Run Report: Doughnut Day 25k Fun Run!

It was a brisk morning start, but I couldn't wait for the promise of freshly made doughnuts at the local South Minneapolis Bakeries! Three courses were available for the day: 5 miles, 10 miles, and 17+ miles! Of course, I jumped into the 17 miler group!

Shortly after arriving, I saw a number of familiar and friendly faces! Scott Deyo and Amanda H were there, along with Jordon (of course), and Ed and Alecia Sandor. John Taylor was looking strong and ready for his Tescobia 75 coming up in June. Everyone looked hungry and COLD! I understand it was a lot warmer than last year, but the 17F starting temperature was a challenge. Everyone hopped from foot to foot to keep warm, and River Moon Coffee supplied us with the morning jo! With four hours of parking fees paid (a bit optimistic, it turns out), and a cow bell clipped to my backpack, we were off!

The first doughnut shop we visited was "The Baker's Wife" where I had an AMAZING cherry cheesecake danish, which I split with Jordan due to its enormous size! Scott and I split off and headed to our second shop, "Bogart's Doughnut Co." I had the butter-cream filled raised doughnut, which had some very nice favor - though I threw much of it away due to its size. The sun started to warm me up in my all-black get-up (take note, winter runners... black + sun = comfort).

By now, the cow bell was getting a bit annoying, so I silenced the clapper with a rubberband. While monkeying around with things, I dropped my phone and cracked the screen (1st time ever!). Again, Scott and I broke off and headed off to run the East side of Lake Calhoun and Lake of the Isles to find ourselves at "Isle Bun and Coffee" in Uptown.

This place happened to be my old stomping grounds from 2000 to 2001. I would routinely stop by this coffee shop for a puppy dog tail (basically a smaller, skinny cinnamon roll) and a coffee while waiting for the bus to work. Being there brought back all of the memories of my Uptown life, and the puppy dog tail was amazing!

Ed Sandor is an animal, by the way. Not only did he come out to run with us, but he dragged a tire the entire way after doing an 8 mile warm-up before we arrived at Lake Nokomis! He would show up consistently as Scott and I were departing for the next shop; he was never far behind! Jordon ran in that group, so it was fun to be able to talk to him multiple times throughout the run.

The next shop we visited with Glam Doll Donuts (they don't all spell the word the same way...). I was most impressed with this shop with the variety and creativity of their doughnut selection. It was hard to chose! I settled upon a cake doughnut with peanut topping and candied maple bacon. Scott and I drank espresso shots and relaxed while Ed and Alecia, Jordon, and a few other runners gathered around and relaxed. I wish EVERY race was like this! :)

After Glam Doll, we hopped on the parkway all the way to the Mississippi River parkway, headed South until Minnehaha Parkway, and headed over to Mel-O-Glaze Doughnuts. I skipped the immediate stop so I could pick up my car (and avoid a ticket). Scott did likewise, and we met back over at the doughnut shop to look at their selection. At noon, it was pretty picked over, but I bought three Angry Bird cookies for the kids, a cherry fritter (yum), and a lemon poppyseed coffee-cake like pastry. I forgot the name, but Scott could tell me.

Carrie and Alecia S came into the shop looking cold and tired, happy to have most of the running done. It was now 12:20, time to head home with my booty!

Thank you, Jordon, for organizing such a fun event! Thank you, Scott, for sticking with me and keeping me going, especially during that long stretch between Glam Doll and Mel-O-Glaze! And thank you, Meghan (my wife), for suffering through my "running addiction".

• Jordon's Blog: http://jordanhanlon.com/donut-day-25k/course-information-2013/ 
• Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/149781301790951/522563627846048/
• Daily Mile Entry: http://www.dailymile.com/people/ChadW/entries/31253053

And now some photos...

Drinking Espresso the right way!

Mid-bite!

"Don't take a picture of me without my hat!"

Wild hair!

A smile from Carrie (or is it Karrie?)!

The Sandors

Kissing a Whale

Run Club provided aid! You rock, guys!

5 miles from the finish, time for a snack!

Race Report: 2014 Superior 50 Mile Ultramarathon

This blog post is a reformatted version of my original race plan, which I have blocked out in grey and italics. Enjoy!

This marathon will mark the culmination of a Spring and Summer season's training for me, with no races to speak of. This is all well and good, since it was a very busy year in general. We moved from Saint Paul to Woodbury in March, ending a different type of marathon: two years of house improvements, repairs, and cleaning.
 
July 28, 2014 marked the last day I had to carry the on-call mantle at work, severing my dedicated, laptop umbilical cord. My title and job responsibilities changed at the beginning of the year as a DevOps Engineer, and the transition was finally complete. For 80% of my technological career starting in 1997, I had carried a pager. This moment was a long time coming, which isn't to say I'll never carry a "pager" again. Let's just hope it will be a long time coming - if ever.

Accommodations: Mountain Inn This year, rather than drop a wad of cash on luxury accommodations at Caribou Lodge, a few runners and I have chipped in for a room at Mountain Inn, a hop, skip, and jump away from finish line. Thankfully, it was a very reasonable rate, and split 4-ways, economical.

Address

360 Ski Hill Rd, Lutsen, MN 55612

Phone

(218) 663-7084

Roommates

Andy Littler, Christopher, Luke

Such a nice little hotel! I obviously didn't spend much time here, most of it being on the trail, but it was close to the finish line (walking distance) and split four ways for two nights, it was quite affordable: $82 each person. The staff was courteous and helpful, the sheets and towels were clean, and the room tidy. Five stars!

My Gear:Although I've run with Vibram Treks along Moose Mountain in the past, I'm not convinced my feet would hold up for twice the distance without some sort of cushion. In the very least, I'll put my Brooks Pure Grit 2's in the drop-bag at Cramer.
I'll wear a lightweight doublet or t-shirt, racing shorts, visor, pack, and headlamp. Doused with bug spray and 50 SPF, I should be good to go.

Bib Number

470

Assignments

http://fall.superiortrailrace.com/2014-number-assignments

Fuel: I plan on dealing with Gu packets for most of the race, though I plan to eat "real food" as much as possible along the way. I tend to get really hungry at the 6 hour mark, and sugar products just won't cut it.
The Pack: This year, I've purchased a Ultraspire Surge pack, containing a 2 liter bladder and a few storage spaces perfect for food, gels, salt, etc. I'm looking forward to not having a bouncing waist belt or water bottles in hand. The only thing that is not great about the setup is filling the bladder; it is time-consuming. Given that I'm not planning on setting land-speed records, I'll benefit in rest from an extra minute or two. The pack will contain:

• S-Cap Salt Tablets (4 per hour between aid stations - just in case)
• Gu Bottle (filled from bulk) or packets
• Bandana/Buff
• Toilet paper in a ziplock bag
• Lightweight Rain poncho (if rain is predicted and I can find something I like)
• Headlamp (to start out with)
• Empty water bottle for backpack, in case the bladder has issues

Drop Bags: For the most part, my drop bags will consist of restocking my pack with my starting supplies. Additionally, at each stop, I'll leave a clean and dry pair of socks.

With Clem George and Cristy De La Cruz crewing for me, I didn't have as much need for drop-bags. What you see in the plan below became much simpler, since I could hand a bag to the intrepid duo and have them dig for stuff when needed. I did not carry an extra bottle with me, and in fact, felt the emergency blanket and trash bag (folded) were a bit much. I stuck my phone in a waterproof container and had it in my pack the whole race, but I never did anything with it. It only added weight and inconvenience. I might like to run with a small, waterproof, digital camera and a cheap mp3 player next time. Also a small field notebook (weather-resistant) with a Fisher Space Pen (pressurized ink) would be useful.

The Race Plan: Let's be honest: the plan is simply to survive. In the last week, I've taken on a left calf strain running to and from work - a nine or twelve mile hilly stretch, depending on whether I take the bus in for part of the commute. My house is 3 miles from the park-n-ride lot. The next two weeks (From [2014-08-24]), I'm hoping to heal and maintain fitness, nothing more.
My Afton State Park training runs have been around 11 to 12 minutes/mile for 15 miles, which has similar elevation profiles to Superior. If I can maintain a 14:00 minute/mile pace, it'll give me two minutes per mile leeway for an understandably tougher course, and give me time, to finish the later sections under cut-offs. Barring tendinitis or other injury.
Start: Finland Rec Center Here begins the pain for the 50 milers, at Finland Rec Center. This section is described as longer and having a relatively level hiking profile. I have never run this section before, so my expectations are based on what I've found in "Guide to the Superior Hiking Trail", 2001 edition and the elevation charts from the race website. There appears to be a good 350' ascent to Egge lake, a sharp valley, and then a gradual descent to the next aid station.
The real challenge for me here is to keep my pace on target rather than going out too fast.

