race report

Race Report: Hot Dash 10 Mile

Ha! I ran a race. I was going to make a post about my goals, but didn’t make it a priority. It wasn’t a race I trained specifically for, so I didn’t spend a whole lot of time thinking about it. To the point where I didn’t even look at the course in detail, and didn’t really look at how I was even going to get there/park/other stuff until this morning.

Official Results:
Time: 1:48:08
Pace: 10:49
Placing:
Overall: 1628/2008
Gender: 935/1228
Division (F 30-34): 196/243

Watch Results:
Time: 1:48:16
Pace: 10:25/mi
Distance: 10.39
Heart Rate: N/A

Goals:
A: 1:50:00
B: 1:59:59
(I swear these were my goals, not just goals I made after the fact to make myself look like a rock star.)

Food:
What I ate the night before: bratwurst (I was at a hockey game) and Chex Mix
What I ate on race morning: Clif bar
What I carried with me: water + electrolytes

Gear:
What I wore: t-shirt, shorts, arm warmers, buff as headband, ball cap, tall socks (that fell down)
Gadgets: GPS watch, fitness tracker

Discussion: That was very cold.

The early forecast made it seem like it was going to be in the low 50s on race day, but then started creeping down into the 40s, so I quick ordered some arm warmers since I didn’t want to wear a long sleeve or gloves, but didn’t want to be cold at the start. It was about 33F when I left my dad’s house Saturday morning for the race (with a stop to buy my morning snack, and then another stop at the ATM in case I had to pay to park, which I did not), but I figured it would warm up a bit and by the end of the race maybe be like 40F. I was going to be running for about 2 hours, and the race started later in the day (9:15). News flash: it did not warm up much. It was about 35F at the end. Ugh.

I slept ok the night before, which is always a crapshoot for me. I wasn’t at home, which always makes it tougher to sleep, and I often get too amped up or anxious about races, so I stay up half the night or more (like my DNS at Curnow). I did dream about being late to the race and forgetting half my gear, whoops.

I felt a little rushed trying to get to the race, since I thought I might need cash, and the ATM was broken at the convenience store where I stopped to get my Clif bar, so I had to stop at a drive up ATM further on. I was worried about needing to pay for parking. Then I ended up parking on the street, so that was a waste of time. I sat in my car with it running and got all my stuff together. At the very last minute, I decided not to wear my jacket, and left it in the car. I ran the half mile from my car to the race start, then found my friend and talked to him for a little bit. He wanted to start closer to the front than I did, so we parted ways. I was a bit chilly, but not shivering. It was overcast and there was an unpleasant wind.

The race started but I didn’t make it over the timing mat until 2:38 had passed. Fine with me. I dodged and weaved a little bit but since we were running on closed streets, there seemed to be more room than normal. We did a quick zag down and back a couple of blocks right away, and then crossed the Mississippi River on 8th Ave NE. The bridge was of course a bit of an uphill but it wasn’t too bad. The route then followed the river down past the mill ruins, underneath 35 W, underneath 94, and down just past Mississippi Gorge Park (though that was on the other side of the river). I wish it had been later in the year, or that spring had already arrived, because I think it would have been more scenic, but it was cool to run by the Mill City Museum and the Guthrie and all the other great stuff along the river front.

This course is not flat, by any means. I didn’t really know what I was in for, so I actually am extra pleased with my pace results, since there were several significant hills. I ran them all, even though it felt kind of terrible. This was ultimately a training run, but I still wanted to see what I was capable of, so I didn’t hold back much. I didn’t know the route at all, so I couldn’t come up with a race plan, I just went with it. I knew my GPS was off, so I just switched my watch over to display elapsed time whenever I came upon a mile marker (they had these nice big flags, so I could see one and quick switch over), and made sure I was under 11:oo pace (since my watch was measuring long, it had me at a great pace!).

I don’t remember much about what happened after crossing the river for the first time, and the turnaround. There was a very nice downhill that I knew would become a very unpleasant uphill. Between miles 3 and 4, I passed 4 or 5 different splatters of puke, probably from the same person. Look, in a 10 mile race, if you’re throwing up less than halfway in, you are either going too hard, or you are too hung over and need to call it a day. Gross. Puke in the grass, at least.

I was able to fly through the aid stations because I had my handheld. There were great, enthusiastic volunteers all along the course, from the water stations to the turns (every turn had a volunteer, so great!), and I was glad I had the breath to thank them. That was actually my best way of gauging my effort level: I was able to thank volunteers in full sentences, so I wasn’t going out too hard. Shortly before the turnaround (which was at around 5.5 miles, I think), I caught up to my friend and talked to him a bit. I hit the 5 mile timing mat at a 10:54 pace, which was just under goal pace. I kind of liked that the turnaround was a little past 5 miles, because it meant I already had less than half the race to go.

I caught the 12:00 pace group (who had started much farther up to the front) in the early miles, and in the back half, I realized I was closing in on the 11:00 pace group. I knew since they started ahead of me, as long as I stayed ahead of them, I’d finish under goal pace. I got ahead of them just before a hill, which kind of stunk. The pace leader told me to keep my head up, which was a good tip, since I’m always dropping my head. He said it shortens your stride on uphills. Interesting! I did my best to hammer up the hills and then keep my legs churning til they recovered.

The course crossed the river at the Stone Arch Bridge, and went past St. Anthony Main before crossing onto Nicollet Island. I thought oh, this nice downhill must be close to the end, but then no, the race took us back up another uphill as we crossed back over onto the east bank. There was yet another uphill before the finish, but then a downhill and a nice flat finish just short of where the race began.

Here’s my race results link, which has my finish video, in which I look super amazing. I’m the only person in shorts. (When anyone commented on the shorts, I replied “I live in Duluth,” which they all found sufficient for an explanation.) I felt great, cruising into the finish line, even though the surprise hills at the end threw me a bit. I had tried to get my final kick going a couple times before realizing oh, there’s another hill, gotta hang on, but I still had legs left to finish strong and happy.

I waited around for my friend to finish, and that was probably not the best idea for me, health-wise, because I was sweaty and it was still cold. I cheered him on just before the finish, and then met up with him after he left the chute. We talked for a little while, but I absolutely had to get going because my hands were getting cold. I got my finisher’s medal and walked back to the car, feeling miserable because my hands were just getting redder and colder by the minute. I made it back to the car and sat there for a few minutes (I put my running jacket on right away) before my hands recovered enough to drive. I picked up bagels and a latte on the drive home, though I was still chilled (and had to stand near the door while waiting for my coffee, getting a blast of cold air every time it opened) and really should have gone straight back. I recovered at home for awhile, finally getting the chill to go away by wrapping up in blankets, then taking a shower about half an hour later.

