2017 Chippewa 50k #rundate

A week before the Chippewa 50k, Sarah and I decided that we were going to run the race together.  We never get the opportunity to run together, or do much of anything just the two of us without the kids.  It was her 50k, and I was excited to share the experience with her.

We drove the four hours to my parents’ the night before the race.  One of the reasons we picked this race was because they live less than an hour from the start. This would be a great opportunity to have them watch the kids while we raced.

The race starts at 8:00am, and we arrived shortly after 7 to pick up our packets and get ready for the day.  The temps started in the upper 30s but climbed into the 50s by the end of the race.

Pre-race selfie

The race starts at the Chippewa Moraine Info Center.  The course is an out and back course ran mostly on the Ice Age Trail.

We settled into a nice grove averaging around 13 minute miles.  Our plan for the day was to run all the downs and flats, and to walk the hills.  We both decided to wear hydration packs so we could carry most of the gear and nutrition needed.  This allowed us to minimize time at the aid stations, and at the turnaround.

Beautiful WI single track

The course was almost entirely single track trails with constant ups and downs.  There weren’t too many long stretches of flat running.  During the first half, we ran with several different groups of people, and mostly just let them set the pace.

We hit the turnaround around 3 hours and 17 minutes.  The first half went really well, and we were both feeling great. We got a bite to eat, restocked the hydration packs, and headed back out at 3 hours and 21 minutes.  While Sarah didn’t have a time goal in mind, I figured if we executed our strategy well we could finish around 6:45.

Sarah cruising by one of the many ponds along the trail

We ran most of the second half of the race just the two of us, which was a great experience.  We chatted about this and that, ran in silence, and enjoyed the time together alone in the woods. The final 5 miles were a bit of struggle, including the large hill right before the finish line, but we were able to finish hand in hand with smiles on our faces.

Crossing the finish line hand in hand

We finished with official times of 6:45:05. The race was one of my favorite running experiences.  To be able to spend several hours together running in the woods was amazing.  I’m so proud of all of the hard work and hours Sarah put into training, and was so happy to share this experience.  We hope to run more races together each year.

Gear Used

Shoes: Merrell Trail Glove 3

Socks: Injinji

Shorts: Brooks

Shirt: C9

Calf Sleeves: Smartwool

Hydration Pack: Ultimate Direction TO 2.0

Nutrition: Tailwind, Clif Shot Gels, aid station fare.

Garmin Data

While looking for a late season race, I came across the T Bunk Endurance Challenge which takes place in Southern  Wisconsin in the Kettle Moraine State Forest.  They have several distances from 200 miles to 50k. The race is run on the Nordic trail system of the Kettle Moraine State Forest.  The 50k runs three blue loops (9.19 mi) and one green loop (3.66) for a total of 31.23 miles. I went to college at nearby UW-Whitewater, and was excited to go back and run a race in that area.  I hadn’t been back in over 10 years, so I was looking forward to reminiscing about my college days.

My training was a mix of the plans I used for the Cellcom Marathon and the Voyaguer 50 this year.  I incorporated the speed work of the marathon plan, with the distances of the Vogaguer.  Since this was a 50k, I did scale back some of my mid week and longs runs.  My weekly mileage was down considerably vs the last few races I’ve ran, but the quality was better.  I was hoping that all the miles I put in during the spring and summer would carry me through as long as I hit my key speed work days and long runs.

The race is small with 43 registered participants in the 50k.  I ran the first few miles with three other runners, but I separated and ran the rest of the race solo.  The only people I saw during the race were some of the 100 mile runners that were still on the course. No music, no podcasts, just solitude in the woods. Since it is a loop course, Sarah and the kids would go to the hotel and then come back to the start/finish area after each loop to check it.

Refueling at the start/finish line aid station.

There is one one unmanned aid station around half way, and then a full aid station with drop bag access at the start/finish line.  This made my nutrition plan easy. I decided to carry one handheld bottle filled with tailwind and a few gels, and restock from my drop bag after each loop.  This worked out perfectly. I ate a few small PB&Js from the aid station, but mostly just used the tailwind and gels.

