Yet another failed attempt at the Arrowhead 135

The good, the bad, and the ugly of making an attempt at 135 miles on foot in what is known as one of the coldest places in the lower 48 in the dead of winter.

Don't get me wrong, to fail at this really isn't to fail at all. Just making an attempt at an ultra alone is pretty note worthy. Then throw in the fact that it's an attempt at 135 freaking miles in the dead of winter while pulling a sled filled with 42 lbs of survival gear, food, and water. Hopefully you begin to understand my point. Please don't feel sorry for me. I made it 105 miles and because of my mistakes I was unable to complete my goal. While it is not easy for me mentally, I am completely alright with that. I came away from this with some valuable lessons learned.

Just because it's named the icebox of the nation it does not always mean it's going to be cold. This year it was a rather warm, in the mid to high 20's, throughout most of the race. This in fact brought on a whole different set of challenges. The trail conditions were absolutely atrocious. The snow was loose, uneven, and just would not pack at all. It was almost comical to think, if someone was watching, it would be easy for them to mistake us for drunken sailors walking home to the barracks after last call at the local bar. Every line we would try would quickly turn to shit only to move left or right and find the exact same shitty conditions. It was easy to see from the get go that every mile was going to be hard fought. Aparently they had not gotten very much snow or cold this year leading up to the race. The trail had not even seen any grooming yet as a result. The trail was snow covered but there were sections with lots of undergrowth still sticking up through the surface.

Trail conditions and lack of cold aside, none of us are out there hoping this will be easy. In actuality most of us want it to be as difficult as possible knowing that this is what will make the journey that much more memorable and worth while. This year because of the warm weather, and like every long race I've run, I ended up getting rid of a bunch of stuff at the last minute that I knew I wouldn't need. I got rid of my snow pants, extra tights, extra hats, extra gloves. I also made a last minute decision to not take my hydro pack. This meant I would have to go back to my sled every time I needed a drink. That may have been the worst decision of all of them. This also meant I would not have any water with me. I had the not so brilliant idea to use V8 fusion veggie/fruit juice as my soul means of hydrating. It has 100 calories per 8 oz serving and my thought was the calories would give me energy and I wouldn't have to depend on solid food as much. I tested this theory a bit in training but not enough to use it in a race of this magnitude. I should have know better too, but did it anyway. This led to some pretty severe dehydration. Now looking back and reading up on the subject I've been able to learn from this. The combo of having to go back to my sled to drink and the fact that I was drinking juice vs water is what lead to my eventual demise.

RACE START to CHECK POINT 1 Mile 35 (The Gateway Store)

The race starts off from Kerry Park in International Falls, MN. Racers are required to check in just before the start of the race in the lobby of the hockey rink. Most of us get there just before the start of the race. There is no point in standing outside in the cold any longer than we have to. The race start is pretty low key and it's a sea of red blinking lights. 

https://youtu.be/7vsRzFSYtx8 Racers Are You Ready? The Arrowhead 135 Start Line.

I find some familiar faces and we all wish each other a good journey as the bikes are already being sent on there way. Two minutes later the 2 skiers are sent off as well. Finally 56 or so of us runners gather at the start line and Ken(the race director),"says release the hounds!!" I find a spot not too far back from the front and make an attempt to trail John Storkamp again like I did last year, but it is soon very aparent John is on a mission. He is not only making his 11th attempt at this race, but it is also his 100th race of a marathon or longer. It was easy to see he was going to make an attempt at going after the win yet again. He's won this race multiple times. He was flying right off the bat!! Anyways, I settle in thinking I would run at an easy pace all the way to the turn which is 9-10 miles out. I visit with a couple other runners, one of them being Rob who was in hot pursuit of Storkamp, they eventually pass by. It didn't take long and I was pretty much alone. As soon as I made the turn at the 1st shelter I new we were in for one hell of a battle.  

The trail had gone from bad to worse. Now any plan I had was vertually thrown out the window. Every single step was going to be hard fought. It was easy to see this was going to be a low finish rate year unlike last year when I got my first finish. From mile 10-20 I was pretty much alone. Along side the trail are a few deer stands. 

I also came across a pretty gruesome seen that showed that not only were deer around, but plenty of wolves too.

https://youtu.be/NoXZouqfWWM

^^Warning a little graphic video of a deer kill at the edge of the trail^^

 At mile 19 we cross the only major road of the race. I had hoped that this would bring better trail knowing that it isn't as swampy once you cross the hwy. Unfortunately it was not any better. In this section somewhere I got passed by a group of three runners(Kirk, Randy, and Jason) as I was passing two runners myself. The two I was passing were having troubles with one of the downhills. I jumped on my sled and flew by them laughing, as I did, "I say look out below, ya got to work smarter not harder!" Of the three that over took me I knew 2 of them. Jason passed me with 1 mile to go last year. Randy, I met in the parking lot of my hotel the night before the race. I later found out that Kirk took 2nd place at The Tuscobia 160 two weeks earlier. We all chatted a bit as they went by. These three seemed to be working together as they slowly separated from me. They were also in good spirits and seemed to be having fun.  I would see them a few more times at the next two check points.(all three went on to finish in the top 10 this year) I got into the 1st check point out of liquid yet again, but in much better shape than the past two years. It had already gotten dark by the time I got there. Given the condition of the trail I was only 15 minutes behind my time from the previous 2 years. I made my way into the store after checking in with the race officials outside. I pulled up a chair near the trio I just mentioned. They were joined by Sue Lucas. Last years female winner on foot and current course record holder. She was also the outright winner at the Tuscobia 150 the year I ran the 75 miler. I met her that year out on the trail in the middle of the night as we were headed into the final check point. This year she was making an attempt at doing the race on bike. She had already decided to pull the plug before we arrived. Now she was just hanging out chatting with incoming runners. There were plenty of other casualties here as well. You could tell by the look on their faces that they were done. They had that deer in the headlights look to them. It's similar to a thousand yard stare.  A look I know all too well having been in that exact same position 2 years ago when it was -26 degrees at the start. I quickly make my way to the cash register and purchase some fresh home made Goulash along with some Gatorade. I jokingly ask the girls behind the counter, "Is this the place where we sign up for our massage?"  The girl working burst out laughing and said back, "boy if it is I'm signing up too."  That got everyone within earshot laughing. One of the ladies said, "that's pretty good that you still have a sense of humor even after running 35 miles." How could I not? I'm out doing what I love. I headed back to my seat to finish my scrumptious goulash and rehydrate as much as possible. Then I changed into dry clothes including fresh socks.(even though my shoes are soaking wet) After 46 minutes I was headed back out onto the dark lonely trail. 

