Ice Age 50K Race Report

TL;DR: I got my Ice Age finisher keychain and made up for a lack of talent and training with a desire to cross the finish line.

In 2016 and 2017 I tried and failed the Ice Age 50Ice Age 50, a 50 mile trail run on Wisconsin's Ice Age Trail. This year I signed up for the 50 again. I'm not fast, I have no natural running talent, and I'm kind of a wuss, so all I've got to rely on is training. I came so close last year that I thought maybe this time, with more training, I could do it.

More training didn't happen. I bought a Peloton over winter and fell in love with spin classes, of all things. Being able to get in a great workout without dealing with Wisconsin winter weather was just so appealing. So while I was putting in some decent workouts on the bike, my running dwindled. I had a lot of zero mile weeks, maxed out at a 15 mile run in February, and ran my highest mileage week - 20 miles - just this month. Not exactly ultramarathon training.

Obviously, I had every intention of dropping Ice Age. I had moved into a half marathon training plan with a goal of running a sub-2:00 half by the end of summer. 20 miles a week sounded pretty fine to me.

But then I was given the option of running the 50K at Ice Age instead. While the 50 mile Ice Age route consists of a relatively easy 9 mile loop followed by two very different and very tough out-and-backs on the Ice Age trail, the 50K is made up of a 13 mile out-and-back on the IAT and two laps around the 9 mile loop. I figured I could do the 13 mile out and back, end up back at my car and call it a day.

Race Day

Fresh off my 20 mile week (lol) I was looking forward to my 13 mile DNF at Ice Age. The energy at this race is electric. The race was founded in 1982 and it attracts runners from all over. Before the start, the race director lists off the runners with many, many multiple finishes. Such a cool thing to see.

The 50K runners were off at 8:15 a.m., and I kept a light, conversational pace (because really, what else could I possibly do?). The out-and-back to the Horseriders Camp aid station has a lot of steep climbs and descents, and despite the rain of the previous day there wasn't that much mud to deal with which surprised me. The varied terrain was nice - not a ton of running, not a ton of climbing, not a ton of downhill - just a good blend of each. Getting this section out of the way first thing is so different from the 50 mile route which puts this challenging section at the end of the race. And the great views here really make this run worth it. I figured if I could make this 13 mile stretch in 3:30 - 4:00 hours and still feel okay, which I could hopefully do even on my worst day, I'd consider keeping going for a single 9-mile loop. I got back to the start/finish area well under that goal, and feeling good.

Dammit, I had to keep running.

I set a new goal - if I could reach the halfway point, 15.5 miles, in under 4 hours, I'd see how I felt at 20 miles and then maybe, just maybe, I'd consider running the last loop. I figured if I tossed enough variables in there I'd find a good reason to quit. But no, 15.5 came in easily under 4 miles and by 20 miles I was feeling as good as 20 miles ever felt. WTF.

Here are a few photos out on the 9 mile loop. Lots of easy flats, some rolling hills, and some steep climbs here and there. 100% beautiful all the way through.

I finished the first 9 mile loop upright and smiling, and my amazing friend Andrea basically shoved me back onto the course for a second 9 miler (as all good running friends would do). I told her I'd try, but no promises.

Everyone says the double 9-mile loop at the end is the worst, but I really like it. Scenic. Not technical. Just nice. But I was starting to have some aches and pains around this point, as I should. Even so, I was really getting to the point where I thought I was going to do it. I busted out my secret weapon, took a swig, put on my playlist, and kept moving.

Mental toughness has never been a strong suit for me. Last year I quit a marathon 2 miles from the finish line because everything sucked and I was having a bad day. I actually had a longer walk to get home than I would have had I just finished, but mentally I was just so done. Hell, I quit my 7 mile "long run" last weekend at mile 5 because I was feeling tired. So by mile 29, the idea that I really could be finishing this 50K on willpower was overwhelming. About a mile after I hit the final aid station I could hear the finish line music and I can't lie - I teared up. Mostly because I was so ready to sit on my ass for awhile but also because it was really going to happen.

My time? Definitely my worst 50K at a whopping 7:50. But I had a great time. Like, 100%, 10/10 would do it again great time.

