The view from the other side of the table

Last weekend, I was fortunate enough to work an aid station at the Cajun Coyote trail run for the third year in a row - every year that it has been in existence.  This race is growing every year as word spreads about how much fun it is, and how beautiful the trails at Chicot State Park are.  The runners get to see things like this:

and this:

We received rave reviews all day about how beautiful the park is. It is nice to hear, since we can sometimes take it for granted.  I have said this many times, but I really do believe that Chicot has all of the best parts of Louisiana within its grounds.

So, we drive in Friday evening, and get there in time for the pre-race meal at the Pavilion in the park.  This is a great way for runners to get to visit with each other and laugh about what they are taking on the next day.  In this case, it would be either 1 loop - 20ish miles, 3 loops (100k) - 62ish miles, or 5 loops - 100ish miles.  The number of 100 milers doubled from last year because of the high percentage of runners in 2011 who finished in sub-24.  That is a big goal of 100 mile runners - "100 miles in 1 day".  

Chris Scott, RD and head nut, giving a quick pep talk

Christina the night before her first ultra marathon!
It is a surreal feeling sitting there trying to
wrap your brain around what you are trying to do.

Then, it was off to set up our trusty tent again.  This time, both Josh and Shelby were with me.  I love bringing them to events like this, and I knew they would enjoy themselves.  Trail runners are among some of the funniest, most laid-back folks on the planet and my kids have great time every time they are around them.

We turned in early knowing we would have a long 30 hours or so ahead of us.  The 100 milers and 100k'ers started their races on Saturday morning at 6:25, and had 30 hours to finish.  We would have to be at the aid station for most of that time, taking turns grabbing a quick nap in our cars.  Even for the volunteers this is an endurance event.

Race morning, we began setting up the aid station about 5:45.  Ours was at the mile 4 mark on the trail, and it would be the first one the runners came to, so I wanted to be ready.  Early on, we kept the food choices simple with cookies, chips, pb&j sandwiches, candy and fruit.  For drinks we had Coke, Mt Dew, Heed (Electrolyte drink), water and ginger ale.  (The ginger ale would become very popular late in the race when the runner's stomachs started to go sour - as were the ginger snaps.)

Shelby, Karin and Chris.  Karin was one of my all-day and all-nighters.
We were both a little punchy by the end.

When the first batch of 100 milers and 100k'ers came through it was a little hectic.  It was still early in the race and they were still bunched up.  After a while though, things settled down some. The excitement was too much for Shelby.

Josh was up to the task, though. 

Once the initial rush is over, a pattern forms: 10 - 30 minutes of sitting around visiting followed by a few minutes of action when a runner comes through, followed by 10 - 30 minutes.....you get the point.  The 20 milers started their race at 9:00, so we got a little rush of visitors when they made it to our aid station, but we only got to see them once that day.  After they went through, the field was pretty spread out for the rest of the race.  

Throughout the day, there was the added excitement of the race within the race that was going on.  While most runners out there were going for 20, 62, or 100 miles, one man was going for 200 miles!!  Yep, you read that right - 200 miles.  AD Marshall left Friday morning (on foot) from Baton Rouge, and RAN to Chicot State Park arriving at 4:15 a.m.  Just enough time to eat, shower, dress and line up at the start.

Here he is as he arrived at the park.  1/2 way to his 200 mile goal.

AD's sister, Sarah, was there crewing for him, so every time he was approaching our aid station, Sarah would drive up and start getting things ready for him.  What an amazing friendship they have for her to be so dedicated to helping him achieve this crazy goal!

It was great to see him come through our spot.  At first he was looking pretty stiff and bringing up the rear of the pack.  100 miles on the road will take its toll on you.

But, even when he was hurting he was moving forward as quickly as possible.  Many of the runners that came through would ask about his progress.  It was inspiring to everyone to know that he was out there.

I already told you how awesome trail runners are, and Mosi Smith epitomizes this awesomeness.  Mosi is a member of the Marine Corps ultra running team.  He ran the 100 miler here last year, and finished in 2nd place with a time of 18:49.  This year, Mosi finished in 18:34 with a first place finish AND a new course record!!  