CHECK POINT 1 TO CHECK POINT 2 (MEL GEORGE RESORT) MILE 70

Upon leaving check point one I pass a lot of runners coming in the opposite direction on the spur trail into the store. I try to give them all a little encouragement as we pass.  Most do the same back to me. One even gives me a high five! I wish I knew who that was...  As I turn onto the main trail I encounter a runner making a pit stop. I ask how he's doing and he replied almost too chipper that he was doing great. He had a maple leaf on his pack so I assumed he was from Canada. I continued on as he apparently was waiting to pee. The next 27 miles or so I was alone with my thoughts. Already I was going to some dark mental places inside my mind. The negative thoughts would creep up and it was as if I was in a mental battle for my life. Physically I was doing fine at this point, but mentally I was struggling. In this sport any negative thoughts can lead to your eventual demise. I managed to do pretty well by countering my thoughts with a little self accessment. I kept coming back to the fact that I was not injured so there was no way in hell I was going to allow myself to give up and quit. At mile 57 I pulled into a trail side shelter to finally give my snowshoes a try. I was sick and tired of sinking into the trail with every push off. Another runner and one of the snowmobile volunteers were there as well. The other runner had been in his snowshoes almost the entire race. He was cooking a meal on the smoldering fire that the volunteer must have made. The volunteer was fast asleep just across the trail next to his machine in his bivvy sack. He was sawing some serious logs. It was hard not to laugh at each one of his snorts. After quickly putting my snowshoes on I was back on the trail. I couldn't believe how slippery it was in the snowshoes even though they have crampons on the bottom. I actually fell going down the 1st hill to a creek crossing. Soon however, I got used to them and began to kick myself for not putting them on much earlier. Now I had about 13 miles to the next check point. I kept going over in my head what time I should be able to get there.(Trail math) You never want to rely on trail math. I knew it would be close, but I was going to make an attempt to get there before the sun came up. Knowing I made it there last year just before sunup had me thinking I must have really shaved some time at the first check point. Especially considering the trail conditions. I found it strange how familiar the trail seemed as I got closer and closer to Elephant Lake. Having only been though this section once it was as it every land mark would trigger a memory from the year prior. I soon found myself heading down the boat landing and making my way out onto the lake. As I got further out onto the lake I was surprised nobody was behind me. It's supposed to be a mile across the lake but it sure seems like closer to two. Being exposed to the wind out on the lake I started to catch a serious chill. The fact that I was soaked didn't help matters much either. Finally I rounded the point and have the resort in my sights. It feels good to be back in civilization after spending the entire night virtually alone. As I make my way up the stairs to the cabin to check in I still have my snowshoes on. I had now gone further than I ever have in a pair a snowshoes. As I take them off I grab my drop bag from the porch. The volunteers greet me as I walk through the front door. They take my bib number and point me to a very comfy looking chair right by the door. Within minutes they are offering me hot soup, a world famous grilled cheese sandwich, and hot apple cider. The soup went down good, but I was already beginning to having trouble getting the grill cheese down. I was again very dehydrated and could not swallow the sandwich. As I sat there I worked on getting my wet clothes off and changing into something warm and dry. People kept coming and going through the front door which made it virtually impossible to warm up. I put everything I had with me on in an attempt to warm up. Finally I decided just to move even though I had one of the most comfy chairs in the place. Moving helped tremendously. After getting warmed up the volunteers took my wet stuff off to another cabin and put it in a dryer. I figured I'd lay down for a hour or so and try to catch a few z's. Instead of being smart and heading up to the warm loft filled with beds, I was worried I would get to comfy and not want to wake up. So I laid down on the kitchen floor next to the entrance to the bathroom and closed my eyes. After a while Ken(the race director) came in and told me, "you know there are beds upstairs?" I just kind of laughed and told him I didn't want to get so comfortable that I wouldn't want to leave. After waking up I worked on consolidating all my food and packed up my clothes making sure I had one dry set of stuff to change into if something went wrong out on the trail. It was now about 2 hours longer than I wanted to be there, but I was ready to start my journey to the finish line.

CHECK POINT 2 TO THE FINAL CHECK POINT (SKI PULK) mile 111

Leaving the resort I was now feeling absolutely perfect. The sun was up and it looked to be a beautiful day ahead. I chose to leave without my snowshoes on knowing a shelter was just 3 short miles away. I figured if the trail was still as bad I'd stop there and put them back on. The trail never really did improve, but because wearing the snowshoes caused my socks and pants legs to get wet and eventually turned into ice balls I chose to push on without them. Next year I will have gaiters that will hopefully prevent that problem. This is when the major hills begin.

https://youtu.be/lq6-0YunZro Mile 75-80 as the hills start coming one right after the other.

It took me a couple hours to figure out that I was now well over half way. During the day I caught up to John Bertum. He too passed me toward the end last year as well. Seeing him I knew I was doing well. He has finished quite a few times and even posted some really good times over the years. Somehow we got separated after spending a little time together near a logging area. 

