“Every accomplishment begins with the decision to try.”

John F. Kennedy

When the weather forecast for my most recent Superior Trail 100 Mile race changed from sunny & 70’s to a 100% chance of rain, I knew that my only option was to not worry about my original time goal, but to set my mind, do my best, and aim for another finish on this course.

I’ve toed the line for this event 7 other times since 2013, with 6 finishes prior to this year, and in all of those years, it has not rained for any significant amount of time. I’ve done other events in the rain and trained on the course in the rain, so I was prepared for the slippery rocks, muddy conditions, & wet feet.

The rain started Thursday night & continued into Friday morning. Matt drove me from our condo at Lutsen to the start at Gooseberry State Park, about 50 minutes away. As we headed down Hwy 61 and the rain continued to pelt the windshield, I began to get more and more nervous about the day(s) ahead.

At Gooseberry State Park, there was nervous energy as runners and their crews were milling around prior to the start of the race. It seemed to stop raining as we lined up for the 7:50am start.

Getting excited for the day ahead with my long time friend, Steph.

We started 10 min early due to a 1.8 mile course reroute in the Tettegouche section. We would have just over 38 hours to cover 102 miles of rocky, root covered trails.

At the start, I connected with my long time trail running friend, Steph, and we ran many of those early miles together. The first 4 miles of the course are on the paved path that runs along Hwy 61. It’s a nice way to stretch the legs, enjoy some conversation with fellow runners & spread out the pace groups before filing onto the singletrack trail that we would follow all the way to Lutsen, 98 miles away. It wasn’t long before the rain, which had held off at the start, started falling, and within 20-30 min, I was soaked to the skin & my shoes were completely wet.

Soaked but smiling in the early miles. Photo by Jodee Thomas.

I had my hiking poles folded & secured to my pack for the first 4 miles, and as we made the turn on to the singletrack trail, I pulled them out & would need them for balance & stability for the remainder of the event. Steph stepped in behind me & we continued to enjoy some easy conversation & find our rhythm on our way to the first aid station at Split Rock about 8+ miles in.

The singletrack trail was a river of mud & staying clean and dry was impossible. I just continued to hike and run as the conditions allowed, and gave no further thought to attempting to avoid the mud.

My initial goal for the race was aiming for a personal best time. When the forecast changed to rainy, wet conditions, my goals also changed. My new goals included running smart in the wet conditions (“do nothing dumb” was my mantra on Friday,) attempt to get to County Road 6 (mile 42.4) before dark, and finish before dark the following day.

It’s over 18 miles before you see your crew for the first time. Matt was my crew & I knew he’d be waiting at the Beaver Bay aid station when I arrived. The rain had let up some when I rolled into the aid station. My aidstation plan was to swap my hydration pack out for a fresh one that was already filled and ready to go. This would hopefully expedite my time in and out of aid stations. In a matter of minutes, I was back on the trail with Steph and we were headed to Silver Bay, about 5 miles away.

On the way to Beaver Bay. Photo by Scott Rokis.

At Silver Bay, mile 23, I took the time to change my socks and attempt to clean my feet off. My socks were so nasty that I ended up just throwing them in the garbage. There was no way I would ever get all the mud out of them! As I prepared to leave the aid station, I made sure I had plenty of snacks in my pack - it would be 10 miles before the next aid station & another 9+ from there to County Road 6, where I would see Matt again.

Shortly out of Silver Bay, I found myself alone on the trail for the first time that day. This section climbs high up on ridges and has amazing views of Bean & Bear Lakes followed by some flowing singletrack into Tettegouche State Park. I was feeling good and running strong. The rain seemed to have let up some and the trail was in surprisingly good shape. Late in this section was going to be the reroute that would add 1.8 miles to the course this year.

I turned off the singletrack hiking trail onto the reroute - a mowed ATV trail that gradually headed downhill. We were now going all the way down to Hwy 61 to cross the river since the bridge we would normally have used was badly damaged in the spring floods. While this trail wasn’t overly technical, mostly just wet grass, it passed through some low areas that were covered in standing water. With no good way around, I just needed to go straight through it. Some of these areas were deep pits that wrapped my legs in mud.