The race was pretty fun! It was a nice challenging course, and a positive way to kick off my 2017 race calendar! The race jacket, which came with my entry fee, is great for one reason: ZIPPERED POCKETS. I don’t have enough running gear with zippered pockets in which to store my car key. This race also helped me build confidence for Chippewa Moraine: surely even on trails, I can still hit those cutoffs. If I can run a hilly 10 mile road course in under 11 min miles, I can run 15 miles at less than a 15 min pace.

Race Report: Jingle Bell 5K

Official Results:
Time: 29:21
Pace: 9:27
Placing:
Overall: 57/167
Gender: 35/124
Division (F 30-39): 16/46

Watch Results:
Time: 29:25
Pace: 9:31/mi
Distance: 3.09
Heart Rate: N/A

Goals:
A: 29:29
B: 29:59

Food:
What I ate the night before: carne asada skirt steak and instant mashed potatoes
What I ate on race morning: granola bar
What I carried with me: nothing

Gear:
What I wore: hoodie, tank top, tights, buff as headband, gloves
Gadgets: GPS watch, fitness tracker

jinglebell5k

Rita and me after the race. Last time we saw each other, we covered 10x this distance. At more than 2x the pace…

Discussion: Well, I did it! Finally under 30 minutes!

It’s fairly amazing that I did, since I have been sick and I have been light on training for November. This confirms my theory that I was held back mentally, rather than physically, from reaching this rather dubious milestone. But hey, I don’t care if it’s dubious, it was a big deal for me! Now I guess my goal is to never go under 30 minutes for a 5K again unless I’m wearing a bizarre costume, running on a technical trail, or running with a friend for fun/to pace them. Which, I can’t keep a consistent pace, so I should not pace other people.

I didn’t sleep that well the night before the race, and I didn’t feel super fantastic when I woke up. I had a bit of a stuffy head and a runny nose. I had planned to get up a bit earlier but hit the snooze so I could rest a little more. I didn’t need much time to get ready so I don’t know why I planned to get up early. I guess because I like to hit snooze. I love running local 5Ks because they’re so easy to get to. I was there in 5 minutes, parked right across from the Sports Garden, where I checked in and then warmed up. Yup, I warmed up! And then had a good race! Hooray! I ran at a very easy pace for about 10 mins and then returned to the Sports Garden (indoor staging area, so nice!) to meet up with my friend Rita, who ran the Wild Duluth 50K with me. We haven’t seen each other since the race, so it was good to meet up. She has done like 5 races since then, because she is a bada$$.

I don’t have much to say about the race itself, because I sorta no longer see the point in a mile-by-mile discussion of a 3.1 mile race. I started out kinda quickly, at a pace that felt good, but it was hard to hold it. And there were certainly times when I looked down at my watch and realized I was not holding it, and I thought the race was out of reach. I had planned to try to run a race based on actually completing 3.2 miles in under 30 minutes, because I ran this same course back in October and my watch measured 3.18 miles so I was thinking I was on pace and I was not. I noted, however, that the turnaround was slightly closer this time than it was last time. Not .09 mi closer, no, but it was strange not to have the exact same spot. The finish line might have been slightly farther back, or the course marker could have taken a slightly different route (there are a few spots where the most direct route isn’t exactly clear, as there’s an open space to cut through and then there’s no set spot to jump off the boardwalk portion of the Lakewalk onto the paved portion). Not a big deal. I’m sure GPS error accounts for most of the difference.

Next time I’m really trying to PR in a 5K, I need to get up early enough to eat something that’s going to actually have time to kick in. I ate a granola bar, yes, but while that prevented me from a growling stomach, I don’t think it had time to break down and get converted into energy.

I’m pretty sure I’ve prolonged my illness by running this race, since I’m feeling tired and listless, but we’ll see. Not good if I have, since I have a work trip and long training all week, and there’s nothing worse than sitting in a training listening to some boring lecture with a foggy head.

That’s it for racing for 2016. I’m happy to have ended it on a high note!

Race Report: Superhero 5K

Official Results:
Time: 30:18
Pace: 9:46
Placing:
Overall: 39/171
Gender: 14/102
Division (F 18+): 10/82

Watch Results:
Time: 30:23
Pace: 9:32/mi
Distance: 3.18
Heart Rate: N/A

Goals:
A: 29:30
B: 29:59

Food:
What I ate the night before: gyros and fries
What I ate on race morning: Clif bar
What I carried with me: nothing

Gear:
What I wore: Doctor Who t-shirt, shorts, buff
Gadgets: GPS watch, fitness tracker

Discussion: This was an overall disappointing result for me, mostly because my expectations were too high. I assumed that I would just waltz out there and PR easily. I entered the race with a friend, so I didn’t do a big warm-up, which probably did not help.

The funny thing is, this is my best placing ever. I was on the first page of results! However, many of the people I “beat” were 2 year olds, or people carrying 2 year olds. The race assigned bibs to all participants, even little kids in strollers. It was sort of like the Simpsons episode Homer’s Enemy, where Homer is tricked into entering a children’s nuclear power plant design contest.

I was only 16 seconds off my time from this summer, so I am not overly concerned about giving <30 another shot. With a few weeks of work, I can get back some of that lost speed and energy. And mental determination. I probably could have run under 30 minutes if I’d had better head game.

The race itself was fun, it was inexpensive and a fundraiser for the Duluth Police Foundation, so I was happy to participate and I expect to run this race again. The course gets a little crowded and there were some pedestrians on the Lakewalk that added a few obstacles, but since the race was small and the average pace was slower, I got out of the crowding fairly quickly. The race starts behind Grandma’s Sports Garden, so the course doesn’t go as far down the Lakewalk as the Midnight Sun Midnight Run does, avoiding the Leif Erikson park hills. (10K runners do not avoid the hill, though.) I’d have thought on an easier course I’d run faster, but I guess not. It was windy but I didn’t feel the wind was a factor. I was just glad it wasn’t 30 degrees. The Sports Garden does open early, so there’s a nice, warm place with actual bathrooms at the start/finish of the race.

In conclusion, it turns out that when I don’t train specifically for a race or put much thought into pre-race nutrition and warm-ups, I don’t magically PR. What a surprising development.

