Pacing & crewing along the 2013 Burning River 100

This trip was so spontaneous that it fit perfectly with the way my summer had been going. I had been going out of town for the past three weekends and this next trip to Ohio to be a part of the Burning River 100 Mile Endurance Run was a great excuse to extend my streak to four weekends. I thought that the race was at the end of August but it was actually set for the end of July. So instead of planning for a relaxing weekend at home, I was busy packing once again for another exciting weekend. The drive was fast thanks to the engaging conversations with my friend "Ultra Joe." We spent the drive catching up since the last time we hung out at another ultra race about a year ago (The North Face Challenge 50 miler in Wisconsin). We talked about all the relay races we had done between us and about some ultra running philosophy. It's incredible how easy runners can connect by sharing different yet similar running experiences. We had both traveled an interesting journey to get to where we were now. We both had a few 50 milers under our belts and our minds were focused on the next big milestone, a 100 mile race.

                Joe had mentioned on Facebook a few months ago that he was going to run a 100 mile race. When I saw that post I immediately offered up my services as a Pacer. I was extremely thrilled that Joe was going to run his first 100 miler and I keenly wanted to be a part of that amazing experience. As fate would have it, Joe would not be running the race due to a high ankle sprain he had sustained a few days before the race. At first, I contemplated taking his bib and running the race myself, but that was an absurd idea since mentally, I was not ready to run my first 100 miles on a whim. You have to respect the distance and this wasn’t one of those fun runs in the city that you could easily do with a hangover (See Chicago Half Marathon 2011). Joe was pretty upset he wouldn’t be running but thanks to my encouragement he was still willing to come out and volunteer for the race. That way he could get a good feel for what the course and environment of a 100 mile race would be like. I also loved the idea of tagging along to see some of the runners cross the finish line and witness their moment of incredible bliss.

                So it was agreed we would head toward the packet pickup and see if we could arrange some sort of volunteer position that would allow us to jump around the race and not limit ourselves to be stationed at one place. We arrived and Joe began explaining his situation to the people working the packet pickup. He had made it a point to say since he had paid for the race, he might as well pick up his swag which actually was a pretty nice Mountain Hardwear backpack. While mingling with other runners we overheard this skinny young kid talking about running his first 100 miler. His name was Devon and he looked so excited to be here. We asked if he had a pacer or a crew and he sort of grinned and answered plainly, “no.” I couldn’t believe it and instantly thought this kid was never going to finish the race tomorrow. While talking this kid Devon we also spoke to Tap who was the volunteer coordinator for the race. Tap is a pretty lady with a special charisma who has run several Ultras herself. She would become the catalyst that would bind our paths with Devon’s. She immediately liked the suggestion we threw out about pacing and crewing for Devon. She said it was a fantastic idea and gave us lots of information about the aid stations and names of the aid station captains. Joe and I talked it over quickly and we decided we would definitely help this young 24 year old run his first 100 mile race. 

The packet pick up had some tasty refreshments

                I grew excited that I would be able to get a run in this weekend and actually see some of the course too. We spent the night with Devon getting to know him a little better and eating some pizza for dinner. After enjoying a delicious Yuengling beer we went to Devon’s hotel and he let us crash in his room. I had brought a sleeping bag and blankets with the intention of camping so we were comfortable sprawling out on the floor and letting Devon get his rest. The humming coming from the mini fridge didn’t keep us up too late and we all got to sleep eventually. The morning came quickly as Devon was up at 2:15am and gearing up. He was going to take an early shuttle and we would be meeting him later at the first aid station.

My view waking up

                When we got to the first aid station (Squire’s castle) Joe and I walked over to the picturesque castle sitting on a small hilltop. The first runners would be coming through soon so we got into position and waited for Devon. We saw Tap while we were waiting and she handed us some volunteer shirts and reminded us that we were free to jump around all day and should anyone gave us grief, just mention her name. We thanked her and soon saw the first runners starting to come through. We saw Devon coming in fast close behind the lead pack and took his headlamp that he wouldn’t need for another 12 hours or so. Devon was moving fast and I began to get worried for two reasons.  One, I was thinking he was going too fast and would crash hard later in the race and possibly not finish. Second, maybe he is just a fast runner and I began to worry I might not be able to pace him if he is running that fast when I join up with him at mile 55. I didn’t want to be left behind and felt nervous about keeping up with this kid. I was reassured by Joe that I would be fine and would have no problem keeping pace with Devon. He reminded me that after 55 miles of running his pace would definitely be slower. That helped reassure me and I also rationalized that we had seen him running on a flat surface and when I would be with him we would be in the trails with lots of inclines and declines. I put my worries aside and we left toward the next aid station.

