My 8th Voyager 50 Mile Trail Ultra

 I am so happy that I was able to run yet another Voyager 50 Miler Trail Race. Voyager was my second 50 mile race way back in 2001. I finished an hour after the final cut off of the race, when the cut off was 13 hours.  It has now been lengthened to 14 hours. 

In 2016 I hurt myself badly. Tendonitis, stress reaction, vascular cellulitis. I finished but was quite a mess. 

2021 was a breeze! It was hot and humid, but so delightful to be out running at one of my favorite races again.

My alarm woke me at 2AM, I left the house by 3AM and arrived to the start at 530, :30 minutes before start. I drove through a mix of hail, rain, thunder and lightening. We needed the rain but I did wonder what it might do to the trail.

The race was limited to 250 starters but I believe only 168 registered. It was a small race. A very very fun race!

We could start anytime between 6 and 7.  I lined up to start at 6:10 with Jim and Bill. We ran very easily down the paved path the first mile or so. Lots of laughing, jokes and easy running. I climbed the hills with purpose one we popped out on the trail, finding my place in the race. 

After the first aid station our little group split up. Bill ran up way ahead, Jim a bit after and I slowly jogged after them. I was planning to hit the turnaround in 530 and hoping to finish by 12. 

The fast 'winner runners' started after I did so it was cool to have them come up on me, chat a quick second and move on. I'd also see them come back which was the norm. It was really great to see everyone again. 

Aid stations were minimal and cut in half. Water, ice and oreos I think. I drank 180 oz of tailwind and 40 oz of water. Crazy. It was so hot. I was so thankful that there was plenty of ice and water.

The river crossings were nothing but rocks. Even with the thunderstorm passing through there was no moisture. I found the rocky SHT section very slow as I picked my way up up up the peak. 

I was pretty excited to see I was going to hit the turnaround at 530, where I set my goal. I decided I was going to take the time to take care of my feet. I had my only drop bag here. I came into the aid station and Bill and Jim were there. Bill was packing up ready to head out and Jim was shortly behind him. I took my time, cleaning my feet with wipes from my bag and applied desitin. Blisters were starting to form under my calluses. I'm running Superior 100 in a few weeks and need to practice caring for my feet. You'd think after all of these years I'd have this down to a science but I usually just don't want to be bothered with it and just pop the blisters as I go. This causes down time in the days after racing as I can't usually get my shoes on with popped blisters, inflammation and most painful feet ever. I knew that I had another big week of training beginning Tuesday and needed my feet to cooperate. I took 15 minutes to eat a sandwich I had packed and fix my feet. TIme well spent, it turns out.

I hiked out of the turn around with purpose, ran up the hill when I could. At spirit mountain I passed Jim and just kept on trucking. The SHT portion gave me difficulty again and I made a note that I would be training on the SHT before Superior 100. I have a reservation now for August 20 to spend the weekend up there running. 

The powerlines were still something else when though abbreviated as they are closed.I slowly climbed the exposed hill from hell, feeling my brain bake. I thought about the next aid station and all of the ice that would be available. This cooled me down. The power of positive thinking!

At the next aid station I came upon Bill. He was messing with bottles and taking care of himself. I had my pack filled, laughed and smiled as an aid station worker told me I had the best attitude and was doing what needed to be done. I was!  I marched out of there, heading for home.

Pretty soon I heard Bill come upon me. He had been walking the last 10 miles he said. I told him to just follow me. We'd get to the finish. He did, we ran when we could and hiked on the climbs. 

Eventually we came back to the bike path, knowing we would soon be finished. Bill had a bit more pep in his step all of a sudden, I told him to go for it!  He finished a few minutes before I. I made my goal: 11:52!! 

I felt so great during this race, no lows, no wishing it was done, no wanting to quit, no aches or pains. It was a great day. So much thanks to the volunteers, the race staff. the ice and water!

I hung around until the end of the race, cheering in all of the runners. Hopped into my car and headed for home. What a great day!

Superior 100 is up next. Hoping I can have a good day there, too!

Jay Cooke State Park Running

Jay Cooke State Park holds so many amazing memories for me. It's the start/finish of Voyageur 50 Mile Ultramarathon. I've run the race 10 times and have grown to love it so much.  Unfortunately, last year I broke my ankle the week before the race so volunteered instead and this year it has been canceled of course, due to Covid 19.

Maria and I decided to run a long run through the park, then out on the Superior Hiking Trail yesterday. We met at the visitor center, just steps from the beautiful swinging bridge. Our plan was to run 22 ish miles by running an out and back.

Jay Cooke has trails that link up to Willard Munger State Trail and to the Superior Hiking Trail . There are over 50 miles of trail and many water accesses. There are 80 camping sights. It's so beautiful and only a 2 hour drive from the Twin Cities.

We began at 715, not another person was in the parking lot. It was quiet and wonderful. The trail was in perfect condition. The day became warm, up to 88 degrees. We each carried 60 oz in our packs and I stuck another bottle of water in my vest pocket. It wasn't enough. I was salvaging water throughout the day but would have consumed much more if able. Maria ran out as well. We could have done with another bottle, which we both had in our cars!  We survived and didn't cramp up or have any problems.

Large frogs were rustling up the leaves on the trail, we couldn't figure out what they were at first. The leaves were moving and pretty soon we noticed the large frogs. So cure. Maria led most of the way so had to deal with the sticky spider webs across her face. I was stung by a  hornet in the ankle. Typical for Voyageur!   The river was low. The views were incredible. We would stop every once in a while and just look around at the beautiful landscape. Woods, bridges, sky...I felt like I was running from the darkness and into the light. Running does that for me. It empties me out, yet fills me up. It is my jam.

It really felt good to run with another again, it's been months. We stayed apart, were outside and not in close contact. We had a blast.

As we came back into the lot we noticed that every parking spot was taken. We had only encountered 6 others all day long on the trails.

After we finished we cleaned up and sat outside of our vehicles, caught up some more, hydrated and refueled with clementines and mango black bean salad. A great way to end such a fun day!

What a glorious day and beautiful run! I feel so blessed to be healthy and out spending the day just the way I love to. Never to be taken for granted.

VOYAGEUR 50 MILE TRAIL RUN RACE REPORT

On Saturday I finished my 7^th Voyageur 50 Mile Trail Run. Voyageur is really a special race. Even though the race grew by over 100 runners over last year, to 340 starters this year, it still has the small home-town feel as well as a family feel.  The first year I ran Voyageur in 2004, there were 85 starters!  Yes, 85. I know so many of the people who run Voyageur or who are volunteering , it is just like an ultra family reunion.