Race Report: Wild Duluth 50K

Official Results:
Time: 10:25:37
Pace: 20:11
Placing:
Overall: 136/144

Watch Results:
Time: 10:25:47
Pace: 19:23/mi
Distance: 32.25 mi (more accurate than Superior, at least!)
Heart Rate: N/A (still haven’t fixed this)

Goals:
A: 9:45
B: 10:00
C: 10:59:59

Food:
What I ate the night before: half a spicy chicken frozen pizza, bagel and cream cheese
What I ate on race morning: bagel and cream cheese, part of a vanilla Coke
What I carried with me: 2 Clif bars, 9 Gu packets, Hammer Endurolytes Fizz (one pre-mixed, one extra tablet)

Gear:
What I wore: t-shirt, shorts, ball cap, buff (which I took off right away)
Gadgets: GPS watch, fitness tracker

Discussion: This was really, really hard for me. I struggled with low energy/fatigue for most of the race, which was very frustrating, but is a rite of passage in distance running, I suppose. I wanted to quit a little more than a third of the way into the race, but I never let myself say it (other than in a joking way) or truly consider it. I became afraid at one point that I physically couldn’t continue because I was sleepy and worried I’d get sleepier, but I guess I was able to fight it off.

Friday night I hosted my friend David, who was running the Harder’n Hell Half Marathon. We don’t have any tasty bagel shops in Duluth (only one in Superior which I don’t go to anymore because TWICE I have been served while a baby was in the kitchen area) so I asked him to bring me up a half dozen bagels and cream cheese. So tasty, such a good decision. We went to the Bulldogs men’s hockey game, which was a nice distraction. I avoided caffeine for most of the day, with the exception of one latte mid-morning. I wanted to do everything I could to avoid a sleepless night.

Alas, adrenaline got the best of me and I spent most of the night tossing and turning, unable to relax. I am certain I got at least one hour of sleep, but unfortunately that hour was spent dreaming that I was late for the race. So restful. I really think I need a minimum of 3-4 hours of sleep before a long race. I know everyone says it’s not the night before the race that matters, it’s the night before the night before the race, but I am not sure that adage applies to me. Either that or my sleep was insufficient on Thursday night.

I got most of my stuff ready the night before the race, so I was able to munch on a bagel and dink around on the internet for a little bit before I left for the race. It was balmy and around 60 F, even at 6:30 AM, probably 30 degrees warmer than it was last year at the race start. (I think it was around 37 F when I started the half marathon last year, but I don’t remember exactly.) I arrived around 6:45, checked in, met up with my friend Rita, who I’d be running with, and then we boarded the bus. I spent the bus ride talking with my seatmate, who was running his first 50K in order to get into the Superior 50 Mile next year.

We arrived at the race start at Chambers Grove Park, which is way out in the Fond du Lac neighborhood in west Duluth. There was still half an hour to kill, which was kind of annoying, but at least it wasn’t cold. I probably should have eaten something else, since I went over an hour between my bagel and the race start. I didn’t warm up, Rita and I did a bit of walking around, trying to figure out where the start was.

Start to Grand Portage, 5.4 mi, 1:39:55, 18:30 section pace
The race started at 8:05, and began with a short jaunt up Highway 210 before turning onto the Upper Cathedral bike trails. Rita and I were basically in last place at this point, as planned, and enjoyed the smoothness of the bike trail, the gorgeous foliage (take my word for it, I have no photographs), and even the switchbacks (much better than a steep climb). We had a couple very nice views of the St. Louis River, a lovely section through pine trees, and then… power lines. I never really understood what it meant to run power lines until now: it’s a steep climb, steep descent, steep climb, steep descent. And apparently when running the Curnow Marathon or Voyageur, they’re muddy. Woo! They weren’t muddy but they were steep. Annoying. I had one gel during this section, at mile 3 per my watch (which was measuring long). The first aid station was just after the second power line descent. I chugged some ginger ale and Coke, ate some potato chips and took a few more to go, and then we hit the Superior Hiking Trail, where we’d stay for the rest of the race. Despite the annoying power lines, I felt great and we were happy to be ahead of our goal pace leaving the aid station.

Grand Portage to Munger, 5.6 mi, 1:41:05, 18:03 section pace
Once we got a bit past the aid station we were in familiar territory for me. This section has some uphills, including a couple annoying ones with stairs, but it also has some sections to run. We shuffled through leaves for quite awhile, which gets old. The rustling is a nice sound, but kicking them out of the way was frustrating and they obscure roots and rocks from view. We were banging our toes a lot. This is one of the reasons I get running shoes that are half a size bigger than my regular shoe size. 100K runners started to appear, looking fresh somehow, and always encouraging us as much as we encouraged them. I had another gel during this stretch and maybe a mint, I can’t remember. We spent a lot of time marveling at the views and the fall colors, and reached Becks Road before I knew it. We sprinted across Becks Rd and into the aid station, where I had another Coke and some generic lemon-lime stuff, more chips, and I think a cookie. I remembered to throw my garbage away. Rita’s husband met us there and took our picture as we were leaving the aid station.

wd50kchips

Lookin’ good with chips in my mouth

Munger to Magney-Snively, 4.3 mi, 1:28:42, 20:38 section pace
Everything kind of fell apart for me here. I knew this section would be hard, it includes a long, technical climb. Somewhere after we climbed up out of the aid station, I started to lose it. I knew there were smooth sections of easy running, but there were so many climbs and rocky sections that we reached before that portion that I began to get frustrated. I was feeling very fatigued and complaining a lot; I feel extremely fortunate that Rita was there to calm me down and I feel badly that I whined a lot during this section. I was sick of uphills and I felt like I had no energy. Mentally, I was feeling very tired, although I wasn’t having any vision problems, so I kept using that to remind myself I was ok when I worried maybe I couldn’t safely continue. It was such a contrast from Superior, where I felt confident and energetic for the majority of the race. I calmed down a little bit when we reached the downhill portion as we neared the aid station, even though I knew we’d lost a lot of ground. We climbed into the aid station and Rita refilled her pack with Heed (which she said was disgusting) while I ate some chips and drank some pop, and then took 4 cookies to go. I figured if I ate some more, I might feel better. I must have had a gel during this section, but I don’t remember. I did have a Jolly Rancher, which helped turn things around.

Magney-Snively to Spirit Mountain, 2.0 mi, 39:37, 19:49 section pace
For a mostly downhill section, this was much harder than I’d have liked. I was still feeling sluggish, plus the trail is very technical here. Both of us are prone to tripping, so we weren’t able to crush the downhills here. We also had to stop and wait for like 8 mountain bikers at a trail crossing. The aid station was unmanned and water only, so we stopped only for a little bit and I tried to douse my hat, since I was feeling a bit warm. It wasn’t extremely hot, and it was overcast, but the humidity was high so it was bugging me. I also wasn’t very diligent about applying sunscreen, and I did end up with a mild sunburn. In hindsight, that might have contributed to my fatigue. I should have done a better job of managing that, as I did have a spray with me. I ate the cookies I was carrying slowly; by the third one I was sick of them and had to force them down.

