Race Report: 2014 Voyageur Trail 50 Mile

The Powerlines. (Photo: Zach Pierce)

In less than 24 hours I will, Lord willing, be on a quest for my third Voyageur 50 mile finish. Since I never quite got around to recapping last year's event (thanks, Hormel), it makes sense to do so now in preparation for the glories/tragedies that await tomorrow. It's hard to pick a favorite when it comes to ultras, as each event has its own particularities, but Voyageur is the classic Minnesota event. It's nearly 35 years old. It showcases some of the best trails in the state. It's in the middle of summer. And it's understated in all the right ways.

What made last year's running particularly interesting for me was that it was the first time since 2011 that the course was mostly back to its old, grandfatherly self. Ridiculous flooding in 2012 forced a route change in 2013 (my first Voyageur) that altered the course's character enough that, at times, I wondered if I was getting the same experience that has connected runners through the decades. But it was back to its historic roots.

The Course

Powerlines, outbound.

Voyageur is basically an out-and-back to the Duluth zoo from Carlton High School, with the key wrinkle being a 3-4 mile section of steep ups and downs in the middle called the Powerlines. And the definite article is well earned. Outbound, the Powerlines offer the first real challenge of the race, reminding you that you're only human and that you should probably slow down a bit. Inbound, with the sun at full blaze, the Powerlines can crush you and anything else you had saved for the return journey. It was either last year or the year before that someone actually slid off the trail on the Powerlines on one of the descents and broke his arm. Ouch!

Pre-Race

We always enjoy the spaghetti dinner and pre-race fun in Carlton the evening before the race, and especially watching the start of the Cartlon Daze 5k. And last year was no different.

For some reason I decided to take a sequence of pictures of Ashley & Sam too. I think we were trying to get a good one perhaps? The sequence is stellar though. Sam enjoyed playing with the nice dog in the background too.

Stellarness-in-action:

The Race

Like the beginning of most races, the start was full of smiles and a happy ignorance for the distance that lie ahead. Here are a couple shots:

Lining up (Photo: Zach Pierce)

And we're off! (Photo: Zach Pierce)

It's hard to remember all the details being a year removed, but what I do remember is that I basically had a decent first half of the race (hit the turn at halfway in ~3:50) and then fell apart in the second half (came home in ~5:18). This was partly due to strategy and partly the course taking its toll on me.

While I'm generally opposed to starting quick and holding on for dear life, the course profile actually encourages the wise to pursue a positive split—that is, running the second half of the race slower than the first. The first half of the course is a net downhill of ~400' and the first hours of the race are where temperatures are the coolest. But probably a closer positive split would be preferred.

Nevertheless, I still had lots of fun. Going through challenges is the name of the game at the longer distances. And the harder the challenges, generally the more you get to slow down and think and enjoy things that you'd otherwise pass over.

One of the highlights I remember was jogging out of one of the aid stations with Sam. I believe this was around the 50k mark coming out of Becks Road:

(Photo: Kara Marlatt)

Another highlight was a family picture towards the end of the run on the bridge crossing over St. Louis River. I remember feeling hot here. I think I had just doused my head with water. Sam looks like he may have just woken up from a nap:

Some other action shots:

St. Louis River

Coming down the finishing homestretch:

Final finish results: 9:08:16, 22nd place.