Badwater-Arrowhead Double

- How tough do you have to be to run Arrowhead?

- How tough do you have to be to run Badwater 135?

- How tough do you have to be to run both, in the same year?

- How tough do you have to be to win both, in the same year?

Ask Zach Gingerich!

He may not have had the day he hoped for back at FANS 24hr in June but he certainly made it happen in Death Valley yesterday and today.

Mt Whitney Portal 135M

1. Zach 24:44:48
2. Oswaldo 25:05:38
3. Jamie 26:16:12 - new course record!!

Matt Aro was at Darwin (90.1M) at 23.52 (28); Iso Yucra 25:12 (38); Adrian Belitu 25:15 (40).

Badwater 135M

Follow the action from Death Valley here.

Matt Aro from Duluth is the sole MN representative. Other runners people here will be familiar with include Adrian Belitu who came up from Chicago to run Zumbro back in April. And another veteran Zach Gingerich, aiming to improve on last year's 3rd place finish, was here in MN last month to run (and win) FANS 24hr.

No WI runners but KG is pacing Iso Yucra.

Last years winner Marco Farinazzo from Brazil is back again and also vying for the top spot will be Jorge Pacheco.

In the women's race Jamie Donalson is the favorite after her phenomenal run last year and continued success on the trails and road, particularly in timed events. Connie Gardner from Ohio is up there with her so far.

Times for a few people below. I think the first five are/were the top five runners at that checkpoint...

Stovepipe Wells 41.9M

Jorge 5:29
Marco 5:43
Zach 6:00
Jamie 6:47
Connie 6:49
Adrian 8:22
Iso 10:26

Furnace Creek 17.4M

Matt 3:14 - I wonder if he is still on the course as he started at 8AM (I think all of above except Iso started at 10AM)

Day 2 Updates...

As the runners continued through the night there were quite a few changes in position. I had missed one of the leaders in the above list - Lopez Oswaldo; And I should never have doubted Matt Aro... he is out there alright. Lots of cool photos on the webcast page. This batch by Chris Kostman include a few of Matt.

Last year's winning time was 23:39; CR is 22:52 (Valmir Nunes, 2007). Women's CR is 26:51:33 (Jamie Donaldson, 2008)

Lone Pine 122.3M

1. Zach 21:38
2. Oswaldo 22:11

Darwin 90.1M

3. Marco 15:28
4. Jorge 16:36*
5. Jamie 16:41
9. Connie 19:25
12. Pam Reed 20:04

* Jorge had been almost an hour ahead at Panamint Springs 72.3M - the biggest lead all day

Panamint Springs 72.3M

34. Adrian 18:04
38. Matt 19:07
42. Iso 19:54

Zero to Sixty (Two)

Today is 3 weeks from surgery and I can take the boot off. Which is somewhat irrelevant since I stopped wearing it last Wednesday. It just felt like I was walking better without it. Apart from a few spin classes and swimming, I continued to stay off my feet as much as possible all of last week and iced the ankle at night. There is still some swelling around the incision but it has healed nicely.

I ran 10 minutes yesterday evening. The foot felt fine. Everything else felt awful. Then I went to my first Hot Yoga class in over 3 weeks. I expected that to be pretty rough but actually it felt good and there was only one or two poses that I had to modify slightly. And that had more to do with being out of shape than any issue with my foot.

All in all, I can’t complain about progress to date. SHT Beta V weekend is coming up so I would like to be able to run a little but if not I am happy to hike. It’s the Superior Hiking Trail after all. And there is no point in pushing it now. Although, there is a small matter of a 100K race in 6 weeks time…

I would really love to be able to run Where's Waldo 100K (Oregon) as Kami and I are both signed up for it and looking forward to hanging out with our friend Carrie who moved to Portland last year. But I will only race it if I am in good shape for it. I will definitely travel out there and get some good training in if I don’t race, and could always pace Kami if she was up for that. Leading up to that I am excited to be heading out to the Marin Headlands area again to pace Alicia (Hudelson) at Headlands 100M August 7.

The longer-term goal is to have another good run at Hellgate 100K later this year so that is really what I am focused on. It will be exciting to run that race having some experience on the course. I will still be scared shitless in the lead up to it worrying about the midnight start and the weather conditions. But I feel like I can really target my training for the course especially having decided to take a few other races off my calendar.

I love that I am so confident of my training ability after one easy week that followed two weeks of doing N O T H I N G but eat, drink wine and watch TV.

A sporting weekend...

World Cup final - despite it being a crappy game I was happy that Spain won as they played the better football over the course of the tournament.

