Angeles National Forest - On Fire

Photo by AP

• 10PM - after 3 hours of research between races sites and nwa.com I think I have to accept NO 100 mile race for Helen this year. There are really only a few that I would consider - the top 2 being Bear and Grindstone - both are still open but pretty much impossible due to work/travel schedule.
  
  Ah well... maybe it's just confirmation that 50 milers are my thing :) And looking on the bright side - it means I don't have to taper!
  
  So... North Face Endurance Challenge WI here I come. Wow - 2 months between races... will I survive? Nic - I fully expect (dare I say 'challenge') you to upgrade to the 50M event!
  
  Matt - I hope your fire-fighter friend in LA stays safe.
  
  Chris - thanks for the comment (and thanks for being a fire-fighter) - I'll take my moment of fame in SD - that made my evening :)
  
  
• 7PM - its official - AC-100 has been cancelled. Disappointed but small beans in light of what's happening out there.

• 10AM - When I first heard about the fire my immediate (selfish) thought was the race in 3 weeks time - but pretty soon I got an idea of how quickly it's spreading and the danger thousands of people are facing. And then yesterday 2 firefighters lost their lives when the incredibly thick smoke obscured their view and they drove off the side of a road on Mount Gleason. Certainly puts things in perspective. It is hard to believe the immensity of forest fires in this country - this fire had burned 134 square miles of brush and trees by early today and was just 5 percent contained. At least 6,600 homes are under mandatory evacuation orders and more than 2,500 firefighters are battling the flames.
  
  Please God no one else loses their life as these firefighters continue to do their difficult job.
  
  

Lean Horse Half Hundred

As much as I hate to say it, this was for me, That Perfect Race.

Why the hesitation? Because I have only been running ultras for two and a half years and I know that there can be only so many great races – so I really don’t want this to be as good as it gets...

I don’t ask for much do I?

I hadn’t planned on running this race at the start of the year. I thought Voyageur would be my last race before the 100 miler. But then Lean Horse was chosen as the championship race for the UMTR series and I knew that a lot of folks from around here would be going out there so I started to look into it. I figured a potentially hot weather race would probably be a good idea in the event we get some unusual conditions at Angeles Crest and since I had no other travel plans for August I was up for a mini-vacation. As it turned out I’ve taken plenty of vacation days for training and racing this summer so I ended up deciding to fly rather than drive out there. So, despite initially giving Eric a hard time for flying (11hrs in a car, run 50M, 11hrs back – no problem!), I went ahead and booked the same flights to Rapid City. We landed around 11am Friday and took the scenic route to Hot Springs via Crazy Horse Memorial. I’d visited the spot in 2005 while on a road trip to Yellowstone with my sisters. I can’t say it’s changed much since then but then again 4 years work on a project that will likely take more than a hundred years is probably not all that visible to the untrained eye!

We also decided to drive Argyle Road which come Saturday I was thankful for. The relentless hills were a bit daunting even in the car but it was good knowing that they went on and on so there was no point hoping for a change in scenery until mile 16.6! And it helped me to stick to my plan of going out easy.

We got to Hot Springs soon after 2pm. Checked into the hotel and went next door to the Mueller Center to get our numbers. I was pretty wrecked after a busy week at work and not as much sleep as I’d hoped for so I got a 2hr nap and then later we went back with drop bags. Met up with Nancy, Tom, Julie and Alicia who’d travelled out a few days early. Steve Q also joined us and Matt & Dawn Long. It was good fun catching up with everyone. Tom, Matt and Dawn had all previously ran here so it good to get some more insights. Weather was not looking any better than expected – it was just a matter of how early the serious heat would kick in.

We decided to head over to the Flatiron Restaurant for dinner where I enjoyed a tasty Buffalo burger outside in the lovely patio area - accompanied by some pretty painful country music. And if we thought singer no.1 was bad we were in for a real treat when no. 2 took the mic. Got back to the hotel and got my stuff organized. I slept okay – woke a few times but managed to fall asleep again quickly. I’d been thinking a lot about the race – one of my goals was to run a negative split so I decided 4hrs for the way out, hoping to finish in under 8hrs. But after everything I’d heard about the race, and even after seeing the road section, and knowing it would be hot, I couldn’t help but think I could do faster than 8hrs – so before falling asleep I’d decided on 3:45 at the turnaround instead!

Woke up at 5am, got dressed, had a banana and a granola bar and went down to the breakfast room to get a coffee. Back to the room to check off a few final items – sunscreen, cap, iPod... one of the reasons I hadn’t gotten as much sleep as planned Thurs night was trying to get a decent playlist together – it was worth it! It was so convenient being right next door to the race start. Got over there around 5:40 and got checked in, chatted to a few people. Realized I hadn’t seen Eric yet so I called back over to the hotel and he was just ready to leave.

A few minutes before 6AM we were all out back of the Mueller Center ready for off. A few words from RD Jerry Dunn and it was time to run... very slowly at first given the narrow bike path start! It was great actually – I totally settled into a nice easy pace that I intended to maintain for a few hours. We meandered around back streets and paths and odd trails to end up on the other side of town and heading out into the countryside towards Coldbrook AS at mile 4. I met a few familiar faces along the way including John Taylor and Zach Pierce. We hit the first hill at around mile 2.5 and many people were walking. While driving Argyle Rd the evening before Eric has asked if I intended to run all the hills. Without thinking about it I said yes. I wasn’t really sure it was a great plan given that sometimes you’re better off walking hills and using different muscle groups but I figured I’d see how I felt as I went along. We hit the dirt road at the top of the hill and then down the other side and mostly downhill to the aid station. A very quick stop here to fill the water bottle and off again – I was carrying one hand-held on the way out with a second in my drop bag at Pringle AS at mile 24.

I caught up with Matt Long in the meadow section – he was laughing that I was indeed sticking to my plan – for now at least! I wondered if there would be anything technical to deal with at all today given that there was even gravel in the meadow section. The answer would be no. We emerged onto Argyle Rd just before the 5 mile mark. Matt was telling me about the return journey on the 100 miler last year when he missed this turn - luckily someone in a car just along the road told him. There is a very big climb up further towards the main road which would have been just miserable to do in error at mile 95!

As soon as we turned left onto the road the first of the climbs kicked in and I wondered if it really was necessary to try to run them all... but of course the stubborn streak within had already decided it was. The next hour or so was spent at a very steady pace rolling up and down the endless hills – it was funny as I would continue to run up each hill and pass many walkers and then they would pass me on the way down the other side. This cycle repeated itself over and over again. I was pretty much running the same pace up and down the hills and would consciously slow down a little as someone came by on the downhill or flat - so that the opposite wouldn’t happen! I switched on the iPod somewhere along here which also helped keep me in my own little world. Upon seeing the mile 10 mark at around 1:39 on the clock I was expecting to see the AS around the next corner but it was probably at least a half mile later. Quick refill of the water bottle, a few grapes, and I was off again. More hills, mostly downhill for a mile or so and then some longer less steep ups and downs past several farmhouses. It really was a scenic course with open vistas in all directions – very different to the trail races through woods. And given the non-technical terrain one could actually look around and enjoy it! Though it wasn’t a level road surface by any means. I had made the comment Friday night after driving it that the road didn’t seem to slope off to the side very much. Yeah right – that would be the difference between driving and running the road - it was horrendous around some of the turns as it sloped several feet down to the edge with deep tracts of loose gravel! I was hoping my IT band would hold up and thankfully it did - no knee pain whatsoever.

The field had spread out quite a bit by now and I ran mostly by myself from around mile 12 through the end of Argyle Rd. Up ahead I could see one of the guys who I’d been over and back with earlier on - turned out to be Doug Smith from Des Moines who ended up finishing second. There were several long stretches here where you could see half a mile or more ahead so I could see he was catching two other runners. Of course, without seeing a race number (different colors) I didn’t know what race anyone was running so that actually helped to not think to much about ‘places’ this early in the race. I was really enjoying the race – it was still quite cool and the pace felt very comfortable. I was enjoying listening to music and was just generally having a good ole time out there by myself.

