09/09/17 Fall Superior Moose Mountain Marathon

Moose Mountain Marathon (and volunteering!)

Registering for Moose Mountain Marathon now involves entering into a lottery. They have 250 spots available and many more registrations than that so the lottery system was put into place a few years ago. I was lucky enough to get one of the lottery spots in 2017 so I could go back and run my 3rd Moose Mountain Marathon. After last years pacing gig I decided it was time to run my own race this year.

This is a trip I would not miss (and haven't for 4 years now!) so had I not gotten into the lottery I would have still gone up to volunteer and possibly see if anyone needed a pacer for the 100 mile race.

I headed up Friday morning and was scheduled to work the Tettegouche Aid station from Noon to 7:30 pm. If it was not busy toward 6:30 or so I was hoping I could head out early so that I could pick up my packet on Friday evening rather than at the start line on Saturday morning.

I always enjoy helping out at the aid stations for the 100 milers. I have volunteered at Silver Bay and Beaver Bay aid stations in the last two years so was excited to help out at a different location this year. When I arrived the station was already set up so we were able to just await the arrival of the first of the runners. This aid station is in Tettegouche State Park and it is about a 1/3 mile walk uphill to get to the aid station. There is not a lot of space in this area and the Superior Hiking Trail runs right past where the table is set up.

The area starts to fill up with crew and spectators awaiting their runners arrival. The front runners start to arrive one or two at a time and they do not stay long nor need much from the aid station. We concentrate on getting them back out on the trail quickly. This aid station is at 34.9 miles into the race and comes off a hard section. For the most part the runners are still looking strong and good at this aid station and there are very few drops here although I did notice one that appeared to be a drop due to a twisted ankle.

Julio from Defeat the Stigma was crewing a 100 mile runner.

In between runners I am able to visit with friends whom are crewing or spectating and it is fun catching up with those I have not seen in a while. I finished up my volunteer duties around 6 pm and headed back to the car to drive over to Caribou for packet pickup. I opted not to have a drop bag as I thought I would not make it Friday evening to drop one off. I reconsidered briefly while at packet pickup but realized that I really would not change socks in a marathon anyway. Takes too much time anyway and they would just get wet and muddy again very quickly.

I stayed at Sollbaken Resort this year which is just north of Lutsen about 5 miles. I shared a room with some friends. After laying out my gear for the morning I crawled into bed and shut the lights out around 10pm or so.

Flat Janet ready for the morning!

The alarm was set for 5:25 am to leave around 6:15 or :6:30 for Caribou Highlands to catch the first bus over to the start line which is Cramer Road. This is a point to point race run totally on the Superior Hiking Trail. We had been getting reports that it was quite muddy with all the recent rains but the weather was suppose to be perfectly sunny with high temps somewhere in the high 60's. The start was colder at about 50 degrees but we really could not ask for a better day for running a race on the SHT.

On the bus waiting to leave for the start line

On the bus waiting to leave for the start line

Listening to the race announcements and the countdown to the start of the race.

My friend Amy at the start line. I had contacted her on facebook and said, "hey lets run together for awhile".

We arrived at the start line with about 45 minutes to wait for the 8 am race start. Got into line for the porta potties as I figured I would be standing around anyway so might as well make it productive. It turned out to be a good decision. I saw many of my friends either running or volunteering while waiting around for the start. It is always good to catch up with old friends.

John made his announcements (they added porta potties to the Temperance Aid Station which received some enthusiastic applause!) John kindly waited for those waiting for the porta potties to get their turns and then counted down to race start.  This race begins running Cramer road before it goes onto the Superior Hiking Trail. The idea is to spread the runners out so there is less of a bottle neck at the trail. It is also suppose to get the runners more in line with their pace so that the faster folks are out front and on down the line. Amy and I pushed forward to at least the middle of the group so we did not have everyone in the field in front of us. We hit the trail and came to a complete stop. I was expecting this though. It happens every year. Not much to be done to change it when you have 250 people trying to funnel onto a single track trail.

