7am Saturday arrived, and six of us, coated with sunscreen and bug spray, and weighted down with lots of fluids and snacks, started the run: Matt, Ed, Jon, Steve, Jessica and me.
A little bit of background: Steve is a seasoned ultrarunner, with two 100 milers under his belt along with all kinds of other crazy things, Matt has recently completed his third 50k, Ed and Jon are fresh off of their first 50k at Orcas Island, and Jessica was planning 10-12 miles as a training run while she contemplated signing up for her first marathon. The morning was still cool, with clear blue skies and we happily took off down the trail with our fresh legs.
An hour into the run, and we were just trotting along, sharing stories and having fun. Jessica talks a LOT so there wasn't much quiet time!
There also wasn't a lot to look at, as we traveled through farm country, so when anything of interest popped up, we stopped for a quick picture!
By 9am, the sun was starting to kick out some serious heat, and we were all happy that we decided to take short walk breaks every mile. I do a lot of my training runs this way, because it not only gives me physical and mental breaks, but helps me conserve energy for the miles near the end.
In our tenth mile, we came to our first "aid station". We took a little detour down a road and there was Misty at her mom's house, with a table and chairs set up under a tree with a BUFFET of items for us.
Jessica was feeling good and decided to go a few more miles with us. Our bellies were full, as well as our packs, and we were ready to head back to the trail!
Again I will say, there wasn't much to look at out there, so you get me standing next to these balancing rocks. Haha!
As we headed towards our next stop, Jessica was heading into unknown territory. She had never run more than 14 miles before, so I celebrated every mile after that by yelling, "THIS IS THE FARTHEST YOU'VE EVER GONE!" We stopped at our next 'aid station" in St. John's and celebrated the end of Jessica's run for the day and her new distance PR of 18 miles! You go, girl! (Now go sign up for that marathon! You got this!)
We knew the next nine or ten miles or so would be much quieter without our talkative girl, and they were! It was getting really hot now, and we didn't have much shade on the trail. We strategically planned our walk breaks based on where a big tree cast a shadow across our path. As we got closer to our next stop in Fowler, Jon realized he was running short on fluids. We were soooo salty and sweaty.
Ed called in for some backup and boy, were we glad to see Misty's van appear at a crossroad. We loaded up with ice and water and the five of us continued on.
At this point, Ed was really starting to overheat and we could all tell he wasn't having much fun. He decided to walk to the next stop in Fowler, where he would finish with a marathon distance under his belt. It was a great effort in tough conditions and we felt his pain.
As we came into Fowler, not only was Misty waiting for us, but Ashleigh was waiting to join in on the run. We were all excited to have a fresh, energized face to liven us up. We spent a little extra time in Fowler because we really needed a recharge. We set up camp at a little rest area there where there were real bathrooms and cold, running water! We took time to rinse off the saltiness, reapply sunscreen, and grab a bite to eat.
I also had the enjoyment of watching Matt pop this awesome blister on his toe!
Before we left, we posed for another photo...
With about five miles to our next stop, we hit the trail once again. It was midday and the heat was sweltering. The trail was leading us on as far as the eye could see...
As we approached Pewamo, Jon hit a new PR of 32 miles and of course I yelled, "THIS IS THE FARTHEST YOU'VE EVER GONE!" His knee had started to bother him, so he decided to take his shiny new PR and call it a day. One last pic as we said goodbye to him!
And Steve couldn't resist rubbing his gross sweat all over me. Check out my face! GROOOSSSSS!
And then there were four: Matt, Steve, Ashleigh and me. Our pace had slowed a bit from earlier in the day, but we were still moving quite well. We stopped here and there to pose on bridges over both freeways and rivers.
Those five miles were the quietest of the day, and I think we were all looking forward to picking up some new runners at our next stop. Steve was having a tough time in the heat and I could tell he wasn't quite himself.
The trail into Muir had slightly more shade, which was nice because the paved parts of the trail were extra hot, soaking up the sun. I did stop for a close-up pic of this baby snapper who was out for a stroll as well.
And then we were to our next pit stop: Muir. It was grassy and shady and had another bathroom with running water. Score! There to greet us were Misty, Ed, Jon, another Steve and Danielle.
We took a few extra minutes to cool down and collect ourselves and Steve decided he had had enough of the heat and ended his day with 38 miles logged.
We filled our packs and Steve (the other Steve) and Danielle joined Matt, Ashleigh and me for the final miles. I was excited for Matt because 38 miles was as far as he'd ever run, and we were about to get him a new distance PR.
Just six miles. Six. That wasn't too bad, right? Matt, Ashleigh and I were so happy to have Steve and Danielle along. They definitely brightened our moods and they smelled so fresh and clean! And when we hit mile 39 I yelled to Matt, "THIS IS THE FARTHEST YOU'VE EVER GONE!"
After a couple miles, Steve said he had a surprise for us waiting at the end. What could it be?! He told us at mile 44 there was an icy cold splash park waiting for us. ARE YOU SERIOUS?! I kid you not, that cold water was all I could think about those last four miles. I was tired and hot and had been running for more than nine hours and could think of nothing better than a good cold soak. Slowly, sloooowwwwly, the end came into view. And then we were there. 44 miles and change.
We threw off our packs and headed into the water.
And it was COLD. So cold it literally took my breath away. And it was amazing. We played in the water like kids and celebrated our finish.
Matt and I were the sole survivors of the entire distance. We were tired and we were hungry and we were proud.
As we headed to dinner, Steve's grandson came running up to congratulate him on his run, and it was such a touching moment. Pure love right there, you guys.
In just a few minutes we were all crowded around a big table in a little brewery, celebrating the day. Nine runners took part in this run, and it wouldn't have been the same without any one of them. We celebrated PR's and we celebrated achieved goals and we celebrated the adventure of the day.
It doesn't look lie much from a distance, but that little line on that big mitten was filled with joy and comradery and teamwork.
I would like to send out an extra-special thank you to Misty for spending her 40th birthday being and the beck and call of nine runners. You truly were amazing and we absolutely could not have done this run without your help and support. You totally ROCK!
So, if you're a Michigan Runner, I encourage you to join us on a run, big or small. You won't be disappointed. And if you're not a Michigan Runner, you're welcome to come for a visit and be our guest.
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