Paige, Me, and Brian on Loveland Pass

Its all about the buckle…  Last Thursday, Paige and I headed to Leadville with fellow CHUGs Brian, Kelly and Deanna.  We took the scenic route and stopped to check out Loveland Pass, we couldn’t help ourselves, we had to snap a “jumper”.  After a short stop to pick up some groceries, we were in Leadville.  We checked into the Leadville Hostel and headed to packet pick-up.  As we walked into the gym, the energy of the place was palatable.  At the table next to me, a guy announced himself as racer number 3, Duncan.  This guy looked fast and with a low number like that, I wondered if this “Duncan” might be somewhere near the front come Saturday.  We picked up our packets and then had a delicious pasta dinner.  My nerves were already in place but now they were front and center.  We mingled a little before heading back to the hostel, a short walk away, to relax a little before a restless night.

Me, Tony Krupicka, and Paige

Friday was our medical check-in and mandatory runner meeting.  As we were standing there, Tony Krupicka walked in.  Tony, was second at Western States and has many a course record.  We said hello and introduced ourselves before asking for a picture, which he graciously posed for.  Rob, Tom and Rina had come to Leadville for the weekend to crew and pace, they met us for the crew meeting which started immediately following the runner meeting.  It was awesome to see them along with Lucy.  After the meeting, we grabbed some lunch at High Mountain Pies, they made an awesome pizza!  After lunch, it was back to work, we had drop bags and crew vehicle bags to pack.  Then we briefed our crew for what to expect come Saturday.  The hostel was imposing a 6:30PM quiet time which worked out great for us even though we didn’t go to bed, it was very relaxing.  The next morning, the alarm was unneeded as I woke up at 1:58AM after another restless night.  I felt okay and promptly got up to tend to my pre-race stuff.  After finishing getting dressed, I met up with my baby and other runners from the hostel.

Paige, Me, Rob, Tom and Rina - At The Start

It was a short walk to the start where we saw a ton of friends from all parts of the country.  We checked-in and then took some pictures before lining up for the start.  As the gun went off, I felt a surge of excitement and nerves.  My plan was to run a sub-25 hour race but knew that was going to be tough, even on a perfect day due to my level of fitness and the altitude… but I had to try.  So, a couple of miles into the race, I kissed Paige goodbye and wished her luck on her day - it was hard to say goodbye but definitely not the hardest thing I would have to do before the day was over.  The next 13 miles were packed with over 600 runners but I didn’t mind, I was running Leadville.  As we wound around Turquoise Lake, I fell in with a group of runners going my pace.  The first aid station (AS) was May Queen and there was Tom guiding me in.  After a relatively quick turnaround, I was off into the woods again but I was already behind my goal pace.  The next section went smoothly and I arrived Fish Hatchery still behind schedule but feeling decent.  The next section was short, only about 4 miles until I would see the crew again.  When I got there, Rina was already there which meant that Paige wasn’t that far behind me.  After pushing for nearly 30 miles and still being way behind the sub-25 hour pace, I decided that I was going to wait for Paige and we could run the rest of the race together.  I didn’t have to wait long, she was having a bang-up day and rolled in 15 minutes or so later.  After a quick change of the shoes, we were on the trail again.

Leaving Twin Lakes

It felt so good to be running together.  We passed through Halfmoon AS and were feeling good.  This section is very runnable and we were passing miles reasonably quickly.  It was starting to warm up a bit and I finally took my gloves off.  We saw Brian coming into the AS as we were leaving, he looked good.  Over the next 9 miles, we did long stretches of running with some uphill walking.  We were passed by Barefoot Ted, a bit of a legend.  He is one of the main characters in the whole barefoot running movement.  He was wearing some homemade hiraches (sp) when we saw him but at other points in the race, he was actually barefoot - amazing.  When we pulled into Fish Hatchery, I heard someone call my name - it was Julia.  Julia is a longtime friend who moved to Denver for residency and here she was cheering us into the AS with her pup Charlie.  We were ahead of our anticipated arrival time so we took our crew off guard but they quickly got us our things and we were on our way toward Hope Pass.  Paige wasn’t feeling too great, her stomach was bothering her, so we took it easy as we passed through several water crossings.  The deepest of the 5 or 6 crossings was an actual river and it was knee high - it was refreshing but it also meant we now had wet shoes.  I was saying that we should be seeing some of the front runners soon and just as I finished that comment, Tony came around the corner with his pacer - he was tearing it up!  Seeing him and how easy he made it look sent a surge of energy through me; it didn’t have quite the same effect on Paige : )  We got to the base of Hope Pass and started to climb, it was slow going but we made steady progress. As we came over a slight crest, we could see the Hopeless AS, it was situated in the valley below Hope Pass - what a great spot these folks had.  We sat for a minute while the volunteers filled our bottles.  We collected our selves and headed up and over; the back side of the pass was just as beautiful.  The trail was challenging on the way down with tricky footing and lots of runner traffic to navigate but we saw lots of familiar faces, all with words of encouragement.  When we eventually made it to the road, we didn’t know exactly how far it was to the turnaround but we knew it was going to be tight.  We started up the road which was very dusty and congested.  My mood was slipping fast and hard.  By the time we reached the turnaround, we only had 15 minutes to get back out onto the trail.  Paige and I had a quick conversation about the very real time crunch we were facing, we had to make the return trip back over Hope Pass 15 minutes faster than we had just done it if we were going to make the cutoff at Twin Lakes.  We decided we had to go for it even though it seemed unlikely we were going to make it in time.  We got into the Winfield AS, did our medical check-in, and then got down to business.  I heard my name and looked up to see Brandon, a friend and roommate from college.  He was there to pace his friend who was also pushing the cutoff.  I really wanted to catch up but we needed to move so we said a quick hello and then we hit the trail.