We’ve had unseasonable warm weather this fall, and race weekend was no exception.  On race day it was sunny with very little wind.  At the start of the race it was mid 40’s with temps climbing to upper 60’s in the afternoon, ideal conditions to have a good race.

The trail is mostly smooth Nordic ski trails with some rolling hills and a few short/steep climbs.  There are a few sections with some rocks and roots, but I was surprised how much of it was flat and runnable.  Much easier than the trail system in Baird Creek where do I most of my training.

My race plan is always to try to negative split the race.  Since it is a loop course, I had goals for each loop.  My goal was to run the first two loops in about an hour and thirty minutes, which is right around 10 minutes per mile pace. Then if everything was feeling good, I wanted to run the third loop faster, and then run the final green loop as fast as possible.

I was very happy that I was able to execute that plan almost perfectly.  My first loop was 1:31, 2nd loop was 1:30, third loop 1:28, and the final smaller loop was 36 minutes. I felt good most of the race, with only slight stomach issues during the 2nd loop, but nothing too bad.  I finished with plenty of energy and still feeling good.

I finished with a final time of 5:05:10 which was good enough for 4th place and a 50k PR.

Garmin Data

After focusing on improving my marathon and 50K times, I was excited to attempt another 50 miler this summer.  I researched several different races in the upper Midwest and finally decided on the Minnesota Voyageur 50 Mile Trail Ultramarathon. According to their website:

“Founded in 1982, the Minnesota Voyageur 50 Mile Trail Ultramarathon is one of the oldest trail ultras in the nation. The race follows a rugged, varied, out-and-back course that takes runners on a journey from Carlton, MN through Jay Cooke State Park and heads northeast over difficult, rough woodland trails to Duluth, MN and back. Enjoy scenic overlooks of Duluth, MN and Lake Superior, the iconic Swinging Bridge over the St. Louis River, and the infamous Power Lines.”

As with the Marquette 50, I used a training plan from “Relentless Forward Progress” but this time I chose one with more weekly mileage.  Since I trained specifically for the Cellcom Marathon in May, I only used the final 8 weeks of the plan to prepare for the Voyageur.  I recovered quickly from the marathon, and was able to hit most of the weekly mileage goals, except the week when we went on vacation. I did have some calf and knee issues towards the end of training, but overall my body felt strong and ready to race.

Weekly training mileage

We decided to camp for the weekend instead of getting a hotel.  It had been a few years since we’ve gone camping, and the whole family was looking forward to it. Jay Cooke State Park was already sold out so we camped at the KOA which was only 1.5 miles from the start of the race.   The forecast for the weekend was low 70s, sunny and beautiful. Great camping and running weather!  We arrived at the campsite around 3:30, set up the tent, started a fire and enjoyed a nice pre-race meal of bean burritos, cantaloupe and s’mores.

Home for the weekend

I was hoping to get a good night’s sleep, but unfortunately that didn’t happen.  There was a band playing at the nearby Carlton Daze festival, and we could hear them until well after midnight. While I enjoyed the 90’s rock songs, and sang along in my head, I would have preferred a few more hours of sleep.  Luckily I slept well in the days leading into the race so I knew one restless night wouldn’t hurt too much.  After laying awake most of the night I got up at 4:00am, showered, eat a Clif Bar, drank some caffeinated Tailwind Nutrition, dragged the kids out of their sleeping bags, and we headed to the start.

The race starts at 6:00am at Carlton High School.  We arrived to the start area around 5:15 to register and hand off my drop bag.  We hung out inside the school for while because it was about 50 degrees.  Just before 6:00 the race director gave his pre-race speech including a shout out to a couple of runners who ran the first one in 1982 and were running it again this year.

Excited for the race to start.

