2018 Icebox 480

6^th Icebox 480 11/3/18, River Falls, WI. Whitetail Ridge Mountain Bike Trail

This was my second time running this event (first was in 2015). Drove down with my neighbor and it was a bit chilly out (34°), but clear with dry trails. Picked up our bibs and hat/sticker at 7:15am (still before it was light out), set out our drop bags, and hung out in the car for another 30mins.

Pre-race

After a short announcement, with very little warning, we were all off! I began walking/shuffling for the first few minutes, until we were finally spread out enough to run. After a few more minutes, I was still going just a bit too slowly behind a few runners, so I moved ahead and it was much better – just a comfortable run out in the woods.

1^st lap: easy pace. Leaves down, good trail conditions (dry). Look at timing for aid station (~52min). Quick text to Elenia, refill with water and out after 1:12. Still ahead of Finn by 5min?

2^nd lap: Still good. Was going by quickly. Toilet, text, refill with Gatorade. Out after 1:16 (2:28 total)

3^rd lap: Hamstring start getting sore. Thought about telling Elenia to not bother, that I wasn’t going to run the whole time. Wondered if I would have to just walk the rest. Out after 1:19 (3:48 total)

4^th lap: slowed some, but felt no worse. Still moving well. Twisted left ankle early, but not affect run. Kicked a few roots (all day). Still 5-10 mins ahead of Finn. Out after 1:27 (5:16 total)

5^th lap: pit stop half way. Finn pass after mid-Aid station. Moving ok, but slower. Thought may do 1-2 laps. Felt rubbing on back of left heel-adjust shoe twice during lap. Try and change shoes after lap, Would not fit…put same ones back on (no blister at all). Out after 1:34 (6:50 total).

See Elenia/CC. Try and change shoes, not fit, so back out for short laps. Decide I want to run until time is up, with no pit stops. Loop times: 12:33,11:34,12:02,12:07,11:58. Wanted 40 miles, and got it, ending at 7:51:06. Missed going out for 41 miles by 3 minutes. Male/Female leaders flying for last lap. Male finished with 56miles, 8 seconds under cutoff, then collapsed.

(No other photos...didn't wear my vest - so no place to carry my phone!)

2018 (37th) Twin Cities Marathon Race Report

Known as the ‘Most Beautiful Urban Marathon in America’ as it goes point-to-point from downtown Minneapolis to the state capitol in St. Paul, MN, it lived up to its reputation. I did not realize the amount of community/crowd support though, and that is what I will remember about this event. Weather was just about perfect - ~44° at the start, only rising a few degrees, and clouds all day. 2 friends from South Carolina came up to run it with me and we got the start in time to hit the port-a-johns and drop off our drop bags (longer lines for those actually!). 

Expo photo op

I got situated in Corral 2 and they started us off about 8:07am. It was quite crowded to start, then it narrowed a little and I was able to actually walk a few times to keep up. Finally we spread out and I settled into a comfortable pace. Having missed mile marker 1 (and not knowing what they looked like), just continued on that pace.

pre-race

Legs felt fine-more fresh than not. Guess taper worked as I had ramped down after three 19.6 mile runs in 5 weeks to 16.5 and 7.2. I traveled to Massachusetts the week before the race, so only ran 2 on Wednesday and 4 after I returned on Friday morning.

By mile 2, I had removed my buff (kept hat on) and thin gloves - both going into my jacket pocket, then my light jacket got tied around my waist, and left me running in my favorite Harbison 50k shirt (One guy actually called it out during the race!), compression shorts under my Brooks shorts, fitsok socks, and CEF calf sleeves. My newer (~27miles on them) Asics 2000-5 were broken in just enough. I was comfortable the whole way.

Hit 5k in 28:16 (9:06 pace) so was right where I wanted to be (right at 9:00 was my goal-pace to see how long I could maintain that).

I came across one of my SC friends (the other was way ahead as expected) soon after that – just happened to see her directly in front of me! We spoke for a minute, then I guess I just continued on. I looked around quite a bit and enjoyed the scenery as we made our way to the lakes: Lake of the Isles at mile 3, Bde Maka Ska at mile 5, and Lake Harriet at mile 7. Saw some school friends cheering around Lake Harriet, so that was a very nice surprise. Had come thru 10k in 56:00, so sped up a bit that second 5k and was closer to my 9:00 goal pace.

