100 Mile National Championship at Jackpot

First a little catch-up is due. After my 48 hour race last year I signed up for the wait-list for the Kettle 100 and thought I had little chance of getting in, but they did work their way through that list and I was able to run. After finally having a good 100 mile trail run at Mines of Spain in 2018 I felt a higher confidence going into this race. It ended up being a rainy race with sloppy trails, but that also brought cooler temperatures than normal and I finished with a time of 16:17 and first overall. This time was good enough to be the 4th best all-time in the 25 year history of the race.

Kendra kept the kiddos out there until the finish!

Next I had a focus on training for the 24 hour race at Six Days in the Dome. And then in July on a night after a hard weekend of training I was playing basketball in the basement with my son and something happened in my foot causing instant sharp pains. Ultimately I had an MRI and they could not pin point the problem but I was between crutches and a walking boot for a few weeks. I was only able to volunteer at the dome and afterwards started over with my running. Having been so inactive for about six weeks my fitness was awful. I started with 1 mile runs at the end of August and worked up to 13 miles by the end of 4 weeks. By the end of October I was back up to marathon training runs on the weekend with only slight tightness in my foot.

At this point I decided on running the 48 hour at Six Days in the Dome in August 2020. So I thought our annual trip to the Jackpot Running Festival would be a good opportunity to really focus on setting a good 100 mile PR at the USATF National Championship. My 100 mile races up to this point had all been hilly trail races or contained within a longer timed race. Since I ran 16:17 at Kettle on those sloppy trails I really thought that running under 15 hours should be attainable on the relatively easy course at Jackpot for the national championship. It is flatter and has better footing than the normal loop at Jackpot. It is also only 1.17 miles long to make aid very easy.

Training went went very well. I had a streak of 8 straight weekends with a long run of 40 miles or longer and the body was feeling great. Weather for several of those runs was less than stellar, but I figured running through snow and slush should only make fast conditions feel easier. I tried my best to keep a large portion of my training runs around the 8:40 pace that I wanted to start the race at. I once again did a stretch of a strict keto diet for six weeks leading into the race to get into efficient fat burning mode.

We arrived in Las Vegas to stay with the brother and sister in law on Wednesday evening though the race was not until Friday. I wish I always had the luxury of a full day to relax before every race, it was so nice. I picked up some grocery items, filled up some bottles with Tailwind, placed a bet at the sports book, and rested. There was also a lot less preparation than my 48 hour race the previous year, I was hoping to be out there less than 1/3 of that time.

On race morning as the sun rose the temperatures became comfortable in the mid to high forties. There was minimal wind and sunny skies. It was perfect conditions for the start. It seems like those poor showgirls have to always have a hand on their head holding onto their feathers, but that was not the case today.

Anybody who has read my Jackpot blog entries before knew this picture was coming.

As much as I wanted to start right off at my 8:40 pace, I ran 8:11 for the first mile while really trying to slow down. Almost half of the field was ahead of me after a mile. I was able to only slow down to 8:15-8:20 pace while still feeling efficient so I settled in at that pace. I was drinking 4 oz of Tailwind every two laps that were mixed so that I would get my desired calories per hour. I keep it low since I prep for burning fat. Even before 10:00 AM I also was taking a bottle of UCAN hydrate on the non-Tailwind lap to get some additional fluids since it was gradually warming up to what would top out in the mid-60s with sunny skies. This is a hot day to a Wisconsin boy in the middle of February.

Everything felt amazing and I was starting to worry about being so far ahead of pace. Going into the race there were three very elite runners entered into the race and then a good handful of runners with results closer to mine. I knew if those three runners had good races that I had very little chance to compete with them since their best times were 2-4 hours better than mine. I was somewhere around 35 miles when one of the elites dropped. This bumped me up to 4th place at that time and 3rd place was within a couple hundred yards of me. I would be lying if I said this did not inject a bit of adrenaline with the chance to finish top 3 at the National Championship.

At exactly the half way point I caught up to Dan who was in 3rd and passed him. My 50 mile time was 6:57:35 which comes out to 8:21 per mile (8:14 or so on my watch due to inevitable weaving around folks and Garmin inaccuracies). This is the 3rd fastest 50 mile I have ever run. My body still felt amazing and I was finding myself naturally speeding up a tad which only added to my concern that I could blow up. But since everything felt so good I just kept chugging along at the pace. At this point first place was 4+ laps in front of me and second place was 2+ laps in front of me so I just wanted to focus on myself and crank out as many of these laps as possible while I felt so good.

I barely ever broke stride in this race. I had only two bathroom breaks and one stop to have my wife spray me down with sunscreen mid-day. I had gallon jugs of drink mix that my crew was refilling and handing to me as I passed so I never had to fill a bottle myself. My stomach stayed 100% content with just the Tailwind and no calorie electrolyte mix so I did not have to contend with the worries of attempting to eat and digest food which I view as a huge advantage. As the sun began to set I decreased the amount of electrolyte drink and eventually returned to only Tailwind every two laps.

My niece and nephew spent a large part of the day out there playing and helping. They were awesome.

Some time around mile 77 or so I caught up to Jacob Jackson who was now two laps ahead of me. My body somehow still felt pretty good so I decided this was the time to test if I could really summon some special power and increase the pace. Jacob stayed with me as I increased the pace under 8:00 per mile eventually down around 7:30 per mile as we reached the 80 mile mark. By 84 miles it was clear that Jacob was too strong for me to drop and I was on a trajectory to head too far into the red zone this far from the finish so I backed it up back over 8:00 per mile. Eventually I paid for my speed up as a couple of miles in the mid-90s dropped over 8:45 pace as I was pretty deep in the suffer zone by now, but I kept pushing and was able to run the last couple of miles quickly. I finished third overall in the National Championship race with a time of 13:52:39. That is a pace of 8:20 per mile for 100 miles. My second 50 miles took 6:54:23, three minutes and twelve seconds faster than the first 50 that I was sure I ran too fast.

Still processing at this point that I just ran so much faster than planned.

It wouldn't be a complete blog post of mine without some sort of graph. There were 85 laps in the race so I split the race into 17 5 lap chunks to show how my pace changed over the race. It was pretty darn steady through the first 60 laps until I started to speed up and then paid a bit during laps 76-80 for that choice. But overall, I am very happy with the pacing. If I had not tried speeding up I would not have known if I missed out on an opportunity to go for second place.

Final Thoughts

This was a great race, possibly my best to this point. It really expands my thoughts on what I thought was possible for my body. I ran in a very competitive race and hung pretty close to some of the top runners in the country. Based on ultrarunning.com only 9 North Americans ran a 100 mile under 14 hours in 2019 and I am now in that list for 2020.

Things that went well:

Pacing

Even though it was not as planned, I was very consistent based on what my body was telling me and even late when I was in the suffer zone I did not allow myself to blow up. Based on my Garmin data every mile split was under 9:00, even the three with bathroom breaks or sunscreen application.

