From owner-ius-l@AMERICAN.EDU  Mon Sep 30 16:47:35 1996
From: stanj@sgi.com (Stan Jensen)
Date: Mon, 30 Sep 1996 12:57:15 -0700
To: ius-l@AMERICAN.EDU, ultra@caligari.dartmouth.edu
Subject: AC100 pacing report (XP and 250+ lines long)

Well, Angeles Crest is history for another year and the photos should
be on my web page by Wednesday! I've already added the results (thanks,
Jed) to "http://reality.sgi.com/stanj/ac100.html".

List-er Mike Palmer signed me up as his pacer a few weeks ago, so I
flew to Burbank after work on Friday and drove to Wrightwood with his
crewperson, Miryam, arriving about 9pm at the Golden Acorn B&B. Mike
showed us to our room, said he'd be waking at 3:30 and turned in. At
about 4 the next morning we drove Mike to the start and got our first
taste of the Tarahumara/ABC coverage. There were TV cameras in the
check-in area and a reporter interviewing Rick Fisher and others, but
we ignored it and got Mike a cup of coffee and a place to sit. He
introduced me to fellow list-er Jason Hodde (finally!) and then Blake
Wood said "Hi". It was a blast to feel the energy in the room, see
friends (some last seen at Wasatch) and be thankful that I didn't have
to run the whole thing! RD Hal Winton said a prayer (with references to
the Tarahumarans) and then they all lined up and took off on the new
Wrightwood route, which eliminates the out-and-back stretch along Hwy 2.

Miryam and I went back to the room, showered, had breakfast in town and
then drove up to Inspiration Pt. to catch Mike at mile 11(7:10). He was
surprised to see us, 'cause he thought we would have grabbed a few more
hours of sleep (and we paid for it later), but we wanted to let him
know that he had a dedicated crew that wasn't going to let him down.
While we were waiting for him, I spotted a familiar face and found
myself meeting the infamous Chris Scott and his crew/pacer Scott Mills.

Onward to Vincent Gap, mile 15(8:05), where the ABC crew was set up and
interviewing Rick Fisher again. When Mike came in, he was already
having blister problems, but he worked on his feet and took off. Miryam
and I had some extra time so we acted as cheerleaders for runners we
knew and pseudo-crew for Jason (heel blister) and helped list-ers Ron
Perkins (pacer) and Janice O'Grady (runner). Grand Slammers Jim Magill
and Allan Kaplan were both doing AC to complete the Western Slam(?),
Rick Gillespie was going for his eleventh 100-miler in '96 (and looking
a bit ragged from last week's Superior Trail) and my Wasatch pacee,
Joan Risse, was seeing what it would be like to run AC three weeks
after Wasatch so she could decide if she was ready to try the Grand
Slam next year (ha!). All of 'em came through the second aid station
and headed up the switchbacks to the course high point, Mt.
Baden-Powell (9200').

We waited for the back of the pack, then drove to Islip Saddle, mile
27(10:55), and settled in to wait for Mike. We met Eric Robinson's
roomie, Karin, and told her we'd wake her in time for Eric's arrival.
At about 9:20 the first of the Tarahumara runners came in, followed
within a minute by Ben Hian, then another Tarahumara within another
minute or two. I got to meet the infamous webmaster Larry Gassan, who
arrived ahead of Jussi Hammalein (an ominous sign that Larry might be
running a bit fast). Mike came in about 90 minutes later and we got to
meet his parents, who would be crewing with us through Chilao. Mike did
some more work on his feet and then headed up Mt. Williamson.

We skipped meeting Mike at the Kratka Ridge road crossing and went on
to Eagle's Roost, mile 32(12:05) and had bagels while waiting. AC is
very convenient for crews in the first 50 miles, with access to the
runners at nine different spots between the start and Chilao. After
that, you can see them at Shortcut (mile 60), Chantry (mile 75) or the
finish). When Mike came through, he was in good shape except for
continuing problems with blisters and he was talking about the
possibility of dropping if it got much worse. We got him to fix his
feet, load up three bottles  and head out on the new route through
Cooper Canyon. Indirect list-er Kathy Hamilton (she gets printouts from
list-er Roy Morita) came through soon thereafter, looking real strong.
When Joan came through a bit later, she was at an emotional low,
because she'd hoped to run with her friend Rick, but he was already 15
minutes ahead of her and gaining and she was facing a solo run without
a pacer. In an act typical of the ultra community, Nick Basset said he
had nothing better to do and would be glad to pace her from Chilao to
the finish. What a pal!

On to Cloudburst Summit, mile 38(2:05), and another long wait, spent
drinking and peeing (warm weather + high elevation = dehydration). I
had fun helping Jason and others get replenished, 'cause they were
starting to show signs of wear'n'tear. Mike went through his standard
foot repair routine: off with the gaitors, shoes & socks; add tape;
replace Compeed; powder socks; and put stuff back on (his Dad says Mike
has always had "tender feet"). About a ten minute procedure each time.
After Mike left, we stuck around with Karin and I wish I'd taken a
picture when Eric arrived: he'd had a nose bleed and his nose, face and
neck were covered in blood (it looked like he lost a barroom brawl). It
worried the volunteers (and the spectators) for a while, but we wiped
him off while he snacked on some cottage cheese.