Every time Mosi would come through the aid station, he was positive, smiling, and incredibly polite.  What a great example.  THIS is what I want my kids to see.  There are no cheats in ultra running.  You may have the most expensive shoes and gear, but in the end it is your drive and determination that get you to the finish line. And at Coyote events, this is what you find at that finish line:

I have no explanation for this.  It just is.

So, as night began to fall, the aid station fare changed a bit, adding ramen noodle soup and potato soup.  It was warmer than we would have liked during the day, and the salty items were welcomed by the runners.  For anyone who has run the Chicot trail in the daylight, you can understand the challenges it presents in the night time.  Roots, critters, etc.

AD coming through our aid station

Before long, many of the 100k'ers were crossing the finish line - with our very own Christina Gravish finishing her first ever 100k in 12:08, for 3rd place female, and 4th overall finisher.  The temperature dropped a bit, and the gaps between the runners were longer as the runners slowed down a bit, so the aid station folks found ways to pass the time.

As the night drew on, the 100k'ers wrapped up their journey, and now only 100 milers were coming through our spot.  Your body clock can be your worst enemy at this point in a 100 miler.  Fatigue and desire for sleep outweighs the weight of your legs.  Sometimes it is just best to lay on the ground and take a short nap - which some folks did.  It is amazing how much 10 minutes of sleep can refresh you and renew your chances of finishing the race.  Once the sun comes out again, though, your body clock becomes your friend again and you get a little boost to keep running.

Its late in these races that you get to witness the drama of a 100 miler.  From folks who may have pushed their bodies too hard in the heat and who can no longer keep food down, leading to a DNF, to those who are hurting and you begin to doubt their ability to continue, just to see them spring out of the chair 10 minutes later and charge down the trail.  For those of you who enjoy studying human behavior, it doesn't get any better than this.

Once the sun rose again, the field had shrunk to just a few tough souls still out there pushing toward the finish line. By now, our aid station was in constant contact with all of the other aid stations keeping track of where each runner was at all times.  There are time cut offs in these races.  If you don't make it to a certain point by a set time, it is a good bet you will not make the overall cut off for the race.  This is when the RD exercises his power to pull you off of the course.  For your own good as well as for the volunteers who have been out there 24+ hours.

Finally, it came down to AD and two other girls out on the trail.  For most of the race AD had been DFL (dead &*%&^  last), but he was gaining ground on the girls, and from the report I got from the start/finish, I knew he started his last lap (180 miles into his run) like his shorts were on fire.  He was determined to make it to the finish under the cutoff and it was looking like he would!  

Next thing you know, here comes AD - he threw his empty water bottles to the side and grabbed the filled bottles his sister had waiting for him and took off down the trail - his pacer was even having a hard time keeping up!! 

Then, here come the two girls we were waiting on.  They were obviously hurting, but they were still moving forward at a decent pace, so there was hope they would make it to the end in time.  Now that all of the runners had come through our stop, we packed everything up and headed to the start/finish to watch the runners come through.  There was no way, regardless of how tired Shelby, Josh and I were, that we were going to miss watching AD finish his 200 mile journey.  That was some epic sh&t, and not something my kids may ever have a chance to witness again.  All day they followed AD's progress, and they were as excited as I was to see him finish!

The finish lines at these events are as drama filled as anything I have ever seen!  I got to witness two beautiful ladies finish their first 100 miler:

Lucia Alzaga

Rhae Loney

I know first hand that the amount of suffering during the run is directly related to the amount of elation/relief/feeling of accomplishment felt as you cross the finish line.  GREAT JOB LADIES!! There were many happy tears - many from me - for each of the runners that finished that morning.  Then, it was time to wait for AD.  But, we didn't have to wait long.  AD flew through that last 20 miles.  It was his fastest lap of the race!  Here he is coming in to the finish:

There are no words.  Truly amazing!

AD with Chris Scott, RD, after receiving his
buckle and propeller hat.  (Along with 2 celebratory
beverages!)

