| T.R | Title | User | Personal
Name | Date | Lines |
|---|
| 70.1 | personal news | QUOKKA::SNYDER | Subvert the dominant paradigm | Thu Jan 14 1993 20:35 | 10 |
| Two items to report:
On November 19, I ran the PhD (Pre-Holiday Depletion) 50k Run in the
hills west of Fort Collins. If I get a chance, I'll write up a race
report.
Yesterday, Gail received a postcard in the mail congratulating her on
her acceptance into the 1993 Leadville Trail 100. Hot damn.
Sid
|
| 70.2 | Vermont race still on? | CSTEAM::FARLEY | Megabucks Winner Wannabee | Fri Jan 15 1993 09:55 | 10 |
|
Sid,
What's the status of the Ultra being held in Vermont this summer? Is
it still being planned as a "go"?
I remain,
a crew member in waiting...
Kev
|
| 70.3 | the race is on; don't know if I'm in it yet | QUOKKA::SNYDER | Subvert the dominant paradigm | Fri Jan 15 1993 12:24 | 11 |
| Kev,
I've written to race management requesting an application. I still
plan on running the race, but nothing is for sure until an application
has been accepted. The Vermont Trail 100 has become much more popular
the last couple years, so there's no guarantee of getting in.
Rest assured that if my application is accepted, I'll be in touch with
you (and any other potential crew/pacers) right away. :-)
Sid
|
| 70.4 | | CAMONE::WAY | Cheez-Whiz, Choice of Champions | Fri Jan 15 1993 12:52 | 14 |
| Sid,
You could always be like Cliff Claven -- apply just to get the t-shirt
to impress the girls at the gym (which he doesn't belong to, just
stands in front of.....)
[many smilies]
Good luck on getting accepted!
'Saw
|
| 70.5 | T-shirts aren't always worth it | SSAG::SNYDER | Subvert the dominant paradigm | Fri Jan 15 1993 20:46 | 19 |
| > You could always be like Cliff Claven -- apply just to get the t-shirt
Actually, I do have a shirt like that. Last April, I signed up to run
the Collegiate Peaks 50 Mile Run in the hills east of Buena Vista
(Trout Creek Pass) and received my race packet and really nice
long-sleeved T-shirt in the mail.
At 4:30 a.m. on race day (Saturday), my transmission gave up the ghost
a couple miles out of Hartsel. Those of you who live here in Colorado
know that Hartsel is basically in the middle of nowhere, and at 4:30 on
a Saturday morning, well, good luck. I ended up spending the day
hitchhiking back to the Springs, renting a trailer, borrowing a van
with a trailer hitch, driving back to Hartsel, towing the car back, and
getting it to a repair shop.
$1300 later, it was working again. Most expensive T-shirt I've *ever*
bought. I think I'd rather run.
Sid
|
| 70.6 | Race report: 1992 PhD Run | SSAG::SNYDER | Subvert the dominant paradigm | Sun Jan 17 1993 20:43 | 123 |
|
The second annual PhD (Pre-Holiday Depletion) Run was held outside of
Fort Collins, CO, on Saturday, 19 December, 1992. This is a 50K loop
run on trails, dirt roads, and paved roads, advertised as "No entry
fee, no aid, no awards, no wimps."
It was a very cold, very damp, very foggy morning. Gail, Josh, Shayna
and I left home around 6:00 a.m. and headed north on I-25. Visibility
was poor and the roads were slick as we drove through the south end of
Denver. Just south of Mile High Stadium, traffic slowed to a crawl and
the gawkers held up all three lanes to get a good look at the
upside-down car, emergency vehicles, and completely covered body at the
side of the road. Very sobering.
As we left Denver to the north, the fog became so thick that I was
nervous going faster than 30 m.p.h. Even at that speed, I was passing
many cars, and what made me really nervous were the few cars that would
pass me as if I were standing still. We later learned that 10 minutes
after we passed the exit to Thornton, there was a *100* car pile-up.
Having allowed plenty of time to get to Soldier Canyon Dam west of Fort
Collins, we were able to stop at a pancake house for some hot breakfast
before the 9:00 start. When we arrived at the dam at around 8:45,
there were lots of familiar faces, mostly hopping up and down trying to
keep warm while Alene Nitzky, race director, gave us the prerace
briefing. We were given topo maps and written instructions on the
course, since it was totally unmarked. As it turned out, the topo map
was virtually useless, as visibility was rarely better than 50 yards.
23 runners headed out into the freezing fog. It was a very fast field,
as these unmarked, no-aid, winter runs tend to attract only the
hardiest, or most foolish, of ultrarunners. I, of course, fall into
the latter category, and it caused me to cover the first eight miles
much faster than I would have liked. The fog was so thick that it was
impossible for me to figure out where I was, so I needed to keep other
runners in sight, if possible. The first three miles was over trail
that was a sheet of ice covered with about an inch of fresh snow, and I
pushed the pace to keep up with the second pack of runners.
At three miles, we crossed a road, and Gail and kids were there with
aid for me and the other runners at the crossing. The next five miles
looped through a park around Dixon Reservoir. Everything was
completely white. There were very few trees, the fog was incredibly
thick, my glasses fogged so badly that I could see better without them
(and that's saying something), and the only way I was able to stay on
trail was to follow the widest set of tracks in the snow, hoping they
belonged to the runners ahead of me.
At eight miles, the trail emerged from the park at a dirt road just
south of Dixon Canyon Dam, where Gail met us again. I shed some
clothes, refilled water bottles, and headed north. It was still very
cold and foggy, but I was working so hard that I was overheating. After
about a half mile, I caught two other runners, one of whom was Julie
Westland-Litus, one of the state's top trail runners. I couldn't
understand how I had caught her, but I soon found out. She had given
blood the afternoon before and gone straight from the hospital to the
bar for happy hour, figuring she could get a cheap drunk that way. She
wasn't completely recovered yet, and I soon left her behind.
Gail was supposed to meet me at 14.5 miles at the entrance to Lory
State Park, but when I got there, there was no one in sight. This was
unfortunate as I had finished all my water and the next time there'd be
road access was at mile 20. Anyway, I pushed on through the park,
following the dirt road (no aid vehicles allowed) that dead ends after
four miles.
From the the parking area at the end of the road, the directions said
simply: "Continue south (downhill) into meadow, following main trail
(a faint road). Soon you'll see some houses in a subdivision and the
edge of the reservoir (Dixon Cove). Aim for the houses." Well, there
was no way in hell I could see anything through the pea soup and there
was nothing resembling a trail or road. I figured if I ran in the
direction of the most light, that was probably as close to south as I
could get. After about a mile of post-holing through calf- to
knee-deep snow, I caught a vision of houses through the mist.
Amazingly, I had come out exactly where I was supposed to.
About a quarter mile on dirt road brought me to what turned out to be
an aid station. A runner who wasn't able able to run that day had set
up a table in his yard with a hand-painted "PhD" sign. There was
Gatorade, water, and cookies on the table. I guzzled Gatorade to try
to rehydrate as best I could, scarfed a bunch of cookies, refilled my
water bottle, and headed out. This was mile 20.
About a half mile down the road, here comes Gail. It turned out that
she had made a wrong turn in the thick fog and ended up in Loveland
rather than Lory State Park (not even close). I was very glad to see
her, since I was then able to change into dry socks and shoes.
Fortunately, I hadn't rubbed any blisters.
The next mile was a steep, winding uphill, followed by a steeper
descent to Horsetooth Reservoir. The course followed paved road around
the reservoir to Spring Canyon Dam at mile 25.5. Just before reaching
the dam, I was passed by Julie, who had somehow found new life. That
was the last I saw of her and her gazelle-like gait.
Gail was waiting at the dam. I stuffed my face with potato chips,
refilled water bottles, and headed up the steep road (known as Maniac
Hill), down the other side, and around to the point at which I had
first met Gail three miles into the race. The final three miles was
the same as the first three miles in the opposite direction. The fog
had finally lifted to the point that I could see buildings and small
lakes. Even though I had already been over that part of the trail, it
looked nothing like it had earlier that morning and I managed to take a
couple wrong turns before finally getting back on track.
As the clock hit 6:09:59, I crossed the finish line back at Soldier
Canyon Dam, where Alene had hot chocolate waiting in the back of her
truck. Six hours for 31 miles isn't exactly tearing up the trail, but
considering conditions, I was pleased.
All in all, I felt pretty good. My knees ached only slightly, which
was very encouraging. I also had a slight groin pull that would bother
me on my training runs for the next few weeks, but all in all, I was
very happy with how things had gone. This was the run that I was using
to determine if I should apply for entry into Vermont.
Those people who finished the run had a great time, and we all
encouraged Alene to put the run on again next year so we could see what
the course actually looked like (maybe). We were told by residents
that it went through beautiful country.
Sid
|
| 70.7 | Sid's the Best Writer Around! | CSTEAM::FARLEY | Megabucks Winner Wannabee | Sun Jan 17 1993 22:40 | 16 |
|
I have a sincere request.
Is there any way to take Sid's stuff from the last file and stick it
here? What he wrote and described about Gail's 100 mile runs are
so powerful and well written that I'd like to keep it as a permanent
part of ::Sports.
->dear 'weenies!
If you know how to, please stick Sid's stuff her.
->dear non-weenies!
send me mail how to stick his stuff as described.
|
| 70.8 | | ACESMK::FRANCUS | Mets in '93 | Sun Jan 17 1993 23:44 | 6 |
| Kev,
Tell me which notes you want and I'll copy them in.
The Crazy Met
|
| 70.9 | | LJOHUB::CRITZ | | Mon Jan 18 1993 08:44 | 3 |
| $1300 for a transmission?!?! Whatcha drivin', a Rolls-Royce?
Scott
|
| 70.10 | | CTHQ::MCCULLOUGH | Lindsey is THREE years old!!! | Mon Jan 18 1993 10:06 | 23 |
| Sid - my main
I LOVE these reports - they are truely a lesson in humility for me.
I was sitting here thinking how my whatchamacallit hurt from the "fast" paced
15 mile run I did yesterday...
Questions: What kind of clothes do you wear, and in how many layers?
Don't you feel gross after eating something like potato chips, and
then running?
� Westland-Litus, one of the state's top trail runners. I couldn't
� understand how I had caught her, but I soon found out. She had given
� blood the afternoon before and gone straight from the hospital to the
� bar for happy hour, figuring she could get a cheap drunk that way. She
� wasn't completely recovered yet, and I soon left her behind.
This woman is truely nuts. I can hardly run for a couple of days after donating
blood, and need an easy week to recover...
Keep up these reports - they're great.
=Bob=
|
| 70.11 | | CAMONE::WAY | Cheez-Whiz, Choice of Champions | Tue Jan 19 1993 08:47 | 10 |
| Sid,
I think the thing that would have done me in firstest, was the breakfast.
I guess I could never run ultras (aside from not having the willpower
probably) because I can't run on a full stomach. Well, I can, but
it's extremely unpleasant....
'Saw
|
| 70.12 | July 31 - Aug 1 maybe..... | CSTEAM::FARLEY | Megabucks Winner Wannabee | Tue Jan 19 1993 09:42 | 13 |
|
Yabbut me and Sid have been shooting some electrons back and forth
about the race to be held in Vermont this summer. (Remember?)
Anyway, *IF* Sid gets around to getting an application, and *IF* he's
accepted, the race will be held Sat/Sun, July31-Aug1.
Mark your calendars, support team!
I remain,
socially directing a different kind of get-together?
Kev
|
| 70.14 | cold weather running clothes | SSAG::SNYDER | Subvert the dominant paradigm | Tue Jan 19 1993 18:16 | 42 |
| > Questions: What kind of clothes do you wear, and in how many layers?
> Don't you feel gross after eating something like potato chips, and
> then running?
Clothes for cold-weather running:
Head -- I rarely wear a hat. The morning of the PhD run was one
of those few exceptions, because it was *so* cold. I only wore
the had for the first three miles, though. After that, I was
fine. I run very hot, and my ears rarely get cold. The only time
I've ever worn a hat for than a few miles was in subzero temps.
If I have to wear a hat, it's usually a thin capilene
ski-mask-like affair.
Torso -- If it's really cold (subzero), I'll wear a long-sleeved
polypropelene top with a T-shirt over it. Depending on how cold,
the T-shirt can be long-sleeved or short-sleeved. I have
sometimes, in extreme conditions, worn a sweatshirt over that for
the first few miles (as I did at PhD).
Below the waist -- I don't wear tights -- never owned any -- but
I'm considering buying my first pair. I'll wear nothing but
cotton shorts down to about 10 degrees, but below 25 degrees I'll
shove a piece of pile down the front (Gail calls it my pecker
protector; I got frost-nipped on an early morning run in Rocky
Mountain National Park a couple years ago and I don't *ever* want
to go through that again). If it's cold enough, I'll wear polypro
longs under my shorts, and again, in extreme conditions, I'll wear
sweatpants over it all for the first few files (as I did at PhD).
Feet -- I know that most runners scoff at this, but I always wear
cotton socks. Nothing else works for me. Over that I wear a
solid, straight-lasted running shoe. I'm down to my last pair of
Asics Gel Strikers (I bought a dozen pair on sale almost two years
ago) so I'll be trying out some new shoes soon. Over that, I
always wear small gaiters -- not for snow but for rocks. A tiny
pebble in your shoe can mean the difference between finishing and
DNFing.
Hands -- If it's really cold, I'll wear polypro gloves.
Sid
|
| 70.15 | eating | SSAG::SNYDER | Subvert the dominant paradigm | Tue Jan 19 1993 18:24 | 22 |
| re: eating
Eating and running used to be a problem for me, but once I realized
that you simply can't do a long ultra without eating, it had to become
a part of my training regimen.
Before a long ultra, I'll have a relatively big breakfast two hours
before race start: one or more of porridge, pancakes, or french toast.
I carbo load big-time for the week prior to the race.
During a race, all bets are off. You eat whatever you believe at the
time you can swallow and have some chance of keeping down. Stomach
upset (resulting in the inability to refuel) is probably the major
cause of DNFs in 100 mile and longer runs. During the later stages of
a run, I'll eat pizza, candy, grilled cheese sandwiches, potato chips,
pretzels, greasy fries, anything. If I get sick, well another phrase
you hear at these runs is "Heave and go." If you're feeling really
sick, get rid of it and try to eat something else at your next
opportunity. I know it sounds gross, but it's not really. It's just
the way it is.
Sid
|
| 70.16 | entry | SSAG::SNYDER | Subvert the dominant paradigm | Tue Jan 19 1993 18:27 | 12 |
| > Yabbut me and Sid have been shooting some electrons back and forth
> about the race to be held in Vermont this summer. (Remember?)
>
> Anyway, *IF* Sid gets around to getting an application, and *IF* he's
> accepted, the race will be held Sat/Sun, July31-Aug1.
The application (with the $135.00 fee) has been mailed. It's now just
a matter of waiting to hear if I got in and picking up my training.
If my entry is accepted, I'll post race info as I get it.
Sid
|
| 70.17 | I'm in | SSAG::SNYDER | Subvert the dominant paradigm | Tue Feb 02 1993 00:52 | 53 |
| January 28, 1993 VHSSA
P.O. Box 261
Brownsville, VT 05037
Dear Sid,
Your Entry Form and fee for the 1993 Vermont 100 Mile Endurance Race to
be held July 31-August 1, 1993 have been received. Congratulations!!!
You are entered in the race! A refund of $100.00 of the entry fee and
all prepaid extra meals is available if cancellation from the race is
received before July 1, 1993, if you request it.
In the early spring, when all details are finalized, you will receive a
race package containing lodging lists, map of the course, instructions
for runners and handlers, etc.
As the runners became more aware of the work done by the Vermont
Handicapped Ski & Sports Association (VHSSA), sponsors of the race,
some expressed a desire to help this worthy cause. In 1991, a Pledge
Contest was organized for the runners. The person who brings in the
most money gets 2 free entries into the race in the next 5 years.
Second place is 1 free entry in the next 5 years. All of the proceeds
from the race and the contest go to VHSSA. It is a non-profit
organization, staffed almost entirely by volunteers, many of whom you
will meet as race personnel. A brochure is enclosed which will give
you some idea of what our program is all about.
You will be receiving a letter at a later date concerning this pledge
contest. In the meantime, if you have some suggestions of how we can
make it easier for the runners to participate, please let us hear from
you soon. We already have some very good ideas from nmany runners who
raised money through this pledge program. To make it as easy as
possible, we could have support volunteers to assist you.
Smoke Rise Farm, in South Woodstock, Vermont, is the center of all race
activities. It is the private home and horse farm owned by Steve and
Dina Rojek who have kindly offered their indoor riding ring and fields
for the race. The free camping is in the fields of the farm where you
may set up your own equipment.
Thank you for your interest in the race. Do not hesitate to call if
you have any questions. The telephone number is (802) 484-3525.
Sincerely,
Laura C. Farrell
Race Director
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vermont Handicapped Ski and Sports Association is a nonprofit
organization dedicated to providing sports and recreation to
individuals with disabilities.
|
| 70.18 | Where it's at +/y | CSTEAM::FARLEY | Megabucks Winner Wannabee | Tue Feb 02 1993 09:16 | 17 |
|
Sid,
That's great!!!!!
Btw, According to my handy-dandy Rand McNally, South Woodstock
appears to be just to the West of the intersections of I-91 and I-89.
Imagine a line from that intersection to the town of Rutland (along
Rte. 4 ) and Woodstock is about 10 miles from the intersection.
hth,
I remain,
willing to crew but not sure of running alongside,
let JD do it! ;^)
Kev
|
| 70.19 | slowly coming together | SSAG::SNYDER | Subvert the dominant paradigm | Wed Feb 03 1993 23:26 | 20 |
| Well, it looks like I've got a pacer. My training partner, Bob Ellis,
will be in NYC to see his wife off on the day before the race, so he's
agreed to scoot up to Vermont on Friday afternoon and pace me for the
last 30 miles, which is all that is allowed at Vermont. Bob's an
experienced ultrarunner (finished Leadville three times and is signed
up again this year) and will be able to help crew until he joins me on
the trail. He's also a fellow deccie.
It's lucky for me that Bob's wife came into a small inheritance and is
using some of it for a Scandinavian trip at just the right time.
Naturally, she'll be back in time to crew for Bob at Leadville.
It also looks like I'll be in Massachusetts the third week of June on a
business trip, so maybe I'll get a chance to meet some of you. I'd
particularly like to meet with Kev (and anyone else who might want to
crew) so we can go over maps, logistics, etc. The week will be very
full and I'll have obligations at least a couple of the evenings, but I
should be able to slip away once.
Sid
|
| 70.20 | Go get 'em Sid | TNPUBS::MCCULLOUGH | Lindsey is THREE years old!!! | Thu Feb 04 1993 09:01 | 4 |
| We'll have to let Hawk know you're going to be in town. He has said that he
definitely wants to party wif you...
=Bob=
|
| 70.21 | knock knock, Hello Sid? | CSTEAM::FARLEY | Megabucks Winner Wannabee | Fri Apr 09 1993 13:57 | 13 |
|
Yabbit I think it's time for Sid to bring us up to date on his plans to
run in the Brrrrmont race, 'specially if we're gonna crew for him.
Wuzzn't it scheduled for like the lasted weekend in July or something?
Wudddn't it be nice if'n he'd put in a blow by blow "Now here's whatcha
gotta do" essay?
I remain,
with sore calfs just thinking about it!
Kev
|
| 70.22 | x | BSS::NEUZIL | Just call me Fred | Fri Apr 09 1993 14:30 | 15 |
| > <<< Note 70.21 by CSTEAM::FARLEY "Megabucks Winner Wannabee" >>>
> -< knock knock, Hello Sid? >-
>
>
>
> I remain,
> with sore calfs just thinking about it!
> Kev
Hey Kev,
Keep the farm animals outta this!!
Kevin
|
| 70.23 | Menagerie-Zoo-what's da difference? | CSTEAM::FARLEY | Megabucks Winner Wannabee | Fri Apr 09 1993 14:48 | 12 |
|
Yabbut what not?
I mean, just today we've already had lizards and wabbits so why not
cows?
Of course I'll leave the sheep part for JaKe to mention.......
I remain,
looking for a cud to chaw on!
Kev
|
| 70.24 | | SSAG::SNYDER | Set your chickens free | Sat Apr 10 1993 22:53 | 16 |
| > -< knock knock, Hello Sid? >-
Who's there?
As fate would have it, my information packet arrived in today's mail.
I'll be entering information about the race when I get a chance.
I also have a race report (Collegiate Peaks Trail Run) from last
weekend to write and enter. No guarantees on how soon any of this will
happen, but I'll try to do it within a week.
I'll be in Massachusetts the week of 14 June on business, and I hope to
get together with anyone interested in participating one evening that
week.
Sid
|
| 70.25 | | CTHQ::LEARY | UNC:AnomalyOnHorizon;CHAMPEENSHIP | Sun Apr 18 1993 21:42 | 10 |
| Tain't Ultrarunning,
But good luck to Bobby McCullough in running the Boston Marathon on
Monday!
Good running and take care, Bob. Mebbe I'll see ya in Kenmore Sq at
2:35!!
MikeL
|
| 70.26 | | ACESMK::FRANCUS | ABP | Tue Apr 20 1993 01:28 | 7 |
|
Good show =Bob=. 2:55 at Kenmore Square on that hot a day is
impressive. I assume you did a time of just under 3:05 for the whole
race?? Thank Dopson for getting us out of the Red Sox game so quickly.
The Crazy Met
|
| 70.27 | Congrats, in any case | NAC::G_WAUGAMAN | | Tue Apr 20 1993 11:04 | 10 |
|
> Good show =Bob=. 2:55 at Kenmore Square on that hot a day is
> impressive. I assume you did a time of just under 3:05 for the whole
> race?? Thank Dopson for getting us out of the Red Sox game so quickly.
Huh? Did Bob just run right by us (Saw, MikeL, myself) and we just
missed him? Damn...
glenn
|
| 70.28 | | ROYALT::ASHE | Will u b there when I feed the tree... | Tue Apr 20 1993 11:32 | 3 |
| Guess so... I heard the "water station crowd" put up a chant for him
when he hit there... I know he saw me just before the 25 mile marker.
Had to watch for the Digital singlet....
|
| 70.29 | | CAMONE::WAY | Don't start me to talkin' | Tue Apr 20 1993 12:09 | 18 |
| > Guess so... I heard the "water station crowd" put up a chant for him
> when he hit there... I know he saw me just before the 25 mile marker.
> Had to watch for the Digital singlet....
We musta missed him. We also missed my friend Chris as well. He ran
a 3:01:29. He was shooting for under three, but I'm sure the weather had
something to do with that.....
However, we did see some of "the human drama of athletic competition"
yesterday, for sure....
Also saw Glenn make a most amazing recovery while trying to set the
World Record for self-powered human flight over railroad tracks. 8^)
'Saw
|
| 70.30 | nice job =Bob= | MKFSA::LONG | I got friends in low places | Tue Apr 20 1993 12:20 | 8 |
| =Bob= looked almost refreshed as he made his pitstop when we saw him.
He was smilin' from ear to ear as we started up the chant.
I'd have to say that hanging out there was more fun than the game.
Although the game was a blast. Thanks 'Saw!
billl
|
| 70.31 | | CTHQ::LEARY | UNC:AnomalyOnHorizon;CHAMPEENSHIP | Tue Apr 20 1993 13:10 | 10 |
| =Bob= asked me to extend his heartfelt thanks to all who came out to
root him on ( even us who musta been distracted when he motored by).
He finished in 3:05 and musta passed us ( 'Saw, glenn,tim and moi) around
2:50. Whar the hail was we looking??
Congrats Bobby!
|
| 70.32 | | CAMONE::WAY | Only two things that I really understand | Tue Apr 20 1993 13:47 | 18 |
| > He finished in 3:05 and musta passed us ( 'Saw, glenn,tim and moi) around
> 2:50. Whar the hail was we looking??
Was that the point in time when Glenn tried to set the new world's record
for Human Powered Flight over Railroad tracks?
Chris must've come through just before Bob, and we missed him too.
Damn!
> Congrats Bobby!
Ditto!
|
| 70.33 | | METSNY::francus | ABP | Tue Apr 20 1993 13:49 | 3 |
| 'Saw what was Glenn up to??
The Crazy Met
|
| 70.34 | | CAMONE::WAY | Only two things that I really understand | Tue Apr 20 1993 14:08 | 3 |
| >'Saw what was Glenn up to??
Can't say.
|
| 70.35 | For athletic achievement, I'd like to see a marathoner top *that* | NAC::G_WAUGAMAN | | Tue Apr 20 1993 14:47 | 17 |
|
>>'Saw what was Glenn up to??
>
> Can't say.
In hot pursuit of a fresh beer from the trunk of my car, I tripped over
the first rail of a double set of trolley tracks, stumbled over the
remaining three rails and the railbed on the other side, barely
maintaining my balance until I made a softer landing in the dirt and
grass near the parking meter at the car's bumper. All with an empty
longnecked glass Rolling Rock bottle in hand. Estimated airborne
distance: 25 feet. Considering that I had thought ahead to the day's
weather and was wearing shorts, if I'd have gone down on the T tracks
it could have been really ugly.
glenn
|
| 70.36 | | CAMONE::WAY | Only two things that I really understand | Tue Apr 20 1993 15:13 | 28 |
| | In hot pursuit of a fresh beer from the trunk of my car, I tripped over
| the first rail of a double set of trolley tracks, stumbled over the
| remaining three rails and the railbed on the other side, barely
| maintaining my balance until I made a softer landing in the dirt and
| grass near the parking meter at the car's bumper. All with an empty
| longnecked glass Rolling Rock bottle in hand. Estimated airborne
| distance: 25 feet. Considering that I had thought ahead to the day's
| weather and was wearing shorts, if I'd have gone down on the T tracks
| it could have been really ugly.
Now that the proverbial cat is outta the bag, so to speak, I can give
my impression....
From behind, it looked like one of the Gooney Birds out on Midway Island
trying to take off.
However, considering it was a human being, who was never meant to fly,
attempting self-powered flight, it was DAMNED IMPRESSIVE.
The only thing that would have made the stunt MORE impressive was if
Glenn had been carrying a FULL beer and didn't spill a drop.
The Chainsaw gave him a 9.75 btw.....
'Saw
|
| 70.37 | | MKFSA::LONG | I got friends in low places | Tue Apr 20 1993 15:15 | 4 |
| Yabbut, what did he get from the Russian judge??
billl
|
| 70.38 | | CTHQ::LEARY | UNC:AnomalyOnHorizon;CHAMPEENSHIP | Tue Apr 20 1993 15:19 | 6 |
| Jeez,
I thought he saw Dick Radatz and was runnin' to get his autograph.
8^)
MikeL
|
| 70.39 | | ROYALT::ASHE | Will u b there when I feed the tree... | Tue Apr 20 1993 15:37 | 18 |
| Sounds like a dive one of those Pens would have made to draw a penalty.
Probably Kjell...
Ok, question... where were 'Saw, and Glenn and co.?
Stitches
path to lot
--------Walt/Don/Cath/Chris---------------------------------Water station
Boston <------ start of incline
x
------25--------------------------------------------------40K Kev/Bill/...
