Pacer

According to Western States 100 race doc, a pacer can be defined as:

A pace runner, or pacer, is defined as a “trail companion” who may accompany a runner along designated sections of the trail. Pacers are allowed solely as a safety consideration for fatigued runners in the remote and rugged territory of the Western States Trail. Absolutely no physical or mechanical aid may be given by the pacer to assist the runner over difficult sections of the trail (except in medical emergencies), and no food, fluids or supplies of any kind may be carried for the runner.

Pacers should be experienced trail runners in excellent physical shape and conditioned adequately to run 40 miles over rough terrain. Most pacing will be done during night time hours and early morning; so pacers should be warmly dressed, used to running with flashlights, and familiar with the trail. Pacers should be adequately supplied with flashlights, food and water. They may accept aid at the checkpoints.

A pacer is an encourager, therapist, drill sergeant, decision maker, guide...and so many things that can not be put into words. Ultra distance races allow pacers for the safety of the runner.  Many times, when you have been running for over 12 or so hours, you might not be in the position to make the best choices for yourself regarding whether you should eat, what you should eat, how close you should get to the edge of that cliff...your pacer is there to help you to overcome the unexplained desire to eat those peanut m&m's when you have a raging peanut allergy, and remind you that you might be shivering uncontrollably because your jacket is still tied around your waist.

Choosing a pacer is not something you should take lightly.  The wrong personality choice can be fatal to your race.  I have heard stories where after running 90 miles, a runner has to drop their pacer because the pacer is whining too much or the pacer simply can not keep up with their runner.  Before you make a knee jerk decision to ask your best buddy or your spouse (This can ruin your race at best and damage your marriage at worst.  Yes there are exceptions, but they are just that - exceptions) to pace you, there are a few things you need to consider.

First - What type of runner are you towards the end of a race when you are fatigued?  When you are feeling this way - what would you respond better to?  Do you want someone to be a cheerleader?  Comedian? Strong, silent type?  Drill sergeant?

Second - Out of your group of friends - who have you run enough long distances with so that you are familiar with their attitude when they are fatigued?  Pacing usually takes place in the later hours of a race when your pacer has already been standing around all day waiting on their chance to run with you.  They will be tired.  When night falls, they will be sleepy.  Whether they are doing 20 or 40 miles with you, they will be working hard under rough conditions.  You need to have a pretty good idea of someone's true grit before considering them as a pacer option. 

The best way to illustrate this is to tell you a few of my pacer stories.  As with every aspect of my 100 miler journey, this was a procession of bad to excellent choices.  Hopefully this can help you make the right decision.

ROCKY RACCOON 100 MILER 2011 - Pacer Disaster
Going into the 2011 100 miler (my first), I was planning to run the whole thing with a friend at the time.  This was a great idea until at mile 60 he was called away for a family emergency, leaving me facing the last 40 miles of my first 100 miler completely alone. I did mile 60 - 80 in the pitch black, sub freezing weather on my own.  You haven't lived until you find yourself trying to change the batteries of your headlamp while sitting on the side of the trail in complete darkness, next to a lake, with no other runners anywhere to be seen, using frozen hands and minimal fine motor skills due to exhaustion (probably 18 hours into the race at this point).  For mile 80-100 a well meaning person decided they would keep me company.  I would have been better on my own.  Every time I moaned from jamming a toe, they encouraged me to sit down, and they made sure I knew that this was really a hard thing for them and that they were still sore from a race they had run the previous weekend, etc., etc.  When at mile 93 I found myself thinking angrily about how I was going to do it better the next year...I knew I was hooked.  Finish time:  27:55