Feet

I have transitioned back from pre-taping to just loading up with vaseline on my toes and I had no real blisters or hot spots. I also had no pain related to my injury from last year.

Nutrition and Hydration

The slow trickle of Tailwind worked nicely after my keto training and I did not have to eat anything during the race. I added enough UCAN hydrate to the mix when it was sunny and a bit warmer to keep all systems running smooth without getting too dehydrated and only needing two bathroom stops.

Time to Relax

It was so nice to have down time the day before the race. I cannot afford vacation time to do this every race, but it was awesome. I also had 1.5 days after the race which afforded me the luxury of going back and volunteering at the aid station for the last 6 hours of the other races early Sunday morning which was a lot of fun.

Things to do differently:

Make Crews Job Easier

I have never before done a short loop race where I am asking my crew to alternate different drinks. I should have had different bottles for them to make it clear which one I needed based on what I had the previous lap. This is especially helpful when young children are involved and grabbing bottles from the table in excitement :)

What is Next?

Overall my body is recovering well and I should be back running in some capacity a week or so after the race. I had a very hard time sleeping the first two nights after the race as my legs were just radiating pain when left motionless for a couple hours. I felt pretty good right away when walking around.

In August I am making my second attempt at running 48 hours at Six Days in the Dome. To allow plenty of time to lead into that race I wanted to find an early spring race and have decided to run in the Big Hill Bonk Wisconsin Backyard Ultra. This race format sounds like a lot of fun where you have to run a 4.1667 mile loop every hour until only one runner is able to finish a loop. I am looking forward to something different.

Once again, I owe thank you's out to those that spend their time supporting my running habit. Kendra was out there all but the first hour of the race getting me what I needed every lap and Abbe spent most of the day out there as well along with a combination of her kiddos and Bryan cheering for me. Those cheers go farther than you realize sometimes. And thank you Nancy for watching our children, including one with the flu, while we ventured across the country.

2019 Jackpot Running Festival 48 Hour

Last year when planning my fall race I really wanted to do something new. I have been enjoying longer and slower running much more over the past year than the "shorter" ultras so I was intrigued by races longer than the 100 mile or 24 hour. I had set my eyes on the 150 or 200 mile at Tbunk, but quickly realized I would miss my daughter's entire 5th birthday weekend so that was out. I ended up doing a 100 mile trail race and finally put together a really good one. I however was left with the feeling that I wanted something longer. So I decided to sign up for the 48 hour race at the Jackpot Running Festival in Las Vegas that I have ran an event at three consecutive years now.

The Jackpot Running Festival has become one of my favorite races for a few reasons:

1) We have family in Vegas that I love to get to see and makes it easier to convince my wife to do a "Runcation" when she gets to visit her sister :)
2) Race director Ken Rubeli puts on a great race that is well organized.
3) Temperatures are generally in my preferred range of 40-70.
4) The USATF 100 Mile National Championship is run at this event so you get to see some top athletes competing.

The course is a 2.5 mile loop with an advertised 126 feet of elevation gain. There is one "main" hill, but it does have some other rises along the loop that you feel if you attempt to run them as time goes on. Much of it is paved and the rest is gravel and one short section more like a rocky single track.

Going into this race I felt very good in regards to my training. I was doing a 50+ mile run most weekends alternating a weekend at cruising pace (just under 9:00 per mile) with a weekend at or near race pacing. For race pacing I started from the beginning of each run walking a percentage. While a little lower in training, I wanted to walk at least one third of the race right from the beginning.

I also once again did a 6 week keto diet to get my body in a fat burning rhythm and increase my efficiency at it. It also helped drop that extra holiday weight. Even on pre-race night I just had some chicken, broccoli, almonds, and a bit of 86% dark chocolate for dessert.

Customary picture with Elvis and the Showgirls

As the race started I believe the temps were in the mid to high 40s, which felt great compared to the negative temps I have been training in. Based on where the hills are on the loop I started with my run/walk strategy each 2.5 mile loop:

Run  Mile 0 -> Mile .4
Walk Mile .4 -> Mile .6
Run  Mile .6 -> Mile 1.2
Walk Mile 1.2 -> Mile 1.5
Run  Mile 1.5 -> Mile 2.1
Walk Mile 2.1 -> Mile 2.25
Run  Mile 2.25 -> 2.4
Walk Mile 2.4 -> Mile 2.5

My goal was to keep my pace around 11:00 per mile average between my running and walking at the beginning of the race. Then as the race goes on allow both my running and walking pace to slow to what feels comfortable. My first couple of laps were a bit fast around 10:30 per mile average, but then I was able to get back to my expected 11:00 per mile average. I mixed up Tailwind in a dispensing jug and filled my 8 oz bottle each lap which was plenty for these lower temperatures. Not long after the race started my wife Kendra, sister-in-law Abbe, nephew Max, and Niece Emma all came to watch/crew me.

My crew handing me a bottle each lap

 As the day progressed the wind picked up and then into the night it got colder and some rain started to fall. Even though the wind advisory ended at midnight it sure felt windy later than that. From a running perspective though nothing had changed for me besides how many clothes I was wearing. I was still walking the same segments and running at around the same pace. For the first day of the race two runners were in front of me, Andrew Glaze and Phillip Espinoza. During the early part of the first night I had taken the lead. Later I found out that Andrew had to leave for a family emergency, but Phillip was still out there and moving well. I was the first to hit 100 miles at 18:47 into the race. That was a bit quicker than my plan of closer to 20 hours, but everything felt great still so I kept with the same pacing/walking routine. Finally in the early morning hours the rain and wind subsided.

Running for a bit with Phillip

On day two at 8:00 am the rest of the races began and there was all of a sudden a lot of activity on the course once again. There were some fast runners in the 100 mile USATF national championship as well as the 6 hour race speeding around. I just kept at my same pacing I had been doing. I covered 126 miles in the first 24 hours which was once again a bit further than the 120 I planned for, but my body still felt good. My lead was 20 miles at this point so I was completely focused on my own race. The wind came back again for a bit but eventually day two turned into a nice day, at least based on my Wisconsin standards in February.

In terms of nutrition I did not drink or eat anything other than Tailwind for the first 100 miles. When I passed the aid station at 97.5 miles I requested a grilled cheese sandwich after my next lap. So when I finished 100 miles I had a celebratory half of a grilled cheese. It was magnificent. From that point forward I grabbed a snack from the aid station each loop aiming to get about 75 calories each time. Most laps I was eating 3/4 of a creme sandwich cookie or a vanilla wafer. When the egg burritos made an appearance they were also amazing. For the last few hours of the morning I had switched to Bai coconut water and then once it was daylight and Kendra returned I switched to VegaSport Hydrator which is a very low calorie electrolyte beverage to complement my mostly sugary snacks.