Coors Cutter Liquor Store
truck
I must have missed them... figured a diagram would be easier than
explain. Feel free to edit or do a John Madden thing on it...
|
| 70.40 | | CAMONE::WAY | Only two things that I really understand | Tue Apr 20 1993 15:44 | 27 |
| | Stitches
| path to lot
| --------Walt/Don/Cath/Chris---------------------------------Water station
|
| Boston <------ start of incline
| x
| ------25--------------------------------------------------40K Kev/Bill/...
| Coors Cutter Liquor Store
| truck
|
Walt ---
Water station
T STation Glenn,Saw
40K Kev/Bill/... Mike,Tim
hth,
'Saw
|
| 70.41 | | CTHQ::LEARY | UNC:AnomalyOnHorizon;CHAMPEENSHIP | Tue Apr 20 1993 15:46 | 9 |
| Walt,
We wuz about one block up Beacon from Kev,Dickstah and Billl ( maybe 2
blocks). In you depiction, we're off the screen to the right.
Ya musta lost sight of my Ping hat
MikeL
|
| 70.42 | | ROYALT::ASHE | Will u b there when I feed the tree... | Tue Apr 20 1993 16:00 | 3 |
| Yeah, we did... we were trying to help Cathmeister climb the hill and
lost the mighty orange hat. Bill and Kev found us but figured we'd
wait for Bob before we started moving again...
|
| 70.43 | | CAMONE::WAY | Only two things that I really understand | Tue Apr 20 1993 16:36 | 19 |
| > Yeah, we did... we were trying to help Cathmeister climb the hill and
> lost the mighty orange hat. Bill and Kev found us but figured we'd
> wait for Bob before we started moving again...
Kind of like in Close Encounters. When the "process of elimination" eliminated
all those folks from seeing the UFO.
Bill, Glenn, Tim and I had the courage to take off our gas masks.
We saw the UFO.....8^)
(Man, I MUSTA got too much sun yesterday!)
'Saw
|
| 70.44 | | DECWET::METZGER | Imagine your logo here. | Mon May 03 1993 18:05 | 18 |
|
Sid,
Outside magazine had a great article on Ultrarunner Ann Trason this month.
If you want a copy of it let me know.
BTW- Outside is a great magazine for anybody into the outdoors. They cover
everything from camping to biking, rolerblading, running, swimming, vacations
and usually include at least one thought provoking article per issue. This
month they did a story on the dying great plains of the U.S., other stories have
included one on the guy who was lost in the atlantic getting ready for an
around the world single hand sail race, and another on the guy whg went
into the alaskan wilderness w/ only a bag of rice and tried to live off the
woild...(he failed).
Metz
|
| 70.45 | | SSAG::SNYDER | Set your chickens free | Mon May 10 1993 02:25 | 16 |
| Metz,
Thanks for the offer, but I have the magazine. In fact, I got a one
year's subscription as a gift from the guy I crewed/paced at Leadville
last year. I was amazed to see Ann on the cover, though there are few
more deserving of the recognition. The article was excellent, as is
the magazine generally.
Sid
P.S. I'm now three race reports behind, having just completed the Doc
Holliday RIP (34 miles) Trail Run on Saturday. The race was won by
Randi Bromka, who has the second best 24-hour women's distance mark in
America: 138 miles, second to Ann's (naturally) 143 miles. Randi beat
all the men in the field. I hope to some day get these race reports
written up.
|
| 70.46 | Coming soon to a DEC facility near you | SSAG::SNYDER | Set your chickens free | Tue Jul 06 1993 22:18 | 22 |
| Well, the race is only 3� weeks away. Other than my training, things
are coming together nicely.
As luck would have it, I'll be coming to Massachusetts on business the
week leading up to the race, arriving late Monday night, 26 July. I've
already spoken with Kev and will be meeting with him Tuesday night to
go over all the gory details of crewing.
Thursday afternoon I drive up to Vermont. Wednesday evening is
currently open, and I wouldn't mind putting the odd face to the names I
see in here, if anyone is interested. I'll be staying at the Best
Western Royal Plaza in Marlborough. During the day Tuesday and
Wednesday (and probably Thursday morning) I'll be in SHR. If anyone
wants to meet for lunch Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday or for dinner
on Wednesday, send me mail.
If anyone is interested in Wednesday evening, I am a nondrinking,
nonsmoking vegetarian, and it's very important that I sleep well during
the week prior to the race, so I'll want to try to be in bed by 10:00
p.m. Pretty exciting guy, huh? :-)
Sid
|
| 70.47 | We'll joust about UM-ND | CTHQ::LEARY | McSorley,McFilthy,McNasty | Wed Jul 07 1993 11:44 | 6 |
| Sid,
Last paragraph.. alright!! You can drive us all home!!
8^)
MikeL
|
| 70.48 | Sept 11 will tell the tale: UM > ND | QUOKKA::SNYDER | Set your chickens free | Thu Jul 08 1993 15:18 | 14 |
| > -< We'll joust about UM-ND >-
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA(tm)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111
We all know that there's really nothing good to say about ND. This
would be too easy.
> Last paragraph.. alright!! You can drive us all home!!
I'd be happy to be the DD (no, not *that* DD). However, judging by the
underwhelming response I've had in these last two days, I could be the
DD on a motorcycle.
Sid
|
| 70.49 | | WREATH::DEVLIN | Agassi - the Hairless wonder... | Thu Jul 08 1993 15:21 | 6 |
| Sid -
I don't know what my schedule will be like then - never know when I'll be
off site somewhere, but I'd love to hook up sometime while you are here.
jd
|
| 70.50 | | CTHQ::LEARY | McSorley,McFilthy,McNasty | Mon Jul 12 1993 11:56 | 45 |
| <<< CAM::$1$DUA5:[NOTES$LIBRARY]SPORTS.NOTE;1 >>>
-< SPORTS >-
================================================================================
Note 70.48 Ultrarunning 48 of 49
QUOKKA::SNYDER "Set your chickens free" 14 lines 8-JUL-1993 14:18
>>> -< Sept 11 will tell the tale: UM > ND >-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wail Sid, plenty_a_magazines have picked UM numero uno, duo, or around
the top so.... thised year with ND losing a myriad of skill position
players, UM should be the prohibitive fav this year and beat ND. But
if the Irish do rise up and beat the Wolverines, can you say
UNDERACHIEVE? I think so. But never fear, if Michigan does beat ND
as they should, BigBlew will find a way to put it all in perspective
and tie Illinois or OSU but still accomplish nirvana... the Rose Bowl
8^).
> -< We'll joust about UM-ND >-
>>> HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA(tm)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111
>> We all know that there's really nothing good to say about ND. This
>> would be too easy.
Now Sid, this here statement really has me a_flummoxed. Shocked and
appalled I remain, imagining that such an erudite and logical UM grad
could make such a jaundiced remark. Sigh... here I pictured you as
being a beacon of light among the typical "stuck-upisms" that permeate
the great UM unwashed... Alas and alack, my impressions were false
8^).. However, preparath thineself if we meet over a coupla soda
wassers!
>> I'd be happy to be the DD (no, not *that* DD). However, judging by the
>> underwhelming response I've had in these last two days, I could be the
>>DD on a motorcycle.
>> Sid
Are you still shooting for Wed. the 29th??
MikeL
|
| 70.51 | only two weeks until the run | QUOKKA::SNYDER | Set your chickens free | Fri Jul 16 1993 20:20 | 22 |
| Don't want to turn this into a UM/ND note, but I will go on record now
saying that I believe that UM should be favored over ND (but certainly
not *prohibitively* favored, as you suggest), and if they lose, they
will have underachieved. However, we UM fans have unfortunately become
all too accustomed to that. Sigh.
Erudite and logical. HAHAHAHA. When we meet, you'll see what I'm
*really* like. And citing "stuck-upisms that permeate the great UM
unwashed" brings pots and kettles to mind.
Finally, and most importantly, Wednesday night will definitely be the
only available night for me. Pity others don't appear to be available
or inclined to join us then. There appears to be hope for JD,
especially now that he's seen the light and is leaving DEC.
Sid
P.S. Anyone wanting to blow a weekend in Vermont to see what one of
these events looks like should contact me for info on when and where to
go. You don't have to crew. You just might find it interesting. It's
amazing how many nonrunners enjoy watching the race at Leadville each
year.
|
| 70.52 | Still catching up w/work first! ;^( | CSTEAM::FARLEY | Carol's gonna wear maternity clothes! | Tue Aug 03 1993 14:02 | 13 |
|
Wail, I don't know about the *other* guy, but I made it back here!
I'm gonna need a little time to write *MY* version of this weekends
event/non-event and I advise y'all not to pay any attention to the main
behind the Colorado Rockies!
;^)
I remain,
one of the few to really know about these Ultramarathon thingies!
Kev
|
| 70.53 | advanced warning | CSTEAM::FARLEY | Carol's gonna wear maternity clothes! | Tue Aug 03 1993 14:45 | 8 |
| Just to get things warmed up, the nexted reply is a re-peat of Sid's
entry 2 years ago about his wife's attempt to run 100 miles in "The
Leadville Trail 100"
I remain,
pretty impressed with the t-shirts they give out anyway!
Kev
|
| 70.54 | | CSTEAM::FARLEY | Carol's gonna wear maternity clothes! | Tue Aug 03 1993 14:46 | 753 |
|
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Note 83.49 Ultrarunning 1991 49 of 97
QUOKKA::SNYDER "Wherever you go, there you are" 106 lines 15-SEP-1991 16:21
-< 1991 LT100 Race Report: Prolog >-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1991 Leadville Trail 100
The weekend finally arrived. A year of training and planning and
training and planning and training were about to culminate in Gail's
third attempt at this beautiful, but demanding course.
Our hopes of having Steve crew again this year went down with Steve two
weeks ago in a parapente accident. He lived to tell the tale, but his
back is (temporarily) shot. He was kind enough to let us use his
Trooper II, which makes an excellent crew vehicle. We arranged for
another friend, Elbert, to takes Steve's place. Unfortunately, Steve
had two years experience at crewing for this event and Elbert had none.
On Thursday afternoon, Gail, Josh, Shayna, and I got into the Trooper
and headed for Leadville. We arrived in plenty of time for the pasta
dinner and schmoozing with other runners from all over the world.
Everybody was talking about the course, about weather predictions,
about who was running this year and who wasn't and why. The smart
money was on Brian Purcell to win the race and Alice Thurau to win the
women's crown.
Gail and I woke at 4 a.m. Friday to the sound of wind and heavy rain.
There were predictions of a front blowing in on Saturday and we spent
much of Friday making sure we had everything we could possibly need at
every point of the race regardless of the weather. Predictions along
the Continental Divide are never worth anything, so you have to be
prepared for everything from intense sun to high winds to violent
thunderstorms to snow and hail.
We ate and drank and made final preparations all day Friday, including
mile by mile strategy and time goals. In the end, the plan was:
Aid Leg Total Clock
Station Mile Time Time Time
------------- ---- ---- ----- --------
May Queen 13.5 2:30 2:30 6:30 am
Fish Hatchery 23.5 2:30 5:00 9:00 am
Half Moon 29.5 1:15 6:15 10:15 am
Twin Lakes 39.5 1:45 8:00 12:00 pm
Winfield 50.0 4:00 12:00 4:00 pm
Twin Lakes 60.5 4:00 16:00 8:00 pm
Half Moon 69.5 3:00 19:00 11:00 pm
Fish Hatchery 76.5 2:15 21:15 1:15 am
May Queen 87.5 3:30 24:45 4:45 am
Leadville 100.0 3:30 28:15 8:15 am
We knew that that was ambitious, but felt that Gail was capable of
making those times if absolutely everything went right. That made it
seem to be the sensible thing to shoot for, even though we knew that
the chances of everything going right were slim and none.
Friday morning was the weigh-in and medical check, followed by
the pre-race meeting. Ken Chlouber, Leadville's representative
to the Colorado House of Representatives, co-Race Director, and
seven time LT100 finisher, went through all the race rules,
introduced ultrarunning notables that had come to participate
in one way or another, and gave out the Jackass Award (a trophy
with the hind end of a donkey as the figure on top) to last year's
winner: Mike McCormack and his crew. Mike is from Laguna Beach
and evidently didn't realize that it is necessary to alter your
running style to suit conditions that may not be Southern
California-like. Running at night on the flanks of Mt. Elbert,
from Twin Lakes to Half Moon, in a freezing rain, he didn't think
it necessary to slow down for the log bridge creek crossings. He
hit one that was frozen and, in Ken's words, did a one and a half
gainer into the creek below. Six miles later, he came off the trail
soaked to the bone, frozen stiff, and hobbled up to his crew car,
his wife sitting behind the wheel. She rolled down the window a
crack and he told her what happened and that he was through. She
rolled the window back up and locked the doors. He finished the
race, and was back again this year, hoping for a better time.
We had a huge pasta dinner early Friday evening and got ourselves
and the kids into bed by 8:00, about the time that Elbert arrived
(several hours late). The sky was clear when we went to bed and
we were hopeful that the weather gods would smile on us. The race
would begin at 4 a.m., so we set the alarm for 2:00.
I woke at 1:30 and lay in bed until the alarm went off. Fortunately,
Gail slept until 2:00. I think I was more nervous than she was.
I stepped outside to a star-filled sky. Looked like good weather
at the start, anyway. We ate some English muffins with jam, had
a couple cups of coffee, and drank some orange juice. Gail took
800 mg of ibuprofen (prescribed by the podiatrist for the plantar
fasciitis) and then headed out to register at 3:15. In an event
like this, you have to register the morning of the run so they know
exactly how many people (and which ones) actually start the race.
I woke the kids and Elbert and we all went to the starting line.
It was a scene I've come to know and love. The start banner was
strung across 6th St. at Harrison and the announcer's booth was
set up. In front of the booth was a large sign that read:
WELCOME
TOP GUNS
TO THE
MOTHER OF
ALL RUNS
Runners and crews milled around, exchanging war stories, talking
race strategies, joking away the nervous energy. At 4:00, the gun
sounded and the runners were off, a stream of flashlight beams lighting
6th St. Elbert, Josh, Shayna, and I went back to the house, got
into the Trooper, and headed for the first crew access point: the
Tabor Boat Ramp on Turquoise Lake.
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Note 83.50 Ultrarunning 1991 50 of 97
QUOKKA::SNYDER "Wherever you go, there you are" 49 lines 15-SEP-1991 16:21
-< Leadville to May Queen >-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Tabor Boat Ramp on Turquoise Lake is about 7 miles into the run.
The parking lot was jammed with crew vehicles. The trail around the
lake crosses the boat ramp, and crew were huddled together, peering
into the night at the long string of bouncing flashlight beams. One by
one, runners would come through, drop some gear, add some gear, and
disappear into the early morning darkness. The runner's crew would
race back to the crew vehicle and head for the next access point.
Gail came through exactly when expected, dropped her fanny pack and
took off with a water bottle in one hand and flashlight in the other.
She barely broke stride in the exchange. She now had 6.5 miles to the
first aid station at the May Queen campground on the western shore of
the lake.
The parking at May Queen is horrible on the outbound portion because
the field doesn't spread enough in only 13.5 miles. We had decided
that we would skip meeting her at May Queen, opting instead to hike the
mile up Hagerman Pass Road to where it crosses the trail, 15.5 miles
into the run. Gail would refill her bottle at May Queen and truck right
on through. Target time for May Queen was 2:30 into the run.
We jumped into the Trooper and drove to Hagerman Pass Road. Crew
vehicles are prohibited from driving up the road, so we parked at the
intersection of Turquoise Lake Road and Hagerman Pass Road and took
everything that we thought Gail may want. Crew vehicles are (rightly)
prohibited from driving on most dirt roads that are part of the course.
Crew, however, are welcome to meet their runner anywhere on the course,
provided they do not violate driving or parking restrictions, or ride
bicycles on the trails.
The sun was just rising to the east, giving us dawn light to make our
way up the dirt road. The excitement of the race was already wearing
off on the kids and the lack of sleep the night before began to tell on
them. Shayna found lots of things to complain about, but grudgingly
trudged along.
At about 7:00, Gail came climbing up the steep, rocky trail to the road
and informed me that she had passed through May Queen 2:31 into the
run, so was right on time. She felt great (some of the runners
*already* looked to be suffering!). She had given her flashlight to
another crew (friends) so she wouldn't have to carry it. We had her
fanny pack and fresh bottles (one with water, one with Metabolol)
ready. She grabbed her stuff and started running up the road.
We grabbed the remaining gear and hiked down to the truck. At this
point, we decided to drop the kids back at the house in Leadville, and
then head out to the Fish Hatchery Road to meet Gail as she finished
her descent from Sugarloaf Mountain.
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Note 83.51 Ultrarunning 1991 51 of 97
QUOKKA::SNYDER "Wherever you go, there you are" 27 lines 15-SEP-1991 16:22
-< May Queen to Fish Hatchery >-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From where we had met Gail on Hagerman Pass Road, the course winds
about a mile up the road to a jeep road that switchbacks its way up to
11,400' Sugarloaf Pass. It then plunges down the other side, following
a powerline cut. The footing is tenuous on the descent and the quads
take their first real beating here.
Elbert and I were waiting for Gail as she come off the trail. We took
everything she was carrying, gave her a fresh water bottle, and headed
over to the second aid station, the Outward Bound station at the
Leadville Fish Hatchery, 23.5 miles into the run.
We had allocated 2.5 hours for this second leg of the run. It's only
ten miles, but a very difficult ten miles. Many runners make the
mistake of hammering the downhill side Sugarloaf, only to pay dearly on
Hope Pass. Gail was determined to run a smart race this year and run
easily on this leg. She arrived at the aid station at 9:50, ten
minutes ahead of schedule. This is the first medical check point, but
on the outbound portion is no more than a quick weigh-in and a shove
out the gate.
The sun was getting higher in the sky and there was not a cloud to be
seen in any direction. There were ice patches on the higher, northern
slopes of Mt. Massive and Mt. Elbert, but the heat down at 10,000' was
beginning to take a toll on some of the runners, who looked like they
were dragging a little more than they out to so early in the run.
There was still 76.5 miles to go.
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Note 83.52 Ultrarunning 1991 52 of 97
QUOKKA::SNYDER "Wherever you go, there you are" 20 lines 15-SEP-1991 16:22
-< Fish Hatchery to Half Moon >-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The next leg of the run, from Fish Hatchery to Half Moon Campground, is
the most boring, with about two miles of paved road followed by 5 miles
of sometimes flat, sometimes rolling, dirt road. There is no
protection from the sun, which was getting to be pretty intense. I
smeared Gail's face, shoulders, and arms (at this point she was running
in jog bra and shorts) with sunscreen and she was off.
We met her at a couple of points in the next five miles to exchange
water bottles and give her some things to munch on. Crew vehicles are
prohibited beyond the tree line on Half Moon Road, so there we gave her
her newly replenished fanny pack, a fresh water bottle and a bottle
with Metabolol, and watched her disappear toward Mt. Elbert and the
Half Moon aid station. She complained about the heat making it
difficult for her to drink as much as she'd like, but she was still
looking and feeling good.
We drove back to Leadville to pick up the kids and then went over to
the next crew access point and aid station at the firehouse in Twin
Lakes.
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Note 83.53 Ultrarunning 1991 53 of 97
QUOKKA::SNYDER "Wherever you go, there you are" 49 lines 15-SEP-1991 16:23
-< Half Moon to Twin Lakes >-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From where we had left Gail on Half Moon Road, she had about a mile and
a half to the Half Moon aid station and then another mile and change to
the Colorado Trail trailhead. The trail rises steeply onto the slopes
of Mt. Elbert and then rolls through some of the most beautiful scenery
on the course, generally between 10,200' and 10,600'.
It then begins a rugged, 1400' descent into the town of Twin Lakes,
which at 9200' elevation is the lowest point on the course. Half Moon
Campground is 30.5 miles into the run. Twin Lakes is at 39.5 miles,
though there are many who don't believe that that section is only 9
miles. In fact, there are many who swear that even if it is only 9
miles on the way out, it's at least 12 on the way back. :-)
Elbert and I arrived at Twin Lakes with the kids at around 11:00.
According to Gail's schedule, she would be arriving at noon. We had
arranged to meet Bob and Colleen there as well. Bob had been helping
Gail train for the run (he's been running ultras for eighteen years)
and was coming to pace Gail for much of the second half of the run
(since her silly husband/would-be pacer had pulled a hamstring the week
before chasing a Frisbee). It was also a good opportunity for Bob to
get in a longish night run prior to doing the Wasatch Front 100 three
weeks hence. Colleen, Bob's 18-year-old, would be babysitting the kids
while Bob, Elbert, and I spent the night crewing and pacing.
Twin Lakes was teeming with crew and runners. Crew stood nervously at
the aid station, looking at their watches, straining to see their
runner crest the hill to make the final, obscenely steep and rocky
descent to the aid station. Ooohs and aaahs would go up as runners
fell onto the rocks and into the scrub oak. Ouch! More war stories
would be traded, since most crew are runners themselves. Brian Purcell
was sitting under a tree, looking very unhappy. Apparently, a hip
injury he had incurred while finishing second at Western States in June
was acting up and causing him a lot of pain. So, the pre-race favorite
was out. He would go over Hope Pass just for yucks, and drop out
officially at the 50 mile point.
Noon came and went. The heat was clearly taking its toll, as most
runners were behind schedule (judging from crew comments as they
arrived) and looking the worse for wear. At around 12:20, Gail came
bouncing down the trail, smiling ear to ear, and apparently having just
a wonderful time! We all sighed a sigh of relief as she emerged from
the medical check and demanded food. Good sign. I took off her shoes
as planned and headed up the trail with the shoes, fresh socks,
vaseline, and a towel. I was to take this stuff the mile and a half
beyond Twin Lakes to meet her after she made the last river crossing so
she'd have clean, dry stuff to change into. She ate what she could at
Twin Lakes, put on a different pair of shoes for the crossing, and
headed out.
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Note 83.54 Ultrarunning 1991 54 of 97
SSAG::SNYDER "Wherever you go, there you are" 66 lines 17-SEP-1991 23:24
-< Twin Lakes to Winfield >-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As I hiked along the swampy trail toward the river crossings, I looked
up (and I do mean up) at Hope Pass, 7 miles and 3400 vertical feet
away. There were a few puffy clouds behind Hope Mountain and the Twin
Peaks, but nothing that looked like bad weather. The sun was high in
the sky and burned hot through the rare air. As I walked, I'd exchange
greetings with other crew on their way back to Twin Lakes, carrying
soggy shoes and socks.
The river had split several times upstream of what had been the single
crossing in past years, so there were four smaller streams meandering
through a bed of tennis ball sized rocks. The first three were only
ankle deep. The main crossing was mid-calf; shallower and weaker than
in the past. Nobody was complaining. I crossed over to the far side
and sat on the large log with other crew and the occasional runner
changing into dry gear.
Runners without crew would either slosh on through and start up the
pass in wet shoes or would pull thick garbage bags out of their fanny
packs and try to wade across, one foot in each bag. Some would break,
others not. I watched about a dozen runners cross. Four had crew
waiting. A few just pushed through and didn't seem concerned about
sloshing up the trail wet. Several got wet unintentionally, most
because of broken bags and one because he fell on the slippery rock
bottom and had wet clothes to go with his wet shoes.
Melissa Lee Sobal (of Iditashoe fame) crossed just ahead of Gail and
trucked right on through. She told me Gail was right behind and looked
a lot better than she (Melissa) felt. Gail soon crossed and sat on the
log while I pulled off her shoes and socks, vaselined her feet, and put
the fresh stuff on. She took her fanny pack and water bottles and
disappeared into the trees, looking quite happy.
I carried everything back to Twin Lakes, where Elbert, the kids, and I
jumped into the Trooper and led Bob and Colleen back to the house in
Leadville. After seeing that all was well at the house, Bob, Elbert,
and I headed out Highway 24 and stopped at a little bar just past the
cutoff to Twin Lakes, where I bought several grilled cheese sandwiches
to go. We continued on Highway 24 to Clear Creek Road, the dirt road
that leads to Winfield. Bob and I each ate a sandwich as we bumped
along the poorly graded road. Elbert wasn't interested in grilled
cheese, instead munching on things he had brought with him. We reached
the long line of parked cars near the trailhead to Hope Pass, found a
place to park the truck, and carried food, drink, first aid supplies,
and a folding chair to the trailhead to wait for Gail to descend to the
road.
Given that she had left Twin Lakes almost a half hour later than
planned, we were surprised to see her appear right on the originally
scheduled time. She handed me the fanny pack, grabbed a fresh water
bottle and a grilled cheese sandwich, and headed up Clear Creek Road
toward Winfield.
It's 2.4 shallow uphill miles from the trailhead to Winfield. We drove
to Winfield and set up the lounge chair and other stuff. She arrived at
4:00 on the dot, right on schedule. She checked in, went through the
mandatory medical check, grabbed some cantaloupe from the food table,
checked out, and came out to the crew vehicle.
She lay on the lounge chair and accepted a massage. She said that she
thought she was taking it easy up the pass, but passed many people,
including Melissa. She was concerned that she was getting too much
sun. She ate and drank and relaxed. Actually, she spent far too much
time at the aid station, just over twenty minutes. She told me that
she wanted plain cheese pizza at Twin Lakes. Yes, ma'am. And she was
up and off.
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Note 83.55 Ultrarunning 1991 55 of 97
SSAG::SNYDER "Wherever you go, there you are" 52 lines 17-SEP-1991 23:53
-< Winfield to Twin Lakes >-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The tent at Winfield was strewn with casualties. There were lots of
very disappointed runners. Most were sick and simply couldn't face the
brutally steep climb back up Hope Pass. Others were injured and being
helped out to their crew vehicles so they could go back to Leadville,
shower, sleep, and make plans for next year.
Elbert and I drove out to the trailhead to meet Gail and Bob. They
arrived, chatting happily, took their fanny packs from us, wrapped
jackets around their waists, and headed up the trail. So far, so good.
We drove into Leadville to check on the kids. Then we went to the
Pizza Hut, grabbed several pizzas, took a couple to Colleen and the
kids, and drove back to Twin Lakes.
We got lucky and got a spot right by the aid station. More casualties
all around. One of Gail's training partners, Craig, had run into
serious trouble. It may have been altitude sickness or heat stroke or
both, but he was delirious. He was on oxygen and unable to put
together a single coherent sentence. His wife looked worried, even
though she said she wasn't. Craig is a veteran of many trail 100s and
has been through tough times before. We spoke with him a couple days
later and he was fine.
The return trip over Hope Pass claims a slew of runners. 2600' feet of
climb in 2.4 miles to 12,600' and one of the most spectacular views in
the Rockies. Coming right on the heels of the same climb in the other
direction and the cumulative effect of 60 miles at high elevation, it
can be discouraging if you look on to the prospect of 40 more miles
through the night. For some, it's just too much.
Gail's schedule called for an 8:00 arrival in Twin Lakes. The skies
continued to be clear, so the runners missed the usual hail and
afternoon thunderstorms of Hope Pass. At a few minutes before 8:00,
Gail and Bob came cruising into town.
Gail lay out on the lounge chair again, drank a bottle of Sundance, and
starting scarfing pizza like a growing teenager. A friend from Buena
Vista, Mary Lou, came over to see how Gail was doing. Mary Lou is a
massage therapist, so she worked on Gail's legs and Gail ate and drank
and talked about what she wanted me to carry in my day pack on the next
leg. I would be pacing Gail on this critical leg of the run, because
she felt I would be able to offer the most psychological support.
