P.H.O.U.R.

Psychiatric Hospital for Obsessed Ultra Runners. Probably a good idea. A few of us could use a weekend retreat to someplace like this. Fortunately this place doesn't exist so we can still do what has become an annual fall run through the woods of Northwest Wisconsin without fear of someone calling the local sheriff to pick us up. Once the weekend is over there is a chance I'll still be at risk of a visit from the sheriff. But wait, I'm getting ahead of myself....annual fall run? It's a little 50 mile "underground" run we try to do during the peak of colors each fall. This run is so underground that really only a couple of people even know it exists. Here's the story....
In 2006 I turned 40. To celebrate I had some friends (Joel Button and Brian Block) and family join me for a 40 mile run on the Ice Age Trail. We finished at my house with a nice 40 ounce beer. That first year we called the run 40 on Ice. Get it? 40 oz. ice cold beer? 40 miles on the Ice Age Trail? I even had shirts printed for everyone!
In 2007 Joel and I decided to do it again but this time we wanted 50 miles. We started at the same place and finished at Cafe Wren for dinner and drinks. That year we called it the Premium 50 Mile Fun Run. I used the Grain Belt Premium Beer logo and modified it to fit our run. Brian had just returned from a climbing expedition to K2 in Pakistan where he had climbed most of the mountain with a broken ankle. He was unable to run with us but gave a great slide show from his Pakistan adventures.
So that's the brief back story. Here's the basic details of the run. Notice I say run not race. If you want to join us and race...have at it. I can pretty much guarantee you'll at least win your age group.
We begin at Timberland Hills Nordic Ski Area near Cumberland, WI around 7:00am. From there we run west on the Ice Age Trail. There are a few short sections of paved and gravel road, one or two very small stream crossings. These will be dry unless it's raining at the time. We'll run along a few lakes and rivers, through a State Park and finish with the last 4 miles on the crushed limestone Gandy Dancer Trail. The IAT is gently rolling with a few short, steep hills. Most of the trail is very runnable. We will finish at Cafe Wren where there will be excellent food, beer, and wine available for purchase.
There is NO ENTRY FEE for this run.
There are NO STOCKED AID STATIONS. We each bring a drop box that will be moved from one station to the next by the crew that I provide.
There is no clean water on the route so I try to have our crew carry enough for everyone .
WE USE THE EXISTING TRAIL MARKERS FOR THE IAT. I don't do any extra trail marking except when we run through the State Park where there are currently no marked trails.
There is also NO CUT-OFF TIME. (it takes me about 11 hours) If you want to stay out there all night...good for you, you're definitely crazy!

We've had as many as a dozen people join us for short sections throughout the day so feel free to do all or just part of the 50. In the past I've had shirts made and given them to everyone involved in the day. If the group size grows I'll ask everyone to pitch in money if they want a shirt. With a larger group I'll have 4 fixed aid stations with water. Everyone would need to provide drop boxes for each station.
We leave my house for Cafe Wren (morning coffee and the end of the run) around 6:00am. We leave Cafe Wren no later than 6:30 to drive to carpool to the start.
The trail is 1.5 hours Northeast of Minneapolis/St. Paul so there's the option for local camping and hotels the night before if you don't want to drive that day.
Why should you join us? Because you're as obsessed as the rest of us. Not to mention it's the day before Twin Cities Marathon and who would want to run 26.2 on pavement when you could run 50 in the woods while being rained on by orange and yellow leaves. Crowds of cheering fans, you ask? There are none. It's only us crazies hearing the voices in our heads.
What's left? The date?
10/4/08
How do you sign up? There is no sign up, no entry fee, no nothing.
Just admit you have a problem. That's the first step.