Next Aid Station

Sonju Lake Rd

Distance

7.5 miles

Pace	Duration	ETA Next Station
13:00	1 hr 37 min
14:00	1 hr 45 min	07:15
15:00	1 hr 52 min

The bus ride in, I sat with Rachel Wellman, whom I believe I know from Dailymile.com. It didn't hit me at the time, but since reviewing her profile, I'm now convinced. She was sweet and quiet, excited to start. There was a lot of energy at the Finland Rec center, and plenty of space for everyone to get ready for the upcoming race.
I ran into Jon Matthiae and had a brief visit. There was also a man from the Ely area with blue eyes and an outstanding moustache! I don't recall his name, though. His face was memorable, similar to my Uncle Greg.
J ohn Storkamp recognized me and said, "Hi!" before going about his race director business. As tired as he likely was, he was all smiles and energy. I drank a 16 oz bottle of water over the 40 minute wait, applied sun block and bug spray, and made my way out to the start line.
John held a briefing on the road, and if you've heard one from John before, you'll be grinning already. His mixes a bit of humor with each speech, and it never gets old. It didn't take long before we were off, torches blazing ahead, cantering down the road to the trail.

Time Departed

05:30

Sonju Lake Road (No Crew) This is another section I have no experience with. There appear to be a good drop of 350' overall to the Manitou River followed by a nice 400' ascent to Horseshoe Ridge. From there, it plunges down 500' to the Crosby Manitou aid station.

Total Distance

7.5 miles

Next Aid Station

Crosby Manitou

Distance

4.2 miles

Pace	Duration	ETA Next Station
13:00	54 min
14:00	59 min	08:14
15:00	1 hr 3 min

So early in the race, I was still very excited to be on the trail. This section went without a hitch, and Andy and I stuck together pretty well. Somewhere along this stretch, we came upon a runner I had met last year while soaking in the hot tub at Caribou Lodge: Matt Mitchell. (He recalls an earlier meeting at my Moose Mountain Marathon run in 2012.) His wife was seven months pregnant and crewing for him with his parents. We talked about his life as a teacher, his adventure to Germany with his students this last year, the reason for his not having enough time to train for this race. I was glad for the company, and I related to the note on training.
We arrived at the aid station and didn't spend much time there before heading on. I was pretty happy with my pace prediction and was feeling pretty confident. I had only taken one salt tablet during this section, since it was early in the race. I don't recall drinking much, and I didn't top off my water bladder. I doubt it took us five minutes to leave the station.

Time Arrived

07:15

How I Felt

Pretty good. Fresh.

Time Departed

07:18

Crosby Manitou I should be starting this section at the Crosby Manitou State Park about three hours into the race, still short of my approximate long distance training runs at Afton, where I generally run 11-12 minute miles. At 14:00 minute miles, I hope to hold off the inevitable stiffness and soreness later on.
There appears to be _only_ about 650' of elevation change on this section by estimating on the graph: a little over 200' descent to the river, a climb of 150', a drop of 100', and a final climb of 200'.

Total Distance

11.7 miles

Next Aid Station

Sugar Loaf

Distance

9.4 miles

Pace	Duration	ETA Next Station
13:00	2 hr
14:00	2 hr 12 min	10:36
15:00	2 hr 21 min

Andy had been complaining about hot-spots on his feet, having had to run with his work socks instead of his preferred pair. We were supposed to meet up with Clem and Cristy, but they were held up in traffic and construction. I'm pretty sure we were still were running on pace, but three hours in to the run, we were starting to feel it.
My estimates on elevation change from the graphs were off, of course. I didn't count all the micro hills, the little ups and downs of the course, and by this point, I was cursing the mud. It was still pretty early in the race, and I was still feeling pretty solid.
I talked a little bit with Matthew Patten, asking about Adam Schwartz-Lowe, learning that he had won the event earlier that morning! Amazing! The girls in the aid station were dancing and playing music, so I danced along with them while I waited for Andy.

Time Arrived

8:15

How I Felt

OK. Glad to be at the Aid Station.

Time Departed

8:20

Sugar Loaf This is the last aid station of the race before the Marathon runners join us on the trail. This is another section I'm not familiar with, and it holds at least 750' of elevation change; three ascents and two descents. I'm not sure if I'll be holding on to a 14:00 minute mile at this point or not.
My drop bag here will consist of:

• Brooks Pure Grit Shoes
• Gu
• S-Caps
• Injinji Socks
• Blister Kit
• Toilet paper
• Baby wipes
• Dry shirt
• Sunblock
• Bug spray
• Towel
• Hand-held Water Bottles (in case the bladder develops a fault)
• Clif Bars

Total Distance

21.1 miles

Next Aid Station

Cramer Road

Distance

5.6 miles

Cut-off Time

11:45

Pace	Duration	ETA Next Station
13:00	1 hr 13 min
14:00	1 hr 19 min	11:55
15:00	1 hr 24 min

This section hurt us, the 14:00 minute/mile pace was most certainly not held. I didn't write down the time I arrived at this station, but if I recall correctly, I had lost a good 12 minutes or so, but that was acceptable to me. Some was to the time in the aid station, certainly.
Andy hit a wall here, and I had to leave him behind. My legs were still fresh enough to press on, and when the opportunity to run came, I had to take it. I felt bad leaving him behind, but we each come to Superior with the knowledge that not all of us are going to make it.
Cristy and Clem took good care of me here, bringing out the pickles! Oh, lovely dill pickles! According to her Facebook post, Cristy estimated that we met up at 10:48. I know I spent a good 5 minutes in the chair, so let's estimate my departure at 10:55; still an hour ahead of cut-off.
Luke, our roommate, was also waiting for Andy. We left a pair of socks with him for when Andy came through. I was certain he'd make cut-off here, but not sure how the rest of the race would do for him.

Time Arrived

10:48

How I Felt

Ugly

Time Departed

10:55

Cramer Road The halfway point! Unfortunately for me, this will mark the furthest I've run in one setting all year. The marathoners will have started a good four hours prior to when I reach this point, so it is unlikely I'll see many of them before I finish the race. If I can get out of this aid station and avoid injury, I'll likely finish the race.
This section is the flattest of the entire race, with good run-able stretches. If all is going to plan, I'll have a good 1:40 slush time, and this section should be a good recovery.

Total Distance

26.7 miles

Next Aid Station

Temperance River

Distance

7.1 miles

Cut-off Time

13:40

Pace	Duration	ETA Next Station
13:00	1 hr 32 min
14:00	1 hr 39 min
15:00	1 hr 46 min	13:41
16:00	1 hr 57 min

The trail to Cramer was lonely for a while. I enjoyed those times, as I was able to pace myself rather than compare how I was doing to other runners. I sped up when I felt good and slowed down when things were a little rough. I did end up falling into a group of runners, as you always do in these events. At times, that is exactly what you do need to keep going. Without the deadline or the race atmosphere, I would likely bow out a lot sooner.
I don't recall if this happened along the way to Cramer or the way to Sugar Loaf... That being said, somewhere along the way, I tucked in behind another group of runners and met Cheri Dostal Ryba. I don't recall exactly what we talked about, but I know Nora's broken leg came up and recalling how lucky I was to have such an understanding wife. I vowed then to buy flowers for her and take her out on a date to say, "Thank You!"
When I finally arrived at Cramer, Cristy was concerned that I hadn't taken all of my S-Caps. Clem fed me potatos, bananas, and maybe pancakes. I shared the pickles with Cheri. "Awesome, right?" I asked. She took a moment before answering in the affirmative.
I was still up-beat when leaving the aid station. Time to hit Temperance.

Time Arrived

12:40

How I Felt

Pretty low. Tired.

Time Departed

12:49

Temperance River (No Crew) This section contains the largest amount of elevation change I'll see at once. The dive to the river is almost complete here, but then we go straight up Carlton Peak. It is a challenge to say the least, but I know it'll be a hiking section - no running at all.

Total Distance

33.8 miles

Next Aid Station

Sawbill - Britton

Distance

5.7 miles

Pace	Duration	ETA Next Station
16:00	1 hr 31 min
17:00	1 hr 37 min
18:00	1 hr 43 min	15:24

Although my run to Temperance started out well enough, I quickly started to lose steam.
I happened upon Matt Mitchell in this section again, and we quickly fell into conversation. His ITB was acting up horribly, and our trail brotherhood solidified in mutual pain as we slogged down the Cross River gorge, a part of the trail I had very much forgotten about. "Flat" indeed! This turned out to be the worst section for me. The mud was just as bad as Sugar Loaf to Cramer, and now the downhill was tweaking my iliotibial bands on both legs consistently. We both talked of dropping, but Matt made a pact with me, his idea. We would push through to Temperance and see where we stood with time before the cutoffs. If we were still good, we'd continue. Since there was no crew allowed for us at Temperance, the most convenient place to pull out of the race would be Sawbill. I agreed. I could suffer through Sawbill, and by pushing forward I hadn't given up.

