I also learned that Drymax socks are not the end all solution to my inconsistently consistant blister problems :( Consistant because the blister occurs in the same place every time it happens, inconsistant because it usually doesn't happen at all. Apparently, my socks have nothing to do with it. Dayam!

All in all, it was another perfect day to be running in the North Woods. Congrats and thanks to RD John O, Cindy, and all of the volunteers for putting on a great event!

Hope to see many of you at Ice Age next weekend! I'll be doing the kiddie race (50K).

Chippewa Moraine 50K

2009-04-27T09:33:00.008-05:00

Well, my goals for Chippewa were to finish my first 50K, have fun doing it, and go fast enough to avoid attracting buzzards. Mission accomplished!

Rolled in to Chippewa Falls on Friday afternoon to temps in the mid-80's. That's not a typo - it was hot! It's always fun at packet pick up to visit with other runners, especially the first race of the year when you haven't seen many of these folks for a few months. Larry, RD Wynn, Londell, and a few other volunteers were gathered outside getting things ready for the race. Had a chance to meet Lisa who would be crewing at one of the aid stations, got re-aquainted with JoAnne and Deb, discussed the weather forecast (40's and rain) and what to wear with other runners. Hard to believe that the temps would be dropping more than 40 degrees in just a few hours! Also ran in to Carl who was pacing his friend Janine on her first 50K - they were staying at the same motel that I was.

Woke up Saturday morning to thunder and light rain with temp about 41. It had rained pretty much all night - even some hail in nearby places. As we all lined up at the start to hear Wynn's last minute comments about the course, the sprinkles stopped and I never felt another drop of rain the rest of the day - turned out to be perfect running weather! Then the cowbell rang and we were off down a noteworthy hill and across a field before hitting the single track. This hill (and every other) was particularly noteworthy because it's an out and back course, so what goes down must later go up ;)

All photos courtesy of Londell.

I settled in to a slow pace towards the back of the pack - I really didn't want to get sucked in to the vortex and start running somebody else's race, which is so easy to do at the start when everything feels fresh. Got to run with Brook for a little while and talk about the other races that each of us would be doing this year.

The course turned out to be in excellent condition, even after the all night rain - just a few small muddy spots that were easy to get around. The single track is rolling hills with another lake around each bend. Beautiful scenery even for this time of year - it must be stunning in the fall! Not terribly technical terrain, but enough roots and rocks that you need to pay attention to the trail.

As we were rolling along towards AS1, I heard someone behind me talking about Barkley. Soon they passed and I realized that it was Allan Holtz. Being a slow runner who is used to being passed, I sometimes recognize people easier by seeing the backs of their heads ;) Karen was crewing at the first aid station about 5 miles in to the course - it's always nice to see familiar faces cheering you on! Since I was running with my Nathan, I just ran through the first AS passing Brook and Wayne.

The second AS was about 3 miles further and I ended up running most of this section by myself. Grabbed some awesome banana bread at this AS and ate it on the trail as I just kept plugging forward. Before long the front runners started passing on their return to the finish: John Storkamp had his game face on and was in the lead with Andy Holak not far behind. I didn't recognize the next few runners, then Adam came through about 5'th or 6'th. I'm pretty sure I saw Steve in this section too - his 3'rd ultra in 3 weeks, including a 100 miler at Zumbro!

AS 3 was only about a mile further down the trail from AS 2 after a last minute decision to move it (I understand that the original AS location was over-run with ticks). I ran right through this one too with lots of cheering from Lisa who was volunteering here. Helen was making her way back and was first woman by a large margin. Passed Carl and Janine at AS3, but they quickly caught up to me. I remember the beginning of this section as relatively flat with several muddy spots. Encountered some very slippery boardwalks, then Wayne caught up to me so we got to share the trail once again for a little bit.

The next AS would be the turn around and was about 6 miles away (glad I had my Nathan)! We passed through an area that had seen some recent logging, which made the trail a little messy with downed branches. Lots of two way traffic as we neared the turn around. Parts of the trail were quite narrow, so I had to stop and pull over to let those on the return path go through. Saw lots of familar faces here: Bryan, Molly, Maria, Deb, JoAnne, Kathy, Brook - I'm sure I'm missing a few. Had to climb over a barbed wire fence (I thought they were joking when they told me about it last week) before continuing on the single track. Almost took a wrong turn shortly before the turn around, but finally got there with Julie cheering as she was checking numbers.

Bonnie refilled my Nathan, I had some PB&J and pretzels, then it was back towards the start/finish area. Londell was taking pictures and helping out too. After climbing over the barbed wire again, I almost missed a turn in the logging area when I noticed orange markers going off to the left and another runner heading that way. The markers looked similar to the course markers except they were tied to tree branches instead of the flag wires that marked the course. Whew! Figured that one out quickly!

Not too many people were passing by going towards the turn around, so I figured that I was near the tail end of the train. Ran mostly by myself for the 6 miles back to Lisa's AS where they had a porta potty. My hands were getting swollen and even my eyes were starting to feel puffy. Too many S!Caps? Not enough? Too much sports drink? I was feeling good - no cramping or headache, still had energy, so I just kept going. Missed a turn going from the AS road into the woods, but another runner caught me so I didn't lose too much time or do too many bonus miles. We ran together for quite awhile, coming in to the next AS just a mile later. I grabbed more banana bread and just kept chugging forward, eating on the trail again. The two of us were plodding along, still walking the uphills and running the flats and downs.

Finally made it to the first/last AS, grabbed a handful of pretzels and crackers and kept going. The runner I was with stopped at the AS and I never saw him or another runner for the rest of the race. By now my knees and feet were pretty sore. My Garmin was showing distance at 25+ miles, but I figured it was closer to 26+. A little while later, the Garmin was still showing 25+ miles (am I really just running in place)? Finally I heard a beep and the Garmin lost it's satellite connection. Oh well.

After what seemed like an eternity, I popped out onto Hwy M which is supposed to be about 2 miles from the finish. I think this may be Horton miles ;) I just keep plugging away, eventually passing by the visitor center. By now I was ready to be done. Really ready. I was expecting to pop out of the woods and into the grassy field at any minute, but coming around every turn just led to more wooded single track. Finally, finally, I hit the grass! Somehow this gave me a little burst of energy and I was able to run the rest of the way toward the finish. Until I got to "The Hill." No way I could charge up that thing, so it was just a methodical left, right, left, right, left, right march. Then a short downhill jaunt to the finish chute where Matt, Wynn, Larry, Steve, Eve, Londell, and several others were cheering.

Finally done with my first 50K!

Wynn gave me my one of a kind finishers print, a beautiful picture of the Ice Age Trail. Had a post race Leinie's and some home made chocolate chip cookies while visiting with other runners.

What worked:

*I learned my pre-race meal several years ago when training for my first marathon. The motel where I stayed had a microwave and refrigerator, so I was able to bring and prepare a meal that I knew worked well for me.
*Wearing the Nathan vest allowed me to carry my regular sports drink for half the race. It also allowed me to blow through the aid stations without wasting time.
*Drymax socks with blister shield powder = no blisters or hot spots.
*One S!Cap per hour = no cramping.
*One Clif Shot almost every hour + some AS banana bread or PB&J = no bonking.

What didn't:

Although I got away with it, I don't recommend coming in to an ultra after a winter long taper. Putting in more base miles over the winter may have prevented the minor plantar fascia pain that I was experiencing. Not much I can do about the arthritis in my right foot or knees, so I do have to balance things out a bit, but I could have done more than I did leading up to this race. My longest run this spring was only 20 miles (once), with only 3 long runs on trails.

Congratulations to co-RD's Wynn, Matt, and Adam for putting on a spectacular race! Many, many thanks to the mulititude of awesome volunteers for helping to make this one of the best races in the Upper Midwest! Can't wait to do it again!