Stopped to refill my water bottle with lemon-lime Gatorade near here too…took about 5+ cups to fill it up as I walked through the aid area. Course was pretty constantly turning left and right, and I always took the tangents. Course was plenty wide enough so there was room to move around.

I was taking a split every mile marker (missed a few early ones) and they were inconsistent the first 8 miles (8:55,8:51,9:15,8:34,7:56). Had taken my vanilla Gu at 45min and took an s-Cap! somewhere after mile 8. My pace evened out from then on and I just plugged away.

Crowds were really incredible! I hadn’t thought about it, but people were everywhere. People out on their lawns having parties, lining the streets practically the whole way. Many people on bikes (rollerblades, etc) following their people. I stayed occupied looking at the signs (‘You run better than the government’, ‘Your pace or mine’, ‘531 miles to Wall Drug’, ‘Tap to Power up’, to name a few). They were so encouraging and I gave many little kids high 5’s that each gave me a boost.

Miles 9-16: pace was somewhat steady: 8:55, 9:05, 8:48, 8:53, 9:04, 9:01, 8:44, 9:02. There were a few slight inclines and gentle downhills, but nothing worth noting – head down and plod along; It did make for a good change of pace. Looking at the elevation chart, it was overall downhill thru here (a net drop of ~100ft). Had another Gu at about mile 10, probably refilled my Gatorade again around (maybe?) mile 13 and hit halfway in 1:57:47 – exactly my goal pace.

Took a Clif Shot (vanilla) at mile 17 (and another s-Cap! and more Gatorade somewhere!) and then started mentally running marker to marker. Wasn’t a struggle, but that’s just where I was – I knew it would at some point be more difficult to manage this pace. We crossed the bridge over the Mississippi into St. Paul and the crowds were still going strong! I forgot to mention the music…aside from stereos blasting tunes (the Macarena, AC/DC, Tom Petty, Runaround Sue, etc), there were people out with their horns (theme from ‘Rocky’, Eye of the Tiger, etc), steel drums, a guy with bagpipes, and more. Then there were the churches and their loud bells tolling as we went past. Loved them all, and what extra motivation they gave. I always make it a point to thank the volunteers, even if I don’t take aid, even those shoveling up the empty cups, and also the policewomen and men. A few others did, but never as many as I expect should.

I knew the road generally rose as we went from 20-23, and none were too steep. My miles from 17-21 were all around 9:15, and finally, at Mile 21, I stopped running and walked some, but for no more than 30 seconds. I had come thru 20 miles in 3:00:37. Assumed at that point that I’d slow down, because I Always have, and 4 hours would not happen (not that I ever really considered it). I took a nature break around mile 22 (I had considered one from the very beginning, and even ran off course to some toilets early in the race but they were occupied, so kept on). Mile 22 was 10:19. Around this time I was also starting to get twinges of a cramp coming on, but they stayed away. I had no physical discomfort at all until my right shoe felt a bit tight at the top of my ankle around Mile 23, but it was not worth stopping for.  Mile 23: 9:42 and overall 3:29:54. Hmm, 3.2 miles in 30 minutes?…if I push, maybe I could break 4? Took a short walk break and pushed on. Started to really focus on the area right ahead of me – the ground, people’s feet, a point in the distance – but every now and then, gave another high five out and got a boost.

Around Mile 24, having been running down Summit Ave for 2 miles already, and having had an eye open for my wife since the halfway point, I finally saw her and my daughter (with another class family)! Ran by and said hello, gave some high 5’s, and pushed. I had decided at mile 24 (9:20 / 3:39:14) I hadn’t had this opportunity in a Long time, and may not again. I was going to go for it. People were cheering, I gave more high 5’s, there were more church bells. Even grabbed a donut hole (cinnamon powder covered, but the powder was not ideal!). Mile 25 in 9:32 / 3:48:47. Kept telling myself that 10 minute miles wouldn’t do it, so maybe it wouldn’t happen, but I had to try.   

Looked for the cathedral, where I knew the downhill began to the finish line. That was my goal. There was another man playing bagpipes, and then the St. Paul Cathedral bells were going off. I rounded the bend at the top and I could see the finish. I had 2:30 to get there to break 4. Thought I could do it (visually, seemed possible), so pushed a little more, hoping cramps would stay away.