Time Arrived

14:20-14:40

How I Felt

This was my lowest of lows

Time Departed

Unsure 14:50?

Sawbill - Britton This next section has a number of "pointless up's and down's", and it's draining to complete. My strategy here will be simply to jog the flats and downhills and walk the uphills. Eventually, I'll pass through this hell on to the biggest challenge of the day. I'm choosing to have a drop bag here rather than at Oberg, since sunset will happen at 19:20 or so; the woods will start to get dark around 18:30. If things go really south and I barely meet the cut-off, I'll nee that headlamp.
My drop bag here will consist of

• Gu
• S-Caps
• Injinji Socks
• Blister Kit
• Dry shirt
• Headlamp

Total Distance

39.5 miles

Next Aid Station

Oberg Mountain

Distance

5.5 miles

Cut-off Time

17:30

Pace	Duration	ETA Next Station
14:00	1 hr 20 min
15:00	1 hr 24 min
16:00	1 hr 28 min	16:52

Somehow, my pain plateaued along this section. Had it been more like our descent in to the Cross River valley, the trail would likely have defeated me here. Somehow, we found reprieve in a beautiful section of trail devoid of roots and rocks. Matt was still having issues with his ITB, and although I was still sore, I needed to get moving.
I concentrated on picking up my heels and letting gravity pull me forward, and with the more fluid movement, my pain subsided to a bearable level. When I could, I pushed the pace along the trail. After crossing the river bridge, I was pleased to find much of the same on the ascent back up the river. It was there I ran into a trio of 50 milers. They were college friends all running together as a reunion of sorts. One runner, Mark introduced himself to me for the second time -- apparently, I had talked with them earlier on in the race. Eventually, one of the runners had horrible calf issues and all three stopped for a break. I pressed on ahead, taking advantage of the relatively flat and object free trail.
I made great time to Carlton Peak, and on my ascent, I was careful not stress my quads into cramps; they were right on the edge of failing at times. I vowed to take ever tree stump and log crossing sitting down, avoiding the cramp issue that kept me from my six hour marathon in 2012.
There was a group of teen-aged kids on one part of the peak, but I never really ran into them. I did run into a hiker.
"Long day." I stated. He smiled and replied, "And now you're mountain goating it!" Indeed! The run to Britton was only a mile or so past Carlton, and I kept a close eye on my watch. I was truckin!
I felt pretty good getting into Britton. Yes, I was sore and tired, but past my low-point. I felt ashamed for my talk of dropping along Cross River and Temperance.
Cristy and Clem did a stellar job feeding me and prepping me for the last stretch!

Time Arrived

16:35

How I Felt

Awesome! Sore, but encouraged!

Time Departed

16:53

Oberg Mountain This stretch has always been rough for me. In the last two races, I doubt I've completed this faster than a 16 minute mile. There are two very sizable ascents and descents across Moose and Mystery Mountains.

Total Distance

45 miles

Next Aid Station

Oberg Mountain

Distance

7.1 miles

Cut-off Time

19:00

Pace	Duration	ETA Next Station
16:00	1 hr 53 min
17:00	2 hr
18:00	2 hr 8 min	19:00

So much mud! Not much runnable here, but I did the best I could. I don't remember much about this section, though I recall meeting up with one of the 100 miler female runners. Short hair, tired. She sat a bench, and I sat with her. The world spun! Was it the wind blowing in the trees, making the leaves move like the sea? I had to get going; I couldn't sit any longer. I briefed her in that she had another mile and a half or so, to which she was pretty distraught, convinced she wouldn't make it. I encouraged her as I left and don't know what ever happened to her afterwards.
The rest of the way in to Oberg was pretty nice, consisting of boardwalks and some runnable stretches. Of course there was mud; it was everywhere. Saw signs for the Oberg parking log. Ran in with a bunch of runners, Deb and Liz being part of it. There was another young man I kept running into as well. Another Mark? We leapfrogged for much of the race since Cross River.
Getting in to Oberg was exciting! There was a lot of positive energy at the TCRC truck, and Clem and Cristy were on point! I was happy about having reached this point with almost an extra hour before the cut-off, but I was not complacent to sit. I wanted to finish as quickly as my body would allow me.

Time Arrived

18:05

How I Felt

Better!

Time Departed

18:10 to 18:20?

Caribou Lodge The finish line! I've been here twice before, so I know where it is and what it takes to get here (at least with Moose Mountain Marathon). If all is going to plan, I'll arrive some time around 19:00.

Total Distance

52.1 miles

Cut-off Time

22:00

Time Arrived

20:34:02

How I Felt

Great! I finished!

Once again, I managed to catch up with Liz and Deb Vomhof within a mile or so of leaving Oberg, and I stuck with them for the remainder of the race, leap frogging ahead at some point and dropping behind at others. The ascent up Moose Mountain wasn't as painful as I thought it might be, but going down wasn't all that much fun. My legs remembered the pounding they took at Cross River, and I hoped to hold off the inevitable blow-out.
I also ran in to Joe Weise! Doing a 100! A few years back, I met Joe at one of the Spring races along this very trail. He was looking very fit and as he ran with us using a pair of poles, he filled me in on his children and life. I didn't spend much time there -- energy was coursing through my legs at the time. I do want to catch up with him more one of these days, though!
As we came off Moose Mountain we met John, the 58 year old 100 miler who ran with a single pole and slouched severly to one side. He had a unique shuffle run, but he seemed completely unhurried in a confident "I'll get there" attitude. He'd only been running for three years, but decided one day he needed to do 100's. His redoubtable manner gave me encouragement, and I forgot my pain for a while.
Liz was having a hard time on the backside of Moose, and chose to take off into a run. She faced the the same dilemma we all did: go down slowly and painfully, or go down quickly, still in pain, but with less time on you feet. It was a good decision. I eventually made the same choice, and struck out away from the group.
With the switchbacks, it wasn't long before Deb and Rollie Everson caught back up to me. We tucked in behind a 100 miler, who was running strong in this last section with his pacer. Deb's light failed on the backside of Mystery, and mine was beginning to fail as well. Rather than push out ahead, I stuck with the group to rely upon Rollie's light should mine decide to give up the ghost; I had no spare battieries.
Once we hit the road, the 100 miler broke out into a quick pace. I stuck with him, with Rollie close behind. We all were reflecting the energy of the finish line. Cowbells and cheering pulled us in quicker, and the floodgates of emotion let loose: gratitude, happiness, relief. It all culminated in a huge grin, tears, and hugs!
Cristy and Clem were there at the finish-line, first to receive hugs, followed by Andy, who informed me that he dropped somewhere around mile 40. He had a stupendous effort and looked quite clean and refreshed. I was exhausted, on the other hand, and needed food!
We hobbled into the dining area, where a handful of runners gathered and exchanged stories. Clem and Cristy continued to be a great crew, fetching me water and chili and talking about the race. I talked to my dad and Meghan - after fighting with my phone and the Caribou WiFi access point to get T-Mobile WiFi calling working (such a pain).
I learned from Andy that Matt had made it in, completing the race in 15:38, only 35 minutes behind me! Awesome! I didn't see him come in to the dining area, though I understand his family brought him pizza!
Cheri was there, having arrived a half-hour before me (awesome!). Steve Tollerud was there again, having completed the marathon earlier! Really, I wish I could recall everyone I talked to, but I was so tired and glad to be done. I lamented not being able to watch more runners come in, but by the time I felt good enough to walk back out on to the patio, it was well after 22:00, the race cut-off.

Results

I finished! The race results page has a slight calculation error in that it lists this race as only 50 miles, computing my pace as 18:05 min/mile! It's a 52.1 mile race!

Start

5:30:16AM

Finish

8:34:02PM

Time

15:03:47

Pace

17:20 min/mile

I also found this interesting link of my race results on Ultra Sign-up.

Thanks to...