I stayed with Jean and Jody. Jody would be running her first 50 mile race! Woot!

We stayed at Black Bear Casino. It was clean, it wasn’t very noisy, but oh man, the smoke!  I hadn’t thought about the fact that Casino’s allow smoking. Ugh. Our room was ‘smoke free’ but the cigarette smoke penetrated the non smoking room.  I won’t stay there again.

Race morning was beautiful, 48F with  a promise of mid 70s with clear skies. The promise didn’t disappoint!

At the start there were so many friends!  Hugs, kisses, photos, it was like a family reunion.  I dropped a few Ziplocs off at the drop bag stations incase I might want to use gloves or spikes through the powerlines. I never did need them.

Greg and I were going to run the first few hours together. He felt he went out too fast last year and wanted to hang with me as I don’t go out to fast. Ever. I just don’t go fast period.  We ended up running the first two hours together. It was so great to hear about his trip out West to crew/pace Bob while running and finishing HardRock!  The miles went by quickly.

There were a few bunch ups along the first section out to Jay Cooke and the swinging bridge. I don’t recall this in the past. There was some mud, some water and a few rocky climbs. It was holding people up. We stood around and waited. No rush!

After running over the swinging bridge we came into Aid Station 1. Woo!  It is so much fun to run along and see friends volunteering. With so many aid stations I really have to watch the clock to make sure I’m not spending too much time visiting! There were 9 aid stations, which you hit twice which means loads of time to spend hanging about talking. I just have so much fun though and love these people so much. I can’t help myself.

Shelly was there with Greg’s bag, switching out bottles, asking what he needed. I had a full Nathan vest on so didn’t need anything. It was getting warm and humid. We moved on through and began the run toward the powerlines.

When we ran into Aid Station 3, Peterson’s, I had a Ziploc bag there. I grabbed my gloves from the bag just incase I needed them for grabbing vegetation to hold onto while climbing the powerlines, if they were muddy and slick. Rick was  pouring water and was going to fill my pack while I still wore it upon my back. All was going well until he dropped the pitcher of water. BRRR!  Down my back/butt it went. It was freezing!  We had a good laugh and off we went!

The miles were going by quickly. We were going to be heading into the powerlines soon. Guess who we run into, Andrew and Ed!  So funny. We have a little game going on this year, since Psycho Wyco.  They are in front of me, I catch them, they try to beat me to the finish. They succeeded at PW, not at Chippewa, and now at Voyageur. So much fun, really!!  I couldn’t contain my laughter and smiles.

Aid Station 4 Grand Portage, entry to the powerlines. As I was running  toward the station I spied Jean on her bike!  It was so good to see her and get a hug. She was there to support Jody and thought she should be coming in soon. She took a few photos, I emptied my gels, mixed a bottle of UCAN as was on my way.

The powerlines weren’t muddy! I didn’t need the spikes or the gloves. I was able to climb them just fine and pick my way down. Greg had some nifty poles, I might look into a pair. After we climbed the first few powerlines I asked Greg if he’d like to go in front of me as I was picking my way along more slowly and looked like he could really move. He went off ahead and I didn’t see him again until I was coming into the turnaround,  as he was about two miles ahead.  He was moving well!

As I was climbing along I ran into Casey, who I haven’t seen since Superior 100, 2006, I believe. We talked and laughed, caught up a bit. It was so good to see him again.

I felt really great. My legs felt strong, my breathing was good, no problems, I was so thankful to be able to do this race, to spend a long day in the woods. I gave thanks. I thought about how fortunate I was to be able to do this. I really love it.

Before I knew it I was out of the powerlines and running toward yet another aid station. Amazing. They were all over the place. Wearing my vest was overkill. I really only needed a handheld bottle, which is what I normally use. With Superior 100 on the horizon, a vest is a practice measure.

I began to run alone. Even with over 300 people on the trail we had spread about and I enjoyed the solo time. I was taking care of myself, consuming salt tablets, nutrition and plenty of water. I wasn’t in any pain. I was just smiling, spending time in the moment, feeling joy. I hadn’t even thought about  listening to music.

I was coming in on Fond du Lac and knew that Doug and Maria would be at this station. I couldn’t wait!  I ran in and saw all of the ducks that Todd had placed in the water. So cute!  Big blow up duckies. What a treat!  I hugged and caught up with Maria for a few minutes, congratulated her on NeverSummer 100K and then had to get a move on.  I ran through the water, petted a blow up duck and hit the trail.

Becks Road was coming up next. UMTR aids this station so I knew I’d see many friends there as well. As I came in there were many hugs and photos. Matt, Amy, Willow, Rob, so many that I am not listing because I still have ‘ultra brain’. Rob asked me to try a pickle. I did, it was really good!  I had a few cups of Coke and headed across the road. Good times!

I felt like I was running from one group of friends to another group of friends; strung together by a wonderful trail.  This was really great.

The woods were beautiful. There had been plenty of rain this summer, everything was green and lush, most of the horse holes were filled in with thick grass and running was pretty easy. I was keeping my heart rate under 140 without a problem, running about an 11-12 minute mile most of the time. I was going to be running into Skyline Parkway next and knew that I had a drop bag there. I could get rid of the spikes I had been hauling and the gloves. Shelly was going to drop my bottle here, too, so I could mix another bottle of UCAN. The UCAN, a few gels, some watermelon and Coke seemed to work well for me.

The water crossing were not real deep, but deep enough to cool my feet. I couldn’t believe I didn’t feel any blisters yet. This year I haven’t had any blisters at all.  This may be due to the Altras I’ve been wearing. I usually have at least some hot spots.

I came into Skyline and Brook and Mike said someone came through asking if anyone knew Julie Berg. Shelly had dropped my bottle for me!  How thoughtful. They handed it off to me, I dug around in my bag and prepared a bottle of UCAN. I dropped the spikes and gloves, chugged the bottle and headed out. It was so much fun to see everyone. I began to climb the road section, knowing that I’d be at the turnaround soon.

The cut-off for the turnaround at the Zoo is 7 hours. I figured I’d be there by 6. No problem. The sun was warm now, we were exposed along the road. Much of this part was a climb before heading down into the Zoo. I walked along, climbing climbing climbing. Pretty soon I was at Spirit Mountain. It is so cool to run along the face of the ski hills, looking down at the Lake Superior, looking up at the chair lifts. I enjoyed it so much. As I was running along many of my friends were running back toward me. I love the out and back on this course. I never meet anyone in the powerlines where the trail is narrow. I usually meet the bulk of the runners along the wider paths going into the turnaround. I saw so many friends, stopped to chat, hug, talk, then run along. I couldn’t stop smiling. I felt blessed. I am.

