race report

Arctic Frog 50k - 2020

Saturday December 5, 2020

Mayville, WI

COVID-19

Trust me, I’m tired of discussing it as well, but this race report isn’t complete without at least a periphery discussion of the state of the world right now. 2020 was the year of the virtual race. Many in-person events were cancelled due to gathering bans, “social distancing” requirements, and mask mandates. But ultra runners are well versed in adversity and improvisation. It’s commonly said that it’s not IF something goes wrong during an ultra, it’s WHEN. So, like hitting a wall, spraining an ankle, or losing your stomach, runners quickly pivoted and found solutions. That solution was virtual events. I applaud the various runners, race directors, and sponsors that brought these events together in such short time frames. That being said, I mostly stayed out of the virtual events unless I had a targeted reason to sign up. I took the opportunity to slow down, step back, and allow myself to rediscover the joy I find in running.

The resumption of in-person events really varied regionally and was influenced by state and local officials and regulations. As the year continued into summer and fall some in-person events were allowed to resume with changes in maximum entrants, wave starts, distance requirements, aid station revisions, face covering mandates, and various other stipulations. Race directors scrambled to asses the feasibility of revamping to comply with new requirements or deciding to cancel races. I completely understand race directors’ decisions to not hold in-person events due to regulations, logistics, safety concerns, and the battery of other influences. But I am incredibly grateful that I got to run at least one in-person event this year.

Race Changes and the Course

This was my 3rd year running this particular event. Until now it had been held in Independence Grove Forest Preserve in Libertyville, IL. However, this year with less than a month to race day, the location was changed to Mayville, WI. I assume Wisconsin’s comparatively lax regulations regarding COVID-19 had an influence on this decision, but in talking with Rey the race director, I know this is not the only influence. Per Wisconsin regulations, face coverings were required at aid stations and encouraged on the course when near other runners. Aid station foods were prepackaged or pre-portioned when possible and served by volunteers as opposed to runners helping themselves.

But these weren’t the only changes. The structure of the race was switched up a bit as well with the addition of a 50 mile option. Obviously a location change requires a whole new course, and this course was not finalized until the night before the race. The final configuration of the course consisted of an approximately 10 mile figure 8 pattern which ran along Mayville’s main drag and out beyond city limits on both north and south ends. The course was 90 to 95% paved asphalt with a small section of crushed gravel through the golf course. And as typical of rural Wisconsin, the course featured near constant rolling hills.

The Starting Line

I woke up at 4:00 and slid into the gear that I had laid out the night before. I was excited to finally be able to wear my Bigger Than The Trail gear in a race, and the buff/neck gaiter had become a surprisingly useful commodity in 2020. I checked the weather as I got a pot of coffee going. The forecast showed overcast, no precipitation, with a high around 35°, and a slight breeze, but as of that moment, the temp had yet to break 20° and the real feel was in single digits. There had been no significant snow accumulation at this point in the year, so the course should be pretty clear. By Wisconsin standards, it was looking to be a pretty bearable December race. I packed the rest of my gear into the Jeep and was on the road by 5:00. I’m early for everything and like taking the time to get situated and settled in, so the hour drive to the start/finish left me with more than enough time to get ensure everything was in order after I arrived.

The race was supposed to start at 7:00, but got delayed. Some of the last minute course changes from the previous night had not yet been marked, and the signup deadline was extended meaning some later entrants had to be manually added to the timing software. So I slid into the Mexican restaurant that was serving as HQ, and tried to nap in one of the booths. I could tell that some runners were nervous about this schedule change. Like I said before, in ultras, it’s not IF something goes wrong, but WHEN. As far as I was concerned, this was just getting the first hurdle out of the way before the race even started.

After a bit, I ventured back outside where I chatted with Rey the race director. We talked about the challenges of moving locations, plans to continue hosting future Arctic Frogs in Mayville, and a new 100 mile race that he was planning in the area. Around 7:35 we toed the starting line. Temps had risen to around 20° meaning many runners were lined up in shorts. Because of the number of participants, the 50 mile, 50k, and 15k were allowed to begin at the same time. After a short pre-race speech, we were off.

