On Saturday the wife and I drove down to River Falls, WI to participate in a wonderful end of season race, the Icebox 480. Many of our friends have run this race in years past, and we decided this year was the year we were going to join in as well. Icebox is a timed race, meaning that you can run as much or as little as you want in 8 hours. The course is a 6.3 (advertised as 7) mile loop around some mountain bike trails. There’s a nice mix of mild elevation, rocky/rooted terrain, and quick rollers to keep you on your toes.

Unfortunately, my wife is dealing with a toe injury, so she came along just to volunteer. When we arrived it was dark, and it was somewhat funny how you’d maybe bump into people you knew, but unless you turned your headlamp to all sides you could end up standing next to a friend and not even know it. At 7:30am we launched, and since there was no hurry I waited for a bunch of people to go before heading out. There was still a bit of a conga line for about half of the first loop, but it wasn’t too bad.

I settled into a comfortable pace, which meant that my time running with friends was somewhat minimal. Many of them are in much better shape right now, and so we would chat for a bit, and then they would move on ahead. I wasn’t upset or frustrated though, since I was enjoying myself and felt like I was doing quite well for where I’m at. I finished the first loop in about 90 minutes, and was happy with my time. I ran most of it, and felt strong. I could feel my body getting tired though, so I decided that my goal for the day would be three loops.

I grabbed some food at the aid station, and started out on my second loop. I took it a bit easier this time around, and I found myself walking more and more. When I got to the second aid station at mile 4, I asked my wife if she could meet me at the start/finish area with my coat. I decided that my third loop would be a hiking loop. As, I had talked about earlier this year, I decided to focus on shorter distances this year. That meant that even three loops of the course would be the longest run of 2017 for me.

I headed out for a nice leisurely third loop, enjoying a nice fall day. We had gotten a bit of snow this past week, but there was none to be had on the entire course. It was a bit overcast and windy, but thankfully, when you were in the trees the wind was a non-issue. I slowly made my way around the course, and when I arrived at the aid station again I told my wife to go ahead and meet me at the finish in a bit and I’d call it a day. Of course, as sometimes happens, there were lots of friends at this aid station. I think it took me a good 10 minutes before I left to finish out the loop.

I eventually arrived back at the start finish and started chatting with folks. My wife met me there and helped Robyn’s mom with some IT band issues. Eventually though, we decided it was time to go, and we headed over to the Rush River Brewery right next door. In hindsight I wish I had come back after the brewery to see people again, but with this 19 mile run being my longest of the year, I was wiped. We arrived home and I showered and fell into bed for a solid 2 hour nap. That’s not something I do very often at all.

I can tell that I’ve lost a lot of my endurance over the course of this year, and it’s something to look at building back up in 2018. I’m pleased with what I got done at Icebox though, and I can certainly see coming back next year. It’s such a nice low-key end to the season, with no pressure for how far you go. I can see why this one is such a favorite of runners in the area. I loved seeing all our friends, and getting to spend some time with great trail people. It was a great day outside, and a wonderful event with a wonderful community of people.