20 miler at 20F.

Tri-State Long Run

Miles : 20
Time : 3:11.40
Pace : 9:35/mi
Elevation Change : 3,745 ft.

It was pretty darn icy. We got freezing drizzle overnight and it coated all the roads with a nice glossy surface that practically made you slip and fall just looking at it. Not so great for the girl that is terrified of slipping and falling. But I had packed my ice spikes, so it was me vs. nature. It was 20F and slightly windy. We chose a route where we could run from the farm and hit all three states in one run : Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana. When Matt describes where his hometown is located, since it has only 500 people maximum and it is never recognized, he says : "Where Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio all come together."

For how flat this farming area appears to be, it has a surprising amount of hills. We knew we'd have to go slower with just our extra layers, but the cold added another element of difficulty : breathing through the darn facemask. It was particularly awesome when we ran into the wind. The roads were freshly salted that morning, so it was mostly slushy running. We hit Ohio a little after mile four.

The only sign you cross over to another state...other than the apparent differences
in how to treat the roads in the winter.

Ohio does a crappy job on their roads. They decided that these rural roads required only 200ft from all the intersections to be salted. That glossy ice layer let us run and slide down the hills, but scared the crap out of me. I was forced to put my ice spikes on. We ran to the area where all three states come together.

Matt with the official Tri-State connector marker. Obviously this couldn't be in the middle of the road
where the actual intersection is located.

I'm in all three states. The hole in the pavement is where the marker should be.
Maybe they take it out for the winter so the plow doesn't get it?

The first time I tried for this photo shot, I had to get up for a passing car.

When we ran into Indiana, we were grateful for how wonderful they salt the local roads. I got to take off my spikes....and replace them with my facemask as we headed into the wind. If I hadn't brought that along, I would have cut the run short. Without a doubt. Being uncomfortable (either cold or hot) is the worst. When we finally returned to the south, along all the pretty summer homes on Clear Lake, I traded them back.

See the road? It's not the shoulder. That's actually the surface across the
entire roadway.

The roads were absolutely terrible. My gels had changed from a syrupy consistency to that of gummy bears. I have a photo of one on my tongue, but it looks a little disgusting. I had to chew them and they went down slowly and probably sat there the entire run in clumps, rather than being digested..... which leads me to my next problem...

I have suffered from digestive problems the last week, and today was no exception. Around mile 13, I had to stop and go number 2. At least this time I was prepared with a wad of toilet paper. Nothing says dedication to running like a bare ass at 20F and a squat along side all the pretty (luckily deserted) summer homes. Hey, when you gotta go, you gotta go. Any tips on why or how to get rid of these problems are sure welcome.

For about 6 miles straight, hubby and I ran along the icy road. I was invincible with my spikes, yet he slid around with every other step. He said that he ran behind me so I wouldn't freak out when he fell down. To my knowledge, he didn't fall at all. The landscape was so serene, under the blanket of wintry snow. The trees and fields seemed to be in peaceful repose, only awakened by the birds of springtime. I think that is the reason I miss winter.

By mile 18, we were running at a slow shuffle. We ran in complete silence. All my mental energy was for putting one foot in front of the other. Just as we hit mile 19 and my energy was nearly spent, a beautiful sunset appeared.

Pretty darn pretty, isn't it?

Matt and I had dressed perfectly for the weather.
We were reassured that we could conquer 20miles in 20F.
And it was HARD.

Just the perfect afternoon if you ask me :)