Last Thoughts Before Chippewa

2009-04-24T12:53:00.003-05:00

Sounds like tomorrow's weather is shaping up to be cold and wet (as in 40's with steady rain, wind, and T-storms all morning). Things may start to dry out around 3 ish in the afternoon, at which point I will probably still be plugging away. Dare I say that I almost wish this were a loop course so that I could shed or add clothing as weather dictates, especially since we can't have drop bags and I'm not bringing a crew.

With this being my first 50K, my goal is to finish and enjoy the ride. So here is my strategy:

1. Figure out what to wear. This will probably consume much time and energy right up to the last minute.

2. Toe the line.

3. Bend over.

4. Grab ankles.

4a. To make sure that shoes are tied, of course. What did you think I meant?

5. Begin with a slow pace. Very slow. Perhaps even lots of power hiking rather than running. This may even allow for a negative split if I walk a little faster after the turn around!

6. Try not to go so slow that I miss a cut off or start to attract buzzards.

7. Finish my first 50K.

8. Enjoy a post race Leine's with all of my old and new friends.

I'll let you know how my strategy turns out :)

Taper Week

2009-04-19T15:43:00.004-05:00

I'm not really sure why I feel the need to taper this week in preparation for my first 50K at Chippewa... I've been tapering all winter :(

Got in an easy 7 miler at Afton yesterday by doing the Africa Loop and Back 40. I was planning to include Nigel's Hill and the Campground Hill, but was having a hot spot beginning at around 3 miles. WTF? Been running with this same shoe/sock combo for 2+ years, though I did experience a similar problem at In Yan Teopa a couple years back. Since I have several pairs of the same brand sock, they all look alike. Perhaps one of the socks has something a little funky with the toe seam that isn't a problem unless I've got that one particular sock on my right foot in trail shoes?

Anyhoo, I've been experimenting with Drymax Socks the last couple of months and I REALLY like them so far! Ordered more today from Zombie Runner (today is the last day for the 15% off coupon code EXTRAVAGANZA, and you can also get free shipping if you type "I want free shipping" in the customer comments box). Over the last couple of months I've gotten a few runs in from 14-20 miles with no problems what-so-ever in the Drymax trail socks, and they supposedly keep your feet much drier than other brands. I'll keep you posted!

Hope to share the trail with many of you at Chippewa next weekend!

Zumbro 100

2009-04-12T11:26:00.004-05:00

Well, The Master was at it again. This weekend marked the inaugural running of the Zumbro 100 trail races down at the Zumbro River Bottoms, which is part of the Richard J. Dorer State Forest southwest of Wabasha. For those who may not know, RD Larry is known for putting on awesome trail races, and is perhaps the only RD who does 2 100 mile races per year (along with another 10 miler -In Yan Teopa - just a couple of weeks after his other little race).

The main event was the 100 mile race consisting of 5 laps of the same 20 mile loop; the fun run was 100K starting at midnight for 3 laps over the same terrain. Since I am no where near qualified to be doing even the kiddie race at this event, I opted to do a single lap sweeping the course with Wayne and Alicia and score a free sweatshirt :)

The weather was absolutely perfect - overnight lows in the 20's and daytime highs in the mid-50's. No ticks, mosquitoes, or other biting insects. No timber rattlers hiding under the deep leaf litter. No horse pies on the trail. Abundant sunshine. A full moon overnight. A dry week prior to the race so that the course was in perfect condition.

I had never visited this area before, so I was excited to get out on the trail to see what it was like. I was envisioning something similar to Afton: lots of hilly climbs up and down the bluffs with loose gravel making the downhills in particular somewhat slippery. I have to say I was a little surprized at the difficulty of the terrain! This course is probably the second most challenging of those that I have run in the midwest, second to the Superior Hiking Trail. There was deep sand, lots of baseball sized rocks, fairly steep climbs (almost 55% grade according to my Garmin), and deep trenches full of leaf litter hiding many of the roots and rocks. These trenches made me feel like I was on a bobsled course at times. Can't imagine trying to navigate some of that stuff in the dark! Justin took some nice pictures of the course last week on a beta run.

It was lots of fun seeing many of my trail buddies for the first time after a long winter, although I missed meeting up with several of them since I was still out sweeping when they finished their races and left. Larry tried to catch us up with who finished and who didn't when we finally returned from the forest just before the cutoff time, so I'm looking forward to hearing their race reports over the next few days.

Zach, Steve G and Steve Q all earned their first 100 mile buckle! Kim Holak beat everybody in the 100K - I'm not sure who the first place male was. Matt finished the 100K, Maria didn't, and I'm not sure about the others in that race. Winner of the 100 mile was Dallas Sigurdur followed by Scott Meyers, Dale Humphrey, and Garret Mulrooney. Susan and Rob finished the 100 mile in fine form after completing another 100 miler at Umstead just last weekend. Wow!

Congrats to Larry for another great race and to all who toed the line!

And just so you know, Larry is already planning a new route for next year to "take out that flat part."

Midweek Diversion

2009-04-08T14:27:00.005-05:00

This has nothing to do with running unless you're a border collie, but it's a lot of fun to watch!

Afton

2009-04-05T15:56:00.009-05:00

I finally made it out to Afton for the first time this season! Got about 20 miles in doing 2 laps of the Africa Loop, Back 40, Nigel's Hill and Campground Hill. Actual mileage was somewhere between 19.2 - 20.4 depending on which software you use, so I went with 19.65 miles after doing the "gravity elevation correction" thing on Motion Based.

Trail was in very good condition for early April, though the Back 40 was pretty slippery in spots later in the day as the mud began to thaw. Saw Alicia, Tom, and Nancy as well as lots of people backpacking and walking their dogs. The park seemed amazingly quiet without any boat motors humming on the St. Croix.

Here is the elevation profile for my run:

...works out to 7185 total vertical feet for the 2 loops. The plantar fascia on my right foot was talking to me a little bit after 15-16 miles and is a little tender today, so I'll have to watch that. Boy was my pace pokey, but I was basically walking the uphills and navigating a little mud - probably what I'll encounter at Chippewa in a few weeks.

Next week, I'm planning on being down at the inaugural Zumbro 100 helping out - not sure what my assignment will be yet but it should be an awesome race!

Edit: Looks like I'll be sweeping the course at Zumbro, which will allow me to get another 20 miler in before Chippewa . See ya there!

Motivation

2009-04-03T14:09:00.007-05:00

...or lack there of.

Not being much of a winter runner or a fan of the treadmill, I was really hoping that registering early for an April 50K would motivate me to do more regular running over the last few months. Didn't work. Now that spring is on the doorstep, I'm finally getting excited to get out and hit the trails again. Probably too little too late for Chippewa, which will most likely be a power walk rather than a run, but I'm going to toe the line anyway.

Anyhoo, I decided to visit Stan Jensen's ultra site for some motivation, and found a bunch of fun quotes that might describe my upcoming experience:

"Those of us who finish near the back make the rest of you look good."
- Submitted by Tom Kaisersatt

"You'll be wistful for the "wall" of the marathon,
when you hit the "death grip" of the ultra."
- Bob Glover

"If you under-train, you may not finish, but if you over-train, you may not start."
- Tom DuBos credits Stan Jensen with this one

"Any idiot can run a marathon. It takes a special kind of idiot to run an ultramarathon."
- Alan Cabelly

"Last is just the slowest winner."
- C. Hunter Boyd

"Anybody running beats anybody walking, and anybody walking beats anybody sitting."
- Tom Bunk

"Your body will argue that there is no justifiable reason to continue.
Your only recourse is to call on your spirit, which fortunately functions independently of logic."
- Tim Noakes

"... slowed my pace to the point that I could have been rear-ended by a sleepy snail."
- Dave Olney

"I want to thank the rest of you for making me look normal."
- Gordon Ainsleigh

"Don't worry - you're supposed to walk the uphills."
- Shelley Black

"The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep."
- Robert Frost

"If you can't fly, then run.
If you can't run, then walk.
If you can't walk, then crawl.
But whatever you do, keep moving."
- Martin Luther King, Jr.