At the turnaround I spied Jean!  She asked me how I felt so good, how could I be having so much fun? I tried to explain it to her-that I just really, really enjoyed spending the day in the woods, how much I love to run, how great it is to reconnect with friends. I don’t know if I was able to explain this well enough to her. She told me she was expecting Jody soon, I was thrilled!  I filled up my bladder, emptied out a few gel packs, consumed was watermelon and told Jean I had to head out. She took a few more pictures and I began the long climb back up Spirit Mountain.

I began to notice a feeling kind of like shin splints in my left leg. That’s weird. Maybe it was the walking, climbing out from the turnaround. I haven’t had shin splints for years, I couldn’t really understand the feeling in my leg. Maybe my sock or gaitor was too tight. I haven’t been walking that much. I found that it hurt more to walk than it did to jog, so I began to jog up the hills. That helped for a while.

I dug out my iPod and figured I’d listen to some music to distract myself. Unfortunatley I think my iPod decided to die on this day. I kept messing with it but couldn’t get it to work. I have had it since 2007!  I asked a guy running along to take a look at it, turns out his last name was Berg, too!  He couldn’t get it to work, he was willing to GIVE ME HIS iPod (really!), then we tried my iPhone in airplane mode. That worked fine, so I listened to music for a while. Thank you Mr. Berg!

I popped back into Skyline, was happy to get off of the exposed road and ready to hit the trail again. I dug around in my bag, grabbed a few cliff blocks, said hello and goodbye to Brook and Mike and was on my way.

The trail to Becks Road was quiet!  I only saw a few other people during this time. It was such a beautiful day. I was running well, feeling good, feeling so thankful for this day..and then the left leg would remind me that it was not happy.

I was beginning to lose the ability to push off with my left foot. It felt stiff. I ran into Becks, had some more coke, thanked everyone and pushed on.

Maria was coming up next at Fond du Lac so I was going to ask her for advice. I’d get this gaitor off and see what was going on under it. When I looked down at my leg it looked a little bit swollen, but none more than usual after 30 miles..you know?

I came into the aid station and asked if I could sit in the chair. I never sit in the chair!  I plopped down and told Maria and Doug I had to get my gaitor off. Maria asked Troy to retrieve her BioFreeze. I told  her I felt like I had a shin splint or something. I was was flexing my foot up, feeling my shin, I told her it felt like tendonitis. She removed the gaitor, I told her to throw it away. She placed it into a baggie and said she’d wash it and maybe she’d sell it on EBAY. How much can we get for a Julie Berg gaitor she asked? It was hilarious. I sat there laughing! The BioFreeze felt good, I got up and was able to walk ok. Maria walked me out of the aid station and off I went!

The next section has some crazy climbing with ropes going up hills to grab, now I’d be going down very steeply. I knew this could be rough without any flex in my foot. I tried to keep it steady as I took teeny tiny steps down the steep downs. Ouch. Now it hurt. What the heck? Shin splints are dumb. Go away.

I moved on, still found that running felt better than walking so jogged the uphills and picked my way down them, trying not to flex my foot. I decided to take a few Advil to see if that would take the edge off. It didn’t. That kind of concerned me.

The course flattened out a bit, I was able to run pretty well in sections before climbing back through the powerlines. I knew it would be difficult with this stiff foot hanging behind me. I just couldn’t flex it. I never thought that this might be anything more than soreness from shin splints, a bit of tendonitis. I knew that shin splints go away pretty much as soon as I’m done running, I’ve had them before.

I found that I could still run downhill pretty well. There were long long downhills that I was able to run along pretty quickly, again passing Ed and Andrew. Ha!  Good times!  I really was having a blast and kind of tucked my pain away into another crevice of my mind. I just wasn’t going to think about it.

The powerlines were pretty warm now. Climbing was great, coming down was a bit difficult without flexing my foot. Oh well. It wasn’t too bad. It was getting real warm. The powerlines are exposed so I was heating up. I took a few more salt tabs.  Drank some more water, began to think about Coke  at Peterson’s!  I was only about 10 miles from the finish.

I came into Peterson’s, so excited for Coke!  I drank 2 cups, had a gel, knowing the sugar and caffeine was going to be like rocket fuel for me. It was. I was able to really run quickly on the flats, enjoying the experience.

Jay Cooke!  I couldn’t believe that I was at the final aid station. I gave out hugs and thanks, drank some more  Coke and ran across the bridge. I was really excited I was going to finish around 13 hours with this leg thing which had held me back.  The last section is the most difficult for me. Not so difficult at the beginning, miles 1-3, but difficult at the end, miles 47-50. It is rocks, roots, steep scrambles over boulders and just painful. It also feels like it goes on forever.

I kept smiling, knowing I had almost made it. I moved very slowly, all of those people that I had passed were passing me now. Even Ed and Andrew came along. I had to laugh, told them I’d see them at the finish. Now I was getting concerned, I was dragging my foot along, it was not letting me move it at all. What the hell?

I had to scooch down onto my butt to get down some of the rocky ledges, trying to hold my foot straight. My shin was pretty swollen now. What in the world. Dumb shin splints. I finally came up to the bridge, walked across the bridge and up onto the bike path. I tried to run and couldn’t even run on the bike path. Hmmmm….not good.  My foot was not having it. Another person passed me. Oh man. I grimaced and kept on.  I made the turn and could see the finish line!

Oh happy day!  I blocked out the pain and jogged toward the end. I could hear all of the bells, the Julie Bergs!, the clapping and cheering. So much fun!  I crossed the finish line in just over 13 hours. Thank goodness!!  Jean and Jody took pictures; Jody made it to 40 miles before she was pulled-her longest run!!! So awesome!! She felt good! Big hugs for all of  my friends, Greg finished in 12 something, was doing well, it was one big party. I feel so grateful to be a part of this community, it really is special.

I visited for an hour or so and decided to head for home. I have about a 2.5 hour drive. I had some cramping on the way, didn’t stop, I knew I wasn’t going to be able to walk on my foot, it felt stiff.

Sunday my leg was red and swollen. I hobbled around, able to make it to Church and grocery shopping. Monday I couldn’t place weight on it.  Red, swollen, intense pain. I was sure it was broken now. How could have I run on a broken leg? Did I cross that damn line again between fun and injury again? No way. It didn’t feel that bad at the time. I thought it was a shin splint. Or tendonitis. Ugh.

