St Croix 40 Winter Ultra (Finale)

Sunday January 12, 2025

It's a wrap! Everything about this race has been everything I wanted it to be and more! I'll cut right to the chase...no, I did not finish, but I accomplished my goals, had a lot of fun doing it and will definitely be adding "winter hiking while hauling a sled" to my list of favorite winter activities and am really looking forward to my trek from the cabin to the end of the trail before winter is over!

Last I left off, there was maybe an inch or so of snow and I had planned on pulling the rickshaw we'd built. As Friday progressed and the race directors got a chance to visit the trail to mark the course, they let us know that pulling a sled was absolutely possible as there was a good 2" of snow on the ground and more coming! So I spent Friday night hauling the sled back inside and re-packing it! Made the decision to just bring the sled after confirming multiple weather reports that more snow was definitely on the way - while pulling the rickshaw through an inch of snow would have been fine, through several inches of snow would have been difficult. 

On Saturday, I mostly chilled, had avocado egg toast for breakfast and made a pizza around lunchtime. Hard-boiled some eggs and laid out my gear to wear. Temps were going to be perfect - hovering in the low 20's with minimal wind, yet it was going to snow the entire time so I needed to throw in a few hats with visors! 

Marcus took the seats out of my car and threw in a roll-up mattress and a couple of sleeping bags. Turns out, he was wildly underprepared for spending the night in the cold - definitely needed his warmest clothing and boots plus! Don't think he ever got warm!

I got dressed around 2pm - smartwool leggings + 1/4 zip top, duluth trading wool bra, rain pants, smartwool vest (put my phone and phone charger in the chest pocket), TNF Casaval hoodie. Darn Tough socks, Altra Lone Peaks, Dirty Girlz gaitors and lots of lube on my feet as I was preparing for very wet feet with the fresh snow. I was perfectly dressed - I intentionally started cold by having everything unzipped for several inches. After an hour or so, the course turned into some wind and I zipped up at that point. Wore my #2 mitts (saucony) the entire time. Never had cold hands, but the mittens were quite wet at the end. 

We left around 2:20, stopping at Dunn Bros for coffee. Made it to the race sometime after 4pm. Hauled my gear in for gear check and then hauled it back to the car again so I could officially pack the sled! Since the race didn't start until 6pm, we had some downtime in the car (with the heat on, trying to keep my feet as warm and dry as possible). Around 5:30, I started getting my gear on, dragged the sled to the start, peed again and got settled in my sleeping bag.

Once the race was on, I quickly removed the bivy from the bag and stuffed the sleeping bag away, along with my sleeping pad that I was kneeling on to stay dry. I used the bivy to cover the top of the duffel bag and secured it down with the buckled straps. I knew with the snow coming that I wanted to keep the duffel free from snow otherwise every time I needed to get into it, snow would get in the way. 

I headed out with a bunch of people all going about the same pace and stuck with them for an hour or so. I thought I was a fast walker, but no, there are definitely faster walkers than me! For the most part, I was alone, sometimes I could see some blinky red lights in the distance, but often not. I rarely turned around, but didn't see much coming from behind either. 

Being in the dark didn't bother me at all, although headlamps do give me a bit of a mild headache. I tried to eat some gorp in my pocket when I felt hunger pains. I drank what felt like quite a bit of water. During the second half, when I was still toying with the idea of doing a second loop, I took the time to stop and drink some coke and eat a mushy snickers ice cream bar. With all of the snow, getting into my bag was more of a pain so I didn't do it as often as I should have. I should have stashed more food in my pockets - the gorp was fine, but I really could have used my bag of potato chips! 

The course this year was the 2-loop course which I was really disappointed about. I understand why they had to do it with the snow uncertainty, but I definitely prefer a circle course or a point to point. Their original figure-8 course would have been great, too as the aid station was at 24 miles (more than halfway) and a good mile away from my car. Knowing I was going to be coming into the aid station and the car was "right there" was really difficult. Having to repeat the exact same course a second time was not thrilling me!

I knew getting to the Crooked Lake loop was approximately halfway through the course. Or so I thought. The hill up was fine, the loop was fine and I got to sled down the other side which was wild - heading into a black abyss with snow coming at me, not being able to see more than a few feet ahead of me! After this, I thought for sure I only had a couple of hours left, but this section really dragged on. For the most part, the course is quite flat and my muscles really needed to have a bit more elevation. The course was also extremely icy. I'm not 100% sure, but I think at least 3/4 of the course was on pavement. Let me be clear. This was ice-covered pavement covered with a couple of inches of snow (and at least 2-3" more during the race). Not only was it extremely slippery, but my poles were nearly useless. I couldn't use them to dig in and propel me foreword like I'm typically used to doing. They were really just being used to keep me from falling. Since I couldn't assist pulling the sled with my upper body, my lower back to the tole and was quite achy by the time I got to the aid station. 

To be honest, I was struggling mentally from the start. A lot was going on this week and I think it all kind of caught up with me. I knew I'd finish a loop, but I was pretty set from the start that I would end with a single loop. I had accomplished all of my goals of getting to the start line, finishing a loop and boiling water. All while feeling good (although I didn't realize how pruney my feet were until I got back to the car and took off my shoes). I wanted to end on a high, so while I didn't finish the race and I know I could have gone out for a second loop and taken it slow, I feel good about my decision. Notes to self, though: were you to head out after boiling water, take the time to pull out your camping pad and change socks/shoes. Also take the time to swap out your wet shirt and vest for dry ones. If I hadn't gone into the aid station with the plan to drop and had taken the time to do this while my water was boiling, I might have attempted a second loop, but I'm okay with my decision! I loved the prep for this race - I'm so glad I have the proper gear and as soon as I return Rolf's sled, I'll be buying my own! 

The drive home was absolutely wild! We left around 1am and it took us more than 2 hours to drive the typical 80 minutes. We had blizzard conditions and unplowed roads so driving was very slow. We stopped in North Branch to find the one open gas station so I could pee and get some food - had a piece of Juniper's banana bread and an extremely cold no longer grilled cheese! 

We finally made it home around 3am to a very cold house. Skipped the shower, went straight to bed and slept solidly until 8am. 

Unofficial results: 74 runners signed up, 55 started the race, 15 dropped. I got to the aid station at 12:07am, just under 19 minute miles. I'm feeling good today and don't regret a single thing about this entire wild adventure!