Our Pacers: Rina and Tom

Tom and Rina were dressed and ready to roll.  We made our way down the dusty road again trying to move as quick as we could but it wasn’t nearly as much fun having to be so worried about the time.  Upon hitting the steep section of the trail, Paige began to struggle with her breathing.  Before long, the pressure of making the time cutoff and the steepness of the hill started getting in her head.  We sat down and talked for a while and she decided she didn’t want to go on.  It was a tough decision for both of us because once she decided, I had to decide.  Was I going to keep going without her, which didn’t sound that great, or was I going to stop and not try to make it, which sounded even worse.  Paige felt terrible that she might be the reason I didn’t make it to the finish line - as soon as I heard her say that, my decision was made.  I kissed her goodbye and Tom and I headed up Hope Pass while Paige and Rina turned back toward the road.  I was teary for a few minutes and then I got angry.  I was mad that the cutoff times were as tough as they were.  I channelled the anger, found a rhythm and started reeling in runners.  The sun was setting as Tom and I made it to the top of the pass.  We were making good time and even better time on the downhill side.  After a quick stop to top off our bottles at the Hopeless AS, we started really moving.  We kept up a very solid pace all the way down to the river and into the Twin Lakes AS with 20+ minutes to spare… I had made it.  I couldn’t believe it and I could hardly contain myself.

WIth Rob, Heading Toward The Finish

Having made up so much time, I felt confident that I could make the remaining cutoffs… my dream of finishing this thing was alive again.  I did a quick change, checked out of the AS and headed into the woods, alone for the next 17 miles.  The effort to make up time had taken its toll on my legs but I was still moving fairly well and nothing specifically hurt so I knew I would bounce back.  I continued to pass people and by the time I made it to Halfmoon AS, I had gained an hour on the cutoff.  I could breathe a little easier now.  I got my drop bag and sat for a minute.  Then I brushed my teeth, ahh, what a feeling.  I noticed Joe Judd at the AS and said hello.  Joe had come to Leadville to pace Paige but when he got word that Paige had dropped, he volunteered to help another runner - what a great guy.  Heading out of the AS, my confidence was high, I could walk the rest of the race and still finish in time.  The next few miles passed quickly and soon I was back at Fish Hatchery AS where Rob was ready to join me for the rest of the night.  Leaving the AS, I was pretty stiff but Rob suggested a little running and that was all the encouragement it took, we ran the next mile or more at a decent clip - it felt so good to cover some ground.  That all came to a crashing halt when we hit the base of Sugarloaf and started to climb again.  I pushed as hard as I could but all I could manage was a strong hike - Rob was patient with me and we steadily reeled in runners.  After a seeming eternity, we crested the top of the pass and started down.  I wanted to run but my legs weren’t having it so we continued our fast hiking until Rob finally convinced me to run a little more.  The final couple of miles into May Queen felt remarkably long.  At one point, we could hear the cheers and talking coming from the AS and then they got distant again as we circled around and came back into it from the road - it was a tough reality at that stage of the game.  When we got to the AS, Tom guided us in.  I sat down inside where it was warm while Rob collected some soup.  As I sat there, I was basking in the fact that I had well over 4 hours to finish a half marathon - I knew it was a certainty that I was going to finish now and that felt pretty darn good.  Rob got me up out of the chair and back on the trail.  We walked for a good long while as I tried to warm my legs back up.  We tried a few times to run but for the most part, I was relegated to a fast walk.  As we approached town, the sun had risen and was starting to warm us up again.  We laughed some but mostly just focused on the goal.  We turned the corner into town and as we crested the hill, we could see the finish line about a half mile away.  We simultaneously decided that we would start running from the sign that said “Slow” - for some reason, speeding up just as the street sign instructed me to slow down really tickled me.  We ran the rest of the way to the finish where Paige, Tom, Rina, Lucy, Brian, Kelly, Deanna, Ben and Sarah awaited.  I immediately found my girl and held her tight as the tears rolled.

Click For Video Of Finish

This was by far the most emotional race I’ve ever done.  I’m still struggling to reconcile all the emotion from the weekend but there are a few things for which there is a great deal of clarity: 1) I loved having the Corson boys at my side throughout the journey, 2) it was great to be in Colorado, 3) it was awesome spending time with Brelly, Deanna and our other running friends, 4) running at altitude is different, 5) mountains are awesome, and 6) my girl is the best.  Despite her own disappointment, Paige completely came through for me, supported me, and shared in my joy - she is amazing.  I couldn’t ask for better friends; Tom, Rob, and Rina took time off work to come crew/pace and  they did a great job!  Brian pushed aside his own disappointment from the day, and showed up for me to celebrate.  Of course I had mixed emotions about how the day unfolded but I can’t deny how ecstatic I was to have pulled it together and finished the race.  After showering and napping, we said our goodbyes to Rob and Rina before heading to the awards ceremony.  We then spent the afternoon eating and lounging around.  Tom stuck around for the night and we did more of the same.  I slept well that night and woke up feeling much better than expected.  As we packed up our items, the sadness started to creep in - I didn’t want to leave, I didn’t want to have the experience be over, I didn’t want go back to the real world… not yet, I wanted to stay a while longer and savor everything.