We got moving onto the trail and immediately we pop back out to cross the road where many spectators were waiting for us and cheering us on. We also ran past the Cramer Road Aid station as we came upon that very quickly. No aid needed so early in the race so no need to stop.

Researched the last two finishing times and determined the pace needed to PR.

 Cramer Road to Temperance

This first section is the longest distance for the Marathon at 7.9 miles. This section is very runnable (as runnable as rocks, roots and mud is!) and Amy and I were cruising along very well. We leap frogged this section with each other as well as many other runners. I managed to run splits that varied between 14, 15 and 16ish minute miles. I was well ahead of my overall average pace of 16:30 needed to PR and from experience knew that I needed this cushion to account for the big climbs coming up but especially for Moose and Mystery Mountain in the last leg of the race. Amy and I ran into this aid station together. I knew that I needed to get in and out of aid stations as quickly as possible if my PR was even going to be a possibility so with a full hydration bladder only planned on grabbing pb&j sandwiches and using the porta potty. I took one look at the line and quickly made the decision I would be using the woods instead of wasting precious time waiting in line. I saw my friends, Dave S. and Mike M. here but only had time to say a quick hi before leaving. If I spend too much time in aid stations my races would be really long!

Temperance to Sawbill
 
I left Amy behind in the aid station and headed out. The section running down along Temperance River is one of my favorite sections. #1 I enjoy running downhill and #2 it is running along side the river with great views and the sound of the running water! I quickly had to find the best spot get rid of that morning coffee and then hit the trail running yet again. After crossing Temperance River we run the north side of the river and this is where we slowly start what I call the long slow incline to the backside of Carlton Peak. Some of this section is runnable but with the climb many of it needs to be power hiked. I passed some runners throughout this section and I am sure many runners also passed me. There were groups of runners that I leapfrogged with many times on this section and even the next.

There were many opportunities for awesome pictures
 but I was so set on trying to PR this is it for trail pics!

At some point Amy caught up with me again and even passed me by. We swapped positions many times during this first half of the race. Some friendly competition ensued and I think we both pushed each other harder than we might have if we had been alone. One thing I have noticed in my races is that running or trying to keep up with someone can sometimes make a race not as enjoyable for me after a while. I think Amy even agrees with me (we discussed it on trail) that we both like to be out there on the trail running alone at times. Lots of company on the trail is not always welcome when running such long distances. I do know playing leap frog constantly can get uncomfortable after too long. The climb up the back side of Carlton Peak seemed to go on forever! I remember thinking that I was glad that I did not need to go all the way to the peak like during the Spring Superior 50k race. Running down the hill on the way north brought back memories of the difficult climb during my 50k race in 2016. For that race I had been trying to keep up with Robyn and that was when I realized that I enjoy myself much better if I am not trying to run someone else's race. I was still ahead of my average pace and was feeling good if not a bit tired up to this point. I had not paid attention to how far Sawbill was so when we were close to Sawbill aid station I was surprised. Sawbill was at mile 13.6 miles making it just slightly greater than the half way point. I ran into Sawbill and just grabbed more pb&j sandwiches and walked out of the aid station eating.

Sawbill to Oberg
 
I don't remember much about this section except that my right knee was starting to hurt. It was hurting on the outside of the knee and behind the knee slightly. It felt fine walking or climbing but running flats and going downhill was starting to hurt considerably. I watched my cushion of time just melt away in this section. Amy also caught up with me just before coming into Oberg. This section is very runnable and I was starting to slow down considerably. I got into the Oberg aid station and was no longer smiling. I knew what was coming up and going downhill was no longer working for me. I typically love running downhill and try to use it to make up for time lost going uphill. Going into climbing Moose and Mystery without a cushion I knew that I would not be hitting my goal for this race. At this point I just wanted to be done and I knew I just needed to take the next section as best as I could.