"You hear about how runnin' ultras is all mental; well, I sure wish it'd hurry up and get mental, 'cause it's feelin' awfully physical right now."
- Ken Loveless

"It's very hard in the beginning to understand that the whole idea is not to beat the other runners. Eventually you learn that the competition is against the little voice inside you that wants you to quit."
- George Sheehan

"Start slow, then taper off".
- Walt Stack
(fellow 2008 shoot the moon runner Jim uses this one too, so it must work).

Hoping to get a good run in on the trails tomorrow - probably at Afton.

A Trail Run

2009-03-30T12:42:00.002-05:00

Finally!

Got out to Hyland Lake yesterday for my first trail run since Surf the Murph last Nov 1. Did 3 laps of an abbreviated version of the Trail Mix course for a total of 18.2 miles.

As far as trail conditions go, I thought they were in very good shape considering it's late March. Almost all of the snow is gone with just a few small stubborn patches that don't really matter. I got there early enough that the air temps were still below freezing, so my first loop went fairly easy. As time went on and the temps got warmer, the mud began to thaw so that the second and third loops were progressively muddier. Still, the trails are very runnable, and in many places are dry and in excellent shape!

Felt good to be out in the woods listening to the woodpeckers, geese, and all the other birds and critters.

Sick of Winter

2009-03-26T13:01:00.003-05:00

The title of this post says it all! With all of the cyclic snow melting and refreezing on a daily basis, I figure we'll have pot holes big enough to water ski on in another week.

Since I don't like running on ice or the treadmill, I've really been struggling to get motivated for long training runs. As a result, Chippewa is shaping up to be a power hike/death march rather than a trail race next month. Longest run to date since Surf the Murph last November was only 16 miles a week and a half ago, and similar to a 13 miler the week before, the bottoms of my feet were really sore after about only 12 miles or so - almost felt like they were bruised. I've even been running in new Mizuno Waveriders, my road shoe of choice for the past 7-8 years, so I thought I was going crazy! Then I got the latest issue of Run Minnesota published by MDRA which had this to say about the new Waveriders in their spring shoe review:

"The Waverider alternates between being a performance shoe and a midweight training shoe. Version 12 has slimmed down to a Performance weight (under 340 grams). The midsole is noticeably thinner. The ride is more responsive, which is good for lighter runners and shorter runs, but on longer runs, testers noted that it seemed a bit less cushioned than earlier Waveriders."

I'd say that review is spot on!

Hopefully the trails are starting to thaw out so I can run on nice, soft mud instead of pounding the asphalt. Either that or I'm going to have to head back over to TC Running for road shoes that can handle a few miles.

This weekend I'll be doing my annual stretching gig at the MDRA 7 Mile in Hopkins on Saturday morning, so Sunday is looking more likely for a longer run. We'll see.

First Week of March

2009-03-08T13:29:00.003-05:00

...went so-so, but not as good as I would have liked on the running front. I am really behind in my base building and am starting to panic a little about Chippewa. Only got 20+ miles in this week, and that has actually been one of my better weeks this winter :(

Mon: cross training on bike and elliptical, strength training upper body
Tues: 5 miles on the hamster wheel with a couple tempo run miles and a couple hill miles at a brisk walk
Wed: strength training legs
Thurs: man my legs are sore after yesterday's 5 set squat pyramid. Nada.
Fri: legs still sore, strength training upper body
Sat: 13.5 miles around the Lakes. Was kinda wishful thinking for 16, but my last "long" run was only 13 and that was a month ago before I got sick for 2 weeks. Thirteen felt harder than it should have, and my feet were killing me. Reminded me why I run trails instead of pounding the asphalt. On an up note, I finally found the perfect combination for carrying water on a long run!
Sun: strength training upper body and a short 2 mile tempo run on the treadmill. Heel bursitis is holding up pretty well - about 99% healed. I was pleased to be able to run today without any problems after a relatively longish run yesterday that left my heel a little sore.

I'm really looking forward to spring so that I don't have to choose between treadmill vs ice! And I really, really need to get out on trails to start some serious hill training (up AND down) in addition to ramping up the mileage.

Snow Shoeing at RTA

2009-02-28T12:47:00.009-06:00

What a perfect day to be outside!! My biggest dilemma this morning was to decide what to do and where to do it. I knew that Alicia and the Afton regulars were having a snow shoe fat ass and potluck at Afton State Park which was extremely tempting. Then Brad from the MN Dead Runners list posted an open invite to join him at RTA with a local Eden Prairie reporter doing a story on snow shoe running. A few others were planning on a 50K fat ass through the streets of Minneapolis and St. Paul. And yet someone else wanted to go snow shoeing at some park I've never heard of.

After a few sleepless nights at the end of this past work week, I decided not to set my alarm and just let nature take it's course. Woke up about 7:30 to see that temps were 3 degrees. (Heavy sigh). After futzing around waiting for the temperature to rise and trying to decide what I was going to do, I ended up heading out to RTA for my first round of snow shoeing all winter. Can you believe it? It's March Eve and I'm finally getting around to snow shoeing :)

Got out to RTA at about 10:30 to find absolutely nobody there. Apparently, not too many people joined Brad this morning as I only saw 2 sets of snow shoe tracks. The snow was perfect. About 6-8 inches of fresh fluff, clear blue skies, sunshine, and no wind.

When I got to the top of the biggest hill overlooking Hwy 212, I had unmarked snow and got to make first tracks. The snow was a little thinner and kind of crunchy, but still plenty of cover for the Red Feathers.

I probably would have been better off trying to get a longish run in rather than snoe shoeing, especially since I'm waaaay behind on my mileage after picking up a stomach bug last week, but the trails had too much snow for shoes and I fear that the running paths were probably glare ice.

I'm glad I had a day to be outside enjoying the North Woods. Happy March!

This 'n That

2009-02-08T14:36:00.003-06:00

Got in another build up run yesterday... 13+ miles around Lakes Calhoun (twice), Harriet, and Lake of the Isles. Great weather 2 weekends in a row! For such a low key run, my legs felt more tired than they should have :( Makes me a little nervous with Chippewa only 2 and a half months away. The heel is doing "OK" with the longer runs, but still doesn't like hills.

I've also been doing some short barefoot runs on an indoor track 1-2 times/week, which doesn't do much for increasing my running base (at least in terms of miles), but does help strengthen the intrinsic muscles in the feet and lower legs. Since I haven't been running on trails, this is a great benefit! And it feels great to run without the weight of shoes!

Even though I'm feeling a little panic about getting ready for Chippewa, I found myself poking around the internet this weekend looking at 50 mile races. Not for this year, but within the next 2, possibly next year depending on how things go this summer.

Things to consider:
*Time of year (I don't like winter running, so putting in high mileage during those months probably wouldn't go well).
*Location (closer to home is cheaper and easier than having to fly somewhere, but not a deal breaker).
*Cut off times (I'm slow. And have NO experience pacing myself at this distance. Generous cut-offs would be an advantage; however, courses with generous cut-offs usually have them for a reason: they are much more demanding).
*Altitude - we don't have any here ;)
*Total elevation (hillier courses are harder and take longer).
*Trail type (singletrack is my favorite by a large margin. Not interested in a road run - or dirt road run).
*Course type (I prefer point to point or out and back rather than loops).

Of the races I'm aware of, my impression is that Voyageur and Superior are pretty darn tough for a slow first timer. Ice Age, Glacial, and Mohican are probably in the moderate category. Lean Horse sounds like one of the easier runs, but also sounds like it's more on dirt roads rather than trails? Bighorn is intriguing - I'll have to get more info from runners who've done it since we can't really prepare for high altitude or extended downhills/uphills in these parts. Rocky Raccoon has very generous cut-offs for the 50 and looks to be non-technical singletrack, but would require more travel and winter running than I really want.

