For the Grayslake Distance Project! We had been talking about this one for years, and we finally decided to send it. Will Brewster, Dane Christiansen, and Kevin Boyle were the three runners attempting this. Johnny Wong biked alongside us. Sara Kaiser and GDP canine member, Aspen, drove the crew car. Started around 8:30 am in Fond du Lac and ran counterclockwise around the lake.
Our plan was to target 8:30-9 minute miles with aid stations every 5 miles. We executed this plan almost perfectly for the first 35-40 miles.
Around mile 40-45, we starting hitting some low points with multiple episodes of vomiting, worsening sunburn in the setting of a high UV index throughout the day, blisters, and gnawing muscle fatigue. This led to more walk breaks and longer aid stations. Just before mile 50, I lost contact with the group, but after more episodes of vomiting, I started to regroup and catch that second wind. Luckily, I was able to start mile 51 with the boys after a long aid station.
Unfortunately, at the mile 56 aid station, Dane was forced to drop after an amazing effort. He set a new mileage PR by about 23 miles, which is incredible. Dane is an absolute workhorse, and played an integral part in pacing and camaraderie throughout the day, so this was a bummer.
At this point, morale was low and the record was definitely in jeopardy, but luckily, Kevin and I started to feel good and were able to bring it home. We finished the circumnavigation about 10 minutes under the previous FKT.
We had to dig deep, go to dark places, and control that pain, but this was a team effort. Huge thanks to Sara, Aspen, and Johnny for crewing us. This would not have been possible without them.
Shoutout to Becca Janssen, Brett Janssen, Sue Malesa, Lalu Beré, Steve Tyink, and GDP member Matt Aho for coming out to cheer us on. Shoutout to all the people who followed the live tracker and submitted comments throughout the day. And shoutout to those guys who yelled "F*** you" at Kevin and I at mile 72 on W Scott St. We love you all!
Oh and we made the local news!
-submitted by Will Brewster