The race starts on the streets of Carlton before heading to the paved Munger Trail, and then onto the Jay Cooke Carlton Trail.  The road and paved section allowed the faster runners to quickly move to the front, and everyone else settled into the pack. The first trail section was full of rocks and roots, and with the mass of people it was slow going until we reached the swinging bridge over the St. Louis River.  This was one of the most scenic parts of the course.  The views of the river were amazing.  The pictures don’t do it justice.  Next time I would love to camp in the park and explore the area.

Photo courtesy of Endurance Kennels LLC

Swinging Bridge over the St. Louis River

Another view of the St. Louis River in Jay Cooke State Park.

After the Swinging Bridge we hit the first aid station. There are 8 aid stations along the course, and one at the turnaround. Since it’s an out and back course we would have 17 stops during the 50 miles with no more than 3.4 miles between stations.  Because of this, I decided I only needed to carry one handheld bottle and a small waist pack to carry my nutrition. My nutrition plan was to eat whatever looked good at the aid stations, and mix in some gels and Tailwind between the aid stations. I also planed to take an S-cap hourly since cramping has been an issue in the past.

I had three goals in mind. Finish and have fun, beat my time from Marquette (12:16), and if everything went well I really wanted to break 10 hours. I needed to average 12 minute miles for the entire race to hit 10 hours. I set one of the data fields on my watch to Average Pace, and tried to stay as close to that as possible.

At the first aid station I quickly grabbed a PB&J and headed back out.  The next several miles were mostly flat and pretty smooth so I picked up the pace.  I was running smoothly and enjoying the cool temps.  I kept telling myself “quick light steps, and run tall”. I also really focused on my breathing.

Smooth wooded trails

A little under 11 miles in I came into the Grand Portage aid station feeling good.  I quickly filled my handheld with water and Tailwind, ate some fig bars, and left ready to tackle the hardest section of the course.  The next section includes the two big hills of Purgatory and the famous Power Lines.  Luckily the trail was dry this year which made climbing and descending much easier.  My goal was to power hike up the big climbs, and keeping moving as fast as possible. In past races I’ve hiked/walked the uphills too slowly.  This time I was able to catch or pass many runners on the uphill sections. While the most challenging part of the course, the Power Lines weren’t as difficult as I had feared.  I read many race reports to prepare, and most talked about how difficult this sections was. At the end of the Power Lines I caught up to a small group of runners, and ran with them to the Seven Bridges aid station.

Power Lines Section

Between Seven Bridges and Fond du Lac aid stations, I ran along with two other guys for several miles.  I settled in behind them and let them set the pace. They were running the race for the second time, and gave me some info about the upcoming sections of the course.  It was nice to talk with someone since I had been mostly running solo. I do all of my training runs by myself so I’m used to it, but during a race it’s good to have the distraction of talking with people.

Around 20 miles in I was just over my pace goal of 12 minute miles and feeling good.  My left ankle was sore, but nothing that prevented me from running normally. This has happened in training, but it never progressed to anything more than annoying.  I started to pick up the pace going up Skyline Drive and had a surge of energy.  I didn’t know how long it would last but I wanted to ride it as long as possible.  At the Skyline aid station (mile 22) we had access to our drop bags.  I had some coke, PB&J, restocked my gels and Tailwind, and took an Ibuprofen.

View from Spirit Mountain.

Right before the turnaround, we ran across the top of the Spirit Mountain ski slopes, and had great views of Superior, Duluth and the St. Louis River.  I reached the turnaround just under 5 hours, and feeling great.  Sarah and kids were planning on meeting me there but I arrived faster than expected so I texted her to tell her to meet me at the next aid station.

Running back across Spirit Mountain Courtesy of Endurance Kennels LLC

When I reached the Skyline aid station for the second time, I was excited to see my family.  It always gives me a boost seeing them. I grabbed a few things from my drop bag and was off.  I really tried to minimize my time in aid stations which paid off.  The volunteers at all of the aid stations were great!! They would refill my water bottle while I grabbed something quick to eat.  I alternated between PB&J, fig bars, and potatoes dipped in salt.  I also drank Coke or Ginger Ale at most aid stations. Most of the time I walked out of the aid station while eating instead of stopping to eat.

