I'm an ultramarathoner!!!!

I finished! The route ended up being about 37.5 miles. Crossed that finish line at 8 hours and 48 

This was definitely the most unique race I have ever run.  It was a self sustaining race, meaning I had to figure out the most important items I would need to make it through this race because there were only 2 aid stations, at mile 5 and mile 25.

We got to the check in about 2 hours before race start and got all checked in.  They had a nice warm breakfast for us of oatmeal and peanut butter french toast (literally a peanut butter sandwich that they turned into french toast).  After breakfast, we hopped on a bus and were shipped off to the start in Ojibwa. The bus ride seemed to take forever, which is alarming because all it means is that we would have to run back.

There was a little hut at the start in Ojibwa where we met to keep warm – it was actually a very nice day out, surprisingly, in the 20s! – and had the pre race meeting.  The start was pretty anticlimactic, except the trail to get to the state trail was ungroomed so most people immediatelly started walking and the bikers had to walk their bikes.  We made a loop on this ungroomed trail around the part to make sure that the course would in fact be 35 miles and then it was off to the Tuscobia State Trail for the rest of the run.

We made it about 3.5 miles that first hour because we were so busy trying to get through the snow.. this was also hard due to the nice weather since it made the footing even softer.  Once we made it back onto the Tuscobia Trail, it was a little better groomed.  There was about a foot of packed snow on the right side of the trail that we could get some footing on and actually run.  The first aid station ended up being around mile 6.5 and just had a gallon jug of water.  

Around mile 8, decided we needed to break this thing up.  We decided to start stopping every 4 miles to walk for a little bit and refuel – taking about an hour to get those 4 miles.At that time, I also decided I would eat the oatmeal creme pie I swiped from the hotel breakfast room at mile 20, to give myself a little more incentive.  We did pretty good, stopping at 12, 16 and a little before 20.  At 20, the footing had really gotten to us.  Our hips were killing us so we ended up walking until mile 21.  At this point, we also had to get out our reflective vests, head lamps, and blinky lights. We caught up with a guy named Paul and a woman named Tracy at this point.  Greg’s hips were really getting to him and he need to walk, while my hips were making it hurt to walk to I had to leave him around mile 24.  I thought I would be on my own the rest of the way.  Luckily the aid station – which actually ended up being at mile 27ish – Tracy caught back up to me.  I ran with her quite a long time.  She gave me some ibuprofen around mile 33 and I ended up feeling like a new woman!  My Garmin ended up dying at 33 and had to turn my phone on to get the rest of the course recorded.  When my GPS told me I was at mile 35 I was ecstatic.  The only issue was – there was no civilization in sight.  It was pitch dark and we coudn’t tell where we were or how much farther we had to go.  I ended up feeling pretty good a little after mile 35 and left Tracy (I’m super thankful for her, she definitely helped pass the miles with great stories from her other ultras).  I was doing around 12 minute miles the last few miles!  

About a mile after I left Tracy, it seemed I was getting closer to some sort of civilization.  I passed a bar and then went over a couple busy roads.  I did come to a point where there was a branch in the trail and I had to choose which one to take.  One said Park Falls and the other said Park Falls Trailhead Park.  Luckily I picked the right one and just kept heading toward Park Falls.  I hit the end of the trail and 2 people were at a car guiding me in.  They were such an awesome sight.  They told me to just follow the signs and the blinky lights and I would be done.  I didn’t believe them at first and actually asked them if they were telling the truth.  I cruised on down a the city streets a couple of turns and there was the finish line.. a blinky, lit up structure to run under with the race director and a couple family memebers of other runners there to congrutae me.  I finished at a perfect time because not too long after, it started to freezing rain.  It was a feeling like I have never felt before to finish that race – the idea that I could just be done seemed alien.  My body ached in ways it never had from marathons from the weird footing of the snow, yet oddly I felt like I could keep running forever.  I went into the tent by the finish line and was welcomed by clapping and congratulations from a few other finishers and was handed my finisher’s hat.  I then went inside the Canoe Club for some hot soup and bread – I didn’t even feel hungry, but the bland, hot vegetable soup seemed to warm me up.  My feet started to hurt really bad at that time, Ihadn’t realized how wet they had gotten. 

Greg crossed the finish line about half hour later.  We hugged and he got his soup and finisher’s hat.  We eventually made it back to the hotel and got showered and cleaned up and thawed out.  We then ventured out in the freezing rain to find some food.  The only place open in small town Wisconsin was Subway and McDonalds.  We opted for the Subway and then I fell asleep and didn’t move the whole night.