The daylight hours of day two went pretty smooth. While it started taking a bit more energy to get going after each walk break, I was still keeping similar pacing. I had slightly changed my walking spots to ensure I was walking everything that resembled a hill and it also broke up the running and walking into even smaller pieces while still keeping roughly 2/3 running. My brother-in-law Bryan came out to watch with the kids again and Kendra and Abbe were there a large portion of the day. I am glad it was a nicer day without the heavy wind for spectators.

Trying to just keep an easy steady pace.

As the daylight left us and the second night started I had 180 miles in the first 34 1/2 hours of the race. That is an average of 11:30 per mile through 180 miles. And at this point the legs started to become really heavy. After slogging out 4 more laps to bring me to 190 at just under 17 minute pace I decided to try taking my first rest. I was hoping it would rejuvenate me a bit so that when Kendra and Abbe came back around midnight that I could knock out some more miles. Through the first 37+ hours I had not sat other than three shoe changes. So I went to the heated tent, laid down on a cot, and set my alarm for 30 minutes. In a laying position my knees were now in a huge amount of pain. I just laid there squirming in pain until I finally fell asleep with 5 or 10 minutes left before my alarm. When it went off I tried to fall back asleep, but I couldn't so I decided to get up and back at it. So I had stopped for about 50 minutes total and only managed 5-10 minutes of sleep and my legs were now VERY tight. Ugh.

I hobbled around that first lap at snail pace and then started to loosen up enough to at least manage a decent walking pace on my second lap back. But my knees, especially the left one, were on fire now. They were so tight and so sore I was worried about doing damage. At this point Kendra and Abbe returned with a hot breakfast sandwich for me and I was very happy to have one of them accompany me on each lap.

My beautiful wife and a hot breakfast sandwich. Now which was I happier to see? :)

We walked a couple of laps at around 20:00 per mile to finish out 200 miles at 41:38 into the race, but this pace was getting hard to hold at this point. So half-way through the next lap at my aid area I decided to try elevating my legs for ten minutes in the car to see if it helps. This time I fell asleep instantly in the warm car. Ten minutes later I awoke, put the shoes back on and started hobbling to finish out the lap. After moving a bit my legs were able to walk with less pain but by the time I got back to the car on my next lap they were back to the same condition of inability to keep moving forward. So I took another 10 minute break.

Abbe providing me some company while hobbling some late laps and eating breakfast burritos.

After this break I managed two laps of walking. Then I took one last break before getting three final laps to bring my total miles to 215 as the clock approached 48 hours. That is 8 marathons plus a bonus 5.4 miles!

Let's look at some numbers.

Lap Times

I was expecting to gradually start slowing my pace as early as 12 hours into the race. But I really just stayed steady through about 36 hours. And then things fell apart a bit. While my pace through 180 miles was 11:30 per mile, over the last 35 miles I averaged roughly 22:40 per mile (including breaks). Ouch.

Approximate Marathon Splits

I really feel like the graph of marathon splits tells the story. I was consistent all race until the last 10 hours.

Overall I am very happy with my race. I had in my head that 200 miles would be a successful first attempt at 48 hours and I was able to exceed that number. Will I be attempting 48 hours again someday? Most likely. What will I do different next time? That is difficult with only one data point. If I would have just slept a solid 3-4 hours at the beginning of night two could I have come back with more in my legs? Not sure. If I would have walked even more from the beginning could I have maintained my pacing the entire 48 hours? Again, not sure. I will not be doing it again this year so I have some time to think about it.

Things that went well:
1) Hydration / Nutrition - No issues. There was a couple laps on the second day where it got sunny and heated up. I did not use the restroom for 4 laps so I drank extra electrolyte drink and I think it caused an imbalance, my head became foggy. I backed off the drink the next couple laps and all returned to normal. Other than that, everything went perfect with no stomach issues.
2) Walk/Run Strategy - I really think alternating walking and running at short intervals preserved my legs for much longer than if I was just running at a slower pace. I felt WAY more fresh than I normally do with 126 miles covered in 24 hours.

Things that did not go well:
1) The last 10 hours things fell apart. I was able to keep moving for the most part, but it was slow.
2) My big toes were destroyed. I had changed my socks and shoes three times each, but when the race was over I discovered my big toes had massive blisters. On the right big toe there was as much blister as toe sticking out from my normal pre-race taping. I will need to play around with my taping method. This did not slow me down during the race, but quite painful afterwards.

Finishing up this report 12 days after the race my right big toe is still shades of purple as it continues to heal and I have a bit of stiffness in my knees still, but hope to get back at it here in the next couple days.

What is next? I'll stay closer to home for my spring race. I was planning to probably run the Kettle 100, but it is under new race management and filled up in three days this year. I am #65 on the waiting list so I needed to look for something else. There are a few other local races so I can make sure my body recovers and then sign up for the next one. In August I am running the 24 hour race at the Six Days in the Dome. It should be an ideal chance to finally set a new 24 hour PR since it is controlled conditions inside the Pettit National Ice Center.

Thank you once again to Kendra, Abbe, Bryan, Max, and Emma for coming out to support me at this long race and to Nancy for watching our kids for five days just so I can go run a few laps around a park.

Running Through 2018

2018 has been a great year for my running so I felt the need to update my stagnant blog before starting another year of racing. Prior to this year the most miles I have ever run in a year was 1800 in 2016. This year I ran 3169 miles. The past few years I have felt that I needed to keep down my mileage between long runs on the weekend for my body to feel up to the next run. The main reason for this was my plantar faciitis. This year I switched back to running in Hokas and added an orthotic (Tread Labs) to help combat my overpronation. This combination seemed to do the trick and I was able to recover from long runs MUCH faster and put in more miles. And I can sure tell on race day that extra training miles really helps me keep moving at a good pace late in races.

Jackpot Running Festival 12 Hour Race - February 17 2018 - Las Vegas

I spend a lot of time training and making a plan for my ultra marathons. Then during the race more often than not at some point things fall apart for one reason or another and I need to make major adjustments to my original plan. At the Jackpot 12 Hour Run this year no major adjustments were needed.

Eleven of the twelve weekends leading into the race I went for a long run of a marathon or longer culminating with a double marathon three weeks before my race. I ran that double marathon at 8:34 minutes per mile which was faster than my goal race pace and it felt great.

I had some tiered goals for the race. First, the prior course record was 69 miles. At this race there was a cash prize if you win and set the course record, so this could be a minimum to fall back to if the race did not go to plan. My previous best at 12 hours was 76.88, so I wanted to surpass that total. Next, 78.6 miles marks 3 marathons. And my reach goal was 80 miles, which is a round number and a qualifier for Desert Solstice if I am interested in racing it in the future. I wanted to make an effort to not start too fast since I knew my training run at a bit faster pace should leave my body in good shape a couple of marathons into it.

