March 31, 2012 was a blustery, cloudy day with temps in the low 40's as Kamil Suran, Chuck Schultz, Holly Bochantin, and many others stood at the starting line in a parking lot, by a big white tent with La Sportiva signs adorning it. Two people in front of Holly and I were wearing back packs and for the first 30 minutes of the race, I heard their continuous story of how the packs were filled with rocks in preparation for a Rim to Rim attempt at Grand Canyon the next month. I will not name them to protect the innocent. But, once I got a clear area, I burst around them and never let them catch up to me again on the 3 10 mile loops at Clinton Lake in downstate Illinois.
Illinois is supposed to be flat, but Clinton Lake's trail features continuous rolling inclines and declines with little flat stuff to run on. The trail wasn't too technical but the hills get uglier each loop. I went around the first loop in just over 2 hours and got with Steve R. from Park Ridge, IL. Steve is an experienced ultra runner who told me of his preparing for the Potawatomi Trail Run two week's after Clinton Lake. Steve was planning to run the 100 mile and I was planning on running 30 at Potawatomi. I enjoyed chatting with Steve for the next 20 miles. He helped keep me on pace and we had lots of laughs.
The trail beat me up a bit, but I still finished strong and happy. Overall, my Garmin showed total elevation change of 11,387 feet. I maintained an average pace of 12:46 and finished in 6:23:53. Holly finished behind me due to some health issues and Chuck and Kamil beat me by a good bit. But, they should, after all they're triple ironmen! The folks from the Lapham Peak Ultrarunners out of Milwaukee took most of the hardware.
The race is well organized and you get a good spread at the end to eat. I was impressed by the volunteers. For an award, you get bit of homemade pottery on a leather loop. I gave mine to my daughter. It felt good to drop my feet into the lakes cold water, but I wish I'd brought some flip flops to protect my bare feet from the rocks!
Clinton Lake 30
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Rookie Errors at Glacial Trail 50M
 |
| At the Mile 23 Aid Station |
Anyway, after spending the night in Fond du Lac, WI, I made my way to the start in Greenbush where I made mistake #1. I missed the turn in the dark and got lost. As a result, by the time I made it to the Fire Station where the race began, I'd already missed the start of the 50M race. I grabbed my registration materials, and headed out about 15 minutes late. Then, mistake #2, I missed the turn onto the Ice Age Trail and almost did a circle back to the start before I realized my error. That cost me about 2 miles or so.
I then went out to try to catch up and found the course to be very, very technical after leaving the pine tree area (really nice). The trail in spots is very rocky and some of the rocks on the uphills were loose, as well as on the downs. The temperature was climbing into the 80's as I made my way. But, at about mile 10, I fell down a hill and after finding nothing broken, mistake, #3, somehow I got turned around and starting running backwards. I didn't realize my mistake (all the while wondering why I was seeing all the 50K runners going the other way, until I got to AS1. Then, I realized, oops, I've been here before.
As a result, by the time I got to the Mile 23 Aid Station, I was behind the cut off. But, not by too much, I thought. However, the heat was up and I saw evidence of many damaged runners stopping and collapsing at 23. I was told if I didn't hurry, that I wouldn't make the turnaround AS and likely would be unsupported the rest of the way. As I was still having fun, I decided to head out and got to about mile 27. At the point, I realized my progress would not get me to the turnaround in time. Thus, I did not make mistake #4, I called by friend Brandi Henry who was cheering many of us and arranged for a pick up. Thus, I got my first DNF. But, I learned a lot.
First, I realized I could do it if I got there in time. Second, I discovered that I enjoyed just making the effort. Third, my friends and the people at the Aid Stations were super!
During the run, I wore Salomon XT 2's. They held up great especially on the techical portions of the course.
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Product Review: Merrell Mix Master 2's - Good shoes for trails and roads
Product Review:
Merrell Mix Master 2
By Keith Daniels
Built for a mix of terrains and tempos, light and nimble,
with a wide forefoot and aborptive midsole, the Mix Master 2’s are Merrell’s
response to those who want a shoe for the roads and trails. The shoes contain a rock plate to protect
from rock bruising, and a low 4mm heel to toe drop which makes these shoes a
transitional shoe for those looking to move slowly to minimalist footwear. Mix Master 2’s are recommended for those
looking to move away from traditional more bulky trail shoes toward a lighter
and quicker feeling shoe. I think that
these shoes are a great move toward lower drop shoes and provide a much quicker
feel for faster paced runs.