So, any suggestions for a first time 50?

I'm wondering how Carl did on his 100 miler at Rocky Raccoon this weekend?

I rediscovered some music that I've had for ages and forgot I had: Leonard Cohen and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. It's like getting new stuff without having to buy it :)

Hope you are having a great weekend!

Spring Tease

2009-01-31T14:10:00.003-06:00

Well, I finally got my wimpy self outside for a run today - a 10 miler around Lakes Calhoun, Harriet, and Isles. The weather was positively spring like with sunny skies and the temp around 40! That's more than 60 degrees warmer than it was a couple of weeks ago.

The Lakes were busy with lots of activities: ice fishing, wind surfing on skis (not sure what it's really called), cross country skiing, hockey, ice skating, and mountain biking on ice. Oh, and lots of walkers/runners on the paths. The City of Lakes Loppet ski race was going on at Lake of the Isles as well as some type of mountain bike event out on the frozen lake.

It was a nice way to end January :)

Today's run was my longest since Surf the Murph on Nov 1 and my heels were a little sore after the run. Hopefully the bursitis won't rear it's ugly head again since I really need to get my mileage up and some hill work in for Chippewa, which is less than 3 months away. Yikes!

Good luck to all of the brave souls who will toe the line for the toughest race in Minnesota this Monday - the Arrowhead 135. You don't sign up for this race - you apply.

Facebook

2009-01-28T20:05:00.002-06:00

Seems like a lot of the MN trail runners are also on Facebook!

Who knew?

Feel free to look me up - I post cool exercises to try (that may or may not have anything to do with trail running) every once in awhile.

2009 Minnesota Trail Run Series

2009-01-26T17:58:00.006-06:00

OK, Gang - it's official! Here's the list of races that are part of the 2009 MN Trail Run Series:

4/18 - Trail Mix 25K (50K, 7.5 mile) at Hyland Lake in Bloomington
5/2 - Runnin' in the Ruff 10K (2 mile) in Milaca. This is the 2009 MNTRS Championship Race!
5/16 - Superior Trail 25K (50K) in Lutsen
6/6 - Chester Woods 10 mile (5K) in Rochester
6/13 - Sour Grapes Half Marathon (10K) in Brainerd
7/4 - You have a choice between 2 races:
Tofte Trek 10K in Tofte OR
Afton 25K (50K) in Afton
8/1 - Fisherman's Picnic 5 mile in Grand Marais
8/15 - Days of Old Track & Trail 10K in Maple Lake
9/19 - Walker North Country Marathon (half, 10K) in Walker
9/26 - In Yan Teopa 10 mile in Frontenac
10/17 - Big Woods Half Marathon (10K, 5K) in Nerstrand
10/24 - Great Pumpkin Chase 5K (10K) in Lake Elmo

Distances in parentheses are alternate distances that still count for 25 points towards the series. If you want the most points (up to 100 per race), you need to run the advertised distance ;)

For those who want to shoot the moon, I think that this year is actually easier than last year. Last year, everyone HAD to run a marathon (Moose Mountain), this year the longest you need to go is 25K (Superior). And if you really want to run the fall Superior races (which aren't part of the series this year), you still can since doing the 10K at Walker the following week still counts towards the series.

Lace 'em up!

January Training

2009-01-25T13:37:00.003-06:00

I really don't enjoy winter running or the hamster wheel, so January and February are mentally tough for me to get miles in. That being said, I finally had a relatively decent week of training! Keep in mind that I am a low mileage runner ;)

I credit my good week mostly to deciding upon my "flagship" races for the year and beginning to plan my running schedule. Also, the retrocalcaneal bursitis in my heel has been almost completely resolved, so I've been able to start building up a little mileage. The key will be to not try to catch up too fast and end up flaring things up again. Setbacks suck!

This past week:
Mon - off
Tues - 6 miles
Weds - strength training + 1 mile run (all in Vibram Five Fingers)
Thurs - off
Fri - strength training
Sat - 8 miles (longest since Surf the Murph on Nov 1)
Sun - strength training + 4 quarter mile repeats (all in Vibram Five Fingers). First "speed" workout in months - it felt harder than it should have for the pace I ran. Deconditioning is a bitch!

If you think people look at you funny when you run in Vibram Five Fingers, wait 'til you show up at the squat rack wearing them :)

2009 Race Calendar

2009-01-19T16:34:00.006-06:00

I'm trying to firm up my race schedule so that I can get going on my planning. The 2009 races listed on the right side of my blog are tentative. Very tentative. It includes 2 ultras and possibly 2 marathons, which is a lot for a low mileage runner like moi.

I basically have 3 flagship races this year and have already registered for 2 of them:
Chippewa 50K
Grand Island Marathon
Wild Duluth 50K

The 2 50K races will count towards the Fab Five Fifties series; Grand Island doesn't "count" towards anything other than it's a race I've wanted to do for a long time. I lived in the U.P. for 4 years while going to college at Michigan Tech and drove past the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore I don't know how many times without ever bothering to visit. Funny how you don't appreciate what's in your own back yard until you move away. So, this July I'll hop on a ferry boat to get shuttled to Grand Island out in Lake Superior to run a marathon. Word is that it's a fairly non-technical course with plenty of bear sightings, a couple of beach sections, and a 6 hour time limit.

Since I also signed up for the MN Trail Run Series, I'd like to get at least 6 races in for that. My current schedule has 5, but if I volunteer at Trail Mix I should get points for both the Fab Fives and MN Trail Series.

There are also a few races that I'd like to do just because I like the races: Afton, Moose Mountain, and Surf the Murph come to mind. I've always been interested in Walker, although another marathon this year might put me over the edge. On the other hand, a mid-Sept marathon might be a great long training run for Wild Duluth. I may do either Moose or Walker, but definately not both!

Decisions, decisions....

So Many Races, So Little Time

2009-01-18T13:02:00.004-06:00

I met with Kate and Lisa at Hyland today to discuss which races to include in the 2009 MN Trail Run Series. Boy, there sure were a lot to choose from! We finally came up with a tentative schedule, but I'm not going to post it yet since there are still some details to be worked out with various race directors. The schedule we came up with includes 8 races from last year as well as 4 "new" ones - and some of the repeats from last year probably aren't the ones that you think ;) The one race that is for sure is Runnin' in the Ruff 10K in Milaca on May 2 since it will be the championship race for the series this year. Hopefully Kate will have the final schedule posted on the UMTR website by the end of the month. And if you end up not liking the schedule, well....Kate has been asking for volunteers to help choose the races for the last couple of years - you had your chance :)

Our discussion revealed LOTS of MN trail races this year! Here are just a few that you can consider when planning your own schedules:

April 18 - Trail Mix 25K or 50K at Hyland Lake Park in Bloomington
April 19 - MDRA Mudball 4 mile at Wirth Park (Mpls)
May 2 - Runnin' in the Ruff 10K in Milaca
May 16 - Superior 25K or 50K in Lutsen
June 6 - Chester Woods 10 mile in Rochester
June 13 - Sour Grapes Half Marathon in Brainerd
June 20 - JJM Victory Run 5K in Spicer
July 4 - Afton 25K and 50K
July 4 - Tofte Trek 10K
July 11 - Lakewood Hills 5K in White Bear Lake
July 11 - Half Voyageur in Duluth
July 25 - Bay to Bay Road & Trail 10K in Silver Bay
July 25 - Voyageur 50 mile in Duluth
July ? - SMU Trail Scamper 5K or 4 mile?
August 1 - Fisherman's Picnic 5 mile in Grand Marais
August 1 - Granite City 5K - St. Cloud
August 15 - Days of Old Track & Trail 10K in Maple Lake
August 19 - Tartan Terrible 4 mile in Lake Elmo
Sept 11-12 - Sawtooth 100 mile
Sept 12 - Moose Mountain Marathon or Superior 50 mile in Lutsen
Sept 19 - Walker North Country Marathon in Walker
Sept 19 - Trees and Trails 5K in Mahtomedi
Sept 20 - Harmon Farms 10 mile in Inver Grove Heights
Sept 26 - In Yan Teopa 10 mile in Frontenac
Oct 17 - Big Woods Half Marathon in Nerstrand
Oct 17 - Wild Duluth 50K or 100K
Oct 25? - Great Pumpkin Chase 5K in Lake Elmo
Oct 25 - Spring Into Shape 5K in Duluth
Oct/Nov? - Surf the Murph 25K in Murphy Hanrehan (Savage)
Nov 7 - Arctic Commando 5K in Battle Creek Park (St. Paul)

There's going to be a trail running festival in Duluth from Sept 25-27 that sounds like a lot of fun too:
Friday Sept 25 - 1 mile (or there abouts) hill climb up Spirit Mountain starting at 5 pm.
Sat Sept 26 - half marathon (10-13 mile range - distance still to be determined) on the Superior Hiking Trail starting at 8 am.
Sun Sept 27 - 5K beach run at Park Point starting at 9:30 am.