We skipped the Pajarito and Glenwood road crossings and drove to Three
Points, mile 43(3:15), and found that Mike had already arrived and his
parents were taking care of him. My mistake, but the only one and his
second crew kept it from being a problem. After he fixed his feet, we
drove to Newcomb's Ranch Restaurant (the only establishment between
Wrightwood and Pasadena!) for a late lunch with Mike's parents.

Next stop, Chilao Campground, mile 53(5:50). This is where many people
pick up their first of two pacers, changing again at Chantry (Which I
did in '95, using Tracey and Skip). I'd planned on pacing Mike from
here, but his pacer from last year (Kirk Boisseree) recommended that I
start at Shortcut so I'd be "fresher" and I recommend this for anyone
who doesn't have a strong, single pacer. While waiting for Mike I had
the pleasure of meeting Arizona list-ers Julie Arter (pacer) and Rick
Kelley (runner) and also seeing Geri Kilgariff, who would be pacing a
friend. Mike made a shoe change, had a cup of chicken noodle soup,
grabbed his flashlight, said goodbye to his parents and headed out. We
waited for a few more friends to come through, including Janice O'Grady
who was SO happy that her stomach wasn't giving her grief (looks like
Suzi T may win the Vomit Queen title this year). Eric came in and
picked up his car battery / searchlight monster and took off.

Now the nerves kick in: we're at Shortcut Saddle, mile 60(8:05), and
it's time to earn my keep. While Miryam sets up a folding chair and
confirms that we didn't miss Mike, I change into running gear, slop
some Vaseline on my toughened feet, discover that the D batteries I
bought don't fit in my C flashlight (yeh, I should've checked earlier),
throw on a sweatshirt to stay warm and settle in to wait all of maybe
15 minutes before Mike arrives. Ten minutes for the foot ritual, a cup
of CNS and we're off! He's sort of limping/hobbling, but I tell him
we've got plenty of time and he can set whatever combination of running
and walking that suits him. We head down the long fire road and I see
that the markings seem to be better than last year: a few more ribbons
and lots of chalk arrows on the ground (but no wussy glow sticks). Mike
speculates that "they" wanted to make sure the Tarahumarans didn't get
lost and generate a protest from Mr. Lovable. It's warm night and I'm
fine in just a T-shirt and there's a full moon that's almost bright
enough to make flashlights unnecessary (memories of WS). We're
walking/jogging down the road and I'm about five feet from the edge of
the bank when I hear this "strange" noise. Mike says "rattlesnake" and
we turn and shine our light on an angry little beauty waiting about
waist-height for anyone walking too close to the edge of the road.
Yikes, and I was worried about furry critters! Our downhill speed is
slow, to say the least, and we're soon caught by a pacer/runner pair
and Mike introduces me to list-er Clem La Cava. We're all caught in a
few minutes by the boy wonder, Eric, and then we reach the bottom and
start the climb to Newcombs. Here's where I'm pleased to discover that
while Mike may have tender feet, he still has lots of energy and we
"surge" up the hill, pulling away from Clem and passing Eric. We pass a
runner who stopped to puke and got chilled, but his pacer says he'll be
alright.

At last we pass the third (or fourth?) power tower, reach the summit
and arrive at Newcomb's Saddle, mile 68(10:40). We're pampered: they
locate the drop bag and shine a light on Mike's feet while he works.
They're out of spareribs, but I savor a hot dog and reluctantly decline
the offer of a beer and wash it down instead with Coke. I take a flash
picture of Clem, destroying what little night vision he may have, but
promising to immortalize him on my web site. Mike finishes another cup
of CNS and we start down the single-track trail. I'm impressed that
Mike is able to run almost non-stop, even if it's only about 4mph,
'cause we're making pretty good time and I figure we're still ahead of
a 30hr pace. We pass one or two runners and don't get passed ourselves,
so I can't ask for much more. We reach the Dark Hole and I earn my keep
when Mike misses a turn, but I spot the ribbon in time. A solo runner
latches on to us as we navigate through one of the two sections where
runners always get lost at night (they even used a few glow sticks this
year). We reach the campground at the bottom, run along the stream,
cross the bridge and climb the long paved road toward the lights.