The logging road was the best trail we had seen the entire race. One of the loggers offered me a ride but I told him I'd race him instead seeing how overloaded his truck was. He laid on the horn and I took off running up the road. He caught me but ran into break problems and had to stop to fix a hung up break. I laughed and passed him like he was standing still.(because he was) 

https://youtu.be/xzxLKM_nHgw Video of me chasing the logging truck

Unfortunately our trails soon separated and I was back on the loose snowmobile trail. It began to snow at this point and the tracks were starting to disappear. The trail made a couple turns and soon I could only see one set of tracks. I could tell it was a kick sled and that I must be gaining on him. Pretty soon I did catch him. It was Lindsay Gauld. I told him I was starting to worry we were off course because I only saw his tracks. However it must have just been that enough snow had fallen to cover all the other tracks. But soon we hit a steep hill and you could see all the deep foot prints from the poor bikers pushing their heavily loaded bikes up the hill. After passing Lindsay my day started to unravel. It was still daylight but I was starting to have trouble keeping food or drink down. Everything I put in would come right back up. I also passed Carla Goulart in this section as the hills just seem to get more and more arduous. Carla is from Brazil and is an amazing athlete. She was on her 4th attempt at finishing. She went on to be the first women finisher this year and tied with Lindsey for 11th over all. Soon night fell and my fueling just kept getting worse. I kept making attempts to eat by changing what I was eating in a hopes that something would agree with me and actually stay down. Nothing was working. The hills continued to be unrelenting. The juice I was drinking was kind of red so every time it would come back up it looked as though I was vomitting up blood all over the white snow. Finally I climbed a hill and could see someone standing in the middle of the trail. It was Todd.(One of the snowmobile volunteers) He was standing out front of a trail shelter. He asked how I was doing. I told him my situation and said I was going to stay there and bivvy in hopes that the throwing up would pass. He seemed to think that was a good plan too. I went around the back side of the shelter and set up my sleeping area. After crawling into my bag I was fast asleep, but not for long. After maybe 10 minutes I woke to a horrible coughing jag which led to more puking. After about an hour of this and very little sleep I packed back up and had no choice but to press on. Then after a few more hours of unrelenting hills and more puking I could feel the fight coming out of me. What should have been a simple task of 4-5 more miles became the ultimate obstical in my mind. The hardest thing for me in the world at that moment was admitting defeat. I could hear Todd coming back through on his snow machine. I was done. My will was broken and my race was over.......105 miles was all I had in me that day....

The next morning with tears in my eyes I called home to check in with my wife. I told her not to ever let me do this race again. Only to wake 4 hours later with a plan to come back next year and fight even harder. I could not believe it was over and I wasn't even sore. I had no hobble and climbing stairs was no trouble. Some how my body has either adapted to this torture or I just didn't have a chance to give it my all. I am humbled that Ken allows me to race. Failing makes it hard to feel worthy of the spot he has given me the past 3 years.

The next morning I find some solace while getting words of encouragement at breakfast from the man with the most attempts. John comes over and mentions that he's still got me beat. He has 3 DNF's and it is good to see he is human as he hobbles back to his seat. With his 11 attempts, 3 or 4 wins, and all his finishes in the top 10, the Dude is a Rockstar to me. Yet at the same time so very gracious and approachable. As are most of these people that do this stuff. It's probably why I love it so much.

Many, many thanks to Ken, Jackie, and all the amazing volunteers.

Below is a little video of some of the training I put in. My miles were not as many as they should have been, but with my knees I take what I can get. Almost every mile since the Superior 100 was pulling a sled or trailer. In just a few days I go in for experimental stem cell procedures on my knees. One can only pray that it works and I am able to get back to running by fall.

https://youtu.be/9PU5RtiR2Cg Arrowhead Training (Chasing Arrowhead)

Until next time Dream Big my friends. There are no limits to what you can achieve if you believe....

Our biggest limitations are mental. Once you convince yourself it can be done you are 80% of the way there. Good luck! Go big!

2015 Superior Sawtooth 100

It's billed as Rugged, Relentless, and Remote. It can break down and destroy even the seasoned 100 miler and the super fit.

This is one special race, but not just because of its billing listed above. It's because of the people involved. From the Race Directors, John and Cheri to the more than 200 volunteers. Many of whom have become friends. The lengths they go to put on a successful event you can't even imagine. Besides doing an absolutely wonderful job there are countless stories of aid workers going above and beyond each and every year. The way Wendi Baldwin and Karlene Apelt did for me last year. Not only did they help save my race, but they searched me out after to see if I made it to the finish. We've become friends and now stay in touch. Kevin Langdon is writing a book about the Superior 100.  Kevin probably has or could have a chapter in his upcoming book on these stories alone. So far the excerpts I've read are brilliant! Look for it in the near future.

Still being fairly new to this ultra stuff I haven't done many events other than RockSteady events. I new we had it good out there, but didn't realize just how good until my pacer(Bob) mentioned it. He was at the big show(Western States) this year pacing a friend. He said to me, "these aid stations are unbelievable. They are even better than WS."

 

                         (Keith and Kathy LaPlante parents of the famous Dan LaPlante)
John Storkamp puts so many personal touches on this race as well. From making a point to greet and speak with virtually every runner at the pre race meeting to personally congratulating runners at the finish while hanging the finishers medallion around our necks. Then he even followed up with Facebook congrats on my personal FaceBook page. Many, many thanks to John, Cheri, and all the volunteers.