Tour de France continues into the mountains - I am enjoying following Nicholas Roche, son of former Irish cycling star Stephen Roche.

Hardrock 100M - how about Diana Finkel’s amazing run! She is an absolute rockstar on that course.

Dances with Dirt, Devil’s Lake - Congrats to Kami on her 50 mile win! And to Kim & Andy Holak who both won in the 50K race. Way to represent MN folks!

Half Voyageur - I have never run this race but it somehow seems a lot more challenging than simply half the full - I hear there was a swamp involved this year? Also, I was surprised to see Lundo show up in Eve's pictures - I hope it was a recon run ahead of the full as we all really, really want to see him run that. I suspect it is only a matter of time until Steve starts a poll on his finish time. No pressure Chris!

Baby steps...

Recovery is going well. I saw the surgeon last Thursday and he was happy with progress. He cleared me for spin class and to swim once the incision had healed just a little more. I didn't do either until Monday. I mean, where would I find the time between the World Cup, Wimbledon - and now the Tour de France? Oh, and there was Afton...

But Monday I decided it was time to get off the couch and try to undo some of the damage that goes hand in hand with two weeks of zero activity. I know, 2 weeks is not that long but for someone who can't sit still outside the environs of a yoga class it seemed waay too long. Pool running felt good so I decided to try an easy spin class after that. All good. Tuesday and this morning another spin class and swam with the group last night at the lovely 50M outdoor pool in New Hope. OK - not exactly baby steps but taking it pretty easy and all low impact activities. Might do a yoga class over the weekend and then the boot can come off Monday. To be honest I think I am walking better without the boot these days than with it but I will do as I am told. And for the most part I am sitting down at work so I can just take it off and put my feet up. Yes, it is still considered work.

More Afton Fun

Check out Matt's video footage of the race - great stuff!

Afton Trail Race 2010

What. A. Great. Day.

And I wasn't even racing!! As I have found over the past few years of volunteering at a number of trail races, the days when I'm not wearing a race number can be just as enjoyable. And slightly easier to recover from...

It was a perfect day for being at the start/finish area as we had probably the nicest conditions of the entire race course - fabulous sunshine but a strong breeze and plenty of canopy cover for shade. I had the job of keeping track of awards for both the 25K and 50K so for the first few hours while the races were getting underway I got to catch up with people and take lots of photos. I got quite a few of the 50K 1st loop coming through AS 6 and the finish line for both races. Though I was caught off guard by the speedy 25K winner as I had mistakenly though the CR was over 1:40... and even though I was moving around well (and probably more than I should) with the gimpy leg I'm not quite up to 6:21 pace. Yet.

This year the race hosted the first USATF-MN Trail Championships so that added to the excitement - money to be won! And also to the complextity of the awards process. But Sam Rush was on hand to take care of that end of things.

We saw incredible times for the lead finishers in both races considering the conditions. Of course the course changes had people debating whether it was a faster or slower course. The new course has runners spending a bit more time in the open prairie so that may have been tough yesterday. But I think the climbs on the new course are pretty equal.

On the women's side the Masters dominated in both events. In the 50K Eve came through the 1st loop with Dani Ashford (running her first 50K) but Eve's strength on the hills and her affinity for the hot weather saw her pull away soon after and she went on to take the win in 4:24:11. Someway off her incredible CR of 4:13:21 (2008) but taking 3rd overall shows what a brilliant time it was on the day.

In the 25K Sue Ruben's 2:08:43 win set a new Masters CR by a few precious seconds! Replacing Elizabeth Flannery's 2:08:46 mark set last year. 2nd place went to a girl half her age Kelsi Upmann 2:10:40. The Senior Masters was won by Lisa Ann Trainor 2:21:01 - coming in less than a minute ahead of the second 50+ lady Sarah Barker 2:21:56. Gotta love that - women in their 40's and 50's running so strong while at the same time seeing more and more younger women drawn to the trails.

