DAY 50 TenaCity to WindyCity Runyak September 11, 2020

                              TenaCity to WindyCity Runyak

September 11, 2020

Flint to Chicago DAY 50
ALL PHOTOS AND IMAGES WILL ENLARGE WHEN CLICKED


First of all, I will have to explain that the total run for DAY 50 was 20.7 miles BUT 5.1 miles were run 7 days earlier. (see map) DAY 49. Between DAYs 49 and 50 I made a special trip just for running. I had to make up for DAY 49 by running a 6.2 mile leg and knowing DAY 50 would be over 20 miles, I chopped some of that off by doing a 5.1 mile beach run from Mears State Park Beach to Summit Twp Beach. It may sound like I was cheating at Runyaking, but I make up the rules so it's okay.
The day I came back to just run I would not tried putting a kayak into Lake Michigan. Check out the next two video clips. One fron the run day, the other on DAY 50






5 miles was added to the run leg just to get around this lake, Pentwater. Won't be the last time, in the future are more big inland lakes with no bridges over the outlets, Lake Macatawa in Holland for one. I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. Oh wait... there are no bridges. 
Beautiful day to launch at Summit Twp Beach 

This is the beach at Mears State Park, I made a brief stop, to complete the segment that was ran 7 days earlier. It is also where I finished the morning run of 8.4 miles that started at Cedar Point Beach
Te Pentwater Light from Mears State Park Beach
Kate at the Pentwater Light then me later for I had to catch up after my Mears Beach landing.


View up the channel to Pentwater
Big Mansion
Halfway down 50 step stairs looking down to Cedar Point Beach
Halfway down 50 step stairs looking up parking area

Cedar Point Beach after lunch launch



Afternoon water still looking great for paddling 
Kate prepping to launch from Cedar Point Beach

Following mergansers
We passed by the Silver Lake State Park Dunes where we saw dozens of dune buggies.
Kate and I shook our heads, not being into motorized recreation. I remarked to her, "We're out here saying "look at those assholes' and they up looking at us saying, 'look at those assholes'" 
In a bit I will be doing a beach run along the beach. Fortunately there is enough beach left in front of the seawall to run on.

Little Sable Point Lighthouse at Golden Twp Beach



Kate at end of the paddling pulling boat to car from Golden Twp Park Beach 
Of course I'm not done yet I have another 7.1 miles to run. First on the beach for 4 miles then finish on the roads since the beach non-existent in places.
There were places I barely could say I was running, like this moment, tunneling my way through a fallen tree on the beach.
Running beaches along side the dunes are more scenic and fun, but in water shoes much slower.
14 min/mi vs. 12

Now running past the dune buggy infested dunes and beach. How I feel about them is apparent in the video clip
    
Once past the State Park Dunes the plan was to leave the park find my way on roads the rest of the way.
When reaching the park boundary NO TRESPASSING signs were everywhere. I did not have much choice but to go stealth onto properties until reaching a road, which turned out to be only a quarter mile of dune running. The roads were also private but I felt much safer, thinking at least I wouldn't get shot at. Kate was on such a road and she had running shoes for me to change into. I was surprised how much faster the pace was when in proper shoes and pavement. 

So, DAY 50 ended up being 36 miles runyak, Of which 30.9 miles were done on 9/11 and 5.1 mi (run) being done on 9/4.  




































































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