I need some advice. My wife will be running her first full marathon this June at Grandma's. She ran two half marathons last summer. We have family coming in from out of state right then (of course) who would like to go into the BWCA for a three or four night trip. We are fifty-ish.

Is the Mrs. going to be too wiped out by Monday to paddle in a lake or two and base camp for a couple of days? She is very hardy but has never done a full marathon. If you are a hardy, fifty-ish gal who has experienced something like this, I'd like to hear from you. Our other option is to drink beer at Voyageur Brewing and look at pictures of trips past, so it isn't an emergency. :)

Thanks, peeps.

I'm not a woman or 50-ish, but I do know she will be very sore the day after. The hardest part of the days after is walking down hill or down stairs. The sitting and paddling shouldn't be a problem. I think the wilderness would be a great place to recover as long as she gets her fluids and calories to replenish her body.

Drinking beer in Grand Marais doesn't sound too bad either.

Hey, I am planning on being there also.

Alton would be fine, Cherokee, not so much. I would think that Monday might be pushing it a little. Tuesday would probably be good. However, if she goes out on Monday for a run to work out the kinks, you are allowed to ridicule her a little bit.

Tough portage trails are going to be a headache I would imagine or her.

I'd keep it easy. Sawbill to Alton.... or maybe basecamp on Saganaga. Find yourself a little cove and set up shop.

I'm approaching 50 and for the last 25 years I've run Grandma's and then went on a bwca trip. I usually head in on a Tuesday but for the last several years I've gone in on the Monday afte(will be heading in on Monday this year as well). While I'm still a little sore, my legs hold up reasonably well. I usually travel about 5 hours my first day.

If this is her first marathon you won't know what shape she will be in afterwards. Plan something with easy portages, really avoiding down hills on the first days. If you have to do some big portages have her use trekking poles for stability and carry less, amazing how much they help hikeing especially on hills/mountains.

Hopefully her training goes well and she can get a couple 21+ mile runs in well before the marathon. The days after those training runs will be very telling. If she can only get one "long run" in during training... well she will likely be sore.

Wish her luck. I am envious, it sounds like a great week.

Like the Saganaga idea.

No portages, or just short ones. You could have a really nice base camp right near the channel and daytrip to Red Rock Lake, Maraboeuf and Devil's Elbow for some fishing. Or if you get over on the Long-Englishman Island area you could go to Ottertrack, that's just 2 portages - 1 5 rod and Monument, which is 80 but otherwise isn't too bad.

I think there is a strong probability that she'll respond well, but do you want to risk it?

She's going to be very, very sore on Sunday. She'll still be hurting on Monday. She'll probably have a hard time completing any motion that isolates the quads. Getting into a canoe, for example, or going downhill on a portage trail.

I'd suggest planning a route with few if any portages on the first day.

Again - I think its going to boil down to your wife's training. If she is running multiple times per week and getting her long run in every weekend, she might be okay.

If she is skipping her mid-week runs due to the weather/business etc she might be more sore.

Again - I suggest Saganaga...
Are you guys planning to make a reservation before, or the week of?

Its Fathers day weekend, not sure if that makes a difference, but its also pretty good fishing, so EPs might book up.

Another good option might be East Bearskin up to Canoe, with a day trip to Johnson Falls if she feels up to it. Do the whole loop if you're feeling good.

Thanks you all. We are going to go for an easy trip; I'll triple the few portages. She's so tough it is humbling.

Training

If her longest run is 20 miles, she will likely be wiped out. If she does several longer ones AND runs smart (starts slowly and runs aerobically) she will likely be OK. There are just too many factors; hydration, temps, pace and so on. If she is tough and wants to go to the BW, then I say go for it. If YOU want to go to the BW, then I say visit the many brewers on the north shore.

I've done hard workouts the next morning. I have also struggled to walk for 3 days after other races:(


John

quote BasecampMom: "Tough portage trails are going to be a headache I would imagine or her.


I'd keep it easy. Sawbill to Alton.... or maybe basecamp on Saganaga. Find yourself a little cove and set up shop."

I'm a fan of this this idea. Sawbill (EP38) has a nice entry and plenty of nice spots right on the lake where you can base camp. You can also take a short portage over to Alton and enjoy base camping and fishing there as well. Plenty to do in this area, so you can do some day trips and explore as well.

Personally, your option two beer tour sounds like fun also, so I'd incorporate your own little beer tour with this trip. If you base camp on Sawbill or Alton, you will be doing little to no portaging, so pack a medium cooler and throw in a couple family packs from the brewery you would tour in option two and enjoy them in the elements of the north woods.

Oh, and don't forget to pack a hammock for your wife so she can lounge and recover from her marathon. Good Luck to her! I do a little running, but have never done a marathon. I'm impressed by anyone who can leg out 26+ miles.

quote lundojam: "I need some advice. My wife will be running her first full marathon this June at Grandma's. She ran two half marathons last summer. We have family coming in from out of state right then (of course) who would like to go into the BWCA for a three or four night trip. We are fifty-ish.

Is the Mrs. going to be too wiped out by Monday to paddle in a lake or two and base camp for a couple of days? She is very hardy but has never done a full marathon. If you are a hardy, fifty-ish gal who has experienced something like this, I'd like to hear from you. Our other option is to drink beer at Voyageur Brewing and look at pictures of trips past, so it isn't an emergency. :)

Thanks, peeps."

I'm 40 and male, and besides racing marathons I also pace them. I'd never even consider going in to the BWCA two days after a marathon if I planned to do anything more than get to the first available camp site and sleep. Even then, consider that it takes several days for normal balances to return to her system. Besides muscle soreness (which will be extreme), she'll probably still be dehydrated and quite low on salt. Her body will be in full recovery mode, and it will be critical that she stay well hydrated and well fed, to help her body adjust. She'll also need lots of protein and iron to recover from the race, and will be unable to find any comfortable position for long - I can't imagine sitting in a canoe and paddling for hours two days later, and I'm quite experienced at the distance.

Especially since this is her first marathon, and she's not really in the quick-recovery age range, I'd say you need to give her at least a week. Nobody will be happy with a first-time-marathoner along on their expedition two days after the race.

Grandmas is a great race. Flat, cool, and with great crowds as you come into Duluth. Everybody who stays in town goes home to take a nap, and then there is a pretty good party in canal park that night.

I'd think a short-moderate trip that next week wouldn't be out of the question. Good luck, and Have a blast!

You could also stay at Sawbill Campground for a night or two and paddle around the lake or even head over to Alton and back to test it out. Pull a permit for Tuesday and make Tuesday night your first night in BWCA.

quote Northwoodsman: "You could also stay at Sawbill Campground for a night or two and paddle around the lake or even head over to Alton and back to test it out. Pull a permit for Tuesday and make Tuesday night your first night in BWCA."

That sounds like a better plan to me. She'll likely be a lot more ready to head in Tuesday.

Thanks all. We live in Grand Marais, so we are going to go in and if it sucks for her, we'll just go home. Or, if it sucks before we go in, we'll call an audible.
Took your advice and got a permit for Sawbill. It'll be gatorade and boxed wine in a hammock and slip bobbers from shore, likely on Alton. Steaks as well.