Whole30, days 7-11: Running update and roasted broccoli recipe

On day 11 of the Whole30 now, things are going along pretty well. I think we were eating pretty similarly to this before starting, so the adjustment hasn't been radical. I haven't noticed big differences in a lot of things yet (although I am starting to get some pretty cut looking abs, probably a combination of diet and regular core workouts). I am continuing to want/need an afternoon snack, and although the Whole9 principles don't favor snacking, I think that may just be how I function. I'm full at lunch, I'm hungry at 4 pm, and if I wait till dinner at 5:30 or 6 I'm starving. I'll blame it on running and go with it.

Previous January Whole30 posts:
January Whole30 and Veggie-Ful Omelet
Morning drill: Breakfast and lunch
Week 1 wrap-up and Paleo Diner Hash

It's been a weird couple of weeks for running. Last Monday (Jan 6) it was -21F with -45 windchills, so I ran on the treadmill at the Y for the first time in at least 6 months... and tweaked my left hamstring. Stupid treadmill. Water running the next day may not have done it any favors; it was still a little achy last Thursday so I rested it and did yoga instead. By Saturday, though, I had an amazing 3 hour run at Lebanon Hills.

This week, the tweaky spot seems to have migrated a bit higher, and I'm continuing to be cautious. I bailed on my Tuesday run (did spin classes instead) and by yesterday it seemed better. This morning conditions were so perfect (35 degrees, 1/2 inch new snow, no wind till later in the morning) that I decided I needed an outdoor run in shorts. I did a super easy 5.4 miles with minimal pain, though things are still not 100% normal feeling.

A big goal for this year is to not do stupid stuff in training. I'm trying really hard not to be stupid. But running in the snow by headlamp, when it's not too cold, is such a magical experience... it's hard to convince myself that I shouldn't be out there!

However, I have my incentive to train smart: I just signed up for the Spring Superior 50K trail race! Can't wait to get back on the Superior Hiking Trail in May. This is such a beautiful, well supported, challenging, fun race.

Here's my most recent Whole30 recap and recipe:

Saturday (day 6), continued:
Dinner: Roasted chicken (olive oil, salt, pepper), roasted broccoli, pumpkin with smoked paprika.
Before bed: 1/3 c blueberries with a little coconut milk and a sprinkle of sliced almonds. Luxury!

Very Simple Roasted Broccoli (serves 2-4):

2 medium to large heads broccoli, cut into bite-sized florets (the stems are good too, but peel them first)
2-3 Tbsp ghee, lard, or coconut oil (olive oil would probably also be fine)
salt and pepper
1/2 lemon

Preheat oven to 450F.
Arrange the broccoli on 1-2 baking sheets or 9 x 13 baking pans, in a single layer. Put the cooking fat in among the broccoli in small spoonfuls. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Bake for a total of about 30 min, stirring every 10 min or so (the cooking fat melts and the first stir mixes it in with the broccoli). Bake until the broccoli is wilted and starting to brown a bit.
Remove from the oven and squeeze the lemon over the broccoli. Enjoy!

This was great. Should have made more!

Sunday (day 7):
Breakfast: Omelet with 3 eggs, kale, and jalapeno peppers, cooked in ghee. Spaghetti squash (I ran out of pumpkin!) with ghee. Black coffee.
Post-workout: Small baked sweet potato, several bits of tuna salad, coffee with a little coconut milk and a spoonful of unsweetened cocoa powder. (It was a little over the top, but nice after a long run)
Mid-morning snack at church: 3 dates.
Lunch: "Curry in a hurry": Chicken breast and broccoli sauteed in coconut oil, with Thai red curry paste, coconut milk and a dash of fish sauce. Eaten over spaghetti squash. Nice.
Dinner: Chocolate chili from Well Fed, over steamed cauliflower, with avocados. This was a very good version of, basically, Cincinnati chili. Would probably be good served paleo-Cincy-style -- I 'm imagining putting it on spaghetti squash and then covering it with chopped onions, avocado (instead of cheese), and chopped tomato (instead of kidney beans)? Anyway, good recipe. Try it!

Saute the onions in coconut oil, then add garlic.

Mix up the spices and cocoa.

Cook the meat, then add in the spices.

Add tomato paste, tomatoes, water, and stock. Simmer uncovered for at least 2 hours.

Meanwhile, steam some cauliflower (I made a whole smallish head for two people)

This was pretty awesome.