               

Squire's Castle

 We got to the next aid station and again saw Devon cruising through keeping a fast pace and closing in on the top 10. We gave him some more cheers and after greeting Peg “the mannequin leg” we drove off to the next aid station. Joe brought up a point around this time. He noticed how similar our day was going in comparison to a relay race. It was in fact true, as we were consistently scrambling to get to the next aid station and managing our way across roads we were unfamiliar with. The only difference was that we didn’t have to run once we reached the next aid station. Instead we helped cheer and support runners along the course. When Joe and I arrived to the aid station at mile 18 we stuck around for a while lending our ultra experience to the other volunteers. After successfully demonstrating how to help ultrarunners with instructions and guidance, the first-time volunteers got the hang of it. We left and kept going to keep up with Devon.

                We decided to jump ahead in the course a bit and wait for Devon at Egbert Shelter, around the 50K mark (31 miles). Our plan was to get there as soon as possible and take a power nap. We figured we had about a good hour and a half before Devon would show up. Both Joe and I were feeling tired not having eaten much the whole morning. We pulled into the park area and saw a few cars and a table set up. We saw the path that the runner’s would be coming in from and felt confident we were at the right spot. We parked, cracked the windows a bit, and reclined the seats. I put my cowboy hat over my face to block the light and quickly went to sleep. In what felt like minutes later, I jolted awake and looked at Joe who was startled by my jump. Joe said we had taken about a good 45 min nap. I got out of the car and suddenly felt lost. The cars that were around us before were all gone now. The table where the volunteers were set up was gone too. I went toward a shed that had some bathrooms and saw a group of teenagers huddled there to avoid the drizzling rain. I approached them and asked if they were volunteering for Burning River. They said no and that they had just finished their cross country workout. Joe and I figured we parked in the wrong area, so we hastily got back in the car and drove further into the park. A couple turns later we found the aid station. We parked and noticed the intensity of the rainfall was increasing. 

The rain picking up

        

  Again, I started to worry about my pacing duties. I had never run an ultra in heavy rain. What new curve balls would I have to deal with? I brought this concern up to Joe and again, with his sage like wisdom, he comforted me. He told me I could try putting body glide on my feet to help prevent blisters from the guaranteed wet shoes I would be running in. I had never tried that since I have been extremely fortunate to have hardly dealt with blisters in my running career. They say not to try anything new on race day, but lucky for me, I was only pacing today. 

                The aid station at Egbert Shelter was very well managed. Mike, the Aid Station Captain had the station running smoothly. He was authoritative and got people to listen to him and do what he said. His main concern was for the benefit of the runners. As an ultrarunner himself he clearly understood the importance of placing the runner’s needs as top priority. Joe and I happily found a spot to help and soon saw the first runner’s coming in. Tap arrived with Gavin (her son) and told us she had seen Devon at the last aid station and he was still looking good. Sure enough Devon came through looking intense and determined. He was in and out of the aid station stopping only to refill his bottles. He was quickly back on the course with 69 more miles to go. Joe and I stuck around at the aid station helping a while longer. After I ate some pizza that was leftovers from the night before, we got on the move.

Meeting the locals while volunteering

                Before we left we got directions from Tap to the aid station that I would be joining Devon to pace him. Tap’s directions were perfect. Unfortunately, she gave us directions to the wrong aid station. After getting in touch with her she apologized and led us to the right one. Tap was very busy this day checking on all the aid stations and doing her duties as the volunteer coordinator. It was impressive how well she was running things and able to help us get around during the race. So her one mistake was easily forgivable.