In each of the last two years, Gail has fallen apart on this portion of
the course. The first year, we had been caught unprepared in cold, wet
rain. Gail had become hypothermic, and coupled with the stress
fracture she had developed earlier in the run, she was forced to drop.
Last year, she had developed stomach problems on Hope and vomiting just
wouldn't clear it up. She had become dehydrated and totally sapped of
energy. By the time she had reached Half Moon, the cutoff time had
passed. This year had to be different.
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Note 83.59 Ultrarunning 1991 59 of 97
QUOKKA::SNYDER "Wherever you go, there you are" 52 lines 19-SEP-1991 19:15
-< Twin Lakes to Half Moon >-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Again, Gail spent more time at the aid station than planned, but the
time was well-spent. She ate well, and the massage was very good. It
was still light as we headed up the 1400' climb out of Twin Lakes. I
was carrying a fanny pack with two water bottles, a day pack with
inclement weather gear, and water bottles in each hand. Gail had a
water bottle in one hand and yet another piece of pizza in the other.
Sunset gave way to dusk, which soon gave way to darkness. A half moon
shone through a cloudless sky. There was enough moonlight to see
outlines of trees, meadows, mountains, and quietly moving,
unidentifiable shadows, but not enough to negotiate the trails, so we
finally put on the flashlights and made our way as quickly as our
bodies and the still-deficient light allowed.
Most of the time, we felt like the only people out there, making our
way through a dark wilderness. Gail was moving strongly, in contrast
to previous years. She admitted then that even though she had said she
felt fine at this point two years ago, she was suffering. This year,
she said, she really did feel good.
Occasionally, we'd come upon another runner, usually with a pacer,
exchange greetings, and pass on by. Less frequently, there'd be
someone sitting by the side of the trail, either adjusting equipment
(changing batteries, changing clothes, etc.) or resting. A few words
would be exchanged to ensure that everything was okay and soon it would
be only us again.
The hours and the miles passed slowly. I could feel my hamstring
starting to tighten, but Gail's pace was also slowing and I was able to
keep up and keep her distracted with mindless chatter. She commented
several times how much longer this piece of trail is in the dark.
It stayed remarkably warm, given the altitude and the clear sky. As we
picked our way down the sharp, rocky descent to Half Moon Road, I
glanced at my watch and saw that we were more than a half hour behind
schedule. But Gail was still moving strongly. We came to the aid
station at Half Moon Campground, Gail still smiling.
Again, the aid station tent was littered with sad-looking, tired
people, now huddled around a fire to keep warm, wrist-band removed. In
past years, Gail had been one of these people.
She ate some Ramen and some cantaloupe, refilled bottles, and we were
off. We may have been behind schedule, but we had left her past
nemesis behind and were pushing on into what was, for us, uncharted
territory. I could see that Gail had lost some of the spring in her
step and there was a slight change in her mood. It would become more
pronounced as the hours passed.
A mile and a half down the road from the aid station, we emerged from
the trees and found Elbert and Bob resting comfortably in the Trooper.
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Note 83.60 Ultrarunning 1991 60 of 97
QUOKKA::SNYDER "Wherever you go, there you are" 46 lines 19-SEP-1991 19:17
-< Half Moon to Fish Hatchery >-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It was here that we fell prey to our first logistical error. We hadn't
brought enough of the right kind of shoes. The next section of the
course was, for all intents and purposes, flat. Gail had soaked two
different pairs of shoes at the river crossings and was wearing her
Trail Dogs, which are great on trails but poor on roads. She wanted
her Nikes back, and there weren't any to give her. There hadn't been
time for them to dry. She could have taken her Turntecs or her Asics,
but she decided to keep the Dogs on.
It was clear that Gail would not be able to make up the time lost,
so we re-evaluated the position and set new goals for the remaining
portions of the course. The new schedule would bring her into
Leadville one hour later than originally planned: 9:15 a.m. for
a finishing time of 29 hours, 15 minutes.
Elbert would accompany her for next 5.5 miles to the Fish Hatchery.
Gail took a water bottle and disappeared into the night, becoming
just another anonymous beam bouncing down the road.
Fifteen hours earlier, in the bright midday sunshine, there had been a
steady stream of runners making an almost unbroken chain along the
road. The mood had still been festive, with runners talking and
laughing with each other.
Now the field had spread and thinned. As Bob and I drove along
the road to the Fish Hatchery, we'd pass runners, usually in pairs,
moving slowly along, looking tired, even somber, but most definitely
determined. It was gut-check time.
We waited anxiously at the aid station, watching runners arrive, go
through the medical check, complain about various maladies, bark orders
to their crew, and leave. It was after 1:00 a.m. and everyone was
tired and testy.
Eventually, Gail and Elbert arrived, and I must admit, Gail was
no more pleasant than those who had preceded her. She was very
businesslike in ensuring that her gear was in order and that she
had sufficient food and drink. The medical check showed that she
had maintained her weight despite 76.5 consecutive miles. Her feet
were getting sore and her stomach was not happy.
Bob took over as pacer, and he and Gail headed out along the road
toward Sugarloaf Mountain, carrying only water bottles. Elbert
and I would meet them at the trailhead, less than a mile down the
road.
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Note 83.64 Ultrarunning 1991 64 of 97
QUOKKA::SNYDER "Wherever you go, there you are" 81 lines 24-SEP-1991 14:16
-< Fish Hatchery to May Queen >-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sugarloaf Mountain. Ann Trason calls it Ugly Mountain. 80 miles into
the run, you are faced with a steep climb up a power line swath to
11,400'. There are four false summits on the ascent. Ann and her ilk
start up the mountain shortly after sunset. Mere mortals get to it in
the wee hours of the morning.
It was around 2:30 when Gail and Bob arrived at the trailhead, took
their fanny packs and other gear, and disappeared into the lodgepole
pines. Gail was not smiling. Neither was she speaking. She just took
her things and plodded on.
Elbert and I were to meet them on Hagerman Pass Road. We had heard the
horror stories of crash and burn on Sugarloaf. This is a truly
critical piece of the run. Conventional wisdom has it that if you can
stay awake and moving over Sugarloaf and get to May Queen before the
cutoff time, Sunday morning's sunshine brings enough new life to drag
yourself through the last 13.5 miles.
Elbert and I scooted into town to use the bathroom at the house, check
on the kids, and take another look at the finish line. The red carpet
leading up 6th Street to the Finish banner and the tape had been laid
out. Hardy Leadville residents were out to watch the front runners
finish. I tried to envision Gail running up that last hill, onto the
red carpet, and across the line. It looked good in my mind; if only
Gail could hang in there for twenty more miles.
Things at the house didn't go as quickly as we had anticipated and by
the time we got to Hagerman Pass Road, parked the truck, grabbed what
we needed, and walked the mile up the road to the point where the
runners turn down the Colorado Trail toward May Queen, I began to worry
that we might have missed her. I knew it wasn't likely, but it worried
me nonetheless.
I left Elbert at the trailhead and walked the mile or so up Hagerman
Pass Road that is part of the course, to the jeep road that climbs from
Hagerman Pass Road to Sugarloaf Pass. It was pitch black. A few
clouds had gathered, which helped hold in some warmth. Occasionally,
runners would come by. I'd ask them what time they had left Fish
Hatchery, and they had all left before Gail. That made me feel more
confident that we hadn't missed her. But as time passed, it was no
longer the case. When the first runner came by that said that they had
left Fish Hatchery *after* Gail, I began to worry. He did say that he
had passed many people over Sugarloaf and was running very strongly.
I wasn't sure what to think. My stomach was in a tight knot. Either
we'd missed Gail, which could be catastrophic, or she was having a very
bad time up there that result in a DNF. I made my way back down the
road to where Elbert was waiting. I considered running back out to the
truck and driving down to May Queen to see if she'd come through. While
discussing this option with Elbert, more runners would trickle down the
road and turn down the trail toward May Queen. I had just about
decided to run out to the truck when Gail and Bob arrived.
Gail was really dragging. She dropped her fanny pack, picked up a
fresh water bottle, and disappeared. Bob said that it hadn't been
pretty coming down Sugarloaf. They had had some equipment problems
(flashlights) and Gail was sick. She had thrown up near the top, but
only once, and seemed to feel a bit better as a result. Her feet hurt
and she was very tired. Both Gail and Bob had been momentarily falling
asleep on their feet, and then immediately waking, as they made their
way down the jeep road. It was around 5:00 a.m.
Bob finished his equipment swap and headed down the trail after Gail.
Elbert and I raced out to the truck and drove to May Queen. We parked
the truck and walked the quarter-mile road into the campground and aid
station. At the entrance to the tent, a volunteer with a walkie-talkie
took numbers from another volunteer a little ways back as runners
emerged from the trail. After what seemed an eternity, she called out
"Number 411 just crossed the creek." Gail would arrive in a few
minutes.
Gail entered the tent, checked in, got weighed, walked to the back of
the tent, lay down on a cot, closed her eyes, and said, "Fix my feet."
That was all she said. I think she fell asleep immediately. I pulled
off her shoes and almost gagged. Her feet simply weren't fixable. The
blisters were just too big and in places too difficult to patch. I
looked at one of the medical personnel in the tent, who looked at her
feet, looked at me, and just shrugged his shoulders. I went to work
with Second Skin and moleskin and did what I could.
Dawn was breaking: the race's second sunrise.
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Note 83.65 Ultrarunning 1991 65 of 97
QUOKKA::SNYDER "Wherever you go, there you are" 83 lines 27-SEP-1991 19:26
-< May Queen to Leadville: Gail knows guts! >-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After doing what I could on Gail's feet, I spoke to her. Fortunately,
she responded. Not happily, but it was a response. The medic
mentioned that a hot shower and good rest awaited her in Leadville.
This seemed to provide some inspiration as she sat up. She complained
about her stomach. The medic produced four TUMS from his pocket, told
her to eat two now and two more after 6.5 miles, at the Tabor Boat
Ramp.
Gail ate the TUMS, stood up, groaned, and headed out the tent into her
second sunrise of the race. Bob ran after her. Elbert and I ran out
to the truck and headed for the boat ramp. Once there, we carried the
chair, her extra shoes, the first aid stuff, various types of food, and
anything else we thought she might be interested in down to where the
trail crosses the ramp. Then we waited.
Other crews were also set up on the ramp, anxiously looking at watches
and peering into the trees for signs of their runners. I had figured
that Gail should arrive around 7:30 a.m. If she came in later than
7:50, it would be very difficult to cover the last seven miles in time
to make the 30 hour cut.
Much to my surprise, and delight, she came running onto the ramp at
7:10. She never broke stride, dropping everything she was carrying on
the ramp. She barked, "Two TUMS, water bottle, visor" and was gone.
Bob hung around to gather the things she wanted and took off after her.
When she realized that she now had the time to make the 30 hour cutoff,
she stopped running and walked. These last seven miles would not be a
run; they were much more like a death march. Speed? To borrow a quote
from Red Fisher after running Wasatch, "I was passing rocks and trees
like they were standing still."
We drove over to the dam to see her cross one last time and make sure
she didn't need anything else. She just walked on by, totally focused
on one thing and one thing only: getting to Leadville. Bob said
hello.
Four miles from the finish, the road crosses railroad tracks. As Gail
and Bob approached, a train came through, forcing them to stand there
and wait for it to pass. Worse, the train was preparing to stop and
went slower and slower, to the point that it looked like it might stop
before passing completely across the road. Gail, in her addled state,
was trying to figure out if she could make it between the cars of the
train! This is why they allow pacers during the second half of the
run. Bob's sanity prevailed, the train passed, and they headed onto
the last long stretch of dirt road, "The Boulevard," before reaching
the town of Leadville.
Meanwhile, Elbert and I had driven into Leadville and rousted the kids
out of bed. We went to the finish line and watched several runners
come in. The runner getting the longest, loudest applause was Bennie
Linkhart of Tuscon. Bennie held the record for the longest DNF at
Leadville (96 miles). This year, he made the full hundred. Also
significant is that this year he celebrated his 60th birthday.
We then walked about a half mile up 6th Street, to the crest of the
final hill before the finish. From the top of this hill, the runners
descend a quarter mile, then climb the last quarter mile to the red
carpet and the finish banner.
The sun was getting higher in sky. Runners would come by with their
pacers, most walking, some giving the appearance of running but moving
no faster than those that were walking. There were precious few signs
of life in their eyes. Only determination. Finally, more than 29
hours after starting the race, Gail appeared, walking at a pretty good
clip, staring blankly ahead.
The kids were all excited and running around, talking to her,
congratulating her, trying to get her to run. When they saw that she
was not responding, they just joined us all in the final walk to the
finish. As we came to within a couple hundred yards of the end, Gail
turned to me, expressionless, and said, "This is too hard. It's too
fucking hard. I'll never do anything like this again."
As she reached the red carpet, our entourage fanned out to both sides
to let her "run" in the last ten yards. The loudspeaker blared, "Now
finishing, from Colorado Springs, Gail Snyder." I then heard Race
Director Merilee O'Neal call my name. She asked me if I'd like to hang
the finisher's medallion over Gail's neck, and I gladly agreed.
It was official. Gail had finished the 1991 Leadville Trail 100 in a
time of 29 hours, 14 minutes, 53 seconds.
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Note 83.66 Ultrarunning 1991 66 of 97
QUOKKA::SNYDER "Wherever you go, there you are" 26 lines 27-SEP-1991 19:28
-< Epilog >-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gail staggered over to the curb and sat, seemingly oblivious to the
tens of people who came over to congratulate her. She finally rose and
began hobbling toward the house, just two blocks away.
Once in the house, she flopped onto the couch. She shook, rather
violently, for several minutes. We covered her with blankets and she
finally fell asleep.
I woke her two hours later so she could shower and go to the awards
ceremony at noon. It was a riot watching all these folks who had
performed a fairly impressive physical feat struggle to walk 50 feet to
receive their belt buckles and certificates. The women also received a
silver LT100 necklace.
In Gail's words, "For finishing Leadville, I got a certificate, a
necklace, a belt buckle, a bouquet of flowers, a finisher's sweatshirt
with my name and finishing time on it, and a new set of toenails."
After the ceremony, we made our way back to the house and Gail slept
for several more hours. When she woke, she look and felt pretty good.
As she stared off into space, I asked her what she was thinking. She
responded, "You know, I'm going to have make some changes in my
training if I want to break 28 hours next year. I'm going to have to
do more work on the flats and maybe do some speed work...." That's when
I knew she was just fine.
|
| 70.55 | | SSAG::SNYDER | Set your chickens free | Wed Aug 04 1993 23:09 | 14 |
| > I'm gonna need a little time to write *MY* version of this weekends
> event/non-event and I advise y'all not to pay any attention to the main
> behind the Colorado Rockies!
What I want to know is how any of it qualified as a "non-event"?
Anyway, it may take me some time to get a race report written up, but I
just wanted to say that Kev did a great job crewing; so great that
other runners "borrowed" his services during the run and wanted to know
where I found him.
More to come later.
Sid
|
| 70.56 | Can't wait much longer.. | CSC32::GAULKE | | Tue Aug 17 1993 16:13 | 7 |
|
Well, where's the latest race report?
|
| 70.57 | 8^) | CTHQ::LEARY | McSorley,McFilthy,McNasty | Tue Aug 17 1993 18:06 | 7 |
| Lasted we heard,
Sid was just comin' round the bend in Fargo. Should hit the Springs
nexted week sometime.
HTH,
MikeL
|
| 70.58 | Kev hasn't even started his | QUOKKA::SNYDER | Set your chickens free | Tue Aug 17 1993 20:01 | 13 |
| > Sid was just comin' round the bend in Fargo. Should hit the Springs
> nexted week sometime.
Been round the bend for most of my adult life.
As I said to Kev in mail (after he mailed me the "where's the race
report" reply), the good news is that I've actually started writing the
race report. Getting started is the hardest part. The bad news is
that I've got a long way to go and we head for Leadville in a couple
days. I'll probably start entering installments as I did before. Look
for the first of them sometime next week.
Sid
|
| 70.59 | LT100 -- Festivities start tomorrow. | PEAKS::ELLIS | | Wed Aug 18 1993 19:03 | 15 |
| I got to meet Kevin, while I crewed/paced Sid at Vermont. I too asked,
"Where in hell did you find HIM?" Sid answered, "In a Notes
Conference, of course!" Well, that explains a lot about Sid and Kevin.
Well, tomorrow afternoon I drive over to Leadville for the pre-race
dinner. Friday, am, is the weigh-in/medical check and the mandatory
pre-race briefing. Sat. at 4:00am I will start, what I expect to be
my 4th successful (but it will be my 5th start ;^{ ) competition of the
LT100. I hope to finish this around 28:45 (that's hh:mm format).
I'll also try to give a race report, since there seem to be some
interested parties listening to this thread.
Bob Ellis (Friend of Sid, Friend of Kevin; so... what does that make
me?)
|
| 70.60 | | DECWET::METZGER | Non-alcoholic beer. What's the point? | Wed Aug 18 1993 19:12 | 7 |
| > Bob Ellis (Friend of Sid, Friend of Kevin; so... what does that make
> me?)
Either crazy or running with a bad crowd :-)
Metz
|
| 70.61 | now share it with the world | CNTROL::CHILDS | Alright who's on Burt's side besides me? | Thu Aug 19 1993 08:59 | 8 |
|
>> Either crazy or running with a bad crowd :-)
My guess would be both...
mike_who_got_the_Kev_report_in_person ;^)
|
| 70.62 | | CSC32::GAULKE | | Thu Aug 19 1993 17:05 | 16 |
|
Well, good luck to both of ya's and I hope you reach your goal.
I'll be using your adventure as mental fuel for my run up the Peak
on Saturday:
..it's not as bad as Leadville, it's not as bad as Leadville..
(repeat 16,000 times.)
Steve
|
| 70.63 | | PFSVAX::JACOB | | Thu Aug 19 1993 17:06 | 7 |
| I think yer all freakin' crazy. It makes me tired just to DRIVE 100
miles, let alone try and run it all at once, unless the wifee was
peaved at me and running behind me wif a big implement of injury in her
hands.
JaKe
|
| 70.64 | | PATE::MACNEAL | ruck `n' roll | Thu Aug 19 1993 17:21 | 2 |
| What was that MikeC was saying about staying up for over 24 hours
without drugs?
|
| 70.65 | good luck... | CTHQ::MCCULLOUGH | Melanie is one year old!!! | Thu Aug 19 1993 17:40 | 5 |
| Hey, go get 'em all younz guys!! Looks like a big weekend for racing across
the country. Personally, I'm doing a measly, flat 7 miles in Falmouth (Cape
Cod) with about 10,000 of my closest friends.
=Bob=
|
| 70.66 | | CAM3::WAY | Dreams I'll Never See | Fri Aug 20 1993 09:50 | 17 |
| >Hey, go get 'em all younz guys!! Looks like a big weekend for racing across
>the country. Personally, I'm doing a measly, flat 7 miles in Falmouth (Cape
>Cod) with about 10,000 of my closest friends.
Falmouth Road Race is COOL.
I'll be lucky if I can crank out 3 miles on Route 85 in Hebron. I got
a little overzealous with my squats last night and they really DO feel
like stumps today.....
Just remember, it's "left-right,left-right,left-right"
hth,
'Saw
|
| 70.67 | | PFSVAX::JACOB | | Fri Aug 20 1993 09:53 | 6 |
| About the only race I run iw the one me and the wife do when the mail
comes, or when there's only one beer left in the fridge and we both
want it.
JaKe
|
| 70.68 | | CAM3::WAY | Dreams I'll Never See | Fri Aug 20 1993 09:59 | 23 |
| > About the only race I run iw the one me and the wife do when the mail
> comes, or when there's only one beer left in the fridge and we both
> want it.
I try to make an effort to run the Thanksgiving Day Race in Manchester
(which is one of the oldest races in the country). That's 4.75 miles.
A couple of weeks after there is the "Santa's Race in Glastonbury, which
is 3.5 miles. The only thing I don't like about that race is that folks
can bring there dogs, and they're so damn stupid at the start they run
right in the middle of everyone....
There's a 5-miler on Memorial Day at Riverside Park in Agawam, Mass. that
I've run once and would like to to again.
So, I guess if I got in shape to do those, I could gut out the next 95
miles for a race like Leadville, eh? {NOT!}
'Saw
|
| 70.69 | | PFSVAX::JACOB | | Fri Aug 20 1993 10:25 | 12 |
|
>>I try to make an effort to run the Thanksgiving Day Race in Manchester
>>(which is one of the oldest races in the country). That's 4.75 miles.
Whatta waste of a good holiday where yer supposed to be stuffing yer
face wif super fattening stuff, drinking wine and beer and sitting on
yer ass watching football.
Exercise on a day MADE FOR GLUTTONY!!!! NEVER!!!!!!
JaKe
|
| 70.70 | My Thanksgiving..... | CAM3::WAY | Dreams I'll Never See | Fri Aug 20 1993 10:39 | 49 |
| > Whatta waste of a good holiday where yer supposed to be stuffing yer
> face wif super fattening stuff, drinking wine and beer and sitting on
> yer ass watching football.
>
> Exercise on a day MADE FOR GLUTTONY!!!! NEVER!!!!!!
Actually, it works out rather well, in fact.
Up early -- if I want to park where I normally do, so that all my friends
who are running can find me AND the all-important COOLER OF POST-RACE
beer, I have to get up early.
If I'm lucky, I get there early enough to go get a 15 minute rub-down.
I never, all year, feel as flexible as I do when those folks get done
pulling and stretching and wailing on my joints.
Then to meet my friends, and find a good spot to start.
The first mile is okay. The second mile is all uphill, and I have a
very interesting way of handling that. I just pick out a nice (real nice)
pair of running shorts in front of me, and follow them all the way up
the hill.... By the time I get to the top, I'll pull up alongside and
talk to her a bit....8^)
Last miles are level or downhill, except the finish line is on a uphill
grade.
Then at that point I go to the truck, and most of my friends are already
across (Hey, I'm a Clydesdale, they're thorobreds), and they toss me
a cold one.
Hang in the parking lot for a while (two years ago I got to talk to
Bill Rogers), drink some beers and chill.
Go home, shower, go over to Mom and Dad's. NOW THE GOOD PART STARTS!.
Mom and Dad, ever concerned as to my welfare, sit me down in a chair,
hand me a beer and tell me to rest, as I have run my a__ off in a race.
My brother gets stuck with all the helpin' stuff as I sit there and
drink beer.
Every once in a while I get up to help, and am firmly told "Go sit down
and rest", and sometimes am handed another beer.
The rest of the day is similar....
|
| 70.71 | | PFSVAX::JACOB | | Fri Aug 20 1993 13:21 | 37 |
|
>> I just pick out a nice (real nice)
>>pair of running shorts in front of me, and follow them all the way up
>>the hill.... By the time I get to the top, I'll pull up alongside and
>>talk to her a bit....8^)
Is it tough fer her to unnerstan ya wif you runnin hunched over to hide
the woodie???
>>Hang in the parking lot for a while (two years ago I got to talk to
>>Bill Rogers), drink some beers and chill.
I hung out in the parking lot of a restaurant once and yelled insults
at Fred Rogers.
>>Mom and Dad, ever concerned as to my welfare, sit me down in a chair,
>>hand me a beer and tell me to rest, as I have run my a__ off in a race.
>>My brother gets stuck with all the helpin' stuff as I sit there and
>>drink beer.
>>Every once in a while I get up to help, and am firmly told "Go sit down
>>and rest", and sometimes am handed another beer.
I cain see it now, Saw gets plastered the night before, gets up after
the race has already been run, slugs down a few more brewskis, puts on
running suit, goes by local spa, sits, fully clothed, in sauna fer a
while, then heads to the parents fer some sympathy and service
befitting a king.
GOtta try that meself this year, Saw.
Many (8^)'s
JaKe
|
| 70.72 | | CAM3::WAY | Dreams I'll Never See | Fri Aug 20 1993 14:53 | 20 |
| > Is it tough fer her to unnerstan ya wif you runnin hunched over to hide
> the woodie???
When yer haulin' what I'm haulin' up that hill, the only thing that's
tight on me is my quads....
> I hung out in the parking lot of a restaurant once and yelled insults
> at Fred Rogers.
Hey, just because he wouldn't autograph your Mr. McFeely poster is no
reason to bash the man....
8^)
|
| 70.73 | | DECWET::METZGER | Come and play, everything's A OK. | Fri Aug 20 1993 15:33 | 18 |
|
Shoot Frank,
I wish you'd told me you ran Manchester. I did it this bird-day and was going
to make it part of a tradition. I ran it with my two brother-in-laws (they
smoked me..they were still in the army then and I just sit behind a desk).
I wish I knew where your truck was. I could have used a beer. Even better
would have been some nice schnopps to warm up after this years race.
The wife will be too pregnant to fly back this year for bird-day so maybe I'll
see you for the '94 race...
the out-laws live in south windsor..
Metz
|
| 70.74 | | CAM3::WAY | Dreams I'll Never See | Fri Aug 20 1993 16:24 | 35 |
| > I wish you'd told me you ran Manchester. I did it this bird-day and was going
>to make it part of a tradition. I ran it with my two brother-in-laws (they
>smoked me..they were still in the army then and I just sit behind a desk).
This past year I functioned solely as pit crew, the keeper of the beer.
I wasn't in shape to do the run (actually I should have done it, but
didn't).
> I wish I knew where your truck was. I could have used a beer. Even better
>would have been some nice schnopps to warm up after this years race.
From the Start/Finish line, looking towards the first turn, I always
park in the public lot up on the right, across the street from
Manchester State Bank. There's usually a couple of catering vans
parked there, and it's the lot where they have a bunch of Port-O-Lets.
Barring any unforseen mishaps wif my truck, it's a Red/Black GMC S-15 4WD.
You can't miss it in that lot, and I'll make sure I pack some extra
beer in '94....
> The wife will be too pregnant to fly back this year for bird-day so maybe I'll
>see you for the '94 race...
Sounds like a plan...
> the out-laws live in south windsor..
T'ain't too far from Hebron, just up a couple of towns and over.
'Saw
|
| 70.75 | Hello ello ello ello..Anybody home ome ome ome.. | CSC32::GAULKE | | Thu Sep 23 1993 18:52 | 14 |
|
What's the holdup here?
We're still waiting on reports from Kevin and Sid from that
"somewhere in New England" venture, as well as...
a report from Sid and Bob Ellis on this years ('93) Leadville.
Steve
|
| 70.76 | slow runner and slow writer | SSAG::SNYDER | Set your chickens free | Thu Sep 23 1993 22:01 | 8 |
| My apologies. I have actually started to write up the report, but the
going is slow. There's just too much going on in my life right now to
keep up. Anyway, I'll enter the first installment in the next reply,
even though it's not much. I can make no promises about how soon the
subsequent installments will come, though I'd like to get them all in
before I come back east again (week of 19 October).
Sid
|
| 70.77 | 1993 Vermont 100: Part I | SSAG::SNYDER | Set your chickens free | Thu Sep 23 1993 22:02 | 70 |
|
Trail ultras shorter than 100 miles are always fun and challenging, and
could be argued to be the real bread and butter of the sport. If so,
the trail 100s are the gourmet meals.
Certainly for me, not having finished a trail 100 represented a void.
My only previous attempt, the 1991 Leadville Trail 100, was very
discouraging: less than 40 miles into the run, I knew that my knees
had failed me. I went over Hope Pass anyway, and limped into Winfield
at 50 miles, well past the cutoff time.