Oberg to Finish

I grabbed some more food to go and headed out of the aid station as quickly as possible. I knew I had major climbs ahead and just concentrated on moving forward by running when I could and walking when I had to. This meant that I did a lot of walking down the hills. Oh well I would just finish the best I could and not stress out too bad and try not to beat myself up over missing my goal. When stuff like this happens I just reevaluate my priorities and get it done. I need to finish this race doing the least amount of damage to my knee as possible. If this meant slowing down so be it. Amy passed me up on this section and I just had to let it go. She was doing very well and feeling good. She looked like she was having a great race. I powered my way up Moose and hit my favorite section at the top. I tried to enjoy this section as much as possible. I ran my slow slog with some walking mixed in. I hit the downhill and moved through the downhill slowly but was still moving forward.

Next up is the long slow climb up Mystery Mountain. This is a more gradual climb with lots of switch backs as you move up the Mountain. Somewhere on this incline another runner came up behind me and passed me by. She was moving well. We power hiked together for awhile and talked about where we lived. Turns out she moved from the east coast to Illinois about the same time I moved out of my hometown of Kenosha which is not far from the Illinois border. It was nice having a short distraction as we kept moving forward. On this section there is much up and down throughout. I have learned that the trail is all downhill after we hit the campsite. Once I see that campsite I know it is all downhill following the Poplar River. Normally I enjoy this downhill but with the knee that was not happening this race. I just powered through knowing I had only about 1 mile left until I could cross that finish line for my 3rd Moose Mountain Marathon finish.

I finally hit the bridge over the river and knew I was close while at the same time knowing the rest was going to hurt. No problem, just keep moving forward. I really tried to pick up the pace once I hit that gravel road but my knee was not having any part of it. I got passed by a handful of runners on that last road section and while that killed me my main goal was not to injure myself further so I let it go.

Finally I crossed the finish line! I heard my name announced as I was running in and not sure why but it was announced that I ran the marathon without a drop bag. Still trying to figure out how they knew that. Finishing time was respectable, even though I missed my goal, of 7:36 and change. The race did not go as well as I would have liked but I am pleased that I finished.

Me glad that it was finally done!
 (Photo credit: Mike Wheeler)

This captures how I was feeling the last half of the race. Pain.
(Photo Credit: Mike Wheeler)

Finishing stats:
Finishing Time: 7:36:25
Overall Avg. Pace 17:40
Overall Place 196/302
Female Place 78/139
Grand Master Place 7/25

Spring Superior 25K Trail Race

May 20, 2017

When the lottery opened up for Spring Superior in January I was still not sure what the status of my Morton's Neuroma on my right foot would look like so I made the decision to register for the 25K. I believe this was the right decision. My level of training since last Septemeber was overall lower monthly mileage than in previous years. Add in some of life challenges that hit this year and deciding to keep my races to shorter distances is working well. So the 25k race was a comfortable enough distance that not getting a run in the week leading up to the race did not have me worried in the least.

I took Friday off work and headed up to Lutsen around noon after a detour to do some REI shopping. At the last minute the weekend plus changed slightly and I found myself car pooling with my friend Dawn K. for the second year in a row. After about 5 hours on the road we pulled into Lutsen at 6:30 pm just in time to quickly check into our room at the Mountain Inn and head over to packet pickup. We talked to a bunch of friends then decided to eat a late dinner at Moguls.

As the day progressed the weather started to look better for our race. It had rained almost all week and was predicted to be cloudy and rainy for the race. The start of the rain kept being bumped later into the day and we ended up with no rain during the race.

Flat Janet ready to run

I woke up Saturday morning after a pretty good nights sleep. I woke before the alarm went off and headed out to the lobby to get a cup of coffee to make sure it was not gone. In previous years this had been a problem and I don't like to start my morning without coffee! 

The race started at 8 am and we all gathered in the street for the traditional "John on the ladder" announcements. 5.4.3.2.1.... and we were off.

