Tomorrow is it.    Taking part in some of the worst running I have ever done.  It's called Dances With Dirt near Hell, Michigan.

I am doing the 100k relay with 4 others, with my legs being "Go to Hell and Beyond", "Where's the F'in Bridge?", and "Don't get no better".

Some of these trails are a bitch.  I thought I was in decent shape until I went out to the course to try it.  Holy roots, rocks, and ruts, it is crazy.  Much more fun than road running, but you better pay attention.  There are river crossings, swamp, and poison ivy too, just for fun.

You can do the 50k or 50 miles by yourself, maybe next year!  

Good luck!  Do you run your 25k all at once, or split up 10k at a pop?

I'm running a 1/2 marathon Sunday morning.  The weather looks like it will be great.

The legs are between 3-6 miles each, and we are splitting them up, so everyone will get a rest in between (may or may not be a good idea).  15 legs, 5 runners, so 3 legs each, although one leg is only a quarter of a mile.

We have some good runners and some average ones, just planning on finishing and not getting lost.
One of the guys took second in a 50k trail run last year.  I think it is called the Huff, in Ft Wayne, IN.

Where is the half?

It is the River Run Half.  It starts in Berea Ohio and follows the Rocky River up to near Lake Erie.  There will be almost 2500 runners particpating this year.  The race is very well supported.

I'm not shooting for a PR, just looking for an honest effort.  8 minute mile pace is what I'm looking to run.  I ran a 1:32 at this race 2 years ago.  1:45 this year would make me happy.

Hermes Cleveland

As a ultra-marathoner friend tells me...  anything worth doing is worth overdoing.  50k would be a long way to go...  It's just a little longer than a marathon, though.  50 miles is just plain nuts.

Good luck.  Give us a race report Monday.

Race Recap!!

1st leg, our young gun puts us in 7th place (out of 300+ teams)  He is surprised at how rough the trail is.

2nd leg, our best trail runner does 6.2 miles with the worst hills, we drive to the next exchange, he arrives and has us in third place!

3rd leg, our first girl does a little over 3 miles on decent trails, we are still in 9th.

4th leg, our second girl runs the aptly named Buttkicker, we drive to another exchange and wait.  She comes in struggling and swearing, cursing the people who design the trails.  She and some others go past a turn in the woods, have to come back and miss it again!!

5th leg, I run.  Hilly, rough trails, some road, then into a low area.  More trail, then off a bank into the river crossing (with submerged logs).  2 more miles of sand and hills, wondering why I am worn out on the first leg.

6th leg, our young gun goes again.  We drive to the exchange area to meet him, and soon see people arriving black from head to toe.  5 miles of hard running and some swamp.

7th leg, other guy goes again.  With these fast guys you don't have long to mess around.  On to the next exchange point!!

8th and 9th leg are the girls, with better trails, no big complaints.

10th leg, I run "Where's the F'in Bridge?"  Keep wondering about the name, as I've checked the topo map and don't see many trouble spots.  After 3 miles of trail, I come to a river.  I wave to the boaters as I wade across.  First step after the river is knee deep in mud.  Hmmmmm.  Pick my way thru swamp following ribbon markers.  Back on solid ground, ready to run again, come around a corner and see a runner up to his waist in mud and stuck!!  I tight rope across a log and offer to help, but he is getting out.  Another half mile of swamp, I try to stay on the sides and am rewarded with rakings from brush and thorns.  Cut up or muddy, take your pick.

11th and 12th leg.  Our youngin' gets lost for a short time and has us worried, but our trail guy makes up time even though his leg takes him through a lake and cattails.

13th leg, I run in open fields, 80 degrees feels like 100.  Turn ankle pretty badly, but keep on.

14th leg our girl runs 4.6 miles in a good time, then tags off to other girl who takes the last 400 yard sprint to the finish!

Done, in about 8 hours 32 minutes.  We grab our medals, pizza, and collapse in the grass.  Yes, we'll do it again next year, but need to be in better shape.  You need strength and endurance for this type of running.  Hills, hills, hills, it started to hurt just as much going down as it did going up.
We finished in 78th place, not bad for a first time.

Cheers to the guys that took on the 50k or 50 mile by themselves.

Excellent race report Rangedog.

Good job!

Good job. boy that sounds like a wild time.

Last summer I went to Leadville to support my boss for the Leadville 100. This year he ran Western States. He finshed both of them in 28 hours and change.

Thanks, these longer races are fun.  I need something else to train for now.  

How did the half go, Illigb?

Sounds like it was a lot of fun - the kind that you would need to take a few days off of work for. I have found running downhill usually is where most of the muscle soreness comes from - I think that it is called eccentric contraction - the muscles stretching and contracting simultaneous - can really make you limp afterwords.

Great job - are you going to do it again?

Quoted: Thanks, these longer races are fun.  I need something else to train for now.   How did the half go, Illigb?

The half went well.  I contemplated not running the race due to a chest cold I have thanks to my kids bringing home some grunge from school.  I have a first and third grader at home.  It seems we are always sick.

Anyway...  I gutted it out and was at the starting line.  The first few miles were rough.  I was perpetually launching snot and such.  I was struggling to run 10 minute miles.  About mile 3, my sinuses cleared up and I started feeling pretty good.  I ran 8 minute miles the rest of the way out, finishing in 1:51:14, for about 8:27 per mile average.

All of this race was on pavement.  Sounds like your terrain was a little more varied.  I'd love to run a trail race sometime.

Illigb - Good job on the half, that's still faster than anything I've done.  Consider the first 3 miles a warmup.  Bet you were pretty whipped the next day.

BYU - Yes, will do it again.  I only hope I haven't ruined myself for road running, it will seem awfully boring now to just put your feet on the ground one in front of the other without looking for hazards.  

Rangedog? are you running in the Free Press Marathon. I signed up for the half marathon. My first race since High School and that was over 10 years ago. I am really enjoying the training.

Sixgun... No, I'm not, but know a few people who are, some running marathon, some running half.  I think they said the half is new this year.

Are you following a training program?  Have you done a half before?

Good luck with the training and the race.

I have never did a race this long before. Actually this is the first race since High school I am running. I used to run cross country in high school so running is not anything new. Since I was done with college I was running about 3 miles a day 5 days a week in the summer. Just to give me something to do and get out in the summer. Since I decided to do the Half Marathon I kinda followed Hal Higdons program.


Now my knees are bothering me from the impact, I took 3 days off and getting a new pair of shoes. This pair is only 4 months old. But who knows. Been riding my bike the last 3 days. Ill try out the new shoes tomorrow.