I went to the clinic on Monday and learned I have a thing; cellulitis, a skin infection. The MD diagnosed it right away. I told him I really thought I broke something. Nope, it’s a skin infection. He drew a line around the red swollen area and told me if it grew out of this line I needed to go to the ER. He prescribed antibiotics that I’ve been taking for three days now. The redness is gone. I still can’t walk on it, can’t place any weight upon it which seems odd to me. The swelling is going down. I’m unable to flex my foot.  I can’t help but think I have cellulitis AND a fracture. It’s very painful. The MD doesn’t believe the run had anything to do with the infection. The infection just came out while I was running. If it had come out a day earlier I wouldn’t have been running. Very strange.

Oh well, I otherwise have felt great after this race. No muscle soreness, no blisters, no other pains. Awesome recovery. I guess I was in pretty good 50 mile shape! 

Eugene Curnow - Half Voyaguer

One of my first memories with my ultra running friends is the Half Voyaguer. It’s now named after the past race director: Eugene Curnow. The race is the baby of the Voyaguer 50 mile, a favorite of mine, which is run 2 weeks later.

Because I’ve been rehabbing my foot/knee and whatever other body parts which are angry at me there is no chance I’ll be run running Voyaguer 50 this year but I’m good to run the Half.

Maria and I went out for a 6 hour run two weeks ago-my first run of any sort of this distance since Superior 100 last September!  I really did a number on myself there. Ugh. Anyhow, our run at Afton  was such a wonderful experience!  She’s rehabbing her hamstring, I’m rehabbing foot/knee. We walked, jogged, and ran.  My rehab schedule had 11 minute jog/4 minute walk on the plan which we stuck to pretty well. At the end of our 6 hours I was jubilant. I didn’t hurt. I felt good. Eugene Curnow may be a reality. Why not try it?

We spent the first week of July up at the lake. Had great weather and a great time. I came back into town to deliver Troy so that he could work and then decided to go back up to the cabin to spend a few more days with Steve. I left the lake, spent the night at my Dad’s house and then left for Carlton to the race in the morning.

It was a beautiful warm morning and was going to be a great day. I hadn’t looked online to see who may be running the race so wasn’t sure whom I might see.

I arrived in plenty of time to fill my pack, figure out music, lube my feet, etc. I didn’t recognize anyone so I just climbed onto the bus that would take me to the start.

As I climbed off of the bus I saw Alicia right away. Yay!!  Alicia and I have run a zillion miles together and I just love her. She was one of the those that first ran with me at that first Half Voyaguer so many years ago.

We began the race together and ran together up until the last few miles where she went ahead and finished a few minutes in front of me. What a great 6 hours of fun! We reminisced, we talked of the present, the future, of how much things in ultrarunning had changed and how much we had changed. It was such a great time. Neither my foot nor my knee hurt, I was able to climb through the powerlines without a problem. Such a blessing.

Janet ran with Alicia and I most of the race, too. She wanted to run a PR and said that by hanging with us she would do just that. She did! She ran a great race and finished inbetween Alicia and I.

As we were running along Scott came up on us. Scott!  Scott was also along on that first Half Voyageur so many years ago. I hadn’t seen him in a few years. We caught up a bit and then he left us to bomb on down the hills.

As I came across the finish all I could think about is how blessed I was. Sharing the trail with amazing people, such good friends to me.

I hung around the finish line and cheered the rest of the runners in. Drank a non alcoholic beer and headed for home, with a big smile on my face! What a fabulous day.

Voyageur 50 Mile Trail Run: Blissed Out

Blissed Out. That is the title of this post. It is exactly how I feel and I just can't stop thinking about the day without smiling. I feel Blissed Out.

A little Voyageur history: the first Voyageur I ran was in 2002. The course at that time had a 13 hour cut off. I ran with my dear friend Marie and it took us 14:30 to complete. Paul Hasse was our sweep and he took us under his wing, allowing us to finish along with Tom, Marie's husband checking on us at each closed aid station. It was epic. I ate 25 Advil. I've learned much since then. There was hail/thunder/lightening during the whole race..in the powerlines lightening was hitting the wires and we just kept trucking. Crazy rivers of red clay was sweeping us down those powerlines as we tried climbing up. It was nuts. I learned to persevere. Every Voyageur since has seemed easier because of the difficulty of this one!

The next 4 Voyageurs were all finished in 10:47, 10:26, 10:55, 10:43, all exciting and all with great memories of people that I ran with along the way. So many of these people no longer run ultra. I was the new kid on the block, the newbie. They all taught me so much. I miss them all greatly. A dozen plus of them continue to run ultra and I connected with each of them on Saturday. I enjoyed myself so very much.  

It had been FIVE years since I had run Voyageur! I met many new people to the ultra scene - they are who will continue to allow our sport to grow. I enjoyed meeting so many young new people to the sport!

Packed up my food and ready for the road.

I had intended to drive up the morning of the race, head home after the race as I did the past two Voyageurs that I have entered, so I didn't look up any hotel accommodations or the like. As race day grew near I thought it would be nice to sleep a bit longer than the 1 AM wakeup I'd have from staying at home. There were no rooms available and sleeping in my car didn't feel like fun again so I posted in the UMTR Facebook page to see if anyone had space. Just my luck Jenny responded to me and told me I could stay with her. She had reserved a room and had acquired two more roomies, Robyn and Harriet. I hadn't yet met Jenny but had met Robyn and Harriet previously. I felt so fortunate to have a  place to stay for Friday night!  We had many laughs before we turned in for the night-I slept well. We made a great foursome. 

Jenny and Harriet chose the early 5 AM start so left before I and Robyn did. We were going to start at 6 AM. I arrived to start with 15 minutes to spare so had time to say hello and drop off a bag for mile 25. I had quickly jotted down the cut off times for the return trip - miles 25 to 50 so I would know if I was in trouble. It's been a long time since I've had to worry about cut offs. I assumed I'd finish in 13 hours, maybe 13.5.

The day was warm-high 80s were forecast, the high turned out to be 96F-I imagine that was the temperature in the sun.

As I headed to the start line the RD told us that a Mud Run was taking place on Spirit Mountain. We'd come across them at about mile 23. We could take part in the Mud Run for extra credit (just kidding!)

I sided up to Jim . We chatted a bit and then we were off!  I was so excited. I began in the near back of the pack and thought about the year I began in the front with  Jeffrey. For some reason we wanted to try the race from the front. I remembered flying through the first few miles of the rocks and roots to the bridge. I remembered falling down and quickly getting back up for fear of being trampled.  That was my PR on the course. 10:26. You just don't know unless you try. I remember Jeffrey stating to me after the race "you were running UP the hills, out of the Zoo".. yup. More memories with good friends.