On the men's side the 50K promised to be quite the race with Pat Russell in town, Chris Lundstrom toeing the line and Brian Peterson hoping to continue his incredible season. All 3 came through loop 1 well under 2 hours with Pat maybe a minute ahead and Chris and Brian together at 1:54. Pat ran into issues and decided to pull the plug I think around halfway through the 2nd loop. Brian made the smart decision to let Chris pull ahead heading into the final lap so that by AS3 there was already a decent gap. Chris continued at the same pace and ran strong to the finish not hampered by a thrilling spill coming down Campground! We all knew the course record was in danger and sure enough Chris crossed the line in 3:48:10 (7:21 pace) - running almost even splits (wow!) and taking over a minute of the previous record (3:49:44) that had stood since 2005. Brian was next over the line in a time of 4:04:49. If ever there was a race to go out hard it is Afton on a day like this when the heat is almost always going to take it's toll on the 2nd loop. I also want to mention the 3rd place male (4th overall) Ryan Braun, who at 26 was one of the youngest guys in the longer distance. I first met Ryan at last year's Moose Mountain Marathon where we ran together for several miles. I remembered telling his (slightly worried) parents at the finish that this was just the start of his trail running career and sure enough he then took on his first 50K at Wild Duluth finishing 2nd, followed by a 9th place finish in a competitive field at the Superior 50K in May.

In the 25K it was a repeat win for Ben Kampf in 1:38:24, just under a minute off his CR set last year (1:37:39). He was followed by Ed Whetham in 1:44:44, bettering his time last year by 5 minutes. Of note, four of the top 5 finishers this year were also in the top 5 last year with a few changes in position. While there were several strong Masters runners in the 25K it may be a while until Matt Haugen's record of 1:50:29 is broken (set in 2004).

The age range on the trail is worth mentioning. 14yr old Connor Gabbert took on the 25K while for the girls we had several under 20, the youngest being 15yr old Kaylee Ryan who finished alongside her sister and mum. At the other end of the scale were 70yr olds Ken Norwood and Patricia Wolkoff showing us how it's done. In the 50K, 22yr old Wesley Rolnick, and 2nd place finisher Dani Ashford along with another 23yr old Alisha Mayer were the youngest out there, while 66yr old Herb Byun and 65yr old Kathy Schmidt represented the grand masters exceptionally well.

The results are already uploaded on the race website as well as links to the hundreds of photos (also posted below). I've included a few of the more memorable moments below.

To mark the race having raised more than $25,000 for the Afton State Park, park manager Gene made a presentation to John (photo credit Jen Pierce)...


Everyone had a chance to check out the new course map thanks to Jason's map-making skills (photo credit Jen Pierce)...


Steve was a bit worried he can going to have to wear a cut-off bright pink tee - but instead I decided to honor his blog that has at one time or another made us laugh, cry or just shake our heads in disbelief. Here is Bill modeling one of the shirts...


Ben winning the 25K (photo credit Jen Pierce)...


And picking up his award (all awards original artwork by race director John Storkamp)...


25K female winner Sue picking up her awards (Overall and 1st Masters)...


Kami and Igor finish the 25K together - 2 weeks after Kami's run at Bighorn 50M and 1 week after Igor's IM CDA finish...


You'd be forgiven for thinking this 25K runner was wearing a tie-dye t-shirt and had not suffered a bloody nose...


Unless you had seen her at the start of the race...


Chris winning the 50K in course record time (photo credit Jen Pierce)...


And picking up his award...


And later doing some core work (photo credit Jen Pierce)...


Classic finish by Brian (photo credit Jen Pierce)...


Eve finishing strong...


And picking up her award...


Vale racing to the finish line and demonstrating that her unique water bottle holding skills do not hamper her running ability...


Team TCRC does it again (photo credit Jen Pierce)...


Marcus ran the 50K in his Vibrams but switched to a truly barefoot feel by the end...


Zach trying to tell us he'd done a Steve Quick but with no blood and no bones sticking out we were having none of it...


It wouldn't be Afton without Tom & Nancy...



For more photos - and they are ALL worth checking out -

Helen (picasa)

Londell (picasa)

Jen (flickr) (Zach also posted a subset of these on his facebook)

Matt (picasa)

Once again it was a beautiful day to be on the trail. And a lot of fun to be at the finish line for the day... catching up with friends, meeting new people, some of whom I only knew from this blogland, a tasty hamburger (or 3) for lunch, followed by fresh strawberries from Lisa and washed down with a few unnamed beverages from Karen.

Congrats to everyone who raced, volunteered and supported - you are all part of a wonderful community. And kudos to everyone who completed their first trail race and/or ultra yesterday. There is no better place to do so than at the Afton Trail Run.