I I wanted to take a moment to thank a number of people. First and foremost, my wife Meghan. For with out her support, none of this would be possible. My daughter had broken her leg on the trampoline the Tuesday before the race, yet Meghan told me to run the race anyway. I love you, Sweetie!
I also want to thank Clem and Cristy, who were complete rock stars at the race! I never had to worry about whether or not I'd have what I needed when I left the aid stations. They were encouraging, supportive, and caring. What more could you want in a race crew! (And Clem makes an awesome camp roasted, dutch oven chicken!)
Thanks to the 180 volunteers who help make the race possible! Indeed there may be other 100 mile, 50 mile, and marathon trail races out there, but few stack up to the dedication, professionalism, and sheer quality that the Superior trail races achieve. Had Clem and Cristy not been there, I know that success was still possible for me with the support of all the awesome aid station volunteers.
Of course, thanks to John Storekamp and his family, for dedicating so much of himself to the success of this race. Rock Steady Racing puts on some outstanding races, ones I will always recommend to friends looking for a challenge!

Race Report: 2013 Surf the Murph 50 Mile

Pre-Race: Would I be ready?

Throughout the year, I had been working toward running the Surf the Murph 50 mile ultra-marathon and sharing my intention to go even further in 2014. Consistency in training seemed to be my biggest challenge due to our family's push to prepare our house for sale. Time was a precious commodity, and I struggled to keep up my weekly mileage. The only other race on the calendar, the Chippewa 50K, my first "official" foray into the ultra-marathon world. I had a blast, but honestly it hurt.

Not wanting to repeat the experience with subsequent races, I begin training in earnest, consistently turning out weeks in excess of 30 miles. I was pretty proud of this stretch of training which lasted from July 7th through September 12th. Either through events or a need to take a break, training came to a halt.

While on-call, my professional life requires me to carry around a cell phone and have a laptop close at hand. This prevents me from the most consistent way for me to get mileage in: commute running. A five to eight pound laptop is a bit too much to carry around in a backpack. In addition to on-call, my wife left town for a period of time, leaving me as a sole care-taker for the children. I enjoyed my time with them, obviously, but it severely challenged my ability to train. Finally, we had a major planned outage at work, which took away from my sleep.

Four weeks before the gun, I still hadn't signed up for the race. I wasn't confident I could make full distance. While on Facebook, I learned from one of the co-race directors that I would get credit for completing the 50K – if I made it that far. Fair enough! I signed up on September the 26th for the longest race of my life.

I have always said that the most influential motivator for my training is a race on the calendar. That following weekend, I did my first real Long Slow Distance run for the entire Summer and Fall seasons. Consequently, these following weeks ended up being the largest weekly training mileages I would run for 2013.

Race Day

Although there was an option to camp on-site at the Murphy-Hanrehan Park Reserve, campers were not going to be allowed to stay overnight a second night. My youngest son, Ryan, had a school festival the Friday before the race, so I opted out from camping. I was happy to sleep in my own bed even though it was relatively restless.

I woke numerous times before finally throwing in the towel at 4:00. I never wake up this early, but it was useless trying to stay in bed. I quickly packed a bag, showered and ate. I was out the door a little later than I would have liked, especially after discovering that I was exceptionally low on gas. Regardless, traffic was non-existent and Google Navigation brought me to the park entrance without incident and on-time.

I could feel the energy immediately upon arrival as I dragged my drop-back to the Start-Finish area. I put on my waist belt and jacket then checked in to get my race bib and swag. There weren't too many people at the start line, but enough to feel like an event.

The course consisted of three loops around the suburban trail system, a home for walkers, runners, and horses alike. I hadn't had a chance to run the course ahead of time, so it would be an exercise in discovery for me. Aid stations were to be found around every 3 to 4 miles and were fully stocked. It promised to be an exciting day!

The Beginning

I knew a couple of friends were likely to be running that day, and I was fortunate to run into Todd and his friend before the race started. Everyone was excited, and there wasn't much time left to discuss. The race directors addressed the gathering crowd - flags to the left, stay on trail, let someone know if you're dropping out; the normal pre-race tralk.

We were soon off into the darkness of the morning. A great "fire vurm…" of headlamp light reflecting off vests and clothing, snaking up and down the trail. The first part of the course was relatively sheltered from the morning wind, and the day proved to be dry and beautiful. I spoke for much of the stretch with a runner named Scott. He wore an orange coat and was in good humor.

Eventually I pushed on, for no good reason at all other than it felt good. My strategy was to run the flats, walk the uphills and bomb the downhills. Things went well for me, and soon I was at the Natchez Aid Station, manned by the venerable Upper Midwest Trail Runners association who had stocked it with bacon, a welcome change to the normal station fare.

I don't recall much between Natchez and Smurf Village, but I laughed out loud at the unexpected humorous signs. I came to the end of the first lap in good time, around three hours, but I had begun to develop pain in my knees, a touch of ITB.

Second Loop

I didn't spend much time at the Start/Finish aid station, but I did partake in the soup, gels, and refilled my water. It wasn't long after starting on my second loop that I ran into Les Martisko, the long-time race director. He was fascinating to talk to, with this race being his 350th ultra marathon! He showed concern over my knee pain and suggested I find Ibuprophen if I could. I thanked him and shuffled on by.

Keeping up with the run and hike strategy, I did relatively well, but I struggled emotionally with the growing knee pain. At Natchez, I ran into Shannon Lindgren in a new emotional low. With strong thoughts of dropping, I sat on the ground and tried to stretch out the pain. Shannon was very supportive, and we talked about other things to distract me. Arika Hage, a 2014 At-Large Member of the UMTR, gave thoughtful encouragement. She didn't want to see anyone drop at the Natchez station or anywhere along the course for that matter. She gave me a Vespa drink – this crazy, citrus-tasting liquid containing honey bee Royal Jelly – and sent me back out on the trail!

Encouraged and determined, I made it back to Horse Camp where I again stretched and rested. There was no ice and no Ibuprophen to help with the knee at all, but I decided I may as well finish my second loop and qualify for finishing the 50K. If I had to, I would walk it in.

Somehow, I managed to pick up into a trot and came upon Les again, this time running with another co-director for the race, Jessica. He could see I was hurting, and I shared my thoughts about dropping and my inability to find Ibuprophen on the course. He dug out a few Aleve pills and handed them to me. "You could walk the whole thing and still have time to complete it," he encouraged.

We walked for a bit, and after fifteen or twenty minutes, my knee started to loosen up again. "See! Your form already looks better!" Indeed, I was feeling a lot better! I picked it up to a trot again and made it to the Start/Finish in about 4:30.

Third Loop

For some reason, I was feeling very optimistic again. When asked if I was done, I replied "Let's see!" I didn't take off right away, rather opted to hang out, ice my knee, and get some fuel. It was here that I had run into a fellow trail runner, Steve Tollerud, whom I had first met on the Superior Hiking Trail years ago. He had just finished his 25K and was getting ready to go party with a friend of his at a local beer fest. I was jealous, but determined to try my chance at the last lap. He gave me encouragement and promised to bring me a beer! Awesome!

Looking around the site, I spied a young runner who looked like he might be convinced to go back out. He hadn't taken his gear off yet, and he was stretching out a bit.

"Let's go out together!" I suggested. "Just let me know when you're ready." We stocked up, reset our watches, and headed out. The young man's name was Kevin Chem, a resident of Savage, MN. He was of average height and typical build for a runner, and I had estimated his age as eighteen or nineteen. In conversation, he revealed he was only fifteen! That's one-five!

I was amazed! "Why did you decide to run a 50 mile marathon?" I asked.

"I have self-esteem issues," he replied with a sidelong grin. Right. Self-esteem. Seemed pretty confident to me! His legs were bothering him and my knee was bothering me. We were a pair of broken runners determined to walk the last lap passing the time away with stories of our lives. I shared the remainder of my Ibuprophen with him, and we trudged along.

"Are you on the cross-country team?" I asked.

"No. I told my coach I wanted to run this instead." He replied. Self-esteem issues, I chortled in my head. This kid seemed to have miles of confidence and determination. I learned he was interested psychology and that he and his friends were into robotics. I told him of my life experiences as a college student, a young single graduate, a husband, and a father.

At Horse Camp, we stocked up on Twizzlers, soup, and anything to replenish the calories we had burned along the way. We made it back to Natchez and shouted our way into the aid station. Arika was overjoyed to learn I hadn't dropped yet. Looping to the back side of Horse Camp, I grabbed another handful of Twizzzlers, and we kept moving.

On our way to Smurf Village, I thought I hadn't recognized a leg of the race. Had I cut off part of it by mistake? Possibly, maybe. I couldn't decide. I was so tired and sore, that it almost didn't matter any more. We turned a corner, and I once again recognized the trail - there was no way I could have skipped it in a previous loop.

