From owner-ultra@caligari.Dartmouth.EDU  Wed Jul 23 17:19:09 1997
Date: Wed, 23 Jul 1997 17:19:14 -0700
To: IUS-L@AMERICAN.EDU, ULTRA@caligari.Dartmouth.EDU
From: Rocky Waters <rrw1@axe.humboldt.edu>
Subject: BAUR 24 Hour <XP>

Had a wonderful trip to the Jim Skophammer (or Bay Area Ultra Runner -
BAUR) 24 hour run. I had thought about making the seven or so hour drive on
Saturday, since the race did not start until Noon, but instead decided to
make my way to San Francisco on Friday. This was I would be able to visit
some relatives and not have to get up so early on Saturday. It was going to
be a long day at the race anyway. Unexpectedly my relatives took me to a
supurb concert (Betty Buckley) on Friday night, so I did not get as much
sleep as I wanted beforehand.

I did get to leisurely wake up on Saturday and left with plenty of time to
get lost on my way to Los Altos. I started out driving along the coast
(Highway 1) and it looked like it was going to be a great overcast day for
running. However, by the time I got to Foothill College (more inland) it
was very warm for 10 o'clock in the morning. I wandered around, got to talk
with people and sought out which person was Dave Combs, the race director.
I found him, got oriented, helped setup a little, chatted a little, and set
up my tent. Everyone had set their tents up along the one edge of the track
closest to the lap count/aid station area. Since I was not running and
would only need my tent for sleeping, I set it up on the other side of the
track away from the lights and noise. I heard some people on the track
later comment something about it being a strange place to set up a tent.

For me, it was Hot as the race got underway at noon. I am not sure how hot
it was, but it was certainly over 70. The runners were in the naked sun as
the track was not shaded at all. I had previously considered running this
race, but the first few hours convinced me that this was more heat than I
like. The locals were saying that this was pretty normal and that it was a
lot cooler than last year. The cutest happening at this whole event took
place the first afternoon when the 5 year old daughter of one of the
runners ran with him. She was out there off and on for quite some time
(4.75 miles it turns out). She was having a wonderful time running with
dad. However, when she came back the next day she said that she was not
going to run with him as her legs were sore. I think most of us have been
there before. We finally made it to evening time and things cooled off
nicely. The crew people put on warmer clothes, about a half dozen of us
were wearing the fleece jacket from this year's American River 50.

Eventually, I took a sleep break. I went off to the other side of the track
where most of what I would hear would be the soft patter of the
participants making their way around the course. After I had been asleep
for a short time I got a rude awakening. I felt water coming in. It had not
looked like rain at all, so I had not put up my rain fly. I wake up slow,
so it was a little bit before I realized this was not rain. This was the
field's sprinkler system pooring water into my tent and all over me. I
quickly put things on and started pulling stakes so I could pull the tent
out of the way. The sprinkler continued to spray myself and the tent.
Someone came over and helped, I do not know who - I think I was still ahlf
asleep. Fortunately, the sprinkler system only came on on my side of the
field. Everyone else was spared as the race management was able to get the
water turned off before it spread to other areas. But my tent had puddles
in it and my sleeping bag was wet at the head. I was able to sop up most of
the puddles with a tee shirt and let it dry out a bit before I used it
later in the night. Dave Combs, says that even though they have everything
in a written contract, they have always had problems with with the
sprinklers or the lights. Personally, I would not have minded light
problems so much.

It seemed like a lot of people took extended breaks at night, some leaving
for the entire night. But morning time the bed people came back. It was a
beautiful high overcast morning, not quite my perfect running weather - I
like it slightly misty. The sun broke through a somewhere around 10
o'clock, but it was nowhere near as hot as the previous day. Maybe I will
run it next year if Dave can get that overcast in for both days.

The running performances were wonderful to watch. It was great to see and
talk with more of the SF Bay area people and some from farther away (LadyG
Wales and Carey Stoneking). Carey gets my vote for best dressed runer at
the event. I loved his foliage print shirt and colorful shorts. He was an
inspiration to upgrade my own running wardrobe.

-Rocky Waters
 rrw1@axe.humboldt.edu
 http://www.humboldt.edu/~rrw1