From owner-ius-l@AMERICAN.EDU Wed Jun 11 05:25:21 1997 Date: Tue, 10 Jun 1997 12:36:44 -0500 From: "Karl L. King" To: ius-l@AMERICAN.EDU Subject: Crewing for Suzi T at KM 100/thoughts Crewing for Suzi was quite an experience. My experience with 100s is a drop in the bucket compared to hers, so I learned a lot just by watching and listening. Since it was her performance, not mine, I'll leave any telling of the tale to her. Below are some of my thoughts on 100's as the event took place: It helps to be organized and have your stuff together so that it isn't a panic when you need something. We had essentially a bag of clothes, a bag of accessories, and a cooler with drink and food. Critical items were carried by the runner. It is wise to note on an out-and-back course where you are 10 minutes after the start and 1 hour after the start. That could be useful if you're pushing a limit on the way back. A crew needs to plan carefully for their own needs ( knowledge of the area, food, sleep ) so they don't let their runner down when it counts. Where are your breakfast, lunch and dinner going to come from? Did you bring enough water for yourself? In the 40 hours around the event, I got 20 minutes of sleep. There were nap times planned, but adrenalin prevented me from sleeping except for a spot around 4 a.m., 12 hours after the start. Crew should have a portable alarm clock or a watch with an alarm function. A crew should arrive at an aid station early, survey the food and supplies so they know what is available for the runner. It is very educational to watch runners come in and see how they're dressed, what they eat and drink, and how they deal with adversity. An experienced runner deals with problems ASAP rather than run on until it gets too bad to recover. Suzi had three minor problems which she dealt with effectively before they became major. Some people don't know how to be happy on the trail. Last year we skated through 8 miles of very slippery mud on the Muir section. This year, a few complained that the dry trail was compacted and hard on their feet. Boo hoo. Suzi never complained and found time to collect trash which other runners had left on the trail. If you run or crew at a 100, you should be comfortable with and not afraid of the night. You need to have flashlights or lanterns in working order and have a backup in case of failure. Some people avoid 100s because of the night, but for me it is a wonderful experience to be on the trail when all is dark and quiet. Some flowers give off their scent only during darkness. There was lots of honeysuckle on the course and some evening scented stock. The singing of the birds at dawn was worth the price of admission. An experienced runner knows his or her limits and can therefore push those limits for hours. We saw a number of runners who pushed too hard in the early going and paid for it later. Runners who had previously done 100s or 24 hour runs clearly had learned their lessons and went out more carefully. One fast young woman sat at the 68.5 mile station trying to recover from her near total crash. Al Zeller helped mightily but she was toast. In contrast, 24 hour veteran Bonnie Busch came in with some foot woes, cheerfully dealt with them and went on to finish. It helps to have a sense of humor. Looking at Bonnie's feet, Pat Gorman pulled out his camera and asked the bystanders to get out of the way so he could get a better shot of the blood. A pacer should know the course and terrain, and be perfectly happy to adjust his/her pace to suit the runner. Gregg Heinrichs did a fine job of pacing, including humor as needed. Crewing in a 100 is a day off for the muscles, but not for the endocrine system; I was fired up for the event almost as much as if I were running it. I thought I might get in a couple short runs while waiting for Suzi to run the 8 and 7 mile sections. Bad idea - there just wasn't time or energy for that. The next morning I went out for a 20 miler and was so tired it took half the run just to wake up. By all means, take a camera. The shots I got during the run are priceless. Any 100 is a unique experience, so the photos will be something to put in an album. I did not take any pictures at night because I didn't want the flash to interfere with Suzi's night vision. Crewing was great fun, but also hard work. For those of you who haven't done a 100 but are thinking about it, try crewing first. You will share the joy of success in such a demanding run, and you will be sobered by the difficulty you'll see written on the faces after 50 miles. There are great rewards in a 100, but you'll have to risk failure to enjoy them. Karl King kking@omnifest.uwm.edu