Another mile or so and the course hit a hard left with a lovely series of hills ahead. I figured the AS couldn’t be too far beyond so that helped to keep the spirits up as I continued at the same pace up the hills. Met a few bikers along here who offered great encouragement... upon seeing all of the cars at the top of the hill I expected to see the AS right there but we had to cross a grassy trail onto the Mickelson Trail and there it was. Jen Pierce was there to greet me which was very cool. Nothing like seeing a friendly face at that point! The folks here were extremely helpful as the guy took my water bottle to fill and I continued on to find my drop bag and grab a few gels and more electrolytes. I was planning to survey the AS table for some food as I thought we were headed back left of the AS but of course we were headed north so I downed a can of red bull from my drop bag and continued along. Quick pit stop at the bottom of the hill as I ducked behind a garbage bin to pee. There wasn’t much point going further off the trail as there was no cover anywhere! A half mile further there was a road crossing and Tom and Nancy were there – it was lovely to have such great support. There were a few people who’d left the AS around the same time as me up ahead and I figured I would try to keep Doug in my sights – though at this point I didn’t even know if he was a 50 or 100 mile runner. I had picked up the pace upon hitting the Mickelson Trail but wasn’t too concerned as I knew there were no significant climbs along here. I tried to keep it steady as we passed under route 89 on a slight downhill grade and then along a lovely flat stretch through a ranch. Before long we were coming down towards Lime Kiln Rd. AS at mile 20. I passed Doug just before the AS, stopped briefly to refill, a few grapes and pretzels and off again. 3:08 on the clock. I was very happy with that. I knew I’d raised the heart rate a little on the last section but I felt good and wanted to continue along at the same pace while on this trail. However, looking at my splits (I was wearing a simple enough Timex and hitting the split after every AS) I sped up some more along this section towards the turn around. It was after 9AM and getting quite a bit warmer with the sun beaming down but it wasn’t bothering me and I had plenty of water between the aid stations at this stage.

I met the lead 50K runner about ten minutes later (they started at 8AM running from their drop point just beyond the mile 70 AS to the finish) – I thought initially it was a 50M runner until I met a few more and realized they were all wearing orange numbers. I’d been expecting Wynn to be leading the 50M and sure enough he came along soon looking strong. 3:33 on my watch and probably just over 27 miles for him. I passed a few others along here and was meeting more 50K runners so it was a busy section of trail! Mostly flat terrain as the trail came close to the road and soon I’d arrived at Pringle AS at mile 24. I had a drop bag here but just refilled my water bottle and a drink of coke before heading off to the turnaround a mile up the trail. The people at the AS were very nice and friendly but I had to hide my impatience when I asked the guy for a second cup of coke as I was drinking the first and he waited until I’d finished to refill my cup – I guess he was being environmentally conscious while I was being time conscious! These folks are giving up their days and nights for us and I am very grateful for that but I will admit to inwardly rolling my eyes at the time...

I was fully expecting to see someone sitting at the mile 25 mark taking down numbers but no – they were using the honor system which I am sure worked just fine. And it wouldn’t have been a very nice job sitting in the open under a now very hot sun. 3:49 at the turnaround. Perfect. Heading back towards the AS it was fun seeing who was a 50M or 100M runner looking at the different numbers. I met Doug and then Matt Long as well as several 100 milers that I’d been running with earlier. And then back at Pringle again. Went straight to my drop bag to get my second water bottle, a few gels, drank my can of red bull and off I went. The water in the bottle was pretty warm but I decided not to waste the time refilling it. I’d been taking a gel and a few electrolytes every 5 miles or so and was putting a nuun tab in my water bottle. I decided to stick with just water in the second bottle. Almost immediately I was finding the two water bottles awkward. I guess it's been a long time since I’ve carried two in a race. I was contemplating dropping one at Lime Kiln until I reached it and realized I’d finished them both – and that was just a 4 mile section! It seemed to take no length to get back here and indeed from my splits I was averaging 7:26 pace. It didn’t feel like I was running that fast I was just enjoying myself meeting so many familiar races and happy to be on the way home. I was very impressed by the energy of the 100 milers who knew they had many hours of intense heat ahead of them. Julie Berg was full of beans when I met her about a mile from the AS and then Pierre and somewhere along here Steve Quick also. Steve was slightly less full of beans.

30 miles down. 20 to go. Boy did it feel good. But I knew the next 10 were probably going to be the hardest. Refilled both water bottles at Lime Kiln AS, drank lots of coke, took some grapes and off I went. Tom was there also, waiting for Alicia whom I met a few minutes up the trail. I continued to meet runners probably all the way to Argyle AS and came across several 50K runners also – many of them out there for the first time. I slowed down a bit on this section noticing the uphill grade that had seemed flat on the outward journey. Although a few minutes of this section were dedicated to a longer than desired bio break… overall my stomach was doing ok but it sure felt better after that. Up the hill and I was back at Argyle Rd AS. I declined the offer of a seat in the shade – things to do, races to finish – and instead grabbed a few more gels, a pack of clif bloks, downed another red bull – got my water bottles refilled - and off I went to face the hills for round number 2. Knowing they wouldn’t be any kinder in the opposite direction I settled into a nice pace and tried to keep things loose. 5:07 on the clock. 16.6 miles to go. This was not going to be easy but I was more determined than ever to run each and every hill! I had left two 50K runners at the AS and came across a few others over the next few miles. Most were taking it pretty easy given that it was now well in the 80’s and there wasn’t much of a break from the hills. There was a slight breeze in places which felt good but given how open the entire course is there was no escaping the sun. The course flattened out a bit after the mile 15 sign as it meandered back through farmland. The road was quiet with only a random car passing by and thankfully most of them were pretty good and slowed to a crawl so that the dust wouldn’t be so bad. My iPod continued to shuffle through a random mix of stuff – The White Stripes, Black Eyed Peas, Moby, Nirvana, U2 and much more – Christina Aguilera actually was one of the artists I wasn't sure about putting on there but her music ended up being great for a few of the hills! Moby's "Honey" comes to mind as one of my fav songs for running - the only problem with the shuffle is that you can't select the songs you want to listen to so I was thinking I'll have to load some songs several times so that the shuffle will find them over again... I suppose it's impossible to know if it really makes a difference in terms of pace but it certainly kept me entertained. The other entertainment on the course came from the grasshoppers – man they were everywhere! It was like a circus watching them come alive and hop out of the way every step you took.

Around a turn a few miles from Morph AS and I saw a runner stopped to stretch – I assumed it was a 50K runner until I was right beside him and realized it was Wynn. I was sort of gone by him before I even thought to ask if he was ok. I felt bad about that but I knew he wasn’t injured just likely cramping from the heat. He was not able to get fluids into his system and ended up dropping at the next AS. I was pretty sure there was another 50M runner ahead of me as I knew I had met another guy before the turnaround but at Morph AS they told me I was in first place. I wasn’t totally convinced but figured I wasn’t going to worry about it. I was more concerned with trying to keep up this pace and continue to feel strong towards the end.

Took a few more grapes here and ice and water in both bottles. Dropped a nuun tab in one and off I went. There’d been some tough uphill to get to the AS but now some sweet downhill around a few turns and past the 10 mile mark. 6:05. At this stage the reality of going well under 8 was starting to crystallize in my mind. 10 miles – even if I slowed down some I could do that in 90 minutes. Just keep it up. One step at a time, one mile at a time. One 50K runner at a time. Yes, it was definitely an incentive seeing people ahead. I like this race format! More hills, some short with a downhill immediately afterwards, some long, winding around corners and continuing to climb. Without any real landmarks it was impossible to remember much from the way out that morning but I knew that the few miles coming up to the meadow section at 5 miles to go were downhill so I figured I was getting close to the end of the hills. Passed two girls along here – I felt a little bad running up the hill past them but I chatted to them at the finish and had fun with them - one wanted my training plan and the other just wanted my legs. That’s about as good a compliment as I can get I reckon! Before long it was time to finally say goodbye to the hills as we descended the last of them along Argyle Rd. I was keeping a pretty steady pace knowing there was still over 5 miles to go and not wanting to completely trash my legs on the downhill. Mile 95 – ahh it felt good even if it was just a mere 45 for me - I can’t imagine how good it must have been several hours later for the 100 milers!