This year was a struggle for me. Training was limited due to long time nagging knee issues. Every time I'd get back to back weeks with 50+ miles I'd be sidelined with swelling and pain. I also had a really rough Voyageur 50 where I was over an hour slower than 2014. A week before the Superior 100, after not being able to run but 4.5 miles over two weeks, I was seriously contemplating my first DNS.(did not start) As a last resort I dialed up my Orthopidic Surgeon in hopes that he could help. He'd giving me synvisc injections to alleviate the pain before, but I didn't know if he could fit me in on such short notice, or if they would work again. Last time I needed them was just before the Arrowhead 135. His office called me right back and got me in the same day. Dr. Lemker has been amazing to me. Thank you Doc! This was now the 2nd time he'd hooked me up on short notice. On a side note this is the 3rd round of these type of shots. Surgery is probably inevitable, but for now we are doing what we can to keep me running. The day after the shots I knew that I was back in the game. The pain was gone, but more importantly, so were the negative thoughts. 

Thursday I drove up to the pre race dinner and manditory meeting. I found some people I knew and sat with them. After the meeting I headed up near the finish area and slept in my truck dirtbag style. I brought a couple couch cushions to lay across my back seats. Then I threw my sleeping bag and a pillow on top. I was set up for a perfect nights sleep.

I set my alarm for 5am to give me an hour to get some coffee and get ready. Getting ready consisted of applying as much anti chaff lube to all my potential chaff spots as humanly possible while laying in the back seat of a truck and getting my run gear on. The hour flew by. Soon we were all loaded on the shuttle bus and headed back to the start. At the start I got to visit with quite a few people and we all wished each other good luck. This community is awesome. Just a couple years ago I was at my first ultra and didn't know anyone. Now it seems like I know or know of 1/2 the field. Lots of the same faces at all the local races. John gives his last set of instruction from his trademark stepladder and we are off.

This year the 1st leg changed a bit. Due to a land dispute the Superior Hiking Trail lost access to the first 4.5 miles of single track. Instead we used the adjacent bike path which turned out to be really nice. The views of the lake were supurb and you could actually look at them without having to worry about catching a toe on a root or rock.

After leaving the bike path we are in for a treat. We pass through a box culvert and onto the Superior Hiking Trail for the next 99 miles or so. That's 99 miles of the most gorgeous views, unbelievably rugged single track trail, and almost mythical remote Northern Minnesota woods. Now we are on a single track that follows the Splitrock rivers edge inland. I settle in somewhere near the last 1/3 of the pack not concerned about anything but getting to the next aid station and enjoying the trail. We soon pass the rocks for which the river is named. It's one heck of a sight to see.

It's hard to tell from the picture but these two gigantic rocks are just standing there at the rivers edge all alone as if chiseled out of the riverside over millions of years. Here we can see runners coming down on the opposite bank of the river. Soon we come to a bridge that has seen better days. It's got a lean to it and a cable attached to the top opposite the lean as if to prevent it from falling over. The sign also reads one person at a time. Because of this traffic backs up just a bit.

Soon we are 10 miles in and at the first aid station. Like last year Donald Clark is at the top of the spur trail greeting runners. I high five him as I head down to the aid station. At the aid station I see Wendi and Karlene. They wish me well and say they will see me at Silver Bay. I just hope I'm in better shape than when I met them last year. They are not only volenteering at two aid stations again this year, but both of them would be running the next morning as well. Wendy the 50 miler and Karlene the marathon. There are countless stories like that too!(Awesome Stuff)

The next section is another 10 miler or so. Last year I ran out of water here. On the way out of Split Rock I again high five Donald.(he has no idea who I am but he's at almost every race I run) Soon we run by John and Cheri Storkamp out taking pics and cheering runners. It don't take long and it starts to open up. There are a lot of beautiful overlooks in this section not of just the Lake Superior, but some looking inland from ridge line to ridge line. The trail seems to follow all these amazing cliffs that are hundreds of feet high. A lot of the trail thru here is ledge rock and very unforgiving. It's sharp and tears up the feet. I soon pass the section that I took a huge fall last year in which I ended up summer salting and landing upside down on top of my pack. Susan Donelly was right behind me at the time. This year she caught me a few miles further in after the cliff section. For those that run this race Susan needs no intoduction, but for those that don't, she was in route to completing her 15th Superior 100. She has over 200 ultras on her running resume'. She is also a personal trainer and life coach. I ran with her a little at Zumbro this spring as well. This year I end up running with her for a few miles as we headed to Beaver Bay. The first thing I notice is how soft her foot strike is compared to my thunderous steps. I use this opportunity to learn from one of the running greats. As we talk she freely gives me pointers to work on. She asks if I ever do ab work. I say not really. Then she goes on to explain that by engaging your core you can reduce the pounding in the knees. I start to immediately test the theory and work on it the rest of the race. Soon I find myself running alone and I must be getting behind on my hydration. I feel some cramping coming on. Pretty soon my left hamstring is almost completely locked up. This is what I love about these races! For me it's inevitable. It's not if something is going to go wrong. It's when is something going to go wrong. I lean against a tree as I try to get the charlie horse to go away. A couple people ask if I'm ok as they go by. I say I'm fine, but I'm thinking to myself this is aweful early in the game to be needing to deal with this. I immediately go for my S!Caps. I take 4 right off the bat and actually break one of them open in my mouth. I read somewhere that the actual tasting of salt can somehow trick the body. When you are cramping you'll try just about anything. Anyways, it worked. I probably should have started on the S!Caps before the cramping but for some reason I didn't. Now I start to work hard at getting more water in as well. Soon I get to the Beaver Bay aid station. As I come in I hear someone yell my name. I wave but couldn't figure out who it was until a little later. It was Jim Wilson whom I met at the Arrowhead 135 and had since run with at a couple different races. Usually I see him in his running glasses, but this time he had his everyday glasses on and I hadn't recognized him. I felt bad later after I figured it out. Anyways, I head to the tables and get some food and quickly refill my water. The next section isn't long but it has some good climbs.

