Calumet Region Striders Member Information

Great Day at Minnesota Voyageur 50 Mile
[Click on pictures for larger photo.]

According to the veterans, us Voyageur virgins got off with a slap on the wrist this year. Sunny, dry and 75--perfect! Previous years have either been cold and wet with eastern winds whipping nastily off Lake Superior or, like last year, just the opposite. I was repeatedly told of last year's conditions as I trotted though each aid station: "It was almost 100 degrees with a heat index of 130! The powerline section was longer and they even added an extra hour onto the race to allow more runners time to finish, but only 50 percent made it." Regardless of this year's ideal conditions, it was still a hard finish. Everyone received a beating.

The race began in Carlton, Minnesota just southwest of Duluth at the Carlton Elementary School.

We ran down the street two blocks, turned left onto a paved bike path and then dropped down onto the trails.

The trails were extremely technical. Looking up even for a second would guarantee a mouthful of dirt, rocks, roots, busted teeth or all the above. It was like doing tire drills as a football player.

As we ran I noticed a beautiful river running next to us.

After a few miles on the trail we headed over the river on a swinging bridge.

Looking upstream from atop the bridge.

Happy to be running!

Shortly after crossing the river we headed into the dreaded powerline portion of the course. Talk about brutal--and it wasn't even hot!

We ran up.

We ran down and then back up.

We CRAWLED up...

My heart rate was about at it's peak here.

We crawled some more...

Then we headed out for lots of ups and downs that never seemed to end. Look closely and you'll see just how far we had to go.

Then we ran WAY down and then back up again. Yes, that's my water bottle in the picture.

When I got to the top of the far off hill in the above picture, I turned around and shot this.

River crossing deep at the bottom of one of the gorges in the powerline section.

Before we made it to the turnaround we had to run across ski hills. Here's a nice shot overlooking Duluth and Lake Superior. It was warm up there!

Another river crossings deep within the course shot by course photographers.

I thought I'd get another shot of the powerlines on the way back. I almost fell trying to make it up this small mountain. My quads were screaming!

Just before I climbed the hill in the above picture I scampered across a rock strewn stream at the bottom of the climb.

Knowing I was almost home I took a moment to pose for this shot on the bridge.

A new friend of mine, Joe, and I cruised into the finish together. 11:32 official finish time. We finished at Carlton Elementary where we had hot showers and lasagna waiting for us! It was my second slowest 50 but it was the toughest course I'd ever run. It was also my first long run since the Kettle Moraine 100 too. I was just happy to be racing again!

I was told to add an extra hour on to my average 50 mile time. Good advice! I managed eat up additional time by getting lost twice and stopping three times to make shoe adjustments.

Something unusual: There was a professional trumpet player stationed at various points throughout the course serenading runners with themes from Chariots of Fire, Rocky, etc. I told him to play Taps from atop one of the powerline hills. He laughed!

I managed to fall only once during the entire race. Fortunately, my handheld bottle absorbed the entire blow and I survived unscathed. Beth Simpson, one of the runners who rode up with our group, wasn't so lucky. She scuffed her knee, side, shoulder and right cheek bone during a sudden and unexpected spill. She'll live and run again!

The runners were awesome, the course tough but fun, aid stations well stocked and the entire race very well organized.

It was a great race and one I'll definitely do again!

Wes