2/11/97 pacer's report from Mack Sorrells at Rocky Racoon Shawn, Bob, Debbie, Vida, and Lori Writing this to all of you in hopes that you can add to the experience and add your words of wisdom to that gleamed this weekend. I'm a little embarrassed to admit that here I am training for a 100 and have never attended one until this weekend. Did not run it, only the last 40 as a pacer, but just being there, listening and observing I came away with a mountain of information. Had very mixed emotions about whether I should have run the Rocky Racoon, time is good, would have had plenty of recovery time (except would have had to skip the East Texas 50K, next weekend) and it is probably one of the easiest 100 courses there is (if there is such a thing).It is a 5 x 20-mile loop course and relatively flat. there is no way know how you will feel at 10, 20, 30 hours until you've been there, but just having the opportunity to witness the runners as they came thru was quite an experience and learning curve. The weather turned out to unseasonably warm, 80, w/ 50% humidity and didn't even cool down a great deal at night. It really took its toll of DNF's, particularly with heat related sickness. Had I run it there's no question that it would have set back my training by 3-4 weeks, so it probably better to have passed. Being a pacer for Gail Snyder gave me the experience of the night portion, starting at mile 60 (around 8:30 pm). Gail and I picked up a fellow from McAllen, TX named Roger as we were heading out and he stayed with us through the next loop, Gail had to drop at mile 80 due to feet problems, they were just in on fire, figured out later that the course was dry with a real fine sand on a good portion of it. Gail really coated her feet with Vaseline before we headed out, and I think the sand got into her shoes and with the Vaseline turned to sandpaper. I went on to finish the second (last 20 miles) with Roger who finished in 28:33. The last 7 miles was like trying to force someone to march to their own hanging. You could tell he was racked with sensations from fatigue, sleepiness, and a bruised ankle, yet he kept digging deep enough to go own. He would be high and optimistic one moment and a zombie the next. Every step was pure agony. Here are some of my observations: 1) As a 50 miler is far more than two marathon, a 100 is way beyond back to back 50's. There is a significant higher degree of seriouness in the runners, almost a meditation spirit. The mental preparation is very visible, and the question that seems to hang over everyone head is not what kind of time will I have, or even concern about a DNF, but rather a "can I get all together, and keep it till the finish". You can almost visibly see them going over their checklist, while trying to eat, joke, and swap tales. The preparation is very deep inside. Completing a 100 is paying great attention to detail and getting them all in order, the simplest omission can spell DNF. 2) A 100 is really 3 races in one (at least for those over 24 hours. a) The first 10-12 hours in daylight b) the next 10-12 during the night c) the last 4-5 the next morning There is no question, but, that the body has biorhythms and these are directly related to the time of day. You would assume that the night portion would be slower and more difficult simply because of visibility, however there is more to it than that. Runners tend to take on an almost "ghoulish" appearance at night, partly due to fatigue, but just because of the body is trying to do it's normal thing called sleep. The fight to overcome those sensations takes on a new dimension. If runners tend to "die" at night, the more amazing thing is the "resurrection" at sunrise the next morning. The very same runner who looked like a ghost moving thru the darkness can be hitting their normal pace the next morning. 3) The effects of heat are the killers. Runners would be obviously dehydrated, having lost 4-5 pounds on 20 mile loop, yet swear they had been drinking and couldn't get any fluids down. It's a funny sort of nausea that just locks up the system, can't put anything more in, yet nothing will come up. One runner sat in an aid station for 1 1/2 hours, finally walked to the woods and vomited, came back and headed out and finished. You really have to know your body, balance liquids with electrolytes, etc. In other words have a plan for all these and stick to it. As well as train in heat. 4) A good crew and pacer is not a luxury, but a treasured asset, and being a good crew or pacer is not only important but difficult. The crew (may also be the pacer) must almost anticipate the runners needs before they hit the aid station. by this I mean be "organized" to fulfill any request at the snap of a finger. Gail Snyder really taught me a valuable lesson in this regard, My running bag, like most folks looks like I emptied the drawer in it then stirred it with a stick. Gail had put all her gear in zip lock bags and labeled each bag. She had "shorts", "long sleeve shirts", "socks", "tights", in individual bags. When she came in I was able to hand her the changes she needed instantly, shoes were in plastic bags and labeled. Also, she had a medical box with knife, scissors, second skin, Compeed, bandaids, etc. neatly arranged, and a list of the