Waiting for the start with Dawn K and Jenn

 As usual I like to position myself towards the back of the pack or at least mid pack. The road is a great spot to allow the runners to get into pace position so there is not much of a congo line once we hit the single track. With all the rain during the week and as is normal on the SHT in May there was alot of mud in the first section of running. My goal was to finish the race under 4:02 which was my finish time in 2014 the last (and first) time I ran the 25k. This meant I needed to maintain a sub 15:30 per mile average pace. While I kept an eye on my average pace my goal was to run happy. I found myself around other runners that also wanted to run a sub 4 hour pace and we played leap frog through the entire race. It is 7.5 miles out to the turnaround and only aid station on the 25k. I tend to run out and back races happier after the turnaound but this is the SHT so ran happy for the entire race. This is not to say it was not hard climbing Mystery and Moose Mountain (especially Moose!) but I just walked or power hiked the ups and ran the downhills and flats. My favorite section of this trail is between Mystery and Moose as it is very runnable and also includes the ridge of Moose Mountain with all the pines.

Wouldn't be Spring Superior without the mud!

Running down to Oberg AS

I made it to Oberg, quickly downed a cup of coke and grabbed some PB & J sandwiches and headed back out. I must have only been in the aid station about a minute. I was on a mission and my garmin was showing me I had no time to spare. I climbed Oberg and then hit Moose. Wow this is the hardest climb of this race. It is steep coming up and going down and requires me to walk both the up and the down. After running Moose I noticed my average pace was starting to slip and I was positive that I was watching my sub 4 hour race slip away.

No time to waste at Aid Stations, must keep moving!

Anyone ever tell you it is hard to run and eat PB&J sandwiches at the same time?

As I was climbing Mystery I met back up with another runner, Joe, whom I had met earlier and had mentioned he was looking for a sub 4 hour race. I told him that we were not going to make it and he said yes we were going to make it. Apparently my GPS was not tracking correctly. Joe and I ran about the last 2 to 3 miles together but after we reached the downhill homestretch Joe got ahead of me running through a mud puddle and he managed to pull ahead of me a little. I tried to chase him down but realized that was not happening!  When I hit the gravel road after crossing the Poplar River (the sound of the Poplar River is music to your ears at this race!) I look at my watch and I had 15 minutes to get to the finish line and finish under 4 hours. I finally realized I was going to hit my goal. Every time I run this course I won't allow myself to walk the gravel or the paved road. My body is always screaming at me to walk. I just maintain a slow slog to the finish. Well I do manage to give a little kick once I leave the road to run the path to the finish. This year was no different. I finished in 3:50:43 with an average pace of 14:52. I killed my PR by 12 minutes and was quite pleased with my efforts. As always I really enjoy running the Superior Hiking Trail and Rocksteady races. I will be back in September to run Moose Mountain Marathon!

Finishing Stats:
3:50:43
Avg Pace 14:52
#98/185 female finishers
#10/ Grandmaster females

Lutsen Resort at bottom of the hill on the Superior

Awesome Breakfast Buffet as part of our Stay at Mountain Inn at the Lutsen Resort

Chippewa 50k Trail Race

CHIPPEWA 50K TRAIL RACE

April 29, 2017

 This was my fourth year running the 50k distance and the 5th year running the Chippewa Races held at the end of April every year in New Auburn, WI on the Ice Age Trail. I had just spent the week down in Northern Illinois with family after my Father passed away. It had been questionable as to whether I would make it to this race or not. I was able to make it and the plan for the day was to just enjoy a day to myself out in the woods. Time to reflect on the recent events over the last month and my Dad's death. April was not a fun month at all.

This course is an out and back with several aid stations along the way. As with most out and back races the out for me being near the back of the pack means I pass almost the entire field of runners on their way back to the finish line. I had four hours for the first half and 5 hours for the last half to finish. I was not worried about making cutoff's as I have successfully completed this distance and race three years prior to this. This race was for me. I was not going to try to keep up with anyone and intended to run at my own pace according to what was comfortable for me.

I did spend some time on the trail with friends at different times of the race and it was nice. Robyn has been killing her races so I knew I would not be able to keep up with her but there were others on the course that were running closer to my pace. I got into the turnaround aid station with about 15 minutes to spare. Spent some time eating and refilling my pockets with cliff bloks and then headed back out. That 5ish mile section to the next aid station always feels extra long for some reason. It is nice trail in the woods on single track. This course definitely has its charm. In the spring the leaves are not filled out and you can see lots of the countryside and the many lakes all along the trail. This course is described as rolling hills and it is definitely that! Those hills start to take their toll. The accumulated hills had me starting to hurt around mile 21 and I decided to take some ibuprofen to soften the aches and pains. This helped me to get my second wind and I was able to run much of those last 10 miles. That and quite often towards the end of races I start to get barn sour and just want to be done!