Monday (day 8):
Breakfast: Omelet with 3 eggs, kale, and jalapeno peppers, cooked in ghee. Spaghetti squash. Black coffee.
Post-workout: Small baked sweet potato, a few spoonfuls of almond butter, almonds, black coffee.


Mid-morning snack: Apple, almonds.
Lunch: Leftover pork stew (still so good!), salad with lettuce, roasted yellow pepper, roasted eggplant, 1/2 avocado, sprouts, balsamic vinegar, olive oil. Almonds.
Afternoon snack: Raisins, almonds
Dinner: Leftover chocolate chili over a baked sweet potato, with 1/2 avocado on top. This was even better than yesterday! The flavors really married nicely in the fridge.
After dinner: A raw carrot with a little bit of freshly made paleo mayo. I made it with macadamia nut oil this time -- expensive ($1/ounce!) but really nice flavor. I also had a few bites of the tuna salad I was making.

Tuesday (day 9):
Breakfast: Omelet with 3 eggs, kale, and jalapeno peppers, cooked in ghee. Spaghetti squash. Black coffee.

Mid-morning snack: Banana, 1/2 baked sweet potato, almonds, black coffee.

Lunch: New tuna salad (tuna in olive oil, paleo mayo, celery, apple, almonds, raisins, curry powder) with frozen green beans and roasted yellow pepper. Salad with lettuce, roasted yellow pepper, roasted eggplant, 1/2 avocado, sprouts, balsamic vinegar, olive oil. Almonds.
Afternoon snack: 1/2 sweet potato, almonds.
Dinner: More leftover chocolate chili, this time on spaghetti squash with 1/2 an avocado. Yum! I was still hungry, so then had a salad (lettuce, Trader Joe's Tuscan Vinaigrette), then an egg cooked with sprouts and eaten with Mean Green Hot Sauce.

Wednesday (day 10):

Breakfast: Omelet with 3 eggs, kale, and jalapeno peppers, cooked in ghee. Spaghetti squash. Black coffee.

Post-workout: Baked sweet potato, apple, almonds, black coffee.

Lunch: Seward Cafe! 3 egg omelet with kale, tomato and mushroom, with tahini and green salsa (jalapenos + onions + vinegar). Side of broccoli with a little nutritional yeast. Coffee.

Afternoon snack: Salad with lettuce, roasted yellow pepper, 1/2 avocado, balsamic vinegar, olive oil. 

Dinner: Five Guys with the kids. Bunless burger (in a bowl) with lettuce, tomato, pickles, grilled mushrooms and onions, jalapenos, and mustard. About six fries. Delicious. Some almonds and pistachios afterwards.

Thursday (day 11):

Breakfast: Omelet with 3 eggs, kale, and jalapeno peppers, cooked in ghee. Spaghetti squash. Black coffee.
Post-workout: 1/2 sweet potato, almonds, black coffee.

Lunch: Tuna salad with frozen green beans and roasted yellow pepper. Salad with lettuce, roasted yellow pepper, roasted eggplant, 1/2 avocado, balsamic vinegar, olive oil. Almonds.

Whole30: Week 1 wrap-up and Paleo Diner Hash recipe

Okay, I'm jumping the gun a little here at day 6, but we'll call it week 1. I'm eating well, have avoided the "kill all the things" phase of the Whole30, and actually feel pretty awesome. I guess I didn't have as much bad diet to detox from as last time.

Wednesday (day 3): Didn't end up going out after all (babysitter couldn't make it). So made breakfast for dinner: Sausage (Whole30-friendly, from Seward Co-op), 1.5 over-medium fried eggs, and a huge pan of paleo diner-style sweet potato-pumpkin-kale hash (which I immediately named "squaash", to rhyme with "hash").

Paleo Diner Hash. Oh my this was good.

Paleo Diner Hash (serves 2 hungry people):

3 Tbsp coconut oil
1 onion, cut into 1/2" dice
1 baked or microwaved sweet potato, cut into 1" dice
1 cup (or so) roasted winter squash or pumpkin, cut into 1" dice
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Dash of cayenne pepper (optional)
4 cups (or so) fresh chopped kale or spinach (or 1/2 lb frozen spinach would probably work)

In a large heavy skillet over medium heat, melt the coconut oil. Saute the onion till soft and translucent. Add the sweet potato, squash, and kale (if you're using kale) and saute over medium heat, stirring infrequently (to let stuff brown), until the veggies are starting to brown. Season with generous amounts of salt and pepper and a judicious amount of cayenne, if you like. Once the sweet potato, squash, and onion look cooked enough for your taste, if you're using spinach, add that in and stir till it's wilted. Serve with fried or poached eggs!