We got to the right aid station at Boston Store and it looked very simple. It was an open grassy lot with only a few tents. It was still raining at a good rate and the tent’s canopies would spill the built up rain water occasionally. Tap started preparing the sign-in sheet for the pacers while I went to change. I donned my running clothes and did all the prep needed for an ultra (Band-aids on nipples, Vaseline everywhere, gel’s stocked, handheld full, etc.) including positioning my brand new AK Buff. My good friend Adam has a man-crush on Anton Krupicka, so he bought his special line of buffs and gave one to me. The AK Buff is basically a head wrap that has multiple ways of wearing it. I wore it in the headband style and with it on, I felt invincible. It’s similar to the way a basketball player would feel wearing a new pair or Jordan’s.

              

Ready to pace

  I stood under one of the tents talking to some of the volunteers and learning a little bit more about Ohio. Some of the lead runners passed through and one had even dropped from the race. This aid station was at mile 55.5. I would be pacing Devon for the next 20-30 miles depending on how it went. I was still a little worried that if I stuck with Devon for the rest of the race I might be a burden and slow him down. I had told him I would see how the run goes and decide when to drop back later in the race.

                By the time Devon came in he was in 8^th place. This was the main focus of my concern. If this kid was running in the top ten, how the hell would I keep up him? But, I was also fueled by the feeling of excitement because there was a chance he might actually win it. And to be a part of that was all the energy I needed to keep up with him. Joe gave me some last minute pep talk and reminded me to stay positive and keep Devon moving. We planned for Joe to crew for us for the next few hours. He agreed but acknowledged he would have a tougher time navigating the course solo. We had a good system going prior to this point where I would be the navigator and Joe would be the driver. Now he would be working twice as hard to make sure he found the next aid stations and to help crew us.

                Devon and I took off from Boston Store after he had his bottles refilled and a few calories taken in. We left with cheers from Tap, Joe, and Gavin. As we started on the trail, I immediately felt a jolt of energy. I was excited and needed to control myself. I didn’t want to force a pace on Devon that he couldn’t handle. I was containing my speed and converted it into positive energy instead. Devon was glad to see me knowing I’d be keeping him company for a while. I gave him some updates on the field and how our day had been going. When we hit the single track trail I got into position behind him to let him lead the pace. We reached a good hill and Devon began the first of many apologizes about his speed. Since, we had just met less than 24 hours ago we really didn’t know each others' speed. On top of that, this was Devon’s first 100 mile race and I had no clue how fast he expected to run. I told him not to worry about his speed and just keep moving. Devon mentioned how power hiking with swinging his arms may look funny, but it helps. I agreed and would continuously remind him during the rest of the race to swing his arms to help mount these hills. Once we reached the top we got to some road and then into some technical trails. I was having a blast running alongside Devon in the rain.

I wound up running behind Devon and kept an eye on him. At the beginning I was impressed that this kid had run 55 miles and was still having the speed to charge down on the descents. He would literally pull away from me on the down hills and I would have to hustle to catch up to him. Of course, when he hit the up hills I was right behind him. A few times I had to watch my footing as I came close to stepping on his heels. I kept going over the check list Joe had given me about pacing duties. I was to stay positive, keep the runner moving, and most importantly, I was never to ask how he was doing or felt. The main reason was that I would be able to tell just by looking at him. Also I didn’t need to remind him of how terrible he might be feeling if he was in a rough patch. So instead I talked about different things. I asked about his family and talked about mine. I was also conscious of not talking too much. I didn’t want to get annoying and figured I’d just see how the run went.

The time and the miles started ticking by and the rain would come and go. It was cloudy but still light enough to see out in the trails. The tree cover we were in wasn’t too thick and the wildlife wasn’t shy either. We saw plenty of deer and Devon even mentioned he came within a few feet of a Buck earlier on the course. I was enjoying the moment and still excited to be a part of the magic involved with a 100 mile race. We reached the next aid station at Pine Lane and the volunteers there were very helpful. They had a few drinks and snack choices since this wasn’t a big aid station. There were a few aid stations that were minimal because getting to the area for their set up was not an easily accessible point as some of the other aid stations that lie off of a main road. Devon filled his bottles and I filled mine with half water and half Heed. Heed is an electrolyte drink and was a new favorite of mine since having tried it recently. I wanted to help Devon as much as possible so I told him if he wanted some of my drink just to let me know. The volunteers offered a dry shirt for Devon to change into, and I could tell that he sort of wanted to, but didn’t want to waste any time. Devon thanked them anyway and we took off.