Results

Looking Forward To A Day Of This

With just a little over a week to go, I have to surrender to the fact that my training wasn’t all that I hoped it would be.  We’ve been busy this summer and traveling a lot which definitely played havoc with the training.  I did manage to get in several good long runs, a few back-to-back long runs, a couple of 50 mile races, a few hill repeat sessions, and a few speed sessions, so its not that I didn’t do anything but I had hoped to really go into this race feeling as though I’d done everything I could to prepare.  My weekly mileage has hovered between 40 miles on the low end to 85 miles on the high end with most weeks coming in somewhere around 70 miles - not horrible by any means but also not enough to really build my confidence either.  The one major upside to this reduced training is that I feel completely fresh, wake up without any little aches and pains, and am chomping at the bit to run!

Despite the fact that I haven’t done all the training I’d hoped for, I am very excited for this race.  Rob, Tom, Rina and Lucy are coming to crew/pace.  We will get to hang with some of our favorite CHUGs (Brian, Kelly, Deanna, Ben and Sarah) and get to see some of our other running friends from all over the country.  We will get to spend several days in the gorgeous mountains of Colorado and take in the clean crisp air that it has to offer (albeit a little thinner than what we are used to here at sea level).

I’ve finalized my “crew instructions” and pacing chart, we’ve done our nutrition shopping, and we’ve put together our packing lists, so I’m starting to feel a little more relaxed.  This weekend, I hope to pack up the majority of stuff so that next week is all about relaxing.

I went to Badwater 135 this year anticipating I would like it, I was wrong… I LOVED it!  We flew into Las Vegas on Satruday, July 10, picked up Jim at the airport and then met up with Ed and Terry for a supply stop.  After buying a ton of snacks, beverages and water for the week, we were on our way to Furnace Creek, CA.  We made two stops along the way - the first was at a random little place called the Amargosa Opera House which is located just on the border of Nevada and California.  The claim is that the attached hotel is haunted (insert Scooby-Doo music), but we didn’t see or hear anything out of the ordinary.  Back on the road, we decided to stop at Dante’s View which overlooks the Badwater basin - it was our first glimpse of the valley and it was amazing!  After taking in the view, which included seeing the starting line as well as nearly all of the Death Valley, we headed down the road toward Furnace Creek where Adrian and Simone awaited.  When we got to the resort, the temperature was 119 degrees and while that sounds hot, it actually felt good.  I will admit to being a little bit of a desert rat having always been drawn to hot dry climates but,it seriously didn’t feel all that hot.  We checked into our rooms and they far exceeded my expectations, who would have thought that there would be such glorious accommodations in the middle of DV?!?  Everyone was in a chipper mood and after some catching up, we headed to dinner.  Runners and their crews could now be spotted here and there and my adrenaline was pumping - we were “running” with the big dogs or, in this case, some of the toughest men and women on the planet and it was awesome!  After dinner, Adrian, Paige and I headed to the pool.  Adrian’s philosophy is that Saturday is just a day off and meant for celebration, I’m not gonna lie to you, it got a little crazy before the night was through but we survived jumping from the roof of the sunshade into the pool so all was good.

Ed And I Excited About The Heat

Sunday we shuttled the car to Lone Pine 100+ miles away, which at first seemed like a huge hassle but we quickly realized the benefit of doing this was that we would get to see the entire course in broad daylight - major bonus!  When we got back to the hotel, we signed our crew waivers and sent Adrian off to check in.  That afternoon was the mandatory pre-race meeting and I couldn’t wait.  We filtered into the room and as I looked around I began to recognize a few faces that I had seen on various Badwater movies, I had to pinch myself to make sure it was all real.  There is something very special about this race and it was evident at every turn but sitting in that room with all the runners and their crew, it was palatable.  After the meeting, we mingled for a while and then headed to dinner.  Now, all the runners and their crews were there and we were seeing lots of familiar faces - both people we knew and people we knew of, it was awesome!

Pre-Race Dinner

Furnace Creek may be a small resort in the middle of Death Valley but they really know how to cater to their guests - our meals were delicious.  After dinner, we all dispersed quickly, we were tired and knew this would be our last good night of sleep before the race.

Race morning came all too fast and I was slow to rise.  We headed down to get some breakfast and took advantage of the buffet fully.  Then we finished our prep and headed out to get some pre-race pictures with everyone.  The mood was surprisingly light and we laughed a lot.  The race has a lot of rules and one of them is that only one vehicle per runner can be at the start and that all the occupants of the vehicle must be belted into a seat.  Ed and Terry volunteered to stay at Furnace Creek and let Paige and I go to the start.  What a wonderfully thoughtful gesture it was, we’d never been to the start and they both had, they insisted that we needed to see it - they were right, I had goose bumps and it wasn’t because I was cold.

