• “I don’t see my name on the bib number sheet”
• “Which way do we go?”
• “Pick up your damn feet, Jess! (x2)”
• “I could watch you run all day”

 “I don’t see my name on the bib number sheet”

It’s the end of August, which means this weekend was the North Country Trail Run in Manistee National Forest.  This was my second time running this race, which is conveniently located just 5 miles east of my home town.  The weather was beautiful at the race start:  a near-perfect 60 degrees without a cloud in sight.  Clint dropped me off at the trail head to get my goodie bag and bib number while he found a place to park.  The marathon (26.2 miles on a trail?  No thanks) started as we pulled up.  I went up to the registration area and scanned the half-marathon list for my bib number.  My name wasn’t there.

This was strange, because 1) I’ve been excited about this race since last year, and 2) I bought a plane ticket for the weekend.  There must’ve been a mix-up with registration.  The registration folks were awesome.  They had me wait a minute while they got the ultra race (50 miles on a trail?  WTF people?!?!) started.  I came back in to find another woman dealing with her missing name.  Whew!  I wasn’t the only one.  Unfortunately this woman was a bizzo about it.  I sat to the side and watched the computer guy calmly get her information, and the goodie bag lady (Sheila) put together her t-shirt, hat, gels, and pins, all while this gal sighed and complained about having given all this information “months ago”.  Maybe it’s because I’ve been in the race-directing seat before and I know how crazy things can get, but I wasn’t frustrated or mad at the race folks.  She, on the other hand, let them know how disappointed she was.  I know race directors tend to measure their success based on how many people they get to do their event, but I wouldn’t be sad about losing people like that.  I’ll take a small “quality” group of friendly, laid-back runner folk over a large “quantity” of frustrated, entitled crabby-pants any day.

The registration team seemed to be pretty relieved when I came up with a smile.  They got me all my stuff (a sweet hat, drawstring bag, extra gels, meal tickets, and a unisex small shirt, which I was later able to exchange for a women’s medium – score!) and I had a new bib number assigned.  I was ready to go in minutes, no swearing necessary.

“Which way do we go?”

The race started out GREAT!  I couldn’t remember my time exactly from last year, but I thought 1:50 was a good goal.  I just went with the flow for the first few miles.  We separated out pretty quickly and I was in a small group with another couple gals.  We all shifted positions based on how we felt up and down the hills.  I’m not sure what pace we were going, but it felt smooth.  I definitely noticed that I was able to crank up the hills pretty well.  I’ve done a lot more strength training this summer and I think it paid off.  We were told the course was better marked this year with red flags for marathon/ultra, and yellow flags for the half.  Last year they only marked intersections, which was fine if you were on the right track, but was a little scary when you had long stretches without intersections or you missed a turn and came to an unmarked intersection.  I appreciated the consistent yellow reminders that I was on the right track.  We got to around 5.5 miles and there weren’t a lot of flags.  It was ok though, because we could see people ahead.  Then there was a sign pointing us left and up (“REQUIRED” it said above the arrow).  We looked left and everyone came to a halt before beginning our walking ascent.  I don’t know the exact elevation change, but it was ridiculously steep.  Everyone walked it.  At the top was the fire tower (hence the height) and an aid station.  I had my Nathan belt and didn’t need to stop.  The workers told us to go back down. What?  Yeah, back down the way you came.  This was the one major design flaw in this course.  We kind of shuffled back down the narrow track while others walked up and we told them it wasn’t really worth the effort of getting to the top.

We got back to running again, only to see a small group of runners congregating ahead.  They were stopped at an intersection.  This was not just any intersection.  We had five options and there were no yellow flags to influence our decision.  Someone pulled out the mini-map they gave us.  It showed an outline of the course, with no distinguishable pathnames or mile markers.  Zero help.  I don’t know how long we mulled over the decision.  At least two more groups of runners came up on us as we waited.  Finally, everyone started down the path straight ahead.  It turned out to be a good choice, because about a quarter mile in, we began to see flags again.  Apparently the course markers only forgot that small stretch (albeit an unfortunate stretch to forget), because the rest of the race was clearly marked.

“Pick up your damn feet, Jess! (x2)”

I started to feel good after the half-way point.  I’m talking really good.  I felt smooth, my breathing was good, and the hills were – easy? – not as painful as I expected.  The intersection mishap clustered up the top 5 or 6 women.  When we started again two of the ladies bolted out and pretty quickly disappeared.  Another gal and I were a little ways back.  Eventually we came up on girl #2 and passed her on an incline.  We jostled back and forth a bit over the next couple miles and finally I got in front and felt pretty confident that I could stay ahead and maybe get second.  And as quickly as my daydream started, my foot caught on a root and it all came crashing down.  Of course, the fall felt like it took forever, super slow motion style.  I took two deep breaths and pushed myself up.  Just enough time for the gal to say “are you ok?” and me to respond “yup” as she passed by.

I was a little shaken after that and spent the next couple miles doing high knee drills and being timid on the downhills.  I was covered in dirt and my left leg felt a little bruised and scraped.  I smiled to think that I might look a little more badass at the finish.  But mile 11 thought I needed another layer of dirt to complete the look.  By this point I was pretty much on my own, thank goodness, because when I bit it this time, it was literally a face plant.  I felt my cheek get pounded into the dirt and my water belt shifted just enough to smash one of those bottles straight into my right ovary.  It knocked the wind right out of me.  I swore, looked back to check the trail (no one – whew!), got up and reminded myself (out loud) to “PICK UP YOUR DAMN FEET, JESS”.  Luckily I was just two miles from the finish and the last bit was pretty flat and clear of obstacles.   My foot did catch a couple more times, prompting more swears, but I stayed vertical for the rest of the race.

“I could watch you run all day”

The last half mile of the race is awesome.  You hear the crowds near the finish and the trail is flat and grassy, so you can start to pick up the pace.  I rounded the last curve and saw the camera guy.  I smiled, which may be the only race I was able to smile for the camera.  I ran up to the finish and saw 1:55 on the clock.  Considering the stopping and my two major biffs on the trail, I felt pretty good about it.  Clint later told me that some guy said “Whoa looks like she fell”, to which Clint replied: “Yeah, she falls all the time”.  It’s sad but true…

I was immediately given a metal the size of my head (“largest in MI, 3^rd largest in the U.S.”).  I felt like Flava Flav walking around with that on my neck.  I finished third for women and 10^th overall with a 1:55:58, which was just 1 minute behind the 2^nd gal (I blame the falls for that place loss) and 3 minutes behind 1^st.