We reach Chantry Flats, mile 75(12:55), and Miryam is ready for us.
Mike chats with Lost Boys RD Tom Waddell, I tease list-er Gary Wang
(who's waiting to pace) and Miryam helps find a podiatrist for Eric.
This is where I figured Mike might drop (it's real popular for that
purpose), but he finishes his feet, fuels up and we're outta there on
the heels of Lisa Deaton and her pacer, list-er Kathy Welch. We both
know that now we're committed: there really isn't anyplace to drop
before the finish and we have a 2800' climb up Mt. Wilson ahead of us
and 9 miles to the next aid station. Mike leads at a strong pace, never
stopping, and eventually we're surprised to come out of the woods and
reach the first ridge, where the lights of LA are spread out as far as
we can see from east to south to west. There's a full moon above us and
the blinking red lights of Mt. Wilson ominously high to the west. On we
go, passing a runner who's napping on the ground (he looks
comfortable). We can see the lights of several runners ahead of us and
we pass half a dozen of them as we power-walk hill after hill. We come
out of the trees onto the fire road and without savoring the magical
moment, start down. Ironically our downhill speed isn't much faster
than our uphill speed, so we're passed by several of the runners that
we "lapped" along the ridge. Mike tells me he's slightly nauseous and I
get slightly nervous, but we walk a bit (yes, it was downhill) and
after waiting several minutes I'm pleased to hear him say that he feels
better and figures it was just too much Gatorade. The road seems to go
on forever (well, it is a nine mile stretch) and when I see the lights
of Sam Merrill far away and far above us, I decide that it's one thing
I probably don't need to bring to Mike's attention.

Around another switchback and suddenly we're at Idlehour Trail, mile
84(4:15). Lisa and Kathy are there, but head out shortly while Mike
does the foot ritual and I have a tube steak for breakfast. We're there
about 2 hours earlier than my time last year and it's strange to see it
when it's still relatively dark. Mike gets his feet cleaned with a
saline spray and then the volunteer uses some sort of anesthetic spray,
which must work because Mike asks how he can get some. Off we go on a
trail again and Mike's still managing a strong uphill walk and a
shuffling run on the downhills. He doesn't trip (much) and hasn't
fallen, so I consider myself very fortunate. It's still dark enough
that I can look back and see a few lights coming down the fire road
into Idlehour. We reach the Idlehour Campground and I take the lead
after Mike misses a ribbon. A solo runner who's wandering around joins
us and we manage to get through the section and start the switchbacks.
I stay in the lead about halfway up the hill and we finally pass Lisa
and Kathy. Keeping my head down so I don't get fooled by the false
summits seems to pass the time quickly and we catch one more couple
before we see the lights of the aid station.

We pull into Sam Merrill, mile 90(6:45), just as the sun rises. I'm
happy to realize that we've finished the last of the big hills, have
"only" 11 more miles and Mike's feet are still basically OK. We leave
our flashlights in Mike's drop bag and head out at a much faster pace
than we arrived: refueled, lighter, downhill and that wonderful "second
sunrise" feeling. We pass two pairs of runners, but two solos and one
pair streak by us at a 6mph pace (what do they think this is, a race?).
We continue to go down, which inevitably turns into a slight climb as
we follow the old route of the Mt. Lowe railroad. We're now on the
southern shoulder of the hills and can see the Rose Bowl in the
distance. I try to imagine what it was like to know you'd be finishing
there. We reach the end of the RR grade and turn onto the single track
trail that was bypassed during last year's grass fire. It's a welcome
alternative to running miles on a paved road last year, but the sun is
coming up and it's starting to get warm again. Eric catches up with us
and he's become one of those downhill runner types, so our meeting is
brief. One final section of trail is labeled "1/2 mile", but for some
reason takes over 15 minutes to cover.

Millard Campground, mile 96(8:30), is the last aid station and I feel a
bit guilty as we pass through without stopping. I wish I'd know that
list-er Jed Davis was there, but it's warming up, we're "close" to the
finish and Mike's feet will have just have to wait. I remind Mike that
there's one more hill before we reach the trail, but we're both
surprised by how far we have to go before the junction. Two mountain
bikes start down the trail before us and I realize that we're back in
"civilization". As we jog along the trail a runner passes us without
any water bottles and it takes a while to realize that they're "just a
jogger" and not an ultrarunner. We meet a few people who are on their
way out to greet incoming runners and they all say the usual: "you're
looking good", "way to go", "you're almost there", etc. Even though we
know it's a crock, it helps. We reach the paved road, cross a bridge,
climb a small hill and pass the JPL parking lot where I make my ONLY
wrong turn and Mike pleasantly backtracks 50 feet and we continue. I
tell Mike that I'm going to run ahead so that I can take his picture
and alert Miryam and his parents. As I "sprint" into the finish area I
have to keep telling people "I'm just a pacer - cheer the guy behind me!"

Johnson's Field, mile 100.9(9:46:39), and Mike crosses the baseball
field and passes under the banner! I take a few pictures and Hal
congratulates Mike. At last it's over! I'm tired and a little sore, but
I know that Mike's feeling worse. We use the outdoor shower, have lunch
and hang around watching other runners come in. It seems very strange
to me to be there so much earlier than last year (only 1:38), but it's
partly because as a pacer I'm not nearly as tired as a runner (or a
crew person!).

With so many list-ers present this year at AC (including some that I
didn't meet, like Anstr Davdidson, Dave Emmons, Mike Fiorito, etc.),
there must be other stories to tell. If you took any photos that I can
add to my web site, please let me know. Hope you found this report
interesting!

Stan