Checked my watch one more time with 45 secs left and knew I had it! Started to finally smile. I had only broken 4 hours one time (3:53), Charlotte in Dec 2009 in my 4^th marathon. I was faster then, doing speedwork, but was putting in more miles now, 9 years later and 9 years older.

finishing chute

I finished in 3:59:40 and was absolutely thrilled!!

Walked thru the finishing chute, collected my finisher medal and shirt, grabbed a space blanket, and then chocolate milk and vegetable broth, and for later, protein bar, chips, Gatorade. Got my checked bag and found my wife/daughter and texted with my brother.

Still walking on air as we watched our other friends who had yet to finish (our one SC friend finished in 2:58!). We all did better than expected and had nothing but good things to say about the course and people on the course. It will go down as one of my best races, and one of my favorite (maybe just behind NYC, but it did feel more personal here).

This was my 134^th race, 13^th Marathon (12^th in 10 years), and 37^th marathon/ultra distance (36^th in 10 years). Still on pace for 50 marathons/ultras before I’m 50.

Stats:

 (Very happy with the 'Passed' stats, and this was my fastest last 10k and 2nd half of my marathons)

2018 Afton 50k Trail Race (25th Annual!)

25^th Afton 50k

Went in to this event feeling ok about my training, if not a little lacking some longer runs. I was worried about a knee issue that had popped up, but I wasn’t sure if it was due to running or not. Turned out – didn’t crop up at all. Must be another case of phantom issues during taper.

Race morning was sunny, not as cool as I’d hoped, and bug-free (for me at least; everyone seemed to be applying enough bug spray to ward them off, so maybe they were around?). Start temp was ~65°, but got up to about 78°, with 80% humidity.

Race started right at 7:30 and we started on a downhill, a flat, then the first uphill that most people walk. Me included! 

I’ve run this course so much, I knew what to expect. I went out comfortably, maybe pushing just a bit. I knew my training times for one loop, as well as my 2015 race splits (training times were a good minute per mile slower this year compared to 2015), and was hoping for about a 6hr finish. First miles are never good, but I didn’t feel ‘weak’ at least. 2^nd hour is usually when I start feeling decent, and that’s about when I settled in, although I did tweak my ankle ~1hr into the race.


Skipped the first 2 aid stations as I wore my UD vest (and water/Gatorade mixture), but did stop at the 3rd AS by the river. So much was going on, that I didn't really see what all they had there. After less than a minute - I was back out on course after 1:02 (and 6.4mi)

I ran the rest of the first loop pretty well...staying just under 10min miles. Ran well thru the campground and down by the river and up the meat grinder. Slowed some that last section after AS5. Made it halfway in 2:47 (still consistently 1min/mi slower than my 2015 race, where I ran the first half in 2:32) and took a few minutes to get my stuff together for loop 2.
The 2nd half started with my inner/lower thighs trying to cramp up. It was on and off for awhile, but I trudged on.
2nd loop is always slower, and I alternated walking and running as the terrain dictated.
Made it to the 3rd AS on the 2nd loop in 1:22 (4:10 total).

(I'm writing this part WAY after the actual race, so have very few details other than my splits...)

I did share a few miles with another guy. He was certainly stronger than me and soon pulled away.

After fighting cramps towards the end, I did finish in 6:15:53!

On the following day, my hips, thighs, and shins were all slightly sore, but was able to do my typical day-after walk. 2 days later I was fine except for the upper part of my left ankle being sore (and there was some bruising there after the race).
2 weeks later I was back to running 14 miles and feeling fine - back to training for the Twin Cities Marathon in early October

2018 Harbison Trail 50k Race Report

8^th Harbison 50k Race Report   Saturday January 7, 20018

The 8^th running of the Harbison 50k was the coldest one yet, with start temps in the mid-to-upper teens. The snow that hit the SC coast stayed away, and the course was in good shape. I came into this event with decent training, at least until 3 weeks before when the frigid temps hit Minnesota (below zero without the wind!). The two weeks before the race I ran a total of twice (under 10mi total). My legs were certainly fresh for the race! The other issue I have been having has to do with shoes…my Hoka Challenger ATRs that I had tried out in August worked well, but was getting up there in mileage (~550). Running 15+ miles in snow with yak trax and then testing out a newer model left me with a sore big left toe. Seems the newer Hokas put a little too much pressure there. I ended up trying out some shoes I had bought last year, mistakenly buying a different model than my usual. So I tried out some Asics 1000 GTX. Even with only 4 runs in them before I traveled south, I decided that was the best option I had. Another weird pain showed up once I got to SC. I am guessing it was from walking to work in my work shoes a couple of days, but the soles of my feet were sore for the 3 days leading up to the race. I was honestly getting nervous. (Soreness ended up disappearing that Friday)