St Croix 40 Winter Ultra (Part 5)

Friday January 10, 2025

What a rollercoaster I've been on over the last week! The extended forecast a week ago showed little to no snow in the forecast so I fully expected the race to be somehow altered. I wasn't sure how, but I knew it wasn't going to be possible to pull sleds without destroying them. Obviously, skiing wasn't possible! For bikers, I assume they could somehow attach their gear to their bikes. But, for runners, our only option would be to carry it on our backs? I mean, I know this is a thing, but it's not something I was prepared for! 

So, a week ago, the race directors sent out an e-mail that basically said there is no snow, but the race is still on and to figure it out! I assume some people might put gear in a jogging stroller and push it or in a burly and pull/push it? Since we got rid of both of ours a few years ago, I was pretty confident this was a DNS for me. With only a week to go, I just wasn't sure how feasible it was to look for a used one somewhere. 

My dad, however, sent me a photo of the skeleton of an old burly he's kept in their attic since I was a kid. I spent 7 hours with him on Saturday (one week before the race) desperately trying to figure out how to turn it into a rickshaw of sorts. With only two wheels, it continually wanted to pitch down to the ground as we couldn't figure out a way to securely (and rigidly) attach it to my waist. At one point, we thought we had something figured out, only to realize it fishtailed wildly which was also not an option. On the way home that day, I thought I had a new solution, but it would require borrowing Rolf's poles. On Sunday morning, I tried my idea with his poles by attaching them to the top of the frame. I quickly realized that the stress being put on his poles as they were holding all of the weight from my gear was also not an option as I didn't want to destroy (or break them). 

At this point, I decided I needed to go back to my original idea - I just need a sled on wheels. At first I contemplated building a frame with casters on it, when I remembered we had a bunch of moving dollies in our garage! I took the sturdiest one with the strongest wheels and attached the sled to it. Then worked on a new bumper as I assumed the sled would still have a tendency to nail me in the back of the legs on declines. I then took off and did a 6m hike. While technically it worked - meaning the sled didn't fall off and I got home in one piece - it also wasn't sustainable for 40 miles. For one, my back was killing me! Sleds also have a mind of their own (even ones on wheels) and will always take the path of least resistance so it had a tendency to slide to the side if the path I was on wasn't perfectly level. It managed hills very well and obediently stayed behind me. It rolled over most terrain surprisingly well (grass, roots and sand were no problem, but it wasn't a huge fan of gravel). However, it was also very VERY loud. 

While taking a shower, I knew I had to give a backpack a shot. I mean, it's called rucking for a reason, right? So I pulled out backpack we had in storage and spent an hour or so trying to figure out how all of my gear would fit inside. It did, but barely. And then getting it on was nearly impossible for me to do by myself and this was without wearing any outerwear! There was no way I'd be wanting to stop and take it off during the race and I couldn't figure out a place to carry my water so this was also a nope. Unpacking it took nearly as much time as packing it! 

So I went back to the rickshaw and decided that the poles needed to be coming from the base of the weight and not the top of the weight. Having never taken physics, I'm sure there's a reason why here, but for me it was just trial and error. This time, instead of using Rolf's poles, I used some 5 foot 1/2" PVC I'd bought months ago when I was training for this race in warmer weather and was trying to build my own system. I attached them securely to the back and the front of the frame at the bottom where dad had attached a thin piece of 1/4" plywood as a base. I attached the end of the poles to my waist belt and called it a night as it had been another full day of trial and error!

On Monday morning, I went for a 7m hike. Before I even made it to the end of the street, I realized the waist belt was not going to work as the poles fishtailed too badly. So I removed the belt, but left it attached to the poles. I then just used my hands to hold onto each pole. This worked surprisingly well and when I got home, I decided this could work! But there were some tweaks I wanted to make. I was going from a hands-free system to a two-handed system and since I still wanted to be able to eat and drink freely, I needed a one-handed system. Every time I removed one hand, fishtailing happened. So I needed something rigid to hold the poles together, but far enough apart that they wouldn't rub against my hips. On Saturday, Mom had brought a pair of bike handlebars Dad was no longer using and I wondered if this could work? 

Notice the kickstand?
Dad's idea,
very much needed!

On Tuesday, I headed back to Dad's to try! At first, we tried to figure out how to attach a straight bike handlebar, but the 90-degree curve into the poles was frustrating us so I reminded Dad about the curved handlebars. Of course, the opening to the handlebars was just slightly too small to slide onto the end of the PVC. So dad whittled down a couple of wooden dowels until they fit firmly into the end of the PVC. Then he filed down the PVC a bit until they fit firmly into the end of the handlebars. Added some tape to the connection and foam to the handlebars so my hands don't get cold and took it out for a spin around their yard. Best yet! We worked on securing my poles a bit better and added some wooden dowels to the opposite ends, too, for added security. 

My body needed a bit of a break before Saturday so I'll be honest, I haven't taken this newest system out for more than a few laps around my yard, but I'm pretty confident it'll work. What I like is the ability to easily attach the bike lights to the back of the frame and to the handlebar. I also like the freedom of not having to wear the waistbelt. It's very easy to turn around, put the kickstand down and get stuff out of the baskets. Marcus also suggested I figure out a way to be able to use the waistbelt for a hands-free option. At first, I tried with hardware, but nothing worked. Then I realized I could simply attach the belt to the handlebar directly by wrapping the velcro around it tightly! So now I have a hands-free, one-hand or two-hand options. To be honest, I can also turn around 180 degrees and "push" the handlebars were I to need to. 

HOWEVER...AFTER ALL THIS...

It snowed Thursday night. Of course it did. Less than an inch, but when I went out to test both the sled and the rickshaw, either seemed to work, at least in areas that hadn't yet been trampled. Added to the equation is the fact that it's supposed to start snowing the night of the race and continue snowing all night long, accumulating another 1-3"! I mean, what? 

It's Friday afternoon. We're leaving tomorrow afternoon. At this point, I'm bringing both systems and will just have to decide once I get there and maybe see what other people are doing. While the sled doesn't need a lot of snow, it does need snow to protect it. I don't think an inch of snow with gear in the sled and multiple people on the trails is smart, even knowing more snow is coming. The rickshaw, on the other hand, travels over all terrain very easily, including snow. I had no problem going through the inch that fell. The question is, how well will it go through 2" or even 3" of snow? As of now, I'm leaning towards rickshaw and its the one that's packed with the gear. 