Obligatory cheesy post-finish happy photo:

P.S. Everything hurts today.

The Notorious Milwaukee Marathon (Pacer Report)

For the second time this month, I paced the 5:30 marathon finishers, this time for the Milwaukee Marathon.

Pacing, Generally

The job of the official pace team is to keep an appropriate pace throughout the race to lead runners to the finish time for their desired goals. Most races I've paced have pacers at varying intervals from 3:00 finishes through 5:30 finishes (I'm always on the 5:30 end - my marathon PR is around 4:55). Pacers are expected to be familiar with the race course, the location of aid stations, and generally be encouraging to everyone around them when the going gets tough. We do this while holding up a little sign that says our pace time on it so runners can locate us and join up if they get off pace, have to stop for a restroom break, etc. Here's me and my sign:

A 5:30 finish is a 12:35/mile pace, so the strategy is to run just under 12:35/mile but walk through all aid stations and power-hike the hills. If the course is 26.2 miles long (ooh...foreshadowing) that will get the runners to the finish in exactly 5 1/2 hours.

I use the "lap pace" setting on my Garmin Vivoactive to maintain an appropriate overall mile pace, but I wear a pace band that tells me what my watch should read at every mile marker, because at the end of the day, the mile markers are what count. It is impossible to run perfect tangents, especially as a pacer who often darts between runners in the area to encourage, chat, etc., so as soon as I see a mile marker I check our overall time and adjust so that we are within 10 seconds of the target by the time we pass the mile marker.

Milwaukee Marathon

The Milwaukee Marathon is in its third year, and under new management this year. The race festivities include a mile race on Saturday, plus a 5K, 10K, Half and Full Marathon. The race is run through the city of Milwaukee and highlights some great neighborhoods. It makes for a really nice tour of the city - you get to see the lakefront, the stadium, great breweries, raucous Brady Street, beautiful houses in some of the older neighborhoods, the Hank Aaron trail, and so much more. In theory, this should be a great race.

But it has its struggles. It is actually amazing the race got off the ground at all - the race organizer faced very public opposition from a city alderman before ultimately receiving approval for the event. The race's inaugural year let down a lot of runners by failing to secure alcohol permits for the promised post-race beer. In its second year, the marathon course ran 3/4 of a mile long. Obviously, it could be worse, but little complaints stack up over time.

Under new management this year, the race showed a lot of promise. The branding on the website and the finishers shirt and medal were all great (although everyone got a shirt that said Milwaukee Marathon, even if they ran the 1/2 or 10K. I heard comments from people running the lower distances that they didn't feel right wearing a "marathon" shirt when they hadn't run a marathon. I can understand that). But there were bigger struggles to be had.

The weather.

Your training can be on point all season, but you can never account for what kind of weather race day will bring. All week the forecast predicted rain, but the majority of the rain fell overnight creating a huge mud pit at the start/finish line party area. The rain turned into a fine mist by the race's start, but strong gusting winds remained a challenge for the whole race (especially when you are holding up a sign that feels like a sail in the wind). I'll be honest - if this was a training run day for me, I'd have stayed in bed.

The Course

As noted, the course itself is actually pretty great but the bad weather led to very little crowd support. With under 600 people running the marathon, after Mile 9 (where the half marathoners broke off from the full marathon route) there were spots that felt pretty damned desolate in neighborhoods that I wouldn't walk alone in at night. Fortunately, as a pacer, I had a lovely group with me so we made the run fun, even when the route left a little to be desired.

The Big Error

My pace team was clicking the miles by just as anticipated. For example, I hit Mile 20 at 4:11:53, with a target of 4:11:44 (so about 9 seconds over). By Mile 21 we were approaching the Hank Aaron Trail, which included an out-and-back up the trail. After the turnaround point I could see the next mile marker in the distance. It seemed a little far to me, but perception can get a little weird after 4+ hours of running, so I picked up the pace slightly and proceeded. But as we approached, the marker that should have said Mile 22 instead said Mile 23.

Where did Mile 22 go? There was no way we could have missed a turn - it was a straight-shot out and back, with a string of cones marking the turnaround. But if that was really Mile 23, we were now a good 11 miles ahead of pace.