Spirit Mountain to Highland/Getchell, 4.9 mi, 1:57:50, 24:05 section pace
Yuck. This section took forever. It has two large climbs: the one out of Spirit Mountain, which culminates in my favorite staircase, and then the one out of Kingsbury Creek to the aid station. The Spirit Mountain climb isn’t that hard, it just takes a long time. There is a nice section to run between the stairs and the descent down to the Knowlton Creek crossing (which is technical and hard to really speed through), and I tried my best to speed up through that section, especially since it was lovely with lots of yellow leaves overhead. I don’t think we did very well at speeding through those sections, but it’s so hard to tell because the mileage is so off on my watch. We were both pretty excited knowing we had only a half marathon to go. We maybe spent a little too much time counting down (We’re under 20! We’re halfway! We’re in single digits!) but for the most part we only looked at the distance remaining in a positive way.

The second climb was torture, and went on forever. We were both pretty quiet on the climb, focusing on putting one foot in front of the other. I must have had another gel or two during this section but honestly do not remember. At this point I was sick of gels, out of my electrolyte water, and my regular water wasn’t washing them down completely. Rita put it this way: “Is there shag carpeting installed on your tongue?” Yes. I knew there was pop ahead at the aid station to deal with it but it felt like the climb would never end. We reached the aid station finally, feeling fairly defeated because we knew we were never going to reach our goal of under 10 hours, based both on how we were feeling, and on the terrain we had left. I drank pop, as usual, had a couple cookies, and had my second Endurolyte Fizz tablet. I think these tabs worked way better than Powerade, since I did not have puffy hands and fingers like I did at Grand Traverse or Superior.

Highland/Getchell to 24th Ave W, 5.7 mi, 2:02:56, 21:34 section pace
Well, we sped up a bit, but we didn’t get back to our goal pace to try to make up some ground. I still thought it was possible to get under 10:30, so we set our sights on finishing without headlamps and hopefully under 10:30. I took a couple cookies to go from the aid station, which was dumb because there’s a short but precarious descent along Keene Creek, as well as a short section where we had to stumble over rocks. The cookies survived, but carrying them was irritating. Once we climbed up out of the creek and crossed Skyline, there were a few sections we could run a little. Well, I ran, and Rita walked, because she is an amazing speed-walker and I am a very slow runner. There are some spots between the Brewer Park loop spur trail and the descent to Haines Rd that are easy to run, but not when you’re tired and cranky and everything hurts. I discovered my back was chafing in a couple spots I hadn’t known. It always chafes right under the clasp of my sports bra, but when I stuffed my shirt under the band to try to protect that spot, the bottom of my pack rubbed against two spots on my lower back. I didn’t notice til I touched one of the spots and the salt stung it. Yikes. Both of us were having foot pain and were sick of stepping on rocks. My heels had developed blisters, and though they weren’t exceptionally painful, they were enough to annoy me.

We began the final climb, which comes in sections and seems to go on forever, although it isn’t exceptionally difficult at any point. When we reached the top, we whooped it up a little bit, knowing we had a long descent which, while steep, was not an ascent, and then we had some flatter, easier sections. We met up with a runner from Omaha during the descent, and he ran with us for a bit. He was in good spirits and happy to run with us for a little while. We’d passed him earlier when he’d stopped to take rocks out of his shoes and eat a gel. I nearly fell when I saw him, not out of surprise, but because taking my focus off the trail for even a millisecond meant disaster. (I should note that I had only two actual falls and they weren’t bad; the first resulted in a scrape and the second didn’t make my back feel great as I caught myself with my arms and my back took a bit of that impact.) We hit a flat section and told him there was a bit of road running up ahead. “Is there an Uber waiting for us?” he asked, dismayed when he learned we do not have Uber here. When we hit the street, he remarked that he should have brought some leaves along with him to throw on top of the asphalt, it just didn’t seem right. We let him go ahead as we got back on the trail, since he was in better shape. The last section of little ups and downs before the aid station actually wasn’t too bad. Rita’s watch died somewhere in there, and my watch started to die, so I pulled out my portable charger and plugged it in. When we reached the Miller Creek crossing, I said “If there’s traffic keeping us from crossing the street [24th Ave W], I am going to break its windows.” There was a car coming but we dashed across the street before it could reach us. We were both SO excited to see the final aid station. I drank some pop of course, ate a few chips, and took some pretzels and a Fig Newton to go. I had had a gel during the segment but I was so sick of them that I wanted to make it the rest of the way without one.

24th Ave W to finish line, 3.1 mi, 55:41, 17:58 section pace
Leaving the aid station, we knew that we only had a 5K to go, and no huge climbs, and we were ecstatic. I got my second wind and felt more energetic than I had in hours. The Fig Newton was a good choice, it wasn’t chocolate or overly sweet. I was neutral on the pretzels. They weren’t gross but also weren’t tasty. We tried to speed up a little bit on the sections we could, and then took the last couple little climbs as we could. This is where my experience on the Duluth sections of the SHT comes in handy: I knew there were three uphills before Skyline, so we were mentally prepared. We tried to run everything we could, and rejoiced when we crossed Skyline again. We climbed up the last little hill into Enger and I rang the peace bell as we went by (I thought I wasn’t going to get to, because a child was ringing it, but it was free right as I passed). We met up with the guy from Omaha again, and he decided to stick with us til the end. “I got passed by a 100K runner and covered myself in leaves and gave up,” he said. In all, we were passed by 3 100K runners, so I consider that a success. The leader was the same guy leading when we first saw the 100Kers, so good for him! I’m not sure if he went on to win, but I would guess so, considering how strong he looked and the ~10 minute lead he had over the other runner. I’ll see when the results come in, I guess.

We reached the Superior Street crossing and a car was coming, of course just fast enough that we didn’t cross in front of it, but then it slowed down as it approached and finally turned. SO ANNOYING. I started to get a side stitch on the pedestrian bridge but breathed through it. We crossed the freeway and descended the ramp, and then had to wait for a car at Railroad St. (never mind that it was a CROSSWALK, sir, by all means, just drive on through) before crossing. I saw my car in the parking lot which was torturous for a moment, even though I had like 2 blocks to go. We turned the corner, turned again into Bayfront, and then started to really run. Rita and the Nebraska guy got ahead of me, because I had a lot less left in the tank than either of them did, but we all finished within a few seconds.

And now I am an ultramarathoner.

David and his parents arrived second after I finished, and Rita had friends and family to cheer us across as well. Nebraska guy even had another buddy who had already finished. So we had a nice crowd at the end. I walked a little bit with David & fam to cool down, and then walked back to chat with Rita & co. I got this picture from Rita’s friend Jo Ellyn.

wd50kfinish

I’m a little bit stunned.

