Spring Superior 50K 2022

 You just never know what the future may bring!  After a Covid race for Superior 50K last year we thought this year we'd have a 'normal' Spring Superior 50K. Nope. Torrential rains and record snowfall has wrecked havoc on the northshore. There is flooding, washed out bridges and roads, the Superior Hiking Trail was in pretty poor shape. John had rerouted us to other trails for the race but the day before had to make another reroute. We would now be running a two mile out and two mile back up a gravel road with 600' elevation each route x 8!

When I first heard this on Friday upon my arrival I couldn't quite comprehend it, nor could I wrap my head around it. What? We were going to be running a gravel road for 2 miles over and over? What? Wow.

I was disappointed at first, but then after a few minutes that disappointment turned into gratitude and relief that John was being safe and that he found another way to allow us to run!

It was a beautiful day, overcast and not hot, not terribly humid. Get this: I somehow managed to forget my bladder at home so had to rummage around my car to find a water bottle! I then wore my vest to hold my gels and things, a bottle in my hand. I'd been in trouble had this race been on the trail and I only had a bottle for hydration. I'd have made it but still. I found myself grateful that I'd have aid every 2 miles. Ha!

Out we went, up up up for two miles, and down down down for two miles. X 8. It was hilarious, but still, so much fun!  Almost everyone had smiles on their faces. We were able to see the leaders, the back of the pack, the 25K, the 12K and everyone inbetween. It was pretty incredible. I could stop to use the bathroom, have my drop bag, have aid, every hour. I was able to get a full day of hill repeats in!  I really have to say that I fully enjoyed this run. 

We had a little bit of everything for weather during the race. Sun, clouds, wind, calm, hail and rain. No thunder or lightening.

After I ran my 32 miles I hung around the finish and cheered in the runners. I was becoming quite cold. After Amy finished we went to find the bus to get some heat. A quick bus rid back to Caribou Highlands, a hot shower and delicious meal of roasted potato and veggies I brought along. I read a book on my deck and chilled. 

Sunday I again had a long run planned. This time I went to Tettegouche State park and ran 3 hours around there. A beautiful run to cap off a gorgeous weekend!

Chippewa 50K 2022

 

I wasn't sure that my feet would be up for Chippewa 50K after Zumbro 50 Mile only two weeks before and they were still healing from the blister fest of Three Days of Syllamo prior to that. Luckily, they had scabbed over quite nicely and I was ready to try them out again. For Chippewa I decided I'd try Injinji toe liner socks and wider shoes, the Hoka Speedgoat in Men's EE. I had tried them on a few runs and was optimistic. 

I rolled into raceday with :30 to spare so plenty of time to use the facilities, pick up my bib and mingle around. I hung with Maria, Doug and Jim before we'd head out.

I was happy that my pace and Maria's were again pretty close so we ran together the whole way out, catching up and reminiscing. It made for a fun way out. The course was in really great shape. There wasn't much mud on the way out and it was free of snow and ice. It really was a nice day. 

At the turn around I filled up my pack with water, emptied my gel and block wrappers and headed for home. I tried to go a little faster, run some of the hills and see what I had left. I was moving quite well and then it began to rain and the course became very very muddy. Oh well. Keep pushing.

I had a dozen stitches in my back after having a cyst of some sort removed a few days prior. I had extra thick bandages covering it for the race but ouch, it was rubbing and quite painful. I hoped I wasn't doing any additional damage. I hoped I wasn't causing an infection.

I removed my pack and tried to adjust it to relieve some of the pressure on the stitches. It didn't really make any difference.

As I began to hike the hills Maria and Tammy caught me. It was great to run with the to the finish. Maria hiked ahead, then ran up the final hill into the finish. I climbed the final hill following her with Tammy following me. 

What a fun day, a great adventure!  Chippewa 50K is always a blast. I changed into warmer clothing and visited for about an hour, cheering in the finishers. A quick rinse with the hose and I was ready to head for home.

The Big ZZZZZumbro 2022

 

ZZZZumbro is a race all unto its own. There really isn't anything quite like it, it is a three ring circus. There is the 100 mile, the 50 mile, the 17 mile and now after the Covid year, the 34 mile. It's rather nuts-in a good way!

I hadn't run the 50 (54) mile since 2014 or so...it's been a while between cancelled years, snowstorm years, covid, etc. Poor Zumbro weathers it all but still comes out shining.

I do dislike the midnight start but it's good for me to embrace things I dislike, to become comfortable with the uncomfortable, you know? 

I worked Friday until 4, went home to pack up whatever I might need for an overnight run-hydration vest, lights, gloves and hat as it was going down into the 20's and there was snow on the ground the previous night, roasted potatoes, shoes, extra socks. That's about all I'd need, I was ready to roll.

I arrived to Zumbro by 7, ate my potatoes and hummus, tried to nap but really wasn't able to, tried to stay warm and waited until 1145. At 1145 I picked up my bib, said hello to a few people and stood around for the countdown to begin! At midnight we began the trek toward morning. 