Bighorn 50M, June 2010

Waking up on race morning a little after 2AM I felt surprisingly relaxed and looking forward to the run. Then again Kami was driving us to the race start so technically I may have still been asleep. We’d signed up for this race many months before and were excited to be making the trip to the Bighorn Mountains. However, on the drive down to Sheridan, Wyoming (from Billings, Montana) the day before we had spent more time talking about our next excursion – Where’s Waldo 100K in Oregon – than we did about tomorrow's race. Somewhere amidst the planning I had forgotten the Rocky Mountains took in eastern Oregon along their journey though the western states and remained convinced that there’s no way that course had elevation above 5000ft, no way it could be more difficult than tomorrow’s adventure, no way... later in the hotel I checked the race website. All of a sudden Bighorn didn’t seem so daunting.

[2021 Edit: Apologies Cascade Mountains - I didn't know you back then!)

We arrived at Scott Park in Dayton (race finish) with plenty of time to spare before the bus to race start left at 4AM. Despite the early start I felt ready to run by the time we were lining up at the Porcupine Ranger station at 8800ft (also the 100M turnaround) for the 6AM start. I knew it wouldn’t be easy but one tough climb and a few shorter ones, as well as miles of rollers, seemed pretty doable, albeit with much of the course in the 5000-8000ft range. Though I wasn’t sure if my training would stand to me today. It had been 5 weeks since Superior 50K where I’d felt tried and out of shape. In that time I’d had a few good training weekends including a long run on the Ice Age Trail and then a long weekend on the SHT. And the past two weeks I’d taken it easy with no running at all last week. So my legs felt more rested than for any race so far this year. I’d had no trouble with the cyst in my foot and didn’t expect it to bother me on the run other than some numbness which I was now used to dealing with. Some familiar faces among the crowd – we found Jim and then I spotted the other MN representatives, Jan and Wendy, and a few others I recognized from other races. A few words from the race director and then it was time to run.

We knew there was some snow and a lot of mud in the first several miles and with the downhill grade that made for more than a few hairy moments. I soon fell into a line behind two girls from CO. There was some nifty footwork going on to keep upright as we wound through the trees and started to catch glimpses of what promised to be as scenic a course as you can imagine. The temperatures were in the forties. I’d considered wearing a long sleeve but was happy I’d settled on the t-shirt and arm warmers. Apart from wet feet for the first few hours I felt pretty comfortable all day. I was wearing my North face hydration pack which I have to say is the most comfortable one I’ve used, a snug fit on my shoulders. In retrospect I would have been fine with a large handheld but with the altitude and potential for heat I had decided to wear it through the early sections for the longer climbs and swap for a water bottle at the second drop bag (mile 34.5). I heard the girls in front mention Jemez Mountains, a 50M race in New Mexico that I’d run in 2008, so I asked them how it compared to this one. I liked the response - Jemez is a mini-Hardrock and Bighorn in a mini-Western States. I realized I’d actually spoken to Cindy the day before in the running store in Sheridan - she’d given us some good info about the course as we were looking at the map. I also heard from the girls that Darcy Africa (CR holder and definite favourite) was in CO running San Juan Solstice instead of this race – I’d assumed she was somewhere up ahead. So naturally that got me thinking...

I knew there was a few girls ahead but was liking this early pace, keeping it steady and seeing how my legs felt on the small climbs. The early aid stations seemed to come quickly. Elk Camp at mile 5 (0:52) was water only and then a limited aid station at Spring Marsh (1:26, 8M). I didn’t need to refill at either so just kept moving along. I’d gone by the two CO girls and I think had passed another girl by now. But it was so early and I was just trying to think about my race. I was running through wide open meadows, across creeks and generally adding to the mud content of my shoes. I came to a lovely section through the woods with a steep slope off to the right down towards the canyon. The course got somewhat more technical along here and I was enjoying what felt like a few fast miles moving across the rocks and roots. Went by a few runners including one female and felt like I was probably in the lead – I have no idea how I "knew" as I really had not taken notice of who was where at the start.

Came into the Narrows AS at mile 14.5 with 2:30 on the clock still feeling pretty fresh. I was so glad I had done nothing but yoga and swimming all week. I left the aid station with a few guys and followed them long through the next section which boasted some of most stunning views so far with technical switchbacks down through Little Bighorn Canyon. We stopped briefly just to take it in. Yes, it was that beautiful! And then more rocky terrain as we reached the river and ran alongside the water for a half mile or so. Shortly after I had to stop for my one and only bio break of the day so I arrived at the Foot Bridge AS (mile 18) by myself. I refilled my water and was about to look for my drop bag when a volunteer handed it to me – such service! I sat in a chair, pulled off my filthy shoes and socks and on with the nice clean dry ones. Meanwhile the guy beside me was carefully lifting his feet out of a basin of water and drying them on a towel. You read correctly. I was up and gone by the time he was reaching for his clean socks. I know, I know, it’s not all about speed but at that moment all I could think was guys can be such pansies. 3:07 leaving here so I was happy with that. I knew the climb out of Foot Bridge would be tough but had imagined it as a straight up climb whereas there were several level sections and even a bit of downhill - we all know how annoying that is when you know how far up you have to go - so I could actually run every 5-10 minutes though I didn't feel much like it at times. I was expecting several guys to pass me on the climb but I think only one went by.