It's about 5 miles to the next aid station. I use this time to slow down a bit and work at rehydrating so the cramping doesn't rear it's ugly head again. Now I'm taking salt every hour. I also start adding a gel every half hour. By the time I get into Silver Bay I am pretty much back on track. I am feeling pretty good and I get there about the same time as J.D. Coolidge. His Dad is also there supporting J.D. I'm in an on line run club with them and have become pretty good friends with his Dad. We were both in the Marine Corps. Here i see all kinds of people I know. I visit a little with Wendi, Karlene, Mike, and Janet. All runners I've met in the last couple years.

Photo credit: Bob Coolidge

J.D. and I leave Silver Bay together. I'm feeling pretty good. After a while on our way to the Bear and Bean overlooks I take a fall. As I go to step over a downed tree a stick pokes into the mesh of my shoe while the other end digs into the ground and I trip falling on my face. Not only that, but somehow this causes my calf to ball up into another charlie horse. This makes it sound like I broke my leg as I lay there grasping my calf. J.D. and a couple others stop to try and help. I laugh and try to apologize while I tell them it's just a cramp and I'll be fine. Soon we make the climb up toward the over looks. I am enjoying running with J.D. but he soon steps aside to take a leak. I take a quick video as I run by the overlooks. As I stop to take a picture I run into Kamie Nicholls. I'd met her and her husband up at Arrowhead the past two winters. I ask her if she would like me to take a photo of her with the lakes in the background. It's the least I could do after she had taken some really good photos of me up Arrowhead. We ended up running the rest of this section together. It was nice to have someone to visit with. It made the time fly by. As we got to the next aid station Bob is there with his big old bulldog Pearl. Bob asks, "Where is J.D.?" As soon as he does J.D. pops out of the woods. He was right behind me. At this point I was about as far back in the field as I would get. I was 183 out of about 220. I was feeling really good and I knew the overnight was my favorite part. 

As I get ready to leave Tettegouche I look to see if Kamie is ready to go. She gives me a sign as if to say 1 minute and she would be. So I wait for her. I was in no rush as I was well ahead of cut offs and my target. Kamie and I depart together. She had been having stomach problems and it was starting to really get to her. Sometime before dark she had to make another potty break. She said to leave her. I stopped to take a leak hoping she'd catch back up. I also stopped to take some photos as I came out on some awesome overlooks near Wolf Ridge Learning Center.

The sun was setting and the views were magnificent.

Soon I see Zach Pierce out in the middle of nowhere with his camera and a back pack. I stop to take another photo at one of the many gorgeous overlooks.

After I'd seen Zach I must have hooked up with J.D. again. I remember talking to him and we wondered if Zach had taken a short cut in or if he had hoofed it all the way from one of the aid stations. I found out later that it was the latter. Again, these volunteers rock! As darkness fell we began looking for the Co. Road 6 aid station. I knew from last year that we could see it from a long way off.(as we would parallel it up on top of a ridge high above the road) From there we could see the cars and the aid station also had some Christmas lights that were all lit up. We hooked up with another guy too as we made our way to the long descent down to Co. Road 6. Once we get there it's a good 1/4 mile in the ditch along the road. J.D. Tripped on the slanted surface right after a guy told us to watch our step. J.D. seemed to be alright. As I pass Kamie's Crew I tell them what I know about her. I could see the look of concern in their faces. I felt terrible for leaving her. Bob is at the aid station. While he isn't crewing me I still sure enjoy seeing him at the aid stations. Here I have my first drop bag. Now that the sun went down I deside to change into a dry shirt. The temps are suppose to drop to 39 degrees overnight. I have a thin long sleeve in my pack but I chose not to use it unless I need it. 

The next section was about 7 miles and J.D. and I head out together. I've moved up from 183 to 171. J.D. had some time split sheets he had gotten from somewhere online and he said we were on 30 hour pace. In my mind I knew I couldn't sustain that pace but I knew I felt phenomenal at this point. I was leading J.D. I was starting to pull away. I asked J.D. If he wanted to stick together. He didn't seem to care either way so I just went at a pace that felt good to me. Soon we were separated and on our own. Now I was starting to make up ground. From Co. Road 6 to Crosby Manitou I wasn't passed by anyone. As I got to the Findland spur trail I was looking for Christmas lights. I remember thinking last year how much work it must have been to string all the lights. This year there were non so the spur trail seemed much longer than I had remembered. Again Bob is there at the aid station. He hangs out with me as I get my resupply. I make it a quick one here and try to head out before I cool off. By now I'm starting to see lots of buffs, hats, long sleeve shirts, and even some puffer jackets. I'm still in my short sleeves and shorts. I just figure most of them must be from somewhere further south or it could be my own extra layer of insulation. I'm not exactly skin and bones. I've now moved up to 161. 

The next section I don't remember much as I just put my head down and tried to reel in the headlamps ahead of me. Now people had picked up pacers so I didn't know if I was passing runners paired up or runners with pacers. I wasn't sure when or where my pacers would show up, but the plan was in the morning sometime around 7am. I was ahead of where we figured I'd be in the morning. I was also not sure of what aid station was next. It ended up being Sonju Lake Road. In hindsight I should have had a list of aid stations and mileage chart with me. Sonju is a pretty remote aid station, but they do it up right. They have a fire and are cooking food on camp stoves. I avoid the trappings of the warm fire and try to get out of there before it has a chance to suck me in. 

The next section is about 5 miles and by the time I get there I had moved up 31 more spots to 130. I was starting to hope my wife or anyone else following along would wake up in the morning and see my race had picked up and I was moving up in the field. As I head up to the Crosby Manitou aid station my pacer(Bob Skenzich) walks out to meet me. It's 4 in the morning and Bob and Lindsey had seen that I was ahead of schedule so they came up in the middle of the night. I had to have been smiling ear to ear. Those guys are so good to me! 