The trails were beautiful on the course. Devon was more focused on the clumps and roots along the trail but I was able to take a few glances to my right and left. All the while I kept thinking that this is incredible. I was in disbelief that Devon was running 100 miles. As an ultrarunner myself, I can understand the pain and dedication required to run 50 miles. But to run 100 miles was something completely foreign to me. I felt like I was a minor league player running and gunning right next to a major league player. And yet, it’s like they say about celebrities when you meet them, they really are just regular people. I was trying to contain my excitement and focus on supporting Devon. I had an important job and I couldn’t get too distracted. I needed to be attentive and also take care of myself. My fears of not keeping up or worse, getting injured, were enough to keep me focused. I was making note that Devon was regularly eating a gel, a salt tablet, and drinking water. It amazed me how little food he was actually eating. He was relying on his gels for calories and this is when I had an epiphany.

I had gotten into the habit during my ultra runs of eating gels but also mixing it up with real food. I would eat granola bars, avocados, oranges, potatoes, and the rest of the usual ultrarunning food choices. But what I was learning was that if my gut can handle eating just gels, then I had less to worry about in terms of my nutrition. Not only would this save space and time, but most gels have a kick of caffeine that comes in handy. It’s funny how a half marathoner would think this as a no-brainer, but once you run ultra distances you try new things and sometimes forget some of the simple aspects of racing. Essentially, when it comes to my experience I had only seen what it takes to finish these ultra races. What I was witnessing here was how to race competitively at one of these ultra races. It got me fired up and brought to life my subdued competitive spirit. Watching Devon run hard on the descents and creek crossings showed me I can run hard while running long distances. Seeing his resilience brought to mind something ultra legend Kilian Jornet had said during an interview.

“… when you run for 20-30 hours the strongest muscles are not the legs, the strongest muscle is the mind. So don’t think about the pain because the pain is there and you don’t need to remind yourself.” –Kilian Jornet

By realizing that pain is part of the process, you learn there is no need to prolong it. I had learned that after you are out there for 8-9 hours, it hurts just as bad going slow as going fast. So why not end the pain faster and pick up your feet. Devon was doing just that. He was already battling his mind and trying to finish as fast as he could. He would give himself little pep talks and had me smiling when he blurted out, “This is crazy!” I was happy for him and taking in his experience knowing full well, that that might be me one day.

We came into Ledges Shelter (mile 65) next and saw Joe right away. He was holding watermelon and extra batteries for our headlamps. This was where we would pick up our lights to prepare for the coming night. We still had a good four more hours of daylight, but with the overcast skies it was a precautionary adjustment. Tap and Gavin were on hand too and they gave Devon tons of support. I was talking with Joe and he had plenty of advice too. Again Devon was staying on track and left the aid station quickly not wanting to waste too much time there. We refilled our bottles and got moving.

Back on the trails Devon began telling me how this experience of suffering is why he was out here. He had paid good money to come out here and test himself. I’m sure he blurted this out because he had been asking himself in his mind why he was out here in the first place. I reassured him he was out here for a good reason and that he was doing something amazing. He would be accomplishing something people don’t even believe is possible. He was out here living his dreams and all he had to do was keep putting one foot in front of the other.

The trails along this part of the course were grandiose. I understood why they called this area the ledges. Walls of cavernous rock were carved out and exposed, well, ledges. The geomorphic transformations that occurred thousands of years ago were visible along the trail. We also reached a point where there were stairs carved along the rock and it was very steep. I was thinking to myself that these stairs were hard to climb myself, let alone for someone who had already been running for 65 miles! This again was another source of empowerment for me. I had already run 10 miles with Devon and it felt like I had run three. Any moment I felt the least bit tired I would look at Devon and it would instantly wash away. Feeling this good I knew I would be sticking with him for more of his journey.

