Tour de Dodge

 https://www.strava.com/activities/8938089600

Lakefront & Glacial

 

Every fall I pick out some kind of running challenge for myself.  In the past it’s been 50 miles on the roads of Door County, or multiple trail runs, or some mix of both.  I tend to get my best training in during the summer months, and then September and October weather provides a great opportunity to run a big event, before it gets too cold, or the kids’ school and sports schedule gets too hectic.

This fall it was a back-to-back challenge of the Lakefront Marathon on Sunday, October 2^nd, and then the Glacial Trail 50k on Sunday, October 9^th.  Two very different courses, within a week.  It challenged my mindset and my body, and my training for the summer months right up in to October.

Going to the the marathon, I was hoping to get a “Boston Qualifier” time, meaning that I ran a specific time for my age that would allow me to apply for the Boston Marathon.  In my case, it’s 3 hours and 10 minutes.  I was confident that I could do that, and I was right on pace until the proverbial ‘Wall’ which I abruptly hit at about Mile 23.  I lost about 30 seconds per mile in my pace, falling behind the 3:10 pacer, and finishing in 3 hours and … eleven minutes. 

There was a time in my life when this would have been devastating to me.  However, at the age and life experience I am now, I was able to simply accept it, and understand that I did as good as I could on this particular day.  My body did it’s best, my brain did it’s part (despite, in that last 3 miles, there was a lot of “SHUT UP LEGS” repeats going on as my tired legs were asking my brain to simply walk), and I was content with a 3:11.  I even posed for a photo with Tyler, the 3:10 pacer, who did his darndest to get me to the finish in 3:10.  Sorry, Tyler!

On to this past weekend, where I ran the Glacial Trail run for the 10^th time.  I again had high hopes and expectations for myself, and was excited to begin the run on Sunday under an incredible sunrise and beautiful fall temperatures.  In my 10 years of running this race, I think this year featured the prettiest fall colors of any of them. 

I got to the turn around point of the run (Mile 15.5) in 2 hours and 15 minutes…which at first I was disappointed in.  I thought I was in better shape and I thought I was faster than that.  I quickly turned that mindset around, though.  You know what?  I ran a cool and collected first half.  My body and my stomach felt good.  Now I get to return to the finish, and see my kids and family and enjoy the scenery!

It’s all about mindset.  Something in life or in any event can be the worst possible thing to ever happen to you, or it can be the best thing for you in that moment.  It’s up to you.

I finished Glacial Trail in 4 hours and 40 minutes.  It was far from my fastest time at this event, but I’m not sure I’ve had a more joyous smile at the finish as I did this year.  And running the last mile with my kids was a memory I will not soon forget.

Keep in mind your mindset.  What happens in life is far less important than how your respond to it.  In my case, that old and slow body finishing in 4 hours and 40 minutes actually earned me 1^st place overall.  Not a bad consolation!

Marquette Trail 50 Mile

 

"Hey--Heads up.  There's a bear up ahead on the trail.  Just past Sugarcube, near Wetmore Pond.  And she has cubs with her."

That's what I was told at the Sugarloaf Aid Station, which is at Mile 47 of the 51-Mile "Marquette Trail 50".  This is one of my favorite events, and I had completed the 50-kilometer distance up in Marquette 4 times in the past.  But this year I set out to the to whole 50 miles...well, 51 miles.  40 of the 50 mile course is on the "Four Peaks Loop" near Marquette, which takes you over a set of granite outcroppings that are simply incredible to see both from a distance and up close.  In the 50k, you do them each once, but the 50 milers do them each twice.  In between the big mountain climbs and descents is incredible trail running along Lake Superior and also along the North Country Trail.  It is truly a beautiful course.  In fact, I highly suggest you go to YouTube and search "NTN Marquette Trail 50" to see some absolutely incredible footage from the event.

But back to the bear.  I had 47 miles under me, had been on my feet for 9 hours and 30 minutes by this point, and I knew I still had 4 miles to go...and they weren't easy miles.  They involved a climb over "Sugarcube" mountian then a steady, and sometimes steep, climb back to the the finish line.  This wasn't going to be fun.  And now I am told that some of the faster runners had spotted a bear with cubs on the trail.  Yikes.  Suddenly, as I made my way to the Wetmore Pond area, where the bear had been on the trail, literally every relatively large dark object was a bear.  Thankfully they were only boulders, or turned over tree stumps, or standing tree stumps, or shadows.  And I also was startled big time by a red squirrel scampering to a nearby tree.  Alas, no bear was spotted by me.  I wouldn't have minded seeing her from afar, but I also don't mind not seeing her at all.

My friend Jason (great friend with terrible ideas) came up with me and was a perfect 'Crew Chief', navigating the course via the local roads, and finding me in different spots along the run with Coke, Gatorade, and ice-cold bandanas.  The humidity was at 100% all morning, and those bandanas were a life saver.  Another friend, Chris, joined me for about 16 of the miles and kept me running when I should be running, kept me in 'race mode' when I wanted to just throw in the towel.  We also shared some laughs and got a couple photos on top of the peaks.  The photo in this article is from when I had FINALLY reached the last of my "8 peaks", and then I simply had that eventful 4 miles to go to the finish.

There were many moments, especially in the first 10 miles, that I wasn't sure I was going to finish the whole 50 miles.  In fact, I was seriously considering stopping at the 31 mile mark...as when you reach that point, you're actually at the finish line.  Oddly enough, or perhaps completely planned...Jason and Chris didn't go to that mile marker.  They weren't there.  Instead, they were two miles down the trail at Mile 33.  So I had no choice but to keep going.  And am I glad I did!  

Strava Sez