2022 10th Icebox 480 Race Report

Saturday November 5, 2022 was the 10th running of the Icebox 480 (or new for this year, the Icebox 240). I had signed up for the 8 hr event (not the 6 hr) in River Falls, WI. I had run this event in 2015, and then from 2018-2021. 

The year training-wise was not great. After Harbison, there was snow and cold and I used the rowing machine more than I ever had for a couple of months. Ramped up my running mileage starting in April, but in early June - had an issue that ended up derailing most of the rest of the year. Was doing my normal 2 loops 97.1mi) around Lake Phalen and around mile 6, just under my left toe became really sore. Hadn't ramped up too much or too fast, didn't recall stepping on anything. Hobbled home, felt fine walking two days later, biked and rowed that week. Seemed ok -and ran 10.3 2 weeks later - no issues other than a sore hamstring, nothing bad.

The following Friday (June 24th) - same issue at mile 6. Little more time off, walking without any issue, and two runs later - again after 3 miles. Bruising all around the left big toe each time - pretty significant.

Biked, rowed, and hiked for July. Drove to Chicago for a wedding in early August and at my cousin's house when the bruising and soreness (nd swelling) returned just while in their place. Stopped by urgent care on the way back in St Paul the next day and got x-rays that showed nothing. 

In Sept and Oct - hiked, rowed, and ran some single and a few double loops around the lake. Honestly - forgotten about my toe.

Pre-Race

Back to the event - this year's event still had the flexible start times (6am-8am), and I started at 7:40am, waiting a little after the 6:55am sunrise. It was chilly at 37° and I started out with my standard gray Harbison t-shirt, light blue jacket, long tights and running shorts. Ran the first loop with just my handheld water bottle and finished the 5.65mi loop in 1:02. (Course was shortened due to some trail work). Took 2 minutes for a pitstop and swapped out my bottle for my UD hydration vest (with water/Gatorade), and headed right back out. Legs felt OK. 

My plan going in, due to my being undertrained - was to run 2 full loops, then power hike the next 3 loops in order to get just over 28 miles. Then possibly - do one more loop (for 33.9 miles), and maybe squeeze out two more 1-mile loops to get 35.9 miles and get over 200 total lifetime Icebox miles! I felt that was very possible.

That lasted about 52 more minutes and my left toe became sore. oh yeah - I forgot about that...oops. I walked the rest of the loop, and my foot also became sore from my gait change. There was no reason to continue and I ended at 2 loops, 11.65mi after 2:15:19. (I was thankful I had done the Harbison 50k race in Jan and get that ultra finish for 2022!)

First race I had not 'finished' what I had set out to do, even if it did not count as a true DNF. 

Swelling dissipated after 2 days although the bruising lasted 5 days. Oddly - I crewed my brother for his 24 hour World's Toughest Mudder event the following weekend in Atmore, AL (near Pensacola, FL) - walked about 29 miles, and had No issues. None.

I did see other doctors at different points, until one finally took one look at the original x-ray and said oh - you have a bone spur, and combined with arthritis in your toe - is causing this. Put up with the pain as you can, but nothing can really be done t=right now as it's not interfering with your daily life. Whatever...

Rowed more than ever (over 250,000m total for Apr/May), gained weight, and didn't run for 5+ months.

(Found my pictures!)

stress fracture?

So that minor foot pain that cleared up for a couple of days? I went out for 5-10 miles last Saturday (before the snow fell, we got ~3"!), yes, Christmas Day, and didn't get 100 yards before I felt the pain in my foot. Not bad, but there. I ended up only running 7 from my house. It's now Monday evening and the pain is still there. I can pinpoint it exactly, and it flares up (slightly) when I walk on it. After last week - it is obvious I need more than 3-4 days off of it. I was back in the gym this morning like I did twice last week, just to keep some sense of shape, even if it is not running shape.
Now the question's are:
1. Do I go to the doctor and spend the $100? (Thinking yes, but after Jan 1st when the FSA kicks in).
Assuming I do need to take off ~4-6 weeks...
2. Harbison 50k? Thinking not right now. Sad.
3. Myrtle Beach? Doubtful. Blah.