I had snapshot memories of each Voyaguer, all of my friends, all of the years that I had been running the race, all day long. I am so fortunate to have these experiences.

My plan was to consume a gel every 30 minutes. It has been working for all of my races this year, which have all been successful finishes, so I was sticking to that plan. Again, they worked beautifully. Energy was spot on. I had two pieces of watermelon and one orange slice in addition to the gels. 8 ECAPS. Water. That's it.

I had fun running over the bridge across the river to the first aid station. I don't remember if there was a photographer there, I'll have to look up the photos. I have 5 other photos of me crossing that bridge and each one came back to memory as I was running at that moment. I remember one with Steve Quick , two with Jeffrey, one by myself and one with Scott Wagner. Good times. 

I was running with a pack for the first time. I normally use handhelds but after running out of water during a few training runs this summer on the Superior Hiking Trail I decided I better use a pack during the Superior 100 and figured Voyageur would be a good place to practice. It is the Nathan 70 oz that I purchased from TCRC. Thank you, Kurt! I really like it.  The weight of the water is dispersed over the back, so much so that it didn't bother me AT ALL. There are more pockets than I needed. I had them filled with 28 (yes) gels, keys, advil, ECAPS, a plastic garbage bag (rain), windbreaker, foot potion, toilet paper. I had plenty of space.  

At the first aid station I filled up the bladder so that I could get a grasp on how much I was drinking. It had only been about 4 miles and I drank 25 or so oz. Seemed good.  I filled up and moved out.

As I was running along a young guy named Drew introduced himself. This was his first ultra, having just run his first marathon at Grandmas!  Wow!  He was a swimmer in college and was now trying to find a new sport. I gave him a few tips and told him to enjoy every step. As we were chatting along we came up on Bill. He began to ask Drew if he knew who I was, my history, my bio, etc. Oh my gosh, Bill!  Stop!  He told Drew what races I had completed, he said I was a 'legend' and went on and on. My face turned beet red and I just didn't know how to react. I felt like a hot menopausal sausage running next to these two.  He told Drew that I was one of the most accomplished women runners in the area as I had finished over 15 100 milers and have run over 100 plus races, winning McNaughton 100 a few times and on and on he went. I was stunned and didn't know what to say. I can't imagine that is how anyone else would describe me?   I win when there is usually a high rate of attrition and just don't want to quit. I love it so much.  I have too much fun to stop. I just enjoy running, being with my friends that run, filling up my soul with the experiences. Wow. I'm flattered ..  thanks, Bill.

We ran through the grassy, hilly cross country ski sections. The course is much more traveled that what it was when I was a regular here. The grassy sections used to be filled with holes and longer grass, I recalled moving along slowly and having difficulty seeing the ground because of the long grass. Not anymore. The grass was short, the trails were more covered with dirt than grass. It was easier to run. I enjoyed myself completely.

The aid stations were closer in distance than they have been when I ran previously. At first I was perplexed by this as I was running out, I was almost irritated. Maybe just because I didn't look at the course maps prior so I didn't realize how many there would be. It seemed that they were too close and I would just eat up time on the clock. On the way back I was SO thankful and grateful that they were so close together. It was awesome to have ice stay as ice aid station to aid station. It was so great to hear "JULIE BERG! COME ON IN! YOU ARE HERE!" cheering, over and over. I really enjoyed it so much.

The volunteers are top notch. They couldn't wait to help out. Ice, water, heed, food, whatever anyone could use. They were there to help us. Thank you so much!

There were new sections along the course. With flooding two years ago and mudslides taking out the course, it has been changed in areas. One of the coolest changes was this hill we climbed, a ridge of sorts, with mud slide on either side. It was tall and steep. They had ropes to help us climb up the hill-it reminded me of McNaughton 100. It was very cool!

As I came into the power lines I was anxious. I couldn't wait to see what condition they were in. I was last on this section of the course last year during Eugene Curnow marathon when I fractured my ankle. I was so excited to be running and feeling healthy and strong.

Shane Olson took this photo. Climbing out of a power line hill.

The power lines were in pristine condition. They had dried out, were even DUSTY is places!  I've never seen them in such good condition. They were still work-lots of quad busting climbing and descents-but wow, it could have been so much worse. I was just smiling, ear to ear. 

All day long, smiling ear to ear. I was so happy to be here again. So happy to be running on two strong legs, reliving the memories of past Voyageurs and looking forward to making new memories today. I felt like I was shining.

As I came into the UMTR aid station Ryan helped pull my pack off my back and began to fill it. This is just perfection. To walk into an aid station, not having to ask for help, to be waited upon. I took full advantage of it!  He filled it up and I was on my way. Kudos to the UMTR aid station!

Zach Pierce took this photo

Somewhere along the trail I ran into Wayne and Deb. I ran my first 50 miler at Ice Age in 2002 with Deb. We go back to my beginning of ulta. She goes back to 1991 or so for ultra! That's so awesome. I met Wayne in 2008. It was so great to run with, talk with, reminisce with, Wayne and Deb. We ran from mile 20 to 50 together on and off. Mostly on. It was fabulous.

As we came up to Spirit Mountain we saw the Mud Run taking place. Participants were running up SM, covered in mud, then climbing the cargo net, sliding out of a water filled air contraption, then up the hill again. It was interesting.  

The run downhill into the Zoo is steady. As I ran I could feel my side ache come back on. I struggled with it at Savage 100 and Afton 50K earlier this summer.  I believe I breathe too shallow as I run downhill, causing the side pain. Ugh. I actually have to hold my side, slow down and try to breath from my lower stomach as I run downhill. I need to practice this all over again. The things that don't come naturally after a hiatus. 

I came into the halfway point - the Duluth Zoo - at 5:50 or so. The cutoff was 7 hours so I had plenty of time. I emptied all of my gels wraps, refilled my pack with gels, lubed up my feet, filled my bladder and moved on out. I kept on hearing how radiant my smile was. One man said 'your smile is as radiant as your pack'. I felt radiant. I felt like i was glowing inside. Oh, I was!

The 2 mile climb out of the zoo was brutal. We climbed and climbed and climbed and climbed some more. It was hot as hell and the sweat just poured off of me. This section of the course goes across Spirit Mountain so it is quite exposed. We then hit some pavement for a while. I climbed with Wayne and Deb. We had so much to talk about!  We yakked and yakked and yakked. It was so awesome!