Thursday (day 4):
Breakfast: Omelet with 3 eggs, kale, and pickled jalapenos, cooked in ghee. Roasted pumpkin. Black coffee. (Hey, it's working for me!)
Post-workout: Almonds, black coffee. (Should have eaten something with carbs, but I got distracted once I got to work)
Lunch: Big salad (lettuce, 1/2 avocado, cucumber, grape tomatoes, sugar snap peas, green pepper, 1/2 roasted yellow pepper, roasted eggplant, olive oil and balsamic vinegar), tuna salad (tuna in olive oil, celery, apple, sliced almonds, paleo mayo) with green beans and some roasted peppers on top.
Snack: Dried pineapple, a clementine, almonds.
Dinner: Pork stew (pork shoulder braised in red wine with garlic, onions, and carrots -- oops, my husband forgot alcohol was off Whole30 but OMG THIS WAS DELICIOUS) over steamed cauliflower. Stew recipe was modified from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything, which I love. Too hungry to take a picture.

Friday (day 5):
Breakfast: Seward Cafe! 3 egg omelet with kale, broccoli, mushrooms and tomato. Tahini on top, sprouts on the side. Black coffee. Also some roasted pumpkin with ghee at home.
Lunch: Big salad (lettuce, 1/2 avocado, a clementine orange, 1/2 roasted yellow pepper, roasted eggplant, clover sprouts, olive oil and balsamic vinegar), tuna salad (tuna in olive oil, celery, apple, sliced almonds, paleo mayo) with green beans and some roasted peppers on top. Almonds.
Dinner: Chorizo, pan-roasted Brussels sprouts, and a sweet potato with ghee.

Frozen Brussels sprouts (thanks, Trader Joe's!) straight into a hot pan with lard, cook till browned, salt and pepper. Pretty good, though fresh local sprouts are better in season.

Why yes, that is a whole lot of food.

Saturday (day 6):
Breakfast: Omelet with 3 eggs, kale, and pickled jalapenos, cooked in ghee. Roasted pumpkin. Black coffee.
During 3 hour run: 2 Larabars (Pecan Pie -- ingredient list is dates, almonds, pecans), water
Post-long run: Small baked sweet potato and Seward Cafe breakfast: 3-egg omelet with kale, tomatoes, and carrots with a side of tahini and a side of broccoli, black coffee. I was stuffed after this. But 2.5 hours later, I was definitely ready for...
Lunch: Leftover pork stew (pork, carrots, garlic, onions).

On an unrelated note, my run today was awesome! It's finally warmed up here and the temperature was 28 degrees. Shorts weather! I ran 3 hours with a friend, and we saw dozens (!) of other runners out on the trails! I think everyone came out for the nice weather. Trails were in great shape and it was a joy to run out there.

Pam and I, happy after a big run

Deep thoughts at the end of the running year

It's been a good year for running. There's been elation, disaster, recovery, comedy, self-discovery, friendship, a little of everything. It was the first year I ran trails in a serious way, the first year I did an ultra, the first year I ran socially. I'm still enjoying an "off season", though I am looking ahead to January, when I'll start gearing up the long runs again. In the meantime, I've been reflecting a little on things I learned this year. In no particular order, a few insights:

1. I can do this. At the beginning of the year, my major goal was to train for and run a 50K trail race. Spring Superior 50K, in May, was a huge achievement for me. As the year evolved, other plans came up: recover from my broken elbow, run with friends on trails, volunteer, run in beautiful places. I recovered from iron deficiency anemia and trained for and ran two more 50K races, Wild Duluth and Icebox 480. At the end of the year, I can say that I can run 50Ks. And that's not something I knew a year ago.

Spring Superior!

Wild Duluth!

Icebox 480! I swear I actually own more than one shirt.

2. I am a lazy runner. I can run all day. No, literally, all day (or at least, 8 hours). Hey, all you need to do that is time (and Larabars). But running fast? Hoo boy, that hurts. I did no speedwork this year -- basically, it was all endurance mode, all the time. I know I've got another gear and that I can go faster (heck, I did it last week on the track), but I've got to overcome my natural inclination to keep it easy all the time.