Loop 1

The race begins with a mile section headed north on Mayville’s main drag. This was one of the few relatively flat sections of the course. Per usual I found myself near the rear of the front pack, falling in line with two other runners. I recognized Arnold from past Arctic Frog events, but had never gotten the opportunity to chat with him. We joked about the race from hell that was the 2018 event. That year had a constant, soul-sucking rain; ice patches which broke through to ankle deep pits of water leaving wet feet and sprained ankles; highs around 35°; and a DNF rate around 60%.

The second runner and I pulled away from Arnold after a little bit. (I apologize for not remembering his name, I tried to look it up, but for sake of story, we’ll call him Chicago.) Chicago has a story relatable to many in this particular point in history. Primarily a rock climber, Chicago found himself living in urban Illinois under heavy restrictions when the “lock downs” went into effect. Seeking an escape from his house for a little bit every day, he began to run. He had completed a few marathon distance events since he started, but was aiming to tackle 50 miles and his first ultra completion today. I have the issue of starting out too fast and fading as the race goes on. Chicago was running a bit slower than I would have been, so I ran with him for most of the first loop as a means of pacing myself. We got to know each other a bit, and I gave him any tips that came to mind to help him finish his race.

We closed out the first half of our figure 8 and started a long straight away south on the main drag. This section is the one and only complaint that I have about the race. We reached a junction where it was unclear if we should go straight or turn. I have an affinity for not paying attention while I run and have found myself off course on several occasions, but luckily Chicago and I found ourselves in a small pack of runners. We voted on the direction and went. After about a mile and a half we had seen no indication that we were on the right path and were nearly about to turn around when we finally came across a marking. One or two key course markers in this section would have helped to make the path much more clear.

I’ve had stomach issues in past races, but I finally found a strategy that I believed would work and I was determined to stick to it and see if it helped. I’d like to dive into this more in depth in a separate post, but for the sake of a race report, I was planning to eat every hour. So as we closed in on the first hour, we reached an uphill section. I slowed to a walk and started digging in my bag for an Epic venison bar. I noticed Chicago wasn’t carrying a pack so I grabbed one for him as well. This sparked a conversation about how we both had been developing an interest in hunting and had both actually made our first trip out only a few weeks prior. As we came in to the end of our first loop I knew that I could up my pace. So I switched from pants into my shorts, took a few swigs of broth I had packed, and I gave Chicago the last bit of wisdom I could before we parted ways.

You are going to feel pain, but your body is capable of completing this race. Your mind is what will make you quit. Don’t listen to it.

Loop 2

I spent most of loop 2 running on my own. I was beginning to zone out and fall into my groove, passing some of the runners ahead of me. I knew as long as I stuck to my nutrition strategy I would be in for a good rest of the race, so I allowed myself to daydream and really enjoy the course. Running through the rolling hills in a rural town reminded me of home and the beginning of my running journey.

For those of you who don’t know I’ll give a short recap. I wasn’t always a runner, in fact I hated it. But in the time between my senior year of high school and my freshman year of college, my mental health was taking a sharp downturn. I needed an escape from life where I didn’t have to deal with the struggle or negative thoughts, and running gave me the space to do that. So I started running through the rolling hills on the trail that connects the towns in my area. I didn’t worry about time or distance, I simply embraced and fell in love with the process of running. What I didn’t expect was that after running I returned with an improved sense of perspective and a new outlook on my struggles.

This year has been a struggle for some with so many events being cancelled. I was hard for me too at the beginning, but when I finally reached a point of acceptance, I found 2020 great for running. I no longer had to train for something, I was able to step back from the stats and numbers, run slow, and rekindle my love for the process of running. That meant that when this race finally did come up, I was able to approach it with a rejuvenated perspective.