Mix Master 2’s fit about a half size longer than standard
running shoes. A size 9 weighs 9
ounces. For those who heel strike or do
so occasionally (and who doesn’t), they have an air cushion for some shock
absorption.
The uppers are a synthetic leather/air mesh combination
which provides breathable foot coverage.
I expect that they will drain and dry quickly if wet, but haven’t yet
experienced them in wet or muddy use.
The TPU overlays lock the foot in place well.
The broad toe bumper protects your little piggies from rocks
and roots. As a frequent toe crasher, I
have found them to be quite protective.
But, I have also noticed that I seem to find more roots and rocks than
normal, I’m guessing that in my other slimmer shoes, I manage to step around
things that the wider sole catches in the Mix Master 2’s.
The shoes have a removable foot bed that is made of an
anti-microbial material designed to kill germs and keep the shoes smelling
good. The insole is 2mm EVA for added
cushion.
The soles are a sticky rubber compound with wide lugs. The sole provides more than adequate traction
for the ups and downs of our local trails, such as Veteran’s Acres in Crystal
Lake, IL or the Kettle Moraine in Wisconsin.
On a dry hard packed trail, these shoes should cause you to feel like
flying. The shoes lack an aggressive
tread which makes me cautious about using them on very technical and steep
trails. Not that we encounter many of
those in the Midwest.
So far, I have run about 50 miles in the Mix Master
2’s. I’m used to running trails in shoes
from La Sportiva, Salomon and Brooks which have heal to toe drops from 8 to
12mm. Thus, far, I’m quite happy with
the lower drop of the Mix Master 2’s and have enjoyed them on a mix of gravel,
single track and black top. On pavement,
they offer a much easier ride than most standard trail shoes which feel heavy
and clunky on the hard stuff.
The same shoe, with an upper featuring a closed-mesh lining
and coated with a dirt- and water-resistant coasting is sold as the Mix Master
Aeroblock (and for women as the Mix Master Glide). The Aeroblock is rated the Editor’s Choice
for Best Hybrid in the October 2012 Trail Runner Magazine.
In conclusion, the Merrell Mix Master 2’s are versatile, low
profile shoes which perform well on non-technical trails and roads. They provide the ability to move easily from
a standard shoe into a lower drop shoe which is easier to run in using a mid or
forefoot foot strike. For heel strikers,
they also offer adequate protection.
Catching the ultra running itch
An Introduction
Look at that gut. Well, it's been quite a 2012 as I officially entered the ultra running world. My first effort, after finishing the Twin Cities Marathon in 2010, the Lake Geneva, Madison and Fox Valley Marathons in 2011, was the Glacial Trail 50 miler in October 2011. I made some big rookie mistakes. I got lost on the way to the start, so I got there late. Then, I went out too fast trying to catch up. I got lost twice on the course and then, when the heat started to blow up experienced runners I got to the 26 mile mark and realized I was melting and would likely have to finish unsupported. Thankfully, Holly Bochantin's fiance, Bill, Ric Nienstedt and Brandi Henry Jacobs, were there to help me survive my first (and thus far, only, DNF (Did Nothing Fatal!)).
Since, January 2012, I finished the Clinton Lake 30, the 30 mile night run at Potawatomi Trails, the Earth Day 50K, the Ice Age Trail 50M and the Kettle Moraine Endurance Runs 100K. I also ran the Crystal Lake Half Marathon and the Rock N' Roll Half Marathon.
In August, I suffered a back injury which prevented me from running the North Country 50M and The North Face 50M as planned. I'm now getting back in shape (and due to PT and focusing on core work, a good part of that gut is gone) and am planning on making my first 100M attempt at Potawatomi Trail in April 2013. I have more to say about the races above in other posts.
Run happy, run far, run strong!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)