A a pacer, that gave me a lot to consider. Was that really "officially" Mile 23? Were we really just 3.2 miles from the finish, or would those markers be stretched out to make up for the lost mile? My copacer and I checked with our runners: what did they want to do? We are there for them, after all. We could slow way down, hope that we really were 3.2 miles from the finish, and bring everyone in at 5:30, but frankly that seemed dumb. And if we were 4.2 miles from the finish, like we should have been, we would have totally screwed our runners by doing that. After all the weather we had experienced, our runners just wanted to be finished. We had a bunch of first timers with us, and I don't blame them. We maintained a 12:35-ish pace and brought our runners in about 12 minutes early.

Sadly, the weather ruined what would have been a really epic after-party. The food trucks and beer were there, but after being blown around for 5 1/2 hours, I just wanted hot coffee and a shower. That's a damn shame for the race organization, but such are the perils of planning an October marathon in Wisconsin.

So where did Mile 22 go?

I wanted to make sure that I didn't hallucinate my way into a huge pacing error, so I've been reading the comments on the Marathon's website. I wasn't hallucinating. Some great internet sleuths seem to have found the error - the turnaround on the Hank Aaron Trail was set way too short. Someone commented that there was actually a Mile 22 marker - apparently the Marathon had posted a photo of it - but the turnaround spot was marked before runners would get to it.

In the big scheme of things, that's not a big deal for most 5:30 finishers. They get their finish, which is the goal for 80% of them. But what about the seasoned runners looking for a PR? What about the Boston qualifiers? This was a USATF certified course, but I think it really was marked wrong. The turnaround point was set too early.

Unfortunately, the race management seems to be standing by its course rather than admitting there may have been a mistake. Apparently enough people were talking about the problem that it got the attention of the Milwaukee Jounal Sentinal, but the race organizers are going with the "our course is right and everyone's GPS is wrong" defense:

**

Some runners wondered if the course was shy of the 26.2 miles.

A half-dozen runners confirmed with the Journal Sentinel that their fitness trackers with GPS had them coming in at about 25.5 to 25.8 miles. (Another runner said their GPS had them coming in short on the 10K race as well.) Three marathon runners said Miles 21-23 seemed short, and two said they never saw a Mile 22 marker.

Last year, this marathon exceeded 26.2 miles by as much as a mile or two for the fastest, front-of-the-pack runners.

Joe Zimmerman, president of ROC Productions, which now produces the PNC Milwaukee Marathon, said extra care was taken to get the course right this year with the assistance of Chad Antcliff, the technical expert who has overseen the race the last three years.

“We took as many precautions as we could to make sure the distance was absolutely accurate,” said Zimmerman. “We triple-checked and verified.”

Zimmerman said that when he heard the race might be coming in a bit short, he talked to pacers and runners and had his course marshals go out and check mile markers to make sure they matched up with the way the USA Track & Field course certifier marked it.

“And it was right on point,” said Zimmerman. “We can’t find anything that leads us to believe that the course is inaccurate.”

The course was measured and is USATF certified, he said, and it was measured to the inside corner of the course.

“As we all know, GPS is not 100% accurate,” said Zimmerman.

There might be areas where GPS may not have given the best readings, like the Hank Aaron Trail, or the spiral staircases that came down on 6th St.

**

That's a really disappointing response, and I really hope it doesn't mar what has the potential to be a really fantastic marathon. There was so much they did right: great route, free race photos, great shirt, great medal, potentially great finish line party (but for the weather). But I'm afraid that response from the race is, unfortunately, going to put off a lot of serious runners.

Distance issues and weather aside, I have to say I enjoyed this marathon more than I thought I would. The 5 1/2 hours passed quickly, which is really a hard thing to say about a marathon. If the race can overcome yet another year of mismarked mileage, I will run this one again, either as a pacer (hopefully I'm invited to pace again despite our early arrival at the finish line) or a runner.

2017 Ice Age 50 Race Report (Spoiler Alert: DNF)

For the second year in a row, I got a DNF instead of a buckle at the beautiful Ice Age 50 in La Grange, WI. I made it 47.5 miles this year before calling it quits.