Jimmy, Simone, Adrian, Me And Paige

The start is iconic.  I’ve seen hundreds of pictures of the start, I’ve watched movies showing the start and there I was, witnessing it first hand.  We took our pictures by the Badwater sign, walked around, talked with other runners and then watched as things heated up for the start.  The ceremony felt good.  Still, the mood was relaxed, more or less.  After the national anthem, the runners got underway.  The first section is a bit crazy as the runners are all still together, crew are figuring out the routine of taking care of their runner and crew vans are leapfrogging each other every few minutes.  Soon enough, we developed a rhythm, Adrian got into a groove and the runners started to sort themselves out by pace.  I had been very concerned that I would mess something up or break a rule and jeopardize Adrian’s race but I was finally able to relax a little.  The route runs right back past Furnace Creek, so when we got there, Paige and I traded out with Ed and Terry and stayed there to get some lunch and relax a little.  This pattern of swapping out two crew for a break and keeping four with the van seemed to work well and we continued it throughout the race.

On The Course With Adrian

By the time we caught up with them, both Ed and Terry had taken a turn pacing and it was my turn to jump in.  I did my final prep and at the next stop, it was go time.  I had no idea what to expect, Adrian was moving well, it was the hottest part of the day, and I was fresh off of lunch - it could have gone either way but it ended up going just fine.  I was surprised how much I enjoyed running in the heat (with support, of course) and I was amazed at how strongly Adrian was running several hours into this event.  I stayed with him until Stove Pipe Wells where Jimmy took over pacing duties.  Simone and I went to get some dinner while the others headed back out onto the road.  It was fun to spend a little time with Simone and felt awesome to sit for a while and relax.

Paige Getting Cooled Off During Pacing Duties; Even At Night, It Was 100+ Degrees

Soon we caught up with them out on the road, swapped our two crew and kept the cycle going through the night.  Paige finally got her shot at pacing.  The heat does weird things to the body and Adrian had already been through a couple of rough patches but he responded calmly and did what needed to be done to get himself going again.  Panamint Springs, was a little oasis in the night, the restaurant was open as was the gas station.  They also had one cottage rented for runner/crew use to sleep, shower or just relax.  We opened the door to the cottage, inside was runner carnage.  People lay passed out all over the various beds, couches and floor.  One runner lay in a fetal position on the floor with nothing but his running tights on and looked at us with scared eyes as we entered (he later went on to finish very strong).  We took a quick shower and got out of there.  After having a little dinner, we were back out on the road to find our runner.  Adrian was making good time coming into Panamint, so Jimmy and Simone took this opportunity to get a quick break before the sun came up.  When we arrived, Adrian checked in and then promptly took a short nap to recharge a bit before the sun, and the heat that would follow, came up.  We watched runners come and go, it was all business at this point.  Runners were feeling the effects of the 70+ miles combined with the heat.  The crews were feeling the effects too.  The next several miles were uphill and the sun was just coming up which made the temps manageable and the scenery totally gorgeous.

Jimmy Stands Ready To Assist

As the heat of the afternoon wore on, both Adrian and Jimmy kept their eyes on the prize and did their best to keep moving forward.  Adrian had several battles with his stomach and tried all sorts of different sources of calories, none of which seemed to be the answer.  At one point, milk was what he wanted and we had nearly run out so Ed and Terry went in search.  Normally, milk is in abundance but this is not the case in the middle of Death Valley, they had to barter with the general store to get a couple of pints which they transported in an empty coke bottle.  It is amazing how quickly all the rules change during an ultra event - clean is relative, 20 minutes of sleep is heaven, 3 hours of sleep is like a vacation, a shower in a dirty communal shower is sheer decadence, and milk being transported in an empty coke bottle is normal.

The next several hours were slow going with many stops along the highway.  The afternoon sun was hot and at one point, Adrian got chilled despite the 110+ heat.  He knew this wasn’t a good sign and diligently got himself out of the heat until he could get rehydrated and feeling better.  The Owen’s valley offered all its glory on the second night of the race.  Adrian was feeling tired but better.  Some fluids and calories had stayed down and he was moving steadily toward Lone Pine.  With things under control, each of us got a good long break on the second night.  We checked into our hotel, showered and got a solid three hours our sleep in a bed.  Upon waking, we headed out to meet up with the group for the final climb to the finish.

One thing that is consistent with ultras is no matter how you are feeling in the moment, give it a few miles and it will change … sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse but it will change.  In this case, Adrian was feeling better and moving well.  I jumped in to relieve Jimmy who had done a ton of miles over the past two days and welcomed the break.  The last several miles of this race are straight up.  With about three miles to go, Adrian looks at the guy just ahead of us and says to me, “you want to take him down?” and then promptly picked up the pace.  I laughed to myself and followed his lead.  We got next to the guy and started to pass him when the guy sped up to match Adrian’s stride.  ”Oh, I see, that’s how you want to do it, eh?” (said in his awesome Scarface voice) and then he started running.  Now remember, he has already run 130+ miles, been awake for 2+ days, and the road is straight up but his competitive juices were flowing.  I don’t know what pace we were running but it was a full stride and the guy disappeared quickly behind us.  I absolutely LOVED it!  What a competitor!