Sweet, Beautiful Maranda Lorraine took this photo

After the 2 mile climb we came to the next aid station. I refilled my water, pulled the Afton buff from my pack and placed ice within it to put in my running bra. It stayed there, frozen, until the next aid station. I couldn't believe it! I then refilled it at each aid station with ice. 

Every once in a while I'd lose Wayne and Deb, I'd have to slow down to potty, or they would. I usually left the aid stations before them, I just don't like to spend much time there, then we'd reconnect in a few more minutes. It was a great experience, running with both of them.

I found myself thanking God for being able to be on this trail again, for having a healed ankle, for having a strong body..for being able to run 50 miles today without a thought about dropping or any real discomfort.  I've had a weak body, a broken body and it has taught me to be grateful. To give thanks. To feel real joy. I find myself sitting here with tears in my eyes as I reflect upon my run. My adventure.

I found myself thinking about the past Voyageur's and the people that I ran them with. I thought often of Pierre Oster, who I miss so much. We ran SO many miles together over the  years. My last Voyaguer, we were running together and I was slowing down near the end. He would NOT let me fall in back of him. He demanded I finish in front of him. I told him I was tired, I didn't think we would finish in 11 hours, I swore at him. He laughed at me. He told me he I was strong and I was going to finish in front of him in 11 hours. I didn't think we were EVER going to hit the bike path. We did. He put me in front of him and we finished in 10:55. It isn't the finish time that is important---it is the time spent with Pierre, the friendship, that is important. The memory.  

The second pass through the power lines was more difficult. Hot!  The sun was blazing, there is no shade. I climbed the best I could, then walked the section to the next hill. Deb and Wayne ran through the section. I walked, steadying myself, coming to terms with the fact than a 15 pound weight gain due to injury and a  menopausal body is not the best body I've had to run in. I can adapt to the menopausal body but this 15 pounds is going to hit the road. 

As I was running into Forbay I heard this cowbell ring ring ring ring. It was so loud!  A woman was there cheering and ringing!  I laughed, thanked  her profusely and then saw Kelly and John. They filled up my bladder, made me laugh and sent me on my way. It was so good to see them!  I left the aid station smiling and feeling like 100 bucks.  

The final aid station.  I was ahead of the cut off at all check points so wasn't worried about time. It looked as if I'd finish under 13 hours. I was so excited. Nothing hurt, no blisters, my side pains went away once I began to breath deeply and with my lower stomach. I was happy.

At Jay Cooke I had to go to the bathroom. I asked Joe if there was one nearby, he told me Maudie used one at the building on the hill and pointed to it. Ugh. I didn't feel like walking up there. I figured I'd pee off the trail somewhere.

Deb, Wayne and I ran across the swinging bridge, I again thought about all of the swinging bridge memories. Next year I'll add this year's memory to my bank. We took in the beautiful view, were cheered on by the campers and hikers. I told them I was going to pee, would catch up later.

I detoured to the left of the trail, peed and looked up. A Forest Ranger was standing on the trail, looking at me, as I pulled up my skirt. Oops. I'm sorry! I had to pee. You wouldn't have wanted me to pee in my skirt? Oh man. Am I in trouble? Are you going to write me a ticket? Shit. No, I didn't shit. I peed. Can I finish my race? I have like 4 more miles. I couldn't hold it that long.....

He wrote down my race number and I gave him my name. Oops. What bad luck!

As I caught Deb and Wayne I told them what happened. Wayne tried to divert the Forest Ranger from my path by asking him a question but the Forest Ranger didn't break stride.  I may have a ticket arriving in the mail. Is it agains the law to pee in a state park?

We ran along, smelling the barn. I have become so slow on technical stuff. Wayne and Deb went on ahead as I scrambled over the rocks and roots. I took the time to reflect on my day. To acknowledge the pure joy that I was feeling. To think about the last few years of injury, how difficult they were. It's made me more thankful, more grateful, more real.  

I hit the bike path and began to cry with joy and gratitude. I stopped to wipe my eyes, blow my nose, knowing what would be around the corner. The road to the finish. The school. Maybe some friends would still be around. I looked at my watch. 12:30. Wow. I did it. 

As I turned the corner I ran as fast as I could to the finish. I heard Bill yell Julie Berg! A chorus of Julie!! Cheering, clapping, yelling, it's enough to make a person believe in oneself again! A huge hug from Maria. My friends, my runs, me. How good it is to be back.

Afton 50K Race Report: Love

I haven't run the Afton 50K races since 2011 and that year the State Parks were closed so John had the races at the Afton Alps Ski Area. It was brutal, I was 6 months post hysterectomy and I was in the midst of herniated disc pain. I was so damn happy to be running, although it took me 8:30 to compete!

Fast forward to 2014 Afton 50K races at Afton State Park. A beautiful breezy warm July morning, tons of friends, my best friends and new friends. Just a perfect place to be.

I left home at 445 AM so I would arrive with time to pick up my number and head out. I don't like hanging about waiting for the race to begin. I arrived at 610 for 630 start time. Because the parking lots were full I was directed to park right on the road, a few feet from the start line. Sweet!

Making sure that I had my watch, my iPod, 12 gels and a cooler with a RedBull, Ultragen and Protein Powder I headed out to the start, dropped my cooler and mosied over to pick up my number. Lucky 13. I was ready.

I hung with Arika and Maria while we listened to John give us the details. He asked how many were running their first ultra-many hands went up. It was so awesome to see so many beginning their ultra adventure. He asked how many were running their 5th Afton, many more hands went up..mine included.

He sent us on our way and off we went.  I figured I could finish in 7 hours. The course is a double loop. I wanted to run the first loop hard, in 3 hours or less, then let up a bit on the second loop. That was the plan. 

The morning was spectacular. Bright sunshine, real nice stiff breeze, not many bugs.  I felt great!  No ankle pain, no nervousness, just happy to be out there to do what I love.

Aid Station 1 came up quickly. I refilled with water and ate a gel. I have really been having great luck with my race nutrition since I have begun to use only gels, water and ecaps. I'm still shocked at the simplicity and how well this works. No more decision making at the tables, easy to carry and HammerNutrition sponsors most races so their gels are on most tables. The only downside is the stickiness of the product. My hands become sticky and my clothing is eventually sticky as well.  Oh well.  No stomach upset and continuous energy..well worth the stickiness.

I made sure to have a gel every 30 minutes. This would be the first test at running a faster pace, in the heat, with only gels. They were doing the job.

I ran into many friends along the course, at aid stations and running the race. So much fun!

