Surprised and shoes

I ran a long all-night run with Steve Quick on Friday, August 8. I didn’t post the Sunday workout because I helped move a student to Madison, Wisconsin. I carried an entire room of items and two flights of stairs, which was a good leg workout. Surprisingly, my legs weren’t as sore as I expected. My feet were swollen, but overall, it was manageable. I took two Advil at 6 AM and rested for the day.

To my surprise, I felt less stiff this morning. I’m sauntering, but I haven’t taken any pain relievers. I feel like I could run and will later. I assumed I’d need a day or two to recover, but let’s see how the run goes.

Many discussions have centered on the Superior 100 course section, which is more complex. Steve and I discussed segments throughout the night and ranked them based on my recollection. I’ve been on each section twice, so I’m not an expert. Here’s my rank list. I’ll send it to the run list to see what others think. It might be fun as I’ll place any replies on a spreadsheet. I think there’s a whole array of opinions depending on the type of runner we are, and no one will have the same list.

1 to 14, with 14 being the most difficult (# before mile means difficulty rank)

    (5) 9.3 miles to Split Rock

    (9) 10.1 miles to Beaver Bay

    (1) 4.9 miles to Silver Bay

    (13) 9.9 miles to Tettegouche

    (8) 8.6 miles to County Road 6

    (10) 7.7 miles to Finland

    (11) 7.5 miles to Sonju Lake Road

    (3) 4.2 miles to Crosby Manitou

    (14) 9.4 miles to Sugarloaf

    (2) 5.6 miles to Cramer Road

    (6) 7.1 miles to Temperance

    (12) 5.7 miles to Sawbill

    (4) 5.5 miles to Oberg Mountain

    (7) 7.1 miles to Finish

There have been many emails about the need for trail shoes on the Superior Hiking Trail. I’m in the minority about wearing street shoes. After thinking, I realized two things: (1) My foot specialist recommended the Asiacs Nimbus shoe for running due to its low profile; and (2) my rigid plastic orthotic provides stability, unlike my softer orthotics that cause my feet to contort.

Like ranking demands, shoe and food choices have more variables, making it difficult to find a clear answer.

Carry on!