THE GEAR

(some tweaks have been made, but this is mostly what I'm bringing)

St Croix 40 Winter Ultra (Part 4)

Wednesday January 1, 2025

After coming home from my 2nd trip to the cabin in 3 weeks, it finally snowed on December 19th! Snowed most of the morning. After snow blowing/shoveling 5-6", I put my sled in the car, drove up to Rice Lake Elementary and headed up to the mountain bike single-track trails I'd found awhile back. Virgin snow as no one had ventured out yet that day! Went through the trail 2x and headed back home. What I learned: single track with a sled is difficult as the sled has a mind of its own and will always take the path of least resistance, which often means slamming directly into a tree! This was annoying, especially with my particularly stretchy bungees.

Single Track

I wore my Kahtoola cleats and didn't really need them. I also had bought a size large to make them easy to get on and off, but I now realize that this also makes them slip around a lot which is annoying and was causing some hot spots/blisters on my toes. I need to buy a size small. 

Worked my butt off on the 20th with getting food prepared for both Christmas and the cabin so I could take advantage of the snow over the weekend. Headed out again on both December 21st and 22nd. I discovered a 2nd single track up near Centerville lake that I wanted to try out. Marcus joined me on both days, but we went at our own pace. After the experience with the single track the previous day, I decided to try using a non-stretchy short rope instead of the bungees so I had more control over the sled. This worked well as it was less likely to run itself into trees, but it is harder to pull a sled with a single rope than with 2 bungees. One of the days was cooler than the other and I wore a bulky Icelandic sweater under my Casaval Hoodie which seemed to work well. 

The carabiners on my bungees were making me nervous, though, after one pulled loose. Dad gave me a bunch of "locking" carabiners that I'm using instead, they're much more secure!

After getting these 3 great runs in and celebrating Christmas, the entire family headed back to the cabin. For me, the 3rd time in 5 weeks! It was a particularly warm weekend, in fact we actually had a bit of rain up there. I also discovered the snowmobile trails which were absolutely perfect as this will be the type of trail the race is held on.

Poplar Lake

The first day out, I headed south towards the Trail Center. There was way more elevation during this section than I was expecting as the Gunflint Trail is relatively flat throughout. After walking the sled down most of the inclines, I finally remembered Griffin asking me if I had ever rode the sled down hills. So I tried it! It was so much fun and the sled was actually quite easy to control! Once getting to Hungry Jack, I thought of turning around and going back via the snowmobile trails, but was kind of curious about heading back home via the lake so I hiked over to the Trail Center and got on Poplar Lake instead. It was an incredibly cloudy/misty/foggy day and the lake was quite something. In hindsight, the snowmobile trail probably would have been smarter (and would have given me more practice sledding down hills).  Only passed 2 snowmobilers this day. It was very quiet out, didn't see any wildlife. Going up hills with the bungees though was a bit tough and I was afraid of snapping them. 

"Sledding" Down Hills

The second day out, I headed north. Plan was to get about 13-15 miles in. Marcus started out with me, but we got separated pretty early. In the middle of the first incline, I realized I needed to solve the bungee situation so I attached the single rope to the middle of my belt and made sure its length was slightly longer than the bungees (while they're not stretched) to ensure that it would only come into use on an incline and would be slack the rest of the time. This seemed to work well and I would do this again. 

The trail was extremely quiet and after getting to Loon Lake Lodge, I started wondering if I should just keep going and have Marcus pick me up wherever I ended up. We weren't sure we could communicate with both of us being out of cell coverage, but I tried to text him using the satellite feature that both of our new phones have and we eventually were able to communicate back and forth and it was decided that he'd just come pick me up when I was done. So I kept heading north! Passed 2 snowmobilers, but for the most part had the woods to myself. I finally got to the "T" where I could either continue to the end of the trail or turn off for Gunflint Lodge. I took the turn and hit 3 major downhills before ending at the Gunflint Lake boat landing. On the middle of the 3 downhills, I heard some snowmobilers coming so I let them pass. At the bottom of this hill, I crossed paths with some skiers who stopped cold and gave me some really weird looks as I slid passed them riding my sled! Must have been a sight!

Water Boil on
Gunflint Lake

Once on the lake, I texted Marcus to have him come pick me up and I took the time to practice being at the aid station. I went on the lake and set up my stove and started boiling water. My fuel tablet was broken and instead of opening a new one, I tried it anyhow. But my matches wouldn't light. The striker was wet. I fished out a new striker and it was also giving me trouble so I definitely need a backup lighter! Finally the fuel tablet lit and I started boiling the water. Meanwhile, I fished out my down jacket and my foam pad. Decided to change socks and shoes for the practice and boy, did that make a difference! Socks were soaked as well as the shoes. Putting on dry socks and shoes was a game changer! So easy to do while standing on the foam pad, too. So glad I bought it! My water wasn't boiled yet, so I also decided to change clothes. Took off my wet jacket, wool vest and long-sleeve and opted to just put on a dry Polartec hoodie and my puffy Pumori as I was done for the day. During the race, I would have put on an entire new set of layers. I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to do for a 2nd outer layer though. My Casaval Hoodie is perfect, but it does get wet and I don't want to put on any wet clothes after taking the time to change. I have doubles of all of my other layers, except my outermost layer so I still need to figure out what to do for this backup layer. I might just end up bringing my North Face Thermoball hoodie, even though it might not be as warm. I can always add another layer (maybe my Polartec hoodie?) under to make up for the difference.

Things I need to improve/add/change:

1. My foam bumper has taken a beating during the last few weeks (hitting a bunch of trees didn't help) so I am working on replacing the foam again. Dad suggested upholstery foam and I happen to have a piece of 2" foam that might work better, left over from when I made the cushions for my Morris chairs. Will work on this tomorrow. 

2. Replace carabiners on bungees that attach to waist belt with the locking ones from dad. I had just replaced the ones that attach to the sled and realize I should replace all of them for maximum security.

3. Bought smaller Kahtoola cleats. They'll be more difficult to get on, but if there's ice and I need them, I'd rather have a pair that fits and not a pair that slide around. 

4. Bought both reflective tape AND a different type of reflective vest. I love the pocket on the vest I'm using, but getting it on and off is a pain. I cut a seam down the middle so I have better access to my zippers and can zip/unzip more easily, but it's still annoying to wear. The pockets in my Casaval are huge and I think I can just stash snacks in it instead of using the vest. So I'll either try the new vest or will put reflective tape on my jacket. 

5. Don't use a broken fuel tablet and maybe have it open and in the stove ready to light? And have a backup fuel tablet ready to go as you might need two. 

6. Bring instant coffee to mix in to the water? Might be quicker to dissolve than hot chocolate?

7. Don't put chocolate chips in your gorp - they're too hard when frozen and you don't want to chip a tooth. Better to add peanut butter m&m's and chocolate covered espresso beans along with multiple types of SALTED nuts and dried cherries/cranberries. Also, buy some king size Reese's peanut butter cups. And maybe make some cookies - the coconut macaroons and gingersnaps I made for Christmas are soft when frozen and easy to eat! 