We got to the next small aid station at Pine Hollow and I could sense Devon’s frustration. I wasn’t sure if he was upset that this aid station wasn’t well stocked or if it was just a rough patch he was going through. We didn’t stay long again and started running once more. The next aid station coming up would be where Joe would be waiting. While on the leg there, Devon stopped for a moment. It was in this moment I felt completely useless. He was trying to fish out a rock in his shoe and there was literally nothing I could do. I could have offered to remove his shoe, but that would have taken too much time and the one thing Devon had on his mind was to finish this race as soon as possible. As if this helplessness moment wasn’t bad enough, I noticed a mistake I had made. When we had picked up the headlamps I took Devon’s extra batteries and placed them in one of my back pockets of my shorts. While we were stopped I checked to see if they were still in place, and they were not. They must have fallen out of my pocket during the run. I panicked for a moment and didn’t say a word to Devon. I was ashamed and felt like a letdown. As we got moving again I was planning on how to break the news to him. Luckily before I did I thought of a solution. Since I had my headlamp with me, I wouldn’t use it and just give him my batteries should he need them. It was also during this time that I was consistently asking Devon if he wanted a sip from my bottle with the Heed mix. After the fourth or fifth time of him saying no, I simply asked him if he wanted me to stop asking that same question. He gave me a firm “yes” and I understood not to keep bugging him about it.

We rolled into the next aid station at mile 73 and Joe was there waiting with some delicious watermelon. I refilled our bottles as Devon got some calories in him. Gavin was in the crowd and went to fetch his mom. The volunteers and Tap were doing their best to get Devon anything he needed. I was busy refilling bottles, grabbing extra gels, and a baggie with some Vaseline in it. Once I was ready, I caught up to Devon who was already walking ahead and striving to keep moving. As we were walking and ready to get moving again, Devon mentioned that it was getting extremely difficult to start moving after leaving the aid stations. He also said that everyone was asking him too many questions. He was definitely agitated and I don’t blame him. When running alone for 12+ hours in silence the runner gets accustomed to the silence. Then, when they enter an aid station they get bombarded with people and it can be overwhelming, especially when the runner is tired and exhausted. This was all valuable information for me to digest and made me appreciate being out here even more. I did my best staying positive and brought up the fact that the area we were in was nicknamed “Little House on the Prairie” because it looked like those beautiful rolling hills seen on that show. Devon gave me a grunt and we got moving again.

Grinding it out and maintaining movement

The next section had a few stream crossings and more thick mud. We had run over some thick sections and with the consistent drizzle of rain the rest of the course would remain the same. Just as we were about to enter another single track trail a beautiful gazelle of a woman came running out. She was jaw dropping with a hot pink top, short black shorts, and short pigtails. I don’t recall what we said to her but it was probably something like “Hey” or "Hiya.” As soon as she appeared she was gone. Both Devon and I were speechless. What was a hottie like her doing here randomly running some trails? I asked Devon if he had seen her too. He said he did and I told him that was good. It was good because it meant we weren’t hallucinating if we both saw her. That girl had lifted both our spirits and she had done it with just one brief passing.

The course led us along some road and we started hearing some loud booming. It sounded like a shotgun going off in the distance. I joked with Devon telling him that they were picking off the slow runners and that we ought to hurry it along. We would have liked to pick it up since it was relatively flat on this section, the problem was that it was also a thick mess. It was frustrating knowing we could run fast on the flat sections, but because they were so muddy it resulted in us just plodding along and trying not to break an ankle. This is also where Devon surprised me again. He was talking about how much he was struggling and asked me how I was feeling. It threw me off guard because I hadn’t been thinking about myself much at all. I instantly replied that I was doing great and that everything felt fine for me. All the nervous feelings I had before resulted in a perfect outcome for me. Like I said before, whenever I felt fatigued, one look at Devon was I all I needed to get me rejuvenated.

After making our way through a mucky cornfield we arrived to the next aid station. This was Covered Bridge (mile 79) and Joe had warned me about this section. Joe told me that it could resemble a battle zone with numerous cots and people laying on them. It was also a point in which many people drop from the race because they stop and just refuse to get up. Fortunately, since Devon was so far up in the field there were no bodies laying around. Again Tap, Joe, Gavin, and the rest of the volunteers did phenomenal helping Devon. Tap even paced with us for almost half a mile leading out of the aid station telling us about the rest of the course coming up. She warned us that there would be some tough hills. After climbing over some moderate hills I joked to Devon that Tap was wrong and those hills weren’t so bad. Of course after I said that we hit the hill she must have been talking about. It was a tough climb and had us hiking it all the way up.