I went and got soup in my finisher’s mug, the glorious wild rice soup I’d been dreaming about for hours. I talked with my friends for a bit while I ate a few bites of my soup, and then they went off to the hockey game and I wandered to my car. I was a little worried about driving since I was a little loopy, but it was a short drive. I ate my soup while stopped at a red light, which I found amusing. I hope someone was looking in my window and saw me spooning soup out of a mug like a boss. Once home, I ate a bagel and cream cheese, had a vanilla Coke, ate the other half of my pizza, and had a ginger ale. I watched the men’s hockey game on TV and then read for awhile before finally relaxing enough to fall asleep. Despite being tired, I was amped up on adrenaline and found it hard to go to sleep. It hurt (not a lot, but enough) when the sheets touched my blisters or the chafed spots on my back.

Today I feel all right. I ate a couple bagels, had a pumpkin spice latte because I am unapologetically basic, and had a ginger ale. I’m starting to rehydrate and feel human again. My back hurts a bit, my hips hurt a lot, but surprisingly, I didn’t have trouble going down the steps to my basement or outside my house. I am taking this entire week off work to recover. There’s still a lot to process about the race and how to improve for future races, but overall I feel while this was a less-than-ideal result, it was still a victory.

Race Report: Grand Traverse Duluth

Official Results:
Time: 4:57
Pace: 18:27
Placing:
Overall: 32/48

Watch Results:
Time: 4:57:17
Pace: 17:09/mi
Distance: 17.33 mi (hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha)
Heart Rate: N/A (I didn’t wear it since it has been malfunctioning)

Goals:
A: 4:30

Food:
What I ate the night before: burrito bowl (I’ve made better choices in life than this one)
What I ate on race morning: Clif bar
What I carried with me: 1 Clif bars, 5 Gu packets, Powerade

Gear:
What I wore: t-shirt, shorts, ball cap, buff (which I took off right away)
Gadgets: GPS watch, fitness tracker

Discussion: Well, that was a new experience for me. Grand Traverse is a very low-key run, not even a race. At sign-up, it asks if you are hiking, running and hiking, or running. Why, I do not know. I said running and hiking, because that’s what I do! I like that it is not just for runners; it’s also a supported hike. There aren’t even timing chips or bibs, and there’s only a finisher token (a special rock?) for the 27 and 21 mile runners.

The morning started off ok. I had planned to get up early, get all my gear together, go get a coffee and snack, and then relax at home for a bit. I decided race morning that I’d rather sleep a bit more and skip the coffee. This was a very good decision, but a latte would have tasted nice. I filled my hydration pack, checked my gear, took a super fast shower since I’d run a few miles on the treadmill the night before and wanted to start the race smelling a little better, then got dressed and headed out. I poured most of a 30 oz Powerade bottle into a 20 oz bottle I re-use, and then tossed the rest of the bottle in my gear bag before I left. The lid was not on, so it spilled all over everything in my bag. It was a good thing I wasn’t planning on wearing my heart rate monitor.

I arrived at Fitgers at about 7:15 (15 minutes prior to bus departure), checked in (I told them my name, they put a check mark by it, that was it), and then talked to a guy for a little while until the bus showed up. We all trooped onto the bus (all the 16 mile runners fit on one bus!) and I chatted with a guy from northwestern MN who got stuck sitting with me. I gave him a few tips on the course from my experiences. We piled off the bus just outside the Magney-Snively parking lot, got off, listened to a very short speech, and then started running. We started the race on the road and crossed the bridge over Stewart Creek before getting on the Superior Hiking Trail, rather than starting on the spur trail from the Magney-Snively trailhead.

Start – Highland/Getchell: 5.9 mi, 2:04:40, 21:12 section pace
Ew, that section pace looks bad now that I’ve calculated it. My GPS was off by over a mile during this section and it was extremely annoying. I thought I was doing really well. I mean, I knew my GPS would be off a little bit, but the pace was off by almost 4 minutes. It was disheartening, for sure. I did realize that my goal was a bit ridiculous, but since I didn’t put too much thought into it or into the race in general, I’m unconcerned about missing it.

I was leapfrogging with a few groups of people during this section, but put them behind me once we got to the climbs. Since I know the course very well, I was able to be very strategic about my pacing. I knew when the stairs out of Spirit Mountain were coming, and I also knew the section that followed it is easy enough that I could keep running even though I felt like donkey crap after getting to the top. I thought I ran this section well, bombing down the hill to the Knowlton Creek crossing, pushing harder than I usually do, but I guess I had too many slowdowns. It’s a tough section with lots of uphill, so I need to cut myself a little slack. It’s going to be a lot harder 3 weeks from now.

I felt a little off for most of the run, thanks to the burrito bowl. I wasn’t stopping in the bushes or anything, but I felt really bloated and my abdomen was a bit distended which made running uncomfortable at times. It was a tasty burrito so whatever. I ate a gel right before the stairs at Spirit Mountain and another before the climb into the aid station at Highland/Getchell. I was in & out at the aid station; I ate a donut hole and took some pretzels to go. They didn’t have any pop or potato chips, alas.

I was passed by a couple of 27 mile runners during this section, which was a bit disheartening, but they did have an hour and a half head start and were of course faster than me.

Highland/Getchell to 24th Ave W: 5.7 mi, 1:39:41, 17:29 section pace
This section went a lot better, although I either misread the race map or it was mislabeled, because I thought this section was 5 miles long. I finally remembered that it was 5.7 miles and calmed myself down about it. I was really getting frustrated with my GPS at that point, and thinking even my backup plans of 5 hours and 5.25 hours were going to go out the window. So much for going with the flow in a low-key run.

It was misty during this section of the course, which is a bit of a problem for a foureyes like me. I could still see through my glasses but I did have to wipe them off a few times. Good thing the bottom of my t-shirt wasn’t sopping with sweat. I slowed during rocky sections, as the mist had made the rocks wet. I was passed by a few more 27 milers, including one guy who said he had gotten off trail for awhile. I told him he was still only like the 6th or 7th runner and he seemed surprised and happy to hear it. I ate a gel a bit before the big climb of this section, and had a bit of a Clif bar as well.

I passed some 10 mile hikers during this section, and rolled into the aid station long enough to eat a cookie and take a cup of pretzels. And also to find out the final section was only about 4.5 miles, not 5.2 like I thought. I was elated.