Runner And Crew: Jimmy, Paige, Me, Adrian, Simone, Ed And Terry

When we were a half mile from the finish, the whole crew was there to join for the finish.  Adrian was adamant that everyone be there … together … for the finish.  As we turned that final corner and the finish line came into sight, I had to hold back the tears.  It was such an amazing way to finish an incredible journey.  I wish there was a way for me to capture the emotion of the moment, to somehow provide a vicarious experience but suffice it to say that it was far better than anything I had conceived in my mind.  After several minutes of hugs and congratulations, we posed for some pictures and Adrian got his beloved buckle.

With our mission accomplished, we headed back to the hotel for a little rest.  Later in the morning, Paige and I got up and did a little run of our own.  We headed out into the Owen’s valley just in time to see Jack Denness coming into town - Jack is 75 years old and has finished 11 previous Badwaters, what an inspiration.  After our run, we went for some lunch with Ed and Terry at Mt. Whitney Restaurant which, by the way, had absolutely amazing chocolate malts.  With our belly’s full, we headed up to do some hiking on Mt. Whitney.  We didn’t have passes so we were limited as to how far we could go but we still got to witness some gorgeous scenery and do a little trail running too.  When we got back to the parking lot, which was also the finish line area, Jack was just finishing his 12th official Badwater journey.

The post-race party was that night in Lone Pine.  The tradition of this race is one of the many draws to it.  I absolutely love that everyone comes together after the race to share their experience.  During the race, they take a ton of photos and video and then they put together a professional looking recap video set to some kick-butt music and show it at the post-race party.  This year’s video was as inspiring as years’ past but was more meaningful since we were actually there to witness it.

There are two things that could make or break this experience: 1) the runner and 2) the crew, we were extremely fortunate on both fronts.  Adrian was the perfect runner - he knows himself so well and what works for him, that made our job easy.  He never lost his sense of humor (which is bar none) and his focus on the main goal of finishing never faltered even as he was forced to modify his goals for the race.  He kept his cool when things unraveled and then he pulled them back together.  He communicated what he needed from us without being demanding.  And, he did what he could, when he could.  Like I said, he was the perfect runner.  As for the crew, I couldn’t believe how much fun we had despite the heat, lack of sleep, the bugs, and the stink : )  I can only speak for myself but I really felt like we got along great as a group and everyone really pitched in where needed.  We all had the same focus, get Adrian to the finish line in good shape.  It was an honor to be a part of Adrian’s team.  Before having been there, I was intrigued by the race.  Having been there, I’m completely taken with it.  Will I be back?  Yes.

This weekend was the final big weekend of training for Leadville so on Saturday, Paige and I headed out to Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve to do a long run.  We got a late start and by the time we got there, the parking lot was full of cars.  We headed out on our first loop and very quickly came upon a guy stashing a bottle near a tree.  As he looked up, he started running next to us and asked us how far we were going.  When I told him 30 miles, I expected the usual response of shock and comments like, “I don’t even like to drive 30 miles,” but instead he asked what we were training for.  We said we were training for a race in Colorado next month called Leadville to which he promptly replied that he was very familiar with the race and that several of his friends ran it last year.  Turns out this guy, Tom, was doing his last long run before Lean Horse 100 and he was also doing 30 miles.  And, we have been at several of the same races, his son went to Iowa during the same years I was there, we have several friends in common, his first marathon was Grandma’s marathon (also my first) and that we had each done more than a dozen Grandma’s with our last being 2005.  The loop flew by and before long we were starting a second loop.  About halfway through the loop, two speedy runners came up behind us and started asking about the Badwater shirt I was wearing.  I recognized them from seeing the on the Lakefront Path.  Their names were Beth and Rob and, as luck would have it, they have been itching to get into ultras and had a ton of questions.  We chatted for the next several miles and told them about the CHUGs.  As we finished up the second loop, Tom (who was one loop ahead of us) and Paige called it a day as I headed back out for one final loop.  The last 9+ miles were pretty tough but overall, the day was a huge success!  I loved that we made three new friends and hopefully recruited three new CHUGs!  I always love “small world” type things like how many times our paths had crossed with Tom before and how many times I have seen Rob and Beth on the path but then randomly meet them 30 miles away on a trail in Darien, IL - fun stuff!

The rest of the weekend was fun too.  We went to see Grown Ups on Friday, it was definitely good for a laugh.  Saturday night, we went to a birthday BBQ for Erica, one of Paige’s good friends, and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves till the wee hours of the morning.  Sunday we each had a great second long run to cap off the weekend before heading up to Evanston for our second BBQ of the weekend to kick off the celebration of Billslie (Bill and Leslie) who are getting married later this month.  We wound down the weekend on the couch relaxing.  It was truly a great weekend.