Once again, Elvis and the showgirls were there to kick off the race.

Most races start at the same time, marathon, 50 miles, 100 miles, 6 hour, 12 hour, and 24 hour. There is a 48 hour that starts the day before. I focused on keeping my pace down but still started plenty fast with miles around 8:30 - 8:45. There were plenty of runners going faster, but I did not know which race most of them were in and I felt good that if I stayed on my 80 mile pace that I had a good chance of finishing ahead of folks in my race.

About 15 miles in I could feel some rubbing on my pinky toe where I had taped it to prevent blisters. I have done this most weeks for my long training runs, but today it did not stick for some reason. It had already started to develop a blister so I took it off which made it feel better. I continued running my miles between 8:25 - 8:50 pace and everything continued to feel great. I drank a bottle of tailwind every 2.5 mile lap and I felt spot on with nutrition the entire day. I did not take a single bite of anything over the 12 hours. 

Somewhere around 40 miles I did have a first for a race, I got a nosebleed. So I ran half a lap holding a napkin on my nose. If that is the most eventful part of my race I consider that a success. Later Bryan, Abbe, Max, and Emma all came for a while to cheer for me. Just like last year it was awesome seeing some family out there and I had Abbe do some jobs for me, thanks again!

As I started reaching 60-70 miles into the race it did start to require more effort to run the same pace I had been going up to that point, but it was manageable. At 73 miles I even got to run a quarter mile or so with Jon Olsen (2013 24 hour world champion) who was running the 100 mile at this race and was three laps ahead of me. This gave me a boost for a couple of laps and then I was able to hold things together through the end at sub 9:00 pace. I finished with a total of 81 miles which surpassed my goals and also got me the win and a course record with a $250 prize to cover part of my trip!

Overall I did a much better job at keeping a consistent pace than most of my races. Every mile on my Garmin was between 8:18 and 9:01, and that includes my minimal downtime. I only sat the one time at 15 miles to fix my tape. I also paused to get bottles out of my cooler every three laps after getting through the first 12 or so I set out. My Garmin showed 11:54:51 of moving time out of the 11:57:35. So I had less than three minutes of stopped timed. My marathon splits were pretty even:

Marathon 1: 3:43:05
Marathon 2: 3:45:08
Marathon 3: 3:49:16

When I sat down my body realized what happened and it locked up. One giant cramp. When I took off my socks I also realized the damage done to that pinky toe that had rubbed earlier, one huge blood blister.

Things that went well

Pacing: Every mile within 45 seconds of one another is the best I have done at a race of this distance.

Minimizing Stops: Less than three minutes of downtime is very good for me.

Taping Big Toes: I had problems in training with blisters on my big toes, but my taping method worked well.

Nutrition: Did not even have to think about it. Just grab a pre-mixed bottle each lap. No Solid food.

Things that did not go well

Pinky Toe Taping: Somehow I ended up destroying a toe that usually has minimal issues.

Bloody Nose: Not sure I can do anything to prevent this, not that big of an issue.

Sunburn: I was fried in select areas. I applied sunscreen three times but I rushed it. An extra 10-15 seconds each application would have been a good use of time.

Corn Belt Running Club 24 Hour - May 5 - Eldridge, IA

My 24 hour personal best is from 2014 and I wanted a good chance to surpass that and really push my limits to see what is possible for me in this event. This race is in lane 2 on a 400m high school track and at the beginning of May which is typically ideal temperatures for running.

Leading into this race my mileage was higher than ever and the body was feeling great. I had put in a run of 40 miles or longer 6 of the 7 weekends leading into my taper week for the race. I had never had a streak like this before with the body feeling so good. I even had my first 100 mile training week.

While most people think the idea of running on a track for 24 hours is boring, I disagree. While I love trail running, think about being 20 hours into a race with these options:

1) Being in the dark woods on a trail and you have not seen another person for the last hour.
2) Being on a lit track seeing everyone you have been racing with for the past 20 hours.

Before the race the forecast kept calling for higher than usual temperatures, which I knew would not help. At the start of the race it was perfect, but would rise to the upper 70s. That may not sound too hot, but when most of my long runs for training were between 25-40 degrees, it can make a big difference.

My table that I would have access to every quarter mile.

When the race started I settled into a pace right around 9:00 per mile. Things were feeling good and smooth as expected. I hit the marathon mark (103.75 laps) at around 3 hours and 58 minutes. By now it had already heated up though. Upper 70s and sunny with no shade on our oval. Kendra was at the track with me and she was doing the most work she ever has at a race for me. She was giving me a hat freshly dunked in water every couple of laps and another bottle to drink every 8 laps or so. I kept my pace even and hit the double marathon mark of 52.4 miles (207.5 laps) at 7 hours and 59 minutes. So my second marathon was only 3 minutes slower than my first. I took a 3 minute break to change shoes and lubricate my toes before starting marathon number three.

Tossing bottles into my bucket for my wonderful crew (wife) to refill.

At this point it felt natural to run at a pace closer to 9:20-9:45 so I slowed down a bit. After another 10 miles or so however my stomach started to become uneasy and my head was getting woozy. I knew my hydration was out of balance from the heat. Salt was not tasting good so I thought I needed to get some plain water in me. After half walking some laps while drinking by lap 299 I could barely stand up because my head was spinning. I figured at this point I had evaluated my situation incorrectly and needed to get some electrolytes in me. I got some chips and my electrolyte drink and things started to feel better gradually. It took 31 minutes to cover two laps during this time.

Now I had ability to move, but my stomach was pleading me not to. So I got moving alternating running and running to just keep moving forward. I eventually hit the 3rd marathon mark of 78.6 miles at 13 hours and 14 minutes into the race. This marathon took 5 hours and 15 minutes to complete. I continued at this point alternating running and walking while eating chips and pizza. My pace was not fast by any means.

At 19 hours and 27 minutes I finally finished my fourth marathon (104.8 miles). At this point my body slowly started to feel better as then sun had been gone for a long time and I think my electrolyte levels were getting closer to normal. I would run some quicker laps sprinkled in until around 22 hours into the race when I really started to feel better. At this point my legs were way more fresh than they should be due to my other issues so I managed to keep sub 9:00 average pace for the last 11 miles. Here is the pace of my last 5 miles:

8:51

8:34

8:05

7:18

6:35

Through everything I did manage to finish with 128.3 miles which is only 5 miles short of my personal best. This was good enough for first overall at the race, I was not the only one affected by the heat. While this was not my best race, I felt like I had toughed it out as best I could and learned a good amount in the process.

Post-Race with my Excellent Crew Chief

Things that went well

Legs seemed to be in very good shape

No blisters on feet

Things that did not go well

Hydration

Reacting to hydration needs incorrectly

How would my race had gone if I knew from the start that I needed more electrolytes? I will not know until I get into a similar race situation. But I will learn and move on. A special thanks goes out to Kendra for all her help at this race and also to the race staff for the race. They were great in attempting to revive me in this race.