24th Ave W to Fitger’s: 4.5 mi, 1:12:54, section pace 16:12
I left the aid station feeling really good, ate my pretzels while wishing they were chips, and then tried to pick up the pace a bit. I think overall I ran the section to Enger better than I usually do. I rang the peace bell as I ran through Enger Park, and then began my descent. I knew I would be on sidewalks and paved trail once I finished the descent, and I was excited, although my bloated tummy was making running a little uncomfortable. My hands were really puffy, as usual.

star-trek-2009-kirk-big-allergic-reaction-hands-in-sick-bay-with-bones

It me.

Once I got to Superior St, I was ready to start running. I crossed the highway and headed down by Bayfront. I crossed the railroad tracks, thinking how annoying it would be if I got stuck waiting for the scenic railroad to pass by. I crossed Railroad St. and passed the aquarium and AMSoil Arena, then enjoyed the cool (if a bit strong) wind off the lake as I hit the back end of the Lakewalk.

There were a lot of tourists around at this point, and I must have been a sight to behold, sweaty and salty with dirty legs and an air of sloppy desperation. I wanted to be done and I was still hoping to come in well ahead of 5 hours. I was nearly mowed down by a Segway tour while running behind the arena, and then I reached the slip bridge and realized it was up.

I had not considered that the stupid slip bridge would be on the course, but I was there just in time for a Vista Cruise departure. So I stood there for probably five minutes, as best I could tell, with no choice besides running all the way down the slip past the Irvin and then back around. That would prb take almost as long and would take a lot more energy than standing there. But I was fuming. I was like “I’m never running this again, this is so dumb, rahrhahrehsdkfhadk.” It finally went down and then a bunch of people were in my way and I managed to restrain myself from shoving them aside or at least making a rude comment, but just barely. I passed the real lift bridge and a bunch of people milling around the waterfront. Fortunately there weren’t too many tourists and it thinned out once I got past the canal. I could see the Fitger’s smokestack and was ready to be done.

I wasn’t exactly sure where the race ended. I thought it might end at the base of the stairs up to Fitger’s from the Lakewalk, but no, that was not the case. The race ended after I ascended the stairs and crossed the little bridge over the Lakewalk. There was a little table near the building, I told them my name, and they wrote down the time of day next to my name. That’s as formal as the timing was. They were out of race shirts in my size (they allow registration up til the day before the race, so this isn’t a shock; they are going to send me one) and none of the food at the table looked appealing (I did want a cookie, but they were out of everything but sugar cookies), so I walked through the Fitger’s shopping complex, stinking and filthy, and got in my car to drive back home.

I stopped to get a latte and a snack on the way home, and then hung out for a few hours, relaxing. Well, not relaxing, as I didn’t feel super great when I got home, but I felt well enough to go to the Bulldog hockey game with my mom at 4. I ate some fries there, and then ordered a pizza and breadsticks when I got home.

After the race, I thought I’d never do it again, and if I’d written my review right after I got home (it’s Saturday night right now), I’d have had a lot more negative things to say. But this race was supposed to be a training run, it was supposed to be low-key and fun, and I let myself forget that. I would like to do the full Grand Traverse at least once. The cutoff is kind, based on a 3 mph pace. I can do that for 27 miles, I think. I did it for 26.2, after all.

I did push the pace more than I normally do in a race, and I didn’t fall apart. I will need to give that a shot at Wild Duluth. I was very tentative during the Moose Mountain Marathon. Maybe I try not to be so tentative with WD50K. I don’t know, we’ll see how it feels. I still need to eat more. Like, why didn’t I take 3 donut holes instead of one? Or two cookies instead of one? These are easy fixes but I just don’t think of them in the moment.

I do know I am so, so excited to sleep as late as I feel like tomorrow. Man that is gonna be sweet.

Race Report: Moose Mountain Marathon

I did it.
marathon.jpg
My friend Katherine took this photo. One of the perks of volunteering is there are always friends at the finish line.

Official Results:
Time: 8:23:29
Pace: 19:13
Placing:
Overall: 207/258
Gender: 81/112
Division (OPEN F): 37/50

Watch Results:
Time: 8:23:28
Pace: 17:10/mi
Distance: 29.31 mi (hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha)
Heart Rate: 131 bpm (my HRM only intermittently worked)
Obviously I had some technical difficulties.

Goals:
A: 8:30
B: 9:00
C: 9:59:59

Food:
What I ate the night before: Goldfish crackers, chunks of bread & Nutella, 2 cookies, Triscuits
What I ate on race morning: a Clif bar at the marathon start
What I carried with me: 3 Clif bars, 10 Gu packets, Powerade

Gear:
What I wore: t-shirt, shorts, ball cap
Gadgets: GPS watch, heart rate monitor, fitness tracker

Discussion: I feel amazing right now, even hours after I finished running. I’m writing this at 10 pm, just after the race officially ended. I know this because I could hear the finish line from my room, and listened to the awards ceremony and the names of the runners as they crossed the finish line. I would have joined to help out but I feel pretty drained and even going down to get my post-race chili after cleaning up felt difficult.

I arrived Friday afternoon feeling pretty out of it. I thought I was sick but I am pretty sure it was just adrenaline. I helped hand out race t-shirts to marathoners and 50 milers, and then helped pack things up for the race morning check in. I hung out in my room and hoped to relax, but my heart race was still elevated and I don’t think I fell asleep until 1 am or so. But I slept until about 5:30, so at least I slept!

I got on the bus to the race start and hoped I wouldn’t get motion sickness. I don’t get bad motion sickness but just feel a little off/slightly nauseated. I hadn’t eaten anything at that point and had only had a little bit of Powerade so I was behind on nutrition from the start. I ate my Clif bar once I got there and didn’t warm up because I didn’t feel like it. I was wearing a lightweight rain jacket because I wasn’t sure about the weather (it rained while I was getting ready and had rained overnight, poor 100 milers!) but I took it off once off the bus since it wasn’t too cold. It folds up and zips into its own pocket and weighs like 1 lb so I just stuffed it in my hydration pack. I opted not to use drop bags or send a bag of clothes back from the start, just to simplify things. My friend Matt, a Ham radio volunteer, was at the start and I was able to talk to him until the pre-race briefing started.

One of the key elements in my pacing strategy was a little pace sheet I printed out, giving me times I needed to reach each aid station in order to reach my time goals. This is the only reliable way to stay on pace, since GPS is always a little off, and in this case, 3 miles off. However, I was unaware that the start had a funky little turnaround before we went through the aid station that is listed as the marathon start.The turnaround adds 0.8 miles, which was significant enough to affect my pace plans. [Update 9/15: it doesn’t add 0.8 miles, I read the map wrong; it is included in the 26.2.]