So which ones am I running? I'll have to save that for a separate post.

A Little Progress

2009-01-11T15:39:00.004-06:00

While my running goals aren't quite where I'd like them to be right now, I have made some minor progress. Today was my longest run since Surf the Murph 25K on Nov 1 - a whopping 6 miles on the hamster wheel. My heel was a little sore for the first mile, but then settled down. With Chippewa looming just a few months away, I'd like my mileage to be double what it is right now, but I really want to get this bursitis put to bed before the trail running season hits full swing.

Strength training continues to go well!

I paid my annual dues for membership in the Upper Midwest Trail Runners and signed up for both the MN Trail Run Series and the Fab Five Fifties Ultra Series. It seemed like a good idea at the time ;)

Steve has posted the 2009 Fab Five Fifties races (I believe the dates on his blog are correct unlike the dates on the UMTR website), and some of us will be meeting next weekend to choose the races for the 2009 MN Trail Run Series. Instead of the same races year after year, there will be a few new games in town this year! Stay tuned!

Tidbits

2008-12-19T11:59:00.003-06:00

Seems like we've been having some "nose hair awareness" weather lately, so I've been sticking to the treadmill. Not only because of weather, but my heel is still sore after Surf the Murph and I want to get that healed completely before ramping up miles and/or hills in preparation for Chippewa (it will be here sooner than we all think)! By running on the hamster wheel, I can stop at any time if the heel starts complaining. My longest run since Murph has only been 4 miles, and I'm a little bummed that the bursitis hasn't calmed down by now :(

As far as how my other short term goals are going: I haven't been sticking with the 1600 calorie diet 5 days/week (more like 2). Summit curls have not been dropped from my routine, which probably is a major contributing factor to >1600 cal/day on some days. Strength training is going well! Cross training is going pretty well, but high intensity cardio really hasn't happened on a regular basis. Gotta get that darn heel fixed (priority #1).

Stopped by TC Running Company this morning to get some new road shoes (Mizuno Wave Rider 12)! It's always fun getting new kicks - this version seems to have a slightly lower profile than the 11, so I'm looking forward to giving them a spin. Didn't see Kurt, but got to chat with owner Adam for a little bit. If anyone in the Twin Cities is looking for a good running shoe store where the folks know their stuff, I highly recommend this one!

Forecast is for snow snow snow, so I may take the snowshoes out for their first tromp of the season tomorrow. It will be nice just to get out in the woods :) That ought to get me in the Christmas spirit!

Hope everyone is enjoying our winter wonderland!

Down Time

2008-11-29T12:59:00.004-06:00

Haven't had much to say about running lately, so I haven't been keeping up with the blog. The last few weeks have been down time as far as running goes - only some short spurts (ie about 3 miles at a time) on the treadmill since Surf the Murph. The bursitis is improving, but still noticable. I also managed to catch a little bug that was going around, so I've been a slug lately.

Been busy watching the current space shuttle mission (STS-126), which is coming to a close after 2+ weeks. Never get sick of looking at the pictures of Earth from space. I could post lots of stuff about the mission, but...this is a trail running blog ;)

Photo courtesy of NASA

Also been loading up the Ipod with some tunes to get through running on the hamster wheel over the winter. Some of my recent additions:

Cities Sampler - Vol 20. Awesome 2 disc acoustic set that typically sells out within minutes the day it goes on sale.
Tom Morello aka The Nightwatchman - Fabled City. Rage Against the Machine guitarist who displays his more acoustic side as The Nightwatchman.
My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges.
The Verve - Forth. A Storm In Heaven is still my favorite disc of theirs, but this one is pretty good too.
Ray Lamontagne - Gossip In the Grain. I like his first disc Trouble the best, but this is also a great listen.
Amos Lee - Last Days at the Lodge.
Coldplay - Viva LaVida.
Joe Henry (yeah, he's Madonna's cousin) - Trampoline.

Hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving!

Toughest Kid in the World

2008-11-07T07:46:00.001-06:00

I feel a little silly complaining about some minor bursitis when I think about Nick Nelson.

Off Season Plans

2008-11-06T12:28:00.003-06:00

Now that the trail racing season has wrapped up, it's time to start thinking about next year. I have some preliminary races in my head that I want to do for sure: Chippewa, Superior, Afton, Moose Mountain, and Wild Duluth. I'm sure others will fill in, such as Runnin' in the Ruff, Chester Woods, and In Yan Teopa. Before that, however, I need to decide on my goals for the off season, and how they will play into next season's races.

So, from now until mid-January:

R & R - but just for a week or two.
It's been a long, wonderful trail running season and I hope to still get out for an occasional fat ass run. But right now my left heel is still sore (self diagnosis = retrocalcaneal bursitis), so I need to let that heal up. I think I'll also need some new trail shoes, as I suspect that may be most of the culprit for this particular issue. And I need a mental break, so active rest (basically just doing activities for FUN rather than a specific purpose) is on the menu for the next couple of weeks.

Lose 5-10 lbs of fat.
This is actually more vague than it should be: 5 lbs is more realistic, but since I'm not overweight (I just weigh more than I ever have - thank you perimenopause), I will still be at a healthy weight whether I lose 0, 5, or 10 lbs. I will accomplish this by:

a) limiting caloric intake to 1600 +/- 100 calories per day, 5 days per week.
b) engaging in more high intensity cardio intervals (anaerobic 1x/week as well as aerobic 1x/week) to increase exercise post oxygen consumption (EPOC).
c) maintaining strength training 2-3x per week. I may combine some of this with the anerobic intervals.
d) still doing some moderate intensity aerobic exercise including cross training (running, snow shoeing, rowing, biking, stair stepping) 2-3x/week.
e) dropping the bicep curls with Summit Extra Pale Ale from my routine.

Improve flexibility.
I am about as flexible as a redwood. As trees go, redwoods are pretty pliable, but.... I am not a tree. I will accomplish this by:

a) Self myofascial release using a biofoam roller. I have 2 of them, so I can do it in my living room every day if I choose to. No excuses!
b) Yoga sounds more interesting to me than static stretching, but I don't really want to drive to the gym in the evening to get into a class (and the class schedules change frequently). I see myself sticking to this more successfully if I do it in my living room in the evening as a relaxation thing immediately following the self myofascial release. In reality, it will probably be static stretching (or the PNF stretches that I can do myself without a partner) rather than yoga most of the time, but I've gotta start doing something. Preferrably most days of the week.

Correct muscle imbalances.
We've all got 'em and I am no exception. I'll accomlish this by:

a) doing a musculoskeletal assessment on myself to dial things in more precisely and monitor how what I've been doing has been working. Good thing I do this for a living, so I know exactly what I need to do.
b) Now I just have to do it more regularly ;)

Maintain a running base.
...even if it's minimal, so that I can jump in to my planned run training schedule beginning in mid-January in preparation for the Chippewa Moraine 50K in April. Up until then, most of my running will be at an easy pace and probably under 10 miles/run depending on how the heel and knees are feeling. I have a vague idea of what my Chippewa training schedule will be once we get to mid-Jan, but will not solidify it until assessments tell me what my strengths/weaknesses are at that time. Since I am historically weakest with strength endurance, I feel pretty confident that there will be lots of hills in my future.