We left Chicago on Friday morning and rolled into Carlton, MN around 5:30PM.  After picking up our packets, we went to Cozy Cafe for dinner.  Sitting near the entrance was a group of runners, one of which we recognized as Rob Wehner (the super RD for Glacial Trail which we ran and loved last fall), he invited us to join their group and boy were we glad we did, they were hilarious!  After dinner we walked over to watch the finish of a 5k the town holds as part of their Carlton Daze festivities.  We were drawn to a couple with a tiny yellow lab puppy and immediately made friends with Jim and his wife.  It turned out to be one of those conversations that leaves you wishing you were neighbors so you could get to know these people more (and play with their puppy, of course).  We headed into Duluth to have a look around.  Having run Grandma’s marathon several times, it was fun to revisit and show Paige around since she’d never been before.

Race day: I’ll start with saying that this race was a lot tougher than I remembered.  Paige and I ran together the whole way which was too bad for Paige because I was in a terrible mood for most of the run.  I think this was a lingering bad mood from the week but I thought a day in the woods would heal it… eventually it did but it took like 40 miles of being grouchy and, as usual, Paige was a trooper.

A Swinging Bridge At Roughly Miles 3.2 and 46.8

The temps at the start were in the low sixties but the humidity was in the mid ninety percent.  We rolled out of town and quickly picked up some very technical single track for the first 3+ miles.  It was slow going with several runners taking it very easy through this section.  Next we started on several miles of nice rolling wooded trails before hitting the dreaded “power lines”.  I didn’t remember this section being all that bad last time, selective memory apparently because it was tough.  We got through it and the rain began to fall.  At this point, I was soaked from sweat anyway and the rain felt good.  We ran like this through the turnaround, physically I was fine but my mood was still a bit dismal.  The return trip was good with a lot of running despite some long gentle uphills.  We purposefully threw in a few walking breaks but generally, we just kept plugging along.  The sun started to peek out and accented the beauty of this course, I had also forgotten how gorgeous it was.

Someone Is Having Fun

On the way back, we did a sock and shirt change at the 34 mile drop bag, it felt amazing.  The next section led us back to the power lines, the sun had heated things up a bit and the rain had turned the trail into a muddy slip and slide - this didn’t do much for my mood.  By the time we got through there, I was more than ready to be done.  We topped off our bottles at the aid station and I tried to muster some friendly banter but only got out a “thank you”.  The last ten miles got progressively better and by the last five, we were moving really well.  We danced over the rocks and roots, passing people that were feeling the effects of a long day.  As we hit the pavement on the edge of town, Paige noticed a woman in front of us and locked in.  She hit the turbo and it was all I could do to keep up with her, I loved it!  We passed her and said some friendly words of encouragement but I’m guessing she was thinking to herself, “they saved way too much for the end.”  After crossing the finish line, Andy Holak came over to congratulate us and give us our finisher mugs.  They have custom made pottery finisher mugs - a very cool tradition.  This was Andy’s first year as RD and he did a great job preserving the “look and feel” of the race.

We met up briefly with fellow CHUGs Tony, David and Jerret before showering and grabbing some post race dinner.  One thing I really love about this race is that they encourage people to stick around by serving dinner and providing showers so people can get cleaned up and hang out.  My gut instinct tells me that I will be back at this race again but the nine hour drive may keep me from making it an annual thing.

We are off for the northland.  Ten years ago, I ran my first ultra at Voyager Trail 50. At that time, I was living in Iowa City and running several marathons per year but this was a big deal.  This year, I return with a little more experience but just as much excitement.  In four weeks, Paige and I will be toeing the line at Leadville and this race will serve as our “dry” run to dial in our nutrition, shoes, etc. before the big race.  I have very fond memories of this race and the Iowa City crew that made the trip special and have no doubt that this year will be just as special as I will be running with my favorite person not to mention several CHUGs will also be running.  There may be some limited runner updates on race day on the website.

Me Finishing in 2009

Last year on this weekend, I ran my first hundred mile race - Kettle Moraine 100.  This year, Paige and I went up to crew and pace Ed (an awesome guy and fellow CHUG).  We drove up on Friday night and had a delicious dinner with my dad and Andrea.

Paige Getting Final Instructions From Ed

Saturday, I wasn’t late (like I was for my own race) and we met up with Ed to go over final race prep and strategy.  Ed has his packing and racing down to a science which made our job easy.  Our plan was to meet him at each crew accessible aid station and make sure his needs were taken care of - simple enough.  The day started out comfortable for the spectators which translates to warm for the runners but Ed was moving great!  It was fun to watch runners come through each aid station, their rituals, how they interacted with their crew, and to see how their position changed as the day progressed.  We were able to see him quite frequently and he was an easy runner to crew for - strong, knows what he needs, and smiling the whole time.  Simultaneously, we were following Leslie as she attempted her first hundred mile run.  We traveled from AS to AS with Bill and were able to see Leslie come through just after Ed making our day very enjoyable - both were running strong and having a great time despite Ed tweeking his calf early on.  The sun was warm and while the weather forecast promised rain and dropping temps, we watched on as runners soaked through their clothes under warm sunny skies.  At the 31 mile AS, we met up with Leslie’s dad and brothers, they had come to surprise her and accomplished that goal handedly.  Ed was still chugging along nicely, managing the pain in his calf and making the best of it.  We were having a blast.  As the day wore on, both runners seemed to be enjoying the experience and holding up well.  Soon, Brian, Ben and Sarah joined us.  Brian was pacing another CHUG for the last 38 miles.  Ben was running the “fun run” which started at 8PM and covered the last 38 miles of the course.  And, Sarah was pacing Leslie from mile 62 until the end.  I thoroughly enjoy each of their company and it added to the fun we were having with Bill as we traveled from stop to stop.  Eventually, the rain did come and the temps did drop but they seemed welcomed by the runners as they provided relief from the heat.  Soon the rain had turned to a downpour and then the lightning started.  Paige and I were planning to split the 38 miles of pacing but when Ed came into the Bluff Road AS, he was thinking he may not be able to continue past the 100K mark.  I got dressed and waited for him, just in case.  When he got there, the rain was starting to finally let up but he wasn’t able to carry on any further.  I trust Ed’s instinct as to what he can push through and what needs to be respected.  Congrats on a great effort Ed and the 100K personal best.  With our runner now safely back in his hotel room, our focus turned to Leslie.  The rain and dropping temps had chilled her to the bone.

