Last weekend, I took on the “No Wimps” challenge in Pinckney State Park near Ann Arbor, Michigan. The challenge was apart of the Trail Marathon weekend. The rules were simple, complete both the Trail Half Marathon (on Saturday) and either the Trail Marathon or 50K (on Sunday) for a NO WIMPS shirt and medal. Anything for a shirt, right?

My friend Bob, roped me into the challenge and Michelle decided the idea of a trail marathon sounded fun and came with. Somehow, we were also convinced that camping the entire weekend would be the way to go. Mother nature added her own wrinkle to the contest and gave us freezing (literally) temperatures both nights. The road trip took about 8 hours and we got to the park on Friday night just before dark to set up camp.

Pinckney State Park Campsite

The next morning, Bob and I joined 800+ other runners for one lap around the park or 13.1 miles for the half marathon. Since this was day one of the challenge, we both took it slow…me, really slow. The rest of the day we hung out on the University of Michigan’s campus and found a couple local restaurants to refuel.

Bob and I freezing before the Half Marathon

Saturday night was again cold, 26 degrees, and offered little sleep to all except Michelle who burrowed with two sleeping bags and three pairs of pants. The next morning was all business and I was a little nervous going out on slightly sore legs. I signed up for the 50K but I had planted the seed of stopping after 26.2 miles or the marathon distance the day before. I wasn’t completely sold at the start, but figured I could still complete the challenge and reduce my recovery time if I did the marathon instead of the 50K.

The first lap was slow and I just wasn’t feeling it. This has been a common theme for me lately and probably has to due with the majority of my running taking place in the afternoon. My body is not used to 7:30am hills! By the 2nd lap, dropping down from the 50K to the marathon was a done deal in my mind. Now, I could pick up the pace some and not have to worry about saving it for the extra 5 miles in a 50K. I really enjoyed the last lap and even let myself go on some of the longer downhill stretches. At the finish line though, I was exhausted, my energy was depleted. Here are the weekends results…times are a bit slower with elevation and trails.

• Sat. Half Marathon: 2 Hours 13 Minutes and 45 Seconds
• Sun Marathon: 4 Hours 25 Minutes and 10 Seconds
• about 1,200 ft of climb and 1,200 of decline each lap
• No Wimps Challenge: Completed!

Bob, Michelle and I at the finish

Last week, I was a bit worried there wouldn’t be any snow for this morning’s Triple D Race in Dubuque, Iowa. The race is totally self-supported (no aid/water stations) and is run entirely on a rail to trails course. Snow adds another element to the challenge and thankfully, we got our first snow fall four days before the race! The weather was a nice 25-30 degrees with the only a little headwind when outside the tree line. I wore Yaktrax and carried some water in a Camelbak. I took an iPhone to track the route and also used it for music.

The first 10 miles went very smooth and I felt good. Around mile 15, the legs were tiring fast due to the loose snow. It felt like running in sand and with every step I was slipping. The only stop between the start and finish was mile 22, where you had to checked in at the Handle Bar (a bar in Durango). It was pretty tough to leave food and drink to go run 4 more miles, but I knew I had dry clothes waiting for me at the finish in my drop bag. For the last four miles, I ran with a guy from Osh Kosh, WI and he kept a great, even pace. Me on the other hand, walked, ran, walked, ran and repeated this until we finished together. The finish line was another bar and it never looked so good. Overall, it took about four hours and below is a map of the run and pacing chart. The two dips in pace at the beginning is where I took off and put back on the Yaktrax (a portion of trail was gravel, without snow). The big dip is when I reached the checkpoint and the waves at the end happened because of my running/walking technique. Fun race and I’m planning on coming back next year!

Triple D Splits 1-15-12

Triple D Race 1-15-12

The Cedar River Runners Club puts on a nice little Turkey Trot fun run. I had the chance to run it this past Sunday and discovered what I have been missing. The entry is a measly $3. It’s a fun run, not timed and no one is sure on the distance. I’m guessing around 3.5 miles.

The course is amazing, especially if you like trails. You start at the Hartman Reserve Nature Center in Cedar Falls. The course runs through the nature reserve with trails, steps, some paved paths, open grass and passed a few lakes. There are even a couple sandy spots which wakes the calf muscles up in a hurry. I quickly got out of breath and had burning lungs for most of the race. The post race was low key but had apple cider and cookies. I was one of the lucky door prize winners and scored a shirt, although I had my pick of gift cards, running gear and other donations.

Will definitely do this one again. And hopefully, I can make it back up to run the trails.