Next we had probably the most difficult section ahead. It's about 10 miles but it is some grueling climbing down and then even worse going back up the other side of the river gorge. I just wish it were daytime because you could just tell the view had to be magnificent. In this section I started to feel rocks or mud in my shoes. I was also starting to chaff. We were still making good time tho. As it was beginning to get light out my chaffing was getting really bad. I started asking other runners if they had any lube as we'd pass. Finally we caught a runner I knew. It was Dan Laplante and his pacer Jorden. Dan was having trouble holding anything down, but he was still looking pretty good. They had some lube that helped with my chaffing issue. We got to sugar loaf still making up ground. We were now in 111th place.

The next section was only 6 miles, but it was a long 6 miles. In this section I was starting to feel the lack of sleep creeping up on me. I even saw what I thought was an aid station set up with tents and cars. As we got closer it soon becomes apparent it was only a hallucination and they vanish into thin air. We thought we were coming up to Temperence when in reality it was Cramer Road. We knew what the mileage was but we were off by an aid station. That played with my mental state just a little. At Cramer Road we had moved to 108. Here my next pacer Stu was there to meet us. I took a seat and had planned on tending to my quickly deteriorating feet, but my drop bag was at the next aid station. Stu offered me a pair of his extra socks that he had in the car. So I did end up tending to me feet. Unfortunately the damage had already been done. I cleaned my feet as best I could with baby wipes and popped a few blisters with my bib pin. Becky(Stu's wife) looked as if she was going to puke when she saw my feet. They had now been wet for almost 24 hour and did not look good.

Everyone bid us farewell and now just Stu and I headed off on the next 7 mile section.(Bob stayed behind) I don't remember much from this section as the lack of sleep was now getting to me in a big way. We must have still been moving good because I was still gaining ground. We got into the Temperence aid station(mile 85) in my best position of the race. We were now in 90th, but that was soon going to head in the other direction. My feet were now in major pain.

From Temperence to Sawbill it only 5.7 miles. However in elevation I believe it's the largest and highest climb of the entire race.

 This is another gorgous section where we go down one side of the river and then cross a bridge and head right back up the other side. Leaving the Temperence river bank we begin the long arduous climb up and over Carlton Peak. Once we get over it is pretty runnable all the way into Sawbill and this is where we started flying last year. This year however the climb seems to take forever. The peak just seems to look down upon us as if taunting us from above.

Finally we crest Carlton Peak and are headed down. We meet a runner who had sent his pacer ahead looking for trail markings. He thought he might be off course. We tried to assure him he was fine and he could just follow us. Soon his pacer passed us heading back for his runner. The run down to Sawbill wasn't as good as I hoped but it wasn't terrible either. This descent has a lot of elevated boardwalks and is a good running surface most of the way. We got into Sawbill and now our goal was to not need headlamps to finish. Last year we needed headlamps. We didn't stay long as now the end was almost within reach. We now had slipped to 114th. The Laplante's are working this aid station.(Dan's Parents) I let them know where I'd seen Dan and how he was doing. 

Sawbill to Oberg is just over 5 miles. This section is normally really muddy, but very runable. My feet were now thrashed. Every step was excruciatingly painful. At one point a monster blister must have popped because the sting almost bought me to a complete halt. I hoped the pain would soon go numb and start to fade. It finally did but it took a while. I ask Stu to do some math and try to give me a time that we'd get to the last aid station. I would have done it myself but math becomes next to impossible that far into a race with the lack of sleep. Stu says we'll be there at 4:30 on the button. It starts to feel like this section won't ever end. I start doubting Stu's math as I keep looking at my watch. We roll into the last aid station at exactly 4:30!! 

Here we are met by two young kids asking what I need.

I go to open my hydro pack to have it filled. These kids insist on taking it and fill it  as they instruct me to go fuel up at the tables. All race I had been doing my own refilling, but these guys would have none of that. They were going to do it on there own and wouldn't take no for an answer. As I walk up to the aid tables their Mom and Dad were working. Their Mom gave me a big hug! It was Beth Schoeder. I warned her she might not want to hug me as I was probably just a little ripe. I had met her at Curnow this year when I Volunteered. She was the aid station captain. We also ran voyageur and the Blue House 10k so over last few weeks so I'd seen them quite a bit. 

These guys were AWE-some!!

Quickly we are off.

I'm now moving pretty slow and my energy levels are way down. I start to worry that we may not make it before dark. Stu and I left our lights with the crew. I did have my back up in my pack, but it was still in the back of my mind. This final section should take me between 2 and 3 hours normally. Knowing how slow we were going I was thinking 3 would even be good. This was now the 9th time I'd done this section of trail. You'd think I'd know it like the back of my hand. For some reason this section is never how I remember. I forget complete sections and even feel as though the trail is going in the wrong direction. This does a number on my mental state. We finally get to the stairway to heaven. It's the 2nd to last big climb. I swear I'm going less than 1mph.

Stu tries a couple tricks to keep me moving up the climb.

He climbs ahead and gives me a point to hit before I can rest. I power through then have to stop. He leap frogs me and gets me another point. We repeat this until we make it to the top. At the top the view is our reward.

We tried to get a picture here last year but the Stu's camera wouldn't  work. Now we had only one more big climb to go. I was more worried about the next descent off the moose mountains ridge line than the climb itself. The downs were now killing my knee and my feet. As we reach the bottom Bob reappears. He ran in to meet us from the finish area. He brings headlamps just in case, but not only that he brings a big smile. We weren't expecting him. Now we have the whole team together and it's looking like we will make our goal of not needing headlamps. The last climb wasn't as bad as I remembered. Having poles really helped. I start questioning Bob about the trail ahead and how much further we had to go. We joked that he was forgetting how the trail was even though he had just run it. We start listening for the glorious sounds of the Poplar River. It lets you know you've made it to the final river crossing and subsequently the Ski Resort where the finish line is. Stu had been again predicting a finish time of 7:30. As we reach the pavement we have about 3/4 of a mile on pavement though the resort. As we run I keep asking if anyone is closing on us. Stu tells me we are fine and we keep running. At the last turn some dude sprints by. I could care less. We come down around the pool entering the finish chute. John Storkamp is standing there to greet me. He hands me my buckle after placing the finishers medallion around my neck and shaking my hand. 