8. The balaclava I love has been discontinued but I need a better backup one than the one I already own so I bought a new turtle fleece one from REI as an extra. 

9. Stash your gear so that it's really easy to change socks/shoes and upper layers at the aid station. And plan on changing socks 3x (once after 4ish hours, once at the aid station where I'll change shoes, too, and once again around 12ish hours).

10. Add pull ties to zippers to make them easier to grab, especially if wearing mittens. Use the green fabric ties from mom. 

11. Put pee funnel in exterior pocket so you're not having to hunt around for it in the big duffel. 

12. Bought a better fire starter. Practice with it and make sure it works in cold/windy weather!

At this point, I guess I'm as ready as I can be, but the fact is, it rained and was well above freezing for the entire week after Christmas and the little bit of snow that we got is now completely gone. And there's literally no snow in the forecast so I'm not at all sure what the Race Director's plan is? Last year, they were faced with a very similar situation, but fortunately it snowed 1-2" the night before the race. Some spots were bare, but it was just enough to pull a sled. Fingers crossed!

BACK-UP PLAN: If the race is cancelled, Marcus and I may head back to the cabin on January 11th. As of today, temps look to be about 5-10 degrees with little wind. My ideal would be 15-25, but so long as it's not below zero, I think I'll be okay. On Sunday, he'll drop me off at the Trail Center and I'll hike/sled to the End of the Trail. It's about 30 miles (so, not 40, but it's something) and I'd also do most of it during daylight, but would end in the dark. With the snowmobile trail being so close to the road, I can tap out at any point and have him pick me up. Then we'd head home Monday. 

St Croix 40 Winter Ultra (Part 3)

Sunday December 8th, 2024

Plan was to head to the campground again, but to add in the extra 2 miles out and back on the north end of the campground. Conditions were the same as yesterday and I was able to follow the tire tracks of whoever decided to venture between the turnaround and the post office. Both sections before/after were fully plowed which made it incredibly easy! Cooler today around 25 degrees with a little bit of wind on the way back. I must be dressing okay, because I'm never getting too warm, although I'm also never getting too cold. If I do feel a little chill, I make sure my jacket is fully zipped up and I start to run a little and this always seems to work quickly to warm me back up again. One thing I might try...after boiling water, I might leave my warm puffy jacket on for the first mile or so as this is the time I'm the most chilled as I haven't been moving much for the last 20 minutes or so. Then I could stop to stuff it in my bag once I'm sufficiently warmed up again. I also need to swap my lightweight gloves to warmer mittens for the first mile or so - the gloves are handy while boiling water as they give me freedom of movement, but by the time I'm ready to leave, my hands are cold. 

Today, I discovered when I got to the campground that I'd lost my tin tube somewhere along the way! I need to think of the sled as a canoe - that everything needs to be secured in case of a swamp! So I had no wind guard for my stove. Instead, I used my camping pad and watched to make sure it didn't burn. It took 14 minutes to boil water today so I know the tin tube is a much better option. I also had a slightly damp fuel tablet that I risked using. After 12 minutes or so, I added a 2nd one and then the water really started to heat up. Warmed up my "grilled" cheese and ate it while I was waiting. This time, I added a packet of hot chocolate and drank it while I packed everything up. Weirdly, the person who ventured through the snow with their vehicle was also headed to campground #4! They even got out of their vehicle as I could see their footsteps. Hmmm....popular destination I guess! 

Lots of fresh moose and fox tracks today. Wolf again at the campground, maybe he enjoyed the gorp I dropped last time!

I also noticed about an hour in that my front foam bumper wasn't working right. Sure enough, it had failed, but not in the way I expected it would. I thought the foam would tear - what actually happened is the wirelock came loose and I lost it! This also meant I lost my 2nd layer of foam so the bumper wasn't as useful this time, although it still offered some protection against the back of my legs. I was able to secure the broken side with a carabiner, but it eventually tore through so I'll be working on repairing this at the cabin, hoping dad has some bolts and washers that'll work! 

On the way home, I needed to locate the items I'd dropped along the way. In bright snow with nothing around but white, I easily found all 3 items. 

Of course, Strava decided to stop recording once I got to the campground, but based on my elapsed time, pace was 18:12 today over 11.29 miles. The plowed road really helped as I was able to trot/run often, even though I tried not to too much as I didn't want to overheat. 

Things I still need to buy: 

• large enough dry bag to fit bivy and unstuffed sleeping bag (bought 25L and 35L from REI)
• extra wirelock pins (I have 2, that might be enough)
• extra pair of menards gloves
• more fuel (bought on amazon)
• waterproof duffel for items I don't want to stuff in a dry bag (bought huge one on sale at REI)

Things I need to fix:

• front bumper, it needs to be attached with bolts and washers to the extra holes in front of the sled (I knew this, I just didn't take the time so when I lost one wirelock and my 2nd layer of foam shortly into my run today, I decided this needed to be remedied sooner rather than later)
• tin tube - duct tape the sharp edges and make sure it's secured to sled with hooks

Things I need to add to sled gear: 

• duct tape

St Croix 40 Winter Ultra (Part 2)

Saturday December 7th, 2024

After getting back from my first run yesterday, I worked on solving the sled issue. Found a pool noodle and secured it to the front of the sled. This worked really well!! When the sled bumped into me, it hit my heels/shoe instead of the back of my ankle and was much more gentle. When I get home, I'll add some washers/grommets to the foam to make it even more secure. 

I also wanted to figure out how to shave off some water boiling time as 26 minutes was too long! All the research I had done on this type of system had water boiling well under that time. I found some tin in the rafters of the cabin garage. Took some tin snips to it and fashioned a "canister" that I can pop on and off. It's lightweight, waterproof, fireproof and worked really well!! 

Pool Noodle Bumper

It snowed last night and we had some freezing rain which resulted in about 3" of snow and 1/4" of ice glaze on top. Very crunchy snow today compared with the light fluff from yesterday. I had no idea what to expect on the trails. It was also significantly warmer today by nearly 20 degrees, hovering just above freezing. I wore one less layer on bottoms and 2 fewer layers on top and went with a lightweight jacket instead of my warm one. When I first headed out, of course it was drizzling freezing rain! Went back inside and added a rain jacket over everything and headed back out again. The rain thankfully didn't last long. 

