Fall Running Season

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!

Ice Age 50K

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!

Chippewa Moraine 50K

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

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

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!