Day 4,297—During the Storm and the Shippey Part IV—

 

      I started running with my sunglasses and quickly turned back around. I put my ski goggles on, and I was amazed at the difference it made. My face wasn’t cold, and I could see. Eventually, the lenses started to fog up, and it got harder to see, but I marveled at the difference it made. It was snowing heavily at the start of this run. Eventually, the intensity changed, but I was pretty comfortable having prepared for a run like this that could have taken place last weekend!

        It would have been crazy if the Shippey had just been a week different; it would have been possibly the most difficult Shippey ever! My phone says we will have over a foot of snow by tomorrow, which might be the most intense snowstorm we have had here in years. I was surprised by how many cars were out when I was running. One car approached me quickly on a local road, trying to pass. I turned to look at them, and they seemed normal, but all the traffic seemed strange. I doubt I will go anywhere with my car until Tuesday.

Start of Loop 4

Time of Day: 9:55 p.m.

        I was drinking soda at every aid station. Also, I started drinking the energy drink that Sarah bought for me on the Friday before the race. I only brought three cans. I had all three throughout the night. I thought the caffeine was going to give me a bigger amount of energy, but it basically just kept me normal. Joel said he was going to meet me at 10 p.m., and when I got to the end of the third loop a little before the time, I thought he might be waiting there, but he ended up being at the other aid station, so I told him to meet me at Emerson when I got back after the next leg. It was a nice break to have him there. The time was suddenly moving by quicker, even though my pace just gotten slower, but my spirit had changed, and I started thinking about the next loop.

        I kept thinking that the loops through the evening were going to be so cold, but I don’t remember feeling like it was that much colder. I used to use more hand warmers at the start because my hands were starting to get cold every once in a while. Joel and I talked about the year and his new business. I was feeling nostalgic, having done this race 4 times now. It wasn’t easy, but I stopped feeling like it was impossible, although I started to worry about the cut-off time at the rate I was going. Part of me just wanted to push myself to go quicker, but I was moving as fast as I could with the poles in the dark. At this point, the 100K runners were done, and now it was only the 100-mile runners out there and some of the 40-mile runners. Jeremiah, who had planned to run the 100K, 40 Mile, and 20 Mile, was at the aid station helping crew in between runs. I also saw Levy helping out at Sverdrup; it was like a reunion of sorts. Seeing so many people who have helped me over the past 4-5 years at races, all in the same place. I never thought in my life that I would see them all so much, but as big as the sport has gotten. We’re still a pretty small community.

        Joel had to go home after the 4th leg, so I had to do the longest leg by myself. That was a hard leg because it seemed like so many runners were finishing their fifth loop as I was finishing my 4th loop. I was convinced I was in last place, but I decided it didn’t matter. I was going to keep moving and finish this thing all the way up to cut off if necessary. I was really hoping there was a chance I would finish under 30 hours, but I was going to have to move a lot faster if that was going to happen. I finished the 4th Loop a little under 24 hours, so I thought there was a chance I might finish this thing at 30 hours.

       

Loop 4

Time: 7:39:51

Clock Time: 23:35:45

Loop Pace: 22:53 mi

Distance: 80.36

5:35 a.m.