Rock River Canyon 50K - Munising, Michigan

Elevation Gain: 2200' ....... Elevation Range: 612'-1016'

June 10, 2023 - I never raced in Michigan before, but knew to expect three things - plenty of trees, plenty of water, and plenty of bugs - and that's what it was. I could stop here and satisfy the curiosity of most, but there is always more to the story.

Munising is a port town on Lake Superior on Michigan's Upper Peninsula, a great place to find lots of water-faring folks, lovely lilacs in every yard, and highways lined with sweet smelling purple, pink, and white lupines. The event ran south of town from the Valley Spur Lodge nearly entirely on the North Country Trail, never catching a glimpse of the mighty Gitcheegoomee.

I approached the race with a bit of anxiety as I was not sure I could meet the cut-offs and I really didn't want to collect another dnf just because I couldn't run fast enough. My training has been okay, but I have not been able to find much leg speed. This event would require me to approach a 4 mph pace to finish under the eight-and-one-half-hour cutoff. Aging has impacted my running more than ever this spring, so I'm not sure how much longer I can pretend that I am a racer.

Of just 24 starters, I finished 21st in 8:10:10 to count coup on another 50K and bring home a victory bottle of maple syrup, but my effort was nothing to brag about. It wasn't hard to begin at the rear with only 24 runners. That's where I stayed the entire way, never passing anyone and never being passed. It was a solo affair, very much run by myself. So much for the social appeal of racing!

I attempted to start at or near a 5 mph tempo to build up a bit of cushion. After two days of driving to get there, my body was not ready to start fast. A mild cramp in my left hamstring was concerning, but ultimately worked itself out by holding back a bit and taking shorter strides. The first and final 5 miles of this out-and-back trail run were not too challenging, so I was able to hold nearly a 5 mph pace, adding to my cushion each mile through mile 24 which I hit in 6 hours even - a 4 mph average pace - giving me enough breathing room to relax some over the final 10K.

Knowing I could virtually walk and finish in time, I slowed enough to accommodate the increasing heat of the day and to battle the legions of mosquitoes that came out to encourage runners to go faster as the day warmed. Time didn't matter. I felt like a tired old man, and ran that way.

The volunteers who had to stand still and swat bugs all day at the aid stations were my heroes and I thanked them generously. What I was doing paled in comparison to their selfless support. The northern birch/beech woods were lovely and I thoroughly enjoyed my day on the NCT. It is a shame about the bugs because this would be fun to backpack otherwise. I spotted chaga growing on yellow birch trees along the trail. Wish I was wearing a backpack to harvest some as I ran.

With more bugs than people left at the finish, there was nothing to do but make a further dash to get into the car to escape their never-ending thirst for blood. Just not the kind of race where you hung around to eat, drink beer and cheer on other runners while being eaten alive... so I immediately bugged out, in keeping with north country tradition!!!