The guy running next to me yelled out when he crossed the finish line: That was the hardest thing I’ve ever done! There’s a good chance he wasn’t exaggerating.

I didn’t know what I was getting myself into when the race invited me to participate (thanks for the entry!) in Dances with Dirt and experience the trail race for myself. She had me at Bells Brewery post-race party.

Dances with Dirt belongs to a race series that started 25 years ago in Hell, Mich. Since then, it has expanded to Indiana, Florida and my home state, Wisconsin. Quaff ON! Brewing sponsors the Green Swamp and Gnaw Bone races. Last year, Bell’s sponsored the post-race party in Hell, and this year traveled along to the other side of Lake Michigan.

“We love coming to Wisconsin, the people are great, so TOUGH!” Mandy Hetfield from the event staff told me. “It’s a very hilly course including a trip up the bluffs, but yet, no one ever complains about it. It’s just another day in the life of running for them up there!”

The race starts at the Devil’s Head ski resort in Merrimac, Wisconsin, and runs up to the bluffs of Devil’s Lake in Baraboo — one of my favorite hiking spots — with routes from 10K all the way to 50 mile. Originally I was going to try for the 50K and I signed up for that distance.

Then I read some of the brutal race reports, which included running up and down double black diamond ski hills. My training has been decent this summer, but I wasn’t ready for that level of challenge. I hope I didn’t diminish the reputation of Wisconsin runners in Mandy’s mind. I emailed her in a panic at the last minute this week asking to switch to the half marathon.

Thank God I did, because I’m not sure I could have made it another step past the finish. According to Runkeeper, this was the most elevation I’ve gained in a single run, with more than 1,700 feet. The bluffs are no joke.

Some 200 people camp out at the start and finish, but I woke up at 4:30 in the morning to make the 2-hour drive from Milwaukee. I joined about 1,400 people total in all the races.

The terrain included technical and rocky single-track trail, which slowed me down to nearly a 10-minute mile at one section. Most of the effort took place on backcountry paths, but near the middle of the route you’re rewarded with a spectacular overlook view of Devil’s Lake.

It’s also worth noting that this was one of the friendliest and chattiest racing fields I’ve been a part of. Everyone was in a good mood, even the guy I tripped over and fell on in the second mile. There’s something about spending a long time in the woods that develops an esprit de corps.

I spent a long time running with a pack of high school cross country teammates, and the old people like myself that tried to keep up. That made some of my middle miles the fastest, when I normally would have lost focus and slowed down in a race.

I finished in 1:47, more than 20 minutes slower than my half marathon PR, but good for second place in my age group. There are few races of any distance where I’ve expended more effort.
We were well compensated for the effort. Bells set up its beer garden trailer next to the finish line, where Oberon, Lager of the Lakes, Amber Ale and Two Hearted Pale Ale flowed. The party continued later on with more Bells at local pub The Barn.

The race medal also doubled as a beer bottle opener. This will be the first race medal I plan on keeping.

Afterward, I grabbed a Two Hearted and hamburger and did my best to recover before my 2-hour drive back to Milwaukee.