ROCKY RACCOON 100 MILER  2012 - Perfect pacers, terrible conditions
As soon as I healed from 2011, I started planning 2012.  First order of business - lining up pacers.  My two first thoughts were Mark Weineke (an experienced trail runner who has completed most of the toughest 100 milers in the US) and John Fell (a multiple Ironman finisher, mountain biker, and all around tough dude).  Luckily they both agreed, and 2012 I was ready and aiming for a sub 24 hour finish.  Mother Nature had a different idea, and after torrential downpours for most of the 100 miles, slogging through mud, rinsing sand out of my shoes....I finished in 25:28.  Shy of my goal, but I was satisfied considering the conditions.  Mark and John were wonderful pacers, and this run helped me to fine tune what I was looking for:  I like for my pacer to run slightly ahead and guide me along the trail, many runners like the pacer to run just off of their shoulder (even the side they want them on varies).  I also like for my pacer to keep light conversation but not to expect me to answer them.  Both of these guys were perfect at this.  But, I didn't reach my goal so when planning for the next year...

Mark Weineke - expert pacer, great guy!

ROCKY RACCOON 100 MILER 2013 - When the stars align
Just before putting my money down on RR2013, my first call was John Fell.  He not only agreed to pace me again for this redemption run, he offered to do the last 40 miles with me.  He had never run that far, but John is one of the toughest human beings I know, so I wasn't worried.  8 months of hard training later, and we find ourselves at Rocky.  I managed to stick exactly to my predicted splits for the first 60 miles, and knew that I would do whatever John told me to do for the last 40 miles.  John had run enough with me at that point to know me pretty well.  He would tell stories (he tells great stories) and told me from the beginning that if I wanted him to shut up just to tell him.  I told him he could talk all he wanted just not to expect much banter on my part.  I knew I would have to work harder than I ever had to achieve my goal, and I didn't want the pressure of conversation.

John would run slightly ahead of me and guide me to the smoothest sections of the trail (there are TONS of roots at RR).  When the roots got too nasty, we would walk for through them then run again.  When we got to aid stations, John did two things that were very important - he made sure I was getting the fuel I needed, but he also made sure he got all of the fuel that he needed.  A pacer who bonks is of no use to anyone.

On the last 20 mile loop, John started bargaining with me.  I was beyond rational thought at this point, and working on sheer survival instinct.  I can't even describe how this last loop feels.  You just have to experience it for yourself.  It was then that John told me that if I gave him 5 minutes of running, I would get to walk for 1 minute.  As I got more and more fatigued, he would tell me to give him 1 minute of running and I would get 1 minute of walking.  All this time John never looked at his watch, so I knew he wasn't really keeping time, but he somehow knew when I was almost at my breaking point because that is when he would let me walk.  It worked.  Finish time 23:27

This is just one example of many I could give of how the right pacer can make a world of difference in the kind of race you have.  What qualities in John Fell did I see that made me think he would be a good pacer for me?

1.  He is an experienced long distance athlete, and I know he is very familiar with suffering and would understand to some degree where I was at in my head.
2.  He is a plain spoken person - no bullshit or flattery - just truth.  I like that.  
3.  John has high expectations from himself and everyone around him.  I have tremendous respect for him and what he has achieved, and I would NEVER want to let him down.
4.  He is physically capable of completing the distance required of him and barring injury, I never had to worry about John slowing me down.
5.  We met prior to the race to go over race splits, nutrition plan, etc., so he knew exactly what plan I was following and what my goals were, and he was experienced enough to understand any spur of the moment changes that might need to be made.
6.  He wanted me to reach my goal almost as much as I did.

John Fell.  No words to explain this feeling.

To end a too long post, keep these things in mind:

Some people will find the idea of pacing you for an ultra distance race sexy or may think it sounds cool for them to say that they were a part of an ultra.  Avoid these people.  The idea may sound sexy but the reality is not.  If they are the type to make it about them, they are not the type to be of any help to you.

Some people will get their feelings hurt because you don't ask them to pace you.  Let them.  This is your race, not a popularity contest.  As with any task, you choose the tool that will most effectively help you to achieve your goal. If they are that sensitive, they would suck as a pacer anyway.