Sure, I could blame my knees. And I did. But there remained this
nagging doubt that I might not have what it takes to complete a trail
100, even had my knees held up. Trail 100s aren't easy. Ever. For
anybody. People overcome all sorts of pain, sickness, and hardship to
push themselves to finish. Reasons and excuses notwithstanding, I had
tried once and had failed once. Not good enough.
The popularity of trail 100s has increased dramatically over the past
several years, with many new races in all parts of the country. The
Vermont 100 Mile Endurance Run has gained a reputation as a
well-organized race over a "fast" course. Its stature is secure as it
is one of the trail 100s composing the Grand Slam of Ultrarunning. It
is also considered the easiest of the Grand Slam events, since it has
only 14,000 vertical feet of gain and loss over the course, and much of
it is on dirt and jeep roads that provide good footing. More
importantly to me, there is never more than 1000 vertical feet of
ascent or descent at any one time. This promised to be kinder to my
knees, and therefore present me a better opportunity to become a trail
100 finisher.
Training
--------
Naturally, my training had not been what I would have liked it to be.
It never is. I had had severe knee trouble at the Collegiate Peaks 50
Mile Run in early April, causing me to DNF at 25 miles. Things went
much better at Winding Stairs (only 21 miles) in late April and at the
Doc Holiday RIP (34 miles) in early May. I had had several good long
training runs, but my overall mileage was well below what it should be
in preparation for a trail 100. Nonetheless, I felt quite good
physically in the weeks leading up to the run, and my mental
preparation was as good as I could possibly expect. I felt that I had
reached a level of determination that could overcome many physical
liabilities.
Support
-------
While there are those who still prefer to run a trail 100 using only
drop bags and aid stations, the vast majority of ultrarunners have come
to appreciate the support of handlers. A good crew and pacer can make
all the difference, both in physical support and moral support. It is
often difficult for a runner to find good support when travelling far
from home to the race site. I was extremely fortunate to have Kev
Farley to crew for me, and Bob Ellis to crew with Kev for the first 68
miles, and become my pacer thereafter.
Kev is an experienced and accomplished runner, but new to ultrarunning.
Fortunately, he had enough curiosity about the sport to agree to
give up a long weekend to see one of these events for himself, and
the right personality and character to be a first-class handler.
Bob is an experienced and accomplished ultrarunner, with three
Leadville Trail 100 finishes to his credit. Fortuitously, he was
back east for personal reasons at a time that coincided with the
race (thank you, Libby), and was kind enough to extend his stay
to provide invaluable support over the entire weekend.
|
| 70.78 | VT100 - the "crew"'s perspective - Part I | CSTEAM::FARLEY | Carol's wearing maternity clothes | Fri Sep 24 1993 09:57 | 68 |
|
So it was wayyyy back in October, 1992 when Sid first put out his call
for volunteers for the Vermont 100. As I remember it, a few folks, at that
time, said "Yup, sounds like fun.".
As it turned out, other things conflicted with several folks and it
was left up to me to help Sid finish the 100 mile run. Private mail between
Sid and I going back to the March-April timeframe got things rolling although
I really didn't know what to expect so I went back and re-read Sid's
account of Gail running the Leadville 100. It still had me on the edge of
my seat - great writing; but I was still getting nervous about my
committment and ability. Would I be able to meet the responsibilities and
live up to the expectations? Sid had sent me, almost a week earlier, a
pre-race packet which contained the race, oops I mean *run" rules, a
topographic profile of the race course and a list of manned and unmanned
aid stations. They also included directions for the "crew members" from one
aid station to another although, as I would later find out, left a little
to be desired.
Anyway, Sid had to attend a series of meetings in SHR the week before
the race. Today, I still am amazed at the coincidence of him having to come
East a few days before his Vermont race! ;^) Sid and I made plans to get
meet each other for the firsted time on Tuesday, July 27 after work. Since he
wasn't familiar with the area and our plan was to have dinner together first
and then talk about race preparations, we agreed to meet at the Westboro
Country Club (a public golf course in the area. Dinner at the club restaurant
was chosen because Sid (being the sensitive kind of guy he is and not wanting
Carol to be inconvenienced) is a non-smoking, not drinking (there goes his
invitation to get togethers) vegetarian and his pre-race diet was fairly
narrow. I picked the WCC because it is only about 5 miles from my house and
since my house was were we would get into it I wanted to make sure that when
it was time for him to leave, he wouldn't get lost in the backroads of
Central Massachusetts. BTW, the CC was also where Greg had his tragic
accident and this would be the first time in 5 months that I'd be going back
there but I didn't mention that to Sid. We planned to get together after
work - about 5:20. Unfortunately, I got hung up on a work call and didn't
leave MRO until ~5:45 and arrived there shortly after 6:05. Since we
had never met, nor exchanged any pictures, I didn't know what he looked
like BUT I did find out that he had rented a little red car. I told him about
my *American* pick-up and we figured that that would be enough to go on.
On my way to the CC, most of my thoughts and feelings were about Greg and how
I'd react and act in front of Sid. It got worse as I got closer......
I pulled into the lot and found a parking spot. Then I saw this guy standing
in the doorway, holding up the doorframe with his shoulders in a non-chalant
kind of way and I figured it was Sid. I also thought I had just been
transported back in time to Woodstock! I mean, there right in front of me
was a genuine, unchanged hippy! Black and grey beard at least 5" below
his chin, his cheeks covered with a non-dense beard that had obviously
never been introduced to Mr. Gillette. He seemed to be about 5'10", thin
body but not emancipated and his face was repleat with a John Lennon pair
of round rimless glasses.
"You Sid?", I asked. "Kev?" he replied. We shook hands and went inside
to have dinner. I don't remember what we ordered and dinners conversation
was about everything. Family, personal history, atheletic stuff and of
course, he pumped me for physical descriptions of the Freekin' Lunatics.
Dinner was completed and it was time to travel to my house to go over the gory
details. We paid the bill and I made sure to pull the stub from the check
and handed it over to Sid for his personal use. ;^)
Then it was off to my house to really find out what I had gotten myself into!
I remain(ed)
still apprehensive.....
Kev
|
| 70.79 | bi-monthy hit of ultra info | CSC32::GAULKE | | Fri Sep 24 1993 15:18 | 8 |
|
Thanks for your time and effort.
..Reckon that'll have to hold me over for another two months. &^(
|
| 70.80 | grins | CSTEAM::FARLEY | Carol's wearing maternity clothes | Fri Sep 24 1993 15:33 | 9 |
|
Yabbut Stevie, some of us have REAL jobs! ;^)
Hopefully I'll have my nexted installment before Monday.
I remain,
wonderin if that will make ya happy?
Kev
|
| 70.81 | | PATE::MACNEAL | ruck `n' roll | Fri Sep 24 1993 16:38 | 2 |
| Kev, just tell Stevie to chill, and if he's real desperate to learn
about your experiences he can run a couple hundred miles himself.
|
| 70.82 | Stevie, just chill! | SSDEVO::ELLIS | | Mon Oct 04 1993 17:39 | 16 |
| I too revisited my initial attempt (time stamped 30-Aug). I found that it
ended only 30 miles into the race.
Well, after some leaf peeping with my wife on Sunday, I started up again. I am
now so close to done that I'll wait till I finish and give my whole Leadville
rendition in one episode.
Our other writers are so verbose, we have the serialized editions pouring in
and they haven't even gotten to race day.
So... first thing next eon I'll get my account out for y'all to enjoy.
Bob
P.S. Sid is much to kind, he accuses me of being accomplished. But he is
right on one thing, Kevin does have a personality.
|
| 70.83 | Leadville 1993 | SSDEVO::ELLIS | | Tue Oct 05 1993 12:26 | 632 |
| Here at last is the long promised rehash of the 1993 version of the Leadville
Trail 100.
Sponorship The good news for CAM3::SPORTS fans is that the race
again has a beer sponsor. A couple of years ago it
lost Bud-Light as its sponsor. But now it has a local
brewery (but a well known one), Coors, as its presenting
sponsor. So at the pre-race banquet there was plenty
of golden fluid.
Advil was also a sponsor, since most of us use some form
of Ibuprofin heavily during these races. They have yet
to pick up on the fact that this is the Le-Advil-le 100.
-------------------------------------------------------
Results Damn, I only survied 69 miles this year. Gail (Sid's
wife) only got to the 60 mile aid station. The reasons
will be revealed to those with the patience to read on.
The winner, Victoriano Churro, is a 55 year old
Tarahumara Indian from the Copper Canyon region of
Mexico. His fellow tribesmen also took 2nd and 5th.
The winning time was just over 20 hours, over two hours
off of record pace. A very interesting fact: the
winner's time for the second half was only 2.7% slower
than his first 50 miles. In comparison, Jim O'Brien's
record pace of 17:55, in 1990, was 20.7% slower on the
second half. Of further note is that the Tarahumara's
made their own running sandals from leather thongs and
from tires found in the Leadville dump. They were
delighted to find that American junk tires still have
lots of tread, unlike the ones they find in Mexico.
The first woman, Christine Gibbons, is a nationally
known ultrarunner from Hackensack, NJ. She finished 4th
overall, in 20:55, 17 minutes off of Ann Trason's record
in 1990.
-------------------------------------------------------
What's it Like? What follows is some highlights, and insights as to why
we do this.
-------------------------------------------------------
Pre-Race Dinner For the first time in my 5 years of participation in
this race, I have come to Leadville on Thursday night to
participate in the free pre-race dinner. (Lots of
things are free after paying the $145 entry fee.) This
feed (complete with sponsor's product, Ragu and Coors
both were sponsors) is open to all, racers, pacers,
crew, volunteers, (and street bums, but who can tell).
Lots of ultra-friends from all over the country are
here, including my new friends that I met in Vermont,
Rosemary and Bob ( aka Turd and Mrs. Turd by their
Hash-House Harrier friends ). Bob is signed up for the
LT100, but his injury at 90 mi in Vermont hasn't healed
yet. So he gets to eat and pick up his $145 T-shirt.
(No refunds!). Rosemary iss going back to Manitou
Springs on Friday to run the Pikes Peak Ascent on Sat.
(13.1 mi, 7800 ft. climb). (She did, in 5:32, and then
returned to Leadville to help pace.)
I talk with everybody I know, and meet some new folks.
I am wearing my Catskills "Escarpment Trail Run" polo
shirt ( I ran it a week before helping Sid at Vermont)
but am disappointed that no one commenta on it. There
are T-shirts from:
Vermont 100 Western States 100
Old Dominion 100 Mohican Trail 100
Hardrock 100 Leadville 100
Wasatch 100 Pikes Peak Marathon
and others. Likewise there are many belt-buckles from
these and other events worn in a casually ostentatious
way. Many are dressed carefully to show their best
performances.
-------------------------------------------------------
Pre-Race Medical The doors open for the pre-race medical check at 8:00 am
Check-In Friday morning. Those of us who are already in town,
started to line up at 7:30. Our weight at this check-in
is the basis for being withdrawn for having lost too
much weight. So every one comes before having
breakfast, wearing their lightest pair of shoes, shorts
and their lightest shirt or singlet. If there was a
weigh-in at the starting line, everyone would weigh 3-5
pounds extra.
The chit-chat doesn't go on much after weighing in, and
I head off to breakfast. But the clothing displayed is
much the same as I previously described. I was wearing
my Leadville finisher's sweatshirt from 1989, which
sports my name and finishing time. 1989, of course, was
my fastest year.
-------------------------------------------------------
Pre-Race Briefing Not much different this year, than previous years.
Previous winners are introduced, the sponsors are
plugged, the volunteers are thanked, etc. The Sherif
and Forest Service are heard from.
Finally the Jackass Award is presented. This year's
winner is receiving it because: Last year he was
rescued from Hope Pass, badly dehydrated. It seems that
this resident of the Hot-Pink state (one of those on the
western edge of our fine country) had refused to drink
any of the locally offered water, he would only drink
bottled water (probably preferred French spelling to
Saratoga). As he accepts this award he vows not
to drink any local water this year either. (He did
finish well this year, in 26:55.)
-------------------------------------------------------
Medical Research Dr. Otto Appenzeller, of New Mexico, has again brought
some grad-students and post-docs with him to investigate
the physiological mysteries of ultrarunners. I go up to
the balcony of the gym to volunteer for the
non-intrusive exams. They also want to test me after
the race, whether I finish or drop out. This year they
are studying the effect of this race on blood flow to
the brain. (It is still to early to know the findings,
but my wife, Libby, tells me they will find: There never
was any blood flow to my brain. Others tell me there
never was a brain.)
-------------------------------------------------------
The Start I am lucky, I had about 5 hours sleep, and was able to
get back to sleep within about 5 minutes each time I
woke up, which was once an hour. Many get only rest,
but no sleep.
I awake before my alarm and make breakfast of 2 packets
of instant oatmeal, juice, and toast with jam. I dress
in tights, an expensive running T-shirt that doesn't
chafe my nipples, and a pile pullover. I carefully put
Vaseline on my feet and pull on a single pair of Thor-Lo
sox before putting on what I think are my most
comfortable pair of shoes. Then I repack the car with
the extras that I didn't pack the night before. I kiss
Libby lightly, so she won't awaken much and head out.
Since this is my 5th year starting this race, my family
is no longer excited by the 4:00am start, and choose to
sleep in. Libby wishes me luck, promises to be at May
Queen and promptly falls back asleep.
I walk the 4 blocks from my daughter's apartment to the
center of downtown Leadville. The time is 3:30 AM and
the runners are beginning to show up. I get them to
mark my name on the final check-in sheet. The PA system
is blaring, the fire engines are providing non-emergency
lighting, the runners are mingling, some traffic is
trying to get through on its way home from the bars, and
we are all relieved that the time is finally near.
I finish a bottle of water while waiting, and give it to
Sid, to give back to Libby when he next sees her. Sid is
crewing and pacing for his wife Gail. I still have 2
bottles to see me thru the first 13.5 miles. I put my
headlamp on over my visor hat. It is warm enough that I
don't need mittens.
-------------------------------------------------------
Leadville to "Start out slow, then taper." These are the words of
May Queen Walt Stack, a gentleman from Calif. who ran the Pikes
13.5 Mi. Peak race for many years, into his mid 70's. This is
my strategy too. Walk every uphill, including the one
in town only .25 mi. from the start. I am not alone. I
watch the light-beams of the leaders disappear over the
hill and later around the turns. The pack stretches out,
and within an hour, the pack is about 2 miles long.
I look back around the lake (about 6 miles into the
race) and see a long string of bouncing lights, it
reminds me of a peace vigil. (Showing my age again.)
I prefer to run without my headlamp on if there is
someone just ahead; I see the trail via their light.
Nothing eventful happens along this part of the run. I
pass through 5 Forest Service campgrounds, where most
are oblivious of our presence, as we runners aren't
talking loudly anymore. I pass the boat-ramp where some
of the crews have gathered, and many people urge me on
by name, but the only voice I recognize is Sid's. Gail
is about 2 minutes behind. It is impossible to
recognize anyone visually as they are all shining lights
at us to see who is coming; a few Coleman lanterns help
blind us further. But 30 ft. later I reenter the woods
along the shore of the lake. Another 30 minutes and the
alpen-glow on the peaks to the west begins to pinken,
the lake becomes visible, and soon I don't even need
the lights of other runners. Oh, the woods, the lake,
the mountains, the quiet, the exercise; I feel so good,
and at peace.
I eat a granola bar, not because I am hungary yet, but
because I will need the energy for the climb of the next
leg. Since the start I have been continually sipping
from my bottle, a sip about every two minutes.
Dehydration starts long before you notice it, you must
drink often.
Runners are constantly dropping out of line for a quick
wee-wee. Some have stopped as much as 3 times during
this leg. This is from their efforts to super-hydrate
before the race. My single stop seems to be a good
compromise.
The trail dumps out onto the campground road and the 1/2
mile of pavement seems endless. Why isn't the aid
station where you want it? I arrive at May Queen 2
minutes later than I promised, and consider myself right
on time. I check in at one end of the tent and grab a
couple of pieces of cantalope. I check out at the other
end of the tent and sight Libby. Libby is crewing this
part of the race and she takes my headlamp, my pile
sweater, and gives me (one of) the shirt(s) off her back
to replace my wet one. I take two fresh water bottles,
as always one in my hand (with a strap that makes it
easy to carry) and one in it's holster in my fanny-pack.
-------------------------------------------------------
May Queen to I am quite comfortable. I am happily running the flat
Fish Hatchery/ parts of the trail, and walking comfortably up the
Outward Bound rest. Here the trail climbs from Turquoise lake, up to
22.75 miles Hagerman Pass Road. The road seems flat, but we
runners (as opposed to the racers up in front) know
better, and I enjoy the scenery of the meadows and
streams far below, the lake behind, and the 14,000 ft
peaks ahead. After a mile on the road we turn south
to go over 11,000 ft. Sugarloaf Mt. This road is much
rockier and steeper than Hagerman Pass Rd., definitely a
4WD road if you don't have feet. The views continue to
be spectacular in the early morning light. A good day
to be alive.
At last we hit the summit at 11,000, and start our
descent down the powerline toward the fish hatchery.
Milada, I met her earlier running around the lake,
exhibits a new technique for saving the quads. She
spends half of her time skipping down the trail
(right-right, left-left ... instead of right, left,
right, left...). I try this some too, its at least a
change. So I walk parts, and run and skip the rest of
the way down to the paved road. Two miles of paved road
later the aid station turn comes into view, and Libby is
waiting with more granola bars for my pack, fresh water
bottles, etc. I stop at the car where the lawn chair is
set up and change my shoes and sox. My strategy in this
change is to keep my feet from always rubbing in exactly
the same places. I peel off the old sox, apply a fresh
coat of Vaseline to my feet, put on the nice clean sox
and my `flat land' shoes. The next 20 miles has no
super steep climbs, and only one steep descent.
Gail catches up while I am changing treads.
For the next 5 miles, until the next crew access, I will
shed my fanny-pack and run with just a water bottle in
my hand.
-------------------------------------------------------
Fish Hatchery/ While still on the pavement I walk quickly but backwards
Outward Bound to for about .25 mile. This technique I use in track
Halfmoon Campground races, where every hour I do one lap backwards to change
30.5 Miles the muscle usage. This is the only straight paved area
where I dare do this. I see Libby as she drives by, and
signal her to stop at the next corner and give me a
sandwich.
While eating the sandwich (I am walking) Gail catches
up. When I am done eating she suggests that we run from
one power pole to the next, then walk to the next, then
run, etc. We do this together until the road turns
uphill toward halfmoon. At this point we continue to
walk about as fast as those around us who are still
`running'.
My daughter, Tobie, passes by standing up in a roofless
jeep. She is with some of her college friends. They
wave and scream and continue on their way. (The fact
that she is in college in Leadville, is because of her
getting to know the town at previous races. The purpose
of the race, to help Leadville recover economically from
the mining bust, is accomplished in many ways.)
Our crews are waiting at `tree line'. This is a strange
tree line. We are leaving range-land and as we climb
higher we re-enter the trees. This is as far up the
road to the Halfmoon campground as the race organizers
will allow crews. This is because the road narrows, and
there is not enough room for two lanes of traffic and
runners.
I pickup my fanny-pack again, fresh bottles, some more
granola bars, and head up the steepening road towards
the aid station.
-------------------------------------------------------
Halfmoon Campground At Halfmoon I eat some more cantalope, and a cookie, and
to Twin Lakes top off the water bottle I have been working on since
39.5 Miles `Tree Line.' There is still another 1.25 miles of
road from the campground to the trail. I dislike the
road parts of the course, much preferring the trails.
Back on the Colorado Trail, I am climbing quickly up
about 700 feet, but Gail is climbing quicker. (This is
the last time that I see her for the next 20 miles.) The
trail now rolls as it crosses the eastern shoulder of
Mt. Elbert, Colorado's highest peak. During this
stretch the trail is between 10,000 and 10,800 feet in
elevation. I now get in some of my running time,
enjoying the flat running as well as the downhills.
This is the prettiest part of the race, the trail is
constantly in the woods, but they are either
spruce/fir/pine or aspen. The aspen groves are large
and old, some of the aspens are over a foot in diameter.
After a long gently downhill traverse, I get to the jeep
road that descends sharply into Twin Lakes. It is very
rocky but I am able to run much of it. The last 100
yards to the aid station is down a steep, dusty, rocky
desert, to the low point in the race at 9,200 feet.
-------------------------------------------------------
Twin Lakes Firehouse At this aid station I make a mistake, and don't eat
to Winfield enough. (Easy to figure out later). I am concerned
50 Miles that Libby give another pair of shoes and sox to Sid,
so he can give them to me on the other side of the
river crossing. I decline a full sandwich and eat only
a half as I head out across the fields toward the river.
The first mile from the aid station is across fields of
prairie grass and then along a jeep road to a ford. In
fact the river has changed its course this year and
there are two icy crossings, each well above ankle deep.
Sid is waiting with my dry footwear, and Gail is already
out of sight. Another runner's crew person offers me
some Vaseline when I find that we didn't give Sid my
jar. This is how a race like this works, every one is
willing to help everyone else.
The next 4.5 miles climbs from 9,200 to 12,600 feet at
the top of Hope Pass. I start out at a reasonable power
hike, but about 1/3 of the way up I begin to lag from
lack of fuel. A granola bar helps only a little. I
feel really tired and my pace slows some more. However,
I am neither passing nor being passed, so it is hard to
judge if I am doing as badly as I feel. I am suprised
at how high I am before the leader passes me on his way
down. I figure (correctly it turns out) that there will
not be a record this year. Also, the second runner is
Chrisitine Gibbons. Two of the Tarahumaras finally
appear in about 10th place.
At last I reach tree line and the only remote aid
station. The "Hopeless" Aid Station is supplied by pack
llamas, and the water is filtered from the high lake
nearby. A cup of ramen-noodles helps my fatigue, and I
refill my 3 water bottles. As I start up the last 800
feet of climb I need to don my Gore-Tex jacket as
protection from the wind. Finally the top of the pass!
The video camera and other photographers are there to
record the feat. Copies may be purchased by the
enthusiastic.
I must not be feeling all that good, as I barely notice
the incredible views, that are present even though the
weather is beginning to close in.
I try to run the downhill, but much of it is too steep
and the danger of slipping is high. There is no danger
of long falls, but a slip would definitely cause muscle
cramps, scratches and bruises. The descent passes
through two former aspen groves that had been flattened
by avalanches during the previous winter. I keep the
Gore-Tex on as it is now raining lightly.
By the time I get to the Winfield road the sun is out
again and I am met by Libby and Carson. Carson will
pace me on the return. But first I have to reach
Winfield, another 2.5 miles up the road. I am pretty
annoyed about how badly I climbed the other side, and
manage to power hike up the road at a good clip.
It is along this stretch that you meet most of the other
runners as they return back down the road after their
turn around. I offer encouragement to Gail as we pass.
She is now about 30 minutesw ahead of me. I am not
suprised that she had a good initial trip across Hope
Pass.
I left my rain-gear and pack with Libby and am
only carrying my bottle. A half mile from the aid
station it starts to rain very hard, and I am not
pleasant when I finally arrive, demanding dry clothes,
NOW, from my crew.
While waiting for Libby to return from the car, I put on
a dry tee-shirt she had anticpated, and one of the
medical assistants loans me a wind parka while I sit
there in the tent. Carson gives my quads a massage.
Libby returns with more clothes. Then another stop at
the food table and Carson and I start out on the
second half with me munching a large fudge brownie.
-------------------------------------------------------
The return to Twin When I finish eating the brownie Carson suggests that we
Lakes, 40.5 Miles jog down the road. I have not yet recovered enough to
feel like it, but I do put on the effort to perform a
vigorous power hike. I am worried about making the
cut-off time at Twin Lakes. It had taken me 4:24 to
get from Twin Lakes to Winfield. If I took that much
time to return I would miss the cut-off by 15 minutes.
We continue to pass runners who are still heading up the
hill toward Winfield. They look worse than I feel, and
I know that as late as it is they will not make the
cut-off time at Winfield. I am quite sad as I greet
Arthur Schwartz, the doctor from Aspen who has finished
the race 10 times (including the honorary finish two
years ago when he was badly beat up when hit by a car
while training for the race). This will be his first
DNF.
We start up the trail toward Hope Pass. In the next 2.4
miles I have to climb from 10,000 to 12,600 ft. I am
glad that I have experienced how hard this piece of
trail is. I know from that experience that all I have
to do is take thousands of baby-steps and I will make
it. I also remember that this is so steep that it is
very hard even when I am fresh. My technique is to go
just slow enough that I don't have to stop, neither to
rest or to gasp.
We start up the trail with another runner and his pacer,
and my ego drops a notch as they pull away. However, at
11,000 feet I pass them again as the runner is resting,
bent over supporting himself, leaning on his knees. At
about 11,600 feet I pass another runner. This climb
doesn't feel good, but at least I am doing a little
better than some others. At last we reach the pass.
Carson is ecstatic about the view, there is even a
little sun left. There are no spectators left, and
Carson and I start down the north side.
The brownie and the downhill combine and I start to feel
better. I actually run part way down to the `Hopeless'
Aid-Station. Carson has gone ahead to get me some soup,
refill the bottles etc. I take the soup and start on
ahead while Carson finishes the re-fills. I find I can
walk quite fast downhill even while drinking the soup.
When I finish it, I start to run, and make very good
time down the trail. I am enjoying my recovery, and
pleased with how quickly I can check off the familiar
landmarks. Carson is very suprised at how long it takes
him to catch up. It is now getting dark, and the
meadows are good running, but the forest is dark.
It is time for the headlamps. I find that I can either
powerhike or jog, and am pleased to be making reasonable
time. Carson is boosting my battered ego with sincere
praise for my current recovery.
At the bottom of the trail, as it starts out across the
flats toward the river we find the first green glow of
the glow-sticks will mark the course through the night.
The river is still icy, and we now have the mile or more
to walk in wet shoes, as we will change at the
aid station. I am high from my recovery and the fact
that I check in at the aid station with 14 minutes to
spare. I have returned from Winfield in a respectable
3:51.
As I find a chair I see Gail again, but she is lying on
a cot under a blanket. Sid tells me that she was
vomiting a lot on her return crossing of the pass, and
won't be continuing. I arrived only 3 minutes after she
did.
I drink a thermos of soup that Libby has provided, drink
an entire Coke, and eat some watermelon. I check out
with 2 minutes to spare, but am not worried, since 4
years ago I left this aid station with 5 minutes to
spare and finished 1 1/2 hours before the final cut-off
of 30 hours.
-------------------------------------------------------
The return to Halfmoon We start up the steep jeep trail that will take us back
70 Miles up to the Colorado Trail. I settle into a reasonable
powerhike up the road. We talk about Carson's climbing
trip to Russia in July. The glow sticks guide us onto
the trail from the road and we continue the lovely walk
through the night.
I begin to feel a little bonked, the ultra runners term
for hypo-gycemic. So I ask Carson for a granola bar.
As it hits the top of my throat I am overcome by nausea.
I quickly lose all the remaining food I downed at Twin
Lakes. I start hikng again. Maybe I feel a little
better.
Carson and I start trying different things to put some
fuel back in my body. He has some gatorade mix and we
mix it into one of the bottles of water. I try it but
can't stand the taste. A bit later Carson produces some
rasberry newtons. Eating them slowly I can keep them
down. But, my energy level is rapidly declining.
