My FKT from South Haven to St. Clair Shores

# My Journey to 219 Miles

My journey to 219 miles was nothing short of incredible.

## Day 0

I arrived in South Haven in the evening, just in time to witness a beautiful sunset. After enjoying a bite to eat at Clementine’s, I settled in for the night in the van near the start line.

## Day 1

I kicked off my adventure at 7:44 AM on Friday, November 8th. The sunrise was stunning, but the wind along the lakeshore was a bit strong. Fortunately, it warmed up as I made my way out of South Haven and onto the Kal Haven Trail. Having participated in the Kal Haven Trail Ultra a few times, I felt familiar with the terrain. Running the first couple of miles solo was a perfect way to get my head in the game.

My first pacer, Lindsey—an athlete I hadn’t met in person yet—joined me for a couple of hours. The miles flew by as we chatted. After running solo for another hour, I reached Kal Haven State Park, where I took a short break and fueled up with chicken noodle soup. My husband, Derek, and friend, Kim, provided crew support, catching up with me every hour to offer aid.

Derek joined me on his bike for about 12 miles, guiding me through the Kalamazoo Valley River Trail and downtown Kalamazoo. It was a refreshing change of pace to get off the trail and into town. After nearly reaching the 50-mile mark, my second pacer, Fred, took over. Fred and I were only acquaintances, so we had plenty to talk about over the next five hours as we made our way through Galesburg, Augusta, and into Battle Creek.

The dark, long road miles during rush hour were a bit dicey, but we managed. In Battle Creek, my friend Christine joined us as my next pacer. We navigated through some construction and a dark road before arriving in Marshall, where I hit the 81-mile mark feeling surprisingly fresh. I grabbed some soup and headed toward Albion. The temperature dropped significantly in this section, and I started to feel cold and slow down.

When we reached Albion, I decided to call it a night, stopping at 91 miles. It was a solid start to my journey. That night, I used my MicroSport Pro with a PEMF adapter to energize and heal for the next day.

## Day 2

I woke up about three hours after falling asleep, around 3 AM, to a nagging niggle. Thankfully, I had the MicroSport to assist my recovery. After some time, I felt ready to start again and began with my friend and athlete Russ at 10:30 AM on Saturday. I started a little creaky but quickly found my rhythm.

We took some bonus miles navigating through Albion to Victory Park, then hit some back roads with rolling hills. Partway to Concord, my friend and athlete Des joined us, bringing fresh energy. The three of us ran along to the Falling Waters Trail in Concord, where my friends and athlete Barb and Randy were waiting to pace me.

I started feeling fatigue, so I told Des I needed a nap and some Tylenol. It was around 2:45 PM, but I knew I needed rest. After taking some Tylenol and running a few MicroSport programs, I fueled up and returned to the trail with renewed energy, running faster. Barb joined Des and me for the next section to Jackson. 

Once in Jackson, Randy took over pacing. I felt relieved to have him, given his good navigation skills. We moved well through Jackson, though we encountered a long stretch through the Jackson Prison that felt endless—mostly because I needed a bathroom break. When we finally saw Derek in the van, he suggested I stop for the night around 9:30 PM. I could have kept going, but I took his advice. We slept nearby in the van, and I ran the MicroSport PEMF during my sleep.

## Day 3

After a few hours of sleep, I ran some MicroSport programs. I planned to head out, but heavy rains prompted me to hold off until it cleared a bit. I finally started around 7:00 AM, enjoying some solo running to get to the Lakeland Trail. I was loosening up and feeling good when Jess joined me. Kim brought McDonald’s sausage egg McMuffins and Coke, my daily fuel during the journey.

Shortly before we reached Stockbridge, another familiar face, my friend Bjorn, surprised us by jumping in to join. It was exciting to be on “my home turf.” The three of us ran to Gregory, enjoying another beautiful morning. Once in Stockbridge, my friend Claudia joined us. We used a 3/1 run/walk strategy to keep a steady pace on the trail, which worked well.

Partway to Pinckney, we picked up surprise pacers Russ and Fred again. At the depot, it was fun to see our friends Curt and Leslie cheering me on—another great energy boost. Somewhere between Pinckney and the Captain Frosty Trailhead, my friend Kay hopped in with chicken nuggets, fries, and Coke from Kim. I craved salty, greasy food during my run, and it really helped boost my energy.

As I neared Zukey Lake Tavern, I started to notice some knotting in my left peroneal tendon, so we called in remote PT support from Liesle. She gave us tips, and we added some KT tape and moved on. As we approached Hamburg, the intensity increased, and my right side started bothering me too. Liesle came to my rescue in Hamburg and worked her magic. Kay and I continued on until we were almost to J.C. Penney, where my pain intensified.

I decided to use the MicroSport to calm it down and applied Tri-Covery CBD salve for pain relief. Ultimately, I was forced to walk with about 60 miles left. After some long, hard thought, I decided to come home for self-care, sleep, and an early start the next day. I took a nice Epsom salt soak, used PEMF, and applied CBD salve. After a few hours of sleep, I felt much better and was ready to go.

## Day 4

I started again on Field Crest, where I had left off the night before. I was solo for a short bit until my friend Jeff caught up with me. We moved well through Island Lake, but I started experiencing pain and swelling in my right foot again, so I did some treatment and continued on to New Hudson.

Along the way, we had a surprise visit from Toni, who joined us for a bit, providing a nice energy boost. The east side of the state was less familiar to me, making it fun to explore new areas. As we cruised along, I heard a familiar voice—my friend Curt was riding his bike to catch us for some miles. 

I had requested mac and cheese and a smoothie for lunch, and as the miles ticked on, my needs became more urgent. When we got to Wixom, Derek had my lunch ready, which really hit the spot and gave me renewed energy. Heading toward Novi, I was moving well, but just past it, I felt increasing pain in my right foot. I stopped for treatment and decided to walk a bit with the MicroSport for relief.

This area was tricky, with no sidewalks and highway entrances. I was grateful to have Jeff navigating us through. After another treatment stop, Bjorn joined me. Once I received treatment, I could move well for a while until the pain medication wore off. Bjorn kept me positive and moving as we worked through some painful moments.

I was determined to finish before midnight on Monday, so I kept pushing forward. I was still running, now with fewer walk breaks. Somewhere along the way, Fred joined again. When we reached Berkeley, my nephew Ricky joined on his bike for a few miles, raising my spirits and quickening my pace.

After Royal Oak, a group of friends joined me for the last ten miles: Jess, Jen, Kay, Bjorn, and Fred. It felt like a Saturday group long run, and the energy was fantastic. The final stretch along 12 Mile felt endless, but suddenly, I had a whole entourage of support! Liesle and her mom showed up, honking, ringing cowbells, and playing the Spice Girls. 

Next came Jeff, Ricky, his father-in-law, and Derek, who kept the party going all the way to Champine Park. I finished 219.49 miles in 3 days, 15 hours, and 14 minutes! It was an incredible journey, and I had an amazing time along the way, thanks to the support of friends and family. It may sound cliché, but it truly takes a village.