While we waited for awards I got my veggie burger, dessert and beer (awesome!).   As I was eating, a guy came up and said “Good race”.  I did the same and he continued: “This may seem a little weird.  I hope you aren’t weirded out.  But I could watch you run all day.  You were so smooth up those hills.”  It was the greatest running complement I’ve had in a long time.  I felt so good and had a huge smile for the rest of the morning.  It’s funny none of my running photos are able to capture my “smoothness”.  I always look slightly handicapped in my race photos.  It’s nice to know at least good in person.  I completed my stockpile of goodies with a bottle of wine for getting first in my age group.  This is such a great race!!

Post note:

After spending a good hour looking through my credit card/checking account and emails, I couldn’t find any proof of registering for the race.  What a huge brain fart!  I immediately emailed the race director and I’m sending them the registration fee.  I can’t believe I bought a plane ticket, but never actually signed up for the race!!  I’m really happy they were so nice about letting me run.  I can’t say enough for how awesome these people are and what a great race it is!!

My favorite Icebreaker item is the Rapid Legging. These pants are super well fitted, with a great length that is sure to not leave me with exposed ankles no matter what I am running/skiing/biking through. Plus, they are awesome just by themselves; I don’t have to wear anything over them to feel warm and comfortable even when I am running in 10F temperatures.

Just last week, with the first real snowfall of the season, I ran in my Rapid Leggings through six inches of fresh powder. The snow caked on the pants and my calves were coated in wet, sticky, cold snow. But I wasn’t cold whatsoever, and I thank Icebreaker and merino wool for that. I’m super stoked to try out their newer pants, the slightly lighter Pace Legging.

If you have a loved one that loves being active and being outside, check out Icebreaker. Their entire line includes not only athletic clothes, but incredibly fashionable clothes too. Someday, I dream of owning an all merino wardrobe…

After a much better than expected race in the Leadville 100, I expected a solid improvement from my prior finish at The North Face Challenge.  I put together an aggressive pace schedule, averaging 9:15 min/mile, which would get me to a 40 minute improvement from last year (in which I was in pretty good shape).  In 2009, I slowed down a lot in the final 22 miles of the race, so my game plan was to maintain an even pace through the entire race.  With the exception of one leg, I was able to stay on pace, with help from my Mega Tough teammate, Tien-Tien.

Despite slower conditions than in 2009 (I got drenched three times during the race), I still had a 30-min improvement, all of which came in the last 22 miles.  I estimate that the extra weight from my shoes alone could have slowed me by 10 minutes, not to mention slowing down from mud.  My shoes were wet most of the race. Nonetheless, I am quite happy with my 2010 performance.

Temperatures were great for the race—about 50 F at the start and warming up to about 60 F.  It was overcast for much of the race, which I’d much rather have than the sunny beating down. The course certainly wasn’t mountainous, but was hilly throughout, adding up to over 5,000 feet of elevation gain the race.  And since there weren’t any huge climbs, there weren’t very many opportunities to hike in order to rest running muscles.  I could tell after a couple of miles that I was getting sore, whereas in Leadville, I didn’t get sore until my quads got trashed running down 3000 feet over only 4 miles midway through the race.

I want to thank fellow MegaTough teammate Tien-Tien Yu for her race support.  She graciously volunteered to pace me from miles 28 to the finish line. I also want to thank MegaTough sponsors, Icebreaker and Nathan, for providing awesome gear to get me through two ultras in 30 days. My Icebreaker Dash Crew is my go-to racing top- it’s so comfortable and chafe-free.

After The NorthFace Challenge, I took two weeks off, since I had not taken time off from training in 18 months. My next race will be the Birkie; however, I am searching for another race for 2011.  I really enjoyed Leadville, but am also considering Western States 100.  I don’t want to commit to a race unless I will have the confidence I did everything in my power to prepare the best I could for it.  I am not certain that I’ll be able to commit the time I did this past year in preparation (about 700 hours of training in 12 months), nor be able to spend 2 weeks at altitude to acclimate for the race.  So over the next few weeks, I need to assess my goals for the next year.  Even though I am proud of my accomplishments of this season, I still want to find a more difficult challenge.  I can always get faster.

Andrea receiving her award from Dean Karnazes

I swore I would NEVER do this race. I know the course, it is tough! Why would I want to do it twice? Signed up for the 50K and figured that would be a good way to end my first year of running ultras.

And then I paced a friend at Sawtooth 100…. and all of a sudden 100 kilometers on the Superior Hiking Trail seemed so reasonable.

Yes – I did step on the crazy train! Soon I sent an email to Andy and Kim Holak asking them to switch my registration to the 100K race. Now I had to figure out crew and a pacer. Mr. Wildknits stepped in and was, as always, awesome crew! He not only got up at 5:00 am to drop me at the race start, but was willing to be out there all day if I asked (which I essentially did). My friend Sara agreed to pace me in from the Munger Trail/Becks Rd aid station (aka Ely’s Peak) so, other than figuring out drop bags I was set.

I had not been running all that much since Voyageur 50 mile. The combination of the Afton 50K and Voyageur in July left me a little tired and feeling less than inspired to run. I didn’t run real long again until I paced at Sawtooth. That left me with only a few weeks to get in some higher mileage runs before it was time to taper.

The night before the race a bunch of us gathered at Leslie’s for pizza, beer and ice cream. It was a great opportunity to pick up some last minute advice from the veterans in the group and talk out strategy for the newbies to ultra running. I then headed home early to finish prepping my drop bags before going to bed for the 3:30 am wake up (I am not a morning person, it takes me a LONG time to get moving in the morning and the race has a 6:00 am start).

Woke up, ate some yogurt and Grapenuts, drank my daily two cups (mugs) of coffee, visited the bathroom (a lot), packed the car with everything Mr. Wildknits would need for the day, and headed down the hill to Bayfront Park and the race start.