We continued walking and walking, sometimes dropping into silence to live in our own pain. Eventually, we entered Smurf Village and the sun began to drop. Kevin received a couple of phone calls on the trail - not entirely disconnected from the world around us - to let his friends know he was still out on the trail. It was in this last stretch that they met up with us; first two then three teenage boys in for the final hike.

We crested a large hill as the sun finally hid behind the hills to the West, and Steve was waiting and cheering us on with his runner friend! I love these trail runs, honestly! With congratulations for Kevin and I, we all headed back into the thick of it for the final stretch. Kevin received another call; his parents were now on the trail coming out to meet their son.

The light faded quickly, and Kevin and I donned our headlamps again. His parents soon met up with us, and I congratulated them on raising such a determined and strong son. I could tell that Kevin wanted the race to end, and his energy returned. We left behind his parents and friends, and we trotted into the finish in 12:39! We were not the last people on the trail, but we certainly got our money's worth for the time we spent on it.

Les and John Taylor greeted us at the finish line, a huge grin on Les' face. "Walstrom! You made it!" Indeed I had, thanks to him and all of the great volunteers, and thanks to Kevin for being my partner in pain for the last lap.

We retreated to a warm building for pizza and chili. Steve showed up with that promised beer, which I endured to wait until I got home to enjoy (due to a no-alcohol rule for the park). Todd and his friend also joined us; though I honestly don't remember who arrived first. It mattered little. We had all done it; we had all completed 50 miles that day and walked away with a story of endurance and perseverance.

I love these races.

Afterword

Kevin Chem is ready to do more running and last I heard was likely to attempt the Savage 100 mile ultra-marathon this Spring! His race report for the 50 miler can be found here.

Race Report: 2013 Chippewa 50K

I am now officially an ultra-marathoner, having completed my first race this year at the Chippewa 50K in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin in 6:58:38! Spring 2013 has had some chaotic weather, dumping significant snow volume on the Midwest in weekly bursts followed by warm weather melts. In the sheltered, wooded space of the Chippewa Moraine State Park, the snow presented an interesting challenge for the runners. The North and East-facing slopes held on tenaciously to their drifts and ice slicks, hiding streams of ice-cold melt, while the South and West-facing slopes were alternatively dry or muddy. The conditions would make for an interesting day!
My alarm woke me at 3:45 in the morning after a restless sleep; I was too worried about waking up on-time. My pre-race meal was an oddly delicious mixture of grapefruit, plain vanilla yogurt and fruity pebbles! I threw in the cereal on a whim, but discovered it to be quite tasty! I didn't make coffee like I usually do, but I didn't really miss it. I pulled in front of Steve Quick's house at 04:50, who was raring to go and great company on the road as we made our way East to the race site. We arrived early and found a parking spot right up front. The temperature was a cool 40 with a light breeze with a promise to warm up into the low 70s!

An hour later, after picking up our race packets and fussing about what equipment to run with, we gathered with around 275 runners (unofficial guess) at the starting line for the 6th annual race briefing by co-race director Jeff Allen. Aid stations were positioned at mile 3, 10, and 15 (the turn-around), a nice and even spread. I opted to carry only one water bottle and no belt, though I would have liked to have something to carry gels and S-Caps (something to remember for the next race). Two of the northerly slopes were labeled "WALK" due to the grade of the ice covered descents, and we were informed that miles 12 through 15 were the "worst" on the course. It didn't sound promising.
No one really wanted to stand up near the front, so I lined up near the front third of the pack, contrary to what I originally planned. Given how the race played out, it might have been wiser for me to start further back. Fired up and ready to rock, the race started and we headed out onto the challenging course. Within the first mile, I slipped and drew blood on the ice and sticks; not a great start.
It was soon evident to me that my Brooks Pure Grit shoes were not cut out for ice on the hilly slopes. A lot of energy was expended to stay on my feet, but I was able to continue to push forward. The downhill snow-covered slopes were most easily traversed by "skiing" down them, but it made for wet cold feet. You couldn't be sure what your feet would find underneath the snow: ice, mud, or trail. Miles 10 to 11, however were predictably unpleasant: slushy, snow covered ice melts. There was absolutely no way to avoid it or the frozen toes. Eventually, it tapered off and dried out again.
Somewhere around mile 12 or 13, I ran into Steve, who wasn't feeling well at all. We ran together for a short period, but unfortunately, his stomach problems distracted him from running. We separated, and I didn't see him again until the turn-around. Around mile 13 or so, we entered a pine stand with more sheltered snow drifts. These hills weren't nearly as icy, but there was knee-high snow in some points. Again, the "skiing" technique worked effectively on the downhills, and the duck-walking uphills allowed me to move forward. The trail cleared out again before the turn-around for some fairly runnable stretches.

I arrived at turn-around in 2:59, where I changed into dry shoes, my New Balance MT101s, and socks. It wouldn't take long for them to be soaking wet again, but starting out with dry feet was a plus. John left at 03:10, and I left at 03:12. In a couple of minutes, I managed to catch up with John Taylor and Marty Kanter-Cronin from Wisconsin (who runs with the Lapham Peak Trail Runners). We ran together and talked for a good hour, before I got a second wind and pulled ahead.
The dreaded mile 19 arrived, with the return trip through the icy slush. Whereas there were a few spots you could step without getting entirely soaked on the way out, you couldn't avoid it on the way back. The warm temperatures had melted a sufficient amount of snow to make the trail a veritable icy stream frosted in slush and snow. I couldn't help but giggle uncontrollable at the absurdity of it all. Here we were, grown men and women playing around in the mud and slush. It took no time at all to freeze my toes, and the woman in front of me couldn't stop laughing at my own mirth.
The second-wind didn't last long after that, and I had to switch to a run/walk strategy to keep moving forward. A few miles later, at mile 23, a well intentioned but mis-informed spectator was out encouraging us. "You have only 5 miles left, 3 miles to the next aid station!" It was possible that my GPS was off, but not necessarily off by two miles. I have to say that his intentions were well placed, but the misinformation was more discouraged than helpful.
John was running strong, and he passed me early in this stretch. The next aid station turned out to be four miles later, not three. I counted the miles in estimated time left on-foot. Averaging about 15 miles per hour, it was a slog. When I made it to the last aid station, the volunteers there were awesome. They were very encouraging and brought a smile to my face. I could do this. Only 3 miles left, and I could be done.
With two miles to go, we traversed up one of the two hills labeled "WALK" on the way out. When reaching the top, a mere 25' further was the site of the start and finish, but by the course, it was another 2 miles away! ARG! From an emotional perspective, it seemed that a few of us were in a funk, a low. At least two runners I spoke with were ready to have the race over with, myself included. Interestingly enough, this spurred me to run rather than walk. I wanted simply to be done and be able to sit and relax.
The final mile, a nice, dry, groomed trail, was such a relief. You could view the finish-line, up on the hill at the visitors center, a hill with teeth. Rather than charging up it, I simply walked most of the last mile. Marty and two others caught and passed me on that last hill, but I didn't mind. I was done! Official finish time 6:58:38.
The next couple of hours was spent trying to recuperate from the run. There was plenty of food for the runners and beer! Jeff signed the Finisher's Picture for the race, which I think was a very cool alternative to a medal. He mentioned that ultra-runners form a different type of community dynamic than your typical marathoners closer to a family than simply acquaintances. I certainly got this feeling as we all sat around, chatted, and cheered in the remaining runners!
I am an ultra-marathoner, and I can't get enough of it! (Even though it hurts to walk today!)

Race Report: 2012 Afton 25K

Awesome Race!

The Saturday trail race at Afton State Park was awesome this year! We couldn't have asked for better weather. Friday night, Mother Nature delivered to us a reprieve from the heat in the form of rain and wind, and the morning started absolutely gorgeous! Thankfully, the State of Minnesota didn't run in to the same political problems as last year, and we were able to run at the park! The end result was a stupendous experience, almost 30 minutes off my last 25k time, and a chance to cheer on my friends! Suffice to say, I had a blast!

Leading Up to the Start

If you've followed my blogging in the past, you'd know that the last few weeks and months have been filled with challenges and changes. Namely, ITBS from 2010, a pulled or torn Achilles tendon from November, and more recently, a newborn baby! Meghan had been taking the bulk of the feeding responsibilities, since she had still been sleeping on the reclining couch -- she was exhausted, in pain and frustrated. Friday night, it was time for a change -- yes, the night before the race!

We went to bed early, with Meghan taking the first shift of bottles. At 04:20, it was my turn, as Nora's hunger acted a biological alarm clock. I hadn't slept well anyway, with strange dreams of missing high school track meets. Still tired, I was actually grateful for a chance to get up and spend time with Nora. She didn't quite fall asleep after her bottle, so Meghan took over while I got ready for the race. (I learned later that Meghan's fix was to remove the stocking cap from Nora, who apparently was overheating.)