Enjoy the offseason!

Surf the Murph 25K

2008-11-01T15:08:00.002-05:00

What a perfect morning for a trail run! Crystal clear skies with stars twinkling, no wind, temps in the mid-30's, frost on the grass. Got up at 5 am to make it to the trailhead for the start - about 60+ people showed up for the first "official" Surf the Murph 25/50K races (there was a fat ass last year). Bonnie and Donny wheel measured and marked the course, and Donny mentioned that he planted some animals in the woods. We lined up in the dark with head lamps and flashlights for the 7 am start, then off we went into the woods for either 2 or 4 laps of the 8-ish mile course.

It was pitch black at the start of the race, so everyone was pretty laid back with their pace. The wide trails made it easy to pass or run side by side with another runner. The first 4 miles were pretty hilly - some were steep and had loose gravel, kinda like Afton. Then we got to the previously locked gates and finally got to sample the south end of the park. [As it turns out, hikers are apparently welcome on all of the trails and the closure signs are primarily to keep horses and 4 wheelers out of certain areas of the park. They still don't want folks trespassing during nesting season for the rare bird species....it seems like the park staff could do a much better job of marking/explaining the trail closures, especially if they apply only to certain modes of travel (ie horse, bike, ATV, or feet)]. The south end was much gentler, although there were some sandy and/or rocky bits. Nice little piece of single track shortly after the 5.5 mile aid station - I think that was probably my favorite part of the course.

I ended up running a liesurely pace with Wayne for the entire 25K distance, then he continued on for another 2 laps. It's nice to have company during longish runs - makes the hours and miles fly by! We saw 2 white tail deer bound across the trail directly in front of us, then a pair of wild turkeys later in the day. Thanks for the animals Donny ;)

My finish time for the 25K was one of my slowest, but I really didn't care. I wasn't pushing at all - just enjoying a great morning in the woods. I'm glad I didn't continue with the 50K as my left heel was getting pretty sore. Not sure what that's about - perhaps it's time for some new shoes.

Thanks to RD Les & Cindy and all of the volunteers for a great event in a beautiful park! I hope to be back with my snow shoes in a couple of months!

Change of Plans

2008-10-28T18:57:00.002-05:00

As much as I'd hoped to pull off my first ultra this fall, I've decided to cut back to the 25K distance at Surf the Murph this weekend. Mainly because of lackluster training since Moose Mountain and a jam packed schedule this Saturday - and I want to be able to attend and enjoy ALL of my Saturday events!

And, frankly, I'm a little mentally burned out.

See you on the trail....

2008 MN Trail Run Series Revisited

2008-10-25T14:36:00.004-05:00

I did it. I shot the moon and ran all 12 of the 2008 MN Trail Run Series races along with Wayne, Jim, and John. What a whirlwind it was! It seems like just a few weeks ago we were all lined up at the early spring races, wondering how to dress for the weather while tromping through snow and mud. Then heat and humidity. Now tripping over rocks and roots covered by leaf litter. I thought it would be fun to think back about some of the highlights from each race:

Trail Mix - I was so excited to see my running buddies after a long winter of slogging on the hamster wheel! We were gathering for the start, all wondering how to dress for the 40ish degree temps on a cloudy, windy day. Most of us decided on shorts, and we all had pasty white legs ;)

Runnin' In the Ruff - Two things really stand out about this one: the ankle deep shoe stealing mud with knee deep water on top of it, and running directly under a bald eagle nest with both parents present. A very windy day - all of us were huddled together on one side of the picnic shelter waiting for the awards and door prizes. Keith scored some home made chocolate pecan bark, Wayne got a martini mix, and Kate got the coveted pink garden hose. Oh, and Steve suffered the first of what would turn out to be a long string of injuries by rolling his ankle.

Superior 25K - Beautiful double rainbow over Lake Superior the evening before the race. Race day was very windy, and there were A LOT of blown down trees on the course - one of which I became stuck on. A few days later, one of the Lutsen condos that some runners stayed in burned to the ground.

Chester Woods - Man, I have never run in a down pour like the one that occurred during this race! It was so dark in the woods I felt like I needed a flashlight, and I had to keep tugging my water logged shorts back up before they fell off. The Burma Shave signs and post race dill pickles were fun, and legendary running coach Segred Levert stuck around to chat 'til the very end.

Sour Grapes - I ended up being in a sour mood for Sour Grapes since my neighbors had an all night party the night before and I didn't sleep. At. All. This was the race where I learned who the 4 runners who were trying to "shoot the moon" were - Wayne, Jim, and John in addition to myself.

Afton - Last year's run was my first trail race, so I had a time to beat. And I didn't, even though I felt like I ran much stronger. Bummer.

SMU Trail Scamper - What a fun little low key race! Just the 4 of us "moon shooters" and the first time I saw Adam all season - Jim and Adam both won age group awards. Put on by the SMU student athletes, they had a last minute land dispute which forced them to change the course from a 4 mile to a 5K just a few days prior to the race. I'm glad I didn't know about the timber rattlers that were on the course until after the race.

Days of Old Track and Trail - really fun trail when we finally got to the trail - unfortunately that was only about half of the race while the other half was running on dirt roads or along the shoulder of a highway to get to the trail. Lots of UMTR folks showed up for this one, so it was a fun social event.

Moose Mountain Marathon - This was the one I was looking forward to all season. It didn't disappoint, even though the trail seemed to be overrun by bees. An awesome race held on one of the most beautiful trails on Earth. Did I mention the bees?

Mpls Trail Loppet - With all of the trails in Wirth Park, I was hoping to run on more dirt rather than busted up concrete, old asphalt, or a sidewalk parallel to a freeway.

In Yan Teopa - I'd done this one last year too, so I had another time to beat. This time I did it. Very pretty run! Jim gave us a little scare by taking a scenic detour to get to the race and almost lost his bid for shooting the moon.

Big Woods - The final race of the series! Wish I had a picture of the sunrise in the dense fog - it was surreal. Another very pretty run through rolling, open woods with nice fall colors.

Thanks to those who shared the trail with me during this epic journey. What a ride!

Big Woods Half Marathon

2008-10-18T17:55:00.006-05:00

The final race of the 2008 MN Trail Run Series is in the books! Today was the Big Woods Half Marathon that was run (mostly) in Nerstrand State Park, on a picture perfect fall day.

Got up early and headed down for the race in thick fog - the sunrise was surreal. Race headquarters were located at a church about a mile from the park, and the place was buzzing with runners and lots of cheerful volunteers. Got the table set up to recruit more members to the awesome Upper Midwest Trail Runners club and then got ready to line up for the start next to the cemetary. It was a cool morning - mid 30's at start time - and the fog was starting to burn off and give way to abundant sunshine.

The half marathon and 10K runners started together, and there were A LOT of us! The first mile was run on a paved road to get to the park, then we were off into the woods! I had no idea how many aid stations there would be (or where), so I opted to bring the Nathan vest instead of a hand held. As it turns out, there were several aid stations serving water and Gatoraid, the first at about mile 1, so a hand held would have been fine.

Soon after entering the woods, the 10K and half marathon runners parted ways. The half marathon course was billed as a hilly run, but other than a couple of noticable hills I found it to be rather flat. My garmin measured only 2136 feet of total elevation gain/loss for the entire 13.1 miles.

Very pretty course through open woods, the trail twisted and turned over gently rolling terrain. I had my camera tucked into my Nathan vest and was hoping to get some pictures of peak fall colors, but we were about a week too late. Lots of leaves on the ground which covered the roots - I saw more people take diggers during this race than any other all season! Someone must have gotten dinged up because a 4 wheeler pulling a rescue cart passed us on the trail.