As I came into the 25K mark I looked at the time clock: 2:53. I was right on. Wow!  I ran hard, kept hydrated, energized and in good shape.  As I went over to my cooler I saw Don holding it, handing to me. How nice!  We chatted, I saw Jim Wilson and chatted with him as I guzzled down a RedBull. Thanks to Ryan for showing me the RedBull way at Savage 100!  I grew my wings and headed out to loop 2.

I began to feel the heat, the fatigue in my legs from the hills. Afton has many climbs and many areas of open prairie, although much of the course is shaded, thankfully. I made a mental note that I did not want to DNF a training run so made sure to hold back on the next 25K. I reminded myself that 7 was my plan and it looked like 630 was going to happen regardless. I was happy with this.  

As I ran along the river I saw Steve Quick walking toward me. I haven't seen him in a long time. A quick hug and hello and off I went with a smile. 

At the final aid station I saw Jeff, Al, Nancy, Kris, Tom and John all working the aid station. Hugs all around, big smiles and it's time to finish this party up. I come around the corner and who do I see? RD John. Awesome! Another hug, a laugh, a 'look at us' and I'm off with smiles galore. Good friends, this is what it is all about.


I ran into the finish at 618. Very happy with that time, not to mention how great I felt. I sure have the heat training in now. Voyaguer 50 is a few weeks away and it is usually really warm. Hopefully not really wet this year.  

If you haven't run a RockSteady Race you really need to give it a try. John and Cheri really have the RDing down to a science. They do a fabulous job. Great organization and great fun.  Thank you!

After hanging out at the finish, cheering in others and visiting with friends it was time to move on to more fun. I was meeting Bonnie and Marie after the race. We had such a blast!  We made sushi, spring rolls, soaked in the hot tub, went for a pontoon ride-what an amazing day!

On Friday I'm going up to Lutsen to run the Superior Sawtooth 100 course. Time to get some technical running in. Superior scares me. Although I've finished it 2x I've also DNFd 2x, my first and my last. I finally entered Friday. I am in. This whole year is all about finishing Superior.

In other news: We had Troy's graduation party last Sunday. We had so much fun. Many friends and family shared the day with us. I can't believe the time has come. He was awarded a Merit Scholarship as well as other scholarships to help with his tuition at the U of M. I'm so proud of him. We'll be empty nesters by the end of August.

With all of the changes at home taking place I chose to make another. After 11 years at the Big Lake High School I am now moving to the Big Lake Middle School. I'm taking a position that contains two classification increases as well as a pay raise, more hours. I will still have July off but no longer 8 weeks. I'm so excited for this new challenge!

Next up: Voyageur 50 Mile. Woohoo!  It's been 5 years since I've run the Voyageur. Looking forward to it.



 

 

 

Savage 100 Mile Trail Run: Race Report

Savage 100 Mile Trail Run: Believing in Myself Gives me an Edge

I wear this necklace all of the time. I wore it for the race, too.

Where to begin? It’s been a long haul but I feel like I’m finally breaking through the injury, the menopause and the depression. I feel as though I am coming out on the other side.

When I learned that Les Martisko was creating The Savage 100 Mile Trail Run so that he could finish a 100 mile ultramarathon as a way to celebrate his 70^th birthday I wanted to be a part of the celebration.  Les and I have run many many miles together over the years.

When I first began Ultra I was fighting the cut offs and Les would patiently coach me during our races, letting me know that we were in fact going to finish.  He was always correct. He was always steady. I’ve learned so much from him.

Happy Birthday to Les, may we all be running 100 mile ultramarathons for our 70^th birthday! 

Going into The Savage 100 I felt very confident that I could finish. Zumbro 50 was a dream come true five weeks prior. I had been having NO ankle pain, I believed in myself. Believing in myself gives me an edge.

The race course was held at Murphy-Hanrehan Park, a Dakota County Park located in Savage MN. It was a 16+ mile loop-plenty of hills, beaver dam water crossing, woods  and open prairie areas. It was all trail but for a short-maybe .50 mile tops each lap was dirt road.   It reminded me of McNaughton 100 in more than one way.

I chose to begin the race at 300 AM. We could start at 300 AM or at 600 AM. The race was finished at 1 PM Sunday for a total of 34 hours.  I figured I could use every spare hour I could take. My ‘goal’ was to  finish each loop in 5 hours-giving me a 30 hour finish.

Because gels, water and electrolyte worked 100% at Zumbro I was going to use the same plan. I'm so grateful to Karl for getting me off of the solid food leading to  stomach aches, gas, bloat and energy crashes and making such a strong case to me to try gels, only gels!  He always says to me IT IS WHAT THE BODY NEEDS, Jule! I had multiple changes of shoes, socks and clothing. Batteries, gels, electrolytes, foot potion, etc. I loved that I could use my car as my drop bag, reaching it every 17 miles. Woohoo.

I pulled on my Nathan Vest, filled one 20 oz bottle with water, my headlamp and handheld flashlight and walked toward the start area. I didn’t recognize anyone at first out of the 60 entrants. I didn’t know who was going to begin at 300 or 600 so wasn’t sure who to look for. Eventually Misty and Victoria meandered to the start and Bob took photos of us.  Let’s get this party started. Seriously. That was my thought. Party on the trail.

Misty, Me and Victoria <3 br="">

Kim Martin, our RD, gave us a lowdown on the course, the markings, the beaver dam, etc. and told us to go. We went! 

Interesting way that we began..all looking down!

As I began to run up the trail I looked up to the full moon, the stars and just felt such deep gratitude for being able to start this 100 miler. My ankle had been feeling solid, my training leading up to the race had been spot on. I was so grateful to be right where I was. Other than my nutrition for the week prior I had been 100%. I was going to be OK. I was going to finish. Those were my thoughts.

I picked my way along the trail, looking for the first crack of dawn. Pretty soon I could see the sky becoming  a bright pink, then deep purple and light blue. So beautiful. We were going to have a great day.

At each aid station I made sure I had an adequate supply of gels and filled my water bottle. The stations were amazing. As I approached I’d be asked what I wanted: do you want a burrito, a pancake, soup, potato? Um, no, gel and water please! Simple.

I caught Anjanette along the first loop and ended up running the first 53 miles with her!  We’ve never run together before. I first met Anjanette at Superior 100 last fall and I don’t think I had seen her since.  She told me she was going to try to hang with me for the next few loops but that she would run her own race. I told her that was fine. I was going to do what felt good, no pressure. 

As I finished up loop1 I headed to my car to wash my feet, lube them up, change socks. I dropped my jacket, changed out of long sleeved shirt into short sleeves, dropped my gloves, exchanged headlamp for sunglasses. I was ready to go after 6 minutes.  I believe loop one was less that 4 hours. I thought that was probably too fast.