Leslie And Sarah Heading Out

When she got to the 62 mile AS, she changed into dry clothes and picked up Sarah.  She was tired and muddy but in decent spirits.  As they rolled out, back on to the course, we were all moved by the strength to keep going when so many were opting to stop their race.  We followed the two of them as they made their way over the last section of the course.  Their times slowed as fatigue took hold but the forward motion was maintained.  We napped for a few minutes here and there but mostly, we watched for our runners.  Brian was pacing Mike, we watched for them too.  The wee hours of the morning are interesting, runners have waves of feeling good only to be followed by waves of wanting to end it all.  The weather was cooperating and that seemed to lift spirits some.  We had all been up for nearly a full 24 hours and the world was starting to feel a bit odd - this is when things seem to get interesting.  Runners drop from the race, others unexpectedly surge to the finish, and others walk around in a zombie-like state - it is completely different being a crew person as opposed to a runner… I love both experiences.  Leslie was in the zombie-like state but doing all she could to keep moving forward, Sarah was doing all she could to encourage Leslie to keep moving forward.  Soon, the sun came up and the two of them were moving along nicely.  We ushered them through the Hwy 12 aid station and headed off to get some breakfast.  It wasn’t long before we got “the call” - Leslie had pushed as far as she could.  With a finish rate in the low 3o percentile, neither she nor Ed were alone but they couldn’t help but feel the pang of some unfinished business.  Paige and I turned our focus to Mike and Brian who were still out on the course.  The had come through the last AS in plenty of time to finish under the cut-off and now it was just a waiting game.  After a couple of false alarms, they came around the bend and crossed the finish line with smiles on their faces.  Mike had fought the urge to quit multiple times and was now standing with a finishers kettle.  We said our good-byes and made our way to the truck.  With only cat naps for sleep, we headed toward home.  As the adrenaline wore off and sleep deprivation set in, we had to pull off the highway and sleep for a bit to take the edge off.  Finally home and showered after a wonderful weekend in the Kettle.

Good Luck Kisses From Mia

Last weekend was the Ice Age Trail 50 so I left work a little early to get home and load the truck so that when Paige was off at five o’clock, we could head straight out of town.  Traffic cooperated and we made it to my dad and Andrea’s place by 7:30ish.  We had a delicious dinner and enjoyed my niece Madeline’s cuteness before heading to bed.  I slept great and popped right up when the alarm went off at 4AM.  Despite having prepped most everything the night before and having a short drive to the start, I still managed to get there just as the race was starting and thus lost about ten minutes before I even crossed the start line.  My motto, I’m gonna be out here all day anyway so what is ten minutes, right?!  Kelly and Mia were at the start so got some good luck kisses from Mia, said my goodbyes and headed out.  I felt good and was running well very quickly and soon started catching runners.  The downhills were quick and I was even running most of the uphills - fellow ultrarunners can probably hear the ominous music playing in the background and know exactly what is coming but as far as everyone else is concerned, it is a good day.

I passed Brian and would have missed him had he not grabbed my attention.  After a quick hello, I continued down my path of destruction.  I kept passing runners and was clicking off miles comfortably when I rolled into the start/finish area.  Paige was waiting with bottles ready to go - I had decided not to carry anything with me on the first 8+ mile loop.  I didn’t stick around long before beginning the second portion of the race.  I met Jason and spent the next several miles chatting about everything from running (of course) to group theory (his PHD thesis) - it was good meeting you Jason, the miles really flew by.

Almost Done, Just Seven Miles To Go

Paige was meeting up with me every few miles at the designated crew/aid stations and was typically in the company of several CHUGs.  The day was cool which wasn’t bad for runners but made spectating tough; as always, Paige was a trooper and always had a smile on her face.  I saw her at the Easterly Road Aid Station and was still feeling pretty good but by the time I left the Rice Lake Turn Around, the error of my ways was becoming evident.  I slowed down and immediately began to be passed.  I kept moving forward but it was much less comfortable than before and with the slower pace, I had to fight off the cold.  After Easterly Road on the way back is when the wheels really came off and the next 10 miles would be rough going.  No one likes having a tough day but for some reason, I was actually enjoying it.  My body felt more like I was 80 miles into the run rather than 30.  There is something very rewarding about being that in touch with your body and being so focused on the basic necessities of keeping the body moving.  It simplifies life for a moment.  This is one of the greatest gifts of running long and why I enjoy the hundred mile distance so much - here, I was getting the experience from a fifty mile race and it felt like I was cheating : )

Eventually, I did begin to feel better and the pace improved some.  Right about then, Jack, an old running buddy of mine from Iowa City caught up with me.  I met Jack through a group I ran with on Wednesday nights back when I first started running longer distances.  It didn’t take long hanging out with that group before I decided to train for a marathon and Jack was at the starting line with me for my first Grandma’s Marathon back in 1997.  We spent the next 8-10 miles together, getting caught up on all that’s happened since last we saw each other.  Great to see you Jack!

