Strava link: https://www.strava.com/activities/3783377589
This year has been a dumpster fire when it comes to race events. Race cancellations, of course, are a small inconvenience compared to the greater concerns of living through a pandemic, but it is frustrating and disappointing to see all the races you’ve paid and trained for dissolve from your 2020 calendar. At least there are myriad virtual race options, which allow participants some flexibility in choosing when and where to complete specified race distances. Virtual racing doesn’t compare with the race-day excitement of a real event, but it’s something.
In a flurry of unbridled ambition, I registered for three virtual ultramarathons back in April: a 50 miler, a 100K and the 69-mile Possum’s Revenge race. The 100K and 69-mile events had an August 1 due date. I ran short on time and decided not to race the 100K in order to take on the longer race (the 50-mile event had no expiration date). Beyond wanting to push myself with the longer distance, I really wanted to earn the ultra-glamorous belt buckle for the Possum’s Revenge 69. The design might be gaudier than the glittery stickers in those fifty-cent machines next to the shopping carts at Wal-Mart but it just seemed like an appropriate choice for 2020, in general, and for the inherent craziness of a 69-mile ultrarunning expedition.
The rules for this race, organized by Trail Racing Over Texas (TROT), were pretty simple. Run 69 miles in one activity, within a 23-hour cutoff. The race had to be completed by August 1, 2020. Other than that, the when and where were up to me. I chose to run from Gaylord to the Mackinac Bridge, a route I have wanted to run for a while. This route follows the North Central Michigan Trail (which is also an overlapping segment of the larger Belle Iron Trail bike route) from Gaylord, through Vanderbilt, Wolverine, Indian River, Topinabee, and Cheboygan, and from there following the Lake Huron shoreline northwest to Mackinaw City.
I was planning on this being a solo run the whole way but I had mentioned my idea to Amie Martin and Travis Zajkowski and they were interested in joining in for at least the first 50K. Company would help, as running friends always make the miles seem to go by a little faster! The three of us planned on a 4am start on Saturday July, 18 and kept an anxious eye on the weather forecast, which was gradually improving as “race day” approached.
Shout out and thank you to my friend and coworker Rachel for helping me shuttle my car to the trailhead in Mackinaw City so it would be there for us when we finished the run – a crucial logistical step on which this adventure hinged.
Amie picked me up from my apartment at 3:45am on Saturday morning and we started at her family cabin on Otsego Lake, about seven miles south of the Gaylord trailhead. Those seven miles, plus the 62-mile trail, would get us to my car with a full 69 miles under our feet. Amie and I hit the trail at 4am after posting this “starting line” photo and posting it to Facebook. We had a lot of people following our journey online, and it was nice to receive their encouragement!
We set off to the north towards Gaylord in the dark, under a sky radiant with bright stars and what I think was Jupiter. Just a couple miles in I noticed my Coros Apex was running about 0.4 miles ahead of both my Garmin Vivoactive and Amie’s Coros Apex. Fortunately, that gap stayed a consistent 0.4 as the miles accumulated instead of increasing in disparity. I wanted an accurate record of my run, so I was happy when the GPS locked in. We ran fairly quickly, probably ten-minute miles. I knew pacing would be important for saving the energy I would need for late stages of the run. But also, getting as many miles as we could in before it got hot and humid (swoupy) seemed like a smart tradeoff. As we approached town we saw an approaching headlamp. It was Travis, who had parked downtown. From there we ran into town and made an aid station stop at my apartment, about seven miles into the day. I ate a pickle and a banana and grabbed my prepared zip-lock bag of brown rice with turmeric, black pepper and salt, and an avocado. My strategy was to save the sugary stuff for late in the race, and try to eat real food for as long into the run as I could. The rice, bananas, avocado, etc. would give me a good fuel base to power me through the day (in hindsight, I feel my hydration and nutrition plan worked very well!).
As we left Gaylord we spotted a skunk, at a safe distance, and were treated to a beautiful sunrise. The next eight miles to Vanderbilt was very familiar turf. My home trail. We cruised down the gradual descent and I ate my bag of rice and avocado. The Vanderbilt trailhead offered a rest room and water fountain, which we took quick advantage of and then continued north. The next stretch of trail, about 11 miles to Wolverine, was characterized by a hot sun veiled by thin clouds and harassment by hordes of deer flies. The pesky insects kept us moving along at a decent clip.
