What Is The Arrowhead 135?

              Strength - Endurance - Solitude - Survival

For those interested in following Rachel's Arrowhead 135 adventure and have no idea what she is doing, I'll try and fill you in on what sort of epic adventure she's on.

The Arrowhead 135 is a winter ultramarathon that starts in International Falls, MN (the icebox of the nation) and makes its way 135 miles along the Arrowhead State Trail with the finish near Tower, MN.  The AH135 is considered one of the most difficult human powered events on the planet.  Many have started.  Few will finish and cowards won't show.  Who is tougher than the Arrowhead?  What does it take?

Strength
The surface is snow. Your feet sink in. Think sandy beach but colder. Some miles are relatively flat though there is a 60 mile section through the middle that is nothing short of brutal, seemingly never ending hills. Other than that, it's not too bad.

Endurance
135 miles on foot is difficult no matter the circumstance.  They generously give you 60 hours to get it done.

Solitude
You are basically alone and on your own.  When you haven't seen another human being for hours, the dark gets darker.  The dead quiet gets a little spooky.  A snowmobile may pass once in a while but they just look at you funny.

Survival
The weather.  Minnesota winters are cold and you supply your own heat.  But it's a dry cold.
                                                                                                                                           

Mile after mile of tree lined trail with snow crunching under foot is taxing no matter the weather. If you get tired, thirsty or hungry, don't look for an aid station as there aren't any. This is considered a self supported event where you take your food, water, clothing and shelter with you when you leave I-Falls and carry it all the way to the finish.  At 3 points along the way, volunteers will put a check by your name, refill your water, offer you a sandwich then boot you out the door. There is a list of equipment that you must carry at all times which is mandated for safety. You are your own rescue should you get into trouble.

There isn't much that doesn't freeze at -20 so food selection is critical. Being you are moving all the time, you are burning calories all the time which means you need to be eating almost constantly to keep the body fueled/revved up and generating heat.  If you get cold, move faster but don't sweat.  Below zero temps and wet clothes is a big no no.  You need to keep hydrated.  Most carry their hydration on their body under clothing so it hopefully won't freeze.


The vision you have is of strolling along 135 miles of natural winter beauty. 

 

 

Although there is much beauty to take in along the trail, the reality of the AH135 is more like this:

 

 

 

 

Most will not finish on their first attempt and on a good year more will not finish than those that do.  Those who return will usually find success on their 2nd or 3rd try.  Some have 4+ starts and not a finish though they keep coming back.  There have been years when only 1 person finished. 

 

The big question. Why?





I was going to try and answer the question that is most frequently heard among Arrowhead participants but I can't because it is different for everyone.  Here is the best answer I can come up with as to the why.  Written by Canadian ultra runner David Blaikie.

 

"It makes no sense in a world of space ships and supercomputers to run vast distances on foot. There is no money in it and no fame, frequently not even the approval of peers. But as poets, apostles and philosophers have insisted from the dawn of time, there is more to life than logic and common sense. The ultra runners know this instinctively. And they know something else that is lost on the sedentary. They understand, perhaps better than anyone, that the doors to the spirit will swing open with physical effort. In running such long and taxing distances they answer a call from the deepest realms of their being -- a call that asks who they are."
-- David Blaikie