Lead Photo by Tyler Heinz

As I mentioned in my initial Hixon article, this is my first trail race outside of Duluth/the North Shore, and La Crosse did not disappoint!

The trails were in great shape, temps were cool, and people were excited to be racing – it was a fun atmosphere to be a part of! After a short pre-race briefing we were off right at 7:40 AM.

I immediately settled in to a comfortable pace and enjoyed being in a race again. Side note: I am always in awe of the leaders out front who just start sprinting from the start at what feels/looks like world record mile pace! As someone who always started out slow in high school 5k’s, seeing this mad dash AT THE START OF A 50K(!!!) is amazing. What’s even more amazing is how some of those runners out front can maintain a blistering pace for 4+ hours with over 4,000 feet of elevation gain! There were a lot of FAST former collegiate runners in the field.

Needless to say I did not try to run with the lead group 🙂 Most of the first lap (there were two 25k loops) I ran in control, speeding up a little too much looking back on it for a stretch that began down in an old quarry where it was really flat. Other than that, the pace just felt right the entire time, saving plenty in the tank for lap 2.

I can’t tell you how much my mind and body enjoyed the runnable trails, it was a blast! After doing so much training/racing on the Superior Hiking Trail (SHT) over the past several years it was refreshing to actually stride out. So much of the SHT is met with choppy steps avoiding anything and everything the trail throws at you. Most of this race was on mountain biking trails, gravel roads/trails, or the occasional paved road.

After making the climb back up to the start to begin lap 2, I kept feeling great and was starting to get really excited about the day’s potential! I did another water bottle exchange (my in-laws were camping in a nearby state park and were up for crewing for me and Greg – very helpful, thank you Mike and Michelle!!) and set out over the prairie before entering single-track trails once again.

Well…within 90 seconds of being in the woods I tripped over something and proceeded to stop my fall with my ring finger…back it went! I hit a couple other parts of my body as well, but could only focus on my finger. I did a split-second assessment and started running again. I was carrying my water bottle in that hand so it acted as a natural resting spot for my finger, which I thought was broken for sure.

For those that know me, they know my stomach is very weak when it comes to injuries. I’m not kidding when I say this: I am very surprised I didn’t pass out right there on the trail! The good news: I didn’t pass out and was able to keep running. The bad news: my stomach immediately felt queezy. What started out as a lap where I was going to push it and maybe even get that coveted negative split after being smart early on, turned into pure survival while trying to press on. It also turned into a lap of wondering what my finger looked like under the glove I was wearing, although I tried not to think about it too much.

My aid station stops got a little longer as I needed to drink some ginger ale and extra water. My stomach never felt good again, but I was able to keep taking in calories at a reduced rate (which was way better than ZERO calories for a long time at Superior this fall) and press on. Although it’s difficult to do when your legs are heavy, stomach feels gross, and your mind is telling you to stop, the best thing to do is keep moving. The sooner you are able to cross that finish line, the sooner you can rest…so that’s what I did!

I eventually crossed the finish line of my first Hixon 50k in 5:21:06 (2:18:59 first lap, 3:02:07 second lap), which was good for 9th place! And this year’s course was a little longer, clocking in on my watch at 33.44 miles (and 4,367 ft of elevation gain), so we had some bonus time out in the woods!

Greg ran a great race, coming through in 4:41:21, good for 5th place overall (and 1st place Master if they were giving out awards for that this year) – he never ceases to amaze me! Maybe one day I can grow up to race like him 🙂

La Crosse is a really neat city with fantastic scenery and I would definitely add Hixon to your list of trail races to try out!

Congrats to all who participated in the 5k/10k/25k/50k races, and thanks to all of the volunteers who make a weekend like this possible! A special thanks to race directors Tyler, Jake, and Michael for putting on a wonderful event and showcasing some of the spectacular trails La Crosse has to offer!