Along here I started to see quite a few 100 mile runners – including John Taylor who was looking awesome for 70 miles. I had thought it could take me 90 minutes to cover the 3.5 miles to Bear Camp AS so was thrilled to arrive in just over an hour (4:09, 21.5M). As with many of the aid stations this one was in the middle of the woods. It was probably accessible by dirt road but still I was amazed by how much they had carried in. Having said that when my request for coke was turned down I was a little disappointed – there is nothing better after a tough climb! A few pretzels and I was off again. By now I was thinking more and more about my goal of 10 hours that I had set back in January when planning out the year. Closer to the event with some good and some not so good races behind me, I was thinking 10:30 would be a more reasonable goal. But as I approached halfway and knowing I was in the lead, I decided there was no way I was going to win this race in anything more than 10 hours. It just didn’t seem right! After Bear Camp the trail continued mostly through the woods for the next few miles of rolling terrain – somewhat technical but after the big climb anything felt good. Even being called names by the 100 mile runners I was passing. I wanted to say I know how you feel but at this stage it’s been quite a while since my one 100 miler. At this point my goal was to reach halfway in 5 hours.

The course being 52 miles long I figured I’d need to get to the next aid station at mile 24.5 by 4:40-4:45. This was a water only station – and boy was I glad I stopped. Firstly because I had not refilled at the previous one thinking my pack was still half full only to find it was almost empty, and secondly because the guys here were filling the water jugs from a spring – that water tasted so good! Looked at my watch as I continued on – 4:45 (24.5M) – so far, so good. The next section through the woods was pretty nice and before long I was running through open meadows once again. It was so beautiful taking in the huge expansive views – looking north towards the canyon where we’d been earlier, and ahead towards the mountains – quite glad I didn’t have to climb much higher today than where I was currently at. Twenty minutes later and I could smell the bacon. Well, not quite, but I knew that must be Cow Camp aid station up ahead where they were grilling something like 20lbs of bacon over the course of the race. But first a sharp descent, across a creek and then an equally sharp climb to get there. I figured I deserved a few pieces by then. Quick chat with the aid station volunteers here who were more interested in where in Ireland I was from than how I was feeling, which was a good thing as I was sort of in the mood for complaining.

Those next few miles were probably the toughest of the race. 5:32 on the clock. 28.8 miles done. 6 miles to the next aid station. Two thirds of the way through the race. This is often a rough spot for me in 50 milers. My legs were a bit tired and I wanted to walk more than run. I was glad to have the 100 mile runners on the course. I know it can’t have been much fun for them having people continually pass by but for me it was definitely motivating to see them ahead and know how hard they’d worked for the past 24 hours. No way I could come up with a good excuse to walk. As we emerged onto a dirt road all I could see ahead was r o l l i n g hills. Oh crap. Immediately followed by YAY – legitimate reason to walk! Along here I caught up with Nathan from South Dakota who remembered me from Lean Horse last summer. Which made me think how much better shape I was in back then. I was glad today’s race was on a completely different course – the kind that is well served by my decent strength and endurance base and forgiving of my slower leg speed this year. More dirt road and then a trip through the woods again. Some walking, mostly running. I learned later from Nathan that a guy who had been just ahead of us had seen a bear in this section. It was easy to remember the place as there was yellow tape blocking part of the trail. Bears running through the woods, moose sightings along the course and even a few rattlesnake stories - but not so much as a dropping to indicate this is also the home of these guys...

Out of the woods again and more rolling hills. And then, just as I was wondering if the next aid station (Dry Fork, mile 34.5) would ever appear I spotted cars along the ridge quite a distance away. I remembered Cindy explaining this section to us in the shop, cautioning not to look up as it was still a ways to go. But for me it was good to have that ahead as a goal and at 6:25 on the clock I decided I should try to get there in 20 minutes. Passing a few people along here as I tried to power hike at a good pace. The grade wasn’t so bad at first but got decidedly stepper so I knew there wasn’t much point in trying to run. I could tell this would be a busy aid station and even half way up the hill there were people out cheering. It was quite the party atmosphere. I reached the top feeling pretty strong. Before I knew it I was being offered pizza – looked good but no thank you - and then was handed my drop bag and swapped my hydration pack for a handheld which another volunteer filled for me. These guys were so on the ball. Chatted briefly to Andy who’d arrived just ahead of me and then into the tent for some fruit and pretzels. On my way again at 6:46 (34.5M). Nice. Things were going my way. I could tell. And wasn’t that, like, the second big climb of the race? Surely it was.