Cramer Rd – Temperance River AS: 7.9 mi, 2:34:05, 19:30 pace (segments ended when I left the aid station)
I didn’t start in last place like I usually do, and ended up falling in between two grand masters runners with tons of experience. We reached the first turn, then saw there was a traffic jam where the singletrack began. No one was able to run very much at the beginning, so we settled in for awhile. I ran with a small group of people for the first few miles, enjoying the runnable sections along the Cross River especially. I tripped while crossing one of the creeks, didn’t lift my foot up high enough to step onto the bridge. Once I started the climb that precedes the descent into Temperance, I separated a bit and ran by myself. I had heartburn so I was glad to be alone to just feel crappy. I ate a gel at miles 3 and 6. Nothing else eventful happened, I guess, or maybe I just forgot. How do people write such detailed race reports? I think I also ate a Jolly Rancher and maybe a wintergreen LifeSaver. I rolled into the aid station, ate some potato chips, and left, forgetting that I’d wanted to throw away some garbage and also drink some pop. Oops.
(I am not sure how the 0.8 mi fits into this, so I am going off just the distances given on the aid station charts. I don’t know if the 0.8 mi addition to the start makes the total distance 26.2 or 27 mi, but since it’s billed as a marathon, I’m going off that pacing.) Update 9/15: the total distance is 26.2. It’s 7.9 miles from the start/Cramer Rd to Temperance for marathoners, and 7.1 miles from Cramer Rd to Temperance for 50 and 100 mile runners.

Temperance River AS to Sawbill AS: 5.7 mi, 1:44:32, 18:21 pace
Out of Temperance, I trotted along for awhile, reapplying sunscreen and trying to wash down the chips. I ate part of a Clif bar before the Carlton Peak ascent began (I was also passed by the 50 mile winner just before the ascent!). I suffered through that as best as I could. There was a race photographer near the top, so that was marvelous. We’ll see how the picture turned out, I was beet red, I’m fairly certain. I think I have a bit of a sunburn but we’ll see tomorrow. I kept putting one foot in front of the other and actually passed a few people on the climb. It’s pretty tough, and there are big boulders at the top (which is not actually the summit, thank goodness). I was able to run a bit after getting off Carlton, and rolled into the Sawbill aid station. I remembered to throw my trash away, filled my 1/4 full Powerade bottle with water (the sports drink there was Heed, and I’ve never tried it, so I didn’t want to risk it), slammed a cup of Coke and a cup of ginger ale, ate some more potato chips, and left.

Sawbill AS to Oberg AS: 5.5 mi, 1:49:01, 18:49 pace
I slowed a bit during this section for some unknown reason. I guess just generally losing energy. This is also where my GPS went crazy, telling me I was running 9 or 10 minute paces at time. I realized it was completely useless and tried to just focus on running well. I fell in with a 100 mile runner and his pacer; they let me lead up a hill, then passed me, then I passed them when the runner stopped to pee, then I led up a hill, they passed me, I passed them during another pee break, and then that was it. The runner finished a bit behind me and I congratulated him at the finish line after his crew/family did, and we hugged. This section felt really long, especially for only being 5.5 miles. Nothing was really that hard, except for a few switchback sections. I tripped and fell in some mud and scraped up my leg a bit, but was otherwise ok. I tripped another time about a mile later. I was starting to feel like Grandpa Simpson with his frequent trips to the ground. I stopped to pee at some point along the trail, then caught up to some others and ran with one woman til we reached the aid station. It was quite a bit further from the Onion River than I remembered, and I found that sort of annoying. The Oberg aid station was AMAZING, though. Concierge service. I had my water bottle refilled, was led to the food, and even had someone take the trash right out of my hydration vest pocket. I mean… wow. That’s how I will acquit myself on every aid station volunteering stint from here on out. I had more chips and more Coke and ginger ale, and then left.

Oberg AS to Finish: 7.1 mi, 2:15:56, 19:08 pace
I thought as I left Oberg that I still had a chance to run under 8 hours. Hahahaha. Moose Mountain and Mystery Mountain said no. I was running slower even before then. I chowed down on a gel before climbing Moose Mountain, and then just put one foot in front of the other and hauled myself up.

And was met at the top by one of the race’s social media contributors!

I look like a Sith lord, which is good. He actually took a video but I swore on it (He asked how I felt and I said “I feel great, I’m done with this sh*t!”) and our conversation wasn’t that funny (he reminded me Mystery Mountain was still to come, I said I knew but I just was happy to be done with Moose Mountain, it was confusing).

I recovered and was able to run some on the top of Moose Mountain, and then slowed for the steep descent. I had another gel right before Mystery Mountain, popped in a LifeSaver, and then dug in for the switchbacks. I had hardly seen any other runners, just one 100er/pacer, and enjoyed being able to handle both tough ascents alone. Once I got to the top of Mystery Mountain, I was… giddy. Like, grinning and laughing to myself like a goon. I was ecstatic to be done with the climbs, and I could smell the barn!

It was at this point I realized that I needed to move my butt or I wasn’t going to make it ahead of my goal. I didn’t know how far I had left to go and I knew I was going to have to hustle. I was passed by a volunteer running by, who told me that I had 2 miles to go; I was thinking I had less, so that was a kick in the crotch. I passed a marathoner who was ambling along, not sure if he was bonking or just didn’t feel like running. A 50 mile runner passed me and we had a little chat as he flew by (he was the 5th and last to pass me; no marathoners passed me after I took my bathroom break), and I tried to keep my pace up. I ate the little bit of the gel remaining from Mystery Mountain and that was it, even though I was actually hungry. I knew I could eat at the finish.

I can’t say I really hammered it once I reached the road, but I did kick it up a notch. I didn’t like losing the shade of the trail, since the sun was still fairly strong, but I didn’t care too much since I was almost done. Once I turned off the road to come around the back side of the resort, I was grinning, and I ran through the chute smiling. There were a lot of nice people cheering and some women gave me high fives as I crossed the finish line, got my finisher’s medal, hugged the finish line coordinator, and accepted some glorious lemonade from the race director.

I went back to my room, cleaned all the mud off, changed my clothes, and then goofed around in my hotel room for a little while before I mustered the strength to go down to get the post-race chili (and some kind of quinoa salad), then brought it back to my room to eat, since I was feeling kinda… dazed, I guess. I drank some pop, ate some goldfish crackers, watched some Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, read, and listened to the sounds of the race.

I loved the race, loved the atmosphere, the other runners, the volunteers, the race staff, everything. The Minnesota/Wisconsin trail running community is so inclusive; fast or slow, everyone genuinely encourages each other and looks out for one another. We are here to have fun, to enjoy the beautiful trails, and to test our own limits.

And speaking of testing limits, I signed up for the Wild Duluth 50K.

Race Report: Voyageur 50 (Volunteering)

Volunteering at an aid station is a surefire cure for the running blues.