Harry Duepree almost catches us on one of the
switchbacks, but he is in no hurry to pass so we talk a
while. Harry is a wonderful competitor. At age 55 this
will be his 9th finish of the Leadville 100. In
previous races I remembered him as the dapper runner
with no hair out of place, his white tights and t-shirts
never muddy, and the most pleasant of dispositions. One
year at Leadville he finished, then turned around and
ran back to meet his wife and run the last five miles
with her. I had last seen Harry at the Vermont 100,
while I was pacing Sid. Three weeks later Harry is now
racing another 100 miles. I asked him how many 100's he
has done. He said, "I don't know. But I have done about
80 ultras, and the ratio of 100 milers to 50 milers is
about 4:1." Not only has he done around 60 100-milers,
he has also finished the Badwater 146, a 146 mile race
from Death Valley at -200ft. to Mt. Whitney at 14,900
ft.
My mind is now thinking bad thoughts. I am not thinking
about how to make cut-off at Halfmoon, but rather
thinking about how I can't possibly make it. Harry
passes me after a while. I can tell that he has picked
up his pace to just fast enough to make the cut-off at
Halfmoon. (The results showed me to be correct, he made
it with 10 minutes to spare.) I can not find it within
me to try and keep up. My energy level continues to
drop, and Carson's urgings go unanswered. I am still
drinking some water, but the gatorade won't go down and
the fig newtons just aren't helping. I have to bend
over again by the side of the trail, but this time it is
dry heaves.
When we at last make it to the road there is another
mile to the aid station and only 6 minutes to cut-off.
Oh-well. After walking about a half mile, a van
approaches and stops. It is Greg, a colleague from
work, and one of the Ski Cooper Ski Patrollers who works
the Halfmoon Aid Station. He is picking up stragglers,
which includes me. The race is over.
Greg continues to pick up others until the van is full,
and returns to the aid station. They radio down to
another patroller at `Tree Line' to tell my daughter to
drive up and pick me up. I stay warm under a blanket on
one of the cots.
-------------------------------------------------------
Back to the Apartment I drag into Tobie's apartment. It is a third floor walk
up, and we have always joked that her stairs are as
steep as the south side of Hope Pass. This seems to be
true now that my muscles have stiffened from the
half-hour drive.
I am now very sleepy, but peel all the tight clothies
off, one at a time. Finally its into the shower and 16
hours of salt start to be washed away. A pair of clean
briefs, and a clean T-shirt feel very nice against clean
skin. I put my head down on the pillow and hear my
heart racing at about 90. (My pulse at check-in almost
two days ago was 44.)
Oh, I am supposed to go to the gym and have the post race
medical checks! I know I won't be able to sleep very
well now anyway, so I tell Libby where I am going and
DRIVE the 4 blocks back to the gym.
At least I get to wake up the post-docs. But they are
glad I came, and we get on with the breathing, EKGs etc.
Part of the test is lying quietly on a tilt table. Well
that doesn't work very well as my legs are twitching
quite a bit.
At last back to bed. But about two hours later I am
awake again, as I am too tired to sleep.
-------------------------------------------------------
The Finish Libby and Carson get up and we all head out to a
restaurant breakfast. Then we go over to watch the late
finishers. It is about 9:00am and there is still an
hour to go. There is a steady stream of finishers.
There are also lots of spectators. As the runners
approach the red carpet that has been rolled out for the
last 50 feet, we all cheer. The expressions of the
finishers all show great pride. Merilee O'Neal, the
race director, puts a finisher's medal around each neck
and hugs each weary body.
It is now 9:55. Two final runner's have appeared over
the last hill. One looks like he will make it, and the
other looks too far away for the time left. The first
makes it to the finish line at 9:58:22, 1 minute and 38
seconds to spare. The other turns out to be Harry
Deupree! Everyone knows Harry. The crowd goes wild,
"Come on Harry, you can do it!" Harry starts a painful
jog up the last rise. The crowd is intense. Harry's
inexorable pace continues, and he crosses into Marilee's
arms at 9:59:45. There is not a dry eye on the street.
(The split times show that Harry got to the 78 mile aid
station with 1 minute to spare, and to the 87 mile point
with 0 minutes to spare. Harry has taught us all a
lesson in grit.)
-------------------------------------------------------
Next Year At the awards I am telling friends I will see them here
next year. I start planning a more intense race
schedule for the next 12 months so that I will be in
adequate shape next year. I am thinking about what
foods, and energy supplements will be able to stay down,
and how to test them in races.
As I finish writing this account I have already finished
my first `training' race, the 50KM Colorado Trail Run,
near Denver. This month I will run the Colorado Springs
100K, and the week before Thanksgiving will be the Rocky
Racoon 45 (a funny name for a 50 mile race) in Texas.
December will bring another 50K in Fort Collins, CO, and
in January will be the Aurora CO version of the `Recover
from the Holiday's Fat Ass 50" miler.
-------------------------------------------------------
The Moral of Ultra runners say "After your first 50 mile race you
This Story lose enough brain cells to think it was fun." Well I
do think it is fun. Trail races are also very
beautiful. The camaraderie is deep and heart warming.
The feeling of accomplishment is supreme.
-------------------------------------------------------
|
| 70.84 | | CTHQ::MCCULLOUGH | Melanie is one year old!!! | Tue Oct 05 1993 13:24 | 4 |
| Bob - congrats on your VICTORY in the Leadville. I'm sure you'll do great in
your next one.
=Bob=
|
| 70.85 | | WMOIS::CHAPALONIS_M | Number 3 Looms over Fenway | Tue Oct 05 1993 13:27 | 8 |
|
Great story Bob.
Keep it up.
Chappy
|
| 70.86 | | CAM3::WAY | Off the roll, Quick march! | Tue Oct 05 1993 13:36 | 9 |
| Damn,
I got shin-splints and pulled hamstrings just from READING that story.
My hat is off to you, my man.... I have enough trouble making it to the
bathroom in the morning.......
'Saw
|
| 70.87 | How bout horses? Does Leadville do horseys like VT? | CSTEAM::FARLEY | Carol's wearing maternity clothes | Tue Oct 05 1993 14:32 | 20 |
| Yabbut Bob,
You wuss!!! Here ya get me awed with yer sub 24 Leadville shirt when
we was in Vermont together. Then ya earned my admiration when,
seemingly without any thought beforehand, run THIRTY MILES with Sid
like it was no big deal!
Ya let 55 year old Harry beat ya?????
Ya DNF'd???????
Wuss.....
Well, I suppose it's OK that you outlasted the wimmin folk.
I remain,
yer pal exercising his, ahem, "personality"
;^)
Kev
|
| 70.88 | bravo! | METSNY::francus | Mets in '94 | Tue Oct 05 1993 14:37 | 2 |
|
The Crazy Met
|
| 70.89 | No horsies, on the same day. | SSDEVO::ELLIS | | Tue Oct 05 1993 15:08 | 16 |
| Sorry Kev, no horsies to dodge. However, there was a horse ride on much of the
same trail in early Aug. My daughter, Tobie, was working on a U.S. Forest Service
trail crew that prepared parts of the course to withstand the beating by hoofs.
(It was an all woman's crew (except for the perm-hired boss), cause all young men
are wusses these days.)[that ought to get this conference going ;^) ].
There was some obvious horse damage in some wet spots on Hope Pass, but most of
the horse offerings had dried up already.
The only other 100 miler that I can remember that does horses like VT is the Old
Dominion race in Virginia.
Kev, you like to watch them after they go by? Reminds you of what you see in the
mirror in the morning?
UltraBob
|
| 70.90 | | CSTEAM::FARLEY | Carol's wearing maternity clothes | Tue Oct 05 1993 15:33 | 17 |
|
Yuk Yuk Yuk
re: "UltraBob"
Pretty unique but in honor and to commemorate your D N F may I suggest
a slight modification like "UltraBo"?
It's not finished either.....
;^)
I remain,
knowin ya shouldda had a REAL crew
Kev
ps - did ya happen to see Ilana at Leadville?
|
| 70.91 | | SSDEVO::ELLIS | | Tue Oct 05 1993 16:50 | 9 |
| I guess you have been practacing unfinished names for quite a while. You always
sign "Kev" not "Kevin". 8*)
Nope, I haven't seen Elana sinece VT, but I did run with a good friend of hers at
the Colorado Trail 50K.
`Kev..' any time you want to crew me, you're on.
s/ Bo..
|
| 70.92 | | CSC32::GAULKE | | Wed Oct 06 1993 12:25 | 18 |
|
Thanks for the effort, and good effort.
I got a hold of a publication called "Running Wild", and saw
your name and Sids in a couple of different race results.
The ages seem to be a little older in this type of running also.
A quick review would seem to put the average age in the mid to
upper 30's. I was surprised at that.
Good luck in the Rocky Roccoon. That's the one on Huntsville, right?
Steve
|
| 70.93 | Fun for the aged. | SSDEVO::ELLIS | | Wed Oct 06 1993 14:08 | 15 |
| Steve:
Your observant. At the breifing session for the LT100, they have all the
entrants stand up by age group. The largest is the 40-50. In fact, it is
very unusual to see those <30 and especially unusual to see them placing well.
The youngest entrant this year was a 22 year old female. She didn't finish
(yea, another wimmin folk, that this old fart outlasted.)
This Rocky Racoon is in Ink Lakes State Park, 5 10mi. laps on trail. I'm looking
forward to my first low elevation ultra since 1977. Besides, I will feel like
I've earned the extra turkey on the following Thursday. (Come on Kev.., you must
have some good turkey remarks).
Thanks for the encouragement.
|
| 70.94 | | PATE::MACNEAL | ruck `n' roll | Wed Oct 06 1993 14:32 | 3 |
| � -< Fun for the aged. >-
And they say that with age comes wisdom. HA!
|
| 70.95 | new records | SSAG::SNYDER | Set your chickens free | Fri Nov 05 1993 09:07 | 44 |
| 47-year-old Sue Ellen Trapp of Florida broke Ann Trason's U.S. Women's
24-hour record by about 2 miles, covering 145.2871 miles on 1.1224-mile
loop in Sylvania, Ohio on 18 September. She was third overall. Kevin
Setnes set the U.S. Men's record with 160.4263 miles.
The November issue of UltraRunning included the following inset article
in its coverage of the race [reprinted here without permission]:
[begin reprinted text]
Sue Ellen Trapp may have taken away one of Ann Trason's ultra
records, but it only took Trason a week to find a replacement! Trason,
33, of Kensington, California, broke the 100-km (62.137 mi) world
record by over nine minutes in winning the Amiens (France) 100 Km in
7:09:44 on September 26. Trason, the current world record holder for
50 miles and 100 miles, added the 100-km mark to her collection in
defeating runnerup Valentina Liachova of Russia by over 21 minutes.
Liachova was the bronze medalist in the IAU 100 Km World Challenge held
August 8 in Torhout, Belgium, in which Trason did not compete.
Trason's performance betters the existing world record (as
recognized by the IAU) of 7:18:57, which was run in 1989 by Birgit
Lennartz of Germany in winning the German 100 Km Championship that
year.
The men's winner of the Amiens 100 Km in 6:23:15 was Konstantin
Santalov, 26, of Russia, seven weeks after successfully defending his
World 100 Km title at Torhout in 6:26:26, and only one week after
winning the European 100 Km Championship at Winschoten, the
Netherlands, in 6:25:52.
Dan Brannen
[end reprinted text]
Dan Brannen is chair of USA T&F's Ultrarunning Subcommittee. For those
who don't follow such things closely, USA T&F is the national governing
body for track and field, long distance running, and race walking. It
used to be called TAC (The Athletics Congress).
Methinks we might see Ann at next year's 24-hour National
Championships.
Sid
|
| 70.96 | | CTHQ::MCCULLOUGH | Melanie is one year old!!! | Fri Nov 05 1993 09:21 | 4 |
| Now let me get this straight. The Russian guy ran 100K races on
successive weekends? And three in seven weeks? And won all three?
Incredible. Simply incredible.
|
| 70.97 | | LAGUNA::MAY_BR | Ain't no cure for the overseed blues | Fri Nov 05 1993 10:38 | 5 |
|
Cain't be much of a sport if'n there is none of those mainly Chinese
women runners eatin catepillars and breakin world records.
brews
|
| 70.98 | we don't need no steeenking caterpillars | QUOKKA::SNYDER | Set your chickens free | Fri Nov 05 1993 17:55 | 12 |
| > Now let me get this straight. The Russian guy ran 100K races on
> successive weekends? And three in seven weeks? And won all three?
Not only that, his times improved with each running.
In the 24-hour race, several age group records were set, including the
women's 70-74 (Helen Klein, 70, covered just over 102 miles) and the
men's 75-79 (Ed Sower, 77, covered over 75 miles).
See, =Bob=, I'm not really *that* old.
Sid
|
| 70.99 | 20.November was the date. | CSC32::GAULKE | | Tue Nov 23 1993 16:07 | 7 |
|
Bob, how'd it go at the Inks Lake Rocky Trail <some distance>
|
| 70.100 | received 12 Jan, 1994 | SSAG::SNYDER | Set your chickens free | Sat Jan 15 1994 14:15 | 23 |
| Merilee O'Neal, Race Director Leadville Trail 100 Committee
P.O. Box 487 Ken Chlouber, President
Leadville, CO 80461 220 W. 8th Street
(719) 486-3502 Leadville, CO 80461
(719) 486-0008
Leadville Trail 100
Congratulations! Your entry into the Leadville Trail 100 has been
accepted. Complete race packets including past stats, lodging info,
maps and other general information will be mailed to you by May 1. If
you desire information before that date, limited numbers of the prior
year's race packet are available from race headquarters at a cost of
$3.00.
We heartily encourage you to plan a trip to Leadville prior to race
week to familiarize yourself with the town and trails.
We're working hard to make this "Race Across the Sky" the best ever.
Our good wishes to you for safe and satisfying training.
Merilee Ken
|
| 70.101 | 1994 Western States 100 | SSAG::SNYDER | Set your chickens free | Tue Jun 28 1994 12:39 | 33 |
| Results of the 1994 Western States 100
July 25-26 in the California Sierras
Men:
1. Tim Tweitmeyer Auburn CA 16:51:01
2. Joe Schlereth Fresno CA 17:51:06
3. Dave Scott Freemont CA 18:19:53
4. Mike Pelechaty Toledo OH 19:00:41
5. Ben Hian Encinitas CA 19:16:12
6. Jim Scott Chico CA 19:21:22
7. Jerry Wittenauer Palo Alto CA 19:27:30
8. Bill Finkbeiner Auburn CA 19:49:18
9. Wayne Miles Diamond Springs CA 19:49:18
10. Rudy Goldstein Santa Rosa CA 20:16:27
Women:
1. Ann Trason Kensington CA 17:37:51 !
2. Evelyn Marshall San Diego CA 21:13:18
3. Helga Backhaus Germany 21:20:20
4. Suzie Lister San Ramon CA 21:29:38
5. Lynn O'Malley Edmonds WA 22:01:07
6. Michele Vandehok Reno NV 23:25:27
7. Diane Ridgway Denver CO 23:31:34
8. Elaina McMahon Ridgecrest CA 24:18:27
9. Cheryl Rippel Edmonton AB 24:24:35
10. Martha Cederstrom San Rafael CA 26:20:36
Ann Trason was up to her usual tricks, winning her sixth straight
WS100, setting a new women's course record, and finishing second (!)
overall.
|
| 70.102 | | CSTEAM::FARLEY | | Tue Jun 28 1994 13:05 | 9 |
|
Yabbut if'n today is June 28, how could the race *been run already*
(July 25-26)???????
Incredible about Ann, she's a tiny runner! Is she doing Vermont?
Kev
|
| 70.103 | | SSAG::SNYDER | Set your chickens free | Tue Jun 28 1994 18:45 | 17 |
| > Yabbut if'n today is June 28, how could the race *been run already*
> (July 25-26)???????
Ooops! That should have been June 25-26. Just this past weekend.
> Incredible about Ann, she's a tiny runner! Is she doing Vermont?
I'm not sure if she's doing Vermont. If she did, I think she'd have a
shot at taking first place overall. As you know, her husband Carl won
last year, and she can kick his butt.
Western States is obviously a special race for her. She chose to run
it again this year rather than compete at the 100K World Championships
in Saramo, Japan, also this past weekend. The American Men's team took
third place there, and American Women's team took fifth.
Sid
|
| 70.104 | 100K World Championships | SSAG::SNYDER | Set your chickens free | Wed Jun 29 1994 10:40 | 236 |
| I have some results and commentary from the 100K World Championships in
Japan as posted to the ultralist by William Belew, an American who is
resident in Japan and was helping the American team.
Reprinted without permission from William Belew in Japan:
TO: INTERNET:[email protected]
I have my notes in front of me now, so I can give you a little bit
better results from the 100k World Champs. Keep in mind these are
unofficial results - there may have been protests and disqualifications
that I don't know about. And I tried to write down times as people came
in by just looking at their numbers. More often than not I missed the
seconds part of the time. And when one of the American team members
came in, I was wrapped up taking care of them and had to go back and
get the times from one of the others standing at the finish line. I'll
give you what I got.
First the men:
1. Alexey Volgin RUS 6:23:??
2. Jarostaw Janicki POL 6:24:3?
3. Kazimiertz BAk GER 6:25
4. Shaun Meiklejohn RSA 6:25:58
5. Andrzej Macier POL 6:32:30
6. Eiji Nakagawa JPN 6:33:25
7. Kiminari Kondo JPN 6:36:30 Non team member
8. Narihisa Kojima JPN 6:37:26
9. Tom Johnson USA 6:41:42
10. Ian Sloan AUS 6:43:10
11. Roland Vuillemenot FRA 6:44:20
12. Bernard Curton FRA 6:44:??
13. Rich Hanna USA 6:44:??
14. Sergei Koval BLS 6:47:30
15. Don Wallace AUS 6:51:??
16. Lucien Taelman BEL 6:52:10
17. Jesus Corredor ESP 6:52:?? Non Team member
18. Bryan Hacker USA 6:55:46
19. Heinz Huglin GER 6:56:??
20. Yoshio Deguchi JPN 6:58:5?
21. Russel Prince NZL 7:06:??
22. Russel Hurring NZL 7:06:46
23. ???????
Clem Grum USA 7:25:06
Brian Purcell USA 7:46:23
Kevin Setnes USA 8:10:56
There were 16 men's teams registered:
1. Germany 20:09:18
2. Japan 20:09:59
3. USA 20:22:46
4. France 20:28:13
5. South Africa 20:42:06
6. Australia 20:47:49
7. ???????
The women:
1. Valentina Shatyaeva RUS 7:36:58
2. Trudy Thomson GBR 7:42:18
3. Irina Petrova RUS 7:46:34
4. Elena Maskina RUS 7:47:24
5. Isabelle Olive FRA 7:55:50
6. Rae Bishoff RSA 7:56:44
7. Chrissy Duryea USA 7:56:59
8. Maria Bak GER 7:58:50
9. Huguette Jouault FRA 8:02:29
10. Carolyn Hunter Rowe GBR 8:05:20
11. Jutta Philippin GER 8:06:28
12. Danielle Geffroy FRA 8:07:55
13. Patricia Lithgow RSA 8:09:57
14. Beatrice Reymann FRA 8:13:11
15. Ashley Evans CAN 8:13:59
16. Ellen McCurtin USA 8:18:45
17. Sylvia Watson GBR 8:24:30
18. ????????
Sue Ellen Trapp USA 8:39:??
Kris Clark Setnes USA 8:47:50
Theresa Daus Weber USA 9:05:??
Donna Perkins USA under 10:00
Tara Tykalovich CAN 9:26:??
Lorraine Lees-McGeough CAN 9:42:05
There were 9 womens teams registered
1. Russia
2. France
3. South Africa
4. Great Britain
5. USA
6. Canada
7. ?????
And that's all the numbers I can remember or had written down. I hope
this gives you some of the info you were looking for. From here on out
it's my observations for what they are worth.
I have lived in Japan for over 13 years. I was asked to help out the
US team by translating, making behind the scenes arrangements, serve as
gopher and handler among other things. My observations are from this
perspective. Please don't for any reason misconstrue anything I say to
mean anything negative about our team. For whatever reasons Americans
tend to have a negative image when coming to Japan. Our team represented
America well. I was proud of them and very happy to be able to serve in
any way. I have nothing bad to say about any of our runners or staff.
I made friends that I think will last a lifetime. They were wonderful
people, each and everyone of them.
Barry Duncan and I woke up at midnight to drive the van I had borrowed
to the finish line - about 8 kilos away from where we were staying. We
ran back and arrived around 1:00am. We moused around and started waking
the team up around 2:30am. The busses left at 3:00am to take us to the
starting line which was about an hour away. We got there at 4 and
headed for the starting line. Everyone was off and running at 5:00am.
The weather was cool - about 12C and cloudy/misty. Good conditions for
the run everyone was saying.
There were 3 locations where handlers could meet their runners - 30k,
65k and 80k. Beyond these three points the runners would be disqualified
if they were offered any assitance.
There was one Japanese non team member out front at 30K. I asked the
Japanese team coach about him and he said not to worry - he would die
sometime soon after the marathon. This was Kondo who eventually finished
7th overall in 6:36. He deserves a whole lot of someone's respect. He
was dying from 65 kilos on but for whatever reason ultrarunner's hang on,
he hung on and came in with a remarkable time for his first attempt. The
Japanese coach told me he was a 2:17 marathoner. There were 2 runners
not far behind him and a pack of about 16 with our top 3 USA members and
Santalov and Jean Paul Praet in it. The women all came in with minutes of one
another. Kris Clark Setnes came in in tears. I never found
why, but what I do know is she was still running at the end. Bless her
heart - she's tough. An IV got her going again. Donna Perkins came in
with an apparent problem that only women get, there was blood on her
legs. I don't know details here either, but Donna was also running at
the end. As soon as she ran in she hobbled out. Donna was psyching
everyone out doing one armed push ups two nights before at the welcome
banquet. She not only has strong arms, she has a strong will. Ellen
surprised me - looking the most fragile of the bunch - just my oserva-
tion. But she was eventually a scoring member of the team. Sue Ellen
ever the consistent performer was right there at the end making up for
the break down of our two strong hopefuls. I hardly ever saw Chrissy
or Theresa. But both of them were there, Chrissy placing 7th women.
I talk about the women here because after the 30K mark I never saw them
again till the goal. I had to catch the bus to get to the lead group
of men runners.
At 65K, Santalov came in in a van. No reason was given for his
withdrawal. But he was at the finish line in pretty good spirits. Jean
Paul Praett had also witdrawn with no reason given. He was later seen
cycling alongside some of the lead French women runners. Our 3 scoring
men came in pretty close together. Rich and Tom were together and Bryan
was several minutes behind. One person was assigned to Rich and Tom,
but since they came into together, I was asked to handle Tom. Both came
in looking good and soon were on their way. They were somewhere around
25-30th. Bryan came in down as all get out. He was hurting real bad -
he said he missed some of his water stations because he didn't see them-
he didn't have his contacts in. We tried real hard to get some food in
him, but he was so angry and depressed he wouldn't take anything and
just took off. We worried a lot about him, thinking he was down enough
already and he didn't eat when he could. After this I left on the bus
to meet the lead men and didn't see any of the other USA team runners.
At the 80K check point we expected to hear the lead Japanese runner had
died. A South African came in ahead, then a Pole and a Russian and the
same Japanese Runner everyone expected to keel over. What a heart he had!
The Japanese coach was here and I talked with him a lot. He was genuin-
ly excited, the way you should be when your team is doing well. He was
not stuffy. There were four Japanese runners in the top 12. Rich came
in looking great. He said something like 'I couldn't stay back with Tom,
I had to go on ahead'. Don't we all know what it is like to run with a
friend on one of these things? Rich seemed like he had been held back.
He was on his way about 18-19th. Several minutes later Tom came in. He
might be described as having had his business suit on. All business. 'Iwant
this and this' he said and then strongly but not rudely told m
get out of his way. I did. And he was off. Another 10 minutes or so
and Bryan came in. He didn't die. He hung on by whatever guts he had
and struggled on. He was tough. He looked as miserable as I've ever
felt on a 100K run but he kept running. He gets my deepest respect for
hanging on. We were able to get some food into him without much fight.
He wanted his Tasmanian Devil gummy bears. It seemed suitable since he
had his Bugs Bunny socks on. We turned off his brain and put him on
automatic and he was off running. We got in the bus and headed for the
finish line. I was there with Japanese coach and two other USA team
handlers. The Japanese coach had a gleam of hope in his eyes. I did
too, I'm sure. The runners came in one by one. He and I were writing
down times. At one point there were 2 runners in from each of the
following teams - Poland, Germany, Japan, France, Australia and USA.
Japan had three runners in but one was not a team member. We fully ex-
pected Rich to come flying around the bend as the first US member and
break 6:40. He didn't. 6:40 came and then 6:41. And an American uni-
form starting to come in. It was Tom. What can I say? The man had it
down. From start to finish he ran his plan and it was right. He was
the picture of plan it out and perform it. Rich was 3 minutes behind
him looking tough but bushed. There was something in the last 20K that
took a lot out of many of the runners. Many positions had changed.
I'm confident there were only four people who knew what was going on.
The Japanese coach, me and Santalov and another Russian unknown. San-
talov was writing down times and adding them up to find out which team
was going to win. Whenever a runner approached the crowd would perk up
and flags would start waving. We couldn't see who it was. But both the
Japanese coach (I never did ask him his name) and I would say, it's a
Japanese or it's an American. We were having fun goading each other. It
was great. 2 members each from 6 different teams had come in and who do
you think came around the bend? Bryan Hacker!!! It was great and I was
going nuts. 39 year old me acting like a knot headed jr. higher. Bryan
made it three Americans in. The Japanese coach's heart sunk to his feet.
But the first two Japanese had better times than the first two Americans.
So there was still hope. But then the next runner was the third German
runner, and the Japanese coach's face dropped. I've been in Japan for
13 years. I felt bad, too. But I wanted the US to win. The next runner
was the 3rd Japanese one. And we started crunching numbers. There was
some disparity in our figures and we couldn't read our handwriting - we
couldn't be sure. Next thing I know, one of the Russians who had retired
comes up to me and tells me congratulations the US had come in third. I
went to check his numbers. He and Santalov were sitting at the finish
line writing it all down. We added them up again and again - sure enough,
The US came in third. Japan was second and the Germans took first beat-
ing out the home team by just 41 seconds. What a day! What fun! And
what a race! As far as I could tell it went right down to the finish. I
wonder how many other people knew how close it was. I was impressed by
our team. I was inspired. I was stimulated. You can be proud of all
them. I am.
Metro
CSERVE 101163,2634
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|
| 70.105 | SI article? | SSAG::SNYDER | Set your chickens free | Tue Jul 26 1994 14:15 | 8 |
| I heard that the July 25 issue of Sports Illustrated has an article on
Ann Trason, but that it's only in the issue sent to subscribers, not in
the issue on the newsstands. Can any SI subscriber here substantiate
that, and if so, copy and send me the article? Please contact me via
email (SSAG::SNYDER), as I'm not sure how soon I'll be looking back in
here. Thanks.