I hadn't plowed the driveway, nor was Voyageur's Point plowed. The main trail was plowed. When I got to the Old Gunflint, a vehicle had also made its way through the unplowed road. I was able to walk in the channel the tires made with very little effort. The tire tracks actually went beyond the turnaround point which gives me hope for tomorrow as I plan to tackle the campground again!

Tin Wind Protection

Today, however, my focus was the boat landing. Fortunately, a vehicle had also made its way down there oddly enough. I happened to pass them on my way in and was shocked to discover the vehicle was an old mini van that definitely didn't have AWD! How they made it through the 8-10" of snow and ice is beyond me, but I was grateful for the path they provided. 

When I got to the boat landing, I stamped out a place to build my fire in a protected area. Pulled out my camping pad to kneel on to keep my pants dry. Using the tin wind barrier worked great and I only needed 1 tablet (yesterday I needed 2). Water boiled in under 9 minutes, but I let it go a bit longer just to be sure. While I was waiting, I sat on a duffel bag and put on my ice spikes as the tire tracks made the snow particularly slippery. I didn't take the time to make hot chocolate, even though I remembered to bring some this time. Maybe tomorrow! Since I was wearing the spikes, I was able to slowly run most of the way from the turn back to the cabin. 

Overall moving pace today was 15:03, but adding in stoppage time, I'm going with 19:47. Cutting down on water boiling time was huge! 

NEXT TIME: Tomorrow I plan to head back to Iron Lake. We're not supposed to get any precipitation tonight and the storm that is coming tomorrow likely won't be too bad until afternoon/evening so I hope to get out earlier than I have the last two days. I don't think I'll do anything differently than I did today. On my feet, I had regular gaiters and I also tried my Kahtoola gaiters for the first time. I will put my ice spikes on right away so I don't have to stop and put them on as I assume everything will still be icy tomorrow. I might pack a bit more of a "lunch" along with my hot chocolate. 

St Croix 40 Winter Ultra (Part 1)

Friday December 6th, 2024

Having followed the Arrowhead 135 race for years, I've always been very curious about these winter races, but knew they were beyond my reach! Once I heard about this race a few years ago, I thought that sounds much more reasonable! An opportunity to tackle a race in the winter, but with a much shorter and less daunting distance!

I've consistently run outside in the winter since 2012. In fact, I really started my running journey in January 2012. I find the challenges that winter brings to push me harder than any hot and humid day in the summer ever could!

I debated for weeks signing up. On November 1, Rolf kindly offered to have coffee with me so that I could pick his brain. After our meeting, I officially signed up and started working on my spreadsheet! There's a lot of gear that's required, stuff that's recommended and stuff I knew I just wanted. Rolf offered to borrow me his sled, along with his bivy. For the rest of the required gear, I purchased a below zero sleeping bag, lightweight camping pad, stove/fuel, reflective vest and some flashing red bike lights. 

Facts about this race:

• January 11, 2025 
• Starts at 6pm (which means running at least 13 hours in the dark until sunrise)
• 40 miles (I've only run this distance - or more - once and that was in 2017)
• Have to pull a sled carrying your gear  

My main concerns for this race, in order are:

1. Sweating - I don't think there's any way I'm not going to sweat, no matter how cold I start out or how slow I go. So I have to manage staying warm while also being wet. This meant the purchase of many layers of wool. I went mostly with SmartWool because there stuff is actually 100% merino, none of this part-wool/part-synthetic crap. Synthetics might pull away moisture from your body, but they don't insulate you once they're wet and if I stop for any reason during a run, I instantly get cold. I'm going with wool bras (thank you to Duluth Trading for making these), SW baselayer (1-2 layers depending on the cold), SW Hudson vest (they only make them for men, but size small works great and it has an awesome chest pocket that fits my phone AND keeps it warm so I don't need to worry about my phone dying due to cold). Bought a North Face Casaval hoodie last year that is really great for cold weather and some wind - it's lightweight and not too bulky, but keeps me warm and I can fit my backpack under it which is also really nice as that keeps my straw from freezing. For the lower layer, I'll be wearing SW leggings under my Athleta polartec leggings. If I need a 3rd layer I'll put on my favorite rain/wind pants that are lightweight and flexible. Darn Tough socks. Altra trail shoes (more on feet later). I'm also bringing my new North Face puffer for emergencies. 
2. Feet. While on the gravel road at home, my trusty Altras were fine. However, the one day I wore them to the campground and back up at the cabin, I ended up with a very large blister on the bottom of my foot. I ended up buying some Altra hiking boots which were supposed to be identical to my shoes, but with some ankle padding. I wore them on the gravel road at home and ended up with 2 blisters, one on the top of each foot near my toes, and sore ankles after 12-12 miles. So, nope, those had to be returned. I'm chalking up the bottom foot blister to the fact that my sled failed during that run and I was compensating my not walking normally. I bought some gaiters that may be needed if the snow is deep? But my Altras are so flat that I'm afraid the plastic piece that goes underneath will break/fail. Might just go with my warm-weather Dirty Girl gaiters?
3. Fueling. During warm-weather races, I'm usually pretty good at fueling. I drink and eat quite a bit because it's easy to grab things from my pack with bare hands. For this race, not only are my hands likely going to have mittens on them, but the mittens will be clipped into my poles. Also, food freezes so I have to carry food that I can eat while frozen! Access is important. The reflective vest I bought has a zippered pouch on the front that I hope to stash some high-calorie gorp in (nuts, PB M&M's, craisins, chocolate chips, etc). I'll be carrying 3L of water on my back which should be more than enough to get me to the aid station where I can re-fill. Plan is to set a timer on my phone that'll go off every 30 minutes so that I can take the time to drink and eat something. 
4. Distance. The only time I've run this distance or more was in 2017 when I completed the Fall Superior 50 mile with Alex. I've run several 50k's, but I haven't completed more than a marathon length race in 5 years when I finished Wild Duluth in 2019! This race is a much different beast than anything I've attempted before. It's not a running race, it's a hiking race. 
5. Night. During the 50 mile, we started and ending the race in the dark so that's my experience with head lamps. Hey, at least it's something!
6. Mental. Not only did I buy wired headphones (because air pods don't last for more than few hours before needing to be charged), but I listened to my first audio book as I knew I wouldn't have enough podcasts to last through the night! Plan is not to listen to stuff constantly, but at least I'll have the options if I load a couple of books onto my phone! Will also curate a playlist for music motivation when I need it.
7. Survival checks. When's the last time I camped? Um, a million years ago? I'm glad the race starts in the sleeping bags/bivvies as I'll have time to set them up. Re-stashing them though at the race start does not have me terrible excited as it likely means starting with cold hands! I am thinking of just putting my sleeping bag in a large dry bag instead of in its stuff sack as it won't take as much time and I think I'll have space in the sled. If I make it to the aid station and if I decide to continue the race, I'll have to boil 12 oz of water. I bought a small stove and have fuel tablets as I hear they're the best in low temps. Bringing some hot cocoa packets to add to the water once it's boiling!