So, we wrapped things up and headed home.  Shelby and Josh were buzzing about AD's finish.  How amazing is it that they were able to witness such an awesome achievement on all of the runner's parts, and that they were able to be an integral part of their success by working the aid station. Even if they never choose to attempt something like this themselves, hopefully they will pull on these memories to remind them that anything is possible when you put in the work and set your mind on a goal.

Happy Running Y'all!

Edie

PACERS: A night of basketball, barbeque and adult entertainment?

Well, I hate to disappoint you folks, but the kind of pacer that I am talking about is not this:

Or this:

And certainly not this:

So THAT is what they mean by escort service!!  It really is innocent, after all!!  

Alas, the kind of pacer I am talking about is the glutton who agrees to drag your exhausted butt around in the wee hours of the morning during an ultra marathon, when you are grumpy, sleep deprived, and covered in all kinds of yucky stuff from being out on the trails for so long.

Most ultra marathons will take pity on you and allow you to drag someone along after the first 50 or 60 miles of the race.  They figure by this point, it will either help to keep you safely on the right path, or at the very least it will give your buddy a chance to get lots of blackmail material to use against you in the future.

Here's the rule on pacing for the Cactus Rose 100 miler next month:

Pacers: pacers are allowed AFTER 50 miles or AFTER it gets dark. As many as you want, but only one at a time. Only start from Aid Stations. If a runner is over 60, then a pacer is allowed the entire 100 miles. No muleing is allowed. Please carry your own stuff, whatever it is.

And this is from the race doc for the Rocky Raccoon 100 that I am doing in February:

Pacers
Pacers are allowed to start from any aid station after 60 miles: only one pacer at
a time per runner. No mule-ing. Each runner must carry their own gear. Pacers
are welcome at all aid stations, same as their runner. If age 60+, you can have a
pacer the entire 100mi. Waivers will be available and must be signed at packet
pickup or at Dogwood. If you choose to start pacing at DamNation, you need to
walk there. NO pacers for 50mi runners. 

It seems pretty simple.  Find someone who : 1. can cover the distance necessary; 2.  can put up with your bitching and moaning; 3. will not make fun of you - at least until you are healed and the race is but a memory.
The reality is, though, that it is SO much more than that.

As soon as I finished my first 100 miler in 2011, I started thinking about who I wanted to pace me for my next hundred.  One name kept coming to mind.  It was someone who was easy to talk to, laid back, and who's company I know I enjoy.  He is also a very talented athlete who has competed in ultra distance events (Iron distance triathlons - 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run), trains his a@% off, and knows a thing or two about suffering during a race.  I have lots of ultra running and trail running friends, and they all would have been great company out there, but in the end, I knew it had to be John Fell for miles 80 - 100.

John had paced his father-in-law,  Keith Manuel, the year before at the same race, so he had experience on that trail as well.  All I had to do was convince him to do it.  So, I sent John a FB message, and waited.  Well, I didn't have to wait long.  Within a few hours, my cell phone rang and it was John.  Not only was he saying yes, but "HELL YES". :)  The stars were aligning.

Now for a lap 4 pacer, or from 60 - 80 miles.  As luck would have it, I have been fortunate enough to become friends with Mark Weineke.  He is one of the race directors for Cajun Coyote - the trail run put on in Chicot State Park every December.  Mark is a very experienced ultra distance trail runner, and he has paced people at some of the hardest ultras in the US.  Mark came into the store one day, and while we were visiting, I asked if he might be interested in pacing me for 20 miles at Rocky.  Being the great guy that he is, he was easy to convince.  So, pacers were in place.  If I could get to mile 60 with my wits in tact, I would have two world class pacers to help me finish up the race.

A couple of weeks before race day, John and I had lunch to go over strategies and expectations for the last 20 miles of the race.  Some folks like their pacers to follow behind them - I prefer for the pacer to run in front, so I can hook onto their back (mentally), and they can pull me along. We also went over projected split times.  This would help John to know when to be there, as well as give him an idea of how my race is going based on how far off of these times I might be.  Race day nutrition was also discussed, since we could safely assume that after running 80 miles, I would not mentally be as sharp as I would like, so I would need someone to help me to remember to eat, take salt, etc.

