For the past few days I’ve been hiding in northern Minnesota at the Arrowhead 135 race spending time with old friends and volunteering. A few weeks ago the race director asked if I’d fill in and run the finish line this year, and despite needing to work remotely for my day-job while I’m here, I […]
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For the first time in four years, I had decided to forgo running any of the Zumbro Trail Race this year and simply volunteer the entire time. My wife had decided to make her first 50 mile race attempt this year at Zumbro, and I wasn’t sure what my goals for 2018 were going to […]
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Our quest to learn and experience more about the winter ultra scene brought my wife and I to far northern Minnesota this week to volunteer at the amazing Arrowhead 135 race. As with many winter ultras, this is a multi-modal, survival-focused, event. Participants have the option to use a bike, skis, or their feet, to […]
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For the past year I’ve been fascinated by the trend of winter ultras. These are long, self-supported, races that are descended from survivalist races in Canada and Alaska. Participants must get themselves through grueling conditions, with only their wits, and their equipment. There are two big races in the area, Arrowhead 135, and Tuscobia 160. […]
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This recap will be hard to write. Not because I can’t find enough words to fill a page, but because editing this amazing weekend down to readable format will be difficult! If you’re looking for the TL;DR…. Amazing weekend, amazing community, amazing weather… 11/10… will do again. I began my weekend leaving the Twin Cities […]
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Strap in folks, this one has the potential to be a very long entry. Last year I ran the 50 mile race at Zumbro, but since I wasn’t ready (or willing) to deal with that type of pain again, I went back to my roots and put in a lot of volunteer time and just […]
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As this blog is going live I will be preparing to run a race that was my first big introduction to the trail running community in 2015, the Zumbro 17 miler. I had been running since 2010, but in late 2014 my wife convinced me to give trails a try. We did a small short […]
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We awoke early on Saturday to get up to Sawbill so Lisa could resume her role as the Pancake Queen of Mile 90. I would be pacing a runner, Josh Henningson, later in the day, but since I would be at the aid station I decided to pitch in and help where I could. The […]
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For the fall Superior 100 trail race this year, my wife and I decided to dedicate two days to volunteering with the race. As luck would have it, the race director, John Storkamp, asked my to captain one of the aid stations that has been without a regular captain over the past few years. I […]
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A few weeks ago a call went out for Upper Midwest Trail Runners to volunteer at the Voyageur 50 mile trail race. My wife and I had already planned a trip to the North Shore the same weekend to do some hiking, so we decided to sign up to help, and then do some hiking […]
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Long ago I decided I would volunteer for a few of the Endless Summer Trail Run races, and Lebanon 7 mile was the next one on the list. I also wanted to get in some running, so I took off work just a bit early to get to Lebanon and run the course before I […]
Read moreWednesday night was the start of the Endless Summer Trail Run Series of races for the year. Last year I ran almost all of these races, and had an amazing time with them. They are shorter distance trail races at local parks from 5K to 7 miles. They are meant to be quick midweek gatherings […]
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Second Runnings 