Turned into the meadow – a zillion butterflies dancing in the wind as the trail twisted around, up a short hill, past another 50K runner and before long I was back at Coldbrook AS with around 6:55 on the clock. As they were filling my water bottles I heard one of the ladies on the radio say Wynn’s name so I asked if he was ok – which was when I heard he had dropped at Morph. I asked if there was anyone ahead of me in the 50 miler – got a few quizzical looks as they looked my number again and then they said there were 2 guys ahead and one for sure was a 50K runner. Off I went with a few grapes in my hand. Shortly after I managed to take one more gel. I didn’t feel one bit like it but figured I had at least 35 mins to go and it may just help with a final kick. This section had taken me close to 40 mins coming out so I was figuring it was possibly a bit longer than 4 miles but I knew once I got over the big hill on the gravel road it would be all downhill or flat. I saw one of the runners ahead of me towards the top of that hill and passed him just at the crest. The course marking was just fine along here as we got to the edge of town but several times I thought I had gone wrong as it didn’t seem at all familiar from the morning. I had to laugh when as I was crossing a concrete bridge in the residential area this elderly couple pulled up beside me to ask if I was one of the runners that had left town that morning – I said yes and kept moving – probably at a 7:30 pace or so along here – they were about to ask something else so I hope they didn’t think I was rude for not stopping! I remembered this intersection now turning right and then the road veered left and around by “Evan’s Plunge” – it was kind of odd running along the footpaths here, onto the trail by the river and across the parking lot where some stalls were set up – one of the guys cheered which was cool as I am sure most people were wondering what on earth I was doing. Then under the bridge – it has taken 11 minutes to get here on the way out – I really had been taking it easy! It was 7:20 on the clock and I knew I had to be close. The school bus was coming along behind me and I figured it was from the race as the 50K runners had taken a bus to the start that morning – I didn’t realize it was actually Jerry driving it! I really wanted to be done at this stage – I was so hoping to get under 7:30 but didn’t think I could be that close... realized I was listening to Dreams by Gabrielle's - “You know you gotta be strong... Dreams can come true..." - seriously! 7:24 something on the clock... and then the Dairy Queen sign up ahead!!! Think the Citgo sign at Boston times one billion. Across the road, onto the bike path behind the hotel, up the final short hill and down to the finish line!! Boy was I happy to be done. Great cheering from the ladies seated at the finish line table checking numbers and recording times. It took a few moments for them to realize I was a 50M finisher not a 50K – and then more cheering!!

7:26:46

I was so thrilled to have finished in that time. Of course it was sweet to hear for sure that the guy in front was a 50K runner but mostly I was just really pleased that my race had gone exactly to plan. I will write another post soon on hot yoga but let me just say I know it was the difference for me out there in terms of dealing with the heat. I’ve been taking two or three 90 minute classes a week for the past 2 months (since Grandma’s not-fun-run in the sun). I knew it was getting hotter and the sun sure felt warm but honestly I can’t say it affected me at all. I did run out of water between Argyle and Morph and was very thirsty for the rest of the day but not dehydrated at all. Having said that I know that I didn’t have to deal with the hottest part of the day – from a look at the weather report for the day the temperature was just hitting the 90’s for the last hour I was out there and it continued to climb to 95F in the late afternoon.

There was a fun group of ladies handling the finish line including Jerry’s wife Elaine. After I caught my breath I chatted for a bit and heard an accent that seemed more like mine than a South Dakotan – it turns out the lady was from Aberdeen in Scotland and her boyfriend was running the 100 miler! They’d travelled over for the race and a vacation. Tom Rowe’s wife (Mary? – I know I should remember) was also helping out and asked if I was ranked like Nikki Kimball etc? I laughed as I said noooooo... She was telling me later how they had moved from Montana to Minnesota a few years ago and it occurs to me now that Nikki K lives in Bozeman so I wonder if they know her. I bet that girl could smoke the Lean Horse course in under 6:30 never mind 7:30.

The 50M race at this event is not super competitive. Not to take anything away from the competition and certainly the times are reflective of the tough conditions. But I think it is fair to say that looking at the 100M times on this course, there is certainly the potential for much faster 50M times. Just need to convince some more runners to turn around at the 25M mark!

Overall I really enjoyed this race. It was well organized and the race start/finish area was very well set up even if it meant a few miles on pavement. It is certainly a departure from most trail races in terms of terrain but the combination of rolling hills and heat make it a tough one. At the same time it is extremely runnable so it’s hard not to rank it easier than most. For the most part the AS were very good - helpful, friendly volunteers and plenty of food/drink – though I did hear about one place running out of ice or water. Also, I was a bit surprised to hear there were no s-caps available - just raw salt. I suppose there is the cost to consider but given the conditions I think they probably should be available. Not that as runners we shouldn’t always be self-sufficient but it’s easy to forget to pick something up from a drop bag where you’re out there several hours. I was also thinking that another AS along Argyle Rd would be a good idea. It’s so accessible that it would be pretty easy to do. Even an unmanned water station would be helpful as I am sure many runners were out of water by the time they got to mile 40/90.

After sitting around chatting to the ladies at the finish line and watching a few 50K finishers come in – and after getting some help taking my shoes off as my hip flexors were cramping every time I reached down! - I headed down to the river to soak for a bit. It wasn’t exactly an ice bath but felt good all the same. Then back over to the hotel to shower. Back to the finish line where I helped out for a bit recording finishing times. It was fun chatting to the 50M runners that I’d been on the course with earlier. One of the guys who I remembered running alongside for several miles asked if I’d ran every hill. “I figured as much” was the response when I confirmed his suspicions! I had no appetite for about two hours after finishing but it later came back with a vengeance as I enjoyed several turkey sandwiches and more than a few chocolate walnut brownies while sitting in the shade chatting with Jen Pierce - and later Kel who made a great attempt at her first 50M on a tough day - as we watched the finishers come in. Zach finished with a few others beside him and then Eric a little later. They both suffered a bit from the heat but ran smart to make it through and are well ready for the 100 at Sawtooth.

Hours later we headed back out to see Julie and Alicia. On the drive out we went very slowly along Argyle Rd - stopped to give one 50 miler a spare headlamp I had in the car as it was after 9PM and he had a few miles to go yet. Checked on 2 other 50M runners who were stopped to get their headlamps out of their backpacks - they had just heard a rattlesnake! We reversed the car a few meters to give them a chance to go by and could hear the friendly rattle in the ditch along the roadside... boy, I would not want to be out there alone and hearing that even if they tend to mind their own business. Soon after we met the lead 100M - Akos Konya - he was running downhill at the time with probably 6 miles to go. Amazing runner.

We got to the mile 70 AS but had missed Julie and learned from Lynn Saari who was crewing for Daryl that Alicia had called it a day at mile 60. John Taylor came in as we were there – happy out as usual! We came back to Pringle at mile 76 and waited for Julie there. We made ourselves useful grabbing drop bags for runners as they came in and I ended up making turkey sandwiches as well! Julie came along full of energy still and took a few minutes to put some vaseline on her feet and grab a few gels. She had just left when Tom, Nancy and Alicia came along. We all headed up the road to Lime Kiln AS at mile 80 to wait for her there. The folks at this AS were very well organized – French press coffee no less! I got food for a few runners as they came in and then along came Julie. Quick stop for her and she headed off with 20 miles to go. We calculated that she would probably finish around 23 hours so when we got back to the hotel decided to set the alarms for 4:30AM. And we missed her finish!! Super star that she is came in at 22:36 on the clock – way to PR Julie! Back to bed for a few hours and up at 7:30AM to get ready to leave. We had an early flight back so unfortunately couldn’t stay around to watch everyone finish and for the awards. But Jerry had given me a very nice plaque Saturday afternoon.

Congrats to all who raced and a heartfelt thank you to Jerry, Elaine and all of the volunteers and supporters for a wonderful weekend in Hot Springs, South Dakota!

A few stats for anyone interested -

Mile--Dist--Time----Pace--
4-------4----0:39:10--0:09:48
10.5---6.5---1:05:17--0:10:03
16.6---6.1---0:54:12--0:08:53
20-----3.4---0:29:21--0:08:38
24------4----0:31:02--0:07:46
26------2----0:23:25--0:11:43
30------4----0:29:46--0:07:26
33.4---3.4---0:35:10--0:10:21
39.5---6.1---0:52:38--0:08:38
46-----6.5---0:55:27--0:08:32
50------4----0:31:18--0:07:50

First half 3:49:49 0:09:12
Last half 3:36:57 0:08:41

Overall Pace: 0:08:56

Lean Horse prep and other Random Stuff

I guess I haven't had much to say lately. Well, more like no time to say it... can you believe it is the end of August next weekend?? August in MN - where it's meant to be 90F at least every other day, right? Except for this summer... when we have to go to Hot Springs, SD, to experience it - in the middle of an ultra no less!