After checking in and a race course briefing we headed out the door to the starting line. Andy led the way out of the park and across Railroad Street to the pedestrian overpass and then stood in Michigan St/Superior St. while the runners streamed up onto the trail. There is a lot of climbing in the first 2 miles of the race as we ascend to Enger Park and then out west. I quickly warmed up and had to stop to remove a layer.

Eventually runners settled into their paces and I found myself running with Zach Pierce and John Taylor. As we ran through Enger Park I mentioned how well I know this trail (it is my back yard after all) and then promptly fell. This was to be the first of many falls or almost falls that day. I am usually not such a klutz and the repeated tripping added up over the day leading to a very sore right quad by 20 miles into the race (and some tenderized toes and bruised knees and shins).

As we passed by the spur trail to my house I ditched my extra jacket (which was never to be seen again) and then it was on to the first aid station. Breezed through there and on to the next section of trail. After dipping under a very large willow – twice – we were greeted by a section of trail lit by Halloween luminaries. One of my co-workers, Louise, also lives along the trail and was out to cheer us on. Thanks Louise!!

We climbed to the Piedmont knobs just in time to catch the sunrise over Lake Superior – well worth a stop to admire the view and snap a few pictures.

I run these trails a lot and it was fun to share them with others. Soon it was time for another big climb up from Haines Rd and then we were rolling along the ridgeline above Skyline Parkway on our way to the Highland and Getchell aid station (mile 8.8). From there you enter the “Big W”. The section of trail from H&G to Magney-Snively resembles the letter “W” – literally. It also includes the infamous “131 steps” (138 in the SHT guide to the trail) and an incredibly beautiful section of old growth maples. On this day all of the leaves were down, creating an ankle deep blanket on the trail that was a blast to shuffle through.

I had created a pace chart with three different goal times, based on 15 min, 16 min and 17 min/mile pace. This was mostly a guide for my crew and to remind me to take it easy at the start (I am terrible at pacing myself). My hope was to be able to run somewhere in the 14 – 16 hour range if all went well; though once I looked at last years finishing times I began to wonder if I hadn’t set my goals a little high.

Running with Zach gave me plenty of opportunity to pick up some good advice about running a longer race. And I really took to heart his advice (after a few falls) to just walk the really technical stuff.

All of the aid stations were crewed by great folks and it could be hard at times to stop visiting and head out onto the next section. I even was treated to nut-free cookies baked by Nancy Griffith to accommodate my tree nut and peanut intolerance. Thanks Nancy!!

I encountered the first 50Kers in the section of trail between the Magney-Snively and Munger Trailheads. From there on out I would have lots of opportunity to cheer on friends as they passed by.

I had an interesting time descending Ely’s Peak. Not only is it steep, but some of the “steps” are waist-high on me. By then my right quad was less than happy and I couldn’t fully rely on that leg.

At the Munger aid station I was greeted by Val and Eric. Val as always is a bundle of positive energy and not only made sure I got enough to eat but reminded me to maintain good posture (“tall, tall, tall”). Soon enough I was back out on the trail and headed for Grand Portage.

On a side note: Val is convinced that I have a 100 miler in my future. Apparently Mr. Wildknits spent enough time at that aid station to think that it may be true as well. Not sure what those folks are thinking!

The next section is one of my favorites. Beautiful forests, rolling hills with no huge climbs – just a joy to run. But on October 16th I found myself struggling. My right quad was sore, I had been running alone for 7+ miles and I was once again thinking about dropping out, if not at that next aid station then at the turn around point. Maybe 50K was a more reasonable distance?

I arrived at Grand Portage to be greeted by Jen Pierce, John and Chris Scotch. After a bit of whining, eating, and discussion about whether or not to keep going, I decided to head back out onto the trail. After all the next mile was flat(ish). I did take the opportunity to use my rescue inhaler at this point as my chest had been feeling pretty tight. I usually don’t need it other than prior to a race but was very glad I had Mr. Wildknits carry it along.

I was surprised to have not seen any 100ker’s on their way back yet and kept expecting them at any moment. I think I was on my way up the Grand Portage trail (and boy is that a bugger of a climb!) before I encountered the first runner on their return trip.

With the leaves down the views in Jay Cooke from the ridges are stunning! I was soaking in the beautiful light and enjoying the views while I walked and ran towards Oldenburg Point and the turn around.

And what a greeting when I arrived! Not only were the ham radio operators enthusiastic but so was the aid station crew. I was offered a variety of food and beverages but at that point was most interested in the outhouse (an opportunity to go to the bathroom without having to squat or worry about someone coming along at the wrong moment) and then putting my feet up and stretching out my legs a bit. Any talk of dropping at that point was quickly squashed by Matt Long and others at the aid station, including Mr. Wildknits, and I was off again on my way back.

It was at this point that I met up with Shelly who had been carrying cookies for me for the past 15 miles (sent along by Nancy as they were on a little car ride when I came through Magney the first time). What a treat!

On the way back to the Grand Portage aid station I started to feel better and put aside thoughts of dropping. A similar thing happened at Voyageur. The lesson I take away is to ignore what my brain is telling me in the first 20 – 30 miles ;->

Sooner than I expected I was back at Grand Portage. There was another rousing greeting by the ham radio folks and an opportunity to visit with some spectators. It was in this section that I had given myself permission to walk – not only the hills, but also at other points if that was what felt right at the time. That said, Jen told me I had to run into this aid station for photographic purposes (what is it with those Pierces’ and their insistence on running into aid stations?!).

I was looking forward to arriving at the Munger aid station. Not only would I see Mr. Wildknits and Val again, but my pacer, Sara, was meeting me and I would have company for the rest of the run. Usually I do not mind running alone, but I was ready for a little distraction from my own thoughts at this point and knew that Sara would not let me get too whiny.

Another reason for looking forward to the Mile 42 aid station:

Last year Mike piped me into the finish. This year, rather than asking him to sit around for an unknown amount of time late in the evening, he chose to meet me out at Magney. What a way to be greeted and then sent on my way!

As hard as it was to descend Ely’s Peak, climbing up – especially that first step off of the Munger Trail – was even harder. Much of the trail here is comprised of bare rock or a jumble of sharp rocks. In other words, not very runnable. This was definitely the point where I started to really slow down. After the first crossing of Skyline Blvd. the trail gets more runnable and I felt like I kept up a decent pace.