I didn't take much time getting out the door and on the road.

Afton, and the 50k Start

I arrived at Afton about ten minutes before the start of the 50K race. John Storkamp, the race director, was giving instructions about the race and thanks to the volunteers. He also introduced a contest to identify the race number of the man who was sporting a new tattoo of the "Afton Bird" on his person. (I never did find out who it was.)

I looked for Jason Tintes, who I knew was running the 50k, but didn't see him. I would later congratulate him at the finish line after finishing the race myself.

The weather was absolutely gorgeous, atypical for this July race. For the last week, Minnesota was hot and humid across the state. Early Friday night, a storm system pushed through and cooled us down. Morning temperatures were not only tolerable, but cool and the air was relatively dry.

The 50K race started without much fanfare, as the runners funneled on to the narrow trail, and I turned around to make my way to packet pickup.

Familiar Faces

One of the great things about these trail races is the strong community. You tend to see the same faces, time and time again; people dedicated to and enthusiastic about the sport, who volunteer their time to ensure a great experience is had by all. I truly appreciate their effort and enjoy catching up on their lives.

Brian Woods, who recently finished the Black Hills 100 mile ultra-marathon in 19th place, and is one of only 6 people still in the Gnarly Bandit Trail Series, was handing out T-shirts. Later, I would see him manning the barbecue, grilling hamburgers. I hadn't seen him since the last Afton, and the 2010 Zumbro race prior to that. He was in high spirits and smiling, as he always seems to be.

In the parking lot, I ran into a woman I ran the 2011 Moose Mountain Marathon with, Marise Widmer. We had both made a wrong turn toward the peak of Oberg Mountain, and then talked and ran together for the remainder of the race. I would pass her on the downhills and she would pass me on the uphills. She finished that race in 6:43, three minute ahead of me!

Shannon Lindgren from DailyMile was also at the race with two of her friends, Leah and Anne (I believe). Shannon had a chance to run Boston Marthon this year! We took pictures, caught up, and wished each other good luck.

Race Start

With MyTracks engaged and tracking my progress, I started out somewhere in the middle of the pack. My strategy for the day was to keep my pace as comfortable as possible, since this was to be a training run for the Fall Moose Mountain Marathon race in September. There were lots of elevation changes similar to the Superior Hiking Trail that makes Afton a great training area. I obviously wanted to do better than last year's race of 3:20, but comparing the two times is frivolous. They were drastically different courses and the weather conditions weren't even comparable.

I tried not to start out too quick, but found myself moving ahead to gaps in runners, trying to get comfortable. My left heel was feeling a bit sore, but not bad, and my right arch was a bit stiff. The shoes were well-fit with two pair of socks, and I was feeling pretty good. For this race, I hadn't found anyone to pace or run with, so I would strike up conversation with people as we went along.

The first part of the track looped South of the starting line, directly into wider, shaded paths. Turning North, it was largely downhill for the better part of a mile or so, when it turned up into a long climb. MyTracks has a neat feature that highlights the track based on the speed that you are running. My strategy to run the straights, hike the uphills, and bomb the downhills, it's easy to see on the map where the hills were.

I was pleasantly surprised on how relaxed I was feeling for the first half of the race, still able to take three or four step per inhale, with four or five per exhale. I don't really know why I paid attention to that metric, but I found it interesting at the time. I did focus on ChiRunning principles, even though I wasn't running in my Vibrams.

At the Western-most loop of the course, we were greeted by Steve Quick, directing traffic for the runners along a short stretch of shared trail. I said, "Hi" and thanked him for coming out. We met up later again at the finish line and talked about running, asthma, and his new project of hiking the peaks of Minnesota.

It didn't take very long before we had run up on to the sunny plains of the park, but because it was so early and the weather so mild, it wasn't the sun-baking experience I had expected for the day. The Africa Loop/Trail was fun in that you could see far ahead of you over the rolling hills of grass. If you haven't had a chance to run or hike Afton, take the time to do so. It is really a special place.

Hills! I have to say one of the most fun parts of this course are the plethora of hills, which range from easy rolling to long slogs, to the steep and technical. Of these, I liked the technical downhill sections best; I have a tendency to "bomb" them. On a few occasions, I swear I passed a good dozen or more people by removing the breaks and letting my wheels spin. You just need to pick your heels up under your rear and let gravity do the work. Keep your cadence the same and pick your way down the hill. The challenge is land softly enough that you have control and don't jar your entire frame. Land with your feet under or behind you, never in front, or you'll ruin your knees. I love it!

I tried to get in and out of the aid stations as quickly as possible, mainly to just keep moving. This approach worked well, and I avoided some of the bottle-necking that happens there. My phone had quit working at 08:30. (In truth, the display and inputs quit working, but the GPS continued to track my progress.) I decided to schedule at least one tablet of salt and one pack of gel per leg of the race, which averaged 2-3 miles per leg (20-30 minutes). The aid stations were stocked well, and everyone was very helpful!

I felt the most tired during the long road stretch along the river, in the second to last leg of the race. My right quad was starting to tighten up, so I concentrated on keeping good form and tried to relax my muscles as much as possible. I walked for a bit, popped another salt tablet and downed a gel. There wasn't much left of the race, so I had to just keep going.

At the Finish

After the last aid station, we had the snowshoe loop left, a big hill up to the road level, and a quarter mile stretch to the finish. I didn't really want to change my strategy now and increase the pace. I was there for a training run, not a PR.

On the last hill, I ran into a young 23 year old runner by the name of Brandon Veber, a Mechnical Engineer from Falcon Heights. He had recently picked up running again following his completion of college, and this had been his first trail race! We agreed to walk up the last hill, then jog into the finish together. He dropped back a little near the end, but I waved him forward to finish side by side.

There was a wave of excitement shortly after I had finished as the female winner, Eve Rukavina-Rembleski of Watertown, crossed the finish line in 4:21:29, 7th place overall. She looked energetic, as if she could run another 25K right then and there. I congratulated her when she had a free moment and she greeted me like an old friend.

Jason was pretty psyched about his finish (5:31:29) as he reconnected with his running partner for the day, Mike Bunda (5:29:10). I had a training run once with Mike last year in Afton and was excited for their strong finishes.

I really love this sport. I enjoy the challenge of it, the community, and the time you spend talking with others who love it the same way I do. I lounged around at the finish line for a good two or so hours, cheering in runners, talking, and eating a fair share of hamburger, watermelon, lemonade, and M&Ms.

What Next?

Eight weeks of training for Moose Mountain Marathon is next! I recognize that my left heel is still not 100%. Saturday night, I iced it and took ibuprofen to reduce the burning feeling. Perhaps it's time to see a sports physiologist on strategies for recovery.

In regards to training, where I need most of my improvement and work is my uphill strength and endurance, and perhaps getting back into a run following the climb. I don't expect my strategy to change much for Superior, but if I can ascend a bit quicker and transition into a run quicker, I can shave off enough time to make it sub-6 hours.

We'll be renting a room or cabin at Caribou Lodge for a day prior and few days following the Superior run. I don't want to run into the logistical issues we had last year with the vehicle, and how much time I spent at the event afterwards. By mid-afternoon, Meghan had been chomping at the bit to get away from the hotel she was at and wasn't expecting my obsession with hanging out at the race site all day. This year, we need to give my family options and means of escape if need be.

Links

• Piscasa Photos
• 2012 Preliminary Results
• 25 K Race Results (Official)
• Last Year's Report

People at the Race

• Runner 50K: Jason Tintes (DailyMile)
• Runner 25K: Shannon L. (DailyMile) 
• Volunteer: Steve Quick (Blog, DailyMile)
• Volunteer: Brian Woods (Facebook, Snowshoe Magazine Article)

Race Report: 2011 Moose Mountain Marathon

The Morning Before and Trip Up
Friday morning started out beautifully. It was my youngest son Ryan's first day of school, and at four years of age, he was certainly ready to venture out of the house and into the world of education. Smart little bugger, and cute as a button, he was excited to go. Connor was to have a short day at school, just two hours, but I didn't want him to miss his first week of first grade. That time is so crucial for children to get acquainted with their peers, and besides, a couple hours without children in the house would make packing easier. O.K. That's not really true. I was willing to take both of my boys out of school and head up a day early, but Meghan would have nothing of it! As a teacher, she couldn't fathom having her own child miss his first day of school! I went with it.