Really has me feeling this whole year coming up will be shot. Ok - maybe just the first half. I'll be just shy of 1500 miles for 2010 and disappointed my only long races were a marathon and a 50k. I know not running for 4 weeks really affected my stamina back in the summer.
Happy Holidays.

Training setback, but recovering!

Had to attend Greenbuild in Chicago Tue-Fri last week, working a booth. Long days on my feet, very little time to work out. My foot issue did Not get better and I still wasn't sure what was wrong. Tues, Wed and Thurs were spent standing at the booth with a couple of free moments hobbling around the expo. The pain was on the bottom (reminiscent of my single 1 week bout with what was likely Plantar Fasciatis), but also along the outer part and just below the ankle.
Was getting a little restless as each day passed. Got back home Friday, that being my 6th straight day of not working out. Strangely, for no real reason, my foot pretty much stopped hurting.
Saturday I went for a run, doing 6+ miles of hills. My legs certainly did Not have what they did the last few weekends. Cardio has suffered too. Foot? Just fine - go figure. Other than some soreness in my right hamstring, came thru it ok. We'll have to see how quickly I can start really training for Myrtle Beach and the Harbison 50k. Was supposed to crank it up this weekend into next week.

The toe that won't bend

Don't worry about that - it is nothing new.
5 years or so ago, I broke/dislocated the 2nd toe on my right foot playing softball. There's a story about that, but I'll skip it this time. The end result (even with physical therapy) was that the middle joint will not bend much at all. Doesn't hurt - that is just the way it is.
So, that last root-kick I did at the Camp Croft Half Saturday around mile 12 that almost stopped me in my tracks? Yep - that was the toe that took the brunt of it. That afternoon it was already turning colors. Purple at the bottom of the nail, then a light brown color with a darker ring at the joint. Hurts a bit to the touch, but I think the fact that it doesn't bend, even though that likely played a part in it hurting Saturday, also makes it not hurt when I walk. I barely feel it - so that is just fine!
BUT - the bottom (outside) part of that same foot is sore to even walk on. Started Sunday, and made me skip my run this morning. Heading to Chicago tomorrow until Friday morning, with likely very little time to run anyway, so I may have another 5-6 days off in a row. Can't say I like the sound of that. Bringing some treadmill-ready running clothes just in case I feel better. 10+ hours a day on my feet may not help the situation though (working a booth at Greenbuild).
We'll see.
Still have 2 weeks to register for Paris Mtn 20k and ~3 weeks before Harbison 50k. (To beat the early entry fees anyway!).

X-rays, orthotics, Blue Ridge Relay

Forgot to mention yesterday - x-rays of the foot are very cool. Would have been interesting to see one of my right foot and the dislocated/broken toe that I had (surgically) fixed many years ago and I can barely bend. But even with no fractures (thankfully), it's still neat. Almost like a road map - I can just look at it and not get bored. I actually considered moving the mouse to knock the screensaver off the computer in the doctor's office while I waited for him to review it with me, but somehow, I resisted.
Orthotics seem to be helping (and the frozen peas I'm using to ice it in the evenings) as it feels better now after 6 hours in them today. Not sure about running in them...may test them out tomorrow before my 15k trail run. I'm going to it - and I expect to run as well. So many variables...my old trail shoes with 450+ miles on them or my new ones with only 3.5 miles? And that was just hiking. Water bottle or my camelbak? Now that I am not needing to train with the camelbak, maybe just the one bottle. I assume there will be at least one water stop?
I have no idea as to the terrain, hills, etc, so I have no clue as to how long it will take me. At this point, I am hoping to finish.
Our Blue Ridge Relay team (Do Not Resuscitate) got active today looking at the leg summary. They have (corrected) the elevation profiles, so they may actually be accurate this year. My legs from 2009 certainly look harder with the new charts - and they've changed the Moderate one to Hard to match the other 2 legs I ran as Runner 11. I'll post them sometime...

