Two SLUGs Run ithe Minnesota Voyageur 50-Miler; leave a trail of slime.

Well, I had another fun Minnesota Voyageur 50-miler this past Saturday. This

was my 5th time in a row to make the 9-hour drive to Carlton, Minnesota. The

weather was nice, and the company was great. I got to meet Joe Kallo, a

southern-Illinois SLUG, and we ran about 35 miles of the course together. We

only took one wrong turn (with Beth Simpson) during the race. We found that

Beth is just as pretty when she's pissed-off (about getting off course), than

when she is as her normal, sweaty, fast-running self.

The course conditions were as perfect as I've ever seen them. The temperature

never got higher than 78 F, and it was a beautiful, sunny day. The course was

changed slightly this year; but only for this year. Three of the hills in the

dreaded "powerlines' section were circumvented due to unforeseen circumstances.

Oh, darn! Instead of the hills, the RDs had us run on a trail roughly-cut with

a brush hog, that left 1/2 to 1-inch diameter spears sticking 4 inches out of

the ground. Safety tip: Don't fall during this section.

Joe finished ahead of me by a few minutes. The showers and catered food at the

school really hit the spot. After the race festivities, my wife Vicki and I

headed to Duluth to have a snack and brewskis with Joe and his wife Allison, and

their gymnastically-inclined daughter (Maddie). The two beers I had at Fitgers

helped with my normal post-race insomnia.

If you ever get the urge to head north and do a fun, wonderfully run

event...come join the fun next July. Ya-sure, it's a hoot!

How are the quads feeling, Joe? Sitting in a car for 12 hours never seems to

help with recovery.

Ben Holmes