Endless Summer Murphy 10K with Amy.
Ran this one as hard as I could in the heat.

3. There are things I'm good at. On trails, I get passed going up hills, but pass lots of people on the descents. Somewhere along the way, I actually figured out something about descents! Even if I'm not going fast, I can keep moving for a long time. I've figured out how and what to eat and drink, most of the time. And I have a very high pain threshold (but am finally figuring out the difference between pain I should run through, and pain that should make me stop).

Zumbro 17 mile. Broke my right elbow at mile 2.

You don't want this kind of race bling.

4. Running long on trails = no overuse injuries! Looking back at my training logs from the last few years, I noted when I was having pain. Achilles tendon, plantar fascia, posterior knee tendon, hamstring -- they've all been a little "tweaky" at one time or another. I'd rest, maybe ice, do water running, and if all else failed go see my excellent ART guy. Looking back at this year, though, the last time I saw him was way back in May! He fixed some early PF a few days before Spring Superior. Since then -- and, not coincidentally, since I started doing long runs exclusively on trail -- I've had a few minor ouches and tweaks here and there, but nothing that kept me away from running for more than a couple of days.

I'm pretty sure other things have helped too. I started paying serious attention to my core and posterior chain (calves, hamstrings, glutes) last fall when I began doing kettlebell classes at the YWCA. I started doing a lot more yoga around the same time. I keep a foam roller in my office as well as one at home, and I use them. A lot. The added strength and flexibility are making a big difference in my injury-free running.

Courtyard yoga!

... and some box jumps for fun.

5. The races will still be there next year. I signed up for the TC Marathon this year. Sort of trained for it, but iron deficiency anemia really sidetracked my late-summer running. Despite the fact that I was heading into race week with my last long road run two months previous (and only 11 miles, and it damn near killed me), it was still a major internal struggle to decide not to run it. Heather over at relentlessforwardcommotion has talked about FOMO, or fear of missing out, as an impetus to do things you shouldn't/wouldn't/aren't ready for. Her essay on it came at just the right time, and I kept reminding myself: The race will still be there next year.

I had a little FOMO over the last few weeks, as Frontrunner Sports did their Black Friday discounted entries into the Chippewa 50K and I didn't sign up, and then worse the other weekend when registration for the Ice Age 50 Mile filled in just a couple of hours. Spring is not a good time for me to train for a 50 miler, but still, it was hard to let the idea go. I just have to remember, I've only been doing this a year. There are years and years of great races ahead of me. Deep breaths.

Deena did the TC Marathon (her first) and killed it!
So much fun to do some training runs with you.

Those are some of my insights from the 2013 year in running. What's next? I'm not so big into "new year goals". Why pick an arbitrary time -- the change of the calendar -- to decide what to do next? But I'm pretty sure the coming year will include more trails, more weights, and hopefully some more speed. The most important thing is that it includes lots of runs in beautiful places, alone and with friends. I can work out the rest as I go along.

Have a great New Year!

I just can't get enough of this picture.

Taking an off season

It's been 5 weeks since Icebox 480, my last "goal" race of the season. After finishing 50K there, my goal was to take a true "off season". I didn't necessarily need to stop running completely, but I wanted to drop my run volume and focus on recovery and doing fun stuff. I also wanted to kick-start my winter plan to add strength work back in (stopped doing this when I broke the elbow, and continued not doing it when I was in ultra training mode), and start doing speed work. I'm happy enough going the pace I go, but I have a nagging feeling that I could be going faster. This seems like a good time to test that idea.

Here's what I've been up to since Icebox:

• Week 1: I ran 14 miles, all slow, and did a bunch of yoga. Worked on making my left IT band better. Went to the Upper Midwest Trail Runners' awards banquet. Enjoyed the monster potluck buffet, laughed with friends, and heard hair-raising stories of the Iditarod Trail Invitational (a 350 mile race, in February, on, yup, the Iditarod Trail). No plans for that one any time soon, but wow.
• Week 2: Ran about 21 miles, including a track workout and an incredible run at Afton in the pre-dawn 10 degrees and wind. Did my first Olympic weightlifting workout (RAWR!) and a bunch of core strength work. Ran track repeats for the first time in forever. Loved it.

Afton. The sun was barely beginning to come up as we got up to the prairie loop.

It was the first really cold weekend, and Afton Alps was making snow.
Apologies for the blurry pictures, but flash obviously wasn't going to work.