Out onto the gravel road which started off at a pretty gentle grade. Once I’d eaten that half banana and a few orange quarters it was time to run. Passed a few 50K runners along here. It is seriously impressive to see the number of 60yr+ runners in that race – including two guys in their mid-70’s. Across a few meadows as the trail continued to climb, all runnable, and then some downhill and flat gravel roads through more farmland. This was a welcome break from the rough dirt roads and it was nice to be able to settle into a running pace again. Several creek crossings to keep the feet refreshed and a few marshy sections. A short steep climb up to a dirt road that we followed towards some rougher terrain as we descended to Upper Sheep Creek. I was losing track of aid station distances at this point so I asked how long to the finish from here – 13 miles was the reply and 5 to the next aid station. At 7:40 on the clock I was feeling pretty positive about my 10 hour goal. After all I’d passed the last tough climb. Right? Wrong. A half mile out of the aid station and I was looking up, up, up. Horse Creek Ridge. Seriously? That sort of knocked the wind out of my sails. My hamstrings which had felt pretty good all day were beginning to complain quite loudly. Things improved immensely once I realized I was catching a few 50K runners on the climb. And though I would not have believed it on the way up, when I reached the top and took a moment to look around me – all that lactic acid seemed to dissolve... WOW – if this is what running in the mountains is all about then I am all about running in the mountains.

As I started the descent, the next mile of the course clearly visible as a line of runners wound their way through the meadows below, I thanked whatever god was listening that I had the ability and the desire to do this. I reached the wire fence and continued along the now flat trail, passing a few more runners and looking forward to more sweet downhill as we headed in the direction of the Tongue River Canyon. The sky so blue, the meadows full of wildflowers. The setting could not have been more spectacular. Sting’s “Fields of Gold” came into my mind. The wildflowers were purple and blue but there you go. I don’t listen to music much while running these days and not at all while racing but this is a song that often comes to mind when I’ve run myself into that state of mind where I feel like nothing can stop me (usually the grade is downhill). Long before I was a runner I associated that song with heaven. I guess there are no up-hills in my running heaven. There were several more runners along here as the narrow trail passed through some long grass on either side which made things a bit tricky a times. Mostly 50K runners, a few 100 milers and then one 50 miler who didn’t let me get very far... we had good fun running through the next section of mostly steep downhill with a few muddy sections and still more creek crossings. It was great to have someone "chasing" me especially as I was beginning to wonder how long this 5 mile section was. We chatted a little bit but mostly I was concentrating on the terrain and trying hard not to damage my toes any more than necessary. I expressed my strong desire to finish this race in under 10 hours and was told no problem. I didn’t quite share his confidence. Especially as my watch ticked over 8:30 and still no sign of Lower Sheep Creek aid station from which I assumed I still had 8 miles to run. How pleased was I to reach it a few minutes later and be told seven miles to the end! The course info says 7.5 miles but either way it was less than 8 and that was all I needed to hear! 8:33, somewhere around mile 44.5. Only 2 miles to the next aid so I quickly refilled, a few pretzels, coke and a small bunch of grapes.

My friend had left before me so it was my turn to chase him. What happened next was most unexpected. A bagpiper standing on a rock in the woods. And further along the trail two guys on guitars. I would bet a few of the 100 mile runners thought it was their imagination getting the better of them. That took my mind off the trail which had decided to climb through the woods despite the volunteer’s assertions that it was all flat from here home. But I was alongside the river again, the canyon narrowing ahead of us - and it’s hard to complain when you’ve got nothing but natural beauty all around you. But I am meant to be chasing someone here. Off I went in pursuit of my friend. I passed two 100 milers who were in great spirits along with their pacers. I took half a gel. I tried to take more but my stomach was having none of it. In general I did pretty well all day on the nutrition and hydration fronts. I probably drank a bit more than usual to offset any altitude affects (which I really didn’t feel). I’d eaten granola and yogurt on the bus earlier, 2 hours before the race and then starting at about 2 hours in I’d taken a gel every 45-60 minutes, along with a few electrolyte tabs. Pretzels and few pieces of fruit at all of the stocked aid stations. But now, 8 gels or so later my stomach was beginning to revolt a little. Before I knew it I was descending towards the Tongue River aid station – the last fully stocked one, 5 miles from home according to the volunteers (5.5 according to the course map). Exactly 9 hours on the clock. I was going to do this. Gravel roads all the way. It was nice to know there really were no more climbs but I had totally enjoyed the previous section as it wound along the river, lots of short sharp climbs and a few scrambles across the rocks. It was fun and fun is always needed at around mile 45. I could see my friend up ahead. Earlier when I was running in front of him on the downhill section I’d asked if he wanted to go by. He said no because even if he did go ahead he knew I’d catch him on the road. So I got a told you so and keep running hard all the way as I went by.