The alarm clock buzzed eight o'clock, and I quickly put on my running gear to take care of my runstreak obligations. The loop around the neighborhood was a standard 1.2 miles, and I finished it on a easy lope. Meghan wasn't feeling very well, but she loaded Ryan into the van and took him to school. After a quick shower and breakfast, I loaded Connor into the car and dropped him off, stopping in the office to let them know I would be picking him up early. I had a quick errand to run: pick up some Gu at a local running store. Since I was so close to Grand Avenue, I drove over to the Running Room, only to be shut down by the time of day. They weren't yet open, and I couldn't wait around while good packing time was to be had.

At home, Meghan wasn't feeling well at all, and packing her things and the kids' things was taking longer than she hoped. I told her to take her time as I gathered the things I needed for the trip. We had planned on packing up the van by 11:20, picking up Connor at 11:30, picking up Ryan at 12:15, and heading directly north from there. Time just wasn't on our side, and Meghan needed time to recover and pack. I decided to pick up both boys, then return home to see how she was doing. When we did swing back around to the house, she was still feeling poorly but well enough to go.  Off to Tofte!

Connor, contemplating what to eat.

Ryan loves his chocolate milk

Seafood and pasta! Nom, nom, nom.

The drive up was relaxing, though slow due to the seemingly constant construction along I35. We may have made one stop on our way to Duluth, and stopped for dinner at Black Woods Bar and Grill on London Road some time around 16:30. The place was deserted except for the retirement crowd, as Meghan pointed out. The food was delicious, and the portions were more than generous. Meghan and I split a chocolate cake that was the size of a small dinner plate. It was so rich that the only thing saving our pallets was the ice cream scoop I ordered.

Monster chocolate cake

We got back on the road after letting Peter, our Boston Terrier, out for a break and after I grabbed a quick stretch on the Yoga mat, tending my aching hip and knee. I was a bit worried that if I didn't take care of it now, I wouldn't do well in the race at all. The way up was barred with more construction, of course. I wouldn't be making it for packet pickup or debriefing, and wasn't going to have time to visit any aid stations to see if I could catch Adam Schwartz-Lowe or Brian Woods.

We arrived at Chalet LeVeaux right around 19:00. The sun was setting, and we were all anxious to get out of the van. It was a cozy little den of an apartment, with a bedroom, living room, kitchen and private bath. At $433 for two nights, it wasn't terribly expensive - better than the published rates for Caribou Lodge (though I know hear there was a discount for runners that may have made the comparison more favorable). The one element that Caribou did not have that I absolutely loved was the Lakeside view and walkout patio. The groomed lawn sported clean lawn furniture and a fire pit and an amazing view of Lake Superior. Peter enjoyed exploring his new digs, and the boys were excited about the idea of sleeping on the pullout! I could have gone cheaper, perhaps even much so, but I wanted Meghan and the kids to have fun while I was off running.

I was still trying to think of a way to get the van back to the Chalet in the morning, since there was no shuttle service, and when I asked about taxis, the hotel staff looked at me as if I were daft. Oh well. I would have to wing it. I figured that my worst and only time for a marathon run was 5:45 at Grandma's last year due to a bum knee and ITBS. I felt I was in much better shapen now, and I had a good chance of meeting or beating that time, even if this was the most grueling course on the planet. I jotted down on a piece of paper, "1:00 to 2:00 PM finish". I promised Meghan that I would text and Tweet as much as I could on the course, so Meghan would have some idea about when and where I was, but I couldn't guarantee coverage.

Sleep was fleeting throughout the night. The boys wouldn't stop talking to each other, so we split them up. Connor was a heavy sleeper, so he joined me in the bed, while Meghan slept on the pull-out with Ryan (Thank you, thank you, thank you, Meghan!). Even with a quiet apartment, I tossed and turned. When I did finally sleep, I woke up multiple times throughout the night, ready to get up and run, only to find that I was 4, 3, and 2 hours away from when I needed to wake up. Finally, at 5:30, I said enough was enough and got ready.

Volunteer at the finish line - whom I should have remembered her name!

Race Day
Caribou Lodge was only minutes away, and I was soon strolling over to the finish line. John (I don't know his last name) was there with a woman volunteer that looked like she knew her way around the course (I didn't catch her name - I'm horrible at such things). I was told that the check-in and packet pickup had moved to the starting line instead. That made since, since everyone had to check in anyway for safety reasons. Also at the starting line was a woman I had met at Zumbro 2010. She had been running constantly since, even doig solo trail runs south from Canada on the Superior Hiking Trail. Her experience would pay off later. (If only I can remember her name... Seriously, am I daft?)

Another runner, trying to check in.

Hello, woman whose name I continue to forget.

There were rumors that John Horns was on a pace to set a course record, that Adam was in third place about two hours back.  I waited at the finish, but when there was no John by 06:30, I went off to find a warm place to hole up and wait for the bus driver. It was seriously chilly out there in just my warm-up jacket. I had a plan to get the van back to Chalet LeVeaux, convinced the bus driver to stop at the Chalet so I could drop off the van then hop on board. She was receptive, but hesitant, stating that she didn't really know where she was going and didn't want to get off the main track. I was stoked, but after a few moments sitting in my van mulling it over, I felt that I would be taking advantage of her volunteer service. I didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable nor set a precident for other runners to make the same request next year. I parked the van and reboarded the bus, letting her know not to worry about it.

Cramer Road - The Start!
There was an advantage to being on the bus, it gave you an opportunity to chat with some of the other runners before hitting the trail. I talked with two other runners, both from the Cities area, on the way down. Everyone was in high spirits, and one runner stated he planned on finishing in four hours! That was quite a goal, but who knows, maybe he could pull it off. The check-in line at Cramer Road gave me an opportunity to chat a little with Dusty Olson (though I wasn't entirely confident it was him). I also talked to a father and son pair, the father more talkative, while the son quietly smiled and acknowledged facts. I also ran into Steve (last name), whom I had run with in the Spring 25k. We quickly agreed to pace each other and made our way to the road.  There, I bumped in to Greg and Curtis, fellow DailyMile'ers. Everyone was excited to get started!

Greg and Curtis from DailyMile.com!

Joe!

I have one more person that I absolutely have to include in this recollection, Joe Weise from Ely.  I met him this Spring at the 25K run both before and after the race.  His enthusiasm is infectious and he's always smiling.  We talked about minimalistic running and shoe strategies before the race started, and I swear he's lost weight since April.  You're looking good Joe!

And... Go!
Race director John Storkamp gave us the quick and dirty explanation of the trail, the flags, and the reason for registering everyone that morning: safety. The start was an entirely uneventful, "Ok. Go." Runners laughed and started to follow Larry Pederson in his truck for a short drive up the road and a loop back on to the single-track trail. It gave the 150 runners a chance to spread out before entering the single-track trail. Steve and I found an easy pace in the middle of the pack, and getting on to the trail was pretty smooth. Trail conversation began, as we all started to joke with each other. Seven tenths of a mile later, we passed the aid station with cheers and smiling faces. It was so cool to be back on the trail.

John gives us the quick and dirty...

The first section was a hefty 7.8 miles that had some really gnarly roots and rocks to deal with, and a few peaks to climb. The dangers of a trail run aren't always at your feet, sometimes they're at your head. We had almost finished the first leg of the race, approaching the Temperance aid station. I was looking down at my feet and getting ready to jump over a branch, when I looked and noticed that my face was headed straight for an eight inch diameter tree stump! At the last second, I jerked my head to the left and avoided the collision! I was too stunned to say anything, and Steve also barely missed the hazard. We laughed it off and yelled, "Tree!", but I think we were both shaken up a bit. At Temperance Aid Station, we began stocking up when A few minutes later, a tall runner walked in sporting a gash on his head and a large blood stain drippping down into his eye! Ouch!

Steve and I didn't spend a lot of time at the aid station and were a little confused about which direction to go. Some kind folks pointed out the trail entrance, and we were on our way. We caught up with a young runner by the name of Nat out of the Cities area. We talked about brewing, running, and making your own energy gels. Anything to pass the time, really. We passed a couple of 100 mile marathoners on the way down the Temperance River, and Nat stopped to talk. He would later catch up and pass me as if I were standing still.

At some point after getting much of the way back up Temperance, I took a walking break to consume a gel, take a salt tablet, and text to Meghan and Twitter. Steve continued on ahead, and I focused on my phone. "At 10 miles in 2 he's.[sic] Carlton peak in 2 miles. #straces" I had meant to say "2 hrs", but I autocorrect thought I was misspelling it. There was no signal out on the trail, but I thought I might get luck on a peak or two and send out the messages. At worst, they would all send when I made it back to a radio tower near the road.

I knew Carlton was going to be tough, but I had little understanding as to how slow it would be to hike to the top! Wow! The following two pictures were taken from the same point, one facing up and one facing down.