Lots of snow blowing in from the ski area.
Yes, I'm wearing two hats in this picture.

Back up to the parking lot, and into a beautiful, sunny, cold day.

• Week 3: Ran 25 miles, including a 10K turkey trot (the Turkey Day Trail Trot at Battle Creek) and a fatass run at Afton. The turkey trot was a fun two loops through a 5K cross-country ski trail. Mostly wide trails, a couple miles of singletrack. I wanted  to negative split, and did it, running the first loop in 33:45 and the second in about 33:00. At Afton, I did about 10 miles, quite a bit faster than the week before! I had a great time running a few miles with some speedy friends who had already done one 25K loop. Even with that to slow them down, it was definitely a tempo pace for me. Fun to be up there with the front of the packers, even for a little ways! (I did catch myself thinking, "What the hell am I doing up here?!") I also did more Olympic weights and yoga.

What am I doing in this picture?! At least my INKnBURN shirt looks good.

• 
  



Turkey Trot pre-race. Same folks as at Afton, less clothing!



Off to a running start!

XC ski trails, then singletrack

A few rolling hills through the woods

Beginning of lap 2, and the clouds were clearing away!

Midrace. Me: Excuse me, you've got a turkey on your head.

Him: What?

Me: There's a turkey on your head!

Him: WHAT?

Me: TURKEY!!

Him: AAAAAAAGH!!!!!!

• Week 4: The beginning of some seriously cold weather. Ran 25 miles, including 10 miles at Jordan's Donut Run, where the starting temperature was -11F, not including wind chill (probably more like -20 or -25 with it, by the lake). Due to timing issues, I got to Nokomis at 6:50 am and ran 2.5-ish miles, then joined up with some friends at 7:20 for a lap around Nokomis so that we could get 12K miles for the Lunch the Chicken Memorial 12Kathon. (Don't ask. Suffice it to say that Stephanie was involved again.) THEN at 8 we started the 5 mile official Donut Run route, with stops at Mel-O-Glaze and A Baker's Wife. It was definitely the coldest run I've ever done, but I was dressed for it. And it was pretty fun to do it with friends! Also, Olympic weights, strength work, yoga.

• 

  Beginning of the official Donut Run. Same folks again (except for Stephanie), way MORE clothing.

  
  
  
  
  

Mel-O-Glaze apple fritter.

Can you believe 50 people showed up for a run in -11 temperatures?
I have truly found my people.

Butter cake at A Baker's Wife. Butter. Cake.

• Week 5 (this week): About 11 miles of running so far, planning a 3 hour run at Lebanon Hills tomorrow  morning (the longest I've run since Icebox) and a 1 hour Sunday run so will probably end up somewhere around 31 for the week. Indoor track workout yesterday, where I ran a blistering-for-me 8 min/mi pace doing 200, 400, and 600m intervals. I couldn't believe how great I felt doing this! More Olympic weights and strength work (I'm loving the muscle soreness that lasts for days afterwards). Spin class. Yoga. Having fun.

Gotta wrap this up. More soon on deep thoughts during my "off season", things I've learned as a runner in the last year, and starting to think about plans for next year. In addition to cutting back on running, I also have had a self imposed moratorium on race planning for the last 5 weeks. It's been good to have a quiet, unstructured season and I can tell my body is responding well to the new stuff I'm trying. We'll see, but I think this is going to take me good places heading into 2014!

There's always someone with a bigger boat.

A friend raised an interesting question on Facebook today, and it touches on a topic I've been mulling over, balance and extremism in work, sport, hobbies, and life.

This quickly garnered a lot of thoughtful, insightful answers. Many touched on self-understanding, suggesting that if you understand why you are doing something, this can guide you in how committed (or balanced, or extreme) you are in doing it. Good stuff to think about, especially as the trail racing season begins to wind down and we head into the natural time of year for laying plans and preparing.

Here is my answer to the question:

We lived on Lake Minnetonka until I was 11 years old, and my parents owned a lovely old wooden Chris-Craft cabin cruiser. It was a lot of work for Dad to maintain (he says maintenance on a wooden boat is proportional to the length of the boat, squared), but he loved to take us out for endless summer evening cruises on the lake. I loved that smell of lake water and diesel fuel, and the cold-then-warm feeling of water splashing on your bare legs.