Soon enough we were back at Magney-Snively (mile 46.3) and it was time to eat some more cookies, enjoy some hot soup and grab the headlamp and flashlight I had left with Mr. Wildknits. I also (for the 2nd time that day) admired the VW bus sitting in the lot. Apparently I had asked about it the first time through, but forgot whose it was in the intervening miles. It wasn’t until a few days later that it finally clicked that the bus belonged to Dale Humphrey who was working that aid station (When Mr. Wildknits and I first met and married we owned a series of VW’s – two buses and a bug. We only moved on to more “modern” transportation, ie: with heat, when our 2nd child was on the way. They hold a special place in my heart).

It is a short stretch on some truly nasty (very technical) trail to the next aid station. Sara and I joked at one point about taking the Alpine Coaster to the bottom of the hill. By now it was starting to get dark and the temperature was dropping, especially in the valleys. All the more incentive to keep moving.

My stomach was also getting a bit touchy at this point, so making choices about food was a bit harder. Soup was sitting well and I kept making an effort to eat things that were salty to help replenish the salt I was losing in my sweat (could feel it on my face). I also reminded myself to keep eating the gels I had along (egel – two packages in a 5 oz flask diluted with water, which makes it easier for me to take in. This product also contains electrolytes and seems to work well for me).

Of course now we were once again traversing the “Big W”. I knew it would take some time to get through this section, especially as we would be doing it in the dark. When we reached the 131 steps I remarked to Sara that I expected I would need to rest midway up – but surprised myself by reaching the top of the stairs with no more difficulty than I do on a training run. I did take time at the top to catch my breath and admire the moonrise before we were shuffling off through the leaves on our way to the next aid station.

Running from west to east on the trail is much more familiar to me, and somehow running in the dark with a friend to talk to made the time pass pretty quickly. Soon enough we were at Cody Street, then West Gate Blvd and then on our way up to Highland & Getchell. The hardest thing about reaching this aid station is climbing over the guardrail. It is a big step and I am sure it is amusing for spectators to watch weary runners negotiate this obstacle (especially those of us who are vertically challenged).

Shane – who was staffing this aid station – took my request for grilled cheese to heart and had a hot sandwich waiting for me. He used the ham radio operators and the drop bag labeled with my race number to track my progress (I hear I was a bit later than expected into the aid station). He also had some home-made potato soup on hand (yippee for hot food when the temps dip into the 40′s!).

It was here that I was greeted by quite the group of well-wishers. Not only Mr. Wildknits but also Wayne N., Karen G., Vicky B. and my friend Roger R. (who ran his first sub-20 min 5k that morning) were out to cheer me on.

At this point, after having ascended to the top of the ridge, you are rewarded with spectacular views over the bay, West Duluth, the harbor and Lake Superior. The lights are incredible and I am reminded how lucky I am to live in this city and what a gift this trail is to the community!

As we reached the section of cliffs that parallel Haines Rd we could see a car parked near the trail crossing. Interesting…. Once we reached the road crossing it became clear that Bruce, Sara’s partner, was waiting there for us. I was really touched by his being out there and cheering us on.

From here I am in my neighborhood and really do know every inch of the trail. This is good and bad. I knew where I could try to push a bit and where I just had to keep up a steady walking pace. All of this of course complicated by it being quite dark. The moon was up, but was not bright enough to offer much help.

There is a steep descent off of the Piedmont knobs which can be a hoot and a holler in the daylight when there is clear trail. It was a bit of a slog this night as I did not want to fall (had enough of that early in the day). Soon enough we were across Skyline and descending some more towards the reservoir, 10th St (a two+ block section of road – where we saw Bruce again) and then on towards Lincoln Park and the last aid station. As we crossed the foot bridge over Miller Creek I started to see glowing colors in the trees along the trail. It took me a bit to figure out that someone had hung glow light bracelets on the route up to 24th Ave. W. Very cool!!

The road crossing was eased by some volunteers that stopped traffic to let us across. This is a tricky spot as there is a bit of a blind corner at the top of the hill and it can be hard for cars to see pedestrians.

Leslie S. was at this aid station, along with Rudy and others to cheer me on. She had won the 50K race that day and we had a moment to do a bit of catching up on how her race went. I was also warned at this point that Shelly was close by and I had better get a move on if I wanted to beat her to the finish. Off Sara and I went, cup of soup in hand to “run” the last 3.1 miles to the finish.

The last section is rolling for about a mile or so, then climbs to Enger Park and from there it is a two mile descent to Bayfront Park. About a mile from the finish Shelly caught up to, and passed, me. She was moving along quite well and was just cruising down the steps. She has had quite the year, topped off with finishing the Sawtooth 100 just a month ago and knocking over an hour off her Wild Duluth time from last year.

The finish is on pavement, though still on the Superior Hiking Trail. It was at this point that I checked my watch for the first time in hours (I had taken it off and strapped it to my Nathan pack early on due to a bit of hand swelling) and realized how late it was! As I came up to the race finish I saw 17 hours and 14 minutes on the clock. But more importantly, I had finished my first 100k and felt like I ran well.

I was touched by how many folks stayed up to watch me finish (and possibly bet on who would cross the finish line first, Shelly or I). I also got the opportunity to catch up on how others’ races had gone.

Soon though I was shivering (despite putting on dry layers) and Mr. Wildknits was loading me into the car for the trip home where I was greeted by the 36 steps that lead to our front door and the 16 steps that lead to our upstairs (and bathroom and bedroom). Negotiating them wasn’t too bad and I managed to climb into the shower and get cleaned up without tipping over.

The next day my legs were sore and getting down those stairs involved holding onto the handrail, the wall and employing that special hop-step that many a long distance runner is familiar with. By Monday I could navigate the stairs without holding on and was able to hop on and off the sailboat with only minor difficulty (we took the mast down and had her lifted out of the water). Tuesday and Wednesday I was out walking a local ski trail with no major issues. I am allowing myself a few days off of running as my right quad has been protesting a bit – especially things like getting up from a squat or fending a boat off a dock. It was a little bit hard not running to work yesterday (after all Thursdays are for running to work) but it seems like a proper recovery is in order.