Training

I was ready for this race. I was hitting 50+ mile weeks with some consistency. I was training on the stair climber machines. I was doing speedwork and running some of my fastest miles. I knew I'd be chasing cutoff times, but I had put in the work. Other than a chest cold/sore throat that sneaked up on me during race week, I was ready.

All week the weather was forecast to be around 50 on race day, with a possibility of rain. Things changed just before the race, and soon the weather was predicted to be a high of 70. Warm, but you'll have that sometimes, especially in Wisconsin. I'm an early morning runner so most of my training runs have been in the cool 30 degree weather we've had in the early day. I went for shorts and a tank top instead of capris and a tech shirt and arm sleeves.

Ice Age 50: Section 1

The first section of the Ice Age trail is definitely the easiest. The blue Nordic Loop features wide trails with lots of rolling hills and a few tough climbs. These miles come easy as there are tons of people to run with and the terrain is pleasant. I was doing very comfortable 11:00 miles in this section and feeling good.

Ice Age 50: Section 2

The real race begins when the runners veer off of Nordic and take a connector trail to the rugged Ice Age trail for an out and back to Rice Lake. Steep climbs and rocky singletrack lie ahead, as do beautiful expanses of pine needle-blanketed trail. If you don't like the scenery in this section, keep going because it changes every mile. There are very runnable sections here - there's a long, relatively flat section by a lake that comes to mind - but there are also plenty of climbs. The one thing runners can't do here is get complacent on the singletrack - I saw plenty of runners go down because of a misstep on a rock. I took my only fall of the race in this section, but it was one of those mystery trips - I fell on a flat pine section: no rocks, no roots, nothing. It was a soft fall, no problem.

The day was getting hotter but plenty of sections had tree cover so I wasn't really feeling it yet. I did experience one of those "magic moments" of racing in this section: the sun was shining brightly yet somehow a gentle rain had started to fall. There was barely a cloud in the sky at this point so I had no idea how it was happening but it felt fantastic.

I felt good in this section and followed my plan of drinking Tailwind regularly and eating PB&Js at the aid stations. The day was starting to take its toll early, though. Because this section is an out-and-back, us folks in the back get to watch the faster runners on their way back in which is always fantastic. Some looked strong, but so many - even some real superstars - looked like they were struggling. I started passing people on the way back, which is very unusual for me. I later learned that the temperature had soared to 80 and stayed there until evening. I passed through the aid station at Mile 33 feeling pretty good. My race ended at 33 miles last year so it felt good to head on through this time around.

Ice Age 50: Section 3

This section was full of the unknown for me. Section Three is an out and back to the Emma Carlin trailhead, and it again featured the rocky singletrack of the Ice Age Trail with more big climbs. The sections here were not as runnable, but I ran what I could and walked the climbs. I was sore but feeling okay, and still making okay time. By some miracle, my Garmin Vivoactive stayed with me until almost Mile 39, which is a new record for that old beast - usually the battery gives in around 31/32 miles. I made it into the Emma Carlin trailhead literally at the hard cutoff, and I knew I'd have to make really good time in the last 9.5 miles to make the cutoffs that followed.

In retrospect, losing the Garmin was harder than I thought it would be. It is challenging to not know my pace, not know how many miles to the next aid station, etc. Around Mile 42 I got a side-stitch that I just couldn't shake, and I knew I couldn't afford to walk at this point. I passed a few more people but by Mile 43 I knew my race was over. The side stitch did a number on me and I just didn't have anything left. I tried to run, knowing that there was the tiniest slip of a chance that I could make the cutoffs, but I was just spent. I walked it in to Mile 47.5 (which is the 33 mile aid station where I quit last year, funny enough) and gave up. I was 2.5 miles from the finish and 15 minutes from the 12 hour cutoff.

The Good

I PRd my 50K in the first 31 miles of the race. 47.5 miles is a 14-ish mile distance PR for me. I really, truly felt good for most of the race and I had fun. The miles went by without much drama, and I just enjoyed it up until the end. I wanted that buckle so badly, and I think on a cooler day it would have been mine. But, that's running for you: race day sometimes has other plans for you.