When I finally rolled into the Tettegouche Aid Station at mile 33.1, I was beginning to feel a little beat down. Luckily this aid station was filled with some amazing volunteers that got me a cup of coke & a cheese quesadilla. I pulled some necessities out of my drop bag & was on my way again.

It was going to be a long 9 miles to County Road 6 (mile 42.4) where I would meet Matt and get ready for the night sections. I knew I would be hard pressed to get there before it was dark. I had a headlamp in my pack that I could pull out when needed.

Midway through this section, I connected with some other runners and as the sun set & fog moved in we stuck together to help light up the trail. The fog provided a new challenge as our headlamps lit it up, similar to driving in fog with your high beams on. It was very hard to see. There were 3 or 4 of us making our collective way towards the aid station.

Making my way towards the aid station as night rolls in. Scott Rokis photo.

It was completely dark when I arrived. I found Matt and my pacer, Jen, and made the preparations for going into the night. I changed into a dry tank top, grabbed my brighter headlamp & waist light (a super bright light that I actually wear around my waist.) My pack was ready to go & I had a turkey wrap & some broth before heading down the trail.

Jen would run with me from here through the night, covering about 30 miles. It was 7.6 miles to the next aid station where I would meet Matt for the last time that night. Once we got to Finland at mile 50, I changed shoes and socks again, refueled, grabbed my fresh pack & we headed back into the darkness.

Having a pacer through the night can be very helpful. Someone to keep you on track, remind you to eat & generally keep you moving efficiently can be advantageous. The miles I spent with Jen were enjoyable. Plus her observations about my energy levels in relation to fueling were on point and helped me later in the race as well.

We navigated to rooty and rocky trail to the Sonju Aid Station; and then on to the Crosby Manitou Aid Station, all while riding the waves of energy and conversation. The miles dragged on, and while I was moving consistently, I had lost a lot more time during the day Friday than I had hoped for. It was 4:30am before I left Crosby Manitou Aid Station (mile 62) with another long 9.5 mile section ahead of us.

The Crosby section seems to take forever.. There is something about this section that can be mentally challenging. A technical downhill to the Manitou River followed by an incredibly long climb up to Horseshoe Ridge. Then a few more miles before crossing the Caribou River. From there it is still another 2 miles of smoother trail before the Sugarloaf aid station. The final 2 miles to Sugarloaf are more runnable than most of the trail, and I worked on getting my legs to turn over a little faster here. I was surprised that I was ACTUALLY RUNNING!!! I’d been on my feet for 24 hours by now, and after endless miles of hiking over rocks, roots, and mud, I was running! It was so fun! But I sure was ready to see that aid station come into view!

Jen & I running into Sugarloaf Aid station as the sun comes up. Scott Rokis photo.

Once arriving at Sugarloaf I grabbed some real food. The sun was up by now, and I was ready to start to wrap this up. With 5.5 miles to go to the next aid station, I needed to keep moving.

At the next aid station, I met Matt for the first time that morning. Jen was finished pacing, and my friend, Michelle was geared up to take me to the finish line. I rolled into this aid station feeling a little less enthusiastic. The miles were starting to settle into my bones. After a sock change and a couple bites of food, we headed down the trail.

This next section was rough. I struggled with maintaining my energy & the idea of how many more miles I still needed to cover was starting to weigh me down. I remember saying when I left the prior aid station, “I feel like garbage.” A fellow trail runner who was waiting for their runner, wisely reminded me that it would get better. He was right, it was just going to take some time.

When things get tough, quitting is still not an option. You have to problem solve & adjust to see what else might work. In these long events, so often it boils down to nutrition. The more I can eat, the better I’ll move. If I can keep the calories trickling in, my energy level will stay higher and I will be able to run and power hike more than I “zombie” walk. But the idea of eating more food can certainly be a challenge!