One year ago I ran my first ultra – Wild Duluth 50K. I followed that up two weeks later with Surf the Murph 50K. Then this past May I ran the Superior Trail 50K, in July it was Afton 50K, then Minnesota Voyaguer 50M (my first at that distance), and now my first 100K. What a year!

I have been blessed with some incredible trail running friends and mentors, wonderful team mates (Northwoods Minnesota-Wisconsin and Team Mega Tough) and an awesome crew (aka Mr. Wildknits) that have made this year of running ultras possible.

A quick note about equipment/clothing:

Duluth in October can be cold! We were blessed with dry, relatively warm weather but it was in the 30′s at race start, warmed to upper 50′s/low 60′s during the day and then dropped again. I am fortunate to have Icebreaker as a sponsor via Team Mega Tough and I used their crew top, long-sleeved shirt and socks during this race. I was warm and comfortable throughout and had no blisters (a first)! As a knitter I know the value of wool; and merino is one of the best fibers out there. I have been running in this stuff since last fall/winter and it is holding up quite well.

Team Mega Tough is also sponsored by Nathan. I have been using the Intensity Race Vest for all of my ultras this calendar year. Prior to Wild Duluth I received a new vest (due to a leaking bite valve) which has had some upgrades from their previous model. The bite valve worked flawlessly and the pockets seem to be a bit bigger, especially the zippered one on the left, which made it easier to store a 5 oz gel flask (also a Nathan product) as well as other needed items.

I have been working my way down from motion control shoes to something with a bit less stability. Right now I am running in Montrail Sabino Trails and really liking them. My local running store Austin-Jarrow (also sponsor of Northwoods Minnesota-Wisconsin) and their wonderful staff got me hooked onto these shoes. I have a very wide forefoot and bunions (hallux valgus) which makes fitting shoes a challenge and means mail ordering shoes is out of the question. I have learned the hard way that fit can change in the same model of shoe from year to year. Jarrow and his staff have been troopers in finding shoes that fit my feet.

My first ultra! Everything they said it would be all in one little race!

My first response when people ask about it? BRUTAL. In ALL CAPS! But! I quickly follow with how I finished strong and happy and I never said ‘never again’ at any point.

The day started off innocently enough. I’d been stressing about what to wear (like always, I’m getting better but I swear I can never dress myself for running) and settled on half-tights even though I’d thought I’d get too warm (and I did a couple times but I’m super glad I wore them). I figured I could always just sport bra it if I got too got and then I also packed a pair of shorts just in a drop bag just in case I got REALLY hot and felt like changing quick, but the most I did was take off the tank top I had under my Icebreaker shirt.

Headed down to Canal Park and onto the bus. Of course, with the sudden influx of runners (something like 20 runners registered the night before and morning of!), there wasn’t exactly room for everyone. Time to pack us in three to a seat but luckily ultra runners aren’t exactly obese so it worked just fine. Now, Highway 35 is still under construction so the bus wasn’t allowed on it which meant side roads only for us. I generally hate driving a course before running it and it seemed to take forever to get there but it wasn’t as though we were driving the same course we’d be running, so it wasn’t really so bad, it just felt like we were sitting on the bus for ages. We got there late but Andy (the race director) gave us extra time so we’d all have time to hit the bathrooms and get our drop bags in the right boxes before starting.

Gather at the start line, listen to last minute course descriptions that no one will remember and we’re off! Having never done a 50K before, it was hard to know how to pace. My thought at the Half Voyageur was to run strong while I felt strong so that’s what I went for, trying to run strong but trying to hold back. It didn’t feel too fast and I knew this section was nice and runnable so I took my time figuring a pace out, which seemed to be hopscotching with Tracy and Catherine for a while and running just behind Marcus.

Then I fell in with Tracy and Catherine for a bit and that was quite lovely. One of the times they passed me, I just hung out at their pace. Turns out Catherine was gunning for a 6 hour finish and that’s what I figured would be reasonable for me so I ran along with them for a while until it felt too fast. There seemed to be something I managed to forget for those first 10 miles: Whistlestop. Last weekend. I’m plugging along quite nicely when just after Ely’s Peak my legs said “Wait. We’re doing what? But we just ran a marathon last weekend! What were you doing running 6 hour pace??” See, the 6 hour rough goal was rather arbitrarily reached by looking at how two of my friends ran last year and figuring I’d be somewhere in-between their times. It also was a mark that did not take running a marathon the weekend before into consideration. Oops.

So, Ely’s Peak. The only part of the course that I’d never done before the race. Surprise! Actually, as I headed up it, I thought several times of Lisa who was doing her first 100K so she’d have to go down Ely’s Peak, run 20 more miles and then go back up. Now, Lisa is significantly shorter than I am and there were several rocks on the way up Ely’s Peak that are past or at Lisa’s waist so that she would need to heft herself up and down. So I was thankful that I was tall

I slowed down after Ely’s Peak, stopped to pee, and later almost fell off a boardwalk. Hm. Not much longer after that I took a digger and I’m not too sure what it was that tripped me up. There was a small tree in front of me that I planned to use to stop myself but I didn’t make it that far and ended up looking at it from the ground. Of course, I landed on my left side and ripped up some stuff that had finally been healing from my fall at Hawk Ridge. It wasn’t so bad, though and I got right back up and continued on my way with barely an ‘ouch.’ Turns out I manged to sort of burn my left shoulder, though – a very strange mark that left the next few days.

The Magney/Snively aid station was next and after eyeing up their table while the awesome volunteers filled my water, I decided that they only thing that looked good was an orange slice. After grabbing the extra gels from my drop bag, I continued my way up Skyline. Dropping down to the Spirit Mt aid station was the first time I ignored my watch timer – I had decided that the best way to make sure I was eating on time was to set my timer to go off every 45 minutes since I manged to muss up my adding during the Half Voyageur. Well, this time my timer went off and I just didn’t want to eat. Which I said out loud. I did a lot of talking out loud to myself during this race. So I let myself go 10 more minutes and then forced one down.