We crossed the finish line at 7:30 it took 35hrs 30min and came in 125th place beating last years time by 35 minutes. 

What a journey. Thank you Stampeders!

No words can express my thanks to Stu and Bob. Without even asking, these guys they were there offering help. They came to me offering to pace. I am absolutely blessed to have the people in my life that I do. I don't know that I deserve it, but I am so incredibly grateful. Thank you Guys!

What's Next? The Arrowhead 135. Below is what I will be doing to get ready to toe the line at a 135 mile foot race in the dead of winter. Cheers My Friends! Dream big! There are no limits.

https://www.magisto.com/video/M0ANY1MJRSI0UxBhCzE?l=vsm&o=i&c=c

Tuck and Roll!! My Superior Spring 50K Race Report

This was my 2nd time running this race. Last year it was my 1st ultra. As ultras go it probably isn't the best choice for a 1st being that it has 8400 feet of elevation change. Not to mention the fact that the trail is extremely technical. Beside the six mountain tops it traverses the course littered with rocks, roots, and mud holes. However I never have been one to take the conventional route. My first running event was a marathon if that tells you anything. In most cases it would be advisable to work your way up to the longer distances and more difficult courses. 

This year training was much better than last year, but still not as good as I would have liked. Last year I was still recovering from knee surgery and dealing with a nasty case of plantar fasciitis. I had multiple weeks with no miles at all. I was extremely close to a DNS.(did not start) I even went so far as to tell my wife that,"if they give me the t-shirt before the race I ain't runnin." Which is dumb because I believe if you don't do the race you don't wear the gear. They did give out the t-shirts before, but I still went for it. I just had to know if I could go 31 miles. I finished 11 minutes before the cutoff time. Training this time around I was still dealing with knee pain and swelling when I would over do it or tweak it on a run. I even went back to see two different Doctors to try and get some relief. The first one said to ice it after every long run or if it swells. He said that I probably won't do any more damage to it by continuing to run. He referred me back to see my surgeon. I talked the surgeon into trying a cortisone shot. It relieved some of the pain for a couple weeks, but the swelling would come back still after long runs. As far as total miles I think I got about 100 more miles in this year vs last year leading up to the race. I was able to train through the pain for the most part by listening to my body and backing off when I had to. I didn't always tho. I had some runs I would end up walking home.(more like hobbling actually) 

This wasn't my goal race for the year so I didn't do the normal taper you would normally do for a race. I did a 16 mile trail run the Saturday prior in which I twisted my knee on a rock pretty bad in the last couple miles. My plan was to run a 7, 5, and a 3 miler in the week leading up to the race. However because my knee was swollen and in major pain I got zero miles until Thursday when I went for a really slow 10 miler. Normally you wouldn't do a 10 miler during a race week, but all my races are being used  as building blocks for an ultimate goal of running the Superior100 in September. Now that the 50k is over I have Grandma's marathon in June, Curnow trail ultra,(26.7) and the Voyageur 50 mile in July. So needless to say I have some major miles I'm going to need to rack over the summer.

This year again the family and I decided that we would go up and spend a couple nights in a condo right at the lutsen resort.(the race start&finish) The kiddos made signs we found online to cheer me and the other runners while out on the course.

We made a plan so Christina and the girls could meet me at a couple spots out on the course. The amazing thing is that I got to the spots exactly when I planned so we didn't miss each other. 

I actually slept pretty good the night before the race. I mosied off to bed around 9:30 and set the alarm for 5:00am. The girl stayed up and watched a movie. I asked Christina to set her alarm as a back up just in case.(I always think of the Seinfeld marathon episode) I woke a 1/2 hour before the alarm.

 This year I decided to wear my hydro pack minus the bladder. I used it to carry my water, Gatorade, and some food.(peanuts, granola bars, and nibs) It also had TP, S!Caps, Advil and some money.(for post race beer) apparently I was still in unsupported ultra mode from the 2 winter ultras that I did over the winter.(Tuscobia75 & and Arrowhead) My thinking was that I would like having my hands free for the steep climbs. Some of the climbs are so steep you are touching the ground in front of you & pulling yourself up by roots or rocks. I didn't use any of my supplies other than the S!Caps, 20oz water & 20oz Gatorade. 

Unbelievably I wasn't nervous at all as we all headed up to the starting line. The race director, John Storkamp,(a ultra running machine in his own right, he is always a top finisher if not the winner at Arrowhead) gave a quick pre-race briefing. He seems to always make light of the course conditions and how bad they are at the same time putting the fear of God in the eyes of us knewbies.(myself included) Then he does a little count down and we're off. 

My plan this year was 1st to attempt to beat my time by an hour from last year. 2nd, to beat 7 hours. 3rd, and last was just to best my time from last year. The only thing I was not prepared to do was quit. Under no circumstances would I allow myself to DNF. After DNFing Arrowhead I have vowed to never quit under my own free will again. NEVER!

I started the race just trying to settle in somewhere in the middle. The course quickly leaves the ski resort and turns to a single track trail. Almost right away we start climbing to the top of Mystery Mountain. As the course levels out a bit at the top we all seem to be jockeying for position. I start passing people on down slopes and as they slow to go thru mud holes littered with rocks. Soon I find a pace behind a guy and a girl that feels good so I lock on. Every once in a while another guy runner would get in front of me making it hard to see obstacles. I would pass as soon as possible to have the much smaller girl in front of me.

