Superior Trail Spring Races and Training Weekend

Last weekend I had the opportunity to volunteer and crew for the Superior Trail Spring 50k and 25k races.  The races are held at Lutsen resort along Lake Superior's north shore.  I camped Friday night at Temperance River State Park, just south of the aid station that I was volunteering at the next day - the Oberg Mt. aid station.  

Oberg Mt. Aid Station - Pre Runners

I arrived at 7AM to help set things up and meet the people I would be working with in runner tracking.  As the day heated up runners started to come through.  Oberg Mt. is the turn around point for the 25k runners and the 1/4 point and 3/4 point for 50k runners.  The heat took it's toll on runners and in my hours working at the aid station more than a half dozen runners dropped out of the race.  I saw a lot of strong runners from the DRC team and the TCRC team from the Twin Cities too.    

Some runners starting to come into the Oberg Mt. aid station

After the race I went to Lutsen to do my run on the SHT, and I also found my self doing some challenging hill climbs on the down hill ski runs.  Later that evening I camped at Cascade River State Park with Eric and Tony. 

Running along the Cascade River

On Sunday the three of us ran from Cascade State Park to Grand Marais.  The weather was a bit windy and rainy, but we powered through the run.  It was a great weekend of training, camping, and volunteering.  Kudos to everyone who raced all around the region last weekend!

Ice Age 50 Mile

Camping the night before the Ice Age Trail races

On May 11th I traveled down to southern Wisconsin for the Ice Age Trail races.  I made the trip with some fellow Duluth ultra runners who were also running in the 26th annual race.  The race is now part of the Montrail Ultra Cup, so it has now become one of the most competitive ultras in the mid west.  I was running the 50 Mile, my first of the year.  We camped at a near by unit of the Kettle Moraine State forest the night before the race.  The weather held for us and would provide not only good camping but good racing too.   



Racers starting to come to the start area.  Over 800 runners raced at this year's Ice Age races

The 50 Mile race started bright and early at 6 AM.  The race attracted some of the best ultra runners the country including Zach Gingrich, Tim Olson, and the current US 50 Mile trail record holder.  I was excited to test myself against this great competition.  The race started at a fast clip, and I went out with a chase pack of 4 runners.  The lead pack had about 8 to 10 runners, and I knew that some of those runners would be falling back as the race progressed.  That would leave an opportunity for strong second half runners like me to move up in the field.  

Nearing the half way point

At the half way point I was in about 15th place and still feeling strong.  I was moving up in the field taking by advantage of some of the longer climbs between the aid station at Horse Riders Camp and the far turn around.  My nutrition proved well balanced.  I again used Honey Stinger gels but also used Honey Stinger chews as my stomach began to get tired of the sweetness and consistency of gels later in the race.  I also used Mountain Dew at a few of the aid stations in the second half.  Mountain Dew is one example of a food that I don't ever use in normal life, but in an ultra the sugar and caffeine can really bring you back from the edge.   


Top of a climb at about the 40 mile mark

With 10 miles to go I was still feeling strong and did my best to put as much of a gap on the runners behind me as I could.  I was pleased with how little of the race were "dark times" for me, and how even my energy level stayed through out the race.  I finished in 7:14 and 12 place, only 15 minuets behind some of the biggest ultra runners in the country.  7:14 is also a new 50 Mile trail PR for me by almost 27 minutes.  This result showed me that by the end of the season I think I can run a sub 7:00 trail 50 Mile.  Next up for me: the FANS 12 Hour.  I had a great race there last year with a gutsy finish, and I am looking forward to using my experience from last year to see if I can get a second PR this season. 

Congrats to all the runners at the Ice Age trail races and any other races out there this past weekend! 

Chippewa Moraine 50k


For many trail runners in the Midwest the ultra season got into full swing last Saturday at the Chippewa Moraine 50k in New Aburn WI.  The race runs on the Ice Age trail and is challenging but runnable course.  it features many remnants of the last Ice Age including glacial kettles and drumlins.

The race started in slightly chilly 40 degree weather at the Ice Age State Park visitors center.  On the line were many great trail and ultra guys from the region and some of my training partners and fellow Duluth Running Company team mates and Duluth training partners.  This race has really become an early season fitness test in the region.
  

At the starting line

 The race started with out a hitch and we were off and running.  You could tell we were excited to be starting the racing season by the pace.  I lead the lead pack for most of the first half of the out and back course, and we crossed the half way point in under course record time.  My goal for the race was to start off strong in the low end of my threshold zone and then push through the second half to get used to running strong in the difficult second half of a race. I hit that goal well, keeping my heart rate in the mid 160's for the first half and at 161 BPM for my overall average.
 

After the turn around with about 10 miles to go

I finished in 5th place, 3rd in the age group, and in 4:00:21.  I felt good at the end, with enough in the tank to do a cool down with Sundari who also made the trip down to the race.  I felt confident that I could have gone the extra 18 miles to finish a 50 Miler.  I'm looking forward to my next few big weekend long runs and to my next race, the Ice Age 50 Miler in May.  See you all out on the trails and at the NMTC Wednesday night series which starts this week at Park Point at 6 PM!