Ice Age 50 - Finish

After the turnaround at Emma Carlin, I knew I was home free with less than 10 miles to go.  I would experience a short hail storm, get to see Paige one more time, and get some alone time before finishing but soon the day would be over.  Paige, Brelly and several CHUGs were waiting at the finish line when I arrived.  The sun was shining for a brief moment and the post race party had begun.  After a change of clothes, we headed to get some food at the BBQ.  Sarah had won her age division so we hung around for the awards - congrats Sarah!

Lessons I relearned: 1) drink early and often, 2) don’t fall behind on your nutrition, 3) don’t fall behind on your electrolytes, 4) don’t start out too fast, 5) don’t run the uphills too early in the race, 6) don’t run the downhills too hard, 7) respect the distance - lots of good reminders of things I already learned at some point before.

Thanks for all the support out there Paige, it was motivating to know that I’d get to see you at the next aid station… if I could just get there.

Finishing A Run At Kettle

Leading into the weekend, Paige and I felt like we were a bit run down and tired from a week of not getting enough sleep but that didn’t slow us down much.  Friday after work, we packed up our stuff and headed for Brelly’s house.  We hung out for a while and got to bed late (after 11PM).  Morning would come soon with the alarm going off at 4:30AM for a 5:15AM departure for Kettle Moraine.  Brian and I are running the Ice Age Trail 50 in a month and had made plans to join some CHUGs and an unofficial training group to run part of the course.  We rolled into the parking lot of the Nordic area around 7:10AM and went about getting ready to run.  It was sunny but quite cool and we were still very sleepy.  I looked up and saw Paige standing there looking defeated and when I asked her what was wrong, she replied “I am so NOT into this.”  She was tired and cold… and about as cute as girl could be.  After a little hug and some encouragement, she got dressed to run.

We headed out on the first 9+ mile loop with Ben and Sarah and warmed up nicely.  The trails in Kettle are awesome and the morning was perfect for running.  I was feeling okay but not great and had a hard time finding a groove.  Just as we were finishing up our loop, we heard someone approaching from behind, it was Ed.   We greeted him and our group grew by one (though we had lost Ben and Sarah by this point).  The end of the loop brought us back to our cars where we refilled our water bottles and made some slight clothing adjustments before heading out for the second portion of our run.  Paige turned back after another mile or so and then it was just Brian, Ed and me; we were all planning to do 25 miles or so.  We chatted as we ran and time passed quickly at first but soon, I was starting to feel less than stellar again.  Nothing was really wrong, but I felt tired and generally fatigued.   We took turns leading the way along the winding single-track, through pine tree laden woods with the aroma of the forest coming to life under the warm sun.  I absolutely love that area and those trails.  Eventually we hit Hwy 12, our turn around point, where we filled our water bottles and took a short break before heading back.  The return trip was tough mentally and physically but we still had a nice time.  When we got back to the car, Paige was waiting and was in a much better mood with the sun warming things up, a nice run in her legs and a nap taken.

We said our goodbyes to Ed and headed toward home.  We stopped at McDonald’s for some post run grub - always delicious.  By the time we got home, we had just enough time for a quick shower and power nap before heading to meet up with some CHUGs for dinner at RAM Brewery.  After dinner, we continued the evening at GameWorks.  I was completely beat but somehow managed to play 400 games of Skeeball, okay that is a slight exaggeration but it was a lot.  Paige was on fire with Skeeball and the tickets were rolling out of the machine as fast as she could tear them off.  At the end of the night, she cashed them in for candy to help ease the sweet tooth she had developed at some point during the day.  Ben and Sarah used their tickets to get a cool little parachute wearing alien which they immediately tested out by having Ben drop from the second floor overlook (it worked like a charm and brought smiles to everyone’s face).  Once we had all had our fill, we parted ways for the night.

We got back to Brelly’s and four minutes later, we were all sound asleep.  We slept in and woke up to Brian and Kelly fixing breakfast.  We could smell coffee first and then bacon - yum!   After breakfast, we played with the dogs for a while and lounged around before facing the reality that it was time to head home.  Thanks for another fun weekend Brelly!

Paige On The Cover Of 'Chicago Athlete'

Paige was recently contacted by the local sports magazine called Chicago Athlete to do a story on the Trash Runners group she helped start.  She answered a few questions over the phone and they asked if she would mind if they met her to take some photos for the magazine.  Turns out they liked the story enough to put it on the cover of their ‘green’ issue.  So, I am now dating a cover girl and its every bit as awesome as you might think. : )

Here is a link to the story they did along with some more photos.  Hardcopies are available at various locations all around town.  Great job baby!