Because you think you might end up walking the last 10 miles of your race, don't pick a pacer who is only qualified to walk 10 miles.  If the stars align and you are crushing the course, the last thing you want to do is wait on a pacer.

When you choose a pacer, choose someone with thick skin.  You may not be rude necessarily later in the race, but you will be pretty raw and you will not give a damn about your pacers feelings....until a day or two later.  Choose someone with a good sense of humor.

Any specific questions about this topic, post on the Paix Running Facebook page or email me at PaixRunning@gmail.com.



Happy Running! 

Edie

If I look a little tired....

So, here I find myself at the two highest mileage months on my calendar.  Boy this sure did sneak up on me.  The good news is that I have some fun things added into the schedule, so it helps to break up the long weeks some.  This weekend, I am doing the Cajun Country Half Marathon right here in Lafayette!  Well, actually, I am running 7 miles with friends then we are doing the half, since it is a 20 mile training day.  There are alot of twenty plus milers in my training season.  18 to be exact. 18 days of 20+ milers, including 2 - 50 mile races, and 2 - 50k's (31 miles) and one road (or hard packed dirt according to the website) marathon.  From now until February 2nd, I have 7 more 20+ days left before the celebration of all of my training - the Rocky Raccoon 100 miler!

I mentioned the Cajun Country Half Marathon - a GREAT local race with a little twist thrown in.  Here's a hint: you might get your shoes a little muddy on this one, folks.  Then, the weekend after I am joining some friends in Texas for the Day After the End of the World Marathon.  I am not a fan of road marathons, but this one is just quirky enough to make it interesting.  It is 4 loops on hard packed dirt.  There is the End of the World Marathon on the Friday then the Day After on the Saturday.  Some are doing both halves or both fulls - one is enough for me.  I am an optimist, but I am also a realist.  I chose the Day After so if the world does end, I get a rest day. :)

I also managed to talk some friends into doing a trail marathon with me in Chicot one Saturday.  That is when you know you have some crazy friends.  I didn't even have to beg!!

Here is my weekly mileage up until Rocky:
Dec 9 - 15 = 50 miles
Dec 16- 22 = 64 miles
Dec 23 - 29 = 64 miles
Dec 30 - Jan 5 = 37 miles
Jan 6 - Jan 12 = 47 miles
Jan 13 - Jan 19 = 76 miles
Jan 20 - Jan 26 = 36 miles
Jan 27 - Feb 2 = 110 miles (Race week)

The key is an 8 day period from January 12 through January 19th where I will have a total of 107 miles.  When I was training for my 100 last year, I read that it was recommended for an ultra that your peak week's mileage equals the distance of your race.  It was hard with work, family, etc., to fit it into a 7 day period, but I could make it into an 8 day week.  I did this, and I really feel like it helped.  Yes, that 8 day period kicked my ass, but once I was rested and tapered for the race, I felt very strong.  That is creeping up on me much quicker than I would like to admit.

So, if you see me pulled over on the side of the road taking a nap, you will understand. :)

Happy Running (and running, and running, and 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

Rocky Raccoon race report from the RD

Here's something I just stumbled across - the race report from my 100 miler in February written by the race director, and ultra badass, Joe Prusaitis.  Joe is a serious ultra runner in his own right, but he also happens to be a first class RD.  Every time he sees me before or during his races, he calls out "Loozyanna!".  He also wins the prize for best finish line hug.

Here is the link for his race report.  Just a little insight into February's race.  Can't wait to do it again :).

Bringing them over to the darkside!!

The coolest thing is starting to happen!  More and more otherwise sane folks are becoming ultrarunners!  Here are some local folks who have moved into ultra distance races:

50k Finishers (31 miles)

Tim Sharlow

Jess Russo 

Tyla Hudspeth

50 Milers

Jessica Amy, Jara Ahrabi, Bobbi Parker, Denise Kidder

100 K'ers (62 miles)

Fred Arsement (left)

Nathan Shull

Jim Winter

100 Milers

Smitty Smith, Me, Keith Manuel, Brad Delcambre

Donald Cleveland (left), Lane Gremillion (right)

Really Bad Ass 100 miler

John Powers (right) - John has run 20 - 100 milers,
and has more on the schedule for this season.
HE is a true BADASS!!

