So he set out at 6 a.m. Dec. 27 to trek 150 miles through the snow on foot, carrying camping gear on his back. And he hoped to finish in 48 hours.
“I always had this desire to see how much farther I could push myself,” the 26-year-old Stillwater resident said.
He decided to do that as one 16 competitors registered for the 150 Tuscobia Ultramarathon, which first occurred in 2009. The course starts and ends in Park Falls, Wis. There are also 35 mile and 75 mile foot races, as well a cross-country ski race and fat tire bike race.
The races take place on the Tuscobia State Trail. “The trail is actually an old railroad grade,” Lindquist said.
According to Lindquist the trail is popular with snowmobilers and dogsleds drivers. He planned to wear flashing lights and reflective material to ensure he’s visible to motorized traffic. He’ll also be wearing a GPS tracking device in case of an emergency, and there will be checkpoints along the trail.
Although he has run marathons, this is the first event of its kind Lindquist has run.
Lindquist used to run door to door carrying the Gazette in middle and high school, and he graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2010 with a degree in kinesiology, which he described as exercise science. Now he works as a running coach and personal trainer.
He started long-distance training for marathons in 2012. He’s been conditioning himself for the ultra marathon for three months.
“As soon as the weather started getting colder, I was out every Thursday night camping out and then running on Friday,” he said.
Jeremy Lindquist prepares for a training run at Afton State Park earlier this year. The Stillwater resident set out at 6 a.m. Dec. 27 to run the 150 mile Tuscobia Ultramarathon in Wisconsin. (Submitted photo)
Jeremy Lindquist prepares for a training run at Afton State Park earlier this year. The Stillwater resident set out at 6 a.m. Dec. 27 to run the 150 mile Tuscobia Ultramarathon in Wisconsin. (Submitted photo)
He’d go to a state park and camp out before running the next day. Some days he’d run eight to 12 hours. With his background in fitness, Lindquist said he felt pretty confident that he knew his body and was capable of finishing, provided he stayed calm.
“My biggest fear is letting my mind get away from me and freaking out and making some poor decisions out there, rather than just keeping my focus and my cool,” he said. “If you start freaking out, you’re setting yourself up for trouble.”
On a 150 mile trail, there’s plenty of time for a runner’s mind to wander. But when he runs, Lindquist makes a conscious attempt to pay attention to signals from his body.
“One thing I’ve always done when I’m running is … looking into my body and making adjustments along the way,” he said.
But sometimes he simply takes in the scenery and tries to just “let it happen.”
Although he hoped to finish the race within 48 hours, he said it would be a success if he completed the race.
“Just finishing it is, obviously, going to be a big accomplishment for me,” he said.
Finishing would give him a baseline to which he could compare future performances.
Ultimately, he wants to do even more arduous races. He mentioned the 350 mile ITI Iditarod Invitational race in Alaska as a possibility.
“I’m a very goal-driven person,” he said.
Contact Jonathan Young at jonathan.young@ecm-inc.com
Source: http://stillwatergazette.com
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