Afton 25K - 2011

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

...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

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...

...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

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

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

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

"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

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

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

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 ;)

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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

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

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!