Loop 2 went very well. It was fun to see the surroundings in daylight.  Again, the aid stations were amazing-lots of variety-lots of welcoming smiles. All I needed was a gel and water.

Loop 2 ended up taking under 4 hours too. I needed to slow down but I didn’t feel overtaxed or anything, so maybe I’d just go with it. I again washed my feet and changed socks. The rocks were chewing up my feet along with the mud. The bottoms of my feet were becoming raw and my stupid little toes were covered in callus with blister wanting to form. Honest to god, they end up smushed up in my shoes into the shapes of little wedges with deep points. My socks had a ton of grit in them even though I was wearing gaiters. All I could do was wash them down and clean them off. I had two jugs of water at my car so I’d just pour water over them, dry them off and lube them up. Hoping for the best!

During Loop 3 I began to feel antsy. I was changing my plan. I was feeling the endorphin rush. Screw the 5 hour laps! I felt like I should try to get in as many miles as I could before the darkness of night arrived. I felt like stretching out my legs and running hard! Anjanette said that she would probably walk Loop 4 so I thought that would be when I’d put the hammer down.

We reached 50 mile in 11:40. Great pace, I was feeling good. After Loop 3 I walked up to the start/finish and finally recognized a few friends. I gave E a big hug and yacked with Jeff for so long that when I took off to run away from the aid station I realized I had forgotten to fill my water bottle!  Oops!  Oh well, the next aid station was 4 miles away and I didn’t feel like it was a do or die situation. After running a few miles I told Anjanette was going to listen to my tunes and peel out. I was going to get as many miles in as I could before night fall.  Off I peeled.

Once I was by myself I was able to think deeply about where I was and what I was doing. I was feeling my strength, my weaknesses, my emotions. I was moving along so well and was quite surprised at how great this race was going.

As I ran into Natchez Arika, Jim, Ryan, Vickie, BJ  and Bob began to clap and cheer. Every time I ran in to Natchez Arika was there yahooing me!  I heard Hey Sugar, what can I get you? Oh, water and gel will do. Well, I think you should try a Red Bull. Oh, really? Well, I never have. Oh, you need to. OK, I will. Shall I drink it with moderation or guzzle it down? Well, I don’t really do moderation…yeah, we’d make a great pair..I don’t either. I guzzled down that Red Bull and grew wings!  I couldn’t believe the quick energy it gave me.

Before I knew it I was running with a pep in my step and a goofy grin on my face. I figured I might as well get a full bump of energy  so took down an espresso hammergel and a few advil. Might as well get a big bang!  I did! I felt like I was flying and I was nothing but pure positive in my mind. I have been practicing positive thinking for a long time.

I began to think about Superior 100, where I broke my ankle in September. I really want to go back and get another finish. As I felt like I was flying down the trail I said aloud “Ok, Superior Sawtooth..I’m coming after you and I am going to make you my bitch!” I had to laugh at myself, I don’t normally speak that way!  It was hilarious. I was totally enjoying myself.

Each time I ran into Horse Camp Aid Station the captain would exclaim 'Here she comes again, smiling as always!' I was. I was truly beaming, full of euphoria.

I hadn't listened to any music yet. I decided to turn on my iPod and enjoy, running along the trail, loving the solitary moment. I needed to be by myself, to think deeply. I love the social aspect of ultrarunning-the training with others, the races with friends, but I also crave the solitary moments. I mostly train by myself. I need the time alone where I can go deeply into my mind, my soul, for hours on end.  It’s good medicine.

I hit 68 miles at 15:30 and felt on top of the world.  At my car I refilled my gels, an electrolyte caplet, a bandana for my head, headlamp. It was still relatively warm -55F-so I would wait until the next lap to change into pants if necessary.

The 5^th loop just amazed me. I couldn’t believe that I had been running so well for so long. I knew that when darkness arrived I would slow down miserable. I have horrible night vision. Even with two lights and brand new batteries my eyes fail.

The sunset was glorious. Deep magenta with purple streaks across the sky. I stood there with tears in my eyes. I was so thankful to again be able to do what I love. To  do what fills me up. 

The moon and stars popped out, lighting the way. So gorgeous. I stood still, turned my lights off and extended my arms to the moon. I cried. I was so thankful.

For the final 17 I added a pair of pants and gloves. I was getting really cold. I turned on my car along with the heat and thawed out for a few minutes. Some more gels, a bottle refill, change of batteries, wash of feet and I was on my way. I noticed that my Garmin 310 XT had died. I decided I’d consume a gel every other mile by the mile markers on the course. I was sticking with the gels for my nutrition and it was proving to work 100% again. No stomach upset and plenty of energy.

I couldn’t believe I was on my final loop. I reminded myself how a 100 mile race can be much like life. Ups, downs..many emotions. I had felt them all.

I had wished my family had an interest in coming out to check in during the race. It was only an hour from home and I thought maybe they would. I had extended the invitation to family and friends.

My perception of the enormity of running 100 miles has changed since my hysterectomy. Prior to that I ran 14 100 milers in 5 years. Since hysterectomy I’ve taken on one battle after another head on.  Recovery from hysterectomy, herniated discs, avulsion fracture, break, depression. All related to hysterectomy-of this I am certain. I may have been knocked down but never knocked out. I’ve come out on the other side and I am getting there, back to where I want to be.  To the person I will be.

As I posted earlier, May is my RECONNECT. It’s become my RESET as well. I truly felt like I pressed my reset button. I had made the recovery, I was ready to stop dwelling on the past and I was ready to move on to the future. A bright, bright future!  RESET.

As I ran into the final stretch I wasn’t sure of the time. The sky was beginning to lighten, the moon went away. I made a final pit stop and guessed it to be about 26 hours.  I began to get choked up, to speak my gratitude out loud. I had made my peace.

I ran into the finish line, there was a lone woman standing there to take my bib and hand me my finish time. 26:07. I was totally thrilled. I wasn’t injured, I wasn’t tired, I was strong, happy and healthy.

Swag

I walked over to my car, stripped out of my wet muddy stinky clothes. Mixed up a shake and began to dress. It was  a long process.  My body felt that old, yet familiar, feeling…100 mile pain and fatigue. Yes, I had missed it.

I placed First Master Woman, 13^th Overall.  Not bad for my comeback! My endurance is back-my speed and body composition will follow. I’m working on it, I’m bringing it!

I'm looking forward to a summer of training hard, reaching my goals. Up next is the Afton 50K, Voyageur 50 Mile, Superior Sawtooth 100 and TBunk. I got this.