Delving further into the ultra scene.
while i didn't actually run an ultra on saturday night, it does feel as if i took another step into the world of ultra trail running. on saturday night i got the opportunity to be a "safety runner" aka pacer for jacob rydman in the tahoe rim trail 100. the course consists two 50 mile loops starting and ending at spooner lake. my duties were simple; crew for jake during the day and come his arrival to mile 80 run with him into the finish. it should be noted that this was jakes first 100 mile race, and if i'm not mistaken his first run beyond the 50 mile mark. he had a big task in front of him but had been diligent and consistent in his training. i got the official word that i would be pacing on wednesday afternoon.
race day came and i found myself feeling prepared but still a little nervous that i would be unable to keep up with jake if he was running his ideal race. after the start our first chance to check on jake was mile 30. he rolled in looking relaxed and fresh as could be, right in the front pack. at the next rendezvous, mile 50, jake had slowed down a little bit but was still in fourth place and only about 12 mins behind the leader. at the 50 mile aid station jake took the time to change his shoes and get down some extra calories. calories consisted of some orange slices and two ensures that ran off into his beard, making it appear as if he had tried bobbing for apples in a bucket of milk.
mile 80. we got word that the leader jorge maravilla, had put a fair sized gap on the rest of the field. I began doin different calculations on jakes pace and suspected arrival and what the projected pace would be if his arrival was later than expected. the scene at diamond peak was mellow and friendly. when the sun began to set and and the light was fading i headed up the trail to make sure jake had lights to get into the aid station efficiently. shortly after starting up the trail i ran into jake who was moving well down the trail towards aid.
up til this point jake had been running by himself. quite a mental feat in my opinion. he was quick through the aid and we began the most brutal climb of the course, 2 miles 1700 ft of gain with some pitches going well over 40% grade. we ran most of the first section until a the trail turns and seems to head straight up. we then set to walking. during this time i tried to get a read on jake. figure how often and what he'd been eating, and also see where he was at mentally. he was focused and coherent. some of the really steep sections found jake side stepping or walking backwards just to engage a different muscle group. 48 mins later we were at the top and refilling water at the quiet bullwheel aid.
next up tunnel creek. jake mentioned that his energy was a little low and over the next 40 mins he sucked down two e-gels and a gu. arriving at tunnel creek i filled bottles and guided jake towards the ibuprofen he had requested. we ran outta the aid station and began other runners coming the other direction on the loop. there was nothing but positivity exchanged during these passings and jake seemed to gain some energy from them. we got into a rhythm of power hiking any sustained climb and running the flats and downs. roughly a mile from the hobart aid a light appeared only 100 yards behind us. when i told jake i instantly felt the comparative drive come forward and he increased the tempo. we ran well into the aid grabbed a cup of broth to fight the chill that was creeping in due to the high elevation, ridge winds, and unseasonably cooler night. still feeding off the competitive drive we hurried out still in fourth place; but not more than a half mile in we were passed. trying to foster some confidence and encouragement i mentioned to jake we still had a while to go and we just needed to keep the runner and his light on our sights. at the finish I learned that this runner felt our chase and turned off his light and ran by the light of the moon to hide his location. as i said this i saw another pair of lights behind us. with more warning this time i let jake know and again felt the increased tempo almost instantly. the strength and desire to look within himself and find some more power to go ahead faster was amazing to me. the course from hobart to snow valley was mostly uphill and crossed over at least 10 if not more snow patches. on one of the larger patches jake took a hard spill and landed on his hips and ribs. i just wanted to reach out and help him up. resisting the temptation i asked if he was ok. with a deep breath and steady arms he lifted himself back up and indicated that he wanted to keep moving. the flagging through here was well done but in his fatigue i had to point out the direction of the trail a few times. pretty soon into out climb the second pair of headlights finally caught us and surged by. up the climb through the switchbacks we kept these lights within sight. unfortunately they appeared to be slipping further ahead at every turn. as we came to the top of the climb we were above marlett lake and thanks to the essentially full moon were treated to great views of both marlett lake but also tahoe. we still had plenty of fluids from the last aid and decided to motor right thru the snow valley aid station. this thought was also encouraged by the chance to get off the exposed ridge with wind into some trees where things would be a tad warmer. almost instantly after goin through the aid we dipped into a wind shadow and began the final 7 mile descent into the finish. i had been looking forward to pushing jake on this section since it seems he could still move pretty well on the downhills. of course sensing that the finish was now the next stop getting him to consume any calories became difficult. finally realizing that the finish was still a ways away and not wanting to bonk at the end he paused his running cadence to take in a final e-gel before we made the right hand turn to the spooner lake trail. we could see across the lake and hear the shouts of spectators. before hitting the final gravel road we had to run across a wooden walk way. i was surprised to see that the dew from the lake had frozen on it and created quite the slippery footing. i was so nervous that jake would slip so close to the end. of course all i could do was warn him and watch nervously. of course he handled the walkway flawlessly and rolled into his first 100 mile finish in 22:3X the lack of finish clock makes me unsure of the official time.
it was an honor to assist such a talented runner. my approach to the night had been to keep the mood light and jovial and provide him guidance and nutrition so that he had one less thing on his plate to handle. we had some chuckles and grunts along the way but jake made it easy, always wanting to push forward and give all that he had left. thanks to jake for the opportunity to be apart of the race and all the volunteers who spend so many hours helping runners achieve there goals.