Joe with the watermelon and Gavin in the back supporting Devon

On our way off the hills I knew my pacing duties would be coming to an end. Tap had suggested she could continue pacing for Devon the rest of the way after the next aid station. I agreed with that and would keep going until then. This is where some confusion came into play. The next aid station we got to was an unmanned one with one volunteer working. He had the cooler that Joe had been using for storing the watermelon with its contents intact. I was confused and decided to keep running with Devon since nobody was there to pick me up. On our way out we thanked the volunteer and just his presence there made me feel happy. I’m sure Devon felt the same knowing this older man was out here supporting solo because he cares about the runners. That compassion can catch you off guard and it really hit me how much love goes into this sport.

The course took us along more roads and then a bit more sluggish single track. We saw two young girls placing signs on the trail and soon we came out to a clearing. We had arrived to the next aid station at Howe Meadow (mile 86). I was feeling more confused when we arrived as our crew wasn’t here either. I decided to stay here and let Devon keep moving rather than having him wait while I figured things out. I told him to just keep moving and I’d see him later on. He seemed totally fine with that and thanked me for sticking around as long as I did. I saw him off and then proceeded to find someone with a phone who had Tap’s number. One of the volunteers did and I called her right away. She explained they were held up and would be here soon. I got a chance to sit down and take my wet, muddy shoes off. I was in disbelief how well I had just run a 50K with so little preparation. Normally I would have a lot more nutrition and other gear. I usually wear calf sleeves and noticed I didn’t need them at all. Again, I was grateful to be here and learning so much. I learned I didn’t need extra socks or shoes and that when you are out here racing, you need to just run. I put that into my mind and waited patiently for Tap and Joe.

They arrived and I jumped into the car and explained why I left Devon. I thought it was best to update Tap and Joe via a phone call then to keep running with Devon and leave them in the dark as to where he was and his condition. If I kept running they would have completely missed us at this aid station and possible the next few ones not knowing where we would be. They understood and we got back on track heading to the next aid station to wait for him. While waiting for Devon Tap was getting ready to pace him while Joe and I caught up a bit. He explained to me how those loud booms we heard earlier were actually air cannons to keep birds away from the crops. I laughed and told him how they got Devon and I spooked and got us moving faster.

Devon arrived and looked just like how I left him, tired but resilient. We refilled his bottle and Tap took off with him. We looked around and noticed Gavin was still with us. Apparently we would be his guardians for the next few hours until his mom would rejoin us. We decided to head toward the finish area and get some food. Joe hadn’t eaten much all day and I was really hungry too after running. I had completed my pacing duties and wouldn’t be running anymore so I could indulge my gut and eat up. We found a convenient pub right by the finish line and walked in. While enjoying the meal and talking about what we had seen throughout the day, Gavin interrupted us with an important update. His mom Tap had called and apparently Devon had gotten a surge and left her behind. That meant we had to pick her up from the last aid station. We would be cutting it close to possibly missing Devon cross the finish line as we hurried our way to back track.

We quickly got to the aid station where Tap was and got her in the car. She was so funny describing how he just left her and didn’t wait at all. He was determined to finish and finish fast. We made it back to the finish line and as we were getting out of the car we saw Devon. The finish line was in a town square and had one major street crossing between it. There were road guards and they happily stopped traffic as we cheered and followed behind Devon as he crossed the line to finish his first 100 mile race in 7^th place.  

The kid did it. He ran 100 miles along the Burning River. And finishing right after him was ultra legend Connie Gardner. Connie is a local runner that has an impressive record and quite a bit of 1^st place finishes herself. It was pretty awesome seeing Devon beat a champion and on his first try at this distance. I congratulated him and even pretended to be interviewing him just like Brian Powell of irunfar, the ultra community’s version of ESPN.

What a trip this was. One that cemented my desire to one day be a 100 miler. The Burning River 100 brought together some old friends and some new ones too. The ultra community never ceases to amaze me with the unified effort and support that goes into a race of this caliber. I was more than satisfied with the way the day had turned out. I had learned a ton and got my heart into the “racing” part of ultra running. My hippie running days would be put aside as I got the spark to run fast and see what I’m really capable of. Next on my race calendar would be a 50 mile trail race in Hell Michigan. Hell, after what I just saw, it should be a piece of cake. (see DWD Hell 50 miler recap)

Some day...