contents on the inside cover. A towel and washcloth were readily available. Knowing it was going to be warm, I had a cooler with replacement water bottles with 90% ice and water so all I had to do was change out her pack. Also, had a couple of wet towels in the ice to drape over her neck while she was changing to get her body temp down. Not being familiar with her nutrition habits, we lost time getting her fed before going back out. Had I known what her choices might have been I would have a selection set up for her. One of the problems you have to remember is that the runner only has two hands and if you are trying to get food, flashlights, all this stuff for them to take on the trail is a problem if it isn't thought out before hand. Another important lesson we learned, If the runner changes back pack or water bottle belts, be sure to transfer all a the stuff in the soon to be discarded unit into the replacement. Gail had compeed in her first belt, change out before the night run and when her feet started to blister in the middle of nowhere we were without anything to fix them with. Might have made a difference in her eventual DNF. Pacer, must suppress there own "freshness" and settle into the runners condition, they have 60 miles on their legs and body and it doesn't function well. I should have gone out for a short run in the morning to take the edge off my "hype" and tire me enough to take a nap later in the day. The pacer must both lead and follow. It is important to develop a sense of walking pace. Be in a position to help your runner to adjust their pace to some goal to the next objective. Pacer, must talk and listen, encourage and cajole. Avoid questions that have the runner think or focus on their condition, questions like "how you feeling?", "getting sleepy?". If the runner is getting internal, try to give them something to do, like "Time to drink", "here chew on a Power Bar, jerky," "here's a good running surface lets stretch the muscles jogging some". Pacer must be very observant of the runners condition without asking, just watch for telltale signs of fatigue and sleepiness. Push the runner to get their system jump started, jogging, power walking, eating, talking. If you have some "sense of pace" and can project an ETA to the next aid station, spend considerable time "planning" the stop. Work out a mental checklist and get the runner thinking about something positive about the stop, like how a soup or coffee will taste. What needs to be done, fill bottles, what to eat, adjust gear, set a time goal to be in and out, down to the minute. Let the runner sit and have the volunteers handle the needs, which they will gladly do if someone is directing them. If some is giving massages, have them massage the runners neck and shoulders to relieve tension that builds up from carrying a flashlight, water bottle, head lamp, and of course the legs and feet. Visually think of the aid station as a pit stop in a motor car race, every second will count somewhere on the trail. (Roger had a sneaky habit of having to go to the port-a-pot and falling asleep, had to position myself at the door and knock every 30 seconds to keep him moving). Try to monitor the runners fluid and food intake, suggest a balance of protein, fat, sugars, carbos and most important salt. On the trail try set up a pattern of drinking for the runner and yourself. Same is true for things like Gu intake, or electrolyte tabs. I saw more runners DNF due to stomach nausea than anything else, certainly not an expert, but I think some of this can be avoided by getting a routine and staying with it. If the system locks up it appears better to let it evacuate, vomit, and start over again. Having something available in your pack is a giant help if this happens between aid stations. This may sound silly, but every time the runner has to urinate, which will get more frequent as they are out longer, you go too, needed or not. This way you won't develop an off sequence pattern. Every pit stop wastes progress so try to avoid having to get into a alternating pattern. If the runner is not urinating with an almost painful frequency, they may be headed for trouble. You'll have to keep track of time, they can't handle it. Most important take care of yourself. If you get sick or dehydrated or injured, you are little help to the runner. Know what keeps you awake, coffee, No Doz, ginseng. and take it. At RR my feet really started aching, as well as hands and ankles swelling. I wasn't resting my feet at the aid stations, Thought about it later, I had been standing around the start/finish all day and we were on our feet for over 13 hours. Physically I was not tired, but my feet, the foundation, was about to crumble. I was ready to go for a run at the end except for my feet. Finally, be prepared and push to take advantage of the "resurrection" time at sunrise. It may only seem a burst of vitality, yet you may be able to keep it going for hours. This is time to press. Personally, I think a 100 is a matter of forward motion, sometimes painfully slow, but forward progress is still forward progress. Reducing the non-progress activities is the key to making the cutoffs. A 100 is paying attention to a lot of details and getting them all right. Mack Sorrells RuningRep@aol.com