Waiting at Skyline aid station. Race spectating isn’t very exciting for the kids.

My goal for the second half of the race was to stay under 10 hour pace as long as I could.  I knew if I could get past the Power Lines section around my goal pace, I had some very runable sections left that I could make up some time. My legs felt great all day.  The only issues were my left ankle and my right hamstring .  A few times my hamstring felt like it was about to start cramping which had been a problem for me last summer at the Luna-Tics 50k.  Whenever I felt a cramp coming on I would stretch it out and take another S-Cap.  Luckily the cramps never developed.

Courtesy of Endurance Kennels LLC

I ran most of the second half of the race alone.  I was able to pass several runners, and was only passed by one guy. The surge of energy I had at mile 20 pretty much stayed with me for the rest of the race.

When I hit the Power Lines for the second time I caught up to and ran with another runner.  He was running his 7th ultra of the year!  We talked about training, and he gave me some info about other races in the area.

Power Lines take 2

Between the Grand Portage and Jay Cooke aid stations I kept gaining on my goal of averaging 12 minute miles. I came into the Jay Cooke aid station around 9 hours which meant I had an hour to run the final 3.4 miles to reach my goal.  When I saw Sarah at mile 28 I told her she should meet me at the Jay Cooke aid station which was the final aid station of the race.  I wanted her and the kids to check out the park.  My phone died so I wasn’t able to give her updates for the last few hours, and since I was well under my goal they hadn’t arrived yet!

Waiting for me to come by, but I was already at the finish!

I exited the last aid station feeling great.  As long as I stayed upright and didn’t trip and hurt myself I would hit my goal. I ran part of this section with a runner who also was a teacher.  He told me that a few years ago the runner in second place fell and hit his head and needed an ambulance ride.  That gave me extra focus to pick up my feet and take it easy over the rocks and roots.

I finished the race in 9:48:26. Well under my ultimate goal, and almost a two and half hour PR.  I was 60th out of the 271 finishers. I was so happy that I executed my race plan almost perfectly.  I didn’t have any stomach or nutrition issues, no blisters (thank you Injinji socks!!), and no real leg soreness.  My pacing was also spot on. I ran the second half almost 8 minutes faster than the first half. We were blessed with great weather and trail conditions which helped to run a fast time.

After crossing the finish line, I borrowed someone’s phone to text Sarah that I was done.  They were still at the last aid station, and were surprised that I was already finished. I hung out at the finish line to watch some of the runners that I had run with finish.  There was a nice meal in the school cafeteria, but my stomach didn’t feel like eating yet so I just grabbed a protein drink and water.

Now I see why the Minnesota Voyageur is one of the oldest and most revered 50 milers in the Midwest.  The course has a great mix of technical trails, smooth runable sections, and challenging climbs.  It was well marked with ribbons and signs so I never worried about being off course.  The aid stations are close together, well stocked, and have amazing volunteers.

My recovery in the days after the race has been good. Some light quad soreness, and my left ankle was a little swollen, but I was able to go for a six mile recovery run on Wednesday.  I’m also enjoying eating whatever and whenever all week looking to put back some of the weight lost during training.  I’m also starting to plan ahead for my next race.  I’m leaning towards the  T Bunk Endurance Challenge 50 miler in November which takes place in the Southern Kettle Moraine State Forest.

Splits

Garmin Data

Gear

Shoes

Topo MT-2

Socks

Injinji Run 2.0 Original Weight

Shorts

Brooks Infiniti II Notch Shorts

Shirt

C9 Sleeveless T

Hydration

Nathan QuickDraw Plus

Waistpack

Ultimate Direction Jurek Essential

After a poor performance in the heat and humidity at the Luna-Tics Trail Series 50k earlier this summer, I was looking forward to a fall race in cooler temperatures.  Since I felt my fitness wasn’t the main issue with my poor race, I followed the same training plan that I used this summer.  I like the way it’s structured, and it fit’s into my schedule well.