Ahnapee Summer Solstice 50 Mile - June 23 - Luxemburg, WI

Kendra and the kids were heading out of town for the weekend so I did what any dad with a weekend to himself would do... Find an ultramarathon to run! With just the one weekend I did not have much to choose from, but luckily there was a 50 miler just north of Green Bay that looked like a good option. It was only the second year offering an ultra marathon with the larger relay event, though the entire race is very small.

I was excited to speed up my training a bit and focus on a shorter race compared to my 12 hour and then 24 hour training. I got in a couple of relatively quicker marathons (3:20 and 3:18) and then a couple 50k runs (3:51 and 3:45) and felt ready to get a big PR on this flat course that is located on an old rail bed. My current PR was 6:47 on a hilly course in the Kettle Moraine, so I figured 6:30 or under should be doable.

At the start of the race my legs just felt like concrete. This usually subsides when I get loosened up 15 miles or so into my runs, but with the quicker pace they never loosened up. I held onto 7:30 pace through 35 miles leap frogging back and forth with the first place relay team. But then things quickly deteriorated. My legs started cramping. I would run as far as I could at about 9:00 pace until my legs cramped and then walked until they got back to a point where I could run again. 3 of my miles ended up over 10:00 during this stretch. I held it together just enough to squeak by with a 50 mile PR of 6:45, an average just over 8:00 per mile. I know I was capable of something faster, but this just was not my day. Since there were only three runners in the 50 mile this was good enough for my third first overall finish of the year.

Mines of Spain 100 Mile - October 17 - Dubuque, IA

After a less successful attempt at a short race I was ready to slow down and increase the mileage once again. As the years pass I seem to just enjoy the slower longer miles more and I think my body actually reacts better as well when not pushing the pace. A really good result at a 100 mile trail race had eluded me through my first few attempts, so I decided to sign up for the inaugural Mines of Spain 100 mile in Dubuque. Don't let the fact that it is in Iowa fool you, the race has five 20.2 mile loops that include a total of 14,000 feet of both elevation gain and loss.

Training for the race went very well as it did all year. I went for a long run between a marathon to a double marathon every week until the last weekend before the race. I focused my weekday runs on the Ice Age Trail while keeping most of my long runs on flatter roads and trails. I also did a three week strict low carb high fat diet leading into the race so that I could start the race in full fat burning mode.

The course is beautiful at this race. But this year was a very wet year in the region and the creeks that feed the mighty Mississippi River were overflowing across the trail in a few spots. I was anticipating ankle deep water in spots, but at the beginning of the race we were told those levels were now higher. So we had some decent water crossings, more to come on the later. It was drizzling at the start and I believe it was in the low 50s or high 40s, so people were eager to get the race started.

On the first loop we ran around the monument to get the view of the river.

 Right from the beginning I walked all steep hills. My focus was on a consistent moderate effort. There are plenty of hills, so I got some good walk breaks once we were into the Mines of Spain recreation area. Several other runners were ahead of me at the start, but I was purely focused on my pacing. Most of my miles were over 9:00 per mile pace even at the start. The course was very muddy, which did help keep my pace down. Then during mile 15 I entered what I thought was "the water section". It was probably just over ankle deep at this point in two 20 yard sections. I had to pass back through it a mile later on my return. Then shortly after I realized I had not yet reached the water. The water was actually knee deep and slowly rising with the rain.

The creek and trail had become one.

I made it through and the feet seemed to dry decently well within a few miles. I was glad I chose my medium weight merino wool socks for today, they dry well and still provide some warmth when damp. By the end of the first loop I had moved up to second place just a few minutes behind first. I filled up my Tailwind bottle and immediately left for my second twenty mile loop just ahead of the other lead runner. He passed me on the downhill section of paved trail at the beginning. The second loop went smoothly for me, I moved into first place about 6 miles into the loop. I continued to walk all steep hills while running the flats and downhills. When I got back to the wet section the water was a bit higher. Lap three was smooth as well until I once again got back to the wet section and this time it was now half way between my knee and hips.

I felt bad for runners with shorter legs since this cold water could not have felt great on parts I kept above water.

I am not sure how wet these other sections are most years, but I expect these are normally smaller.

The rest of the race is pretty boring to write about. I drank Tailwind, walked hills, and kept trucking along at a fairly even pace through all five laps. This is the longest race where I have managed to stay so consistent with no nutrition or hydration issues whatsoever. I finished in 17 hours and 45 minutes. Second place was 22 hours and 38 minutes. My previous best effort through three 100 mile trail race attempts was 23 hours and 47 minutes.

Lap breakdown
Lap 1 - 3:27:45
Lap 2 - 3:31:46
Lap 3 - 3:35:13
Lap 4 - 3:40:58
Lap 5 - 3:29:38

My average pace was 10:33 per mile which considering the course condition and all the water is a very good 100 mile pace for me. I credit getting a lot more miles on my legs this year and also being able to rely on fat to power my race. I consumed less than 2000 calories of Tailwind during the race and no food. This seems to be the best formula to keep my stomach happy.

Things that went well

Nutrition - Stomach was 100% the whole race. No food consumed.

Hydration - The cooler temps help, but my head was clear and stomach happy the whole race.

Feet - Even though being soaked all day, my feet were in good shape. Just one very small blister. My merino wool socks once again were a great option for a wet day.

Pacing - My fastest lap had an average pace of 10:17 per mile. My slowest lap had an average pace of 10:56 per mile. My last lap was my second fastest lap (really the same when you subtract filling my bottle at the beginning of it).

Things that did not go well

Nothing. Maybe I could have gone slightly faster on lap 4 when I was still holding back to prevent from running out of steam at the end of the race. Really though, this was likely the best race I have ever ran.

2018 Statistics

A couple of my races were smaller, but I ended the year with 4 first overall finishes and three course records. More importantly though, I had two out of four races that went exactly to plan. Before this year I had zero races over 50 miles that went exactly to plan.

Over the course of the year I had 46 unique runs of a marathon or further. The only weeks I did not go for a run of at least a marathon were the weeks immediately before and after a race. A couple weeks I ran more than one marathon. 23 of those runs were 40 miles or further. If a 52.4 mile run counts as two marathons then I ran 57 marathons this year. 

Keeping it consistent, a slower overall pace, and keeping my feet happy should hopefully be something I can build on in years to come.

What's Next?

Well, since I have had some success I decided to sign up for something I am more likely to struggle with. In February I am returning to the Jackpot Running Festival to do the 48 hour run this time. The longest time I have spent racing is 28 hours, so this will present some new challenges and I am ready for a learning experience. I am focusing on a long miles and even some practice walking since that will be a big part of the race. I also just started a 44 day low carb high fat diet to really get prepared for the caloric demands of this race.