Preparation for Lean Horse has involved a few solid weeks of training since Voyaguer followed by this week of taper - multiple yoga sessions and a few swims. I think I have decided on which shoes to wear (road? trail? road? trail?) but that might change again by Saturday... I got my gaiters but think I ordered them too big - but I can pin them. I am packing about 6 different running tops as I just cannot decide - I guess the lightest and brightest considering the conditions... I am even going to wear a cap which I hate to do but that sun just looks horrific... and I am wearing my iPod again! Or at least I will if I can improve my running playlist between now and Saturday :)

And now for the random stuff -

• I feel like the hot yoga - 2/3 classed a week for the past 8 weeks or so - has helped with heat conditioning. But we shall see...
• I have a goal of sub-8hrs for Lean Horse. There, I said it! Before the race! I plan to go out in 4:00 and back in 3:59.9. Again, we shall see...
• I feel like I am running stronger than I ever have - I am not sure that I am faster at every distance than I was last year but I have been thrilled by my recovery this summer. I don't seem to have any problem running the day after a race or a long hard run. And I've thrown in some twice-a-day-runs which seems to work well for me.
• My quads have given up complaining. I expect they will start again by mile 80 of AC-100 coming down Mt. Wilson, if not before.
• Hill repeats suck. And I'm talking Helen-style hill repeats not Julie Berg-style hill repeats. I really don't know how she does it!
• I love love love the Vibram five fingers. I ran a 5K trail race (The White Tail Ridge Trail Run) in River Falls last Sunday in them. It was a blast - super muddy but they held up great - no less grip than regular shoes. Though I did have about twice as much mud as everyone else - but I wasn't holding back so the spills were many... The race was well worth the drive over - a fun group of people put the race on and then the trails are given over to the bikers for a full day of MTB racing. I watched a few of the early ones take off and then headed over to Maiden Rock for some hill repeats along Lake Pepin in the midday sun. Fun. Not.
• I've really been enjoying watching the athletics from Berlin this week - Usain Bolt is truly phenomenal to watch. And so many other great stars. The coverage at http://www.universalsports.com/ is awesome.

I can't wait to see how everyone does at Leadville. Joe Z, Tony K and several others I know are out there for it. I thought there was online race coverage last year but couldn't see anything on the website (not an easy site to navigate with all the various events!).

If a bear is chasing you, run downhill

Termed "dubious advice" on this U of M website which goes on to say...

In fact, bears are fast runners over any terrain. Lean bears can run up to 30 miles per hour for short distances. It's best to never assume you can outrun a bear.

Well, thankfully we didn't have to test out that assumption when we disturbed this guy's twin on the trail close to Sugar Loaf Road on Saturday...



Though, to be fair he was not lumbering towards us, and so we only saw his behind... but there are no good images of bear butts (just lots of bare butts) on google.

It was already a great run - having started out at Tettagouche with Eric and Guy soon after 6am - but this certainly added to the experience! We'd dropped water etc and Co. Rd 6, Finland, Crosby-Manitou and Sugar Loaf Rd on Friday evening - Eric and myself aiming to cover the 43 miles to Cramer Rd and Guy having left his car at Caribou wayside to give him 36. Eric is training for Sawtooth and Guy for the Superior 50 so it was great for them to see so much of what awaits them in a few weeks! The temps were relatively cool but it was very humid and we were soaked within minutes. No amazing views of Lake Superior with the cloud cover which lasted pretty much the entire day except for a short spell around 1pm.

We took our time getting through each section - the rocks and roots of Sonju Lake taking their toll on tired legs... some nicer sections further along that I had forgotten about including the section where we spotted Manitou (it means this and isn't really much of a bear name but given that we were close to Manitou gorge it'll work). We were running along a flat section - moving pretty good but not exactly fast - I was about 10 ft ahead of Eric - I heard this rustling up ahead and off to the left and looked up expecting to see a deer as I'd spotted a few earlier. But no, I see this big black lump. I stopped dead in my tracks. And in the same instant Manitou lifts his head (facing the other direction, phew) and shoots out onto the trail in front of us, sprints 30 yards along and then darts off to the right and into the woods. We caught our breath, made some noise chatting loudly and carried on.

It all happened so fast I can't say I was really scared at all. But I know if I was by myself I would have been in a sorry state!! As it was, the next morning I headed out by myself to run Silver Bay to Tettagouche - and everytime I heard a rustling I was that little bit more nervous. But I don't think I spotted any wildlife at all - just fabulous scences of Bean & Bear Lake. I have said it before - this is definitely my fav section of the SHT.

So another 90 mile week. Well pleased with that. A little knee pain by the end of Saturday but I didn't feel it at all Sunday. This week I'm taking things much easier though it has more to do with a crazy work schedule (if it can even be called that) than a deliberate attempt to taper. I will do some long hill repeats this weekend - perhaps both Friday and Saturday. And then Sunday morning I am thinking of doing the 10K trail run over in River Falls. In the KSOs. We'll see... I did a few miles on the grass last night and they felt great. But (even non-technical) trails will be a different story I am sure! I suppose I should be saving my feet for Lean Horse but where would the fun be in that?

Quote of the Day (Year?)

Last night I finally started to read up on Angeles Crest - my 100 mile race in September. They do a nice job of putting together a racebook each year and this quote caught my attention...

On Persistence and Determination

"Press On - Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; Nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education alone will not; The world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone has unlimited potential."

- President Calvin Coolidge

I am not sure about use of the word derelicts but overall I like the quote! And perhaps taken in conjunction with Steve's post earlier this week it might provide a little more insight into the ultra-running mind...

Training, Training, TDraining...

Last week I felt incredible. I couldn't believe how much energy I had coming off Voyageur. No doubt the mental boost of a good race played a large part but my body seemed to rebound instantly. After a double-dose of ice-baths I ran a few miles the following evening and then kicked off my highest mileage training week on Monday... ending with a 42 mile run on the Luce Line last Saturday and a few hours at Afton Sunday morning. Throw in my weekly 'training race' keeping up with the boys at Hyland and a initial foray into barefoot running... fun times!

But this week... am I even alive? Zero energy. Yoga feels great but running is a slow-motion activity these days. Granted my original plan was to back off this week but after last week felt so good I figured oh yeah I could do another 90 mile week... maybe I should quit while I'm ahead eh?!

Heading up north for the weekend with Eric and Guy for a long run Saturday... the guys are training for Superior 100 and 50 respectively so we're going to do the middle part of the course on Saturday starting at Tettagouche and probably finishing at Cramer Rd. Hopefully the weather cooperates. If we're feeling up to it Sunday I'd like to run the Bean & Bear Lake section - too beautiful to miss!

Ordered a pair of Vibram KSOs the other day so I'm looking forward to trying them out. My first few runs were on the treadmill - wearing socks as my belt is a little rough - and then a mile or so on the grass Monday night which felt great. Still, I cannot comprehend attempting this!

Voyageur 2009

Before Saturday I was already pretty sure that this was my favourite race. Now I am certain! I know that is easy to say after having a great race but I would like to think I’d be saying it regardless. I just love how low key this event is - the small town start, the wonderful volunteers, the variety of terrain, most of it challenging, and knowing more than half the field of runners.

I was feeling pretty good going into this race. Since Grandma’s I’d been trying to improve my eating habits and that seemed to be paying off. I’d also started taking Hot Yoga classes again – something I realized had probably help me deal with the heat in summers gone by. I usually fit in 3-4 classes a week but it’s been mostly the Vinyasa class this year which is heated but not hot. The Bikram style classes are in a room above 100 degrees for 90 minutes so I create a nice puddle of sweat. Afton had gone well but my IT band had given me problems so I’d been foam rolling the heck out of it a few times a day since then. A long training weekend on the SHT 2 weeks prior and a few other solid runs had me feeling as ready as I was ever going to be. And thankfully we wouldn’t be getting anywhere close to the record temperature for Carlton of 98F dating back to 1931. I could live with muddy Power Lines but no amount of hot yoga was going to help me survive that kind of heat wave for 50 miles.

Myself and Valeria drove up Friday evening. We decided not to leave until 6pm to avoid traffic but there was no avoiding road works so it was after 10pm when we reached the hotel. Kami had arrived a little before us. I’d had a good sleep Thursday night so wasn’t too concerned. We got our drop bags sorted and read for a while – I am reading Born To Run and funnily enough I was ready the part about Scott Jurek’s first ultra at Voyageur. We were up around 5:30am and left the hotel soon after 6. A little more organized than last year when we showed up at the start with about 3 minutes to go. Though even that wasn’t as bad as Tracy & Rasmus who woke up about 3 minutes before the start this year!! What a nightmare. Still it didn’t stop them both having good races! It was great getting to meet them at the finish.

But first the start... after chatting to lots of folks I lined up just behind the fast boys and got ready for off. As always the runners are asked if it’s anyone’s first ultra. And sure enough a few young guys - in the front row no less - rose their hands. We haven’t even started and I’ve already decided I’m beating these guys. And then we were off. I couldn’t believe the speed of the lead guy taking off – I later realized it was Dusty Olson who recently won the half Voyageur (and is also mentioned in the book – he remarked later than there is plenty of embellishment in the book, though not as bad as a Dean Molasses book. Wouldn’t be hard). He was gunning for the CR but had hamstring issues later on.

The first few miles passed easily enough. Several of the lead guys disappeared ahead once we hit the single track. The kids passed me a bit later and then I realized Valeria was right behind me so we chatted as we continued along across the swinging bridge to AS 1. We both got a bee sting in the woods but thankfully didn’t really bother us much after the initial shock. After the race I heard that Robert Wehrner (RD at Glacial) also got stung and had to drop due to a bad reaction. We decided the bee should be on next year’s t-shirt and finishers mug.

