Subject: Pacer Report, Leadville 100, 2000 Date: Mon, 18 Sep 2000 19:42:03 EDT From: Breck123@aol.com Impressions of a (Novice) Pacer in The Leadville 100 Trail Run, 2000: Barb Behmer When a friend called in early spring to ask if I'd be part of Amy McMullen's crew for the Leadville 100, I immediately said, "Yes!" I thought it would be exciting to be a part of an ultramarathon experience & as close as I'd ever get to running in one. My idea of crewing was handing Amy dry socks & cheering her from the sidelines. Little did I know what was actually in store for me! About mid-June, my friend called again with important news. Amy was depending on me to actually run in the race as a pacer for 10 miles. I was incredulous! First of all, there is quite an age difference between Amy & me; I have children older than she is. Secondly, I haven't run in a race for years. I don't run at all in winter because I live at an altitude of over 10,000 feet where there is snow on the roads until June. When I do start to run, I mosey along slowly for 3-6 miles, enjoying the scenery. In contrast, Amy just celebrated her thirtieth birthday & is in exceptional shape. However, not wanting to disappoint her or to behave like a wimp, I started training in earnest, trying to condition myself to run farther & faster than I do normally. In July, about a month before race day, I met Amy at my section of the course which starts at the Fish Hatchery & continues along the Power Line to Hagerman Road, then drops onto the Colorado Trail, & ends at May Queen Campground at Turquoise Lake. Amy had already completed 30 miles of a training run that day, but I was still unable to keep her pace. The Power Line section seemed endless, & I was anaerobic within a few minutes of starting the climb. There was no way I could converse with her because I had to concentrate on drawing my next breath. To add to the adventure that day, we made a wrong turn on the Colorado Trail & got lost. We had to wade across a stream before finally finding Amy's husband, Mark, who was parked where we should have come off the trail. At the end of this fiasco, I told Amy that I'd better ask my son to pace her, since I didn't think I'd be much help. However, she wasn't convinced & said I should think it over. She said she really wanted me to pace her because she knew I'd be calm & patient - just what she'd need to get her through this section after she would have already run 77 miles. What could I say? I was flattered. Secretly, I did want to be her pacer. My advise to other wannabe pacers who are inexperienced is practice the section you are going to run, carrying all the items you'll need during the race. After my initial attempt with Amy, I ran the section solo carrying snacks, a flashlight, a jacket, & 64 ounces of water as well as wearing a headlamp (even though I practiced in daylight). This second attempt went much better, & I was able to finish the section with no trouble in 2 hours, 43 minutes. I noticed on the pacing charts that many people take 4 hours or more from the Fish Hatchery to May Queen, so I felt more confident of my ability as a pacer. On the day of the run, my husband Bob & I met Amy's other pacers & crew at Twin Lakes. We spent about 4 hours watching runners come in from their return trip over Hope Pass. At one point, storm clouds & a rainbow hung over the pass. Amy came through at dusk with Jim, her first pacer. She looked strong running up the slight incline to the crew vehicle. Jim said she kept a consistent pace up & over the pass from Winfield. She was right on the schedule she had set for herself. I took several pictures of her at Twin Lakes, one showing her wolfing down a whole sandwich. Unfortunately, that would be the last solid food she could relish. Though she was in fine mettle both physically & mentally at the 63 mile mark, circumstances changed rapidly just beyond Twin Lakes. First, during the several mile initial climb, she sweated. Then, darkness fell, the temperature dropped, & a downpour began. Amy wasn't able to get into her rain gear before getting soaked. So, only a couple miles after starting the Twin Lakes section, she became hypothermic, shivering uncontrollably & feeling generally lousy. This was a real low point; she wondered if she could continue. However, her pacer, Deb, assessed the situation & wisely encouraged her the 8 miles further to the next aid station. Deb is a physician's assistant, so Amy felt she was in good hands. Deb kept her motivated & moving toward Half Moon. Mark, with the help of Amy's father, Ray, wrapped her in blankets at Half Moon, sat her in front of the heater, & got some warm liquids into her. The next pacer, Laura, managed to get her up & going again, though Amy was still not feeling the greatest. Bob & I were at the Fish Hatchery waiting & watching runners come through for about two hours when we spotted Amy & Laura striding up the hill to the aid station. By this time, it had turned colder, with the temperature hovering around 40 degrees. I was sitting in the van with the heater running