The first loop I found myself with Maria and Kim, I was happy to have the company as we navigated the trail in the dark. It's tough for me to begin at midnight as I can't see well so I can't go very quickly and then by the time the sun rises I'm tired and can't move very quickly. Ha, poor me!  

We chatted the whole loop, I enjoyed their company immensely. My feet were horribly wrecked already so I knew I'd be taking a lot of time at the start to change socks, lube, shoes, etc. I'd probably add a layer too because I was freezing. My hose from my hydration vest was solid ice and I hadn't been drinking. Oh for shame. I ran to my car and began the long process of removing clothing so I could remove my shoes and socks, retape and lube my feet, change socks and shoes, add gaitors back to the mix, pants, another vest, thaw out my tube and get out of there. I took up SO much time!  Like 20 minutes, seriously. I never do that but I've been trying to really figure out my feet, which I didn't. So .. onto loop 2.

Loop 2 and the soils began to soften, the mud began to thaw and it was quite messy. My water was flowing though, my feet weren't getting worse and it was becoming light..win win. I didn't run with anyone after the first loop, I didn't see many people out at all, I just kept moving on. I enjoyed the sunrise, removing my lights and thinking about changing into shorts when I returned to my car.

I ran to my car, ditched gloves, hat, changed socks and fixed feet again, grabbed gels, a sandwich and then water from the aid station. I was too lazy to remove my pants for shorts-and then I became too warm. Ugh. I didn't use any aid from the stations except for water at the start/finish. I've become quite self sufficient. 

Loop 3 was super muddy. Slip sliding away muddy. The sun was up, it was nice and warm, it felt cozy. I loved it. I continued with the same pace during most of the race, I felt very good. My feet were no longer blistering, I was moving well. As I ran into the final aid station I had to laugh. A man yelled out ' you are so bad ass you don't need to stop for water ' it was hilarious!  He was right, I never did have to stop there. I laughed hard and kept on trucking. I was able to run hard into the finish line and felt really really good.

I quickly changed clothes, milled around visiting a short while, dug into my cooler for my roasted potatoes and a protein shake and headed for home with a deep smile on my face. What a great way to spend a day. Thank you Zumbro!

Three Days of Syllamo 2022

 

I finally made it to Arkansas to run the stage race Three Days of Syllamo!  I entered a few years ago but ended up with double pneumonia so it was a no to. This year it was full speed ahead.

Lucky me: Maria made all the plans and arrangements and Doug did all of the driving and Sherpa -ing. All I had to do was run and run I did!

The schedule was 50K on Friday, 50 Mile on Saturday and 20K on Sunday.  The weather schedule continued to improve as race day neared.  It was sunny and warm all three days. Hurray!  A week prior my run was at -16F. I was ready for a warm up!

Thursday morning I arrived to Doug and Maria's at 445 AM for a 5AM take off. We loaded all of my stuff, played with their new pup TruckEe and headed out.  We had a pleasant drive all the way to Arkansas and arrived by 5 PM. We had plenty of bathroom breaks, two chocolate stops and a few food stops. One of the best 12 hour rides ever!

We checked in at Blanchard Springs for our race bib and shirt. After checking in we headed to our cabin where we would be spending the next three nights.  It was beautiful-two bathrooms, big kitchen and living area. It was sitting right on the river with excellent views.  We wouldn't be spending too much time here but what time we did spend was very comfortable.  Our race the following day didn't begin until 9:00 so we were quite relaxed in getting our things unpacked and together for the next day. I think I was in bed and asleep by 930.

Friday I awoke at 430 as usual. I quietly prepared my french press and started to get my things together for the race. It was chilly out, 26F, but the rain fell during the night and left a clear morning.

Doug schlepped us with all of our gear over to race start, about 20  minutes away. We milled around the start before the race director told us to go and off we went.

We began by running straight up a hill and then began to hike it. It was really nice to have a late and relaxed start as well as a long hike up the hill. The woods were beautiful and the air smelled like sprint. I saw purple and white flowers dotting the ground, what a beautiful sight! There were plenty of markings so I never felt like I was lost.

I kept removing my phone from my vest pocket to take photos of the landscape. Waterfalls, river, climbs and rocks - all very picturesque. The climbs were no joke!

Following behind Maria, letting her lead the way as I found my dirt legs after running in snow for so many months, was where I stayed.  I had a few "almost" wipe outs but managed to catch myself before reaching the ground.

Aid stations were plentiful. I stuck to water, gels and blocks that I carried myself. I had plenty.

We rolled into the finished in 8:30 having just been taking our time, enjoying the snow free trail.  Doug welcomed us to the finish line. Pasta and res sauce with garlic bread was served and I found myself famished.  I normally don't eat right after a long run but boy, I was really hungry and gobbled up a plateful. 

Soon after we ate we headed for the cabin where I ate oatmeal, peanut butter and a protein shake!  The slower pace and rough terrain really had me hungry. I needed all the energy! We cleaned ourselves up, repacked our packs and went to bed early for Day 2 which was an early 6:00 start for the 50 mile race.