I did not set a new PR with this race but I was able to complete it sub 8 hours so was very happy with that. I had not run this distance since last September at Goosebumps 24 hour and it was nice to know that even with a Morton's Neuroma I am still able to run and complete a 50k trail race. 

Robyn and I at the start

Dave and I at the start

Here we go!

In the first few miles still feeling good!

Behind the Visitor Center about 2 miles in for the day

The final hill!

Just found out I was a Grandma as of 8 am that morning about 2 weeks early!

Finishing swag!

Results:

7:58:19

8/15 Grandmaster Females

45/62 Females

144/174 Overall

Zumbro 17 Mile Trail Race and Volunteering

April 8, 2017

Zumbro River Bottoms

This year I decided to play it safe and run the 17 mile race to ease into the racing season not knowing how my right foot will hold up with the Morton's Neuroma. Mileage this winter was much lower than last year due to the injury and I want to continue running so sticking to fewer miles is the smartest way to handle things for this year.

This year I decided to volunteer Friday night and sleep in my van to wake up and run. So I arrived at Zumbro around 6 pm after work to start my shift at Aid Station 5, the start/finish area. I helped at the Aid Station until 10 or so and then helped with the 50 mile check in until 11:30 to then get to sleep by midnight. I really like my system of van camping in the minivan. We take out the back seats and I have foam to lay down. This year I gear tested my new down sleeping bag for backpacking from REI. The bag was a success! I did not sleep as well as at home in my bed but there was no place I would rather be than at Zumbro for what I consider to be the race season kick off. There is nothing better than hanging out at Zumbro River Bottoms with all the trail runners, new and old friends alike.

Coffee and getting ready for the race!

My Van Camping Rig

Great Parking options at the Race Start/Finish Line

Bed for the Night

I woke up in the morning and used my backpacking stove to make coffee and oatmeal for breakfast. In recent years the start of the 17 mile race was changed to allow the runners to spread out more before hitting the single track trail. This worked nicely as the faster runners were able to stay out ahead and all the runners were able to get into position according to pace. We hit the first big hill, one of many!

View at the top of the first climb!

Zumbro River Bottoms

Everyone's favorite Tree section!

Running Happy! Section after Aid Station 1

Still running happy! After Aid Station 1

Oh those long and slow climbs!

I felt good for most of this race. I left aid station 2 and hit the section that always seems unrunnable to me. This year the sand was soft and deep so it was even harder to run. The trails were very dry and the weather was amazing but it made all that sand especially hard to run. I ended up walking a good portion of that sand!

I left aid station 3 to head up another big hill feeling fairly good. That climb is always hard. It seems to go on forever and even when running the ridge there are several more smaller inclines to get to the very top! Then once to the top you hit Ant Hill. Feeling confident I passed others going down. Wow does this hill hurt your ankles though. If you are going to run down this you have to really be light on your feet. I was doing well and got through all the rocks and hit the less technical portion of the down. And next thing I know I was falling down hill! It felt like I was falling in slow motion and I remember trying to control my fall to make sure that I did not hurt myself. It was quite interesting. Of course the first thing I did was look behind me to see if anyone saw me fall. Either that or to see if anyone was going to run over me while I assessed the damage. A little blood and a jammed thumb but otherwise everything felt good.

At the bottom of the hill we get to the long gravel road. I really wanted to run this the entire way but I just could not do it. I ran/walked this section and hit AS 4 with no intention of stopping. I had what I needed to finish and did not need to stop.

I slogged my way through these last miles and just kept moving. Of course when I hit the campground I attempted to run it in. I think I succeeded in that .

Results:
4:23:12
15/29 Grandmaster Female
139/203 Female
331/425 Overall
15:29 Average Pace