In 2024, Minnesota had very little snow. In fact, I don't think we used our snowblower even once all winter! I'm really hoping for a snowy year! Meanwhile, I knew I needed to figure out some training plans for practicing sled pulling without snow or a sled. I started with the belt - I bought a padded Husky belt at Home Depot that has velcro for quick-release (most belts have buckles which would be impossible to unbuckle with mittened hands). I then added some clips to it to attach my ropes/bungees. For indoor training on the treadmill, I bought a resistance band that I hooked to a couple of dumbbells on the floor behind the treadmill and clipped to my waist. 

For outdoor training, I went to Discount Tire and asked for a 20#-30# tire. They ended up giving me an enormous 33# tire! I drilled a hole for an eye-hook, attached a bungee dog leash and clipped it to my waist harness. Marcus and I took a few trips during peak October leaf season up to the Carlos Avery area so that I could practice tire-pulling on gravel. It was hard, especially on softer gravel/sand. But I was able to keep my pace around 16-17mph which is faster than I need it to be so that's good. This included stoppage time for rests, snacks, peeing, etc. Every time I went out, though, it seemed I needed to tweak something. Whether it was a carabiner that rubbed wrong or a loop I'd sewn on that came loose, it seemed something "broke" with every run. In fact, on one of our gravel road days, the dog leash I'd been using got "caught" under the tire causing it to fray and snap. 

In October, we went to the cabin and we didn't have room in the car for the tire so I brought an old kids' sled I found in our garage that I'd tricked out to mimic a winter sled. I put bricks inside a burlap bag and secured it to the inside of the sled. I made it to the Iron Lake Campground and halfway home (about 6m) before I realized that the sled was taking on sand. I stopped to dump out the sand and I discovered that the bottom of the sled was destroyed and that's how the sand was getting in. I flipped the sled and attached the bricks to the top and trudged on. Shortly after, one of my two ropes had also snapped so I was down to one rope/pole. Somehow I managed to drag everything back to the cabin, but those last few miles were rough. I was really looking forward to snow. For now, I was back to the treadmill/tire. 

This lesson did teach me, though, that using fixed poles was not the method I wanted to use. While super helpful when going downhill as it keeps your sled from bumping into the back of your legs, the rigidness makes it really difficult to turn around and/or get anything out of your sled without removing the waist harness. The St Croix course is relatively flat so I knew declines wasn't going to be too much of an issue and it's quite easy to just pull the sled along side you like walking a dog. 

Before Thanksgiving, I made a solo trip to the snow-less cabin. Brought my tire this time along with the dog leash that I hadn't realized had frayed! While it still technically worked, I knew I needed a back-up (or better) system. Thank goodness for Amazon! I was able to buy a new dog leash and some carabiner bungees and have them delivered. I set up my new system and dragged the tire around the Old Gunflint and on the Moose Trail. Hard work! It snowed our last day up, but I didn't have a sled and was suffering from a cold. We went home for Thanksgiving, but the snow just kept on coming up north. I reached out to Rolf so that I could pick up his sled and bivy. In addition to not using fixed poles (Rolf had a pair that I declined), I ultimately decided to stick with using bungees as they tend to absorb shock better than just a rope. While Rolf uses a single heavy rope, my bungees have carabiners attached to both ends. I hooked two to the corners of Rolf's sled and then to the clips I'd added to my waist harness. I added some eyebolts to the back corners of Rolf's sled and am using another two to hold down my gear (and to be back-ups in case one of them breaks). 

I headed back to the cabin on December 5th, just a week after leaving. Plowed the driveway and quickly tested out the sled that first afternoon. Wow, pulling a sled on snow is so much easier than pulling a tire on gravel! Who knew!

That brings us to today, Friday December 6th, 2024. Plan this weekend is to get 2-3 good sled-pulling days in. Trying out the neighborhood along with the boat landing and eventually the campground. This will all depend on the condition of the snow/roads. I need enough snow to not destroy Rolf's sled, but not too much snow that I'm wading through it in tennies! Temps around 15 degrees today with some wind.

Iron Lake Campground #4

UPDATE: Hiked 9 1/2 miles to Iron Lake Campground. Very little wind, temps 14-16 degrees. The part of the road that the city typically plows was recently covered with about an inch of fluffy snow after previously having been plowed which was good or the gravel might have harmed Rolf's sled. As I suspected, the road wasn't plowed beyond the turnoff for the boat landing (in either direction) nor had there been any snowmobile traffic so I trudged through several inches of virgin snow. I wasn't quite sure how far I was going to go today, but when I got to the "post office", I was unexpectedly surprised to find the road was plowed beyond that point! All the way to the road from the north end! 

For snacks, I had brought a bag of freeze dried apple chips in my vest pocket - these were perfect and I could eat them with my Menards gloves on. As I neared the campground, I started seeing very fresh and recent wolf tracks. He was also taking a detour at the campground. While he seemed to prefer #5, I went on to #$ and stopped to boil water. I immediately pulled out my stove and once I got the match to light, the tablet lit right away. I had no idea what to expect as far as how long it would take although my research had suggested it wouldn't be more than several minutes. While waiting, I took the time to put my warmest jacket on, stopped to pee (practiced with my new pee funnel), refilled my snacks (don't forget to zip the pocket up once you're done - all the bending over just made me lose an entire bag of gorp into the snow which I'm sure the animals won't mind) and kept checking on my water. It really seemed to be taking a long time to boil. Each tablet lasts about 12 minutes so I had to light a 2nd tablet as my water had not yet boiled after the first tablet was used up. 

Snack stash in front pocket.