Carlton Peak, looking up.

Same spot, looking down.

On my way up, I had passed a woman runner, but as I crested the peak, she shot on by looking strong. She had run the 50k Spring race and indicated that this was the point in which they turned back around and headed north back to Lutsen. The rest of the trail was familiar to her, and she gave me some pointers and insight as to what to expect. It was a huge sense of relief to me to know that most of the way to Sawbill-Britton would be downhill. I needed the break. I tried to let my hips open up and carry me down the hill, but there were so many roots, it was hard to keep up the pace.

I met up with Steve at Sawbill-Britton Aid Station, though he had arrived some five minutes ahead of me. We ate oranges, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, banannas and snacks. We filled up on water, and when Steve headed back out on the trail, I turned back to my phone to text again: "At Brighton[sic] peak aid station. Halfway there. 11:00. Beautiful out. 3 hours left or more. #straces". I was still in pretty good spirits at this point and started out in a trot.

As with any race, you chat with your fellow runners, and it was here that I learned that this was the "easier" stretch of the race. I understood soon how relative that adjective was. Tired, sore, starting to cramp up I hit my emotional low-points of the race. There were no easy stretches on this track of roots and rocks, ups and downs. Tiny little pains in my knee and hip were constant reminders that the old injury could flare up at any minute. Knowing this, I reflected upon the goals I had set for myself this year. I had completed two trail 25Ks, an 8K PR, a 2 mile PR during a triathlon in the Spring, finished in a respectable time in my first "real" triathlon, ran Ragnar Relay with my friends, and was here in the middle of the most challenging run of my life. It had been a hell of a season. Yes, I could live with myself. I would try to continue if I could, but I would feel no guilt if I had to drop out. That fearful, familiar ache never materialized, just the consistent, entire body fatigue and muscle soreness.

Oberg Mountain and a Great Motivator
When I arrived at Oberg Mountain, I didn't immediatly seek ou the race director to drop, rather walked over to the table and started to restock. This is how I remember the conversation going, but know I'm paraphrasing at best. Brian Peterson of the TC Running Room team was manning the station and asked, "Do you need anything?"

"Sure, some water. What's your name?"

"Brian Peterson. How are you feeling?"

"Tired enough to think about dropping." I smiled. Smiled?

"You're not dropping yet."

"No?"

"No. You're looking strong." He said a few more entirely encouraging and simply delivered pieces of sage advise while another volunteer was restocking my water. I just remember my answers to questions weren't entirely quick. I was somewhere in my head, thinking about dropping. Brian helped another racer, and I drank some water. I crouched to the ground on my toes and hung my head down to rest a moment. Why didn't I sit? I could, but I didn't want to.

"Hey, can I get you anything?" someone asked again.

"Um...
"Here, why don't you stand up. Come on."

"No sitting, huh?"

"Nope. Not yet. Can I get you anything?"

"Ginger Ale, I think."

He handed me the pop and offered to walk me out of the aid station. He encouraged me and reminded me that there was only seven miles left. "Hike the hills and run the flats.  Everyone is hiking today." he said.

"What's your name again?" I was determined to remember his.

"Brian."

"Thanks, Brian."

I knew he was right about hiking, but I also knew what was coming: not one, but two of the biggest mountains of the run. At the time, I thought one was called Magic Mountain and the second was Moose Mountain. I later learned that it was Moose Mountain and Mystery Mountain. Regardless, I had no doubt it would take me at least two hours to finish the last leg. I texted: "Brian at Oberg. thanks for the motivation. leaving at 12:40 #straces 7.1 miles left."

The climb began immediately, and I also immediately took a wrong turn, heading up to the peak of Oberg Mountain! About a quarter mile up, a group of hikers stated, "You're going the wrong way!" I started to make my way down and stopped another runner from making the same mistake. We trotted back down the hill and turned to the left. We would trade turns passing each other for the next couple of miles. She would pass me on the uphills, and I would pass her on the downhills. My thighs were burning horribly and starting to cramp, so I shifted to using my hip flexors in a pseudo stiff-legged walk. It helped reserve my strength and avoid any real charlie horses. On the flats and downhills, I focused on ChiRunning methods, pointing my knees down, picking up my heels, and swiveling at the hips. "Cotton and Steel." I managed to actually run much more than I thought possible at this point.

I spent some more time thinking about my long term goals. I often say that I want to complete a 100 mile marathon by the time I'm 40, inspired by my friends Adam Schwartz-Lowe and Brian Woods, both of which were running Sawtooth at that very moment (Adam had completed by then, actually). If 24+ hours of running is truly my goal, I needed to learn to cope with being on my feet even when I don't want to be. I had given myself permission to drop, and ironically it made it easier to keep going. I wasn't worried about whether or not I would finish, since I was already past the point of no return. I wanted to run a 100, so damnit I would finish a mere 26.2 if I had to crawl there.

But there was no crawling involved. In fact, I continued to hike and run, hike and run. When I finally crested Mystery Mountain, my spirits soared. I didn't truly believe that there were no more uphills, but the downhill continued to carry me ever closer. I walked a few of the flats, catching my breath between the downhill runs. Then it happened; I heard the roaring of the Poplar River! What a sound! Wahoo!

I crossed the bridge with a big grin and noticed a runner on the other side taking a breather. I asked him how he was doing, and he confided in me that he was having problems with charlie horses. "Half a kilometer! We can do this!" I said, pointing to the sign and giving him a fist bump. Bob was from Minneapolis area and was running his longest trail run to date. He was 27 years old, and had spent the last eight years of his life in the military, returning from Iraq a year ago. He was strong and determined, and I heard no more about his legs. We set ourselves on an easy run and enjoyed the rest of the flat run.

This was the stretch that Jason helped me most on in the Spring, and somehow I had found someone else who was just as determined to "finish it how i started". I admire people with such drive. As we approached the finish line, he had family and friends cheering him on. The ruts in the road made it easier to treat it like a single track, and I dropped a little behind, but he waited for me. It was obvious that he wanted to finish together, but I pushed him forward. "Go, go, go. You go first!" Everyone was cheering, and I thought with a smile, "You deserve it."

When I did pass the finish line a second later, Larry Pedersen handed me my finishing token, a biased cut branch with the Moose Mountain Marathon logo burned on the surface, and congratulated me. I felt honored to be awarded by someone who has given so much to the sport. I saw Adam sitting at bench right at the finish, and he cheered me on, inviting me to sit down. On my way over, I started to have a slight asthma attack, which puzzled me. I had no allergy problems the entire run, and now that I had finished, I was having a hard time breathing? I went over to a wall and stretched my arms up to pull open my diaphragm. I made my way to the picinic table where Amy and Adam sat, vowing not to lie down. The last two races where I did, I cramped up so badly I couldn't move. Adam encouraged me to drink a lot of fluids and pointed out the lemonade. It was cold, sour, sweet, and oh so freaking good. I drank four pints in short order. I hadn't paid close attention to when I finished, and Adam informed me "about 6:45". I'm going with it. I sat there and talked shop with a couple of other runners, who had lots of questions for Adam. He quietly answered them with humble grace.

When I walked over to the conference room to pick up my sandwhich, I walked past Dusty Olson (again, who I hadn't been confident was actually Dusty, but didn't ask his name to confirm) and asked him if he finished. "Hell yeah!" he replied. "Nice!" I replied and high-5'ed him. I wasn't until later that I learned he had finished the marathon course in 3:40! No kidding, "Hell yeah"?! I'm constantly impressed by trail runners. Dusty was so easy to talk to. You can tell he just loves the sport and the people in it.

About 30 minutes into my recovery, I really wanted to get back to my famiy at Chalet LeVeaux and share news of the finish! Getting in the van was a little challenge, but I didn't cramp up too badly. Meghan congratulated me and noticed that my lips were purple, PURPLE! What the heck? After a quick shower, I grabbed a beer and went to the pool room with the boys to relax in the whirlpool. The warm water was so nice on my aching legs. Afterwards, we grabbed dinner at Moguls Bar and Grill back up at Caribou Lodge where I had a "husband fail" for not introducing Meghan to Adam. He walked by in the restaurant, and I called him over. We chatted a bit, and he headed over to the table with his wife and friends. DOH! I thought they had known each other already, since I've known Adam for many years now. Oops.

I would like to close with a congratulations and salutation to the other runners, volunteers, and race director...  Special thanks to Brian Peterson at the Oberg Aid Station. He knew just the right things to say and in the right way. You were awesome, Brian.  Brilliant, even. I also want to thank family for putting up with my insane hobby.

I'll be back, Superior Hiking Trail, and next time I'll be running the 50!