I had planned to wear my Garmin (not that the useless battery would last the full run but I figured it might help on the way out to keep pace) but had forgotten it at home so just wore a regular watch. I also managed to lose my sunglasses that morning (and my camera later… ultra brain before and after the run!) but it wasn’t too bad as we spend a lot of time in the woods on this race. Also, for the first time ever in a race and ever on a trail I decided to listen to music. I think to avoid the misery of Afton where I couldn’t get a particular song out of my head! I am not sure if it helped though I do know I need to update my shuffle selection before the next race… no surprise there to anyone who knows my music library.

Like last year, I decided not to carry a water bottle given the regular AS – the longest distance being 3.4 miles. But I did have one in each drop bag and was pretty sure I’d pick one up at halfway if not before. I ran by myself through the next section along wide ski trails. I was trying to decide if I should stick to the worn track or try to run tangents through the grass – I know, saving a few yards in a 50 mile trail might seem a bit excessive but I figure it all adds up! The kids were a little ahead of me through here and I ran into AS 2 just behind them. I was looking forward to the next section zigzagging around more ski trails with a short trot on the bike trail. I passed the 4 guys (who later became 3) and continued on. I felt like I was running a reasonable pace but shortly after as we started to climb the switchbacks I saw Tony Kocanda ahead and thought no, this is not good! Though to be fair it was only 2 weeks after Tony paced his friend to 2nd place at Hardrock so I expect there was just a little residual fatigue in his legs! I enjoyed the single track here and came into the next AS just behind Tony and another guy who I think must be Joe Winch from IA (he was wearing a LBL finishers shirt). We were zipping along and then hit some nice downhill so I had fun following Joe (we’ll call him Joe anyway) through this section though I knew I shouldn’t be doing 50K pace this early on a 50 miler… after that I held back a bit as we approached the next AS.

And then the Power Lines. The first few climbs are tough, then it eases off a bit before a few more steep ones. Not bad though. At least not on Round 1. I don’t remember much about the next section – I think this is where there was some trail markings incorrect or changed but I either wasn’t paying attention and managed to go the right way or they were correct when I went by. I did almost miss a sharp left turn off the ski trail a bit later. It’s easy enough to lose concentration along the grassy sections. Back on the paved bike trail and through AS 5 at mile 13.5. I enjoyed the section of solid ground on the way out though on the way back it always feels like I’m running really slow along here. Which I suppose by then, I am. Back to the ski trails and down through Mission Creek before quickly coming into the next AS at mile 15.5. OK, less than ten to go to the turnaround. I was checking my watch at each AS. 2:20. I commented to Erik who had been at a few of the AS that I was going too fast and his response was that I was wearing number 2. Point taken! Grabbed a few gels from my drop bag and off I went.

I have to say the next section felt longer than 3.1 miles. No really steep climbs that forced me to walk but enough to slow me down and start me thinking I’d probably overdone it a little in the early sections. It’s as much mental as anything of course. I knew my legs were plenty fresh but I was looking forward to the road section after the next AS and it wasn’t coming quickly enough. I was also busy trying to calculate how I was doing overall. Last year on the way back I’d fallen somewhere along this section and broken my watch - it had read 5:17 so I’d covered the remaining miles in just over 3 hours. So reaching the AS at mile 18.6 in 2:54 had me wondering if I’d really be able to get back from there in 3 hours today. With this in mind I made the wise decision to run the next 3 miles at 7:30 pace. Making the most of the road section and then getting plenty of mud on my legs going through the horse trails. Out of the woods again at AS 8 (21.7 miles, 3:18 on the clock), downed a few cokes, orange pieces and off I went towards the turn around. I love this section with the awesome views of Duluth. Funny I don’t even remember seeing the town last year! I think I was too busy wondering if the trail was suddenly going to take a left hard turn up a ski hill... thankfully it doesn’t! Still, I couldn’t remember a lot of this section – it switches between paved road, gravel road, single track, rocky trail – a fun section. I knew I was going to get to the turn around faster than planned when I still hadn’t met the front runners by the time I crossed the rocks. A few minutes later Andy and Dusty come towards me. And then back on the road section I met Joe and John. John was smiling. I knew something wasn’t right. I’m not sure if Chris was ahead or behind those guys and then another young guy just before the turnaround. I was surprised not to see Joe who I’d fallen back from earlier – I didn’t actually get chance to talk to him at the finish but I’m assuming he must have taken a wrong turn as I met him on my way back a little later. I did spend a few minutes wondering if I’d somehow taken a wrong turn and skipped part of the trail – but my legs were telling me otherwise!

About a minute at the turnaround and it was time to do it all again. 3:45 on the clock. I’d been aiming for 3:55. Compared to 4hrs last year (4:05 when I was leaving after changing my socks – can’t quite recall why I decided to do that since it was my stomach that was bothering me not my feet!). My goal for this year’s race was 8:10. I think I decided on that back at the end of last year as I was planning the (supposedly light) race calendar for 09. I had finished in 8:19 last year with not having a watch for the final few hours – not sure if that made a difference – nor was I aware that the CR was 8:14 so really all I was trying to do was not get caught! Considering I’d made it back in 4:14 last year the thought of 8hrs did cross my mind. Briefly. I told Kim Holak later that she’d have to come back next year to aim for that - which she could easily do if she ever stops running Hardrock :)

The first section on the way back was grand. Met a lot of familiar faces. Brian, Tony, Matt(s), Scott, Kevin and several others who all seemed to be running strong. I met April along the ski slopes and then shortly afterwards Val who was running with Chris and still smiling. Many times I had to remind myself what of she’d shouted as I left the first AS – ‘have fun out there’! For the most part I was. Though I suspected that was all about to change. Back at the Skyline Drive AS, one of the guys, Ben I think, was stocking up as I came through. Doug Hansel was also here on his way out – telling me he’d hate me and my good humour if I wasn’t such a nice person... I missed his company on the early sections of the race this year! I enjoyed the next section meeting many more people including Kami who was enjoying herself. Kept a good pace through here, back onto the road for the descent towards mile 31.4, meeting Maria and a few others and then Alicia. It was raining quite a bit now but felt refreshing. Left the AS just under 4:41. I didn’t actually think about it at the time but that’s faster than my Afton finish (31 miles). Can that be right? I’d love to know the elevation profile at Voyaguer if anyone’s watch is capable of tracking it accurately?

Soon after I came to what I thought was the “3hrs to go” spot last year. Hmmm... how sweet would 8hrs be? STOP. Long, long way to go. The next section was mostly downhill towards the creek and then some climbing again. I always think I’ll be able to “pick up time” on these downhills but after 30+ miles that just doesn’t happen. Still, overall I was feeling strong and no sign of the IT band pulling on my knee. I’d been diligently foam rolling it 2 and usually 3 times every day since Afton and it appeared to have paid off. Arrived back at Fond Du Lac just after 5:15 and stocked up on gels and clif bloks from my drop bag. I’d picked up my water bottle at halfway so the kind volunteers filled that with ice and water. Perfect. Off again and back into the woods. OK. Two miles to the next AS. This has been a pretty quick trip on the way out. Under 16 minutes. Well, I guess the slowdown had started in earnest. I don’t think the elevation profile is much different on the return but it took me over 20 minutes! I was getting a bit annoyed with myself. My legs felt ok, but even though my stomach wasn’t giving me trouble I didn’t seem to want to eat anything. I’d had a few bad cramps on the way out around mile 18-19, similar to Grandma’s but they didn’t last too long. Now it just seemed like my stomach was shutting down. I took 2 clif bloks but that was it for the final quarter. Not enough calories. I think I did get a few more salt tablets into me and had been doing pretty well on those. I had a few close calls with calf and hamstring cramps towards the end but I’m not sure any amount of electrolytes is going to avoid that when you’re running hard for 50 miles.

Leaving the AS at mile 36.5 with 5:37 on the clock I was starting to wonder if I’d even hit the CR, much less my goal of 8:10 (the thoughts of 8hrs had dissipated in the last 2 miles!). I was trying to stay positive. Mostly I just wanted to finish quicker than last year. I did really want to challenge the CR but there’d be other years. I relaxed a bit and tried to remember Val’s advice. Have fun girl. You are running in the woods on a beautiful day (sort of), with a bunch of friends. It doesn’t get much better than this. It helped. Or the music did. Or something. Even the Power Lines didn’t seem so bad. I’d looked back at one point and spotted a white shirt that I assumed was Brian a few hills back. I was expecting Matt Aro to fly by at some point just like last year! And then my knee. Out of the blue something went awry just below my left knee cap. I’d started to feel the IT band pulling on the outside of the knee for a few miles now but nothing serious. But this was lower down and seemed unrelated. For about 30 seconds I was convinced something was terribly wrong. And then just as quick the pain disappeared and I trotted on down the hill! Phew.

