Mile nineteen, or thereabouts.
As promised, they’re mostly uploaded now. I’m testing a program called Plogger as an alternative to Flickr. For one, it’s free and for two you can customize it and ideally expand on it. For now, I’ve just uploaded a few things and began tinkering with the stylesheet. But I digress - back to running.
Sunrise over Lake Superior, as seen from Grand Island
We’re back from the U.P. and everything went very well. Mae enjoyed her first 10k trail and actually thought it was ‘easy.’ Her sights are now set on the Detroit ½ Marathon in October. I’ve promised to run it with her, though I promised myself to never do a street race again after running it last year - I’ve got to be supportive.
The Grand Island marathon was, as you could expect, ridiculously beautiful. At too many points, you can peek off the trail and look straight down 200+ feet sandstone cliffs with the waves of Lake Superior crashing into them. Latter portions of the trail were lined with giant ferns that gave the place a sort of pre-historic feel, and other parts were right along the water. Not a single part of the race was visually un-entertaining; particularly the part at mile 19 where I saw a black bear watching me from about 50 feet away. My heart dropped as I realized I was eating a Clif Bar, and I casually ate it faster than I could chew, walked past him and kept eye contact (as I’ve read you’re supposed to). He stayed put, and all was well.
Though the course wasn’t technical or too challenging, I found myself taking way too long. At times, just relaxing and actually sitting on the side of the course, absorbing the scenery. Around mile 24, not caring about my chip-time, I slowed it down to a walk to soak it all in, not wanting it to end. I know I could have pushed harder, as I felt absolutely fine the next day.
All-in-all, it was the best trip we’ve had in some time. That’s due, in no small part, to the hospitality Tim Looney and his friends showed us after the race. Great conversations, dandelion wine and a U.P. cover band doing songs from The Zombies and Santana were a perfect cap on an absolutely gorgeous day.
Pictures to follow. Life’s full-speed at the moment.
By the time you read this, we’ll already be gone.
For this if you’re new here.
My hopes are 1) to finish and 2) to not get gnawed upon by any black bears. Give me that, and we’ll consider it a success. I suspect Mae’s aspirations are somewhere along the same lines.
Expect lots of pictures upon our return.
I could run these trails every day and never get tired of them. Actually, I have done just that some weeks.
Life has as many twists and turns and ups and downs as these paths, and the way we get through one is likely the way we get through the other.
New developments mandate a change in course. All professional matters beyond my control, of course. I can only control my approach and my perceptions of it all, and generally that will dictate what kind of shape I’ll be in at the other end.
There are times when you feel like you’re moving on momentum alone, almost like the wind is carrying you. Other times you feel like crawling or just laying down.
Most important is to take it all as parts of a complex process, and understand that we need lows to give the highs meaning.
And if, in the end, we can look back and say “God damn, what a ride” - we’ve probably done alright.
Photo borrowed from linked site.
In every interview I hear with Scott Jurek - he’s introduced as “probably the best Ultramarathoner of our time.” With all due respect (which is tons), we just might be entering a new time.
Just before dawn on Saturday Kyle Skaggs did what few runners thought possible. He finished the grueling Hardrock 100 Endurance Run in under 24 hours, setting a new record with a time of 23 hours, 23 minutes, 30 seconds. See results and video of finish here. “This is the performance of the year in ultra-running. Someone’s going to have to walk on water to top this” said his friend and fellow runner Nate McDowell.
+ Kyle Skaggs breaks Hardrock 100 CR by 2 hours, 45 minutes.
Fireworks in Leeland and my cousin’s kid with a sparkler.
Evidently there is a free WiFi here in the hotel, and evidently I found it.
Have been so busy with wedding stuff (read: sitting in a canoe, floating down the Platt River for 5 hours while drinking an endless flow of Budweiser with the other men in the wedding party) that I haven’t had a chance to do any running. Hopefully Pyramid Point tomorrow. Very hopefully. Happy 4th to all.
After weeks of feeling sorry for myself on account of repeated injuries, I finally made something of myself yesterday with a 20 mile trail. Tried a few new things that might or might not be great ideas for the long haul, but at least I know now:
All-in-all, it was a decent run in a decent, 43 mile week. Some very solid shorter runs with (relatively) respectable times. The 20 took a bit longer than expected, but I just wanted to get the time on my feet and start working on a reasonable hike/run combo. Will try bumping the long-runs up by a mile or two each week, and hopefully be capable of a not-excruciating 30 miler by the end of August. Things seem to be falling into place again. ‘Bout time.
As I prepare myself for the Grand Island Trail Marathon, apparently the only race in Michigan where the race director warns you about bears ahead of time, this comes to mind.
It’s only 11am on Saturday and already the weekend has been eventful, to say the least. The good news, first, is that Mae ran and owned her first race - the Flirt With Dirt 5k. Though I was hoping to coerce her into pushing herself through the 10k, she made such a great showing today that I can hardly complain. Maybe as good to run a hard 5k as it would be if she ran a sluggish 10. She’s already signed up for a 10k for next month, too. Trail, of course.
First mile was a 9:10 pace, which, for someone who trains at 12 minute miles, is pretty significant. The last two miles were in the low 11’s and if not for us following some lost runners onto the 10k trail and 1/2 a mile off our course, we probably would have come in at just a touch over the 30 minute mark.
Further on the great side of things, the last two days of rain made for some lovely trail conditions, for most. Some participants tiptoed and sidestepped around the not infrequent muddy puddles, hoping to avoid tarnishing their pearly white cross trainers. We made sure to charge through these at full speed to get them with whatever splash we could. Come on - it’s a trail run!
In all, a great morning. I’ll let the pictures tell the rest of the story.
Aftermath: my trusty FiveFinger KSOs & Mae’s newly christened NB790s.
What Saint Nick does in the off season.
Mae, crossing her first finish line.
Post finish crash.
My three favorite women, all in one place: sister, mother and Mae.
* * * *
On the down side of things, we had to lay our friend Mendel to rest last night. It’s been a rough six weeks combating terminal renal failure, and we all put up a good fight - especially him. He held on as long as he could, but yesterday he affirmed ‘it’s time’. He was surrounded by family, passing away in the arms of loved ones - most people couldn’t ask for better. He will be missed.
See you on the rainbow bridge, buddy.