I was also very excited that my wife would be running that 25k event as her first trail race. With two young children, we don’t get to race or train together very often.  Unfortunately, there was a staggered start so we weren’t able to run with one another, but it was nice to enjoy the pre and post race with her.

The race takes place in Lowes Creek County Park in Eau Claire, and is organized by the Chippewa Off-Road Bike Association.  The course is a 7.75 mile loop consisting mostly of very runnable single-track.

My plan for the race was to run the first three laps at a steady pace, and then hope to push it hard the final lap. I settled into a nice 10:00-10:30 pace for the first few miles. While I didn’t wear a heart rate strap, I knew that effort was in the 120-130 bpm range and very sustainable.  It was tempting to go out faster because I was feeling good, but I wanted to make sure I could have a strong finish.

The race has one aid station just past the half-way point, and then again at the start/finish area.  Since it was cool (32° at the start), I knew I didn’t need a lot of water so I used one handheld water bottle.  I also took some S-Caps with me to avoid cramping issues that did me in the summer.  My nutrition plan was to eat my trusty vanilla Clif-Shot gels every 3-4 miles, which worked out well.  The only thing I took at the aid stations was a mini cup of M&Ms on the third loop.

I was happy that I was able to execute my plan well.  My lap splits were very consistent, and I felt very strong on the final lap.

Split 1 > 1:18:02.880
Split 2 > 1:21:57.394
Split 3 > 1:26:40.373
Split 4 > 1:22:17.807

Looking back, I think I was too conservative. Since my last few races had strong starts and poor finishes, I had some self-doubt that I could run an entire long race at a faster pace.  This race was a great confidence boost.  I set a 50k PR by over an hour, but I know I can run faster with continued training and more speed work.

About to cross the finish line.

The race was very well organized with a great low-key atmosphere.  The course was well marked, the volunteers were friendly and it was inexpensive.  Instead of medals, we received a “bear bell” since there is a bear that has been seen in the park.

Swag bag included a race shirt, bear bell and the spiciest mustard I’ve ever had.

Gear Used

Shoes

Merrell Bare Access Trail

Running Tights

Pearl Izumi

Socks

Injinji RUN 2.0

Watch

Garmin Fenix 2

Nutrition

7 Vanilla Clif Shot Gels

M&Ms at aid stations

Garmin Data

The Fenix 2 had a difficult time with the winding nature of the course.  From looking at other peoples’ data, the actual distance was 31 miles.

Every race with its corresponding training is a learning experience.  What I will learn the most from this race is that if the forecast is for 90° and humid, it’s best to have some salt/electrolyte replacement.

We drove down the day before the race and had dinner with some friends who live in the area before settling in for the night.  As usual, I only got a few hours of actual sleep. When I woke up, I checked the weather and saw that there was a big line of thunderstorms heading our way.

We arrived about a half hour early to check in and pick up my packet. We hung out in the van to stay dry until the storm passed. Because of the thunderstorms, the race was delayed by about 40 minutes.  The race is small and very low key, which I like.  The race series has several distances to choose from. The shortest race is a 5k and the longest is a 50k. There were 136 total runners, with 22 people running the 50k. The race director describes the race as

“This is an out and back race that begins and ends at Sunburst Ski Area in Kewaskum, Wisconsin. All races will cover the same course. The course is almost exclusively single track covering a variety of terrain with climbs, descents, open prairie and dense forest.  Runners will experience some of the most challenging and scenic landscape that Wisconsin has to offer.”

The first section of the course was about a 3 mile loop around the ski area.  We then headed out on the Ice Age Trail. For about the first 10 miles, I loosely ran with a group of three other runners. I was feeling good and the pace was right where I wanted it to be.  My plan was to push the pace a little during the first part of the race, because I knew the temps were going to continue to rise and I wanted to run as much as possible while it was a little cooler.  We eventually started to spread out, and I ran the rest of the race in solitude.

