Cascade Crest 100 - Pacer

The last couple of days have been a whirlwind of running, a blur of activity as I get myself prepared for...

It all started earlier in the year when I was having a quarterly consult with Scott Jurek. As we were reviewing my ultra training plan and race goals for the remainder of the year, Scott suggested that I consider pacing someone at a 1o0-miler to get some experience at running longer distances. Unlike many sports where you have to actually race to get the experience of racing, with ultras you can get race experience without the race pressure just by helping someone else race. Neat idea. In Scott's words 'it's a great way to test the distance, strengthen the mind and develop endurance while helping someone achieve their goal of finishing a race without having the pressure of racing'. The keys would be to select a 100-miler that I could travel to fairly easily, then find someone racing it who needed a pacer at my speed, then set their expectations appropriately that I had never done this before and finally believe in my own ability to help them do it. No problem.

Scott sent me on my way with some good advice and also suggested that I give Krissy Moehl a call to ask about her experiences as a pacer and uber race RD/volunteer (and of course ultra running goddess). Krissy told me that she was planning to volunteer and pace Jenny Uehisa at Cascade Crest 100, so I contacted Charlie Crissman, the RD. Charlie (and his wife Audrey) are great people and were welcoming when I offered to volunteer. Long story short, I got some great advice and decided to volunteer AND pace someone too. I was set.

The first challenge was to find a racer needing a pacer. After some posts on the CCC100 forum I eventually found my racer - Scotty Pope, a firefighter in his mid-30s from the small town of Dallas, GA (northeastern portion of state). It turns out that Scotty's run a few 100-milers before but this one was going to be very special for him in two ways: 1) this race had more vertical (20,470 feet of gain) than probably all of his other completed ultra races combined and, more significantly, 2) Scotty and his fiancee Cathy were getting married the week before the race. Cool huh? The CCC100 was intended to be part of their honeymoon experience! What a great idea. Actually, Cathy must have the patience of Job because training, racing and recovering from a 100-miler is a series of major tasks in themselves, let alone only a week after a wedding! Yowza!

The race HQ was located at the Easton Fire Station. With a full compliment of volunteer firefighters, radio operators and others on hand it felt like a well-oiled machine ready for the 32 hr challenge that lied ahead. After the national anthem was played, the racers lined up ready for the starting gun. Seattle-area ultra notables included Phil Shaw, Sam Thompson, Bill Huggins, and Van Phan. Despite the challenge which lay in front of them, the enthusiasm was palatable. It made me really want to join them on that starting line. Luckily, my logical rational brain took over and convinced my passionate emotional brain to take it down a notch and remember why I was there.

First though I needed to volunteer. Charlie assigned me to work the Cole Butte AS (mile 10.8) and Tacoma Pass AS (mile 23.3). I barely had enough time to help the Lofton's at Cole Butte AS before I was needed at Tacoma Pass. Tacoma Pass is at an early critical juncture in the race. At about a quarter of the way through the race it's a place where the leaders are still jockeying for position and spreading out. It's also the first AS where crew members can assist their racer. The AS was being staffed by Eric and Iliana Sach of The Balanced Athlete in Kent, Don Mukai (well known locally for spreading the Japanese Proverb - “Stumble seven times, get up eight times”) and of course myself. A fun group! As you can imagine, it was super busy. Cars, crew, families, racers and dogs everywhere all jostling for a little space on the narrow and dusty FS road. Not to mention that James Varner was there crewing and pacing for Allison. James decided to spice up the proceedings by dressing as a hula 'girl'. Typical ultra.

The only scare for us came after about half the racers had made their way through the AS. As Eric and I were nonchalantly chatting, one of the racers and then very quickly a few more, came in telling us of someone lying unconscious in the trail and obviously in distress. Apparently, the front runners had stirred up a nest of ground hornets and all those runners who came along afterwards had to dodge the pesky little devils. Some of the runners, like this poor fellow, didn't fair so well and many folks were stung multiple times. Soon enough someone identified the stricken runner's brother amongst the support crews. He joined some able bodied volunteers and they all trundled up the trail to see what could be done for this poor guy. After a quick assessment, Eric wisely made the decision to call Charlie over the radio who in turn summoned an ambulance from Easton. Eric took my jacket and a blanket as he ventured up the trail to assist the others in stabilizing the victim. As they carried him back down to the AS nearly everyone else left out of necessity to help support their particular racer further along the course. It was pretty much just me, Eric, Iliana and a few other stragglers trying to stabilize him as he lay on the ground pale, uncontrollably shaking and basically out of it. Word arrived that the ambulance was lost and couldn't find us in the maze of FS roads so the decision was immediately made to ferry him down to the I-90 interchange where the ambulance would wait. By the time I made it down to I-90, the poor guy was being rehydrated via intravenous drip and feed some anti-histamines. Later I heard that he was doing fine. Perhaps it was dehydration combined with anaphylactic shock? Regardless, it was scary. I thought that the group handled the situation very well. It could've been much worse.

