Fred Webber ran the Ice Age Trail 50 mile race in the mid 1980s.
Fred was standing near me at the 40 mile checkpoint and aid station located in
the Kettle Moraine State Forest. It was a warm day in the mid 60s and for the
runners out in the trails it felt closer to 80 degrees. This scenic park hosts
this historic race year after year since 1982. The race touts itself as one of
the oldest 50 mile races in the country. I was here to watch my friend Mike run
this race for his first time. I had run this race myself the year before and
had such a memorable time discovering some incredible talents I possess. I
still get nostalgic recalling the miraculous recovering and second wind I
experienced on this course and therefore felt an attachment here. Today I was
here to see my friend Mike run it and support him. I also got to see the
leaders of the race but most importantly I wanted to be a part of the
enchantment that is found along the trails of an Ultramarathon.
As Fred and I stood on the grassy field waiting for some
runners to come in we got to talking about Ultras. Fred is an older gentleman
who I had overheard talking about how he used to run this race and how it holds
a special meaning to him. He mentioned that running helped him overcome an
addiction to alcohol and changed his life for the better. Unfortunately, Fred
hasn’t run this race since the early 1990s. His life changed when he had
children and spent his time raising them and it left him with less and less
time for running. Today Fred doesn’t look like a typical Ultrarunner. He is
slightly taller than average height with a bit of a spare tire around his
waist. The stories he told me of his days running Ultras were not exceptionally
legendary but what was most captivating was hearing his enthusiasm and love of
this sport as he spoke about his memories. It was incredibly genuine and his
voice carried a tone that couldn’t be any more honest. I felt incredible
respect for Fred listening to his tales of how he dealt with cramps and not
having all the products or water carrying devices available to runners today.
The best part of our conversation was when Fred turned to me and said “Hey thanks
for talking to me. It’s hard for me to be out here without running and this
helps talking with someone.” He appreciated someone who understood Ultras since
many of the other spectators around were just cheering on their family and
friends and didn’t run these races at all. Since I could relate with many of
the experiences of running an Ultra and with my familiarity of this course we
carried on talking for quite some time.
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| Kate Pallardy getting support while in 2nd place |
Fred was here with his family to support his son Phil. Phil
was running his first Ultra and Fred mentioned how he didn’t want to put
pressure on his son but that he was overjoyed with pride that his son had
wanted to carry his father’s legacy and run this race. Phil was getting worried
as he hadn’t seen his son since the aid station back at mile 26 almost 3 hours
ago. I knew Mike was running a steady pace and wondered if the two had crossed
paths out there. Mike is a good friend who has been to Hell and back with me.
Literally, we had both run the Dances with Dirt 50 mile race in Hell, Michigan
last year and cemented a bond in Ultrarunning. I wasn’t too worried about Mike
since I know he can take care of himself. I was more excited to just give him a
jolt of positive energy and support. When Phil finally came in and I saw his
parents crewing for him I felt joy for them. Not because he finally came in but
because his family was sharing in this moment with him. It’s not easy for
friends and family to spend many hours standing in a park just looking at
people running in and out of aid stations. Especially if they aren’t familiar
with the race atmosphere they can have a terrible time wondering where their
runner is and why it is taking so long. I heard among the other spectators say
that they wish they could see the runners more often along the course. I
thought how that might be possible and the idea of having drones flying through
the woods watching the runners was one possible way. But then I thought about
how it would be a terribly unnatural experience for the runners having these
machines flying by overhead in the middle of what should be nature. What these
spectators failed to realize is that the way these races are designed is to
challenge the runner by leaving them out in the trails alone. They must look
within to find their strength and get to the next aid station and eventually to
the finish line. Having friends and family along the course is great but it
also diminishes the effect of seeing them at the aid stations (typically 5-6
miles apart). I feel that seeing friends and family only so often on the course
makes that moment much more special.
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| Phil coming into the Aid Station with Fred and Family (Fred at far left) |
As Phil was getting support from his family Mike came in
shortly behind him. I got to work crewing for him by filling his bladder with
water, getting him salt tablets, and even placing an ice cold bandana around
his neck. I had specifically picked my brooks “Run Happy” bandana to be a
little bit more encouraging for Mike should he happen to look down and read it.
Mike embodies a lot of what I love about this sport. He doesn’t care much about
times or miles, instead he focuses on having a good time. So this “Run Happy”
theme fit perfectly for him. He looked in decent shape and I told him to keep
running his own pace and to just keep moving. He looked extremely grateful
while the sun kept shining brightly warming up the day. I saw Mike off and didn’t
realize that Fred and his family had already left, eager to head toward the
finish and watch Phil cross that line. I had my fill for the day and left the race
satisfied. I had witnessed the leaders (who would break course records), met
some interesting people, and saw the love this sport exudes in the athletes and
their family and friends there to support them. As for Fred I was grateful to
meet one of the original Ice Age Trail runners and wished I could thank him
back. Although he said I reminded him of his younger self, I couldn’t help but
feel that I was talking to a future version of myself. One that never lost the
love for this sport of Ultrarunning.
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| Mike coming into the Aid Station |
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| Mike and Mike running happy |
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