Will I do it again? I don't know if I'll do the 50 mile at Ice Age. I recognize that this was a tough year with the heat (65% finish rate for the 50 miler this year). I love the race with ever fiber of my being, and I know I can run 50 miles, but I don't know if I enjoy the hard cutoffs. I'm not fast, and the pressure of knowing I'd be chasing cutoffs all day really made the day less fun than I like.

(Ask me again in December, when signup opens).

Race Report: Wo-Zha-Wa Run (Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin)

I ran the Wo-Zha-Wa Run in the Wisconsin Dells last weekend.  This is my third or fourth entry in this race and it is one of my favorites to revisit every year.

The Race:

The Wo-Zha-Wa Run bills itself as "Wisconsin's Oldest Long Distance Run" and this was its 48th year. The race offers a 4-mile option and a half marathon. Having run a half marathon in the Wisconsin Dells once, I always opt for the 4-miler. The Dells is an extremely scenic tourist trap, and while the four-mile race is gorgeous, the half marathon has to avoid the crowds and trots runners out to some hilly but dull farmland outside of the Wisconsin Dells proper. I ran it once - never again.

Why this race?

Simply put, this race is swag city. The technical t-shirt and finishers medal are nice, but the real prize of the day is the Wisconsin Dells attractions pass given to all finishers. The pass offers free admission to a bunch of Dells-area attractions, including boat tours, mini golf, the amphibious Original Wisconsin Ducks[1] (DUKW) tours, and more. I'd guess the pass is worth about $60 if not more. Not bad for an extremely cheap race.

My training:

I'm training for my first 50K right now, and I've been doing a runstreak since June 1. I also do Crossfit a few days a week. My training plan is basically the FIRST (Furman Institute of Running and Scientific Training) plan of one weekly long run, tempo run, and speedwork, plus daily running for the runstreak and crosstraining via Crossfit. Not a traditional training plan by any means, but it seems to work for me. I average 35-40 MPW under this plan.

Precedent

I'm slow. Rather, I used to be slow (oooh, that's foreshadowing!). I spent 4+ years as a 11-12 minute miler, and I could hit a 10 minute mile for a single mile on a treadmill once in awhile. But since I started training with the plan described above, things have improved. My last Wo-Zha-Wa run was my previous best, and I came in at just under 40 minutes. I was hoping for a big PR this time and aimed for 36:30. I felt confident about that goal.

Race day weather this year was perfect - 50s and sunny. I wore my InkNBurn Robot Capris and got a ton of comments on them.  I joked with a few people who commented on them prior to the race that my bionic legs would make me run faster.  Little did I know...

Mile One

While I had my Garmin on, I decided to run by feel for the first mile. I've run the race enough times to have the course in my head, and I figured I'd aim for a 8:50 pace for the first mile which sloped nicely downward so I could bank a little time for the big hill at mile 3. A mile in, a woman I was running nearby commented that we hit the first mile in 8:12 WHOOPS. But I felt good, so onward.

Mile Two

I kept pushing on, focusing on foot turnover and breathing. I collected my hi-five from the race's founder as I do every year at 1.25 miles, and I saw a cute little boy on the sidelines faceplant as he was trying to catch up to his dad who was running just ahead of me. A true runner, he instructed his son to "walk it off, kiddo!" and didn't slow his pace at all. Noice. I kept on keeping on and found that Mile 2 passed at a 8:08 pace. WHOOPS. But I still felt good, so onward.

Mile 3

The terrain changed as the course moved off of the nicely paved streets of downtown Wisconsin Dells and onto the shoulder of a highway. The road was gravelly and choppy so I had to pay more attention here. There were some gently rolling hills. It was nothing terrible but it definitely weeded out the people who don't train on hills. I dropped a few people I was running with during this point. And I knew the big hill was coming up, but so was some of the most scenic, wooded parts of the race. The leaves weren't turning yet as they were during previous years, but it was still a beautiful sight. And then came the big hill.