Sesamoiditis?!

So there are these two little extra bones under the big toe and they can get irritated (so I've now found out). This is sesamoiditis in a nutshell. I guess it isn't terrible news. I was given an orthotic to wear increasingly more until I can wear it all day - that will take some of the weight off that joint of my foot. Sounds like I can run as long as I can put up with the pain. As it was never too bad to run, my 15k trail race this Saturday is definitely a maybe right now.
(This "pain" began 3 days after my 50k, during my second recovery walk)

More guest's this weekend and next week - so back to sporadic posting when the computer room is free.

Doctor Appointment made

So I have a doctor appointment for Thursday to get my foot checked out. As my normal Orthopaedist** is booked for the next 6 weeks (I see him every few years), I found a new one and got an appt for this Thursday morning. Downloaded the 10 page "New Patient" paperwork - wow, was that a workout to complete!
Seriously - after a weekend off, back to the stationary bike and assorted workouts this week.

Results Thursday. Cross your fingers.


**He's the one that repaired my broken/dislocated toe back in 2003 - I wish it was more exciting, but it was playing shortstop in softball. Just landed wrong jumping for a line drive. Still got the ball on the next grounder to me before hopping to my car and driving to the ER.  

Needing a break?

I got my 2 hour run in last weekend at Paris Mountain - just an added benefit of having the in-laws in town! It went rather well - two loops around the upper lake, 2nd one only about 4 minutes slower than the first. I thought I was taking it a bit easy on the first loop, but after comparing my times to previous trips out there - it was pretty much the same. My trail running shoes (Asics 2120T; yes, three versions ago) now have about 450 miles on them and are definitely showing some serious wear. As a late birthday present - I went ahead and bought some Asics 2150T's online! Got them this week and am looking forward to trying them out. This week's runs went fine, but my left foot/toe joint is starting to bother me again, so I am considering taking off 2 full weeks. With Marathon Training set to begin just after that - it seems like I might as well do that now while I can afford to. I can still cross-train. The question is - do I do my planned 16 miles this Sunday (up at Dupont State Forest while my friend mountain bikes) or start my hiatus now? I'd love to get the mileage in, but I can get back to running sooner if I start now. I just hate Not running!
The River Bound 15k is in 2 weeks, so I could get started back up then. It's always easier running on trails coming off a break (I can make running on trails be a positive in ANY situation!). I could even start some weight training these 2 weeks...
I think I've officially called off the Triple Lakes Trail Marathon or 40miler. I have to finish Marine Corps this year - 10 years after I 1st registered for it and couldn't go due a hamstring injury (and serious lack of training, or knowing what I was getting in to!). Just don;t see myself recovering well enough to do it 3 weeks later. I will continue to put it on my calendar for next year, and maybe it will work out. (The Frosty 50k up in Winston-Salem in early January is looking  better all the time though!)
Some non-running notes: Been loving the World Cup as it's going on right now in South Africa - brings back wonderful memories of my 1994 trips to Orlando (5 games) and Dallas for the Brazil-Netherlands Qtrfinal match. Tomorrow starts another excellent event - the Tour de France. It's easy to want to follow it, especially with George Hincapie calling Greenville his hometown!

Am I an Ultrarunner?