This isn't it, but similar. From www.yachtforums.com

Anyhow, Dad once commented that on a lake like Minnetonka, you can go along, feeling pretty proud of your boat. "But," he said, "There's always someone out there with a bigger boat." No matter how big or fancy your boat is, there's always someone who's gone bigger, sunk more money or more time into their boat.

I love this story because in may parts of life, there's always someone with a bigger boat. It's certainly true in running. You can always find someone who gets up earlier, runs more miles, trains in gnarlier conditions, does crazier stuff during a race. And especially in the era of ubiquitous social media, it's easy to find extremes on blogs, DailyRun, Strava, Facebook and Twitter. As an aside, it's interesting how many ultramarathoners bring to the sport a personal history of substance abuse and addiction. It seems that for many, running is therapy, medicine... maybe a substitute for a more destructive habit.

You can always go further down the rabbit hole, and chances are, someone already has gone there before you. At different seasons of your life, different degrees of balance (and imabalance) are right. You're healthy, single, free time available and want to train insane? Very different from ten years later, when you might be married, have kids, a start-up business and a nagging injury. Think about your season of life and your commitments. Think about how you WANT to balance things. Acknowledge that someone will have a bigger boat. Then go out and enjoy a long sunrise cruise in your own boat.

Race report: Wild Duluth 50K 2013

I had a great time running the Wild Duluth 50K this last Saturday. This is a friendly, old-school trail race with options for 100K (the final event in the 5-race Gnarly Bandit Ultra Series -- incredibly, 8 people completed it this year), 50K, and half marathon distances.

I had decided not to run the TC Marathon two weeks ago, reasoning that with spotty training, I could probably do it or Wild Duluth, but probably not both. And I wanted to do Wild Duluth. So on marathon weekend, I opted instead for a solid 6 hour, 24 or 25 mile run at Afton, then 5.5 miles the next morning, just as the TC 10 Mile was starting. Looking at my training schedule over the summer, I think this was the right choice: I had gotten in a number of good long trail runs, but nothing on roads longer than 11 miles since July. Hard to imagine that 26.2 road miles would be a Good Idea.

Wild Duluth 50K is a point-to-point race, starting this year at the UMD outpost (previously started at Jay Cooke State Park, but last year's massive floods washed away road access and trails) and ending in the heart of Duluth, at Bayfront Park. The 100K is an out-and-back, starting and finishing at Bayfront Park.

Add caption

There's a total of 3400 ft of climbing and 3800 of descending on the 50K course -- much less than at the Spring Superior or Afton 50K courses, but finish times are generally 45-60 min longer. The reason seems to be the character of the trail -- lots of big blocky rocks and a fair bit of steep rocky climbing and descending makes the trail less "runnable", especially from miles 11-22.

My Superior finish time was 8:00:18. My "A" goal for this race was sub-8 hours, my "B" goal was sub-9, my "C" goal was to run happy and feel good.

I was up at 3:45 to drive to Duluth, and drove through spotty rain showers and a little bit of sleet coming into town. I felt bad for the 100Kers, who had started by now and were experiencing semi-frozen rain in the dark while climbing rocky trails. After a brief panicky driving-around-the-harbor interval, I found the buses just in time and scrambled aboard, forgetting my gaiters but managing to grab my other essentials -- hat, gloves, socks, hydration pack, camera.

By the time we reached the start/100K turnaround, the sun was reluctantly coming up and the rain had mostly stopped. It was about 35 degrees, but not much wind. I knew I'd warm up once I got going.

Keeping warm before the start

112 runners started the 50K, and 110 finished. Not bad!

 There was a short race briefing from the director (follow the orange flags, follow the Superior Hiking Trail blue blazes, if they disagree, stay on the SHT), a countdown, and a few minutes after 8 am, we were off!

The very first section followed a rocky trail along the Saint Louis River gorge. Beautiful! The roar of the water was loud and the woods smelled damp and fertile. The trail was narrow (RD had warned us about the bottleneck), but it was okay to hike it and get a feel for the traction on damp rock.

A crowded start, but hey, I'm not going for the course record.

 After just a few tenths of a mile, the trail opened out onto the paved, level Munger Trail, which we followed to Aid Station 1 at 3.5 miles. It was odd to be running on a straight, paved bike trail at the beginning of a trail ultra, but a good chance to meet some of the runners and talk a little before the trail got more demanding.

A beautiful day for a run!

 By the time we reached AS1, I had shed my long-sleeve T-shirt, hat, armwarmers, and gloves, and was down to just my T-shirt and shorts. I would be comfortable in this for the rest of the race, putting my gloves back on a few times when the wind picked up.