I felt like I was making good progress for about the first 6 miles, then was starting to feel a little crampy. My hands were also swelling, so I took some Endurolytes. I had decided that since it was cool (and I'd had all summer to get acclimated to heat, which also results in more efficient sodium retention), Endurolytes would be sufficient rather than S caps. Big mistake! I was also noticing a blister forming on the ball of my right foot even though I've been wearing the same shoe/sock combo for more than a year. WTF? Wayne passed me around this time, and I had to start slowing to a walk for most of the uphills - even the gentle ones - to avoid cramping. More meandering through the twisting trail, then up one of the noteworthy hills with the "cheer leader of the year" shouting encouragement to all of the runners.

Popped out onto a gravel road where we had to do a little loop up and around a cone before trotting back for another short section in the woods. Finally we returned to the paved road for the last mile back to the church. There was a pretty stiff headwind by now - I hadn't noticed the wind at all in the woods. The ol' feet and legs were feeling a little crampy, so my progress was way slower than it should have been and I was getting passed by several people. I kept thinking that I am in big trouble with a 50K on the schedule in just 2 weeks and I'm limping in for a half marathon!

Finally got to the finish and met up with the usual cast of characters for the post race chat. We had a sit down lunch with soup, bread, cookies, bananas and oranges at the church - tomato vegetable soup never tasted so good!

Special thanks and congrats to RD Mark Bongers and ALL of the many, many, cheerful volunteers that helped to put on a great race!

Murphy Hanrehan

2008-10-11T18:10:00.008-05:00

OK.

Those of you who run at Murphy Hanrehan on a regular basis.... where exactly do you manage to run without being turned back by closed trails? Last weekend I decided to give the Surf the Murph course a try, only to find a locked gate and "trail closed for your safety" sign at marker #8. This was only 3.7 miles into a loop that is supposed to be 7.75 miles long. I ended up having to cut back to the start for 5.5 miles (which brought up a question with another trail runner as to the actual length of the official course loop). All of the other trails to the south end of the park were also closed, which meant that I was stuck with a very short loop at the north end.

Today, I decided I would try to get 3-4 laps of the 5.5 loop in for 15-20ish miles on a beautiful fall day. Nope! Today, the gates were locked so that I couldn't even get to marker #4, resulting in an extremely short loop of less than 3 miles. Then I realized that the water to the drinking fountain had been turned off for the season, so my single hand held was all I had. Dayam! Decided to drive to the horse trail parking lot and try to get the south end of the course loop in, but the parking area was already overflowing. Seriously thought about driving to Afton to do my own little hill workout at Nigel's and Campground, but eastbound I-494 was closed for road construction.

Bottom line: I ended up with a 3 mile run instead of 15-20 in preparation for a 50K in 3 weeks, and haven't run more than 10 since Moose. Crap.

On a happy note, today's short run was gorgeous, and I really would like to know where the open trails at Murphy are ;)

Surf the Murph and Other Stuff

2008-10-02T10:25:00.004-05:00

As if running all 12 races in the 2008 Minnesota Trail Run Series wasn't enough, I decided to tug on the Big Girl Panties and ante up for my first ultra - Surf the Murph 50K at Murphy Hanrehan park on Nov 1. It will be 4 loops of the following:

Surf the Murph Course Map

I'll need to do a somewhat respectable time in order to finish the race, go home, shower, grab whatever potluck thingy I need to bring to the first annual Upper Midwest Trail Runners awards fest, and drive to Hastings for the party. November 1 will be a busy day!

Also in November - the release of the Cities 97 Sampler! This year will be a double disc and I got the set list yesterday.

Good luck to all who are running in the Twin Cities Marathon this weekend! After you've pounded yourselves into oblivion on the pavement, come and join us in the dirt for some real fun ;)

In Yan Teopa 10 Mile

2008-09-27T14:59:00.007-05:00

Eleven down, 1 race to go in the 2008 Minnesota Trail Run Series! Today's race was the In Yan Teopa 10 mile at Frontenac State Park. Wish I had brought my camera along - this is a beautiful park located among the steep bluffs along the St. Croix River south of Red Wing. The course is mostly gently rolling, non-technical trail in open terrain with a couple of steep, noteworthy climbs through singletrack in the woods. The fall colors are just starting to turn - it will be spectacular in a couple of weeks!

Met up with the usual gang at the start, but noticed that someone was missing. There are 4 of us attempting to complete all 12 races in the MN Trail Run Series, and Jim gave us a scare by being uncharacteristically fashionably late ;) After taking a scenic detour to get to the race, he somehow managed to drive 80 miles in an hours time to make it to the start line just as we were all heading down the trail. We half joked about camping at Nerstrand the night before the Big Woods Half Marathon just to make sure we make it to all 12 races. Half joked.

Much of the first half of the race is on wide grassy gently rolling trails in open terrain. Nice to have wider trails especially at the beginning so that people don't get too bunched up. I was feeling pretty good early on and tried to settle in to a comfortable pace. It seemed like there was a lot of downhill grade for the first few miles, which we would have to make up for later ;) Came to the first of several road crossings (I didn't remember that many road crossings before) and soon we were at the first of 3 aid stations. I had a hand held so I just ran through the first aid station and continued on. More wide grassy trail, but a little flatter now. I was grateful that the skies were remaining overcast, as I was starting to notice the high humidity. Took an S Cap and a Clif Shot shortly before coming in to the second aid station just past the half way point.

The second half of the course is more difficult (read: uphill) and also has more singletrack through the woods. I was starting to feel overheated from the high humidity, so it was nice to catch the breeze every now and then. My pace was starting to slow a bit, probably from the uphill grades in addition to feeling hot. A few wide switchbacks up to more singletrack, then the really steep switchbacks with lots of stairs leading up to the third aid station at the top of the bluff. By now, my hamstrings were threatening to cramp, so I had to slow down a bit. Topped off the handheld with water and headed out for the last few miles.

More gently rolling hills in open terrain - the sun was starting to pop through the clouds and I was really feeling hot even though the temp was only about 70. Still feeling like my hamstrings were going to cramp any time we came to an uphill grade, so I was walking even the gentle uphills. Took another S cap and kept going. One or two people passed me before we got to my favorite section of the course - the winding singletrack in the woods just before the finish. Finally popped out of the woods and trotted into the finish just in time for the awards ceremony.

I had originally planned on running the course a second time to get a 20 mile run in, but there was no way that was going to happen with the way my legs were feeling. I had also forgotten my Nathan vest at home, where it was loaded with water and gels ready to go. Oh well.

Thanks again to RD Larry & Colleen and their awesome volunteers for putting on another great event! I will have to pull my weight next year by doing some volunteer work at races instead of running all of them :)

Mpls Trail Loppet 5K

2008-09-20T12:34:00.005-05:00

I must confess, when I decided to attempt to run all 12 races in the Minnesota Trail Run Series, the Trail Loppet 5K in Wirth Park really didn't sound all that interesting to me. It was scheduled just 2 weeks after Moose Mountain Marathon, which is primarily why we chose the 5K for the 10'th race of the series rather than their flagship half marathon. Moose Mountain was my "big" race this year (and on my favorite trail to boot), so in addition to needing a little recovery time, everything else afterwards seems a little bit of a let down.

Woke up to a hazy morning and drove the short distance to Wirth Park in Minneapolis. The weather was shaping up to be beautiful for a short hop through the woods - low 60's, a little humid, sunshine, and no wind. Met up with many of the usual cast of characters: Jim, Wayne, John, Kate, Brook, Steve, and Lisa - all except Wayne were running the shorter distance.

The 5K basically covered the same trail as the first few miles of the half marathon, which started only 10 minutes later. This did result in a few log jams on the narrow single track portions of the trail as the front runners in the half marathon caught up to the slower 5K runners. The beginning of the course was basically a wider asphalt trail that has seen some better days, which led up a short hill and then over broken concrete slabs in front of the building where we picked up our race packets. I thought this was supposed to be a trail race?