I arouse at 4:00 again, quickly made french press coffee, grabbed my already filled pack, dressed, ate a slice of bread with peanut butter and we were off!  Doug again shuttled us to the start where we checked in and before we knew it were off for a 50 mile run.

This time we began in the dark and lights were needed. We ran down the paved road off into the woods, following up another long hill and along a river.  The sunrise was gorgeous. The group was separated pretty quickly and before I knew it I was off by myself.

Removing my gloves and jacket I was thankful I wore a sleeveless shirt and it was heating up pretty quickly. The high hit 80F eventually, something I was certainly not acclimated to!  I pulled out my phone as the sun came up to take some photos and later realized that I dropped outt he Advil that I had placed into the same baggie holding my phone. Bad mistake. 

At 10 miles I had to chuckle to myself because I realized my legs were already tired. Somehow I envisioned these three days of running would be like running a 100 miler with two nights of sleep and recovery built in and wondered  how hard could that be? Well, it was kind of tough!

I continued moving along, taking in all of the beautiful sights: the rock ledges, the outlooks, the amazing views. At 17 miles I came into an aid station and was famished. Doug was standing there with my drop bag and handed me my sandwich - it sure hit the spot. Doug is the best helper ever. He schleps us around, gets our drop bags, feeds us. He's pretty amazing. I noticed extra strength Tylenol on the table so grabbed a few for later. I no longer had to worry about not having and Advil.

My feet were beginning to blister quite badly as usual. I could feel the toenails begin to lift and move around. The bottom of my feet felt like they were oozing as well. I don't normally have blisters on the bottom of my feet but the small rocks were doing a number on them and I think my shoes were too small. I was wearing a women's extra wide Hoka Speedgoat when I normally wear a men's. Bad decision.

I crossed a creek with nice cold clear water and stood there for a while, cooling my feet and legs. It felt so good. I laughed as I watched a golden retriever and his human play and splash.

Up up up I climbed, on my way to the turnaround. It was fun running into the turnaround at 25 miles, I could see all of the others in front of me, in back of me. It was a great time and confirmed that I really was not all alone.

I ran back to the start, enjoying all of the beauty of the course. As I came into mile 30 I was shocked when told I was so close to the cut off. I only had 8 minutes on the clock. I hammered down as well as I could and decided I'd just keep moving until they told me I had to stop. I definitely didn't have my trail legs under me this early in the season. 

At mile 35 I was told I now had 6 minutes on the cushion and that the cut off was soft so keep pushing. I was fine with that. On I went.

I ran up to a group of 3 and listened to them talk about the cut off. They all had different opinions. One was told that she could finish as long as she was at 45 miles in 13 hours. One was told they didn't really enforce cut offs and that everyone could finish as long as they hit 50 miles at 14 hours. I figured I'd just keep running until they told me I couldn't any more.  

When I came up to 40 miles the aid station told me to move on, they confirmed to me that I could continue. Continue I did.

Mile 45 told the real story. We were cut. It made sense as there was no way we'd be at the finish by 14 hours. One girl sat down and sobbed. Her heart was broken, I felt badly for her, but I was fine with the decision. We probably should have been cut miles before. 

Luckily for me, Deb was working this station and offered I and Brenda a ride back to the start. Doug and Maria were there waiting for me. We all headed back to the cabin to share stories of our day.

My feet were macerated. I soaked them, taped them, elevated them and hoped for the best for the next day. I was thankful for a later, 9:00 start. 

I hardly slept at all, much like the previous few nights. I awoke at 400 and made my french press, ate bread and peanut butter, packed my pack and tended to my mangled feed. We put all of our belongings in the middle of the floor as Doug would check out with all of our things later in the morning. What a guy! Always taking care of us.

Doug drove us to the start where we were all tired but looking forward to a nice sunny warm day of 'only' 14 miles. There was an unmanned aid station half way through, otherwise we were on our own.

Again, we began a different direction to run different trails. We climbed straight up. Maria and I hung with a group fo 5 the whole way. It was so much fun. Our legs actually felt better than the previous days once we began. It's funny how the body becomes accustomed to the running over a few days.

I changed into my larger men's shoes for this run and my feet felt so much better. 

The route was a big loop. We went through pine, oak and lots of walls made of large boulder, looking over the valley. We drank Coke at the unmanned station, had awesome conversation, did a fair amount of hiking mixed with running and thoroughly enjoyed our time in the woods.

We ran into the finish just over 3 hours, hung out in the sun, visited with others, shared trail stores and then headed out for Kansas City, MO where we'd spend the night at a hotel.

I had my own room, showered and relaxed. Finished off my roasted potatoes and salad I'd been carrying with me. Sleep wouldn't come but I did rest. I awoke at 4 to make french press, packed all my things and was ready to head out.  Maria and I walked to an amazing coffeeshop before we headed to MN. 

Our trip home was thankfully uneventful. A few bathroom breaks, some eating from my cooler and back home before I knew it soaking in Epsom salts, draining my blisters.

A beautiful trip to the Ozarks, one I am so thankful for. The running was fabulous, the company wonderful. I hope to go back!