Next thing you know, it was race day. I had put in all the work necessary to have a great race and beat my previous time on this course.  I just had to race smart until I got to mile 60, then I would have help making the right decisions.  I knew John and Mark were driving in that morning while the race was going on.  The weather was bad that day, so I was concerned - for their safety first, but also hoping there wouldn't be anything that would get in the way of their arrival.

When I pulled into the Start/Finish area at mile 40, I was able to see Mark W., so I knew he had made it.  One down, one to go. Then, as I was leaving an aid station at about 43 miles into the race,  I looked up to where I would be crossing a park road and saw a beautiful sight - a white FJ Cruiser with none other than John Fell in it!!  I ran over (with a mouth full of gummy bears - remember I just left an aid station), leaned in the passenger window and gave him a big hug!  I know he's a friend because he said nothing about how bad I probably smelled.  Phew!  All pacers present and accounted for.

When I made it back to the Start/Finish at mile 60, it was about 8:00 p.m. and I had been running for 14 hours.  This is the lap where the fatigue really set in.  Not that my legs were too tired to run - I was SLEEPY!!  My body was telling me it was time for a nap.  Thank goodness Mark knew what to do - he would walk the uphills and run the downs and most of the flats.  When we did walk, and he would start up again, I would find myself thinking, "Nooo - I don't wanna run".  But I kept that to myself and ran to keep up.  We had a great lap - it was only 20 minutes slower than my previous one, and with it being dark and tiredness kicking in, I was happy with that.

At mile 80, Mark handed over the reigns to John, and off we went.  Early in the lap, John told me that he had a surprise for me later in the lap.  I just smiled to myself.  At this point, I had been on the trails in ankle deep, shoe sucking mud, and soaked through more than once from the rain.  It was hard to imagine what might warrant excitement from me, but I trust John, so I figured it would be good.  Before this lap, when we were at the start/finish, my crew (crazy running friends who enjoy watching me suffer) wanted me to sit down.  I refused, knowing that with the state of my legs, I might not be able to get up.  Just using the porta potty was a challenge.  Only pride got me out of there without calling for help.  Any time I would try to stretch a muscle, the opposing muscle would cramp up.  Everything took tremendous effort.  So, when it was time to put my jacket on, at about mile 87, I was grateful for John's help.  And his sense of humor...his words,"Well, this is the first time I have put a girls clothes ON in the woods".  To make someone laugh at this point is a real skill.

So, we were trudging along and around mile 90 or so, in a part of the trail that I really dislike (and you get to dislike it 5 times in this race), when John revealed his surprise.  He told me that he had been thinking that if he had been running for 20+ hours, what might he like?  The answer - GUM.  It was as though I could hear the angels singing when I started to chew it.  I may have teared up, but I doubt even my tear ducts were working at this point. Shear genius.  It was about 4:00 on the Sunday morning.  I started running at 6:00 on Saturday morning.  I had had Vespa, gels, snacks from the aid station and gatorade just to name a few.  All the perfect recipe for some serious dragon breath.  That gum was like manna from heaven.

Now that he had my complete attention, John did the perfect pacer thing.  He ran.  When he could tell I was tired, he walked.  We visited much of the time, and he told stories when I was too tired to contribute.  He even asked once if I would prefer quiet, but like I said, I enjoy his company, so it was all good.  Besides, I know John well enough to ask him to stop talking should the need arise. It didn't.  When we got to the finish chute, I looked around and saw that John had stopped a way back.  He knew that it was my finish line to cross.  What he may or may not know is how much having his and Mark's company made the race so much more enjoyable.

WooHoo!  There's the finish line!!

Where's John?

Happy, Happy!!

There he is!  No words suffice, but hugs do!!

Looks like a hug, but he was really holding me up.

Mark - He helped get me through lots of dark hours!
So grateful to know him!

And this is why I do it:

With Josh and Shelby.  So awesome to see my kids proud of me,
instead of the other way around.

Well, I guess I should have warned you to get a pacer for this post.  It was a little longer than planned, but it is a very important topic.  It might have been nice to have someone next to you handing you a Gu and filling your water bottle. :)

Have a great weekend, and Happy Running, Y'all!!

Edie