Michelle & I eventually arrived at the Temperance Aid Station at mile 83.9. Matt had picked up some bacon/egg/cheese wraps for me from the local baking company & I was excited to get some more real food! I took one of them with me as we left the aid station. I alternated between eating my wraps and energy gels and found that my energy level was better. We chatted with some fellow runners and enjoyed the camaraderie of spending another day on the trail. This section climbs up Carlton Peak, a challenging climb on a normal day, but at 85 or so miles in, the rocks feel much larger than usual! On the backside of Carlton peak, I hear a familiar voice. It’s my friend, and fellow Team Pocket Pickles member, Alisha! She was running the 50 mile race & I was so excited to see her. She looked great & we shared a quick hug before she headed on down the trail in front of me. Seeing her added a big pep to my step as we made our way towards the Sawbill Aid Station at mile 89.

There are only 2 sections of trail remaining at this point. I’m really ready to wrap this up! I try to get in and out of the aid station as efficiently as possible. The next section isn’t long at 5.6 miles, but can certainly feel long as the fatigue of 2 days on the trail is taking its toll. The rhythm of the day goes a bit like this - eat, drink, run, walk, eat, drink, walk, shuffle, eat, drink, hike… It's getting a bit monotonous, but we’re still moving. Soon I hear another familiar voice behind me. It’s my friend, Kelly!!! Kelly is another member of Team Pocket Pickles and is making her comeback to trail running after an accident a year ago. Seeing her looking so strong makes my heart soar! A big hug & she is off down the trail looking like the rockstar she is. Again my energy rebounds & I’m within striking distance of the final aid station.

Oh, the Oberg Aid Station. Sitting at mile 94.8, it's the final oasis before the final push to the finish line. You’re so close to the finish line, but at over 7 miles away, it can take almost 3 hours to get there this late in the race. One amazing volunteer has made cookies & I thoroughly enjoy the decadence of it. Kelly’s mom was there & poured me a shot of pickle juice! Cheers to Team Pocket Pickles! Just on the way out of the aid station, I hear that there are mashed potatoes available. I definitely want mashed potatoes!! A volunteer hands me a paper cup full of mashed potatoes with a spoon & I take it with me as we make our way towards the final big climbs of the day.

Happiness is a scratch made cookie at the final aid station!

I am able to tuck the cup of mashed potatoes in a pocket of my pack, and I literally eat spoonfusl of mashed potatoes as I run and hike along. These may have had magical properties. My energy levels are up & I’m excited to be moving closer to the finish. I am still eager to get it done before dark, but I have a headlamp with me just in case. The camaraderie on the trail in this section is a ton of fun. We are all making our collective way to Lutsen. There are 4 of us - myself and Michelle, another 100 miler, and a 50 miler that are hanging together. We check in on time of day & distance remaining, and decide to try to push for a sunset finish. Michelle takes the lead, and sets the pace to get us to the finish line before the sun sets. We are moving strong & working hard to get there. It’s not easy to find another gear at this point, but it is satisfying to be moving through this section slightly faster than I have in previous years.

Making my way to the finish, one step at a time. Photo by Michelle Volk.

Soon the Poplar River comes into view & it’s not far from here to the finish. We come out on the road at Lutsen and head towards the finish line. The other 100 mile runner & the 50 mile runner take off ahead of us. I’m so happy to be here & the sun has literally just dropped below the horizon. We are getting it done before dark! As I turn onto the grass that leads to the finish line, I am running strong. How the human body is able to run, not shuffle, not hike, but actually RUN after 100+ miles is remarkable to me.

While I did not reach my goal of a personal best time on this course, I am still happy with my finish. Navigating the rain, slippery conditions, and 1.8 mile reroute on Friday all added to the adventure.

Trail running is never really a solo sport. The support of the volunteers, the dedication of the race director & the ongoing love & loyalty of my crew and pacers can not be overstated. These folks are the bread and butter of ultra endurance events. It was an honor to share the trail with some many other amazing runners and I am always grateful for a strong body and mind that allows me to do these events.

If you’ve made it this far, THANK YOU! May you be inspired to go do something fun and challenging, because when we feel good about what we can do, we can do more good for others. These events are simply tools for showing the true nature of the human spirit.

Go forth, and be your true awesome self!