My feet were pretty snowy from the hike through the deeper stuff and they ended up getting wet and I could feel them starting to get cold so I kept trying to move around. In the race, it would probably be a good idea to take the time to sit down and swap out socks, gaiters and shoes for dry ones while I'm waiting for the water to boil. Finally, after 26 minutes, my water boiled! I forgot my hot chocolate packet so once the water was ready, I packed away my jacket, took a couple of sips and poured it out before turning around to head home. Went through a few mitten changes throughout. Would be smart to have another pair of my $5 Menards gloves as the pair I was wearing while making water got slightly wet. I came home and bought another pair of Leki Trigger mitts because both of the pairs I have now have finger channels which makes it much harder to get your hand in and out, especially when they're sweaty. Overall I was dressed just fine - SW leggings, Athleta polartec leggings, wool bra, SW tank, SW quarter zip, SW vest and TNF jacket. Wool socks, regular gaiters, Altra trail shoes. For my head, SM buff and black balaclava. Used the hood on my jacket to help regulate heat. Swapped out mittens between extra warm Leki mitts and cheapie Menards mitts. 

While my moving pace was 15:16, my overall pace was 21:16 which included lag time between starting Strava while still in the cabin and actually getting going, time at the campground (including 26 minutes to boil water) and a couple of stops to switch out mitts along the way. Seems like a lot of down time, but would keep me under a 15-hour finish time which is great!

NEXT TIME: Figure out how to build a bumper for the front of the sled - pool noodle? Figure out how to shave down water boiling time - need a wind barrier? Buy more cheap gloves. Buy some bic lighters as back-up in case the matches/striker fail. 

2024 Fall Superior Moose Marathon

Passing through
Cramer aid station.

Date: Saturday, September 7th 2024, 8:00am start 

Distance: 26.2 miles

Weather: Both Friday and Saturday were showing temps in the mid 40's to upper 50's along with sun and some clouds. No rain, very low humidity. It was absolutely perfect!

Runners: Just me!

Crew: Marcus and Jax. Next time, need a 2nd crew member to help with the pup! Crewing plus managing the pup is a lot to handle for one person amidst the chaos of aid stations! 

Gear: UD hydration pack (have received two new packs under warranty this year due to some minor tearing in the fabric, wore the smaller one this time which worked great), VS bra, black camo Athleta Momentum tank, Oiselle Roga shorts, Dirty Girlz gaitors, darn tough socks, Altra Lone Peak's, iPhone (used for both Strava and podcasts/music, had 20% battery at Oberg, died at the top of Mystery, bring a back-up charger next time), RSR buff, Zumbro hat, sunglasses. At the start, I had on my Goldy long-sleeve, but wasn't feeling particularly cold and I didn't want to have to stop to take it off and stash it until I saw Marcus at Sawbill so I took it off just before the race started and I'm so glad I did, definitely the right choice! I was never cold, although there were some "cooler" spots on the course in lower/cloudy terrain.

Collapsible Coke

Fuel: What I ate before the race: nothing, but some coffee. What I had in my pack: caramel/honey waffle, Speednut, 2 string cheese, water, sport beans, salt pills. What I ate during the race: waffle, 1 string cheese, water (re-filled once at Oberg), coke (at every aid station), 1 1/2 bags of sport beans. What I forgot: salt pills!

With my new packs came some collapsible bottles that I'd never used before. I took a look at them while still at home and realized that they share the exact same bite valve as my larger water bladder does which was great to know because I go through several each year and while HydraPak does a great job of replacing them for free under warranty, it's nice to have some backups! As these bottles are also designed to fit inside the front pockets on the vest, I thought I'd try one out and see how it works. Works really well with non-carbonated liquid as it "collapses" as you drink, taking up less and less space. It works surprisingly well with carbonated liquid, too, you just have to squeeze the air out. I know this allowed me to drink more as I was able to carry it with me whereas I typically just down a cup at each aid station. 

Photo courtesy of Scott Rokis

Training and Preparation: After suffering my first DNF in the spring of 2023 (missed the cut-off at Oberg during the 50k), I worked my ass off this last year to get in better shape. We bought a treadmill in the fall of 2023 and I went from running/hiking 4 days/week to 6 days/week, consistently. Zumbro in the spring of 2024 went well and I was shocked at how well training for Superior went over the summer. I consistently maintained miles both indoors on the treadmill and outdoors, even through heat and humidity. I just didn't suffer as much this year as I have in seasons past! Not sure why, but I'll take it! Didn't get a 20+ miler in, though, when I wish I had, but still felt reasonably prepared.

Photo courtesy of
Christine Armbruster

Race Weekend Preparation: I wanted to spend the weekend at the cabin again as that worked quite well last time. But I didn't want to roll in at 9pm this year so Marcus took the day off and we left Friday morning after Juniper left for school (who was staying home alone for the weekend for the first time). We took our time getting up to the cabin, making a few stops along the way. Stopped at Lutsen winery to buy a bottle of wine and went up to Caribou to see if I could pick up my packet early, but they were just starting to set up the finish. 

Once at the cabin, I ate a large salad and relaxed in the afternoon while Marcus went for a bike ride. I'd pre-made Mac & Cheese for dinner which was perfect, a treat I hadn't had in a long time. Weirdly, as soon as we got to the cabin, I started sneezing and my eyes were extremely itchy. It felt like allergies? Continued most of the evening, but settled somewhat at night. 

S'mores at Sawbill

I had a really hard time sleeping! Part of the reason for staying at the cabin was to ensure I got a good night of sleep in a familiar bed! It felt like I was constantly awake all night, only sleeping for a few minutes at a time. I finally just got up at 5:29, a minute before my alarm would've gone off. Got dressed, had some coffee and we left around 6:25 which was the same time as last time so I thought it'd be fine. However, I needed to make a bathroom stop along the way. When we got to Cramer, instead of having Marcus drop me off, we parked at the end of the line which was a mistake. I took my gear AND Jax and started fast-walking to the start. Marcus was quite a bit behind me. When I heard Storkamp start his race announcements, I started running. I still hadn't picked up my race bib! And I had the pup with me! Fortunately, everyone was running behind so I got my bib, stood in line for the bathrooms and waited for Marcus to come get Jax. Race started about 8 minutes late. 

Cramer Rd to Temperance (Miles 0 to 7.9 - 7.9m):  The conga line that is typical for this race was made even worse at the very beginning because there was a downed tree. However, once over the tree, the crowd actually thinned out quite quickly. Strategically, I had planned to listen to podcasts during the race (saving music for after Oberg). I'd never really done this before and wasn't sure how it'd work out. I used one ear-bud at a time and had figured out how to create a queue (during the drive to Cramer) so I didn't have to touch my phone in order to skip to the next podcast. This worked out quite well! However, it did use more battery and I wish I had thought to ask Marcus for a portable charger. This section is really quite nice. It's not very difficult and the section along the river is really beautiful and the Temperance River was roaring. My allergies (or whatever was going on) were really bad, though. My nose would not stop running and there was nothing I could do about it. I didn't have any kleenex or towels with me.