These are all fairly normal people.  Chances are, if you are from the Acadiana area, you have some degree of connection to one or more of them.  They started out as beginners sucking wind for their first one mile run, just like everyone else.  The difference with them is that they didn't stop there.  All of these ultra runners have full time jobs and families.  They all have the same responsibilities that you do, and the same 24 hours in each day in which to get things done.  The only difference is the way they budget their time, and the dedication that they have for the sport.

I had to laugh recently at the study from the Mayo Clinic that said that ultrarunning can be detrimental to your health. (Excessive Endurance Training Can Be Too Much of a Good Thing, Research Suggests)  While I respect the research put into the article (even though there seemed to be quite a few statements like: "excessive exercise can lead to rhythm abnormalities" and "excessive sustained exercise may also be associated with coronary artery calcification"), what the Mayo Clinic fails to understand is what motivates many endurance athletes.  

I don't do ultramarathons to become healthy.  I am already healthy.  All of the people in the pictures above were healthy before they began running ultras.  As a friend (Jessica Amy)  wisely said about her reason for running ultras, it's not about adding quantity to your life, its about adding quality to your life. (Read Jessica's open letter to the Mayo Clinic in response to this study, here). 

The point of this post is not to tell you that everyone should run ultras.  This sport is not for everyone.  Just like how I don't do triathlons because I swim like a brick, not everyone is suited to running for up to 30 hours at a time.  The point of this post is to show you that ultras are not filled with super-human people doing impossible things.  Ultras are filled with normal people pushing their limits and achieving some amazing things.  Running ultras parallels life in many ways.  A 50 or 100 mile race is not about crossing the finish line, it is about all of the hard work and dedication that goes into the effort to get there, the relationships that are formed, and the experience that is gained from the moment you decide to go beyond the marathon distance.  It's not about the destination, its about the journey.

Edie

UltraMarathon Race Day Nutrition

You might think that since an ultra marathon is really just an extended marathon, that the nutrition for these would be the same for a marathon, just spread over a longer time.  If you do 4 or 5 gels for a marathon, then for a 50 miler, you just double that, right?  Well, thank goodness that is not the case, because I would have had to find another sport!

The first difference between marathons and ultras is that a certain level of self-sufficiency is usually expected at ultras.  Yes, most have aid stations, and some of those may actually provide everything you might need to make it to the finish line successfully, but that is not always the case. We'll get to that later.

First off, let's talk about supported races.  These are ones with aid stations anywhere from 3 - 10 miles apart.  Yep, they can be up to 10 miles apart, even further in a few.  When you are running over difficult terrain, in whatever conditions Mother Nature decides to throw at you on that particular day, even 5 miles is a LONG way to go without aid.  So...you carry your own.  At a well supported race like Rocky Raccoon, I wear a waist pack and carry a handheld water bottle with an extra pocket for a gel, etc.  My handheld usually gets me to the next aid station for winter races.  If the distances will be a little further, or the temperature a little warmer, I carry the handheld, and have a different waist pack which carries a backup bottle.

In my waist pack, I usually have the following:
Emergency gel (I RARELY use gels during ultras.  Maybe one late in a 50 miler, and I didn't do any for my 100 milers.)
Tissue
Salt Pills, Ibuprofen, Immodium
Vespa
Batteries (late in the race for headlamp and flashlight)

Amphipod Air Flow Endurance
I love this belt - this is the best one I have found
that doesn't bounce, and holds alot of stuff.