I also signed up for the 24 hour race at the 6 days in the dome in Milwaukee in August. Some of the nation's best runners will be running the 6 day race there and it will be ideal conditions guaranteed in the Pettit Center for another shot at setting a 24 hour PR.

I am sure I will find another couple races to fill in the year, likely on trails.

More Ups and More Downs

Another year of ultra racing and another years of ups and down within races and throughout the year.

TBunk Endurance Challenge 50 Mile - November 5 2016

Last November (2016, I am awful at Blogging on time) I ran the 50 mile trail run at TBunk Endurance Challenge in the Kettle Moraine State Forest. I have run a handful of races on these trails and I am very familiar with them. From the start I was in the front of the race and this is probably the most boring race to write about since everything actually went as close to plan as it can in an ultra. There are 5 loops of 9.2 miles and then a last shorter loop of 3.66 miles to round out the 50 miles. With 150 calories of Tailwind each loop my laps were fairly steady.

Lap 1: 1:13:30
Lap 2: 1:12:55
Lap 3: 1:13:46
Lap 4: 1:13:58
Lap 5:  1:16:06
Short Lap 6: 35:46
Total: 6:46:01

This was only the third year of the race and my time was about 35 minutes faster than the prior course record. The short lap was not yet marked when I started it and I took a slight incorrect turn adding about a half mile extra by the time I realized it and backtracked, but everything else in the race went very smooth.

Jackpot Ultra Running Festival 24 Hour - February 18 2017

I wanted to have something to train for in the winter and since we have family in Las Vegas I signed up for a 24 hour run located in the area. The race is held at a park that has a 2.38 mile trail loop that is relatively flat and located about 30 minutes from my sister in law's place.

It can't be an event in Las Vegas without the Showgirls.

Training was interesting. I wanted to do some indoor running so that I was not doing all my training in sub 20 degree temperatures so I did my long runs on our treadmill. While I have historically avoided treadmill running at just about any cost, it was nice to have some time to catch up on sports. My longest run was an 8 hour double marathon treadmill run where using DVR I watched Roger Federer defeat Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams defeat her sister Venus in the Australian Open finals as well as an entire NBA game and a couple other shows.

One change is I started to wear Hoka One One shoes during this training. For anybody who has not tried them, they have a "rocker" shape and motion that makes your foot roll very easy and they also have a very thick sole with maximum cushion. Using these shoes I found that I had much less pain due to plantar fasciitis, but I did get some additional blisters on my toes. I decided to stick with these shoes for this training block and see how they work out.

As the race approached we realized for the second consecutive trip for us to Las Vegas (in November and now February) it was going to be warmer in Madison while we were in Vegas. The temperature for the race was in the low fifties and it rained for a large portion of the race. I don't mind a little rain and the cool temperature, but it rained enough that a part of the course that runs across an overflow channel into the park's reservoir had to be routed on the path over the culvert. This added two hills per lap which would really add up...

It is not supposed to be this wet in Las Vegas

The early laps of the race went smooth despite the rain as I settled in at around 9:00-9:30 pace.Thirty miles into the race the runner that had more impressive prior results than I left the course which left be in the front of the race. By about 50 miles in I was still feeling great and was building a decent lead so I decided today was a good day to go all-in and see what was possible. At the 12 hour mark I had already covered 75 miles. I had not changed shoes yet and the outside of my foot was really starting to hurt so I stopped and tried switching to my Altras. That only lasted a lap (2.5 miles) and I then tried my tried and true Asics. I ran\walked five miles in those and then switched back to a different pair of Hokas that I stayed with the rest of the way.

At this point things really slowed down. My aggressive pace had taken its toll and it was clear it would be a bit more of a struggle from here on out. After a 75 mile first 12 hours I managed 40 miles over the last 12 hours. There was a lot of walking. Kendra did the last 15 miles with me that were mostly walking with occasional jogging. I was really having to push myself to keep moving those last few hours and I was very glad to have Kendra there with me.

It was also great seeing Abbe and my nephew Max out on the course. It is nice doing a race where we can see family as well.

I think I could have ran more miles with a more even effort approach, but I really wanted to see with how well my training went what my limit really was. I still have a lot to learn about the 24 hour races and thought this was a fun race and good experience.

Ice Age Trail 50k - May 13 2017

After taking a couple weeks primarily off I shifted to starting to speed things up a little and start training for the IAT 50k. Training went well I was up to running trail marathons each weekend. I however have a bad habit of jumping down stairs a few at a time and at work on the concrete stairs I caught my foot and turned my ankle... badly. It was one of those with a loud popping sound. It was painful to walk for the next week and when I tried to do a short run one week before the race I made it three painful miles and had to throw in the towel. This race was my 3rd DNS bringing my total to 23 ultra registrations, 20 finishes, and 3 DNS.

Christmas in July 12 Hour - July 15 2017

By late May my ankle was holding up well running on even surfaces and I was able to build my mileage back up. I wanted to look for a summer race that was on even surface and not going to be scorching hot. I found a timed race in the Chicago suburbs called the Christmas in July. They have a 24 hour, 12 hour, 6 hour, and 5k. This race fit my criteria since the races all start on Friday night. Therefore the 12 hour race runs from 11PM to 11AM avoiding the worst heat of a July day.

This is a fun race environment. They have the entire venue decorated for Christmas with lights and inflatables. I got in the spirit and got some lights for my aid table that Kendra helped set up.

The race loop is just under 1 mile with one small hill. I started steady around 8:30 pace and I was able to hold that for the first 60 miles. Then it hit me pretty quickly and my legs started to revolt. I managed to alternate walking and running for the last 2.5 hours. I finished with 76.88 miles which was good enough for 1st place and a course record. I was glad to be done running because it was starting to really heat up.

Hennepin Hundred 50 Mile October 7 2017

Sticking with the theme of running on flat surfaces I decided giving a quick 50 miler a try. I started putting a bit more speed in my workouts and I was running a marathon around 3:15 each weekend. Then on a weekday run at the end of August I was pushing it hard at the end of 10 mile run (around 6:00 pace) and something happened in my left leg. It felt like I strained something in my left hamstring. My next attempt at a run was very painful so I shut it down for a couple of weeks. A couple weeks later it felt OK but I also tried to be very cautious. I managed to get in a couple of semi-long runs so I decided to give the race a try rather than a second DNS this year.

This run is a point to point with the majority of the 50 mile heading south along the Hennepin Canal. Unfortunately, there was a decent wind directly out of the south so we had to fight it most of the race. That combined with my body not really being ready and I started to slow down by mile 18. It was a long slog to drag myself through this race. There was a lot of walking.I finished with a time of 7:56:23 which is a pace of 9:32 per mile. About two minutes slower per mile than my original goal.

What's Next?