Leaving Sawbill

Temperance to Sawbill (Miles 7.9 to 13.6 - 5.7m):  No aid here so I had a volunteer poor some Coke in my new collapsible bottle and I took off right away. This section is all about Carlton which I actually quite enjoy. I imagine it's a bit like bouldering! I wasn't quite sure how it would go with poles, though, as I do tend to climb up using my hands, but it worked out fine. As is typical, there's always someone cramping after the first part! It's pretty much all downhill after Carlton, though.

Sawbill to Oberg (Miles 13.6 to 19.1 - 5.5m):  Marcus and Jax were waiting for me! Had Marcus re-fill my Coke bottle while I ran to the bathroom to pee and to deal with my never-ending runny nose. I had Marcus open up a string cheese for me because up until now I hadn't eaten anything all day and figured I should. This is still my least favorite section, but after my DNF last spring, I really wanted to conquer it so I ran as often as I could and only hiked when I had to. Lots of stumbles, but poles were a lifesaver. 

Having to say good-bye
to Jax for the
umpteenth time!

Oberg to FINISH (Miles 19.2 to 26.2 - 7.1m):  More Coke at this aid station. I also asked a volunteer to fill up my water (but my back had been aching for awhile so they didn't fill it completely). I also had Marcus open a waffle and I ate it while we walked up the hill to the entrance to the trail. Said good-bye to Jax and took off again finishing the waffle while I hiked up the first section. Moose surprised me this time - typically I tell myself if you have to ask if this is Moose, it's not. Well, I was half-way up before I realized yep, this is definitely Moose! It was quite sunny this time, not so dark as I remembered! There was no one around. Not behind or in front of me. It was very peaceful. My nose was still constantly dripping and it had become incredibly annoying! Really wish I had a towel with me, but for now my pole gloves had to do!

Waffle Time!

I had turned on music after leaving Oberg with the hopes of it carrying me to the finish, but when Marcus informed me my battery was at 20%, I knew my phone was going to die sooner rather than later so I really took advantage of it and went as fast as I could during this section. Stumbles were fewer, although I was really concentrating on the ground. I was looking forward to the pace up Mystery as I was really pushing myself to get there. Hiked it up as fast as I could and as I started heading down, phone died. Ugh. In addition, I had been holding off some cramping in my right foot for quite some time and what I'll call a "pre-cramp" was slowly spreading up my leg and into my thigh which I'd never experienced before! It also spread into my left foot/leg somewhat too. It was then that I realized that due to the cool weather and low humidity, I hadn't taken ANY salt pills throughout the entire race when I typically take 1 every 30 minutes or 2 every hour even when I'm only out running for an hour or two! I wasn't quite sure where they were in my new pack and I didn't take the time to explore so I downed a bag and a half of sport beans which were easy to access. The beans seemed to help almost immediately, but I was still in "pre-cramp" territory for the remainder of the race. I continued drinking a lot of water and Coke too but I'm sure the added caffeine from the beans the Coke wasn't helping. 

Put away poles just
before the finish!

I didn't quite know what to expect at the finish as Storkamp had altered the race finish to avoid racers having to run on the road. This meant that after the gravel portion of the road, we headed to the left back up into the ski hills/grassy portion, up yet another steep grassy hill and then back down a VERY steep dirt hill and into the finish. In my opinion, this had to have added some mileage and at least 10 minutes. A 50-miler passed me (only the 4th one I'd seen all race) and he was quite irritated! I picked up some speed as I got closer to the finish and my right leg nearly gave out on me as the pre-cramp almost turned into an actual cramp. I had to stumble across the finish to avoid a major thigh cramp. I couldn't stand up straight or bend my leg for awhile. Ann (Alex's friend) was at the finish and she grabbed me a Gingerale and a bag of potato chips which I downed quickly while sitting for a bit. We didn't stick around for long and back at the car, I tried to take off my shoes (Marcus needed to help with the right one as I still couldn't bend my leg without cramping in my upper thigh). On the way back to the cabin, we stopped for take-out Fish & Chips. I ate a hard-boiled egg and two bags of fruit snacks in the car because at this point I was hungry! I was also getting cold as I hadn't really changed out of my wet clothes and the cabin was 62 degrees. I immediately took a hot shower and came out to a nice fire (thanks to Mom for getting the firepit all prepped and ready!). I sat in front of it for awhile and then ate my fish & chips along with some wine we'd bought from the winery near Lutsen. 

Trying to avoid
post-race cramping.

Final Time: 7:12:19 (16:30 pace), 62/154 women, 11/40 age group 50+, 151/317 overall. Nearly the exact same number of runners as when I first ran this 5 years ago (312 in 2019) and my results were nearly identical, finishing in the top 48% both years! For women only, finished in the top 40% both years. Because I'm now in the "Grand Master" age group, though, I finished in the top 28% this time (compared with the top 39% last time). This race was very important for my morale. I feel like I gave it my all, both during training and during the race. I feel good about the results and I'm looking forward to the next year!

Recovery: We stayed at the cabin all day Sunday. While Marcus went for a long bike ride, Jax and I walked the 3-mile cabin loops. Slowly, haha. Legs were stiff, but working okay and I had avoided cramping all night. Rested that afternoon and we headed home Monday morning. Using poles, especially with all the stumbles, really uses upper body muscles I'm not used to working. Both of my upper arms were quite sore, it hurt to cut an onion or even put on my seatbelt! Once home, I went for a slow 3-mile run on Tuesday which really helped to iron out any residual soreness I had. Hiked 3 miles on the treadmill Wednesday and by Thursday was ready for a normal 7-8m road run. In fact, instead of taking it easy this past week, I've managed to run more than 30 miles! Hope to continue 30-35 mile weeks for the next few months.

No explanation needed.

Next Time: My instructions to myself from last time I used poles was to also work on training my upper body, especially my upper arms so I wouldn't be so sore. Did I remember this? Nope! But maybe this time I will? Also, bring a portable battery charger and know how and when to use it! 

Going into this race, Marcus, Juniper and I had previously signed up for Wild Duluth which was going to be Juniper's first trail race, but we have since decided to skip Wild Duluth (trading it for a cabin work weekend instead) and perhaps sign up for Zumbro and/or the Spring Superior? 

In addition, for the last 6 months or so, I've been seriously considering signing up for the 100 miler next year. It's something I've wanted to do since 2017. I actually signed up for it in 2018, but deleted my registration before the lottery because I chickened out. Family, I may be asking for some assistance next September 5-6, 2025! Stay tuned!