We reached Wolverine by about 9:30am. Amie had started intending to run the entire 69 miles with me but unfortunately she had some hip pain flare up and decided to bow out with a solid 25 miles. We stocked up at the grocery store, bid her farewell (her husband picked her up there), and Travis and I continued north towards Indian River. A few miles in there was a young black bear (where’s the mother?) moseying around right on the trail ahead. We hopped up to the parallel road and circumnavigated the bear before returning to the trail. As we reached the Rondo Road DNR access on the Sturgeon River the western sky was ominously dark and we could hear approaching thunder. The storm blew in quick and we sheltered under the wooden bridge. It didn’t keep us dry, but we stayed safe and hunkered down for a full hour before the lightning dissipated enough that we felt alright with setting out again. We kept an eye on the weather radar and it looked like we’d be in the clear once this storm passed.
Travis succeeded in his goal of running his first ultramarathon and met his wife in Indian River for his ride home. I had a decision to make. I was about 32 miles in, with a really long path ahead. If I was going to continue, I knew I would be on my own. I looked up the weather and the forecast was promising. Less than a 15% chance of precipitation, but hot and humid for the rest of the afternoon. I felt relatively strong for having just run a 50K and I wasn’t going to give up my chance to complete this epic race. Travis left, and I grabbed a hodge-podge lunch from a nearby gas station. The sky cleared and the sun beat down hot, so I also put on some sunscreen. From Indian River north all of my route would be new trail to me and I looked forward to seeing it. Fortunately, it was mostly shaded and cut through some really neat forested areas.
The next six miles to Topinabee, a small town along Mullett Lake, were hot and sunny. I alternated between walking and running a 12-minute mile pace and focused on staying on top of my hydration in that post-storm swelter. At the Topinabee gas station I finally allowed myself some sugary treats that included a chocolate milk and a peanut butter granola bar. I refilled my hydration bladder and splashed ice-cold water from a well fountain in my face and on my arms for refreshment. I picked away at the miles, enjoying the lake views of that stretch. A couple miles north of Topinabee a woman on a bike stopped and chatted, and I told her what I was doing. She pleaded desperately for me to give her something to eat. I reluctantly handed over one of two remaining granola bars. I was a bit frustrated that she was less than two easy miles from the gas station with a bike and I had an 8 mile run ahead to the next source of supplies in Cheboygan. She rode off.
Thunder.
Lots of thunder. Dark sky to the west. It looked bad.
I checked my weather app and there was a really nasty looking band of severe weather across most of northern Michigan. I thought if I could get north of it I might avoid the worst, so I ran steady. But it was moving fast. The sky above darkened, the wind picked up, and constant thunder boomed overhead. My phone buzzed an emergency alert. Tornado warning in your area, seek cover immediately. A bolt of lightning flashed close and the sharp thunder cracked nearly instantaneously. I had to run for a minute or two before I found a house on the lake with its lights on. I knocked on the door and asked if I could shelter in their carport. Fortunately, after some initial confusion they were super cool about it, letting me hunker down and stay dry while the storm raged. It was constant lightning for an hour. Probably the most intense thunderstorm I’ve ever witnessed in northern Michigan. I looked up the weather and it looked like it could last a while, and also like Cheboygan and Mackinaw City could be hit with storms later that night. This was the closest I got to quitting. I felt confident I could do the mileage, but the storms were very disheartening. At the same time, I thought of how the Possums Revenge buckle features a pair of possums grasping lightning bolts riding unicorns. Symbolic of these two crazy thunderstorms. It felt fitting, and I knew I had to find a way to get this done. Even so, it wasn’t worth risking my life for if the storms continued too long.
I laid down and stretched, fortunate to have found a safe haven. I certainly appreciated the words of encouragement and concern from Amie, Travis, Jessica and so many other Michigan Runners following along on Facebook during the worst of it, reminding me that things would clear up and that I had plenty of time to get it done. That kept me in the game and gave me additional motivation to hang on to my goal to reach that bridge. Their collective meteorological research was certainly more accurate than the apps I had on my phone! It took about an hour and fifteen minutes, but the storm moved over the lake and the lightning and rain let up. The sky was getting lighter in the west, so I bid my random temporary hosts thank you and farewell and began running again. The break may actually have been a blessing in disguise, because it gave me a bit of time to lay down, rest, massage my calves and quads, and stretch. I ran through the next few miles until the hot sun got to me.