Sid
|
| 70.106 | only sixteen days away | SSAG::SNYDER | Set your chickens free | Thu Aug 04 1994 14:34 | 7 |
| Thanks to Walt for sending me the Ann Trason article from SI. It just
arrived. There are rumors about that she may be coming to Leadville
this year. She may be looking for her first outright win (male and
female) in a trail 100. She finished second overall to Tim Twietmeyer
at Western States in June.
Sid
|
| 70.107 | | PEAKS::WOESTEHOFF | | Thu Aug 04 1994 16:27 | 8 |
| >Ann Trason/Leadville
Has she ever run at high altitude ? As all of use here in Coloradi know,
the mountains and the altitude offer a unique challenge.
Keith, who just changed his Pikes Peak Ascent entry to the Pikes Peak
Marathon(13.5 miles uphill, 13.5 miles downhill, almost 8,000 vertical ft
each way....27 miles of hell). I hope I live to regret it.
|
| 70.108 | | SSAG::SNYDER | Set your chickens free | Thu Aug 04 1994 18:01 | 28 |
| > >Ann Trason/Leadville
>
> Has she ever run at high altitude ? As all of use here in Coloradi know,
> the mountains and the altitude offer a unique challenge.
Ann set the women's course record in 1988. The record had been
22:45:01 and she ran 21:40:26. The following year, Kathy
D'Onofrio-Wood broke Ann's record with a time of 20:50:41. So Ann came
back in 1990 to recapture the record, running the course in 20:38:51.
That record still stands.
However, the altitude does affect her. Gail and I had the opportunity
to spend some time with her when we met her training on the trail a few
weeks prior to her 1990 race. She had come out a few weeks early to
acclimatize and to reacquaint herself with the course. She told us
that she is at her best in the heat, and is subpar at altitude. She
recounted rather graphically how much she hated going back up Sugarloaf
Mountain (11,000' pass, around mile 80), which she calls Ugly Mountain.
When she set the course record in 1988, she had to stop to throw up,
then sleep on the trail for about 5 minutes before she could continue.
> Keith, who just changed his Pikes Peak Ascent entry to the Pikes Peak
> Marathon(13.5 miles uphill, 13.5 miles downhill, almost 8,000 vertical ft
> each way....27 miles of hell). I hope I live to regret it.
I suspect you will. :-)
Sid
|
| 70.109 | | SSAG::SNYDER | Set your chickens free | Fri Aug 05 1994 03:46 | 138 |
|
Reprinted without permission from Sports Illustrated magazine.
Hot on the Trail
Ann Trason is among ultramarathon's top competitors, male or female
by Austin Murphy
It seemed an odd time for Tim Twietmeyer to have a woman on his mind. But
there he was, seven miles from the finish of a hellish 100-mile trek through
the Sierra Nevada, asking, "Where is she?"
As he loped into the Highway 49 checkpoint at mile marker 93 of the Western
States Endurance Run at about 9 p.m. on June 25, Twietmeyer was running well
and running scared. Having started, along with 381 other kindred lunatics,
at 5 o'clock that morning, Twietmeyer had taken the lead after the 62-mile
mark. A software engineer from Auburn, Calif., he had spent the next 30
miles alternately looking ahead--for rattlers, cougars and bears, all of
which have surprised runners on race day--and over his shoulder. Between
gulps of water Twietmeyer inquired again, "How close is she?"
His concern was well-founded. Lurking somewhere on the trail behind him was
Ann Trason, a gutsy divining rod of a woman who six weeks earlier had won the
Silver State 50 in Nevada over 107 other runners. When the 5'4", 105-pound
Trason crossed the tape there, she was literally foaming at the mouth. In
addition to holding six women's ultramarathon world records, Trason, 33, has
won five races outright, including the '89 TAC 24-hour national championship.
While other women have won mixed ultramarathon national titles, none have had
Trason's success. When she is at her best, ultramarathon's gender gap
becomes the distance between her and the men eating her dust.
In the Wesetern States she had no such bold kick. Twietmeyer, 35, crossed
the finish line at the Placer High Football stadium in Auburn in 16:51:01.
Striding in strongly in 17:37:51, Trason lopped 38 minutes from her own
course record to finish 3 1/2 hours ahead of the next-fastest woman and
second overall. It was Trason's sixth straight year as the Western States'
top female finisher, inducing Earl Towner, who had tried to stay with her
only to drop out at the 62-mile mark, to say, "That chick is bionic!"
Several serious injuries have proved otherwise. After a sensational
scholattic track career in Pacific Grove, Calif., Trason blew out a knee as a
freshman at the University of New Mexico and did not compete in college. She
had already begun to tire of the sport, anyway. "Times were sooooo
important," she says.
After transferring to Cal and graduating in 1983 with a degree in
biochemistry, she tried bicycling but got hit from behind by a car and
injured her right elbow. In 1985 she read about a race in Sacramento called
the American River 50 and asked a salesman in an athletic-shoe store what to
expect. Be ready to do a lot of walking, he told her.
In retrospect Trason sees the point he was making; she had no ultra
experience and only six weeks to train. Still, she was insulted and entered
the race with a chip on her shoulder and, fortunately, a water bottle; some
kind soul handed her one in the race's early stages. A good thing, too,
because the temperature on the corse that day reached 100 degrees.
Astonishingly, Trason won. "Afterward, everyone was walking around smiling,"
she says, recalling the feeling of camaraderie and goodwill among the racers
at the finish. "I was like, Why are these people so happy?"
Along with an uncanny pain threshold, Trason harbors a wide contrary streak:
Despite entreaties from her friends, she refused to enter another ultra for
two years. In 1987 she ran the first 50 miles of the Western States, her
first 100-mile race, before a bum knee forced her out. In those 50 miles she
had an epiphany. She fell in love with the Western States trail. "I
consider ultra pure sport," she says. "It's you against the trail."
Blazed first by Paiute and Washoe Indians, then by gold miners, the Western
States trail is a supremely worthy opponent. Plenty of racers leave their
breakfast along the first 4.7 miles of the course, from Squaw Valley at 6,200
feet to Emigrant Pass at 8,700 feet. At mile 78, runners must ford the wide,
frigid and waist-deep Rucky-Chucky rapids. These ordeals bookend the trail's
trademark open-air torture chambers--a series of heat-trapping brain-baking
canyons that begin at the 40-mile mark. In 1986, when ABC had the television
rights to the race, reporter Jimmy Cefalo decided he would run from the floor
of Deadwood Canyon to Devils Thumb, a near-vertical climb of 1,700 feet
crammed into 1.8 miles. On the air Cefalo gasped, "The only word to describe
what I just did: gruesome."
"He'd run one sixtieth of the course, and it took him 45 minutes to catch his
breath," recalls race director Norm Klein, tickled to this day by the memory.
The course is shot through with treacherous twists. This spring, Barbara
Schoener, a 40-year-old mother of two and an avid ultramarathoner, was killed
by a mountain lion during a recreational run on the trail. Some runners have
been bitten by rattlesnakes, other airlifted to hospitals in states of renal
shutdown and severe dehydration. Says Dr. Bob Lind, the race's medical
adviser since its inception, "We've found that, over the course of the race,
a 150-pound man will have to replace 50 pounds of fluids."
The weight of each runner is monitored at 11 of the race's 28 aid stations.
Those who have lost more than 5% of their body weight are required to sit and
drink fluids. Chicken soup is a favorite--"It's got lots of salt," says
Lind. A 7% body-weight loss means you're out of the race. Of the 5,286
entrants to run the Western States, none has died as a result of
participating in the race.
Bizarre climate swings are the norm. Last year's race featured snowdrifts at
Emigrant Pass and temperatures in the canyons that reached 108 degrees. The
weather was cooler this year, but Trason started slowly. "For the first 40
miles I felt like the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz," she said afterward. "I
was tripping and kicking rocks."
At 40 miles she stopped kicking rocks and commenced kicking butt. Trason
entered the canyons in ninth place and emerged from them, at mile 55, in
third. Fifteen miles later she overtook Harry Johnson of Anchorage, who
could not greet her, occupied as he was with vomiting on the side of the
trail. "I told him to hang in there," said Trason, who was paced over the
last 38 miles by her husband, Carl Andersen, 33, a banker and an
ultramarathoner himself.
Mnay people have urged Trason--who lives in Kensington, Calif., and has
worked as a lab technician, taught classees in microbiology at nearby Contra
Costa College and plans to return to school for a degree in physical
therapy--to enter marathons. Her personal best over 26.5 miles is a highly
respectable 2:39, which she could lower substantially if she were to
concentrate on that distance. "Ann could make a lot of money if she ran
shorter races," says Helen Klein, who is Norm's wife and a close friend of
Trason's. "But she just loves the trails."
The solidarity of these extremists was evident at 4:55 a.m. on race day, when
Western States veteran Gordon Ainsleigh, 47, pulled out Shakespeare's Henry V
and read to the assembled runners what is arguably the greatest pep talk in
history, King Henry's oration to the troops before the battle of Agincourt.
It was Ainsleigh who started this insanity back in 1974. Just before the
annual Tevis Cup, a 100-mile horse race over what would become the Western
States course, Ainsleigh's mount pulled up lame. Ainsleigh decided to run
the course on foot. Drinking from streams and accepting food from strangers,
he finished in less than 24 hours.
Twenty years later, there he was, reading Shakepseare in the predawn light.
"We few, we happy few," read Ainsleigh, who would finish in 23:50:07. "We
band of brothers."
The crowd cheered, the gun fired, and the throng began its ascent. Less than
18 hours later, all but one of the happy band of brothers had been bested by
a sister.
|
| 70.110 | | CSC32::GAULKE | | Tue Aug 23 1994 14:03 | 11 |
|
re: .107 PEAKS::WOESTEHOFF
>> who just changed his Pikes Peak Ascent
>> entry to the Pikes Peak Marathon..
Well?
|
| 70.111 | Congrats to the Duece | OURGNG::RIGGEN | Networks Sales & Marketing | Tue Aug 23 1994 15:00 | 9 |
| I was watching ESPN2 this morning and they did a segment on the Leadville 100
covering Jill Trasson(sp) and her quest to win the event. It is flat out
amazing to see the Mexicans strap on the Leather/Rubber sandal and just run for
100 miles.No complex carb drink or anything special Jill got passed at mile 85
by the guy that won the event and set a new record. I'll bet they even showed
footage of old Sid Synder if he was there. Jill finished about 30 minutes behind
the winner.
Jeff
|
| 70.112 | | CTHQ::MCCULLOUGH | Hakuna Matata - means no worries... | Tue Aug 23 1994 15:21 | 9 |
| | covering Jill Trasson(sp) and her quest to win the event. It is flat
| out amazing to see the Mexicans strap on the Leather/Rubber sandal and just
| run for 100 miles.
It is amazing. I remember reading lasted year that they stopped by a
local dump before the race, found some old tires, cut themselves the
sandals, went out an ran the race.
=Bob=
|
| 70.113 | | PEAKS::WOESTEHOFF | | Tue Aug 23 1994 18:09 | 10 |
| > re: .107 PEAKS::WOESTEHOFF
> >> who just changed his Pikes Peak Ascent
> >> entry to the Pikes Peak Marathon..
> Well?
OK, OK, I'm workin on a race report. Will enter it soon.
Keith
|
| 70.114 | There is no joy in Leadville. | SSAG::SNYDER | Set your chickens free | Tue Aug 23 1994 18:37 | 32 |
| Greetings.
Yup, I was at the LT100. I'm afraid I have to report that it was not
my best outing. There'll be no fancy report from me this year; I'm too
disgusted with myself. The short of it:
It was a beautiful day. I wish it had been like the overcast,
sometimes drizzly previous day. I just don't cope well with sun and
heat on a long run. I was doing great for the first 35 miles, hitting
all my target split times right on the money and feeling strong. At
about mile 35, the nausea started. By Twin Lakes at mile 39.5, I was
already unable to eat anything and drinking was getting difficult. By
the time I was halfway up Hope Pass, even the slightest sip of water
triggered the dry heaves. By the time I got to Winfield at the 50 mile
turnaround, my digestive system had completely shut down. I had only
lost 4 pounds, but the medic watched me for little bit, looked at my
eyes, talked to me for about 30 seconds, and then said: "Sorry.
You're too close to the edge." He cut my medical band, and that was
the end of the run for me.
I can't begin to tell you how disappointed I am. I've gone through
some serious reflection over the last two days and decided that there's
only one honest conclusion that I can draw: I did not train properly
or hard enough. Gail, who plans to run Vermont and Wasatch next year,
is taking over as my personal trainer. We're going to train the way
it's supposed to be done. Rearrange our priorities. Shut up and
train. There are no shortcuts.
I look forward to entering a race report for the 1995 Leadville Trail
100.
Sid
|
| 70.115 | | CAMONE::WAY | Tell my friend boy, Willie Brown | Wed Aug 24 1994 09:40 | 35 |
| >
> I can't begin to tell you how disappointed I am. I've gone through
> some serious reflection over the last two days and decided that there's
> only one honest conclusion that I can draw: I did not train properly
> or hard enough. Gail, who plans to run Vermont and Wasatch next year,
> is taking over as my personal trainer. We're going to train the way
> it's supposed to be done. Rearrange our priorities. Shut up and
> train. There are no shortcuts.
>
Hey Sid,
Don't get down on yourself. Sounds like you just had a bad day. We all
have them, no matter what it is that we do.
Look on the bright side -- your bad day didn't cost anyone their life, their
home, their happiness.
Also, if you don't have a bad day once in a while, you can't enjoy the
accomplishment of the good days when they come. I had a coach tell me
one time that only one run in three is a "good" run. I used to love the
"bad" runs, because I'd enjoy the good ones more that way.
Dig down, find what it is you need inside yourself, get yer ass out there
training, and do it up next year.
And never forget that your bad day was about 45 miles more than most
folks will ever run at one time in their lives.......
'Saw
|
| 70.116 | | MKFSA::LONG | It ain't over til it's over, maybe | Wed Aug 24 1994 10:28 | 7 |
| >>And never forget that your bad day was about 45 miles more than most
>>folks will ever run at one time in their lives.......
Dat's a fack Jack!
billl
|
| 70.117 | Sid, you are an amazing runner. | CTHQ::MCCULLOUGH | Hakuna Matata - means no worries... | Wed Aug 24 1994 10:48 | 17 |
| Sid
Bucker up kiddo, yer gonna be fine.
You're right, there are no shortcuts to training. Most of the time I know if
my training is there or not. If I know I don't have the miles behind me, it
doesn't bother me as much to not meet my goals. The tough one to take is to
think you are in shape, and then fall flat. (The very reason I'm not saying
much about this year's Falmouth Road Race).
Just remember, your best race will be your next one.
I remain,
Chasing the elusive return to a 3 hour marathon.
=Bob=
|
| 70.118 | Keep yer head up | PEAKS::WOESTEHOFF | | Wed Aug 24 1994 14:19 | 7 |
| I was thrilled to death to complete the Pikes Peak Marathon but Sid
still went 20 miles further than I did. It's still hard for me to comprehend
how anyone could go the distance in the LT100.
My race report on the Pikes Peak Marathon will follow in the next note.
Keith
|
| 70.119 | Pikes Peak Marathon | PEAKS::WOESTEHOFF | | Wed Aug 24 1994 14:21 | 161 |
| Sunday, I ran and finished my first Ultra. No it wasn't the Leadville 100
or the Hardrock 100 or any of those Super Ultra runs. But it was the oldest
Ultra in the United States, the one with the most tradition and long
considered the toughest marathon in the world. It was the Pikes Peak
Marathon, also called America's Ultimate Challenge. The race starts where
the prairie meets the mountains on a city street in Manitou Springs( a suburb
of Colorado Springs). The starting elevation is at 6295 feet. Halfway into
the marathon, the elevation is 14,110 feet at the summit of the mountain
named after the explorer, Zebulon Pike. No other race in the world has a
single continuous climb of almost 8,000 vertical feet. This race is either
the 2nd or the 3rd oldest marathon in the United States. The first race was
held in 1955 when 14 runners thought they had what it takes to race up and
down the mountain that Zeb Pike claimed would never be climbed. Since then,
the race has grown to 800 participants where it is currently capped. From
it's humble beginning, the race is now quite an event. With the 7 aid
stations, search and rescue teams and other support personnel, they now
utilize over 40 two way radio's. 4 of the aid stations are now supplied
via Army Chinook helicopters. 40% of the runners come from out-of-state
including many from foreign countries. For a long time, American Indians
from New Mexico dominated this race. It was not uncommon for the 2nd and
3rd place finishers to be a brother or cousin of the winner. While, in
recent years, other runners have taken the top honors, some of the
age group records are still held by the Indians who ran this race when it
was much smaller and the sport was less sophisticated.
I had talked to other people who had done this race and heard some horror
stories about the toll of the altitude, the heat at the bottom, the cold at
the top, the crashes and the never ending pounding that the body endures on
the descent. Endurance sports are not new to me, as I've completed 18
triathalons and have climbed 49 mountains over 14,00 feet. But there was
always something about this race that scared me. Maybe it was the horror
stories or maybe it's just that I know, at 45, I'm not quite the athlete
I once was. Also, since the birth of our 2 small children 6 years ago,
I had let my conditioning slide quite a bit. This was not something I
decided to do after a couple of beers but rather was carefully considered
and planned for. For most of the summer, I trained hard on the trails and
in the mountains at high altitude including a week in Telluride and a week
in Aspen. For the first time in my life, my weekly mileage exceeded
50 miles which was almost completely on trails.
Race morning finally arrived. It was about 65 degrees at the start and
30 degrees at the summit. With one minute before the start, the race
announcer called for a moment of silence to commemorate one of the original
founders of the race who died earlier this year. Then suddenly, BANG,
the mussle loader had been fired and the race was on.
The 1st 1.3 miles are uphill on city streets until it reachesd the start
of Barr Trail. Knowing that it would be a long day, I started out slow.
This may have been a mistake because once we got onto the trail, it was
difficult to pass and it seemed that many of the runners were more
accustomed to running on roads than the rocky and steep trail.
For the next 3 1/2 miles I mostly power hiked, intermixed with running
when the trail wasn't quite as steep. My power hike was fast enough to pass
a few who were running.
The next 3 1/2 miles was not quite as steep and I was able to run long
stretches until I arrived at Barr Camp, a couple of cabins in the middle
of the forest where there was no access other than the hiking trail. This is
where I refilled my bottle, drank as much as I could and munched on a
PowerBar. At this point we had already climbed 3900 vertical feet and the
effort and altitude was starting to take it's toll on some of the racers.
Distance wise, this was more than halfway to the summit but the most
challenging part was the final six miles of climbing. My time to this point
was 1 hr 50 minutes.
The 3 miles from Barr Camp to the timberline shelter was very rocky and the
steep grades returned. Most of this was not runable for me. As we entered
the lush growth just before timberline, the first place man passed us going
downhill. Finally, we broke through the trees and we could see the summit.
It still looked far far away and the steepest part was yet to come. It was
2:40 into the race and I still felt good. Time to eat more PowerBar and
drink more water. At this point my high altitude training really started to
pay off. I had not been passed since just past Barr Camp and now I was
starting to pass others with ease and even ran some of the less steep
sections. The 2nd place and 3rd place man passed me going down, a good 15
minutes behind the leader. It would be another 20 minutes before seeing the
1st woman. The further up the Mtn I went, I saw more and more runners
who looked sick or completely spaced out from the affects of altitude and
the effort expended to this point. At 13,000 ft, the air was very very thin.
I could see what looked like 2 hundred spectators, bundled up in their
winter coats and hats, sitting on the rocks near the summit cheering their
loved ones and other racers on. I could make out the banner at the summit
turnaround point. But now the back of my legs burned more than they did all
summer and I was starting to wonder how much longer I could keep up this pace.
My pace started to slow but so did the pace of the other runners. I was still
passing people. Finally I reached the 16 Golden Stairs, a series of very
steep switchbacks where you have to climb with using your hands. This was
very difficult when you had runners going both ways and the congestion was
high. After the stairs, the switchbacks mellowed a bit and the thrill of
being that close to the summit helped me to run for a few short intervals.
Finally, I was at the top, 3 hrs 43 min into the race. A tag was taken from
my race number and I was given a handful of grapes. I sat down to briefly
take in the view and gobble the grapes. Looking down at the start, which
looked so very far away, the magnitude of the distance traveled and the
elevation gained finally sunk in. The race was far from being over.
After going uphill for so long, it took some adjustment to get used to going
downhill. It was very rocky and congested with racers going in both
directions. Plus, I had to use my hands in many of the steep areas with
boulders. The top was not very runable. At 13,000 ft., the trail improved
and the long run to the bottom started in earnest. I knew downhill running
would not be my strong point and a few runners started to pass me but I was
still happy with my pace. Shortly after I went below the treeline, I stopped
to relieve myself in the bushes and grab a quick bite to eat. On the trail,
behind me, I heard a woman crash and then groan. A couple of people stopped
to help and for a while I didn't think she would be able to go on. While
still munching on my Cliff Bat, she passed, limping on a bloody knee.
This part of the trail was runable but with the rocks, roots and debris
on the trail, it was very much an obstacle coarse.
Once down to Barr Camp, the trail improved and running was easier. More
of the people whom I passed on the ascent, started to pass me. Most were
younger and braver while I was still cautious. In the short sections where
the trail wasn't steep, leveled out or climbed a little, I was briefly able
to re-pass some of those racers. In a section that wasn't too difficult,
I started to concentrate on running faster. Then, CRASH, I'm on the ground.
I never saw what tripped me, it didn't matter, it was time to check out the
injuries. I had crashed 5 times earlier this year in training runs so this
was nothing new. I was wearing bicycle gloves so my palms were protected.
One finger did get a little mangled and bloody. A knee and elbow were
also bloody. I took my water bottle and poured it over the wounds to wash
away the dirt and blood. I wasn't injured bad, the race would continue.
I estimate that 1/4 to 1/3 of all racers crashed at some point during the
race.
When I reached the steep section in the final 3 1/2 miles of the trail,
the strength in my legs was gone. I wanted to run faster but I couldn't.
More of the people whom I passed on the ascent were passing me. But at least
I was still running while some started to walk. Fatigue was a real problem
at this point but at least my feet and knees were not as sore as I expected.
I felt hungry but couldn't eat. I felt thirsty but had a hard time drinking.
Finally, I found myself on the Ruxton Avenue with a only about a mile to go.
I was amazed at how many people lined the street cheering for each runner.
Since the field was now very spread out, each runner got lots of attention
from the crowd. Physically, I was exhausted but emotionally I felt wonderful.
Then, about 100 yards from the finish, I saw my wife and our 4 and 5 year
old children. I had to stop and get a high 5 from each of them. The finish
line of the race, that scared me, was now in sight. I was still running on
exhausted legs but now my arms were raised above my head pumping up and
down as if I was a wide receiver who just scored a TD. Upon crossing the
finish line, they put a medal around my neck. The medical tent was directly
behind the finish line. All racers had to go through it. When I saw some
empty chairs, all I could think of was sitting down. The support staff were
like angels from heaven. They brought water and food, took my shoes off,
cleaned and bandaged my wounds. My finish time was 6 hrs 30 min., which
placed me somewhere in the middle of the pack. I was very happy. In fact
I'm sure that I was as happy or more happy than the man from Mexico who
won the race.
It's been 3 days since the race. I'm still sore and tired but the recovery
has not been as bad as I expected. I ran a couple of miles yesterday. When
I did, it still felt like I was running that final mile down Ruxton Avenue.
What's up next ? Well, my wife wants to run the race next year so I guess
I'll be the one waiting at the finish line with the kids. This race gave me
as much challenge as I ever wanted. I doubt that I'll ever enter a race
like the Leadville 100. But Sid, keeps bringing up the idea of doing the
the Collegiate Peaks 50. Maybe I'll entertain the idea. It's too soon
to tell.
Keith
|
| 70.120 | | MKFSA::LONG | It ain't over til it's over, maybe | Wed Aug 24 1994 14:36 | 6 |
| Congrats, Keith! I'm tired just reading about your escapade.
Sounds a 'little' bit tougher than sprinting up Mt Washington
without the assistance of the incline.
billl
|
| 70.121 | | FRETZ::HEISER | Maranatha! | Wed Aug 24 1994 15:05 | 2 |
| We have real mountains out west. None of those hills like you have in
New England.
|
| 70.122 | | MKFSA::LONG | It ain't over til it's over, maybe | Wed Aug 24 1994 15:20 | 6 |
| Thanks for the geographical update, Mr Wizard!
As a fellow 'burgher, I'm sure Keith knew what I meant.
billl
|
| 70.123 | | CSC32::GAULKE | | Wed Aug 24 1994 16:00 | 12 |
|
Congratulations Keith!!
The Peak round trip is quite an accomplishment!
This year was gonna be my first also, but I had to bag it due to ITBS.
Sid, sorry to hear of your DNF. What did you lack in your
training that caused the problems as early as mile 39?
|
| 70.124 | Congrats, Keith! | SSAG::SNYDER | Set your chickens free | Wed Aug 24 1994 16:18 | 31 |
| > Congratulations Keith!!
I agree! 6:30 is a very respectable time. And based on your
description, Keith, I am even more convinced than ever that you'd enjoy
the hell out of the Collegiate Peaks 50. It's not until April, so you
have plenty of time to prepare.
> The Peak round trip is quite an accomplishment!
> This year was gonna be my first also, but I had to bag it due to ITBS.
Bummer. ITBS (no, not the Iowa Test of Basic Skills, but Ilio-Tibial
Band Syndrome) is a bitch. It's very slow healing and therefore a very
frustrating injury, much like Achilles Tendonitis or Plantar Fasciitis.
But the mountain's going nowhere, so you'll get your chance next year.
> Sid, sorry to hear of your DNF. What did you lack in your
> training that caused the problems as early as mile 39?
Dedication. I didn't train for heat. In fact, I so dislike running in
the heat that I always tried to do my running in the cooler parts of
the day. I didn't experiment enough with different food and drink on
long, hot runs to see what my body would tolerate. Most importantly, I
hadn't put in the raw miles that I should have. I believe that had I
done a better job of general training, my body would not have had to
work as hard as it did to cover those first 39 miles and would not have
been rejecting food and drink.
My new training regimen will include heat training, cross-training
(bicycling and weights), and more high-altitude training.
Sid
|
| 70.125 | | PEAKS::WOESTEHOFF | | Wed Aug 24 1994 16:30 | 10 |
| Sid, I want you to know that you were right. I'm glad I took your advice
and only ran once in the final week(5 days before the race). I had some
small nagging injuries in my foot, ankle and knee taht I was concerned
about. They were all healed and none of them bothered me during the race.
But, sitting around doing nothing for 4 days before the race was driving
me crazy.
Gotta work on my downhill. I think weight training would help also.
Keith
|
| 70.126 | These guys are amazing!!! | CTHQ::MCCULLOUGH | Hakuna Matata - means no worries... | Wed Aug 24 1994 16:40 | 8 |
| Keith
Congrats! That's terrific. I have a friend who ran the race once. I thought
she was a pretty good runner, and her time was around 8 hours. I know how you
felt on your first run after the race. In my first runs after measly, little
marathons I find myself lookign for a water stop after about a mile.
=Bob=
|
| 70.127 | Tarahumara | SSAG::SNYDER | Set your chickens free | Wed Aug 24 1994 16:45 | 52 |
| I guess I've calmed down enough now that I can talk a bit more about
the good things that happened at Leadville this year (i.e., those
things that didn't involve me).
The big stories are Juan Herrera and Ann Trason.