The course left Munger trail and headed onto the Superior Hiking Trail.

The trail started wide and well graded, and narrowed to singletrack in a few miles.

 The next 7.5 miles, to AS2, were very runnable and a real pleasure. The sky remained overcast, the trees were just past peak but still full of color, there were giant puffball mushrooms growing in a meadow (GIANT! at least 18" across). I drank water, ate Picky Bars and Larabars, and enjoyed the day.

Near AS2, the first 100K racers came by, moving incredibly steadily and fast. I think there was a new course record set? It was great to see them looking so strong.

AS2 was staffed by the Upper Midwest Trail Runners -- my people -- and they were having a great time. In no time, my water was refilled, my trash disposed of, I had been offered Swiss Cake Rolls ("Don't worry, they're paleo!") and instead taken a hard-boiled egg and some salted potatoes, and I was on my way.

The next leg summited Ely's Peak. Shortly after the aid station, there was a steep, rocky climb, blending at times into a class III/IV scramble. The rain had stopped early in the morning, but the rock was still pretty slippery. The sun began to break through and I was definitely glad I'd gone with shorts instead of tights.

What a view!

 From this point until AS5 at mile 22, the trail was pretty technical -- steep climbs and descents, big bouldery rocks in the trail, beautiful and challenging stuff. I just wound along the trail, following blue blazes, eating Shot Bloks and more Larabars, occasionally talking with other runners but often with the trail to myself. It was a great day to be out.

At mile 17.7, we reached Spirit Mountain, near the start of the half marathon. This was another super friendly and helpful aid station. The volunteers at Wild Duluth were really excellent.

Happy at Spirit Mountain

 Long sections of the trail ran alongside streams and rivers. There were lots of bridged river crossings and lots of boardwalks, which were dangerously slippery. I only fell once, on a slick muddy slope. If you were careful, you might be able to do the whole course without getting your feet wet (though mud was inevitable). I got a little wet and muddy, though. For this race, I was glad I was wearing Peregrines, which have pretty burly traction and are nimble, rather than Hokas.

Lots of rushing water, but all the crossings had good bridges

The segment from Spirit Mountain to AS5, mile 22, was a verrrry long 4.5 miles. I think it took me somewhere between 1:15 and 1:30. Lots of steep climbs and descents, not much runnable trail, I lost the trail once, briefly, but quickly found it again. But at AS5, Lisa, a local runner, told me, "We're through the 'W'. That's the hardest part. It's all runnable from here!"

Sure enough, heading out of the aid station, the trail climbed, but not so steeply, and we were on a ridge overlooking Duluth. The views gradually unfolded. First the lake in the distance:

See the sunbreak? It was turning into an amazing day

... then the edges of the city:

... and the cityscape unfolded far below us. Still about 8 miles to go from here.

I just kept chugging along, eating Gu and more Shot Bloks, salted potatoes when the aid stations had them, and Coke at the last two. My legs were getting tired, especially my going-downhill muscles, but everything still felt just fine. I actually couldn't believe how good I felt.

The last 3 miles of the trail climbs up to the watch tower in Enger Park in Duluth, then descends steeply to finish along sidewalks, across the interstate and the train tracks, at the park. In Enger Park the route goes right past a huge Japanese peace bell hanging in a pavilion. A few kids were ringing it as I passed and it deep resonance went on and on, for a long time. Then I plummeted down the hill into Duluth, and before I knew it I was rounding the corner coming into the finish line.

What a great day!

I was impressed by the fantastic finisher's prize -- a ceramic soup bowl and spoon -- and got a nice long sleeve tech shirt. There was hot chicken wild rice soup, and friendly volunteers serving it. A nice, low-key finish to a very nice race.

My finish time was 8:05:51 -- 82 of 110 finishers. I'm thrilled with this time, and I feel like it's an improvement on my performance at Superior. Which, considering my wonky summer of iron-deficient training, is pretty awesome.

Just as important, I felt really good the whole run, and three days later, I seem to be recovering well from the race. I'm really glad I did Wild Duluth and I think it'll stay on the schedule in the future. It's a rugged, challenging, and beautiful course, and it was well marked and well supported. It was fun to meet many local Duluth area runners, and inspiring to see the 100K runners on the course (including the Gnarly Bandits -- congratulations, you guys!). I came away from the race energized, inspired, and more in love with trail running than ever.