We finally got into some single track with a few very short technical sections. Very short. Then it was out onto grass and running past a school, back into the woods and along a power line section [nothing like the infamous power lines of Voyageur ;)], and more short sections of single track. The course then popped out onto a sidewalk which ran alongside a road bordering Wirth Park, then back onto asphalt pretty much the rest of the way to the finish.

There seemed to be a pretty good turn out for both events, and I believe the proceeds benefit the City of Lakes Nordic Ski Foundation. If you've never tried trail running before, this would be a fun way to get your feet wet and see what it's like to run in the dirt, especially since you can compare it to asphalt and concrete all in the same race! Personally, I would have preferred more running on dirt trails instead of the pavement, but it was still a great day to be out in the woods with my buddies :)

Looking forward to a nice 10 miler in beautiful Frontenac State Park next weekend!

Hat Tip

2008-09-12T06:25:00.015-05:00

RD Larry & Colleen

When races are run well, it's easy to forget the countless hours of hard work done by dozens of people who work behind the scenes to make the event what it is. They do their jobs so well that they become invisible to the folks who are out enjoying the trail. We forget that someone had to design the logo for the race, get shirts/hats/mugs/brochures/etc. printed and distributed, get trophys/medals/buckles made, secure permits/permission from land owners to run on any given trail that particular day, get permits or make reservations to use certain rooms or buildings for "race headquarters" during the event, make up the goody bags and pre-race packets, secure sponsors, hang banners, get timing equipment and set it up, market the race, arrange for medical/first aid, enlist ham radio operators, buy food and prepare it for the aid stations, recruit volunteers to work aid stations, mark and sweep the course, get runners registered (early and at the last minute), post results, arrange for catering post race food, lug the awards down to the finish line and distribute them to the winners, and clean up the mess after everyone else has left. I'm sure there are several other jobs that I've forgotten to mention.

Here is a tip of the hat to the volunteers who work behind the scenes so the rest of us can have some fun on the trail! The pictures I have happen to be from the Superior fall races, but this hat tip is for anyone who has ever volunteered to work an event. And if you haven't done it yourself, you should ;)

Just a few of the folks to thank for an awesome gathering at the fall Superior Trail Races:

Temperance Aid Station

Tettagouche Aid Station

Sawbill/Britton Peak Aid Station

Cramer Road Aid Station

Silver Bay Aid Station

Oberg Aid Station

Marathon check in crew, who also served as... ...the finish line crew.

Thank you all volunteers! Our great trail races wouldn't be nearly as awesome without you!

Moose Mountain Marathon

2008-09-07T17:26:00.009-05:00

Short Version:

This is the only marathon I have ever run where I needed to use my hands.

In 26.2 miles, my Garmin showed 10,923 total vertical feet of elevation gain/loss with the steepest pitch up Carlton Peak being an 89.8% grade.

Long Version:

I managed to get out of the Twin Cities by late Friday morning, which allowed me to stop by the Silver Bay and Tettagouche aid stations later that day to check on my buddies who were running the Sawtooth 100 miler. I think I was actually more excited about their race than my own, especially since it was the first attempt at 100 miles for several of them! It was fun to catch a glimpse of several of them coming through the aid stations and hear how they were doing. I eventually got to Lutsen for packet pick up and the pre-race meeting before stuffing myself with pasta and hitting the sack.

Got up early Saturday to catch the bus to the start - it was perfect weather - slightly overcast and about 50 degrees. Looked like there had been a little rain overnight, but the skies appeared to be clearing. Anywhere on the Superior Hiking Trail is one of my favorite places on Earth, so I was getting excited to get going!

Finally arrived at Cramer Road for the start of the race and got lined up with Wayne and Jim. Larry said "Go!" and we were off on a 1.2 mile loop before heading past the Cramer Rd aid station and down the trail. I had never run this section of SHT before, so really wasn't sure what to expect as far as difficulty. Some said there was a monster climb, others thought it wasn't too bad. I don't remember any long or difficult climbs, but I had fresh legs at this point. Very pretty run past Fredenburg Creek, which was flowing more than some of the rivers! There were quite a few of us running together at this point, kind of like a freight train rolling through the woods.

We arrived at the first aid station (Temperance) 8 miles later and I realized that I hadn't been drinking nearly as much water as I should have. That's one of the problems that I have using a Nathan or CamelBak - I can't tell how much I've been drinking. Decided that I needed to pay more attention to my pre-race plan of 1 S cap every hour, 1 Clif shot gel every hour, and drinking at least 1.5 liters of Heed between aid stations.

The section between Temperance and Sawbill is very pretty and very runnable for about 2 miles up until reaching Carlton Peak. The trail runs parallel to the Temperance River on one side, crosses over it, then begins to climb a bit before hitting the steep rocky section up Carlton Peak.

During this section I had my first encounter with the bees that had already plagued other runners and got stung just above the knee. Dang! I made a mental note of the time since I tend to swell more than the average person, and I'd seen Molly at the Silver Bay aid station just after she returned from the clinic as a result of a bad allergic reaction to a bee sting the day before.

Oh well, nothing I can do about it now - time to climb Carlton Peak and keep moving toward the Sawbill aid station. The volunteers there had some stuff to help take the stinging sensation away, and mentioned that lots of other people had also been stung.

I seemed to waste a lot of time in the aid station, and finally headed back out onto the trail. Shortly after leaving, I encountered another swarm of bees. Thankfully the trail here was relatively easy, so I was able to sprint ahead to get away from the swarm without getting stung again.

The section between Sawbill and Oberg is probably the easiest section of the SHT I've ever travelled - nice open forest and the trail is not so steep, rooty, or rocky compared to the rest. The trail gradually dropped down to a good sized pond and I passed a beaver lodge, but didn't see any resident beavers. A pair of runners caught up to me and asked how I was faring with the bees. They had both been stung too!

Getting close to the Oberg parking lot, I heard the buzzing of yet another swarm of bees. Managed to find another gear to elude the swarm and just kept charging toward the final aid station at Oberg. Just 7.1 miles to the finish now.

After spending too much time in the aid station, I finally headed out to get up and over the last 3 hills and settle a score with one particular blown down tree on top of Moose Mountain. (As it turns out, I'm not the only one who had an issue with that tree last spring, right Barb)? I got past Oberg Mountain and Rollins Creek in good shape, and the long steep ascent of Moose began. This final section is probably the most difficult for the marathon course, and the climb up Moose at this point in the game can be a doozy. I'll be darned if I didn't hear the buzzing of another swarm of bees! I knew I couldn't sprint all the way up Moose Mountain, but I was able to go far enough to get away from the bees one last time.

After reaching the ridge top without any drama, I realized that my tree had been cleared from the trail and it was clear sailing! At least until it was time to come down the other side, at which point my knees were screaming during the steep descent. I think it took longer for me to get down Moose than to go up!

Now there was just the long jog that everyone forgets about: up and over Mystery Mountain. It is not nearly as steep or technical as Moose, but it seems to last forever! Finally, I could hear the rushing water of the Poplar River - almost home now!

Popped out onto the gravel road and jogged home to the finish at Caribou Highlands. Larry was waiting at the finish to congratulate me and give me my finishers trophy. He was also curious as to whether I'd seen any of the 50 milers since they were running a new, more difficult course this year and none of them had finished yet. Nope, I hadn't!

It was fun catching up with everyone at the finish - had to find out how the 50 and 100 milers were doing and how everyone else's run went. A few of us agreed that the marathon seemed easier than the Superior 25K back in May, perhaps because the blown down trees had been cleared and we'd had all summer to run hills ;)

I can't thank the volunteers enough for everything they did so that the rest of us could play in the woods during the bee/wasp/hornet convention. Perhaps I'll save that for a separate post.