After taking some time to recover my training has gone very well in December and January heading into 2018. I am running the 12 hour race at the Jackpot Running Festival this year in Vegas in a next weekend and I feel great going into this race. I think I am in a good position to improve on my 12 hour this last summer and go for 80 miles. In May I am signed up to run another 24 hour race on a 400m track. We will see what I do from there, but I may take it easy on the speed work for a while. Maybe I am just getting too old for that...

I will try to report back with a Jackpot report in a couple weeks, but we will see.

Summer Racing

I have never ran more than two ultramarathons in a year (not counting training runs). This year I did three in the span of three months.

Kettle Moraine 100 Mile

On June 4th, 2011 I ran my first 100 miler at the Kettle Moraine 100 . The Kettle 100 is completely on trails with about 8800 feet of elevation gain and loss. That day eclipsed 90 degrees and at 77 miles into the race I spent 3 hours getting sick followed by a 23 mile walk into the finish with a time of 26 hours and 13 minutes.

On June 4th, 2016 I started the same race. This time around I had a lot more experience and my training this year has been great so my expectations were that I could get close to 20 hours with a great race or at a minimum a sub 24 hour finish if things did not go too smooth.

For training this year I stuck once again to running three days a week. Two runs very early in the morning on weekdays of 5-8 miles and then one long run on the weekend. My long run was a marathon or longer for nine consecutive weeks until I went shorter the week before the race. Additionally I half way did my low carb high fat diet throughout my training until I committed 100% to it for the last three weeks.

I have told people that the biggest thing I have learned so far in ultras is managing the high and lows of an ultramarathon since they are inevitable, especially in a race of 100 miles. So I will use a visual to describe this race.

My mental and physical state subjectively plotted on a scale of 1-10 with miles as the series.

At 81 miles I was in fifth place and closing in on fourth place. I finished 32nd after averaging over 26 minutes per mile including breaks over the last 19 miles. My final time was 23 hours and 47 minutes. In hindsight I may have been able to keep pushing, but I did not know what was happening to my body so I decided to shut it down. Racing in temperatures more than 20 degrees hotter than my hottest training run did me in once again. I chalked it up as a learning experience. The doctor guessed that my bladder was so empty that the walls were chafing against each other, I don't recommend that experience.

Dances with Dirt Devil's Lake 50k

My next race I was registered for was the Marquette 50 100k race in August. As I planned my training runs I realized I planned a marathon up at Devil's Lake on July 10th during the Dances with Dirt Devil's Lake race that starts at 5:30 AM. Since it is 45 minutes from my front door the convenience factor was too great to resist so I signed up for the 50k.

During the Kettle Moraine 100 I ran with someone (his name was Jeff) who was running primarily on a sports drink named Tailwind that is supposed to be very easy on the gut. I decided to go ahead and give it a try. It does taste good and I used it for my 50k. It was my third time doing this race and I finished 19 minutes faster than my previous best time and fourth place overall. Most importantly, I ran a good race with consistent effort feeling exhausted at the finish without falling apart towards the end. This is what I needed after the rough finish at Kettle. Nutrition worked well with only Tailwind, but honestly most things work in a 50k for me.

Marquette 50 100k

The Marquette 50 course is the toughest in regards to terrain (footing, not elevation change) that I have ever raced. I knew that going in thanks to some great GoPro YouTube videos out there of the race. My friends Alex and Scott were racing in the 50k so I was excited to see them while getting to race a new course.

The 100k is unique in that it starts at 12:30 AM. It is nice that I could finish closer to the 50k racers that start 5 hours later and for my wonderful family that could sleep through the first half of my race and then still come support me, but it does limit the amount of sleep one can get before the start. I managed to get almost 3 hours of sleep, woke up at 10:45 pm, and had a taxi drop of off in the middle of the woods just before midnight. The cab driver admitted it was not his average job.

For the first 5-6 hours there was a light drizzle here and there, but it was relatively dry as we completed the easier part of the course (relative to the four peaks later). I ran most of the first 22 miles with Matt and then found myself in the front while leaving to start the first of two "big loops" that are 20 miles each and contain four of what I like to call "Michigan Mountains". The first couple in the dark were interesting to navigate, but at least it was dry. Then it started to pour down rain as I approached the peaks known as Top of the World and Hogsback. Hogsback already has sections where you have to use your hands to climb up and in the downpour it gets a bit hazardous so there is no running on these sections. After making it down Hogsback in the rain I was done with my first big loop a couple of miles later and headed out for a second loop in the opposite direction. At this point I saw I had a three mile lead. I had to once again make it cautiously back over the rock covered peaks on the way back, but with tired legs I found myself falling and bloodied several times. When I reached a flat stretch along Lake Superior my legs still felt good and I found myself running 8:30 miles. I once again took my time over the last two peaks and finished with a time of 11:04 in first place overall.

Picture with the race director after the finish.

This is probably the smoothest any ultra has ever gone for me. The only thing I consumed during the race was about 1300 calories of Tailwind and I felt energized and had no stomach issues.My legs were feeling it a bit the last four miles, but I was not at all in a position where I fell apart towards the end. This race leaves me curious as to how far I can go on only this sports drink, I may need to sign up for another long race to test it out...

Since this was only the second year of the 100k at this race and I finished faster than last year's winner I now own a course record! I will say it is the first time I have owned a course record since I don't count an inaugural race when it gets broken the second year.

I need to mention a big thank you to Kendra, Carson, and Kinley for hanging out in the rain and tracking me down to see me a few times during this race despite the conditions. Even when things are going well it is awesome rolling into an aid station and having your family there.

What is Next?

Now that I seem to be recovering well (five days post-race) it is time to start signing up for more races! I will likely do one fall 50k or 50 mile close to home, there are a handful within a couple hours. The next big goal to work towards is a 24 hour race in Febraury... IN LAS VEGAS! It will be slightly different than my training for Tuscobia last winter, but I am excited to try another 24 hour race.

My Best Husky Impression

Now that it has been more than four months since my race and this has been 90% written for a few months it seems about the right time for a blog entry...

On January 9th I did a race very different than anything else I have attempted before. I headed to northern Wisconsin during the coldest time of the year to race 80 miles across a frozen snowmobile trail. The Tuscobia 150 has two distances, 80 miles and 160 miles. This is the first year it was not 75 and 150 so the name has not yet changed. There are three divisions, bike, ski, and run. A race like this has some mandatory gear requirements due to the extreme conditions. The required gear that I carried is:

Big Agnes Hahns Peak SL -20 Sleeping Bag

Big Agnes Air Core Insulated Mummy Sleeping Pad

MSR AC-Bivy

Reflective Vest - I chose one with a large front pocket to hold all my food.

3 Red Blinkies to Deter Snowmobiles from Running You Over

Black Diamond Polar Icon - I like putting the batteries on my back instead of head and four lithium AAs last all night.

Titanium Esbit Stove - The lightest possible stove to melt snow for water in an emergency.