More ice and water at the next AS. I didn’t realize until later that it was Rochelle helping out here. She’d had a great race a few weeks back at the Half Voyaguer but I heard she was hurt after that so I hope nothing serious. OK. 10 miles to go. Well, 10.6 but let’s be positive here. 6:15. 2 hours? It can be done. Struggling to hike moderately fast up the next climb I remembered Joe on the way out saying that if I could run up this hill on the way back I wouldn’t be caught. I hoped the opposite was not true! It was pretty slow going along here – in fact my pace wasn’t much faster than the power lines section. I was starting to get a bit fed up again. But luckily it’s not a very long section. Short jaunt on the paved trail – as I was running along here I started to imagine this being the bike path at the end of the race. How sweet would that have been? Left turn and into the AS with 8.5 miles to go and 6:40 on the clock. An hour and a half to hit my goal? Not if I continued at the same pace. I knew I had to start to pick it up a bit. Luckily there was a nice breeze off the lake here and I started to perk up a bit with some downhill to come and then the rolling sections meandering through the ski trails. Hit the next AS 33 minutes later – averaging close to ten minute miles. I was very happy with that and my mood was improving with every mile! 7:13. 5.2 miles. The CR was definitely possible and even my goal was doable.

Some more rain through the next section but I didn’t mind. My feet were doing well. I couldn’t feel any blisters despite managing to get wet at every creek crossing. I am loving the Montrail Masochists that I started wearing this spring. Lighter than all my other trail shoes but still enough protection. I used to avoid shoes with a flexible forefoot but now I’ve switched my road shoes also. The only thing that was really bugging me – which I don’t think has anything to do with the shoes themselves – I was continually kicking my ankle bones! And all week since the race I’ve continued to scrape them every time I run. Ow. I think I run slightly blow legged at the knee so I guess that could be the cause. Anyway, no falls this race so I guess I needed to create some blood.

Before I knew it I was back at AS 1 greeted by Wayne and Lisa. I was so happy to be so close! After a quick refill I was off again. Though not before Wayne informed me that John was just a bit ahead and I could catch him. Let the fun begin. No, really I am not that mean but once I caught him and established that he wasn’t injured, just not having a great run, I didn’t feel too bad giving him a hard time!

I loved being back in the rocky section. I know it is not everyone’s ideal way to finish a 50 mile race but no matter how bad I’m feeling I always get a bit of a buzz trying to pick up my feet and run as lightly as possibly across the rocks and roots. It challenges the mind enough to (almost) make you forget how awful you feel. And it is such a pretty section running along by the river. I had to smile a bit later when I saw one of the kids who’d been on the starting line that morning chilling out on the rocks. I’m assuming he packed it in somewhere after AS2 and made his way back here to wait for his buddies.

I’d left the last AS at just under 7:32 knowing it had taken me around 31 minutes on the way out. So I figured I could for sure do it in under 40 minutes. Of course you then start to realize that what appeared to be flat on the way out was a downhill section... once I’d caught up with John I ran just ahead of him through the last mile or so of the wooded area. Out of the rocks and the nice soft trail – though all I wanted was to see the wooden bridge! Finally. 8:02. It had taken me just under 5 minutes on the way out. Yes, I remember these critical details! I was so happy to see that bike path. Not that I could do much for a sprint finish but it sure as hell took the same amount of effort! I heard John say he had no kick although he later said he just didn’t want to ruin my finish line photo. Ah, how thoughtful. No, it didn’t stop me giving him a hard time.

8:06:56

I have never felt so happy crossing a finish line. I think I really mean that. Although I am sure I have said it before. Finishing Sawtooth was amazing but after that many hours I don’t think I could tell the difference between feeling ok, feeling good or feeling great. Last Saturday I felt GREAT! After two and a half years of running ultras with several 50K distances, a few 50 milers and one 100 miler I decided last year that I was best suited to the 50 mile distance and I suppose this cements that idea in my head. Chippewa and Afton were great races for me also but I don’t have the natural speed to be a seriously competitive 50K runner and while I love the challenge of 100 miles and will hopefully continue to do one every year I don’t think it will ever be my main focus. 50M requires sufficient speed but also allows for someone with inherent endurance – both mental and physical – to do well over how ever many hours the course dictates. 8 is definitely possible here at Voyaguer. 10 or 12 hours is a good time at other courses. I think that range is part of what I enjoy. Seriously challenging but at the same time very doable with the right training and focus. And good conditions don’t hurt. Certainly we were blessed with those on this occasion. I am already thinking about next year of course. I suspect a goal of 8:05 will be entered in the spreadsheet by year’s end. But yes, no doubt, I’ll be thinking about 8.

An awesome day in Jay Cooke State Park and beyond. Thanks so much to Rollie, Jarrow and all of the organizers and volunteers. Congrats to Andy on an awesome race. And to everyone who toed the line. Especially the latecomers! It was great to chat with Tracy and Rasmus at the end who were back from Denmark. And a wonderful evening spent catching up with many old and new friends.

Photos by Jen Pierce - thanks Jen for the Awesome Pics! - 'Awesome' part is you - I am just glad I'm smiling in some of them!

Checking the watch. Nice to have a bit of prep time this year!

Time for a smile before the fun begins. And before dumping the sunglasses that I decided to do without as they are not my normal running ones having lost them earlier that morning...

P.S. Duluth Running Co. is a great spot if you have not checked it out. No, I am not sponsored! But I'm open to offers :)

Getting a head start!

The Swinging Bridge

With Valeria.

The Power Lines. Round 1.

Still smiling. But I guess it's still early.

And this, folks, is why we do it.

I love this photo of Kim Martin running with her kids - they ran from the last AS to the finish as she was chasing down Valeria! It was so funny listening to them at the end - Val hanging on for life - ahead by about 30-40 seconds for the final 8 miles! Kim ran 121 miles at FANS in June! And her son - who was 10 at the time - ran the marathon distance at LBL in Kentucky last year. Good genes or what!

Voyageur in the Rain?

Looks like there's a good chance of a wet day tomorrow. Will it slow things down? Maybe on the grassy sections but personally I always feel like I am running slow along here... give me rocks and roots anyday! Though rocks and roots in the rain can be more treacherous... not to mention muddy Power Lines. Yikes - that could be fun.

Regardless, I am looking forward to this race. Last year was a great one all around for me - a few wins here and there but mostly just a lot of fun getting out there experiencing new trails, new races and getting to know so many people. Still, the good races always become favourites for me and I would say that Voyageur topped that list last year. Partly as it was my first time ever running on this trail and also since I enjoy out-and-back courses. And having friends in town from Ireland made it special - it was fun hanging out with them and introducing them to this craziness that has become the norm for me since moving here.

Good luck to everyone running tomorrow - and to those folks heading further north for the Grand Island Marathon.

See-saw

This morning I reached my goal weight of 140. I have been trying hard since Grandma's to drop a few lbs. So what do you think I ate today?

I was off-site from work for an all day meeting so I knew it would be bad. But jees I didn't think it'd be this bad...

Breakfast:
- 4 mugs of coffee
- Bread Roll & Cream Cheese (full fat)
- Mini danish (I think I had 2 but I am not sure. Probably)
- A few slices of pineapple. Just to feel healthy.

Mid-morning:
- 2 mugs of coffee
- Jam filled doughnut. Yum Yum. 4 weeks without one.

Lunch:
- Potatoes, Veg, Beef w/mushrooms & gravy
- 2 Diet cokes
- Choc/Raspberry Cake
- Coffee

Afternoon:
- 2 Diet cokes
- Loads of caramel popcorn
- An apple. Good? Dipped in toffee. Great!
- Two slices of fruit tart

I figure I can probably skip dinner.

Pentathlon Sunday

After making a firm decision last night to not do ANY work today (both work work and mowing the lawn kind of work), I managed to enjoy a taste of all of my five (current) sports. Nothing like making the most of the fabulous weather. Especially since days like today don't seem to be making an appearance in the midwest too often this 'summer'. There is something terribly wrong when it's as warm in Ireland in July as it is here...