Juan Herrera is a Tarahumara Indian. The Tarahumara live in the Copper
Canyon in Chihuahua, Mexico. They have long had a reputation for
prowess in endurance, particularly running, competitions. In fact,
such competitions are a part of their cultures. Villages compete
against each other, wagering substantial quantities of the villages'
food supply. This is quite an incentive for an agricultural,
subsistence society. Their vegetarian diet is high in carbohydrates
and low in fat. The staple foods are corn and beans (big surprise).
Two years ago, Rick Fisher, an amateur anthropologist, and Kitty
Williams, an ultrarunner, spent considerable time in the Copper Canyon
studying the Tarahumara. They wondered how the Tarahumara would do in
a Western-style endurance competition. So they arranged for six
Tarahumara to come to the 1992 LT100 to compete. They were given
Converse shoes and flashlights. Not one of them got further than 40
miles.
Why? Well, it seems that they didn't really understand what was going
on. First off, they had never had flashlights. They had run at night
carrying a torch. Since the race starts at 4:00 a.m., they had to run
the first two hours with the flashlights, which they held pointing
straight up, just as they would a torch. Further, in their own
competitions, no competitors may take any form of sustenance from
anyone other than a fellow villager. Therefore, they didn't think they
were allowed to take any food or drink at the aid stations. The
result was inevitable.
The next year, 1993, six more Tarahumara came to compete. This time,
they had been well-informed and were ready to go. The only problem was
the shoes (it's gotta be da shoes). The day before the race, they went
to the Leadville dump and found some old tires. They were very
impressed with the quality of tires there compared to what they'd get
in Mexico. They fashioned sandals out of the tires and some leather
thongs and ran in those. They took 1st, 2nd, and 5th place. The
winner, Victoriano Churro, was announced as being 38 years old when he
crossed the line. It turned out, however, that he had been confused at
the border when they asked his age. He gave them the year of his
birth, '38. Victoriano was actually 55. He won the race in 20 hours,
2 minutes. What's incredible about that is that he nearly ran negative
splits. His first 50 was done in 9:56.
That's a bit of history about the Tarahumara at Leadville. I'll talk a
bit about the Tarahumara and Ann at the 1994 LT100 in a subsequent
reply (but not right now).
Sid
|
| 70.128 | | CAMONE::WAY | Tell my friend boy, Willie Brown | Wed Aug 24 1994 17:18 | 25 |
| Sid,
I'm probably not telling you anything you don't already know, but if you
run in the heat for three or four days straight, you'll have it licked.
At least that's the way it works for me.
Then I start with the pscyhe up too --- I tell myself I'm gonna love
running in the heat because the heat will mean my muscles are warm and
they're gonna be good and loose. Probably pure bullshit, but before
a 90 degree high-humidity run it helps.
My mileage is dinky compared to what you guys do. I've never run more
than 6 in my life and never more than 25 a week. Course, at 6', 245 I'm
not built like a runner and use running differently than you guys do, so
I'm probably full of you know what....
But, I do have to go out and run when I get home. I promised a good friend
that I *would* be running the Manchester Road Race this Thanksgiving
and at 4.75 miles, it's my own little version of a marathon....8^)
Good luck with the training, and please keep us posted.....
'Saw
|
| 70.129 | | CTHQ::MCCULLOUGH | Hakuna Matata - means no worries... | Wed Aug 24 1994 18:14 | 9 |
| |But, I do have to go out and run when I get home. I promised a good friend
|that I *would* be running the Manchester Road Race this Thanksgiving
|and at 4.75 miles, it's my own little version of a marathon....8^)
Frank
If you run, who is going to watch the beer?
=Bob=
|
| 70.130 | | METSNY::francus | Baseball in 94? 95? :-( | Wed Aug 24 1994 18:16 | 9 |
|
> Frank
>
> If you run, who is going to watch the beer?
Chappy and /er
The Crazy Met
|
| 70.131 | | CAMONE::WAY | Tell my friend boy, Willie Brown | Thu Aug 25 1994 10:17 | 9 |
| It gets locked in the cab of the truck. Where I hide the keys for Chris
is a different story. He usually does that race FAST, so he could conceivably
have two beers before I get back to the line.....
I have a couple of different places around the truck where I can keep a
spare key.....
'Saw
|
| 70.132 | | CTHQ::MCCULLOUGH | Hakuna Matata - means no worries... | Thu Aug 25 1994 10:55 | 5 |
|
|I have a couple of different places around the truck where I can keep a
|spare key.....
well it seem sthat you have the priorities straight...
|
| 70.133 | more leadville stuff | SSAG::SNYDER | Set your chickens free | Thu Aug 25 1994 17:58 | 55 |
| Training for the 1995 LT100 officially began for me today. Went out
for a little 4.5 miler at lunch (heat of the day). My knees and feet
could probably have used another couple days of recovery, but what it
did for my head was invaluable. I remembered why I do this. Being out
on hilly, rocky trails, self-propelled, just plain feels good. I don't
have to perform well. I just have to train hard and remember to have
fun.
On the LT100 application form, you are asked to list your ultrarunning
accomplishments and your ultrarunning goals. Ann Trason, who can count
among her many accomplishments holding the world records at 50 miles,
100 kilometers, and 100 miles, wrote simply: "I've had fun at every
ultra I've run." In response to goals, she wrote: "To continue to have
fun at every ultra I run." That's the spirit, Ann.
In the eleven runnings prior to this year's race, there were a total of
14 sub-20 hour finishes, and they were done by 8 people:
Jim O'Brien 17:55:57 CA 1990 37 M
Rick Spady 18:04:03 MT 1988 36 M
Steve Warshawer 18:04:03 GA 1988 30 M
Skip Hamilton 18:43:50 CO 1984 39 M
Skip Hamilton 18:44:55 CO 1987 42 M
Steve Warshawer 18:54:05 GA 1987 29 M
Sean Crom 18:56:40 NV 1989 33 M
Jim Howard 19:15:57 CA 1985 30 M
Mark Brotherton 19:24:51 CA 1989 32 M
Skip Hamilton 19:26:09 CO 1986 41 M
Steve Mahieu 19:38:04 NM 1991 44 M
Rick Spady 19:51:10 MT 1992 40 M
Dennis Herr 19:54:30 VA 1988 41 M
Dennis Herr 19:57:49 VA 1990 43 M
The women's course record was held by Ann Trason:
Ann Trason 20:38:51 CA 1990 29 F
Last year's winner's line looked like this:
Victoriano Churro 20:03:33 MEX 1993 55 M
This year, there were seven Tarahumara entered in the race. Unlike
previous years, however, they sent their best. It seems that Rick
Fisher offered offered to award a ton of corn and a half ton of beans
to the village that produced the winner. The Tarahumara who came to
Leadville this year came to run.
Ann had just finished second overall to Tim Twietmeyer at Western
States in late June, shattering her own course record there. Leadville
was abuzz with "can Ann win it outright" talk all Thursday and Friday.
Most everyone I spoke with was hoping she would.
More to come.
Sid
|
| 70.134 | | PEAKS::WOESTEHOFF | | Thu Aug 25 1994 18:08 | 8 |
| >I remembered why I do this. Being out
>on hilly, rocky trails, self-propelled, just plain feels good.
That's the spirit.
It's not the prize that's important, it's the journey.
Keith
|
| 70.135 | | SOLANA::MAY_BR | QUIET--case study in progress | Thu Aug 25 1994 20:35 | 9 |
|
Sid,
If you want to really train in the heat, come on down here. Seriously,
if you want to come down for a few days, you can stay at my place,
right in the middle of the desert. My wife's a vegeteable, er,
vegetarian like you too, so food wouldn't be too much of a big deal.
brews
|
| 70.136 | | CTHQ::MCCULLOUGH | Hakuna Matata - means no worries... | Fri Aug 26 1994 10:42 | 9 |
| Poster thgat has been in my office for the last 5 years:
"The race is not to the swift,
But to those that keep on running"
The picture is that of a runner, cresting a small hill, with
a long, flat road ahead, as far as the eye can see.
=Bob=
|
| 70.137 | | CAMONE::WAY | Tell my friend boy, Willie Brown | Fri Aug 26 1994 11:02 | 7 |
| >
> "The race is not to the swift,
> But to those that keep on running"
>
They musta been thinking about me when they wrote that, eh? 8^)
|
| 70.138 | careful what you offer | SSAG::SNYDER | Set your chickens free | Tue Aug 30 1994 18:01 | 7 |
| brews,
Watch out. I may take you up on that offer. There is an interesting
series of trail runs in the (very)Greater Phoenix area. You got room
for Gail and two kids, too? :-)
Sid
|
| 70.139 | more to come . . . | SSAG::SNYDER | Set your chickens free | Tue Aug 30 1994 18:02 | 91 |
| While I was out running half a race, Ann Trason and seven Tarahumara
Indians were living up to the LT100's billing: The Leadville Trail
100: The Race Across the Sky. This was a performance that would not
soon be forgotten.
It was a hot (for us Coloradans), sunny day; perfect for Ann, who
trains and loves to run in the heat, and for the Tarahumara, who live
and run in Mexico's Copper Canyon. As I started my ascent of Hope Pass
about 41 miles into the run, I thought back to 1990, when Jim O'Brien
had set the course record. That year, Jim hit the river crossing on
the return leg as I was changing my shoes after crossing the river on
the out leg. I was now a mile beyond that point, wondering when I'd
see the leader, and who that leader would be. I didn't have to wonder
long. Here came Ann, hauling butt, with her husband and pacer, Carl
Anderson, hauling butt behind her. I glanced at my watch and noted
that it was 2:06 p.m.
I began working my way up the 4-mile, 3000' ascent trail, wondering
when the next runner would come by, and who it would be. A full 15
minutes later, 2:21 on my watch, Juan Herrera came flying down the
trail, a gringo pacer at his heels. Juan was clearly in his element,
in his colorful, skirt-like traditional garb and sandals, on a high,
rocky, mountain trail. He had a smile on his face as wide as any I've
ever seen; his feet appeared to barely touch the ground. As he floated
by, he acknowledged my applause by holding up one finger in the "We're
number 1" gesture we've all come to know. It seemed so incongruous, so
out of context. He had the blissful look of a child racing across a
field in a burst of joy. Even though he was twenty minutes behind Ann,
it was clear that this was going to be his race. Move over, Jim
O'Brien.
I continued my ascent and my body continued its slow, but now
unstoppable rebellion. A long time passed before the next return
runner came by, another Tarahumara. Several more Tarahumara came by,
as well as a couple of gringos, before I hit the 12,600' pass. By now,
I was failing to take notice of much of anything. It had stopped being
fun. The 2.5 mile, 2600' descent to Clear Creek Road is pretty much a
blur in my mind. I was toast.
Regardless, I made myself run. When I got down to the trailhead, I
knew I still had plenty of time to make the 14-hour cutoff at Winfield,
2.4 miles up the hot, dusty Clear Creek Road. Gail and Barry, my crew,
met me at the trailhead, took my fanny pack, and gave me a water bottle
to carry for that 2.4 miles.
I could no longer run. Any attempt to even walk any faster than a 3
mph pace caused me to double over with dry heaves. The thought of
putting water in mouth brought waves of nausea. I trudged up the road,
thinking that all I needed to do was get to Winfield, make it through
the medical check, take a ten or fifteen minute rest, and maybe my
digestive system would come around.
I arrived at Winfield fifteen minutes before cutoff. I went into the
medical tent and stood on the scales. The medic said that I was about
4 pounds down and that I'd have to go into the food tent and eat and
drink before I could go back out. I went into the food tent and sat on
one of the cots. Gail came in with me and kept suggesting different
things for me to eat. Pretzels? Cantaloupe? Watermelon? Cookies?
Banana? M&Ms? I'd just shake my head at each suggestion.
Standing a few feet from me was another runner who had just come into
the tent. He was talking to his crew, telling them that he was done.
He wasn't sick, he wasn't hurting. He was standing at the food and
drink tables, eating, drinking, and joking with his crew. They were
trying to talk him into making the turn. He'd have none of it. Wimp,
I thought. Poor baby was a little tired.
Finally, Gail came over carrying a styrofoam cup with hot Ramen in it.
She suggested that something hot and salty might do the trick. Okay,
she didn't suggest, she insisted. As one who knows better than to
argue with Gail, I took a tiny sip. No negative reaction. I took
another tiny sip. Still okay. Great, I thought. We went back through
the medical tent, showing the medic that I was eating something, and
checked out before the cutoff so I could go back to the car, finish the
Ramen, and head back to Hope Pass.
Barry had everything set up at the car. I sat in my chair and took
another couple small sips of Ramen. All of a sudden, it wasn't tasting
so great any more. I tried to take a little sip of water and the
nausea returned. After a few minutes of dry heaves (I *really* hate
dry heaves), the reverse peristalsis became productive and I lost what
little Ramen I had managed to get down. Then came the shakes. I was
soon wearing a down coat and had a sleeping bag draped over the rest of
me, but I was still very cold and unable to stop shaking.
I don't know how much time passed, but it couldn't have been more than
five minutes. I was still wrapped up in the chair, my head down
between my knees, when I heard a voice say, "Look up at me." I looked
up. It was the medic. I remember saying, "Just let me sit for five or
ten minutes more. This may pass." He replied, "Sorry. You're too far
gone." And he snipped my medical band.
|
| 70.140 | the finish | SSAG::SNYDER | Set your chickens free | Fri Sep 02 1994 19:32 | 85 |
|
It's fourteen miles of dusty, washboard road from Winfield to Highway
24, the road back to Leadville. I was sitting, bouncing in the car,
full of self-pity at having been pulled from the race as we approached
the highway. Suddenly it dawned on me that the medic had made his way
out of the medical tent to the car to examine me and do the dirty deed.
"Conspiracy!" I shouted. Gail and Barry then admitted that they had
stepped away from the car, out of earshot, discussed the situation, and
decided to go to the tent and call the medic out to have me pulled.
Gail claimed that the fact that it took me almost 45 minutes to realize
that that's what had happened was justification for the decision. I
was not convinced.
She said that she was afraid to head back up to Hope Pass with me,
because she envisioned me collapsing at 12,000' and being unable to do
anything about it. She's tough, but not tough or strong enough to
carry my 180-pound frame down that steep, rocky slope. Maybe it's a
bad idea to have your spouse be your pacer: too much sympathy.
Anyway, the band was cut and the race was over for me. The upside of
being pulled early, though, is that you have the opportunity to be at
the finish line to watch the lead runners come in. So, after a shower
and a meal, we headed to the finish line in the heart of Leadville.
It was 9:00 p.m. The race announcer was up on his platform, mike in
hand, two-way radio to his ear. Soon he bellowed, "We have a report
from the Sheriff. Juan Herrera, a 25-year-old farmer from Chihuahua,
Mexico, is on 'The Boulevard' only a few miles from the finish."
Twenty-five minutes later, we saw the flashing lights of the Sheriff's
car crest the hill only a quarter mile from the finish. Soon, the
short, slight figure came into view, still running strongly. His face
showed the miles and the determination as he ran up the red carpet and
appeared to try to duck under the ribbon rather than break through it.
He had just demolished Jim O'Brien's course record of 17:55:57, a
record that most had thought would stand for many years to come.
Juan's time: 17:30:42!
Race Director Merilee O'Neil was there to put his finisher's medallion
around his neck and a blanket across his shoulders. The press crowded
around him, cameras rolling, microphones shoved in front of his face.
I can't begin to imagine what was going through his mind as he stood in
the middle of this rather bizarre spectacle.
A few minutes later came the announcement: "The Sheriff's department
has confirmed that Ann Trason is on 'The Boulevard' and should be here
soon."
"The Boulevard" is a rocky, rutted dirt road that ends at pavement only
a mile from the finish. We didn't know where on the "The Boulevard"
she was, and eyes were straining, looking for a figure to appear at the
top of the hill, hoping that she could not only take second place
overall but perhaps even break Jim O'Brien's record herself.
But it was not to be. Shortly after the clock ticked over to 18:00:00,
another Sheriff's car crested the hill, Ann and Carl running behind.
Ann crossed the finish line in 18:06:24! The old women's record (held
by Ann, of course) was 20:38:51. It would be an hour and forty minutes
before the third place runner would finish the race.
In a repeat of the scene a half hour before, but with someone more
accustomed to such treatment, Ann turned to Merilee as the blanket was
put around her shoulders and said: "I know you must be disappointed in
me." Ann had clearly come to win.
I feel incredibly lucky to have witnessed what I believe to be two of
the most stunningly powerful athletic performances of our time. I have
not yet seen the final statistics from the race. I have been told that
the seven Tarahumara runners took seven of the top eleven places.
An outfit called Freewheelin' Films out of Aspen filmed the race for
CBS. According to race management, the film will be shown in three
half-hour segments starting in mid-October. All runners will be
informed of the exact dates and times. When I get them, I'll post them
here.
I had heard that ESPN was there. I wish I had known that ESPN2 would
be airing a segment shortly after the race so I could get a tape of it.
On the off chance that any of you know of anyone who might have taped
it, please let me know.
Sid
|
| 70.141 | LT100 on CBS | SSAG::SNYDER | There are no shortcuts | Thu Sep 29 1994 12:53 | 8 |
| From the October 1994 issue of UltraRunning:
Leadville Trail 100 on TV
CBS/Eye On Sports will be airing its film from the Leadville Trail 100
on three consecutive weekends, beginning October 15. The bike race
will be the first show, and the run will constitute the following two
episodes. Check local listings for the time in your area.
|
| 70.142 | LT100 on CBS/Eye on Sports tomorrow | SSAG::SNYDER | There are no shortcuts | Fri Oct 21 1994 10:45 | 16 |
| A quick reminder for those interested: CBS/Eye on Sports will be
featuring the 1994 Leadville Trail 100 (Part I) tomorrow afternoon.
Sid
P.S. Congrats, =Bob=, on your marathon PR! I can only dream of
running a sub-3 marathon.
P.P.S. To any Colorado noters: Gail has formed a new running club for
keeping the training up over the winter months. It's called MENSTRWAL,
Men ENduring Sadistic Training Runs With Athletic Ladies. It features
a monthly long run, the first being a 35-miler on November 12, starting
at Castlewood Canyon State Park just east of Castle Rock and ending at
our house, just southwest of Fox Run Regional Park. If interested,
call Gail or me at 481-4962. All MENSTRWAL runs are no fee, no aid, no
awards, no wimps.
|
| 70.143 | Pretty good coverage on the Mountain bike portion | OURGNG::RIGGEN | Networks Sales & Marketing | Fri Oct 21 1994 12:28 | 6 |
| Sid I watched the LV100 mountain bike race last weekend do they use the
same course as the runners ?
From Leadville around Tourquise Lake, over Sugarloaf mountain to Twin lakes...
Jeff who is thinking about a 100 mile bike ride.
|
| 70.144 | bike vs. running course | SSAG::SNYDER | There are no shortcuts | Fri Oct 21 1994 14:48 | 29 |
| The 100-mile mountain bike course is similar, but not the same. The
running course also goes from Leadville around Turquoise Lake, over
Sugarloaf and to Twin Lakes. However, the runners take the
single-track trail around Turquoise Lake, rather than the dirt road
course the bikers use. Once over Sugarloaf, the bikers again take the
lower dirt road to Twin Lakes, whereas the runners take the higher,
single-track trail on the flanks of Mt. Elbert. From Twin Lakes to the
turnaround, the runners are on single-track trail over Hope Pass and
down to Winfield. The bikers go around to the south but then climb as
high as Hope Pass for their turnaround.
The courses for the two events are sometimes the same, and sometimes
they parallel each other. The major difference is that the running
course has significantly more single-track trail and is, on average,
higher than the bike course, with more elevation gain/loss.
This is in no way meant to play down the difficulty of the bike course.
Running and biking are very different beasts. I'll think you'll find
that the bike course offers as much challenge as you would like. :-)
The race directors are the same for both events, and I can tell you
that you won't find a better organized and executed event anywhere. If
you're serious about trying it next year (and I hope you are), I'll be
happy to get you lots more info on the course and the event itself.
But first you need to heal the knee, right? And then, shut up and
train (my current motto). There are no shortcuts. :-)
Sid
|
| 70.145 | The Barkley Marathons | SSAG::SNYDER | There are no shortcuts | Mon Jan 16 1995 16:29 | 136 |
|
The Barkley Marathons (I have no idea where the name came from) is
considered by all as on the very fringe of what many consider a fringe
sport to begin with. It is run over extremely rugged terrain in
Tennessee and it takes no prisoners. I recently came across an
application form and thought that there are enough perverse minds in
::SPROTS to make it worth posting.
For your amusement, the application form for the Barkley Marathons:
=======================================================================
Misspellings are deliberate:
this form not intended for use by miners
BARKLEY MARATHONS
100 MILE RUN
55 mile fun run
Put this down. Get away from it. You are holding a one way ticket
thru the portals of Hell. One way in and only one way out.
The Barkley is not the most imposing 100 miler. Only 2000' separate the
highest and lowest points. Yet, somehow, year after year nobody
finishes. Why? Because, eventually, everybody quits. Maybe it is the
endless gut-wrenching climbs. Maybe it is the leg-wrenching descents.
Maybe it is the sawbriers and blackberries.
Maybe it is because the Barkley is truly man against the mountain. We
don't have cute little glo-lights every hundred feet. If you can't find
your way, you shouldn't be in the woods. No gourmet stands every half
mile. You are lucky we put out water.
The Barkley is not for the pretty boys. The Barkley takes away your
speed and leaves you a struggling shadow of yourself. The Barkley
runner must be tough. A thousand foot per mile elevation change exacts
a heavy toll. He must be savvy. Finding your way with a map is easy if
you know how. Knowing where you are on a remote mountainside at night
requires no little skill. He must be self reliant. At the Barkley we
provide a venue, and render it reasonably safe. The rest is between
you, the mountain, and that little voice inside you that says "Mommy,
it is too hard, I want to quit."
There are reasons that the fun-run averages only 2 finishers a year.
There are reasons that no one has ever finished the 100. To know the
Barkley is to know humility...and fear.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: April 1, 1995 : packet pickup March 31
Starting Time: Saturday morning
Time Limit: 55 miles, 36 Hours : 100 Miles, 60 Hours
Location: Frozen Head State Natural Area
Don't ask, if you can't find the park on your own, then
you don't belong "out there".
Average Weather: Temperatures 0 to 80 f. Possibly during the same
race. Rain, snow, sleet, hail, hot sun have all occured
in the past.
Requirements: Rigorous requirements must be met: NO women. They are
too soft. No children. They are too small. No Californians. This
race is not cool. NO soccer fans. Soccer sucks. NO marines. They
don't biodegrade. NO yankees. We don't want them buried here. NO
wimps, worms, slugs, or weenies. They don't got what it takes. And
most of all, NO Health Fascists. We encourage smoking during the
race.
Course Profile: Gently rolling, numerous downhills (27,000' in the
fun-run alone). Very scenic.
Trail Description: Varies. Some of it ain't for sissies.
Recomended Clothing: Enough to get thru briers. You should carry
emergency gear. (dry clothing, matches, etc.)
Aid: Access to your car @ 20 mile intervals. Water @ 5-8 mile
intervals.
Fee: $1.55 and a pair of thick, warm boot socks.
Entry Limit: 25 runner limit. Selection by whim.
Your chances of finishing: You Will Not Complete the 100 Mile Run.
You have about a 10% chance in the fun-run.
ESSAY: ALL ENTRANTS ARE REQUIRED TO COMPLETE AN ESSAY ON "WHY I
SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO RUN IN THE BARKLEY".*
* include discussion of all issues involving deorative wood
shavings, unnecessary surgery, Tommy Lasorda, uninspected poultry,
shampoo, duck costumes, reptiles, investment bankers, and unwanted
hairs.
------------------------------------------------------------------
send entry to: Idiot
233 Union Ridge
War Trace, TN 37183
NAME:_________________________________AGE:_____(in Mercurian years)
ADDRESS:_____________________________________SEX: Y/N
CITY:__________________________________ST____HAT SIZE:_____
FAVORITE PARASITE:_________________________________________________
Complete the following: You can never know too much about fungus,
because..._________________________________________________________
*** read before signing ***
I KNOW THE BARKLEY IS A GRUELING, GRIM, AND HAZARDOUS EVENT,
WITH MINIMAL OPPORTUNITY FOR SUCCESS. I SWEAR TO OPERATE STRICTLY
WITHIN SAFE PARAMETERS. RESPONSIBILITY FOR MY SAFETY IS ENTERELY MY
OWN
SIGNED ______________________________________________DATE_________
WITNESS______________________________________________
-------------------------------------------------------------------
DEFFN: Fool- enters the Barkley
Moron- enters the Barkley, expects to finish
Idiot- enters the Barkley, thinks he will do the 100
Sissy- does not enter the Barkley
|
| 70.146 | 96 Leadville Trail 100, part 1 | PEAKS::WOESTEHOFF | | Tue Sep 03 1996 18:41 | 55 |
| A couple of years ago, Sid Snyder wrote up a multi-part race report when his
wife, Gail, ran the Leadville Trail 100. He had most everyone in SPROTS
anxiously waiting for his next reply. Yours truely lined up for the start
of the 96 Race Across the Sky. I did my best to keep in Sid's tradition
for writing an entertaining and accurate race report. I described the
event in the perspective of a first time participant. I hope you enjoy
reading it.
The first part follows:
Leadville, Colorado, at 10,430 feet is the highest city in the
United States. To put the altitude of Leadville into perspective, it's
about 4,000 feet higher than Mt Washington, the highest point in eastern
United States. In addition to it's altitude, Leadville is also known
for an incredible sporting event, the Leadville Trail 100(LT100), the Race
Across the Sky. The start and finish is in Leadville. It's an out and back
course through the heart of the Rockies. It traverses some of the highest
mountains in the United States. The course rarely drops below the elevation
of Leadville but it climbs much higher. In it's 14 year history, 5 people
have completed the race 10 or more times. Others have tried 10 or more times
but have never broken the ribbon at the finish line on 6th Ave.
The Leadville Trail 100 is over for this year. It was an adventure that
I'll never forget.
In the days leading up to the start, I was very anxious, having never
attempted such a difficult event. I was also having pain in my left
hip when I went downhill. I was worried that I would have to drop early
because of it. It was hard to sleep for most of the week before but much to
my surpise, I was able to fall asleep fairly early(~10:00) on the eve of the
LT100.
My alarm was set for 3:00 AM but the people in the room next to us
got up at 2:30, I heard them take a shower and they played their radio loud
enough that I knew it was hopeless to try to sleep any longer. The Explorer
was packed the day before with all of the food and gear that my crew would
need to help me in the endeavor. All of my clothes and food for the morning
were neatly arranged for a quick exit. After dressing and a quick bowl of
cereal, it was time to drive 10 miles north to the start.
When my wife, Kristin, and I arrived at the start there was a nervous
energy in the air, like at most races, but it was different. Nobody was
stretching or doing any warmup running. It was more common to see people
hugging their loved ones. It was very dark and there were few stars visible
in the sky. But for some reason the weather did not feel threatening. I
looked through the crowd and saw many determined faces but I realized that
less than half would cross the finish line. The rest would be crushed
by the unforgiving LT100 course. Soon, the race announcer started counting
10...9...8.......................3...2...1...BANG!!
The 14 running of the LT100, the Race Across the Sky, was on.
More later.....