Next up – the Spirit Mountain aid station. I decided ahead of time that juice sounded good but nothing solid looked all that appetizing – my stomach was starting to get just unsettled enough to not want anything. This aid station was manned by Connie’s husband and kids, which was nice. They have made some fabulous hot apple cider and I downed almost a full cup of it before thinking maybe that wasn’t such a hot idea for my stomach. Ah well, it was super tasty and just what I wanted. I was offered mashed potatoes a couple times but that really didn’t sound good so off I went.

Here’s where my stomach really started being unhappy. I made it up the stairs okay (all 131 of them!) and after that comes one of my favorite spots on the trail so I tried to let my legs stretch out. And then my stomach wanted to stretch out so to the side of the trail I went and didn’t quite throw up. A nice guy went by me here and checked and double checked (“are you sure?”) if I was okay. I started slowly putzing along the trail. Coming down to the zoo, where I really love to stretch it out but not this time, Randy caught up to me and asked if I need anything, insisting he had things to spare. I said I was fine, it was just my stomach feeling nauseous. Well in that case, he said, you need an e-cap. Now, I’d heard about these things but never actually tried one. I figured I might as well. Hmmm. It’s a fricking horse pill! Shockingly, I had no trouble swallowing it. It seemed to work instantly – fabulous! I hung out with Randy for a bit – turns out it took him 15 years to run another 50K after his first one. He also mentioned that every time he runs something big right after a marathon, it seems that his legs give up suddenly rather than gradually. Hm. Well, I seem to be okay. Not great but okay so maybe my legs are going the gradual route, I’m sure I won’t get much worse than I am here. Ah, silly Sam.

Sadly, the e-cap doesn’t seem to last very long and I let Randy go. I start feeling really tired/sleepy here, too and think about how this would be a big problem with running a 100 miler (not that I’m actually considering one right now) in that I’d have to stay up all night and I’m not so good with little sleep.

Right around there is where I go downhill real quick like. My legs are shot. I cross Cody St and slowly walk my way up the road wondering why no-one was passing me. All I wanted to do was lie down. I pictured Liz running along (I don’t know why it was Liz, but I thought this a few times and it was always Liz that I pictured finding me) and finding me laying down on the side of the trail. Or heck, right in the middle of the trail looked fine and dandy too. I stopped and dipped my hands into a couple of creeks as I crossed over them and that felt nice. I wanted to sit down but managed to convince myself that at least walking slowly was moving forward and sitting was most distinctly NOT moving forward.

Coming up to Highland/Getchell I was in really bad shape. I didn’t think there was any way I could keep going for 10 more miles AFTER Highland. My legs just couldn’t do it. I was 98% sure I wasn’t going to finish. Just one problem – I didn’t want to not finish. I actually said (okay, definitely whined – think Luke Skywalker and Toshi Station) out loud once “I don’t want to drop” I just didn’t think my legs could do it.

Somewhere around there, Marcus came up on me. I’d been wondering where he’d been at – I hadn’t seen him since the first aid station and was worried that his leg was bothering him and he dropped. Turns out he’d been power-walking since then. Since mile 6. I’m not sure if my thinking started changing before or after he came up on me but when he did catch me, I thought “If Marcus can do it, then I can do it, even if I have to walk the rest of the way.” My thought pattern changed from “I don’t think I can do this” to “I don’t know if I can do this.” Two very different things! I figured the section after Highland was another of my favorites and that it would be easy enough to walk through since it’s very runnable. I could make another decision at Haines Road (someone I talked myself into thinking there might be an aid station there). And so I slogged my way into Highland.

Step one, take off the jersey under my t-shirt and shove it in my drop back. Step two, get water bottle filled since I went dry. Step three, plop down on the ground in front of the table and eye up the food. Wait, what? I looked around to make sure I wasn’t too much in the way. The other two guys there didn’t seem like they needed around me so I stayed where I was for another few seconds. Nothing really looked good here, either, but I had already ignored my watch timer once and was behind on food intake. I nabbed part of a salted nut roll and started chewing (to spit out the second bite after crossing Skyline), grabbed my water bottle and a couple pieces of watermelon, nodded my thanks to Shane since I wasn’t up for talking and went on my not-so-merry way. Apparently I was described as ‘death warmed over’ – probably accurate. Shane also told me later that I was maybe a bit rude which makes me sad. I never want to be rude to the awesome volunteers.

I then promptly dropped a piece of watermelon. I considered not going back since it was a long 8 or 10 steps back but smartness won out and I went back to grab a piece to replace it. I of course didn’t think to salt them until I was on the trail and I was definitely not turning back then. I also started taking another gel since my timer had gone off again – a tinsy bit at a time, following every sip with water and hoping that would keep my stomach from rebelling. Ran into Marcus’ mom who is great and crossed Skyline, to find Kris! We chatted for a bit as I crossed the road and then I went on my way.

My new mantra started here and took me to the finish – “just a little, just slowly.” I took all pressure off and said I didn’t need to run a lot or fast. Even if I only ran 3 or 4 steps, it’s faster than walking. Bit by bit, I could run further and a little faster. My stomach didn’t get better as quickly, though, and kept me from running very fast. I could already tell that I’d be in trouble water wise again, though. My plan of little sips of gel following by water was running me dry fast. I needed to ration – no more than half my bottle before Haines so I’d have half a bottle to take me to the next aid station. I managed to mostly keep to this, though I was really thirsty, so I drank more than I ‘should’ have. Luckily, a guy went by me after Haines and shared a sip of his water.  What I wanted to do was guzzle the rest of his bottle but I kept it to a sip. We both were sure that the next aid was at 27th instead of 24th for some reason and we both went bone dry before then.

I was getting stronger and stronger feeling, though. I was even running for a bit up slight inclines! Very exciting. I no longer felt like death and as soon as I crossed Haines, I knew for sure I’d be able to finish. Though, I couldn’t figure out where all the women were! I’d been passed by a handful of guys, but no women at all since Tracy and Catherine. Somewhere after Haines, though, I was sure I was hearing Liz’s voice behind me somewhere (again, I don’t know why I decided it was Liz). And I kept seeing Eric a ton out there, who said when I asked that he was out cheering for Deb so women were out there somewhere nearby. Not that I was really concerned with my standing but I was wondering where everyone was.