I think the only similarity between the Olympic event and my Sunday is the running portion (8M of FUN at Afton - snowshoe loop followed by the MTB trails). I am pretty sure there's no climbing involved in Pentathlon (it was on the way home from Afton so I had to stop by). Definitely no swimming (didn't get to the pool all week and my arms could tell). Though I think there is something to do with water? No. Maybe not. Biking? (a nice easy ride with Tanya, Susan & Patty - who both did Heart of the Lakes tri this morning, followed by a short run) No, I don't think so. Or do they ride horses? No, but I am pretty sure they do archery. Which always makes me think of Robin Hood. Which makes me think of horses. You see the logic. And definitely no yoga anywhere in the Olympics. Though it's only a matter of time before the IOC sees the light. Finishing off the day and indeed the weekend with a relaxing hour of vinyasa by candlelight is just perfect.

All in all, a fun day. And I am now officially ready to TAPER. I can do it. I know I can.

Eagle Mountain Challenge

Last weekend was spent running some of my favourite sections of the SHT as well as exploring new trails. The most fun run I've had in a long time was up and down Eagle Mountain - the highest point in Minnesota. Coming from Ireland it is reassuring to know there are others who call 2301ft peaks mountains!!

So... the Eagle Mountain Challange will be the 10K round trip from this sign to the geological marker at the summit and back down again. Not for the faint-hearted. It might not be much of a climb but the boulders and roots sure do make it exciting. And that was without traffic! Imagine the fun of meeting people going full speed on a 3ft wide technical trail. Cool. Bonus points for stopping to take a dip in the beautiful Whale Lake (no whales).

Prior to this fun expedition on Sunday morning, I'd run the 7.5M loop with the guys at Hyland Friday morning and then headed north to meet up with Holly to kick off the Beta IV weekend. This was so much fun last year so I was really looking forward to a weekend of running the SHT, especially with the weather forecast (warm and sunny - as it should be in JULY). We covered 20 miles that afternoon on the SHT south of Duluth - starting out at Spirit Mtn and running to Jay Cooke State Park - followed by an out and back that took in some of the Voyageur course (really looking forward to that race). The first several miles were so beautiful with lots of rocky terrain and overlooks - very similar to the Silver Bay section.

Got to the cabin in Tofte around 8pm that evening - had fun catching up with everyone and then getting ready for an early start on Saturday. We woke at 5am and were out the door before 6. Dropped cars/water and started out at Beaver Bay. Turning right immediately after the bridge brought back memories... I missed the turn during Sawtooth and took a nice ten minute detour. I love love love the next several miles of the trail as it climbs above Bean and Bear Lake, Silver Bay, Mt. Trudee, whereupon I took a ten minutes sun-bathing break/nap. Continued on at a fairly easy pace enjoying the soltitude of the trail - expected to meet more hikers but it was pretty quiet. Reached Co. Rd. 1 where we'd dropped water so I stopped at ate my tuna sandwich (yes, there was mayo on the tuna and I had no stomach problems so hopefully that means it can handle anything at Voyageur unlike last year!), downed a can of redbull, and chilled out for a bit. Off towards Co. Rd 6 then where I'd left my car earlier. Got some water and then through Section 13 for an out and back to bring me to 28 miles for the day.

So, after Sunday morning's trot up the mountain I ended with a nice round 100K for the 3 days. Happy with that, especially since my knee/IT band didn't hurt too bad. It was better Saturday that Friday and hardly any pain Sunday. I've been on the foam roller at least twice a day and I think it helps a lot. I did mean to get to the PT but work has been completely mental this week and last so it's hard to fit much in. I am hoping to get caught up on sleep the next few days as 4hrs a night is not conducive to a good run next weekend.

Speaking of that I guess I am tapering. Haven't ran much this week and will not probably run less than 10 tomorrow and just 10-15 all of next week so that should be good. Another fun run at Hyland this morning. 1:02 for the 7.5M loop - it is damn hard keeping up with the boys and that's after most of them already doing a lap! Not sure I'll ever make it there for the early bird start but how bad to fit in a 15M run before your day even starts...

Afton 50K

+ 5 gels, 6 nuun tabs, matching big toe blisters, lots of swearing, a few strawberries and ALL of Nancy’s coke

- taper, buckets of sweat, the idea that I actually like hills, falls (not so much as a bruise) and the ability to get a bad running song out of my head

= Helen’s 2009 Afton 50K experience

This was my third time to run the 50K and despite my many complaints on that second loop I have no doubt it’s a streak I’ll aim to continue for many years to come. The only good thing about the 2nd loop is that it’s the last one.

The morning started out well. After a pretty crazy start to the week with late nights at work and even later nights working at home I finally got a decent sleep Thursday night and was in bed early again Friday night. So when the alarm went off at 4:45AM I was actually ready to get up. Quick shower, got ready while the coffee was brewing and the oatmeal cooking, checked through the gear bag, filled my water bottles, checked the gear bag again, and I was in the car by 5:15AM. It felt pretty cool out and the forecast seemed decent so things were looking up.

And then, as I was having my breakfast, and driving, I switched on the radio to A Fine Frenzy’s Almost Lover. Unfortunately rather appropriate, but a bad, bad idea on race morning... After losing myself in my thoughts for a few minutes I soon changed over to CD and my mood instantly brightened upon hearing The White Stripes - one of my fav running-music-bands. But I never did get that darn song out of my head and so over and over again for many miles in my head went the lines...

Goodbye, my almost lover
Goodbye, my hopeless dream
I’m trying not to think about you
Can’t you just let me be?
So long, my luckless romance
My back is turned on you
I should’ve known you’d bring me heartache
Almost lovers always do

Not quite the tempo I was looking for.

I started out towards the front with probably 20 guys in front of me. Ran a little with Sonya in the first mile and then we caught up with Kurt on the hill. (Before the race I was giving Kurt a hard time about his compression socks – a few hours later as both my calves were cramping in the final few miles I was sorely regretting not wearing my own pair! I am not sure they make a ton of difference but worth trying.) I was sorry to hear Sonya had a rough time later in the race - she is a much faster road runner than me and I’m sure on a good day for her would have given me a run for my money. We’d passed Steve who asked if we had a spare water bottle... Steve... I said the only excuse he could use today was a completely broken bone and actually it had to be a leg. He ended up catching up again a bit later and we ran together for several miles which was fun - or at least amusing :) Apart from that I didn’t really chat with anyone along the way. For pretty long stretches I was by myself not seeing anyone ahead or behind. This suited me pretty well as I knew in the first loop I had to keep a reasonable pace and if I kept seeing people close ahead of me I’d be trying to catch them... not a good idea that early in a 50K. As for the second loop it would not have mattered – nothing was going to make me run faster :)

The first few miles passed easily enough. I was wearing my 'new' Garmin 405 and tracking the average pace. I hadn’t really decided what I was aiming for but knew I’d be happy with something under 4:45 so I figured I’d try a similar strategy to last year – run the first half a bit faster than I'm totally comfortable with and see how well I could keep it together for the second loop. I am not really sure why I thought this was a good idea given that I have not done as much trail running this spring and had sort of forgotten to taper. But anyhow, along I went watching the average (overall) pace swing between 8:30 and 8:50 depending on the terrain. My nutrition strategy was to take a gel at AS 2, 4, 5, 6 and repeat on second loop. I was carrying a hand held water bottle, refilling at those same AS and adding a nuun tab every time. I used these electrolyte tabs for the first time on the night run last weekend – and liked the taste. I don’t like most sports drinks but these are mild and I figured I’d try them instead of S-caps to see how they worked. I am not sure they completely replace S-caps. I’ll have to check the nutritional info (maybe would have been a good idea to do this prior to use) as I did get some bad cramps in the last few miles. Though I got those last year also – just a different muscle group today! I would recommend them for their ease of use but the claim that they are not fizzy is a load of crap. It doesn’t last long but you do have to release the gas from your water bottle after dissolving. It could be that the shaking makes them fizz but how are you supposed to run with a water bottle and not have it shake. So I think the spiel on the wesbite about the difficult science it took to remove the fizz is a little wasted on runners.

Anyway... speeding down the hill to AS 1/2 where Maria was running the show, taking care not to twist an ankle, and into the Back 40 loop where the air was pretty thick in the woods. It wasn’t hot like it has been in previous years but the humidity was pretty high. Still, I would say overall more favorable conditions than normal. Back to see Maria and gang a mile and a half later, water refill, and the climb up to the prairie. Passed one guy on the stairs in that section but saw no one else until the end of the Africa Loop where Steve caught up and we headed off down the hill – this is my favourite section of downhill running on the course so I enjoyed that. Then around the back of the gravel loop to AS 3 where Pierre and Carrie were taking care of things. No stop here on my first pass through but I did hear Londell giving me (or Steve? yeah, probably Steve...) a hard time – while taking photos of course! Along here that darn song was going around and around in my head and then funnily enough Steve shared the tune he couldn’t get rid of – can’t recall what it was but I think mine still took the prize for worst running song.

