Superior 2009

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!

Moose Mountain Marathon

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.

Last Dance Before Moose

Today was my last trail run before heading up the Shore for the Moose Mountain Marathon (aka kiddie fun run) this Friday. Headed out to Hyland Lake where I saw more people running the trails than ever before - except during Trail Mix. Did about 10K on most of the Trail Mix course (cut out the loop towards Richardson and the ski hill). Also did a strength training workout for the upper body before running.

I had a pretty horrendous week as far as training goes. Work has been extremely busy (a good thing), but has left me exhausted after pulling 12 hour shifts every day. Only ran once (4 miles yesterday) since my Afton run last weekend. Hope to get a short tempo run in early this week as well as a short easy run or two. Perhaps a barefoot hike too. Then a day or two off.

Hope to get out of the Twin Cities late Friday morning and perhaps catch a glimpse of my 100 miler buddies at one of the aid stations on the way up to Lutsen. They start their journey Friday morning: while I'm at work, they will be running. When I'm eating lunch, they will be running. When I'm driving 5+ hours up to the pre-race meeting and packet pick up, they will be running. When I'm stuffing myself with pasta the evening before my race, they will be running. When I'm sleeping, they will be running. When I get up in the morning and have a pre-race breakfast, they will be running. When I get on the bus to get shuttled to the start of the marathon, they will be running. When I finally get started on my own journey, they will still be running. I will probably have a chance to share the trail with a few of them when we'll all be running.

Now you know why the marathon seems like a kiddie fun run ;)

Best wishes to all Superior trail runners next weekend!

Superior 25K Race Report

Since the Superior Hiking Trail is one of my favorite places on Earth, I was really looking forward to this race. Drove up from the Twin Cities Friday afternoon with temps in the mid-70's, then got to Duluth where the Lake Superior Air Conditioning effect takes place and the temps were suddenly in the upper 40's. Set up camp lakeside at Temperance River during a brief rain storm, then was treated to the double rainbow in my last post. Went to the pre-race meeting at Caribou Highlands in Lutsen and got to meet up with some fellow trail runners. Saw Larry, RD of the Superior fall races (there are going to be a few changes to the 50 & 100 mile this fall), Kate, Phillip, Matt, Carl, Maria, and Keith. Met Alicia from the MN Dead Runners list, and (sorry who I'm missing - I'm sure there were others).

Race morning, the big dilema for me is always what to wear. I am notorious for over dressing, and almost pulled it off again. Temps started out in the 40's, but with the sun out things were warming up fast. Also figuring in to the equation were the windy conditions and forecast for afternoon rain. I must have changed clothes 3 times before finally getting it right! It turned out to be a beautiful day for running, and the trail was in great condition. A few wet spots and some downed trees (especially on the top of Moose Mtn), but in great shape for May. No bugs :)

At the start of the race, there was a 0.6 mile road trot into the wind until we crossed the bridge over the roaring Poplar River gorge and reached the single track. As soon as we were in the woods, the wind was a non-issue. Mystery mountain is nice for running; gradual inclines and declines through maple, birch, and spruce forest. Just the usual cast of characters on the SHT: lots of roots and rocks. A small unmarked overlook provided a view of Lutsen Mountains ski area, which still has patches of snow! Then the real work began: the steep rocky ascent of Moose Mountain. Quad and calf burner deluxe. Had to go over, under, or around several blown down trees, which left me with a few "tree bites". I didn't really take time to enjoy the views from the ridge top, since anyone who knows about this trail realizes that taking your eyes off the ground while your feet are moving is an invitation to disaster. (Side note: this can leave one vulnerable to not noticing tree branches at forehead height. Ask Matt or Carl about attempting to move trees with one's forehead).

By the time I passed Rollins Creek, the front runners were starting their return to the finish on this out and back course. I didn't recognize the first few leaders, but noticed that Wynn was leading the 50K. I'm pretty sure I saw Gregg pass through soon afterwards, and Keith seemed to be having a great run too. Felt great at the Oberg (only) aid station which was also the turn around. I took my second Endurolytes cap there, had a gel, and headed back. Was feeling great!

Started back up the steep rocky climb to the top of Moose Mountain and started to notice my right calf getting tight. Made it to the top and started all over again going over, under, or around the downed trees. Then - it happened. Climbed over a fallen tree and my calf completely seized up. Tried to slide over the tree onto my other foot when that calf also cramped. So, there I was, straddling the log, neither foot on the ground, with both legs in complete tetany. Crap! (Actually, I do recall saying something out loud. It was four letters. It wasn't "crap"). I finally managed to get off the tree, but my legs were continuing to cramp even just walking. Took my last 2 E-caps and pretty much stumbled along the trail. This was frustrating because it's a nice stretch for running. The cramping seemed to come and go and I made it down the steep descent of Moose Mountain. Shortly afterwards, Matt caught up to me as he was finishing the 50K. He gave me some S-caps, which helped immensely. Thanks Matt!! They took a while to kick in, but I was able to start running again for the last 1.5 miles and didn't have any further problems after the race.

Post race, I finally got to meet Julie, who had finished the 50K and was planning on doing hill repeats up and down Moose Mountain the next day. Also met Wynn, who did in fact win the 50K (he also won the Sawtooth 100 mile last fall), and Diane who has some light reading to do after getting Kate's copy of Running Lore by Tim Noakes. Steve made it to the finish line, having run on a severely sprained ankle at Runnin' in the Ruff 10K two weeks ago, Ice Age 50 mile last weekend, and the 50K at Superior yesterday. And he's going to do FANS in 3 weeks. With what turns out to be a busted ankle.

Finishers were awarded a hunter's orange bandana (to match our hunter's orange race shirts), so we can now run in the woods during hunting season to train for next year.


It reads, "I kicked the snot out of the Superior Hiking Trail at the 2008 Superior Trail Race."

Special thanks to RD's Mike and Gretchen, as well as all of the volunteers who helped to support us while we enjoyed our romp through the woods. I will definately be back!

Superior

Race report to follow as I'm pooped after running on my favorite trail and then driving home in driving rain and high winds. In the meantime, enjoy the view of a double rainbow over Lake Superior Friday evening (the second rainbow is tough to see, but you may be able to spot it faintly on the right side of the photo. I took this from my campsite at Temperance River.

Slippery Slope

After becoming smitten with trail running at Afton this summer, I decided to check out what other trail races are held in Minnesota. I'd heard about the spring and fall races on the Superior Hiking Trail and decided to go up to Lutsen and check out the 25K course (which is also part of every other SHT race course). I'd hiked that part of the trail shortly after it was built almost 20 years ago and remembered it as being very rugged - not the sort of terrain I'd be able to run on very well. I also remembered it as being absolutely beautiful. I went up in late July, and as it turns out, my memory was pretty accurate.

A few weeks later I was back, this time crewing on Saturday morning at the Temperance River aid station for the fall races. This was an interesting experience because we got to see runners from all 3 events in various stages of decay. It was mile 8 for the marathoners, who were still fairly fresh. It was mile 83+ for the 100 milers, who were looking pretty glassy eyed if they even made it that far. The 50 milers came through twice: mile 18 and again at 32. I was (and still am) in awe of the folks who had the guts to toe the line and do an ultra on that terrain. Race Director Larry had warned those of us in awe that we were on a slippery slope - starting with a short trail run, crewing at another event, and next thing we're going to be out there with the others experiencing the decay first hand.

I think I'm on the slippery slope. I'm pretty sure I'll see Wayne out there too. The Superior Trail 25K in the spring and the Moose Mountain Marathon in the fall are both major goals of mine for 2008!