Ahead I saw a lady who looked like Alicia and sure enough it was - a veteran at the Bighorn races. I was half expecting to see Vishal along the way but also hoping not to as it meant he’d be well under his goal of 30 hours. It was pretty warm along here now that the sun had escaped all the clouds. The conditions had been close to perfect all day. Some sections got a bit toasty but most of the time it seemed like the sun would dip behind the clouds regularly and at times it even felt cool, especially when the breeze picked up on some of the more exposed sections. Quite a few people along the course now, passing a lot of 50K runners, a few 100 milers and maybe 2 or 3 50 mile runners, one guy suffering pretty badly with IT band issues. Also, a lot of supporters along this stretch of road – all weekend I was impressed by how the locals seemed to really get involved with the race. A guy came along on a bike and told me if I kept running at this pace I’d be home in 20 minutes. 9:23 on the clock.

Quick diversion to grab a freezepop from the ladies at the Homestretch aid station – it was pretty neat to have this last stop to get you over the finish line. I took another half a gel. Just in case bike guy was a bit off on his predictions. Around a few more turns and then the edge of town started to appear. I passed Vishal along here, with less than a half mile to go. He was in great spirits and moving well. I was so happy to be almost done. Volunteers made for a safe road crossing, heading towards Scott Park, onto the sidewalk and into the park, around the edge of the field, searching for the finish line and very glad to see it a few hundred yards ahead, along the river. As scenic a finish line as I’m ever likely to cross. 9:42:59. Bike guy called it. 1st Female, 5th overall. I'll enjoy the memories of this race for a long time to come. The afternoon was still young and after a ten minute soak in the chilly waters of the Tongue River, I got cleaned up, hung out with Karen and Alicia, chatting to several people I’d met along the way and just enjoying a really great post-race party. And if that wasn’t good enough, the next morning’s post-race breakfast was outdoors in the plaza in downtown Sheridan. It was just perfect – pancakes, fresh fruit, coffee, good company. Not to mention a nice $100 gift cert for the sports shop across the road and a rock that would put a fair dent in my luggage allowance...

This was one of the most enjoyable races I’ve been lucky enough to participate in. No question winning helps brighten the memories but I think more so the breathtaking views every step of the course, the incredibly well organized aid stations and, as always, the people... the runners, the volunteers, the supporters. Its memories like this that make sitting on my ass recovering from the (unrelated) post-race surgery just about tolerable! On that note – a big thank you to Kami who gently persuaded me to reconsider my initial plans to schedule that surgery for 2 weeks prior to the race thinking I was better off just getting it done and that somehow I would be okay with spectating on the day. I am so very glad I took your advice!

Photos First the course map and elevation profile (the downhill section around mile 43 is responsible for the current state of my toenails)...

A few from the finish line...

Kami and I drove back out to Tongue River Canyon the day after the race and hiked a very short section of the trail...

And these delightful photos of the trail are courtesy of Chris Gerber...

For anyone interested in the stats: 0:52 (0:52) 5.0 (5) Elk Camp 0:34 (1:26) 3.0 (8) Spring Marsh 1:04 (2:30) 6.5 (14.5) Narrows 0:37 (3:07) 3.5 (18) Foot Bridge 1:02 (4:09) 3.5 (21.5) Bear Camp 0:36 (4:45) 3.0 (24.5) Water AS 0:47 (5:32) 4.0 (28.5) Kern’s Cow Camp 1:14 (6:46) 6.0 (34.5) Dry Fork Ridge* 0:54 (7:40) 5.0 (39.5) Upper Sheep Creek 0:53 (8:33) 5.0 (44.5) Lower Sheep Creek** 0:27 (9:00) 2.0 (46.5) Tongue River** 0:28 (9:28) 3.5 (50) Homestretch 0:15 (9:43) 2.0 (52) Finish Line in Scott Park, Dayton *the splits on the website list me coming in at 6:58 but I know that’s off and also I came in after some of the guys listed below me so the times are definitely a bit off here ** the volunteers at these aid stations said 5 and 7 miles to go, respectively, so I am not sure if the website info is correct – from my times I would guess it is 44.5 miles at Lower Sheep Creek and then 2.5 miles to Tongue River (27 minutes). And Homestretch is more like 1.75 miles from the finish.