Then it was up what used to be my worst nightmare on this course – the gravel hill – but that mantle has now been taken over by the next uphill. Still, it wasn’t much fun climbing this one either. Ran it the first time around though it wasn’t much faster than a hike. Met up with Dan (?) along here who had very kindly given me pins for my number that morning – I got back to my car after picking up my race packet and realized I had forgot pins. I normally have a stash of them in a random gear bag in my car but actually cleaned out my car recently (not that you’d notice) so I couldn’t find any. Dan was parked beside me and had some spares so that worked out well.

Continued along through the prairie and down Nigel’s Hill – some sweet downhill running here also. Out onto the river trail and before long we were heading up my new worst nightmare hill. It’s not named on the map but I’ve heard it called KOM. I have no idea what that stands for but I came up with a few new names for it on the second loop. Back through prairie and down Campground to AS 4 where I refilled again and took off for a mile+ along the flat river trail. This felt great as I got the average pace down to 8:30 where it would not be again! I caught up with a guy who’d flown past me down the Campground hill only for him to again fly by me as we started up the Meat Grinder – he commented to Steve “it’s only the flats that get me!” – not a bad complaint for a race like this. For once I actually found the Meat Grinder pretty kind and emerged with enough energy to settle into a nice pace all the way around to AS 5 where Jeffrey refilled my bottle – a quick hello to Nancy and Tom and off I went to hit the single track in the Snowshoe loop. Oh what fun – I love love love this section. If only the race was run on this and the MTB trails then I’d be happy! I made it back to the half way point from AS 5 in exactly the same time as last year – 27 minutes – to come through in 2:12 at 8:32 pace. I think about 2 minutes faster than last year. I dropped my water bottle and picked up a new one that I’d filled with water/ice that morning so it was still nice and cool.

Off I went on the second loop after a quick pit stop to tighten my laces. I was feeling good. Knowing that I would definitely slow some I thought that it still might be possible to beat last year’s time of 4:36. At this stage the time was more important to me than winning. Sure, I wanted to win but I had no idea who was behind me or how close they were and knew I wasn’t going to find that out so I figured I could only run my own race and not worry about whether anyone was going to catch me. As it turned out the guy who had passed me on the last climb out of the Snowshoe loop was the last to do so. After that I ran alone for the entire second loop apart from meeting a few 25K folks and two 50K guys I passed in the final few miles.

The first climb wasn’t so bad and as I continued on through AS 1 things were going fine. Not exactly feeling great but my legs felt strong. No aches or pains yet. I had a quick bathroom break before the stairs and continued around back to AS 2 where I took a few strawberries. I was a little behind on my gels/nuun but felt like I was getting enough calories. Ran the hill back out onto the prairie – the last of the bigger hills that I would run! I enjoyed the Africa loop as it gave my legs a nice break before the downhill and another pass through AS 3. I should really have topped up my water bottle here but kept moving. The gravel hill was tough but not a complete mind crusher. By the time I was heading down Nigel’s Hill my left knee was hurting pretty bad. I’d had a few twinges earlier but now it hurt every time I ran downhill. It’s the IT band pulling on the outside of the knee – a problem I’ve had for a few months. I was getting PT for a while and the foam roller helps but of course it hasn’t been sore for a few weeks now so I’d abandoned the foam rolling. Nice time to be reminded of that.

Along the river and then back up my nemesis... the overall average pace had fallen to 8:50 earlier and before long it was close to 9:00. I couldn’t believe it – how quickly it seems to slow and how difficult it would be to take it back down again... especially since I couldn’t go all out on the downhills with my knee bugging me. In an attempt to get rid of the song that was still going around in my head I tried to come up with a new mantra to deal with these hills. It was no good just complaining or getting annoyed with how quickly I seemed to be fading. Running angry does not suit me. Guessing that he wasn’t an ultra runner (though I am sure someone will correct me) “What would Jesus do” wasn’t going to work and then I remembered a training run a few months back with Duke, Eve and John where I’d been in complete awe of how easy Eve made this hill look... “What would Eve do” – now this was what I needed to be thinking. The only reason I was in first place at all was because this lady was not running so I figured I’d draw some inspiration from the performances she’d put in here over the years. It worked. At least for a few minutes. Up that beast and through the campground and back down to AS 4 where I got refilled, a few more strawberries, coke, lots of coke, and a request for new legs that was quickly dismissed by Pierre. And off along by the river again. Oh how I was looking forward to walking/crawling back down there after the finish to soak...

I was tired now. And just in case I needed another reason to moan a blister had formed under each of my big toes. It was a struggle a get my pace back down in the 8’s. A lot of calculating what pace I needed to keep in order to finish under 4:40. I figured an overall average of 9:00 minute pace would be 4:39 something so that was my goal. And since there was no sign of anyone behind me I decided I definitely wanted to win also! That put a spring in my step for all of 30 seconds as first my body resisted and then my mind... Why oh why could I not just be happy with running for the joy of running????

I was glad to finally hit the Meat Grinder so that I would legitimately walk! It was tough but at that stage the countdown was starting and I was just focused on getting to AS 5. Didn’t run nearly as much of this hill second time around though I made a better effort once out on the ski trails and felt like I was picking it up a bit by the time I hit the AS. Refilled and took a few strawberries and downed 3 cups of coke in less than 5 seconds which amused Nancy! Complained about my IT band to Tom who I think was just surprised to see that I hadn’t fallen at all...

4:12. OK – if I was going to hit 4:40 I had to put this baby to bed in 28 minutes. I think last year it took 29 on the second loop so I wasn’t sure it was going to happen but off I went with a mission. Made good progress through the first mostly downhill section – knee was sore but not awful. Through the ravine at a decent pace and then it was time to turn uphill. Uh oh... this was going to be the difference vs round 1. And there was no point calling on Eve for inspiration now – if she were out here she’d already be across the finish line!! Hiked up and over the crest until it started to slope downwards. I really could have started to run sooner but my motivation was slipping. Out into the long grass where I picked up the pace again and then my calves started to cramp. I’d felt them a little bit earlier but now it was full on and I knew that if I pushed it too hard I’d be walking. So I kept things under control and made my way back into the woods, through the other side of the ravine. I love this section so much where the track gets narrow and it’s mostly downhill with a few bumps, over the fallen tree, and then that short steep uphill. I was able to run it but rather than my usual uphill forefoot running I had to plant my heel to avoid my calves cramping completely. Then out of the trees and under the bridge. Quick check on the watch. 4:33. It had taken me exactly 7 minutes to get to the AS on the first loop... Could it be done? Through the woods again, a smile on my face as I neared the end of this race but I was really on the edge here trying to keep the legs moving just fast enough – through the short grassy section and up that monster of a climb. Walking of course, and not keeping anything resembling ‘form’ – 4:37... almost at the top... soon turned to 4:38 and I knew it was unlikely but at least I could run again now. Around a few turns and I could see the line of cars. A few hundred yards, 4:40:29 would still really be 4:40. Right? But alas as I motored down the ‘finishing chute’ the clock ticked over the half minute... and this ain’t no BQ race – it must be rounded up! And as I write this (and no doubt as you are reading this) - I am thinking is WTF - like 10 seconds really matters in a 50K race? But at the time...

[7/7 update - official time 4:41:12 (9:04 pace) - I guess all that sweat in my eyes blurred my vision!]

So the exact same time as Chippewa a few months back. Overall I was very happy. Felt decent enough for most of the race. Probably didn’t have enough electrolytes – will have to look at a mix of nuun and S-caps. And of course I was delighted to win. A girl can never have enough interesting ‘artwork’ :)

Tanya and Patty were at the finish line having run the 25K. After a quick chat with a few folks I headed over the car to grab my Recoverite and we made our way down to the water. I was determined to get a good soak in! Not quite ice-bath temps but I made up for that later. Back up and got changed into some clean clothes, had some food and enjoyed a few hours catching up with everyone.

As always, it was great to see so many familiar faces on the starting line and along the way at the AS and at the finish line. Congrats to Matt for taking first overall. And a huge thanks to John, Alicia and all the volunteers who make this race what it is.

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Race photos courtesy of Londell Pease, Jen Pierce, Tanya Kroll, Bryan Cochran & John Maas - thanks folks!

A confused Helen wondering what a timing mat is doing at a trail race...

Listening to sound advice from the RD: "Run as hard as you can for as long as you can"

It's hardly a hill but that little rise to AS 3 always seems to get me!

Amazing the creatures that hide out in the woods at Afton!

At AS 4 on the second loop my coke addiction took over - more of the same at AS 5!

With an eye on the clock willing it to slow down...

When I did find pins I made sure they stayed on!

Happy to be done!

Where this year's adventure all started... the icy cool November water would have actually felt good yesterday!

It's already on the wall!

And to think we once ran roads!