full-blast, shivering from either nerves or the cold. Again, Amy's crew bundled her in a blanket & encouraged her to eat. However, she could only sip some hot chocolate & eat about a half-cup of the world famous Leadville potato soup before indicating that she was ready to head out again. She looked tired but determined. As per Amy's instructions, I was decked out like a Christmas tree with a headlamp attached to the rear of my camelback, a halogen lamp on my head, & a tiny, lightweight flashlight in my hand. Amy also wore a headlamp. We left the Fish Hatchery at 1:30 AM. Amy was carrying a water bottle, & I had 64 ounces on my back for both of us to use. I also had some fig bars & a couple inch squares of peanut butter & jelly sandwich in my pocket. My adrenaline was pumping as we headed up the paved road to the Power Line. Amy reminded me twice that I was going too fast. The paved surface was hard on her body after already finishing 77 miles. I tried to distract her on this section by sharing three visualizations with her. First, I told her to imagine herself running across the finish line with her friends & family there to celebrate with her. She smiled broadly at this & said, "Yes!" Secondly, I urged her to picture herself lying on warm sand with the surf pounding at the shoreline. (She was leaving for a beach vacation right after the race.) Thirdly, I related the story of The Green Giant, a benevolent, invisible entity. I told Amy that the Giant was accompanying us. I said that the Giant had joined me spontaneously on a run several years ago & was always readily available to help. She & I could both call on the Giant whenever necessary. He would aid us by allowing us to lean back into one of his huge green hands to relax ourselves as he kept carrying us forward. (His hands are also climate controlled, so he is able to both cool & warm, depending on the need.) Amy listened intently to the Giant story, so I invoked him several times in the next couple of hours! After dropping onto the dirt trail at the Power Line, we began our climb up Sugar Loaf. Amy wanted me to lead, & soon we established a pace that was comfortable for her. At the pace we were moving, I was able to keep up a conversation & still breathe. After climbing up the first steep section, Amy regained some energy, & we increased the pace. We began to pass many runners with their pacers. Everyone was very friendly & wished us well as we forged toward the summit. Whenever we finished a section of the climb & were briefly on a flatter portion, I told Amy to lean back against the Giant's hand & release the tension in her shoulders & back. I also encouraged her to stride out a bit to loosen her muscles. I reminded her to drink frequently & managed to get her to eat one of the small sandwich squares. However, eating was hard for her at this point. As we continued to climb, it took her forever to take tiny bites, chew, & swallow the miniscule piece of peanut butter & jelly. I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly we seemed to be moving up the elevation. We passed the runner with the tall Dr. Seuss Hat about half way up. I told him that I loved his hat & that I had to smile whenever I saw him. He chuckled & waved to us as we passed. It's difficult in the darkness to assess where you are on the Power Line, but I did recognize when we finally arrived at the last false summit. I told Amy that the top wasn't much farther. At this point, it started to drizzle, but at first I thought the raindrops I saw in the glow of my headlamp were tiny gnats. The darkness turns everything surreal, & the mind starts playing tricks! Both Amy & I anticipated finishing the climb. I reminded Amy that this was her final tough climb of the race. I smiled to myself when she actually thanked the Giant for helping us! The surprise aid station at the top of Sugar Loaf was wonderful. The music, lights, & volunteers were a tangible signal that the hard work to reach the top was being rewarded. Amy managed to eat a fig bar & drink more water before we headed onward. We continued walking quickly along the dirt road as the clouds parted, allowing us a spectacular view of the star-studded night sky. Finally, we could see the lights of May Queen & Leadville far down to the right & behind us. It's exhilarating to emerge from the trees & see the orange glow from town. Amy could actually see at that point that her goal was closer. Shortly after this, she balanced with a hand on my shoulder to stretch her quads & said she was ready to run. I led in a slow jog down the rock-strewn dirt road to Hagerman Road. We passed several other runner/pacer groups on this section. I was startled at one point as my light swept across the feet of someone reclining beside a bush. As we neared the section where the road down Sugar Loaf hairpins onto Hagerman Road, I heard someone retching & coughing below. However, I didn't comment on this person's misery. I was intent on having Amy focus on the positive since she seemed to have gotten her second (or third, or fourth) wind. When