Coming onto the water reservoir, I felt great and passed back the guy who gave me water. Into the 27th Ave aid station – last one! They had apple juice which was all that looked good and the volunteer there poured me a lovely glass of it. I drank a bit of coke since I’ve heard that can help with stomachs, drank my apple juice, was cheering by Johnny Cash on the volunteers iPod speakers and headed out.

The last three miles were awesome. I was giddy! This is a section that always feels nasty to me for some reason but it felt just fine at the pace I was going. I made sure to hold back some, though, since even though I felt free and clear, I thought I better make sure I finished strong and didn’t crash again. I caught up to a guy who passed me up Highland as I crossed Skyline. I was running uphill! Strongly! It’s the last uphill before the finish! I paused to ring the peace bell and started my gimp down the last mile. The stairs out of Enger were EVIL! And then the downhill. Ow. It hurt so much but in a ‘but I’m so close! Why must it hurt now?’ sort of way so that I actually started laughing a couple of times!

Off onto Michigan Street, try not to get hit by a truck, cross the road, over the bridge, under the highway and THERE’S MARCUS! I was super excited to see I had caught back up to him. He was walking his way in and talking to Leslie. The big dilemma, though! What if he doesn’t start running when I catch up? Do I walk in with him and try to convince him to run in or run my way by him? Happily, he started running as I approached so we got to run in together. Of course, the two of us seem incapable of running next to each other without picking the pace up bit by bit. I blame Marcus. The punk also decided to sprint in and I not interest in sprinting at the end of my first 50K so he beat me to the finish! Like how I say that as though me deciding to sprint would have made a difference? It was fabulous to feel so great and finish laughing, though!

So a time of 7:20. Not so bad with all my walking (probably a good straight hour of it during my rough spot) and I finished strong and happy to boot! I was excited to be handed a finisher’s mug, too. Awesome. A few minutes later, in came Liz – I knew she was right there behind me.

Overall, a beautiful day! I had a good time for most of it (what’s an hour or two during a 7 hour race?) and even though I started too fast, I did managed to back off before my body forced me to. I pulled myself through a bad spot and was able to break the rest of the race into manageable pieces. Now I just need to figure out what is up with my stomach and what it wants to eat.

2nd place overall for amateur women with a sub-11 hour finish.  Way to go Megan!!!!

I chose to race the Leadville 100 because I wanted a challenge.  Between the rugged terrain, lack of oxygen in the 9,000+ feet elevation (it is America’s highest 100 miler), unpredictable weather, and over 15,000 feet of total climbing, it’s no wonder that only half the field manages to cross the finish line in this 100 miler.  Consequently, my #1 goal was to cross the finish line in the 30 hour time limit.  To prepare, I trained 700 hours over twelve months, ran up to 8 hours in a single training run (through the night to simulate running when sleep deprived), did countless repeats up ski hills, and my favorite part—spent two weeks acclimating in the Rocky Mountains.  This preparation not only enabled me to cross the finish line, but in a manner that exceeded all my expectations.  I finished HOURS ahead of my anticipated finish time of 26-28 hours, in a time that I had not even considered as a possible goal time (23:34)!  In addition, I nearly podiumed, placing 4th place among women.  I was able to do so without a crew, but I was fortunate to find pacers who were important in getting to the finish line.

The weather could not have been better.  It warmed up to the low 70s, with clear blue sunny skies and not a drop of rain, hail, sleet, or snow—which is often the case in the mountains.  It was critical to continually take in calories and fluids.  I estimated that I burned 11,000 calories.  I probably ate a dozen Power Bars and several more gels in addition to other foods.  I have no idea how much I drank, but I felt like I was constantly putting something in my mouth.  As a result, there was never a point where I became dehydrated or low on energy.

I anticipated reaching point in which I would not think I could go on, but that moment never came.  In fact, the 3,400 foot climb midway through the race over Hope Pass is often a breaking point for many racers, but it was a high point for me.  The countless hours of preparation for the race paid off, enabling me to exceed even my highest expectations for the race.  I have been blest with many opportunities and abilities in my athletic career.  Had it not been for collegiate athletics, I would have never had the hunger to push myself to this level, so I am grateful for all that I have been given.

The recovery process has also been exceedingly fast as well…so much so that I will be completing in a 50 miler just 4 weeks following the race.  With the training I put into this race, I expect to be able to improve upon my 8:22 finish in the 50 mile race from a year ago.

What got Andrea through the Leadville100:

Socks: Icebreaker Run Lite Micro

These socks are a huge reason why I did not get a single blister during the Leadville 100.  I chose to wear them during a section of the race in which there were several water crossings, since I knew they would wick water away from my feet, preventing blisters as well as keeping my feet warm.  In addition, they dried out quickly, so I did not get bogged down carrying water in my shoes for miles on end.

Clothes: Icebreaker short sleeve 150 ultra light t-shirt
The lightweight, breathable shirt was perfect for the race.  The wicking properties of the fabric and seamless design prevented chaffing, which is common when drenched in sweat for hours on end.

Icebreaker long sleeve Chase Zip lightweight 200 shirt
Since the weather in the mountains is so unpredictable, I needed to have extra clothes available.  This shirt was so lightweight that I chose to carry it every step during the Leadville 100, even though it was bright and sunny all day.  It folded up so small that I was still able to carry a full 2L of fluid as well as extra food in my hydration pack.

Nathan Intensity hydration pack
The Nathan hydration pack was essential to my success in the Leadville 100.  Not only could it carry enough fluids for me between aid stations, but food and clothes as well.  Since the weather in the mountains is so unpredictable, I needed to have extra clothes on me, which could easily be carried via my Nathan hydration pack.  In addition, the two pockets on the arm straps were priceless.  I was able to fit two Power Bars in one pocket and a gel and my pace chart in the other.  As a result, I did not need to slow down to grab fuel, which was constantly.  I was always able to carry adequate amounts of fuel and liquids that I never felt dehydrated or depleted of glycogen, which was a pleasant surprise, considering I burned about 11,000 calories and shed many pounds of fluids throughout the race.

I went home to Manistee, MI this past weekend and ran the half marathon at the North Country Trail Run. It was held at the Big M ski trails about 5 miles from my mom’s house. These are beautiful, challenging trails through the oak-filled Manistee National Forest. The half started at 9am (following the ultra 50-miler at 7am and the marathon at 8am). It was a clear morning, mid-60s, without a lot of humidity. Perfect.