The Curnow Trail Marathon only set me back $10, as I made a commitment to volunteering for the Voyageur. So while DNS-ing the race had a significant impact on my dignity and self-esteem, the financial impact was minimal.

The Voyageur 50 is an out-and back race which follows essentially the same trail as the Curnow Marathon. It starts and ends in Carlton, instead of starting at the Zoo and ending in Carlton. This means some aid stations end up being open for quite awhile. I was at the Forbay Lake aid station, which was at mile 5.8/44.2, so it was a long day to staff. I only worked the afternoon portion, arriving around 11:45, about 5 minutes before the lead runner arrived. The aid station captain and 3 of the other women already there when I arrived had been there since 6 a.m., and stayed until 4 or later, so it was a really long day! They did have a long lull after the final runners went through and got in a run. Two other people arrived midway through my shift, and four of us closed down the aid station, along with one of the ham radio operators.

The first thing I have to do is compliment the race staff and our aid station captain for being on top of things. We were prepared for runners’ needs (within reason) and didn’t run out of anything except ginger ale and maybe watermelon at the very end. When we ran low on ice and watermelon, the race staff was there to refill us well in advance of truly running out, since the AS captain had thought to call ahead with plenty of time. We had more than enough water and sports drink, and runners were always able to grab what they needed off the table. The only things they really had to wait for were ice (which we scooped from coolers) and bottle/hydration pack refills.

My job was to mark down the numbers of runners as they came through. At first, I shared this job with another woman, who I finally realized looked familiar because I had seen her at Superior; she was one of the top women finishers (though I don’t believe a podium finisher). I felt kinda dumb because I was talking about what it’s like to be slow to someone who doesn’t know anything about being slow! For the most part, it wasn’t too hard to get all the numbers down, although sometimes we couldn’t read the numbers til the runners were practically on top of us. We didn’t have a single drop at our aid station, and only 3 runners who were cut by the grim reaper after the cutoff, so we didn’t have to call in many numbers.

Beyond collecting numbers, I helped out filling water bottles, replenishing drink cups, scooping ice into hats, and anything else that was needed. I sprayed one guy down with sunscreen I’d brought for myself; he was shirtless and sweaty and trying to apply sunscreen lotion to his back, but it was fruitless. I gave him a few spritzes and he was on his way. Our group talked to everyone, whether it was just to be friendly, to try to assess their condition, or to offer some encouragement to someone struggling. We reassured people they hardly had any distance left, and it was easy — at least until the next aid station. We answered their questions with a smile, and then answered the same question again when they forgot they’d even asked it. “2.4 miles to the next aid station, then 3.4 to the finish. 5.8 total.” I said that probably 500 times, if you consider that there were over 300 runners and I repeated it to many people.

No one came into the aid station looking like a zombie, or vomiting profusely, or covered in blood. Very few people even looked like they needed an extra eye on them while they ate or drank. It seemed anyone who was struggling or sick or injured badly had already been weeded out by the tough course, and anyone who reached us before the cutoff was destined to finish. I was pretty grateful no one barfed on or near me, as I always am. The AS captain’s son was running the race, and her husband and other son, who were crewing for him, arrived in the late afternoon to hang out, help with runners, and wait for their runner to show up. He had a bit of a rough day, but since his family was running the aid station, he didn’t get much pity. The other runners coming through with him got a secondhand dose of parental tough love, which they thought was funny.

The final hour or so before the cutoff, the aid station got rather quiet. We’d been bustling in the mid-afternoon, with crews showing up hoping to catch their family or friend and offer encouragement or help them get what they needed. (I was really grateful when a large group of runners came through and a few of them had crew; it allowed us to serve the crew-less runners more quickly.) Watching them was interesting. Some were anxious. Some barely seemed bothered (or were too busy entertaining kids to be anxious). Some were tired, others had already completed the race or had dropped and were coming to crew others. (One left his race number on and I nearly wrote it down multiple times before finally exercising my authority and making him take it off.) Some barely made it in time for their runners or even missed them, others camped out well in advance of their runner’s arrival. Some crews were efficient, with loads of extra supplies, receiving orders from their runners. Others were there simply to give a hug and a kiss and support. Some brought very cute dogs, others brought very cute kids.

In the final hour, we had several large groups of runners burst through together, and then long lulls. We watched the time tick away, hoping for more runners to make it. The race had started late, so the cutoff had been extended about 5 minutes. We got them through quickly, shouting encouragement. I told one woman who looked a little desperate that I had no doubt she would finish. I don’t know if that helped much, but I think she finished. (It’s Wednesday and the results have not been published yet.) The final guy through was told by the race official that he had to keep going, couldn’t stop for aid. And then the next guy, a few minutes later, was cut.

I really felt for the three men who sat with us at the aid station after we’d closed, knowing they were so close to the finish line, not looking particularly worse for the wear, but unable to continue. I spent quite awhile talking with one of them. He told me about his coach (Michael Borst, the winner of the race!), and how he’d learned so much and had finished the Zumbro 50 thanks to his advice and expertise. I really felt badly, and I told him “It takes a lot of courage to run a race when you’re not sure you’ll make the cut-offs. It’s one thing to be fast and have a bad race, but still come in well before the cut-offs. It’s another thing to know that even a good race might get you cut.” Or something to that effect. I hope it helped a little. It seemed to, at least for a moment. But I also know it was pretty embarrassing and dejecting for those 3 guys sitting there, waiting to figure out rides, and then finally piling into a race official’s car to get a ride back to the finish. Especially when the finish was only 5.8 miles away.

It took awhile for the sweeps to come; so long, in fact, that I jogged out on the trail with one of the other volunteers to look for them. I’m not sure how far we went out, maybe half a mile, and then turned around without finding them. If we’d just gone a little farther, we’d have found them, as they arrived a few minutes after we returned. They took some food and water and then left, and we finished the final few tasks involved in breaking down the aid station. I’m not a huge fan of that part of an event (who is?), but with fun people to work with, it wasn’t terrible.

I really enjoyed working at the aid station, although I still think my favorite volunteer experience was working the finish line at Superior last fall. I’m glad I did it; not only did it give me a chance to give back to the trail running community and to give the kind of service to other runners that I have received at numerous aid stations, it also re-motivated me to train for the Moose Mountain Marathon. I missed running and missed racing, although from the tales of the Curnow Marathon I heard from the women at the aid station, I felt a little more justified in skipping the race. I was not prepared to climb up slick, muddy hills after being awake for 30 hours. I’m a little more at peace with my decision.

Thanks, Voyageur runners and volunteers, for inspiring me and re-energizing me for the next 6 weeks of training. I’m happy to be back on the trails.