Beautiful single track on the Ice Age Trail

My pace started to slow a little during the next 10 miles, but I was still feeling decent.  The temps were starting to rise and the humidity was oppressive.  My nutrition plan was to drink water and eat Gu Chomps and/or some Clif shots every 30 minutes.  That worked well in the beginning, but my stomach started to get worse as the race went along. I think it didn’t like the humidity, so I wasn’t able to eat as much as I wanted to. I switched to Heed at one aid station, but that didn’t sit well so I switched back to water. While I ate enough calories, I started to fall behind on electrolytes due to the massive amount of sweating.

During about the last 10 miles I started to get hamstring cramps in both legs.  While I was still eating regularly, I wasn’t getting enough salt and that would be my downfall.  You know it’s bad when you start to crave salt while running.  The aid stations had some pretzels and chips, but they weren’t salty enough.  I would run for a little section before the cramps got worse, then I would walk for a few minutes.  I had to alternate running and walking for the last couple of hours.

I ended up finishing in 6:33, which was good for 10th place out of 22 finishers. The positive part is that since I had to walk so much at the end, I wasn’t really sore the next few days. I feel my training had properly prepared me for the distance; I did a poor job handling the heat and humidity which is a silly mistake since the forecast for the week leading up to the race called for hot and humid.  I’ve never had cramping issues before so it wasn’t something I even planned for. I don’t think I’ve ever sweated so much in my entire life.  When I got home I weighed myself and found that I had lost over 4 pounds, even after eating and drinking on the 90 minute drive back.

Next up is the Fall Back Blast on November 7. I’m looking forward to a fall race with cooler temps!

Gear Used

Shoes

Merrell Bare Access Trail

Shorts

Brooks Infiniti II Notch Shorts

Socks

Injinji RUN 2.0 Original Weight No-Show

Watch

Garmin Fenix 2

Nutrition

3 Vanilla Clif Shot Gels

3 Citrus Clif Shot Gels

2 Black Cherry Gu Chomp packs

Pretzels and chips at aid stations

Garmin Data

My main goal for the spring was to train for a faster road marathon PR.  I chose the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon because it’s local and I enjoyed the race last year.  The course starts on Lombardi Avenue and goes through Ashwaubenon, De Pere, Allouez and Green Bay.  The biggest highlight for many is a lap around Lambeau right before the finish line.  In typical Wisconsin fashion, your bib has tickets for free beer and brats.

For this race I used Hal Higdon’s Advanced 1 Training Plan.  I opted to skip the Monday runs, but otherwise stayed pretty true to the plan. The biggest change from last year, when I was focusing on just running more miles, was to add consistent speed work into my training. I really enjoyed the three types of speed work in the training plan; tempo runs, intervals and hill repeats.

My goal for the race was to be in the 3:30’s, and my training runs had me on pace for that time.  The weather this winter and spring was better than most years, but most of my training runs were still in the 20’s, 30’s and 40’s.  The weather for the race was windy, warmer and much more humid than it’s been all spring.  At the start of the race it was 62 degrees with 83% humidity and just got warmer as the race went along.

The first 22 miles went according to plan.  I tried to stay around 8:10-8:15 per mile while walking through each water station.  Things were going well but then the humidity started to take it’s toll and I struggled the final 4+ miles. I finished in 3:44:46 which was good for 198th out of 1281 finishers.  Looking back at last year’s results, the times were much slower this year due to the warmer temps and humidity so I’m not too upset that I missed my goal time.  I guess this means that I’ll just need to do it again next year and continue to push myself with speed work.

Now I’ll shift my focus to trail running and the Luna-Tics Trail 50K in July.  I will continue with the speed work and am aiming for a 50k PR.

Garmin Data

Gear Used

Shoes

Merrell Bare Access 3

Shorts

Brooks Infiniti II Notch Shorts

Shirt

Tek Gear Sleeveless Performance Tee

Socks

Injinji RUN 2.0 Lightweight No-Show – NuWool

Watch

Garmin Fenix 2

Nutrition

3 Vanilla Clif Shot Gels

1 Tri-berry Gu