Keith
|
| 70.147 | LT100 Race report Part 2 | PEAKS::WOESTEHOFF | | Wed Sep 04 1996 12:26 | 76 |
| What a relief, the race had finally started. I always hate the last few days
before a big race. Sitting around and resting may be the best best strategy,
but it drives me crazy. It gives me too much time to think and become
anxious. But, for this race, the anticipation was just unreal. I love the
mountains, I love the challange and I love running on those rocky, muddy,
dusty, uneven and steep trails. Yeeeha!!.........It's time to have fun.
It was 4:00 AM and about 42 degrees. I had never run at this time of the
morning/night in my life. The race starts down a residential street in
Leadville. It was heartwarming to see so many people out in their front
yards at this time of the morning/night cheering the races forward on their
long journey. I was equiped with a small 2-AA battery flashlight.
Many others were using headlamps and brighter lights. Mine seemed so puny
and dim that sometimes I would just turn it off and feed off the lights of
others.
I had been tutored for the last 2 years in LT100 strategy by my friends
Sid Snyder(3 time veteran) and Bob Ellis(6 time veteran, 3 time finisher).
Sid's wife, Gail(2 or 3 time veteran, 1 time finisher), was also doing the
race. Like me, an old friend, named Aaron Rosenthal, was trying this
race for the first time. Aaron and I did some long tough runs together
in preparation for the race, including the longest of my life, a 32 miler.
In years past, Aaron was always a stronger runner than I and it was a real
thrill to go step for step with him on those tough training runs. It was
nice, at this stage of the race, to play leapfrog, visit with my friends
and wish each other good luck.
After about 6 miles of dirt roads, we hit the trail around Turquoise Lake.
A couple of miles later, a rock snuck up and tripped me. I fell to the
ground but wasn't injured in the least bit. In fact, it kind of woke me
up. I'm no longer on a dirt road, this is trail running. You have to pay
attention to the obstacles on the trail and always lift your feet up higher
than normal running.
It felt relatively warm and some people started to remove their outer layers
of clothing. Within 5 minutes, a cold, cold breeze came off the lake. Just,
a reminder of how fast the weather can change in the mountains.
In running around the lake, long lines would form and each racer was forced
to go the speed of the slowest racer in the line. It wasn't worth it to try
to pass since it would require too much effort which could be better used
later in the race. Also, it was a mixed blessing since it would prevent
racers from over extending themselves early in the race.
Finally the sun started to rise. There was a fog over the lake and rarely
could one see the other side. We couldn't tell if the weather would be good
or bad for the next 28 hours of racing. The Mayqueen aid station soon
came into view. I was in and out of the aid station quickly, just long
enough to fill my bottle and grab some graham crackers and fruit. Even
though I had never looked at my watch since the start, I was just 2 minutes
off my estimated time of arrival. Kristin would meet me about 2 miles later
at the junction of the Colorado Trail and the Hagerman pass road.
When Kristin and I hooked up at 15.5 miles, I changed my shoes, removed my
single bottle pack, snapped on a double bottle pack and was on my way with
a handful of banana bread. While I was changing my shoes, Gail passed
me. Bob, Sid and Aaron were all ready ahead of me.
The climb up Sugarloaf Mtn(11,200 ft) was long but on a gentle grade. It was
a good time to meet other people who came from all over the United States
and 6 foreign countries. We were climbing through the fog now and we could see
glimpses of the mountains in the distance. Soon we were above the fog
and found the weather better than it was around the lake. It looked like it
would be a crystal clear perfect day.
The descent from Sugarloaf Mtn often went under a powerline. All I can say
is that it was bizarre, a little spooky and had the feel of something in
the twilight zone. You could hear the power line buzzing. I have heard, that
when it rains, it crackles and sparks. The descent was longer and steeper
than I expected. I was feeling a hot spot on the ball of my foot and my
toe on my right leg. I can't get a blister this early in the race.
I still have 77 miles to go.
More later,
Keith
|
| 70.148 | LT100 Race Report Part 3 | PEAKS::WOESTEHOFF | | Wed Sep 04 1996 15:56 | 72 |
| After the descent of Sugarloaf Mtn, you run on a gentle country road for
about a mile before the Fish Hatchery aid station. On that stretch, I caught
up to my friend Bob Ellis. Being a multiple year veteran of this race, he's
always prepared and usually has some great ideas. Earlier in the year, he
told me that if you wear women's nylons under your socks, it would greatly
reduce the chance of developing blisters. I asked him if he had an extra
pair and much to my surprise, he said yes, his wife Libby had an extra
pair in the car. Just what I needed, some good news.
Bob and I walked into the Fish Hatchery at the same time. This aid station
was the first medical checkpoint. I weighed in at 140 lbs, exactly the same
as reflected on my identification/medical wristband. The race literature
said that the aid stations would have potatoes and bagels among other things.
Those foods work very well for me on long runs. But, this aid station and
the previous one only had cookies, fruit, pretzels and M&Ms. I was very
disappointed in this because eating potatoes and bagels was part of my
race strategy.
Kristin had parked nearby and had a car/aid station setup. I got to sit
briefly, eat some and tell her that she neeeded to hook up with Libby
so I could put on the nylons at the Treeline crew access point which was 4
miles down the road. Later, while I was running I saw that Kristin and Libby
together and knew that everything would be set at Treeline.
The section between the Fish Hatchery and Treeline is the easiest part of
the race. It's fairly flat and on a paved road which goes through rural
ranch land before heading west towards Mt Elbert and Mt Massive, the
2nd and 3rd highest peaks in continental United States. Now, the sun was
intense and there were few clouds. While it still wasn't too hot, I knew
this was a place where one could easily become dehydrated so I backed off
my pace.
At 27 miles, the Treeline crew access point was where the tress started, not
where they stopped. Here I made the footwear changes, refueled and started
up towards the Halfmoon campground about 4 miles away. I wouldn't see my
crew again until mile 40, the Twin Lakes aid station. I felt great and my
confidence was soaring. Soon I would reach a point where it was shady
and the road would turn into a smooth pine needle covered trail, perfect
for running and improving the cushion under the cutoff times. While running,
I noticed what felt like a small muscle pull high on the outside part of the
calf of my left leg. I backed off. A short while later I tried again and the
pain came back this time a little higher, closer to the outside of the knee.
When I arrived at Halfmoon, an attendant massaged the area which was sore.
Again, this aid station did not have the foods that I was counting on. But my
major concern was my knee. Was this a muscle problem or was it a recurrance
of Ilio Tibial Band Syndrome(ITBS) which plagued me earlier in the year and
in the other leg the previous 2 years ?
After leaving Halfmoon, I was a little scared to run, for fear that the pain
would come back. But I had to find out. The pain came back and there was no
doubt. It was the same ITB problem. Before, the race, I was most
concerned about dehydration, not eating enough and blisters. I never
thought the ITBS would come back. I've had lot's of experience dealing
with ITB problems. If I walked, I would probably be OK for a while, but
could I stay under the cutoff times ? My friend Bob caught up to me. I said
to Bob, "The bad news is that my ITBS is back, the good news is that I can
still walk. Is it possible for someone to walk the next 68 miles and still
finish ?" He said "Yes, but you have to walk fast".
We soon reached the base of a 500 ft vertical foot climb. I could still climb
and climb well. By far, it's my strong point in mountain races. So, I pushed
up the hill and dropped Bob. On the long Mt Elbert traverse, I would
occasionally run short bursts of 20-30 yards but most of the time I would
walk. In the section where I expected to expand my cushion under the cutoffs,
people started passing me. After 6 rolling miles on the traverse, I started
the long descent into Twin Lakes. From past experience, I knew the ITB would
be very painful going downhill. This was no exception. I started to wonder
if I could get past the Twin Lakes Aid station at 40 miles.
More later,
Keith
|
| 70.149 | LT100 Race report Part 4 | PEAKS::WOESTEHOFF | | Thu Sep 05 1996 12:13 | 88 |
|
Yep, it was painful and yes, more people passed me, including Bob,
as I descended. But, I found that, if I walked a little pigeon toed and if
I tried to land on the toe and ball of my left foot, it didn't hurt as much.
Hell no, I'm not gonna quit at Twin Lakes. The next section has the longest
climb to the highest point on the race. This is the heart of the LT100. This
is the section that I love and have the most talent relative to the other
racers. I've dreamed of racing over Hope Pass for the last 8 months, I can't
stop now. Rather, it's time to organize changes in strategy for the rest of
the race.
When I came out of the woods, a small group of spectators cheered for me.
But when I saw Kristin, I was all business, giving her new instructions:
o I need 2 tablets of Orudis KT(a non steroidal anti-inflamatory drug)
o Get a new pair of socks.
o Take the special insoles from the shoes I started with and put them in
my old pair of Addidas Trail Repsonse. I'll put them on after the
Lake Creek crossing. You'll have to get wet and cross too.
o Take the mat out and put it beside the Explorer in the parking lot.
I need to do some stretching.
At the Twin Lakes weight-in, I was 140 lbs, exactly the same as the start.
My hydration plan was working at 9 1/2 hours into the race. In the parking
lot, Bob and Libby were almost directly across from us. But we never talked
to each other, too busy shoving food and Ultra-Fuel into our mouths. With
1 hour before cutoff, we started off to the stream crossing and the 3,500
vertical foot climb up Hope Pass. The Lake Creek crossing was about 20
yards long and up to my knees at the deepest spot. It actually felt good
on my sore feet. I didn't plan to change shoes and socks after the crossing
but I thought the special insoles would work better with the ITB so I changed
on the other side. Kristin took my old wet shoes and we waived good-bye. This
was also the last I would see of Bob for a long while.
Except for the ITB, I felt great. I didn't waste time pushing the pace up
the pass. Within a mile, I passed a guy bent over holding his knees. Was he
sick or just trying to gain his breath ? A half mile later, I came across
a racer lying down besides the trail. He said he got sick and planned to go
back down after he felt better. About a mile from timberline, I caught up
to my friend Sid. He was sitting on a log, looked awful and said he had the
dry heaves. I asked if there was anything I could do to help. He encouraged
me to continue and that he'd continue climbing in a short while. I wished
that I could do something to help but there wasn't. I didn't think he'd be
able to climb any more and would have to retreat back to Twin Lakes.
Just short of timberline, the 1st place man passed me heading back. It would
be another 15 or 20 minutes before the 2nd place racer would go by.
There's an aid station at timberline. All the supplies were packed in by
llama. It actually had better food than the other aid stations, even had
some mini-bagels, finally. Being above the trees, I could now see the rest
of the trail up to 12,650 foot Hope Pass. It was steep and there were many
racers on that section slowly climbing the last 1,200 vertical feet.
My climbing was as good as I hoped for. I must of passed about 40 people
while never being passed. At the top there was a film crew and a
photographer. I made sure I took my hat off and smiled with a backdrop of
incredible alpine scenery.
The pain in the ITB came back on the first step of the steep descent. It
wasn't a little nagging pain anymore. It was a big time, I'm worried about
permanent damage, I have to quit type pain. I'm back to a snails
pace. The people whom I cruised by moments ago are now passing me. I'm
worried about just getting down the long mountain in one piece. It was agony
with each step but once I got below timberline, the pain didn't go away but
it was diminished. I was able to pick up the pace. About a mile from the
bottom I met my friend Aaron, who was climbing Hope Pass for the 2nd time.
There was only about 35 people in front of him and he looked in better shape
than many of them. Put simply, Aaron was doing some serious butt kickin.
Once down to the junction of the trailhead and the Winfield road, a large
group of people cheered for me. I started yelling "Kristin, Kristin" and
when I found her, "where's Sid's crew ?". Barry and the rest of Sid's crew
came up to me and I informed them about Sid's problem. I suggested they
send his pacer up to look for him. Kristin, took my pack, handed me a
fresh water bottle and a sandwich and sent me up the final 2.4 miles of
the road going to the ghost town of Winfield and the 50 mile turnaround.
While walking and eating I saw Gail coming the other direction. She looked
great and we exchanged words of encouragement.
When I arrived at the Winfield aid station, I told the attendant, "I'm tired,
I'm sore, please cut off the wristband, I can't take it anymore..........
..............................NOT........................................
He laughed, then weighed me and sent me on my way.
More later,
Keith
|
| 70.150 | LT100 Race Report Part 5 | PEAKS::WOESTEHOFF | | Thu Sep 05 1996 16:56 | 86 |
|
At the 50 mile turnaround, a pacer can accompany a racer. Kristin would be
my pacer from Winfield over Hope Pass back to Twin Lakes. Our good friend,
Sandee Miller, would now be the crew.
We left Winfield around 5:00 PM, about 1 hour under the cutoff. About 15
minutes later, we saw Bob running up towards Winfield. We cheered each other
on. Kristin and I both thought Bob would make Winfield about 15 or 20 minutes
under cutoff. I thought he was looking good. However, later we found out
that Bob dropped out at Winfield. He wasn't climbing well and didn't feel he
could make the next cutoff. Now that the race is over and I have the luxury
of hindsight, I think he made the right decision.
From the Winfield side, it's 2.5 miles and 2,500 vertical feet of climbing
back to the top of Hope Pass. It's rocky and steep the entire way. It never
lets up. It was hard enough climbing that monster at 45 miles, but climbing
it a 2nd time at 55 miles is a struggle few can comprehend. It was easy to
start off fast, as a racer passed us in the first 100 yards. But his pace was
unsustainable. We reeled him him 5 minutes later, dropped him and never saw
him again. Shortly before timberline, Kristin could spot her friend Teresa
about a 1/4 mile ahead. She was sitting on a rock. Then she climbed for about
50 yards and sat on another rock. She did this over and over again in a gutsy
attempt to make it over the top. When we caught her, her pacer was offering
words of encouragement but it looked like she was ready to toss her aid
station cookies at anytime. She's brave and a very good runner but it looked
to me that she only had a 1 in 100 chance to make it over the top. Still she
struggled. "Hang in there Teresa", we said as we passed.
I was definately climbing slower than the first time but so were the other
racers, we passed about 25 more racers without being passed. Later, I would
come to realize that very few of those people that we passed would complete
the LT100. Kristin loves the mountains and was raving about the scenery.
Meanwhile, the high altitude was starting to take it's toll on me. I started
to feel a little nauseous. Finally we hit the last switchback and the final
100 yards to the top was in sight. For me it's no longer a beautiful hike
above timberline but a time to just gut it out.
At the top, we're higher than the elevation where the FAA requires pilots
to use supplemental oxygen. It's getting late in the day and colder. It's
in our best interest to get down as soon as possible. But with the first
descending step, the searing pain in my knee returns. Not only am I going at
a snails pace but people, who are walking, are passing me with ease. In order
to stay warm, I put on all my extra clothes. About a half mile before the
timberline aid station, a breeze kicks up and I start shaking. If it wasn't
for this *&^% ITB, I'd already be below timberline where it's warm.
Thank God, there was a tent to crawl into at timberline. There was a stove
inside which helped me to warm up. I drank some luke warm Top Ramen and put
on an extra pair of tight's which Kristin brought.
Shortly after leaving the aid station, I started to shake again. I was scared
and thought of returning to the tents but the forest was only 100 yards away
and I knew it would be warmer as we descended. Finally, it started to warm up
and finally the ITB pain started to moderate. About halfway down, we ran into
Sid whom I last saw halfway up the first climb, sitting on a log, fighting
nausea. I was amazed when he told me that he actually made it to timberline.
They hooked him up to an IV and hours later sent him back down. He was in
much better shape and it was great to see that he was OK. Unfortunately, we
spent too much time up high and we would get caught in the dark before we
would reach Twin Lakes. We had to pull our flashlights out before we hit the
rockiest section of the trail.
After reaching the bottom of the hill, we'd have the Lake Creek crossing
and then about a mile of swamp and grass before Twin Lakes. I felt OK when
we started this section but quickly started to deteriorate. I didn't eat
enough at Winfield or coming down the pass. The climb, descent and the cold
had completely sapped what little energy I had left. I was having a hard time
spotting the trail markers, felt lost and started walking like a drunken
sailor. This section didn't seem very long on the outbound but now it seemed
to take forever. I was so glad Kristin was with me.
When we arrived at the parking lot before the Twin Lakes aid station I could
hear people cheering me by my name but I couldn't see their faces and didn't
know who they were. Kristin and Sandee then hooked up. They would have to
perform a miracle if I was ever to leave Twin Lakes. While walking across
Highway 82, a slight breeze kicked up and I started to shake. I walked into
the aid station 35 minutes before cutoff. When I stepped on the scale to be
weighed, I almost lost my balance and fell over. I said to the attendant
"do you have a place where I can lie down ?" She took me to the only cot
which wasn't already occupied.
I had traveled 60 miles. There were 40 miles left. I didn't think I had any
chance of getting off that cot before the cutoff time.
More later,
Keith
|
| 70.151 | LT100 Race Report Part 6 | PEAKS::WOESTEHOFF | | Fri Sep 06 1996 12:51 | 113 |
|
I felt like a fighter who had been decked and saved by the bell. Kristin and
Sandee were my cornermen. They frantically helped me to change into warmer
clothes, found some real food for me to eat, covered me in a sleeping
bag, gave me some more Orudis, changed my shoes, got me some soup, massaged
my legs and put the headlamp on my head. They couldn't have done a better job.
It was 9:35 PM, 10 minutes before the cutoff. They help me up and over to the
attendant who says "Number 212 checkin out".
Sandee would now be my pacer. Sandee's husband Geoff is the most accomplished
mountain runner that I know. He's completed almost every 100 miler that
I've heard of. Sandee is also better than the average as she has completed 3
100 milers including last year's LT100. She even held some course records in
some mountain races. I couldn't ask for a better pacer.
I was still cold leaving the aid station but Sandee told me that the 1,400
feet of climbing in the next 2 miles would warm me up. She was right.
It took a while to get back into the rhythm of walking but I soon started
to feel better. There would be 3 false summits on this climb. It's nice
to know those things ahead of time otherwise they can be mentally devastating
late in a race. My climbing legs returned, another 15 or 20 racers would be
passed. Almost none of them would finish the race. Once up to the highpoint,
it's a gentle rolling trail on the side of Mt Elbert, the 2nd highest mountain
in continental United States. I'm actually feeling pretty decent at this
point and I'm beginnig to think it's possible to finish. I try running but
the ITB rebels after 4 or 5 steps. I just need to walk fast. I am very excited
about one thing. There is only one more steep downhill remaining on the
course and it's only 500 vertical feet. I don't think the ITB will be that
painful after the descent. The descent is on this section, about 1 mile
before the Halfmoon aid station. A few racers, who are running, pass me.
But for the most part, most of the runners whom I passed will not come back
on me. I'm starting to enjoy the midnight walk in the forest.
About a mile before the descent, the front of my hip on my good leg starts to
hurt with each stride forward. Hopefully it's just one of those aches which
come and go. When we reached the last descent, the ITB was no better than
it was on the other steep descents. It slowed me down a lot. But at least,
it wasn't that long and steep like on Hope Pass. Reaching the bottom of the
hill was a huge relief.
We finally reached the bottom and the start of the 1 mile easy road to the
Halfmoon aid station. I felt that I needed to sit for 5 or 10 minutes at the
Halfmoon aid station. My hip was still bugging me. In fact it was getting
worse. Soon we came across a truck on the road. It was one of the race
attendants. He told us that the aid station was 300 yards down the road
and we were 14 minutes under cutoff. I thought we had increased our cushion
under the cutoff. It was depressing to find out otherwise, time to change
plans. I told Sandee that I would only sit for one minute and that she would
have to retrieve some food from my drop bag and then catch up to me.
When we got to Halfmoon, it looked like a Mash unit. Most of the chairs and
all of the cots were taken. There was a lot of tired and sick looking people
in there. I asked an attendant what time it was. It was 10 minutes before
cutoff. It was too depressing, I could only sit for 30 seconds. When I stood
up, it felt worse than before I sat.
The next 10 miles is the easiest section on the LT100 course.
I pushed down the road as best as I could. Sandee caught up and said I was
going really fast. But I didn't feel that fast. The hip was getting worse,
much worse. Then I said, "Sandee, I have to sit down". "There's nowhere to
sit" she said. We continued.......
100 yards later I said, "I have to sit down". I crossed a drainage ditch
and sat in the trees. Then I laid down on my back. I can usually pull my
knee up to my nose without problems. I tried but couldn't even get it to
within 1 foot of my nose. Sandee raised my legs and did some simple massages.
I started getting cold and started shaking. I couldn't sit any more. Sandee
helped me up. I tried to walk. It hurt. It hurt real bad. I couldn't bend at
the hip. On my other leg, the ITB had stiffened. Everything was freezing up,
I couldn't walk, I could only waddle. It was 1:30 in the morning, 21 hours,
30 minutes into the race, over 12,000 vertical feet of climbing completed
and with 72 miles traveled when I told Sandee: "I can't make the cutoff.
Rundown to treeline and have Kristin drive up to pick me up". She said "Are
you sure ?" I said "Yes, All hope is lost, I can't walk, I have no other
options". Sandee took off her jacket and put it under mine. I needed the
extra warmth. She told me to keep moving and to not sit down. She ran off
into the darkness.
As I slowly waddled down the road, it seemed like an eternity before Kristin
arrived. I laid down in the back seat of the Explorer. At the treeline crew
access point, we stopped for the race attendant to cut off the wristband.
I put my right arm out the window while he cut it. I never saw his face.
I noticed that I was still breathing hard.
By far, the most painful thing was getting out of the Explorer and walking
into the motel and up the stairs. At least we could get a few hours of sleep.
Sure, I was disappointed that I dropped. But at the same time I went 40
miles further than I had ever gone in my life, 44 of it with an inflamed ITB.
I think the hip blew up because it was over compensating for the ITB problem
in the other leg. It finally said, enough is enough. I felt that I could
have finished the race if it wasn't for my old nemisis, the ITB. But then
again, if a frog had wings, he wouldn't bump his butt.
The race was an adventure, an adventure of a lifetime. I'll never forget it.
It was heartwarming to find that 2 of my friends finished. Gail broke the
tape at just under 29 hours for her 2nd Leadville finish. Aaron had the
race of his life and finished in 29th place overall with a time around
24:30. That was good enough to win the gold and silver belt buckle reserved
for the elite. It was also his first hundred.
The next morning, Kristin and I stopped at the finish line before leaving
town. There, I saw Bob and Sid. The first words out of Sid's mouth went
something like this: "Well Keith, you got your feet wet and a good taste of
the Leadville Trail 100. You came up a little short but still made a good
show. You're gonna do it next year, right ? Training starts on Monday
morning next week"
The spirit of the Leadville Trail 100 is still alive.
Keith
|
| 70.152 | | CAM::WAY | and keep me steadfast | Fri Sep 06 1996 13:04 | 14 |
| Congrats Keith! In the finest Sports tradition I'll say "No flies on you!!!"
That's incredible stuff. Absolutely incredible. I can't conceive of running
26 miles, let alone 100. Course, I outweigh you by 100 pounds, and I'm sure
they don't have Clydesdales running those Ultras.
I saw Leadville on TV one time and it was impressive. It's even more
impressive knowing people who do it.
Good luck next year -- and GREAT race report.
'Saw
|
| 70.153 | well done | HBAHBA::HAAS | more madness, less horror | Fri Sep 06 1996 13:05 | 12 |
| >Good luck next year -- and GREAT race report.
Ditto!~
While I've never run the Leadville 100, I think I've drunk 100 beers
there.
A bunch of us go skiing about ever March, right around St.Pat's day. No
matter what, we head to Leadville and do the Manhattan Bar which sports
some of the local color. Mighty fine place, there.
TTom
|
| 70.154 | | BIGQ::MCKAY | | Fri Sep 06 1996 13:38 | 10 |
| Nice job!
Really enjoyed the reports, sort of a Running soap opera. If you
add a little intrigue, an affair, extortion, a murder, an evil
twin brother you were seperated at birth from, I'll pitch the
story to Fox and WB. 8*)
I get tired driving 100 miles.....
Jimbo
|
| 70.155 | | CSC32::MACGREGOR | Colorado: the TRUE mid-west | Fri Sep 06 1996 14:47 | 9 |
|
Keith,
I am incredibly impressed. I've done a marathon so I know how tough
26+ miles can be. But ~65 miles is incredible. Great reports. Keep
us posted on next year.
Marc
|
| 70.156 | better luck next year | MKOTS3::tcc122.mko.dec.com::long | Beat em Bucs | Fri Sep 06 1996 16:54 | 8 |
| Way to go Keith!!!
Reading your entries, and remembering Sid's, makes me
remember my many backpacking trips in the area during
the late 1970's. It is one beautiful area!
billl
|
| 70.157 | It was fun writing the report. | PEAKS::WOESTEHOFF | | Fri Sep 06 1996 16:57 | 11 |
| Thanks for all the kind comments. I didn't even know if anyone was reading
it since there was no replies inbetween my 6 posts. I like the suggestion
a few replies back that I should include some wild sex and an affair
somewhere in the middle of the course. I'll see what I can do next year.
You know, they could improve the start of the race. What if they had Ralphie
the Buffalo at the start. In grand Colorado tradition, the gun would fire,
Ralphie would charge outta his gate, following by 360 mottly looking
ultra-runners wearing headlamps. Wow, what a sight that would be.
Keith
|
| 70.158 | | MKOTS3::tcc122.mko.dec.com::long | Beat em Bucs | Fri Sep 06 1996 17:14 | 6 |
| Writing replies betwinxt your entries woulda been akin
to getting up for a beer in the middle of Casablanca.
billl
|
| 70.159 | | CSC32::MACGREGOR | Colorado: the TRUE mid-west | Fri Sep 06 1996 17:57 | 15 |
|
>Writing replies betwinxt your entries woulda been akin
>to getting up for a beer in the middle of Casablanca.
While I wouldn't have put it this way, I completely agree. I sat here
last night debating whether I should respond or let you finish. I
decided that the writing should be continuous. It almost stirred up
enough in me to try the Pikes Peak marathon....almost 8^)
Marc
For those that don't know, the Pikes Peak marathon starts at about 6500
feet, goes 13 miles up the mountain to a height of 14,110 (*up* ~1.3
miles) and then back down the mountain. Anyone who has hiked knows
that down is tougher on the knees than up.
|
| 70.160 | | PEAKS::WOESTEHOFF | | Fri Sep 06 1996 18:29 | 6 |
| I agree. The Pikes Peak Marathon is a great race. It's a very unique race,
one of the oldest races in the United States and like Leadville, it kind of
has a cult following. I did it in '94 and '95. The downhill, especially the
last 3 miles is a killer. My race report from '94 is in note 70.119
Keith
|
| 70.161 | 75 miles, WOW! | MFGFIN::JACKSON | The time is near | Sat Sep 07 1996 01:35 | 6 |
| Congrats on a great race Keith! I read it word for word and also
didn't want to reply until your story was done.
Ever thought about journalism?
Tim
|
| 70.162 | Inconceivable | MUNDIS::SSHERMAN | Clean living and a fast outfield | Mon Sep 09 1996 07:15 | 15 |
| > I get tired driving 100 miles.....
Jimbo, you beat me to it. That's exactly what I was going to say.
I cannot imagine running 100 miles, even on flatland, in less than about
200 days.
Keith, it was a wonderful, gripping report. I'm sure we were all rooting
for you to make it without suffering permanent damage. I hope your health
will permit you to try it again and that the effort will be rewarded with
success.
And besides, welcome home to SPORTS. Good to have you back.
Steve
|