I reached Cheboygan about an hour before sunset. With more than seven hours remaining until cutoff and with less than a half-marathon to go until I reached that magical mile 69, I took time to do what I have been trying to do more of all year, which is slow down and enjoy the little pleasures. I bought some fruit and a deli sandwich and sat on a shaded fishing dock along the Cheboygan River to enjoy a leisurely dinner. I felt confident that my completion of the race was now all but inevitable, and that was a great feeling. With the skies clear now, the external factors weren’t going to prohibit me. The remainder of my journey was the most difficult part, both physically and mentally, but my stubborn mind was in full control. I knew I could push myself through any discomfort I needed to in order to get it done. I had come too far not too. Oh, and I kind of had to reach my car.
My phone battery was about dead so I turned it off for that final stretch, from Cheboygan to Mackinaw City. I had anticipated filling those long, dark, solo miles with ear buds and some good music, which usually motivates me to push myself to the beat. The lack of music made it feel more difficult.
The sun set as I left Cheboygan, and the mosquitoes were tearing me up, even when I jogged. I did not even bring a headlamp (I’ve run hundreds of night miles without a headlamp over the past couple years and am used to that), but the trail was so buggy and dark (we’d already seen one bear and this area seemed like good bear habitat) that I felt more comfortable hopping to US23, which parallels the trail the whole way to Mackinaw City, and running/walking the road shoulder. This was a very long, monotonous grind, but also beautiful and peaceful. Though I missed the ability to listen to music, there were benefits to having my phone off. Disconnecting for a while kept me tuned into my surroundings. The starry sky was beautiful and free of light pollution. I got a good long look at the comet, NEOWISE, and saw several shooting stars. I hit the 62-mile mark, my first time running at least 100K, right at 17 hours, which was my time at Tunnel Hill 50-miler in 2019. I had never run for more than 17 hours in a single event before.
Each mile seemed to drag on in the dark. I just kept my feet moving, alternating between jogging and walking. Cars passed occasionally, headlights appearing and taillights disappearing far into the distance along that flat, straight road. I reached mile 69 at about 18 hours 50 minutes. It was a nice feeling knowing whatever happened now I had secured my belt buckle prize for the Possums Revenge 69-mile ultramarathon. But I was tired, and my goal, of necessity, was to reach my car. And as the taillights of passing cars disappeared forever into the horizon, there was no sign yet of Mackinaw City. And I was pretty darn sore, stiff and done with it all at this point. It was almost midnight and I still had an hour long drive home once I finished. I heard thunder. Oh please no. No more thunderstorms. Fortunately, I realized it was the sound of Mackinac Island fireworks in the distance. I’ve never been happier to hear fireworks.
I marched on through the night, more walking than running at this point. My legs were screaming and I was low on water. Endless dark highway.
Mile 70.
Mile 71.
Mile 72.
Where the #@&% is Mackinaw City?
I powered up my phone to take a quick peak at the map. I still couldn’t see anything ahead but Google maps said 2 miles to my car. I turned my phone off again. About a mile later I started passing motels on the eastern outskirts of town and felt better. I took a distant photo of the bridge from there, let inquiring friends know I was still alive and moving, and walked into Mackinaw City at midnight-ish. I reached my car at mile 74. My car was about a half mile from the bridge and Lake Huron. I started my car to charge my phone for a couple minutes and dropped off my hydration vest. It was nice to get rid of it after carrying it for twenty hours. Leaving my car to continue on foot for yet another mile was a mental lift. I had already succeeded in earning my belt buckle, and I had reached my car. I could go home now and go to bed. But my longer term goal to run from Gaylord to the Mackinac Bridge remained unfinished. I was not finished quite yet, not without reaching the bridge. Touching it. Touching the water of the Straits.
So I walked through town to Colonial Michilimackinac park for the Big Mac money shot. I sat on a bench for just a few minutes to soak in the view. Then I dipped my hands into Lake Huron. I had literally just run here from Otsego Lake. Pretty cool, huh? I’m sure I looked like a drunk, shuffling slowly through town at 1am. I stopped my Coros back at my car. Final distance was 75.52 but I knew it was up to a half mile off so I’m officially calling it 75 miles. I have a lot of confidence now in my physical and mental ability to do a 100 miler someday. As long as I stay on top of hydration, nutrition, and avoid injury, I know I can do that distance. I also know it’s really, really going to suck.
The drive home took about an hour (“I don’t even like driving that far”), and fortunately it was not eventful. I kept myself awake digging my knuckles into my IT bands and rubbing my aching calves, and got home just after 2am. As I write this, the evening post-run, my legs are stiff and sore and I’m exhausted, but feeling uninjured. I think I’ll be ready for some light running in a couple days. For now, resting up!