The course

Most of the race was single-track, with a few quasi two-track sections. You don’t think of Manistee as a very hilly area, but there were a good number of hills on the course. Most of the uphills zig-zagged up the steepest parts (likely to make it easier for the skiers), but a good portion of the downhills were pretty steep. The footing was good, but you can’t avoid the occasional tree root and I half expected to Superman down most of the hills.

The marathon and the ultra races used a 25 mile loop (once around plus a little more for the marathon, twice around for the ultra).  The half ran the first four miles of the loop, then cut it short and met back up with the tail end of the loop.  There were nice, brightly painted yellow signs indicating where the half turned off.

Overall, the route was well marked with waist-high, orange-painted stakes if you were going to make a turn (on the right for a right turn) and then another orange stake after you made the turn.  There was also an occasional single stake if you were supposed to go straight through an intersection.

They had volunteers at the aid stations and there are only a limited number of access points for spectators and your crew, so there were long stretches in the middle of the race where I was by myself for miles and didn’t see a stake for a long time.  I worried that I might have missed a turn, but I’d eventually either see another runner or make a turn, so it was ok.  Inevitably some people got lost on the trail, which I imagine was frustrating.  Something like that can ruin a course for you.

The Aid Stations

The half had 3 aid stations.  I didn’t stop at any, because I carried my super awesome Nathan Speed 4R belt, but they sent an email before the race and here’s what they said they’d have:

“The course will have 8 Aid Stations fully stocked. These stations will be located at mile points 3.9, 6.8, 10.2, 13.4, 17.1, 21.0 and 24.1. Every aid station will be fully stocked with Gatorade, water, defizzed coke, aspirin, Vaseline, first aid kit, toilet paper, potatoes, P&J sandwiches, cookies, candy, potatoe chips, Accel Gel and bananas.“

The biggest and bestest “aid station” was at the finish line.  It was a HUGE picnic party.  People were asked to  bring a dessert to pass, but the race took care of burgers (and veggie burgers!), buns, beans, cooked veggies, potato salads and a whole bunch of other goodies.  There was even a keg!!

My Race

I started out at a pretty good clip.  Maybe 7:45′s.  I stayed behind another gal for quite sometime, but she slowed a lot after the first hills and I wanted to keep my stride.  I encouraged her as I passed.  I soon caught up to another lady (one of the “Triathlon Lab” cougars who came all decked out in their black and white checked uniforms and showing off their awesomely fit and tan runner bodies — I only hated them for a few seconds).  I stayed behind her for quite a while, but her foot caught on a rut and she bit it pretty hard.  I stopped to help her up, but she told me to keep going… so I did.

I saw Clint at the first aid station just before mile 4.  He helped out and was passing water to everyone all extra excited.  What a good guy!!  I didn’t need to stop, but it was nice to see him.  As I ran by, I thought: “How were you supposed to take my picture if you’re handing out water?!”  But I guess it was better that he help others:)  My watch kept beeping away at two mile intervals, but I wasn’t relying on it too much, because it’s never very accurate in the woods.  I did pay a lot of attention to my heart rate though.  There were a lot of stretches where I was cruising in the 160s.  I felt good and relaxed.  In fact, my overall heart rate for the whole race was just 169!  I definitely spiked into the 180s during the hills.  They were brutal.

After the first half of the race I past a gal I had seen ahead of me for quite some time.  She was walking all the hills, which is a good way to conserve energy, but also a good way to get passed:)  Granted, I wasn’t doing much more than a “Mt. Ripley Shuffle” up the hills by that time, but it was enough to get by her and stay ahead.  After a long stretch of no one, I came up on a guy.  It was somewhere between miles 10 and 12.  As I passed him and said something to the effect of “keep it up”, he said: “you’re the second woman.”  “No way!” I said.  I thought for SURE there were more ahead of me.  It seemed like a whole boatload of them started in front of me and I only passed a few.  I kept going and passed a few more people, but the final mile I was all alone.

Spectators started to be more frequent and then I saw the sign for 1/4 mile to go (my watch said I still had nearly a mile).  Woo hoo!!!  I wasn’t able to sprint in, but I did get a little happier and [maybe less noticeably] lighter on my feet.  Clint was near the finish and got one shot of me.

Despite looking a little beat and Baby Frank still making an appearance, I felt pretty good at the end.  I didn’t walk at all, and I only scuffed my feet four times, to which I replied: “pick up your feet Jess!”  No falls and no getting lost.   Can’t get much better than that on a trail!

I finished in 1:49:53 by my watch.  Official times aren’t posted yet.  Turns out I WAS second and the woman who won (a Tri Lab Cougar) was just 2 minutes ahead of me!  Clint said at mile 4 she was probably a mile ahead, which means I made up a lot of ground during the race.

Post-Race and Awards

I already mentioned the awesome picnic food fest.  Clint and I shared three veggie burgers and a slew of sides.  We waited around for a long time thinking they might do awards soon.  After a few hours, they made an announcement that awards would be given out at 4:00.  That was really the only annoying part for me.  It would’ve been nice to know that sooner, so I could have done something more productive for those few hours. We left, showered, relaxed and came back at 3:30.

We had some celebrities up for the race this year.  Bart Yasso (Runner’s World editor) was announcing the awards and promoting his new book.  The guy handing out the awards was Pat Rizzo who won the last two Chicago Half Marathons.  I’m hoping some of Pat’s running mojo rubbed off on me when we shook hands:)

In addition to the t-shirt, mug (regular ceramic-style, but still neat), finisher metal and mega food, the awards were also pretty sweet.  First male and female for the ultra and marathon got $200 and a bottle of champagne.  The half gave away $100 and the bubbly.  I WAS JUST TWO MINUTES FROM $100!!!!  Oh well.  Age group winners got a bottle of wine from a winery in Grand Rapids, MI.  Good enough for this gal!

Overall Thoughts

I really forgot how much I love trail races.  I’m definitely going to do this race again.  All the volunteers were friendly, the course was awesome, and the awards were sweet!  As the on-site Park Ranger lady said:  “May the Forest be with you.“