we turned onto Hagerman Road, I asked Amy if she wanted to run faster. This mile portion is smooth gravel, so it is the most runnable of the Fish Hatchery to May Queen section. Let me just say that we smoked down Hagerman Road! I asked Amy twice if the pace was OK, secretly hoping she'd tell me to slow down because it was about as fast as I could manage. However, she said it actually felt good to run, so we kept going. Though our crew was waiting at the entrance to the CO Trail, Amy just called out that she didn't need anything, and we started downward. I was concerned about the obstacles (boulders, roots, mud) on this trail & told Amy that I thought we'd have to walk most of it. She agreed, not wanting to turn an ankle or fall at this late point in the race. I also worried about getting lost because this is the section where we made a wrong turn on our first practice run. I cautioned Amy that we both needed to concentrate on the glow sticks to stay on the correct trail. Luckily, the course was well marked so we had no problem. Amy remarked shortly after we started down the trail that she had been running for 24 hours. About a mile into the CO Trail, Amy pulled off to take a bathroom break. She had some difficulty getting up from her squat & also had trouble getting her tights back in place. After this point, she faded fast. We came upon two men in their 60's from Oklahoma & Nebraska (runner/pacer). I chatted with them as we followed, hoping to distract Amy from dwelling on her fatigue. Though they were moving quite a bit more slowly than our previous pace, Amy didn't want to pass. Toward the end of our time on the CO Trail, after we had done the couple small stream crossings, Amy mentioned that her eyes bothered her. She had trouble focusing & her vision was blurred. Obviously, after nearly 87 miles, she was also extremely tired. I was very grateful to reach the final wooden bridge & come out at the dirt parking area. I urged Amy forward with reminders that Mark & Ray would be waiting for us at May Queen. She seemed a bit disoriented at this point & expressed disappointment that they weren't in the dirt parking lot just off the trail. I reminded her that vehicles weren't allowed into this area. At the paved road, a volunteer took our race number. I checked my watch; the section took us 3 hours & 15 minutes. We still had about a quarter mile on asphalt to the aid station. Amy needed assistance as we started down the paved road; her night vision was gone. We linked arms & continued marching onward. I could tell she had completely run out of fuel. I began to push the idea of eating & of how that would rejuvenate her. I told her that Sue, her final pacer, would keep her going to the finish. I said that she could walk the whole way from May Queen & still make it before the 30 hour cutoff. In short, I babbled anything I could think of to bolster her confidence. I knew how hard she had trained & how determined she was. It was unthinkable for her to quit as long as she could stand & move forward. (I also wondered if Amy might be thinking, "You bitch! You've only run 10 miles & I've run 87. Shut Up!" However, she only shook her head in agreement to all my positive blathering.) The looks on the faces of the assembled crew when we entered May Queen reflected exactly how bad the situation appeared. I told Mark that I thought lack of food & not lack of hydration was the problem. As her husband & her father hustled Amy into the aid tent, I talked with Sue about Amy's condition. We knew Amy needed to leave the tent in a reasonable amount of time & get back on the trail. Her compromised eyesight was worrisome; it was still dark & she had to navigate the rolling single-track around the lake. According to plan, Bob & I left May Queen & drove to the parking area Sue & Amy needed to cross on the other side of Turquoise Lake. From that point, we could refill their water if necessary. While waiting, I worried that our warm, comfortable van might give Amy another place to consider stopping. It sure felt good to me! However, quitting wasn't on Amy's agenda. Just after dawn, we spotted Sue leading her quickly from the trail & across the parking lot. They didn't hesitate but continued heading resolutely toward the finish, about 7 miles away. It was very emotional watching Amy finish the race. She was just a speck in the distance when she started to run fast. All of her crew & pacers screamed, yelled, laughed, cried, & generally acted like maniacs as she sprinted up the hill with Sue beside her. I couldn't believe that after 100 miles she still had that much in reserve! She crossed the finish of her first 100 mile race in 28 hours & 42 minutes. Being a part of Amy's adventure was a great experience for me. To see her stamina & determination taught me an invaluable lesson about the human spirit. Thank you, Amy, for having faith in my ability to pace you for 10 miles. It is a gift I'll always cherish. Barb Behmer (with help from the Green Giant) Breckenridge, CO To know the road ahead, ask those coming back. -Chinese Proverb