Recovery x2

Well, the good news is that I haven't gone crazy... yet! This is my third day of sitting on the sofa with my foot elevated. I had the cyst removed from my right foot on Monday. It was a ganglion cyst - decent size, about 5 cm long and a visible bump just below my inner ankle bone. The surgery went well and I got all bandaged up and was out of the clinic within 3 hours. I have some pretty strong painkillers but haven't needed to take them much - took a few yesterday to help with the inflammation but only getting a few random shooting pains. The cyst was intermingled around the tendon and nerve so those were probably a little upset but it seems to be healing well. I'm seeing the doctor later this afternoon so hopefully it looks good when the bandage comes off. I guess I'll get a smaller bandage then and be back next week to get the stitches out. I'm using crutches to get around though I am allowed to use the shoe and put some pressure on it.

It's grand being at home as I can do most of my work from my laptop anyway. And then there is always the World Cup... and Wimbledon... and... I won't tell you the trashy TV I've been watching on Bravo!

Apart from the foot my legs are feeling good after Bighorn (working on the race report!). My toenails are in bits though - I had covered the two big toenails with band-aids before the surgery but they took the one off my right foot - I can just imagine what they were thinking!! The first question I got as I was coming around was what on earth do you do to your feet? And also that I should have told the anaesthetist I was very active - he was getting a bit worried when my pulse fell to 37. A few years ago my resting heart race was in the high 60's but now it's low 50's.

Now, back to the longest tennis match ever... they are at 38 games each in 5th set!! work.

Thursday Update -

The good news is the foot is feeling better each day. The swelling was pretty much gone yesterday and the doc replaced the bandage with a smaller one. And I got a walking boot to use as I can put pressure on the foot just need to keep it stable. Bad news is the cyst was bigger than expected and while the surgery went well I will be in the boot for longer than I'd hoped. Oh well, I guess I just have to do as I am told and in the long run it will be worth it.

Thanks for the advice on the pills - as it happens I've hardly had any pain so only ended up taking 3 between Day 1 & 2. No ill effects. So far.

World Cup got pretty exciting between yesterday and today - have to say the US goal in the 91st minute was worth waiting for. And today the Slovaks scored some great goals to send Italy home. Another big team fails to move past the first round. This is the World Cup of upsets so far.

On the tennis front - how about that mega match that finally ended at 70-68 in the 5th set. They played for 11 hours and 5 minutes!! As well as all the records set during the match it was probably the first time the word Ultramarathon was uttered by a Wimbledon commentator - when it went past 9 hours they figured Ironman triathlons are usually done by then (elite men perhaps...) so they were wondering how long it would take to complete a 100 mile race!

Steve - I am slightly embarrassed to admit that you are spot on regarding the Bravo TV :)

Superior 50K, May 2010

The title would suggest a race report, right? You will not be disappointed! But since my general lack of enthusiasm for the race spilled over into a complete meltdown when it came to writing a race report, I am going to borrow a much more entertaining one that I ever could have written. Many of you who run locally have met my friend Deirdre by now - Dee is over here for 6 months with work and, as you will see, is very much enjoying the trail scene. Click here to read an account of her first trail adventure in Minnesota.

I hope to run this race again next year. I think it was probably a bad idea just two weeks after Miwok. Though it was probably more the big week after that race rather than the race itself. I should know better! But don't get me wrong just because I didn't have a good race myself I did really enjoy the event. Very well organized and what's not to love about a day with friends on the Superior Hiking Trail? As Jen Pierce told me at the Sawbill aid station when I was acting like a spoilt brat just because I wasn't having a good day - "A bad day on the SHT is still better than a day in the office" - it was just what I needed to hear! Things did get better soon after that and the second half was actually kinda fun. Kinda. It was cool to run a few miles in the middle with Vale and then towards the end with Erik. Huge congrats to Margot who won in a great time - on her FIRST ultra! That was awesome.

Race articles here.

And a few photos from the race start, trail (Thanks Wayne!) and finish line party on the lawn at Caribou Highlands Lodge - no better place to spend an afternoon in the sun!