I'm taking at least this week off from running after the foot pain increased, and may possibly stretch it into next week, but I am really hoping it feels good enough sooner than that. It's hard being patient with this, but I know I have to. My training plan is flexible the next week or two. Even three if needed. I'm already thinking about doing some real back-to-back long runs on Friday/Sat mornings once I get going. I want that 40miler!
So, I've hit the stationary bike the last two mornings, 45 minutes each, and felt like I've gotten a decent workout. Not like running, but something. I wish my rear was used to it though (ouch) - it's been ~6 months since I was on a stationary bike. My two bikes are still out of commission - but I will take care of that. This year even! Hesitant to use the elliptical or even rowing machine, so I'll hit the bike again Friday and Sunday. Happy Father's Day to me! Am I the only one that gets an extra dose of happiness working out on "special" days: Christmas, New Year's, birthdays, etc?
So as I am on this break - a few other ultramarathoners from the Chattooga 50k are already running Mountain Marathons and 30 mile night runs. Makes me feel like I don't quite deserve the moniker even after my wonderful run 10 days ago. I want to be able to turn it around and be ready to run another 20 miler, go off and run all night or just go spend 10 hours off on a trail running. Aside from my "injury" - which is the main reason I am not up to the tasks - I do not have the time and can't make the time. Even if I was healthy enough to run 30 miles on the trails every weekend, I need to be at home. It's not fair to my wife and 18 month old. I feel I balance it all pretty well and I hope they would say the same. The next two months are pretty bare - I just registered for the River Bound 15k for July 17th, but I may skip the Paris Mountain 7k in August. September/October may be pretty busy with races, so I am hoping the current break will make it easier for me to splurge a little later on.
Back to my question - Am I an Ultrarunner?
I am an Ultramarathon finisher, but that doesn't quite make me an Ultramarathoner in my head right now, and I'm ok with that. My goal is to heal, get back to training, and run long. If I get to the point where I can recover better, I may just call myself that one day.
I do silently think that if I had just ran a normal road marathon in ~4 hours that I would have recovered well enough to do another 20+ the following week or two.

Post race hard-headedness

I know better but I can't help it. Call it denial and you'd be right. I have a slight issue (I'm not ready to call it an injury) with my left foot. Must be from the 50k, even though it showed up the next evening after a 2 mile lunchtime walk. There is some decent bruising - a couple of spots on my big toe, but the bruises aren't the issue, it's the joint that hurts to the touch. I think it's supposed to be a good thing when there is no swelling. Running earlier in the week was ok, hurt more Not running. I wanted to get my run in this weekend, so this morning ran a nice slow 7 miles (in the ridiculously Hot & Humid weather, so Glad the race was last weekend) and actually felt my toe while I ran. Had to cut the grass this morning as well, so that didn't help. This evening - it is feeling a little better, but I am thinking I should just hit the stationary bike this week and let it heal properly. Still have a full week before I would technically start my Triple Lakes 40miler training (with a 16 week program).

On a similar note - still have some other lingering effects from the race. My 2nd toenail on my right foot is pretty purple from the root I kicked and my left hip/thigh still has a pretty bruise from my fall on the bridge. Oh yes, did get a bit of poison oak/ivy whatever on my shin. Almost more annoying than the toe thing. These really aren't bad, more just pleasant reminders what a wonderful time I had!

Test Time Tomorrow

Tomorrow, I will test out my leg with a short 3-4 mile run. Must say - it's been nice not getting up before 5 to run. Haven't felt that tired lately. Anxious to get back out there though. Am sure my body (other than that leg thing) will be fine taking off 4 days. Doesn't look like I've taken off 4 days in a row since June 2009 when I was having plantar fasciitis issues.
Hope to have Chattooga Photos in my next post!

Leg Issues

So it seems I over-did it a bit with that 24 mile run...2+ days later and my leg is still sore - so no running. Not even sure what cross training I could do. Mostly feel it when I lift my left leg (walking, stairs, etc). It does feel a little better today though. Maybe Wednesday it will feel ok enough to test out with a sloooow run/shuffle.
Trying to stay positive, but I'd be surprised if I could run before Thursday...
Should have photos back from the run Wednesday evening though.