This was the first year that I didn't walk at least part of the hill. I put my head down and powered up it. And it didn't feel quite as big as it was in previous years. I was sure I lost some time on this hill, but no. I checked my Garmin and saw I made Mile 3 in 8:03. WHOOPS. And I was starting to feel a little gassed.

Mile 4

The race ends back at the Wisconsin Dells high school, finishing with a victory lap around the track. I struggled a bit at this point as we wound through residential streets.  And by "a bit" I mean I really did struggle.  I put up 8:40 for the final mile.  Which, in retrospect, isn't bad considering I had planned to run the whole race much slower.

Final official time: 33:51 Fastest mile (per Strava): 7:50

I collected my finisher awards and later found I was third in my age group. Me, a back of the pack runner! Damn. 29th overall out of 139, and 13th female overall.

I finally feel like I don't have to start my conversations about running with "I'm really slow, but...". I'm still not fast, but I'm finally getting faster. It's working.

Tough Mudder Wisconsin - September 12, 2015

I did the Wisconsin Tough Mudder on Saturday.  If you haven't done the race before, you may know it as the long mud run (12-ish miles) with the electric shock obstacle (as opposed to Spartan Race, Warrior Dash, or the zillion other mud runs that have popped up).  I've done plenty of other mud runs and lots of other regular running races, but this was my first Tough Mudder.

Tough Mudder is not timed; rather, it is about teamwork.  Some of the obstacles are literally impossible to do without a team.  At first, that was really off-putting to me.  I'm a solo runner and I like to race the clock.  That said, the teamwork stuff was actually pretty cool.  Most of my team consisted of friends-of-friends who I hadn't met prior to the day of, and over the course of run I felt like I really got to know these people and could happily hang with them over some beers anytime.   I guess helping people in and out of mud will do that.

The Course

The course varies from state to state of course, but they really hit a home run in Wisconsin by having this at Road America.  They used the miles of rocky, rooty, rollercoaster hills on their offroading trails and it was fantastic.  My trail runner heart had a blast bombing down the hills and chugging up the steep inclines.  I want to go back and run the trails again and again.  There were plenty of long segments of running in between the obstacles, so unlike some of the shorter obstacles courses, there was plenty of time to stretch the legs.  I loved it.

The Obstacles

Honestly?  Pretty fun.  There were tall walls to scale, barbed wire to snake under, mud to forge,  heavy logs to carry, etc.  Some of the more memorable obstacles included the "Arctic Enema" which was a waterslide that lands in chest-deep ice water, "Everest" which is a slick half-pipe that you run up (and if you are part of the 95% who can't scale it without help, you hope for some strong arms to grab you and haul you over the crest - plenty of people are willing to lend a hand to help a fellow Mudder, so no problem there).  I loved watching King of the Swingers which involved jumping off of a 15 foot platform to grab a swinging bar and landing in deep water.  Incredibly fun to watch, but as a non-swimmer I had to opt out of this one.  "Electroshock Therapy" involves shocking electrical wires that you basically have to put your head down and power through.  I took a good shock to the hip that rocked me, but other than that it was okay.

I made some pretty big assumptions that Tough Mudder would have the same AROO!BEASTMODECROSSFIT4LYFE attitude that the Spartan Races have, but it doesn't.  Tough Mudder is about working with your team to make it through any way you want.  If you want to run Tough Mudder, that's cool - no one will look down on you for making a run of the course.  If you want to walk it with your friends, that's cool too.  Make it an 11 mile party?  Sweet.  You do your Tough Mudder your way.  I've been on both ends of the spectrum, from the balls-out Spartan Races to the "let's take 2 hours for this 5K and then go get a cosmo and donuts" Dirty Girl mud runs, and this was a nice in-between.

So, all that said, was this the smartest race to run 3 weeks before my 50K?  Maybe not.  The potential for injury in an obstacle course race is pretty big as there's lots of room to fall, turn an ankle, etc., but I think I got a huge benefit from the hillwork I did and the time on the trail.  I'd definitely do it again in a heartbeat, especially off-season.

Finally, here's the obligatory team before and after pics.

Photo Credits:  Jeff Hammes.  Aren't these amazing photos?  I am blown away by how great the pictures turned out.