Esbit Tablets

Toaks Titanium 550 mL Pot - Lightest possible pint pot

Stormproof Matches

Lard - You are required to finish with 3000 emergency calories. Most people take a jar of peanut butter. I chose 334 grams of lard since it is the lightest possible 3000 calories.

The required gear keeps you from freezing if you have to stop on the trail. Of course the goal is to keep moving and finish the race. Here is the rest of my gear/clothing:

Northern Sled Works Racing Pulk - The same thing every man asks for on his 30th birthday.
PVC Poles - Homemade with eye bolts on the end caps. Crossed for more control.
Old hip belt - I bought an old pack for $5 at a garage sale years ago and ripped off the belt.

Black Diamond Z Trekking Poles - Helps to keep moving forward with less than ideal footing.

Salomon Skin Pro 3 - This pack fits very compact against my body so it fits nicely on top of my base layer and under my jacket. Wearing this water pack inside my jacket keeps it from freezing.

Generic Fleece Facemask

Smartwool Neck Gaiter - Can rotate it as it freezes up.

Outdoor Research Svalbard Beanie - Has windstopper material around ear band, very warm.

Icebreaker Sprint - I am in love with merino wool as a base layer. There is no other option in my mind.

Marmot DriClime Jacket - My favorite running jacket. It is all I need on top of my base layer down to zero degrees if I am moving well.

Patagonia Nano Air Hoody - This is the best overall jacket I have ever owned. It is a great insulation layer to add when I start slowing down. It is very lightweight and has a great hood.

Westcomb Shift LT Hoody - A hard shell when things get wet or I need extra wind protection. The Neoshell is very comfortable compared to some other materials.

Brooks Running Mittens - I have had these a long time. They have been repaired at least once, but they are warm by themselves down to zero when running a good pace.

Outdoor Research Alti Mitts - The ultimate mittens. Just the Gore-Tex shells are really warm. Add the Primaloft inners and you should have toasty fingers in temperatures well below zero.

Icebreaker Oasis Leggings - Once again merino wool as the baselayer.

Nike Drifit Running Pants - I have had these for ten years.

Marmot Stretch Fleece Pant - Insulation layer to add when it gets cold or I slow down.

The North Face Thermoball Snow Pant - This is the emergency insulation layer if I need it. It results in less mobility though.

Smartwool Ultralight Sock - Merino base layer of course.

RAB VB Socks - Pretty much a plastic bag. It creates a warm and sweaty micro-climate for my feet.

Woolie Boolie - These are the socks I run in year around and I use them as my insulation layer.

Asics GT 1000 3 GTX - The Gore-Tex version of my tried and true running shoes. This keeps my insulation layer dry from the outside while the VB sock keeps it dry from the inside.

Outdoor Research Wrapid Gaiters - Keeps snow from getting to my ankles.

IceSpikes - Ten of these in the bottom of each shoe guarantees no slippage.

Now I can finally get to the start of the race. Most people stay in the town of Rice Lake where the race finishes. At 7:00 AM a bus takes the 80 mile racers to the town of Park Falls. After just over two hours the bus arrives at the start and everyone has time to get organized in the school gym before the 10:00 AM start. At the race start I believe the temperature was in the teens which would be the warmest it got for the race. The race starts for a little stretch through town and you are quickly on the beginning of the Tuscobia snowmobile trail. The trail is groomed and packed down by snowmobiles which makes for a good surface for dragging a sled. The fat tire bikes took off and were out of sight quickly. The few skiers mingled in with the runners. I was averaging 12-13 minute miles while alternating jogging and walking. The first 34 miles went very smooth and I averaged 13:48 over this stretch. At 34.75 miles is the only checkpoint of the 80 mile race and I arrived there around 6:00 PM. Kendra and Carson were there to greet me.

I knew from here on out I would only slow down now that I had been dragging a 21 pound sled for 8 hours and it was already getting colder so I took advantage of the warm building at the checkpoint to put on my Marmot stretch fleece pants under my running pants. I also made sure my nano air hoody was strapped on top of my gear for easy access. I ate a grilled cheese sandwich, refilled my snacks (nutty bars and little frozen wienies), and refilled my water bladder with my VegaSport electrolyte mix. 18 minutes had passed quicker than I realized, but I headed out to take on the remaining 45+ miles.

After getting the body heat back up, my body started to get tired as expected and I started to slow down. The body temperature drops with the lower effort level so I put on my Patagonia Air Hoody and Arctic Mitts with the inners. The temperature outside was dropping quickly and there was also a little breeze. My miles were now between 17 and 20 minutes each. While the mitts were keeping my fingers warm, I was struggling a bit when I had to take them out of the mitts to eat, drink, or adjust clothing. I wish I had put everything on and arranged it nicely while in the building because right now my facemask/neck gaiter/hood were a frozen twisted mess and I did not want to remove my mitts long enough to fix it. I really wanted one more warm place to stop and collect myself. I knew the town of Birchwood was my best bet, but I did not have it in me to get out my phone's map I prepared to check the distance. So I kept trudging along hoping every light in the distance would be Birchwood. As it got later I knew my chances of getting into a building were slim since the pizza place and gas station/convenience store had closed.

After what seemed like an eternity I reached the town of Birchwood after 3:00 AM. When I saw the owner of Paul's Pizza Den waving me towards his restaurant I was beyond excited. There was a 160 mile biker currently stopped there that was having issues keeping his toes warm. The owner proceded to give me a hot chocolate that was heavenly at this point. I took off most of my clothes and rearranged them nicely, tucking them in appropriately and getting everything just right. I drank and ate since I had been avoiding that to keep my hands warm. After about 30 minutes and a big thank you I packed up and headed out again. In the time I was there several others had also stopped there for a break.

Immediately after leaving I felt rejuvenated and put together a few good miles. Then my body remembered exactly what it had been doing for the last 19 hours and once again things slowed down. My back was getting pretty sore, pulling the sled was putting stress on places I do not normally have issues with when running. At this point the wind chill was also approaching negative 30 degrees. These last 16.5 miles were tough. I did not eat or drink anything and just kept moving fast enough not to turn into an icicle. My average pace over this section was around 20:00. The official finish is inside of the KOC hall since nobody wants to sit around outside. I finished with a time of 23:09 which was good for 5th place. 20 of the 36 runners to start the 80 mile finished.

Afterthoughts:
My gear all worked out pretty well. I would like to perfect a way though to eat a few more calories while keeping even my arctic mitts on. This was a new challenge and a way to actually get excited about winter and snow. I learned a lot and there is a lot of room for improvement if I decide to do the race again. I already promised Kendra I will not be doing the 160 next year.

Since I took so long to make this post I am already two weeks out from my next race, the Kettle Moraine 100 mile run on June 4th. Training has gone very well and I will try to get a race report out a little quicker this time.