So, I start the race with my waistpack (above) and my handheld (previous post).  At Rocky, Wild Hare and Bandera, my handheld is enough to get me to the next aid station, either because of the closeness of the stations, or the cooler temps.  At Big Butt and Cactus, I will be using this pack:

Amphipod Full Tilt Velocity
Again - minimal bouncing, plenty of storage,  and the bottle is
 interchangeable with
my handheld.

I do a Vespa every 2 - 3 hours during my ultras, or at least as long as my stomach will accept it.  Later in the race, your stomach is no longer your friend, but a very sensitive enemy that you are trying to co-exist with.  What works for you at this point can be learned only through trial and error.  No two people's needs will be exactly the same.

Since most of the races I do are on loop courses, I pack a large ziploc type bag and label it for each lap.  The more thought you can take out of your race day experience the better.  I can remember what lap I am on. I can not remember what I should pull from my bag to restock my pack with.  So, when I reach the start/finish point, I just get the next bag in line - the one with the current lap number on it, and put everything in it into my waist pack.  No thought required.

That takes care of my specific needs.  Now for the fun stuff.  THE ULTRA AID STATION!!  While you might expect something like this:

What you will actually find is something more along these lines:

OR

Yep, I see cookies, nuts, candy, chips, p b & j sandwiches ......ahhhhh!!  Nevermind how nasty the hands of the runners ahead of you were - by this point, you would lick their hands to get a small treat from these nice folks!!

Later in the evening this will change some, with warm options being offered, like chicken broth (Nectar of the Gods when you are sodium deficient), potato soup, quesadillas, etc.  You will also find things that at first don't make sense - Coke? (Aren't you people supposed to be healthy?) - a good pick me up late in a race, and flat coke settles my stomach; Ginger Ale? (What kind of run is this?) - Actually, ginger ale does a great job of settling a sour stomach, as do ginger snaps.  

These little oases on the trail are also where kind people will refill your handheld or hydration pack, and if you are lucky, they may lance, drain, and tape up your blisters.  

Even though this seems like quite the buffet, this is not designed to be your primary source of fuel - that is up to you to provide, and it is something you have figured out after many hours of long runs leading up to this point.

Bringing us to unsupported, or minimally supported races.  My current favorite race is the Cactus Rose 50/100 miler in the Hill Country of Texas in late October.  Here is an excerpt from the race doc..

Cactus Rose is a race for veteran trail runners and it seems to me that most veteran runners usually take care of their own nutritional needs. It seems redundant to supply food for a group of people who don’t need this type of help. So… there are NO volunteers at ANY aid station and we do NOT provide ANY food. There is one exception to this… and that’s Olga. She wanted to cook some hot food during the late hours for those who would be out there all night. So, there will be a hot grill going all night at the equestrian aid station. Also, there will be one going at the Lodge too.

This is a great race, because strategy is SO important.  They let you go out onto the course the day before, and drop your own containers at specific points.  They will have bottles of water on tables at a few spots, but everything else is up to you to bring.  And the loops on this course are 25 miles long, so you have to put alot of thought into this one.  This is where having done a few of these races comes in handy, because you can look back on what kind of food appealed to you at different points in your races, and you add those to your box.  My personal favorite at Cactus last year - animal crackers.  Go figure.

I don't know who these nice people are, but I
wanted to give you an idea of what a Cactus Rose Aid Station
looks like.  Nothing fancy, but when you have been running alone for
miles and you see this little bit of evidence of human existence,
it is a beautiful sight!

After these races, I am usually not hungry for quite a while, believe it or not, so I bring plenty of Ensure - its a meal replacement that they give the sick or elderly to give them some much needed calories.  It is in small bottles - you can buy it at the grocery store or Walmart (one of Dante's loops).  I drink alot of these in the week or so after the race, even when I get my appetite back.  I figure that I burn at least 10,000 calories during a 100 miler, and my metabolism is supercharged for days after, so the more calories and protein I can take in, the better.

Well, I am tired of reading this, so I am sure you are too :).  More later.  Message me with any specific questions, and I will address them in a later post.

Edie

geauxrun@gmail.com