Near the end of my second loop I fell in with Zach. Zach was running the 25k as a training run for a longer event in January. The 25k was following a slightly modified course and had started in a wave roughly 30 minutes after ours. Zach was also relatively new to ultra running and had decided to give it a try after reading the David Goggins book Can’t Hurt Me. He had primarily been a weight lifter before finding himself running during the quarantine period in the early spring. I asked him how his first events had gone, and one thing he said stuck with me. He mentioned how great and generous the community was.

This was one of the first times that I put a finger on what I really missed about racing in 2020. It wasn’t so much that I missed the races, but I missed the people at the races. Ultra runners are a small, tight knit community. We enjoy bringing in new people, showing them the ropes, and sharing all the secrets. Yes, technically we are competing against each other, but that makes little difference. After all, better competition makes me better. But I think it goes beyond that. Ultra running is a foreign concept to most people. So when we come across people who embrace our same weird traits, we revel in their company. I missed being around people who deeply understood my passion and could relate.

As we neared the end of my second loop Zach and I parted ways. I’m sure we’ll run into each other again, and I look forward to catching up with him when that time comes.

Loop 3

Loop 3 was similar to loop 2. By this point in the race the field was spread out enough that I rarely saw other runners. Most of the 15k and 25k runners had completed their races, and the remaining 50k and 50 milers were either well behind or well in front of me. So, I spent most of my time alone daydreaming with the only goal of ensuring I stuck to my nutrition strategy. But this loop I had something a bit different to think about. I had just met two people who would not have considered themselves runners at the beginning of the year who were now competing in ultras. That shows how incredible average people can be people can be.

This is an idea that I have been playing with for a while, and I’m having trouble articulating it while still keeping in the scope of the race report. There is so much that I would like to flesh out, so I think that I am again going to reserve this topic for another post. I will sum it up, though, like this. When I talk to people outside of the ultra community, there is this incorrect assumption that we are elite athletes. We’re not. The vast majority of us are completely average people who happen to apply and inordinate amount of time and discipline to running. We weren’t born ultra runners, we became them. And with this on my mind I rolled into the start/finish to complete my race.

the finish line

I crossed the finish line at 4:23:55 logging an average pace around 8:30, smashing my previous PR of 4:40:29, and bettering my goal of 4:30:00. I earned 3rd place male and 3rd place overall. I love the opportunity to bring home some hardware, but at the end of the day it is not something I aim for. Earning a podium spot is largely beyond my control and relies heavily on who shows up as competition, so I prefer to gauge success relative to myself. And despite what I had accomplished, I felt lacking. I had run three of my four fastest miles in the last loop logging a 7:29 and 7:27 at mile 22 and 26 respectively and 7:35 in mile 30. Running so far below my average pace so late in the race, I couldn’t help but wonder if I could have pushed more and finished even faster. But at the end of the day, I have to be content with a new PR and the belief that I can run faster. Now I have the ability to take aim at a smaller target, continue to improve, and push myself at the next opportunity.

And like that, my first, and only, in person race of 2020 came to a close. I will definitely be running Arctic Frog again in the future. It’s become a nice, short race that I use to wrap up my year and running season. I always enjoy the people I meet, and the race is organized well, COVID complications aside. I’m also chasing the rainbow frog. They have a belt buckle series in which you collect different color frogs for each race you complete, the seventh and final buckle is a dye frog with a commemorative coin and display case for all seven buckles. As I mentioned this was my third year in a row, so in four more years I should have a nice display to add to my running wall. If you’re interested in Arctic Frog or any of their other races, check them out at Frog Hop Sports.

Shoes: Saucony - Triumph 17

Gear: Saucony - shorts, Inov-8 - jacket, Amphipod - pack

Wearables: Garmin - Forerunner 945, Oura Ring

Nutrition: ATH Organics - supplements and electrolyte drink, Epic Provisions and Clifbar - bars

Recovery: ATH Organics - Post, LifeAid - FitAid Rx