Day before the race was busy as I worked, went to Augusta, GA to visit family, then went to Columbia for packet pickup and stay the night at the race hotel. All was good for the race as I got a ride from a friend from Greenville (Michael) that I hadn’t seen in a few of years – always good to catch up with him. Met our friend Terry and eventually made it to the starting line (after almost forgetting my water bottles in my drop bag).

So Michael and I started off together at an easy pace down the gravel road and into the woods. We stayed together until the 1^st aid station. I didn’t realize people’s water lines were freezing until Michael mentioned it a few miles in. It slipped my mind to tell people to have it underneath one layer of clothing. That is one thing I learned quickly after moving to MN almost 3 years ago.

2 hrs before start at the hotel.

So we hit AS1 in 58min, where I grabbed a few chips and a cookie and walked out while I ate. I’d see Michael on some switchbacks for the rest of the loop, so I knew he was always only a couple of minutes behind. I really expected to see him later on. There were still a few people nearby at this point.

The 2^nd AS had been moved further from where it had been the last 2 years (due to a locked gate). I had planned to run with just one hand-held bottle, but with this change (and having already traveled south without my UD vest), I borrowed a 2^nd handheld from another friend. That made me feel much more comfortable (I drink a good bit when I run).

I ran solo for much of this, only one or two times spending any significant time near people. Passed Terry thru here as she ran the 25k.

It was about an hour to where the previous AS had been, then the ~15 min loop, and another 10 min to where AS2 now was. Still feeling fine. (2:23 overall) A wonderful volunteer filled up a bottle with Gatorade as I grabbed my usual PB&J square, chips, and Oreo and kept moving. I moved ok thru here for a while. My legs were a getting a little tired (and some minor groin soreness), so I walked some of the gentle hills as I eventually caught up to another 25k runner. We had a similar pace for a while, then she unfortunately took a spill while in sight of the finish area. She was fine. Found out later that she wasn’t the only one – Terry had also fallen near there and scraped her face. So I got to the halfway in 2:57. Was slower than last year by 5 minutes. Didn’t need anything in my drop bag, so grabbed some food, had some (too hot) soup, and got back on the trail (just missing Terry and Michael, who were within 3 minutes of me).

2^nd loop started with a walk as I ate, then an alternating walk/run. I was still moving decently, passed a few runners and got passed by a few early on. In my mind, I was a bit slower thru here since I ran practically all of the first section the first time thru. I ended up 17 minutes slower as my right knee started to feel it. It always seems to appear during this race – it has to be because of the winding trail and I have no trails that mimic that – my legs are on the weak side. You’d think I’d learned my lesson after so many races here. Anyway – about 20 miles in after 4:12. (Note – creek prior to the AS was completely dry this year, whereas last year I had to jump and it was still ankle deep).

This section after AS1/4 usually feels endless, but I was prepared this time and moved better on the downhills/flats. Saw fewer and fewer runners. Ran this entire section 14 minutes slower than lap 1 – which was a huge relief as last year there was a 23min slowdown!

I don’t think anyone passed me on the last section. It seemed shorter than the first time thru, which is always a pleasant surprise! I was checking the time and was hopeful to break 6:30. I only knew my 33min section for lap 1 was going to be closer to 40, but I am clueless as to knowing where I am in relation to the finish until I see it.

Ended up just under 6:31 on my watch (6:31:03 by the clock). Someone did come up behind me on the last trail section and told me to bring it in…he tried a sprint past me at the end, and probably technically beat me by a half second, but they gave it to me…didn’t make any difference.

I was very happy to see my wife and daughter at the finish. They support my running and allow me to do my long runs on Sunday morning guilt-free.

So finish #8 here! Race 131 overall. 22^nd ultra and 34^th race of a marathon or longer. 50 (marathon or longer) before age 50 is still possible, but will need to do more than the 2 I ran in 2017.  I have plans anyway…