Missed workouts & Charlotte Jeopardy

Been a while, so I'll get to the point. Training took a downturn - and I am hopeful it is nothing serious. After the soreness after my Oct 18th run, I was cautious. Movced my runs around while I was in Philadelphia for much of the week (rested Tues, tempo on Wed, speedwork on Fri). Came close (3 secs/lap off) to my speedwork times and the tempo run was good. Long run was supposed to be 20 last Sunday and finally had a good run. Fresh legs, energy, my mood was good and I was thinking about my upcoming races. After 10 miles or so, felt fine, eventually started getting a little of the usual feelings when you are running for 2+ hours. No problem. All of a sudden, after 15 miles, some pain in my left knee (outer left side). Decided to walk a bit, then the soreness form the week before showed up and I knew that I would not run anymore that day. Walked the next 1/2 mile and ended up with 16 for the day. Not sure where the knee pain came from - but still has me worried. Again, rested Tues and did no speedwork/tempo run this week at all. Instead, ran 5mi Wednesday (after ~4 hours of sleep) and 4 more Thursday - the knee seemed ok, although my legs never had that good feeling -a nagging hamstring, sore toe, weird things to make me not enjoy it too much. But the Spinx Run Fest Half Marathon is Saturday and I am Not going to go after my PR (under 1:47:00) - goal to is get thru it and be able to run Richmond in 2 weeks. Charlotte isn't off the table, but it is in jeopardy.

setback

I got 90% done with this post, then lost it all. We'll see how far I get this time!
Felt rather good after last weekend's 10 miler and had high expectations for the coming weeks. Monday had my lunch time yoga class, but had some foot pain that evening that stretched into Tuesday. Ran that morning anyway, cancelled my trail run and walked 9 holes of golf after work instead. May not have been the best idea. My left foot hurt enough Wednesday and Thursday that I actually took Aleve - which I hardly ever do. Seemed to have sign of PF - plantar fasciitis, pain on the mid-sole of the foot (less so on the actual heel). I think I over stretched it during yoga class. I have Never had that pain before in my 9+ years of running. I added some gel heel inserts in my shoes on Thursday morning. Iced it some also and by Friday was feeling better. Even though spent alot of time on my feet for the 4th of July festivities, felt good enough to run this morning. Knew I'd not be doing my scheduled 14 miler as indicated in the 14th week marathon plan). Hoped for about 8. Not terrible out and had some rain that you couldn't even feel - ended up running about 7, plus walked 1 just to cool down. Late in the day now and I feel no worse. Planning a normal week, until I fly to Phoenix Thursday afternoon for a reunion. I will get some running/hiking in out there. More on that later!

Foot. Blue Ridge Relay. Mud

Well, that nagging pain in my right foot when I run is still there. Not terrible, but almost enough to affect my gait. Still right on top, slightly towards the outside. So - I am considering Not running for a week or so and start riding my bike instead. Was just saying I've been lazy for Not riding my bike to work lately. Have the Sunrise 8k in 2 weeks, so I hope it is healed by then. I know - wishful thinking that it will hela in that short of time, but I don't want to think it will last that long. Both my runs during the week and then again this morning were all in humid weather, 67° on Tues/Thurs and slightly better at 63° this morning at 6am.
Still looking around for fall/future marathons. 2 different people have asked me to do different events with them this September. A Mud Run down in Columbia, SC. Sounds fun...the one in Greenville I am Never available for due to our company golf outing or the Greer half marathon. The other is the Blue Ridge Relay...208 miles run in stages by a group of up to 12 runners. Not sure that sounds like fun, but it would be good to see a few friends I haven't seen/run with for many many years. Need to decide on both soon...

heel issue, shopping

So I am having a left heel issue. It is actually more on the outside of the side of the heel. Not sure if I hit it on something, it was aggravated by poor mechanics up (or down) Paris Mountain or what. I did run 4 miles on Mon and Wed with no apparant issues - this kind of crept up on me Wed sometime. Anyone know what a heel spur is or feels like?
Anyway - My Paris Mtn run is in jeopardy I guess. I should rest a few days and see how it goes. Didn't even want to ride the stationary bike today even thought that probably would have been fine.
So - on to more exciting things - shopping! Well, shopping for running stuff. Another week or two should bring some new Asics 2130's (same model I am currently wearing, hopefully on sale), another pair of Race Ready shorts, and maybe a second pair of running tights. Is there a manlier name for them? Compression pants? Anyone?