Being new to ultra running. I have been reading a few books as of late on the subject. In one of them it explains that when running you should only pick your feet up as high as you need to, but no more. That is supposed to make your stride more efficient. Well I don't like to do things half ass so I found myself not only tripping over what seemed to be every root or rock, actually falling over a couple. My 1st fall was just for practice. Fortunately it was in a runnable section and we were moving pretty good. As I started to go down I put one hand out. Knowing that I wasn't going to be able to catch 200lbs with one hand I proceeded to tuck and roll as I went ass over teakettle. Somehow I popped right back up without loosing a single stride. Of coarse that didn't teach me a lesson. I kept tripping and stubbing my toes every so often. Other than that I was feeling amazing. We just kept trucking along. I thought the course was bad last year when it was raining almost the entire run. This year we have had a ton of late season snow and spring rain. Most of the snow seems to have just receded making the course even more wet than last year even tho the weather way absolutely gorgeous. We couldn't have asked for better running weather.(cool and sunny)

At about 6 miles in was my 2nd and last fall of the day. This time it was in the middle of a mud hole about the length and width of a long semi trailer. I was making my way right thru the middle when I slipped on a rock that was hidden under the surface of the water. I landed not only on my ass but in the middle of the puddle. It was only about 7 inches deep so I didn't drown or any thing. However, my pride was a little wounded at this time tho. I told the guy behind me that at least he was getting his money's worth out of my comedy show. 

By the second check point at mile 12.75 I was still feeling really good. At this point last year I almost gave up due to major cramping. One of the many cool things about this is the volunteers. They come to you as you get to the check point. They ask if they can get you anything. They even give you suggestions or  encouragement if need be. All the while smiling and having a good time. They just flippin rock! Like the first checkpoint I grab a cookie and a gel while volunteers fill my water. 

Then it's about 2.5 up to the turn around on top of Carlton peak. At first it it's a runnable upslope for about a mile with lots of board walks.

Then it gets to the meat and potatos. It's steep, rocky, and full of roots. It's also got switch backs and lots of ruts. You literally pull yourself up in spots.

Anyway at the top I take a minute to video the view. I make a sweep across with my phone. I was going to comment while videoing but a guy behind me did it for me. He says, "gosh is that ever gorgeous." Last year there was a guy dressed in pioneer leathers at the top as a course marshal or volunteer.  He offers treats or beer. This year I'm guessing it was the same guy minus the leather. He came up and shook my hand. John Storekamp(race director) was there too. I shook his hand and thanked him for putting on an awesome event. Also a guy named Donald(a volunteer) gave me a fist bump. He was also a volunteer up at the arrowhead. He was the first one to mention to me that I was shaking pretty bad after the 1st stage of the arrowhead 135(I was probably in stage 1 of hypothermia)

After that I started my descent. I felt like a kid as it is down hill almost all the way back to the aid station. I fill up again and head out. The ole legs start getting fatigued by this time. I pick my way thru the rocks, mud holes, and hills but start to slow considerably. I got to the last aid station right when I told my wife I would probably make it there. I looked around and didn't see them. I check my phone as I make my way across the lot. The message reads,"your doing great! Are we still meeting at noon?" I look at the top of the screen it's 12:01. I'm thinkin I missed them as I look up I see them sitting near where the trail goes into the woods. I almost lost it. I was holding back tears as I made my way to them.(it's strange the emotions you can go thru in a race) They gave me a Gatorade, a swig of Mt. Dew, and a kiss. Christina asked when I thought I'd be at the finish. I said jokingly,"oh, about a half hour. I'm gonna kick it down." The volunteers got a chuckle out of that. Then I told her  realistically probably an hour and 45 minutes or more like 2 hours. 

As I head off all I can do is think of the damn climb back up the back side of Moose Mt. I call it the stairway to heaven.

This is the hardest section for me by far. It seems straight up and it goes on forever. I had to just bend over, put my hands on my knees, and power up the sucker. I took a little video of that portion hoping you could see how steep it was. The video just don't do it justice other than the fact that you can hear how hard I am breathing.

Once I reached the top I started passing 25K runners. Last year I only caught one 25Ker and it was closer to the end. I knew now that that was over there would be a few more slow climbs but nothing too steep. I was passed by a couple people, but that is par for the course for me. As of yet I've never had a negative split in any race. Finally a couple of people that had passed me that I was able to catch back up to. I ended up running with a young lady named Leia. She don't know it but, having her company for that last section really helped me finish. As we approached the climb to Mystery Mt. another young lady was sitting on the side of the trail. She had cramped up so bad that she finally decided to just sit down and recover a bit hoping they would go away. However, sitting there she was freezing. I offered her my sweatshirt and virtually everything else I had in my pack for calories or hydration. She did take a jacket from Leia, but declined everything else. I also asked her if she wanted me to stay with her and help her finish. She declined that too. She did ask us to notify race officials that she was out there having trouble. Later I found out that this was the girl I was following during the 1st leg of the race. She thanked me for offering help when she did make it to the finish. It's funny how you can run with someone for miles and never see there face. I tended to look down because of all the trip hazards. I never saw Leia's face either. Leia and I ran almost the rest of the way in together chatting a bit. That made the last section seem so much easier. It also just seemed to fly bye. As you get close to the finish you can hear the river. That is an awesome sound. Then you come to the last bridge. From there a gentle climb to the pavement of the resort. As we hit the pavement I gave it a little more in order to finish strong. Somehow Leia and I parted ways. As I passed our condo the girls were there cheering. That bought a big smile to my face. I told them to come meet me at the finish.

All and all an unbelievable day. I had a blast. If I had one piece of advice for anyone doing a race like this it would be talk to other runners. You never know who you'll meet. Some pretty cool people are out there doing this stuff and you will most likely see them again.

Until next time, Dream Big.