Since my AS duties were finished I took a quick jaunt into Cle Elum to visit the cabin. After dinner I headed over to the Hyak / Gold Creek AS (mile 52.7) to await Scotty and begin pacing him through the night. As Cathy, Tara and I waited for Scotty she told me that she was proud of his achievement of even making it that far. It was obvious to me that these two were in love. By the time Scotty arrived it was very dark, lightly raining and in the low 50s. Scotty was feeling some of the effects of the altitude but, more importantly, the vertical gain/loss of the first 50 miles which was taking it's toll on his tired legs. After some hot soup, salted boiled potatoes and a handful of oreos, Scotty and I flipped on our headlamps and took off (ok, more like rapidly ambled) down the FS road towards Keechelus Ridge AS at mile 60.5. We passed through Keechelus Ridge just as a stiff breeze began blowing. The rain was pelting us and making the journey a little depressing, but we chatted and I spent the better part of a few hours trying my best to understand his crazy thick Georgia drawl. What the heck was he saying? I wish someone had been with us to record the hilarity of two Americans from opposite sides of the country trying (without much luck) to communicate in a common language. Too funny!

At the Kachess Lake AS at mile 67.9 we refueled. This is where the infamous 'Trail From Hell' that borders Little Kachess Lake begins. Oh boy, oh joy, what fun that was. It was very slow going as we attempted to stay upright in the darkness and not unwittingly drop off of cliff a hundred feet down into the cold lake. Scotty had never seen trail like it before and I could only imagine what he was thinking. After a few miles of a slow jog we basically power walked the rest of the way to the Mineral Creek AS at mile 73.9. We did run some but it was neither consistent nor easy. All the roots and rocks cast huge shadows disproportionate to the size of the object. Very disorienting and mentally fatiguing. We were so glad to be finished with that portion of the course.

As we arrived at Mineral Creek AS, Scotty was at his lowest point so far, having completed about 75% of the race. It wasn't yet dawn so the old Circadian rhythm was stuck in neutral trying to tell our brains and bodies that we should actually be asleep, not plodding along on a cold and misty trail in the Cascades. We were only a few miles out of the AS just as we found ourselves reverting to silence and then magically out of the light mist Cathy and Tara appeared on the trail in the middle of nowhere. It was a great surprise to see them in the dark without any light to guide them. They told us that they had parked their SUV further up on the FS road near Cooper Pass and the Ridge Road AS at mile 78.5. When we hadn't arrived they decided to stay warm (and awake) by walking until they found us staggering along. Despite feeling physically fine and mentally alert I found that the mental energy I needed to expend to help Scotty along was really draining me. But, that's the job of the pacer. No matter what, be there for your racer. It was much tougher than I had expected.

At the Ridge Road AS we got Scotty refueled and pointed him in the right direction. This was going to be my stop. I was feeling very conflicted at this point, leaving Scotty in the dark to climb up the ridge just when he was seemingly at his lowest energy level. But frankly, without having enough base miles under my feet I probably would've become a bigger burden on him for the remaining 21.5 miles as I would've invariably hit my limit in some remote area. This was his race to run. As Scotty disappeared - a lonely figure in the darkness - we drove back to the Fire Station in Easton (Race Central) for some quick shut eye while we anxiously awaited Scotty's arrival.

I slept only a few hours and very fitfully, eventually waking stressed out. We all decided to go to the Silver Creek AS at mile 95.2 to greet him and encourage him along. When he didn't show up my energy level peaked and I decided to head back up the trail towards the French Cabin AS to see if I could find him. Sure enough, at about mile 92 or so there he was shuffling along and mumbling to himself. I forced some energy gels into his weary body and coaxed him down the trail. As his energy improved so did his mood and motivation. Unfortunately, the vertical was taking a heavy toll on his legs. He kept repeating "My legs, they be blow'd up!". It took me a while to understand him and then I started laughing every time he said it. It was like his mantra.

As we came into Silver Creek AS, Cathy gave him a big hug and plied him with all manner of food. This perked him up mentally but physically he was hurting. I didn't allow him to linger long. I'd been told by Krissy that AS "bonks" are common later in 100-milers and to watch for that. As we pulled him away down the trail I told him that I would get him to the finish line as long as he wanted me to. My goal was to actively encourage him along, taking his mind off of the final 5 miles while making sure that we traveled at a reasonable pace so that he could and would finish. It was working.

Despite having to dodge groups of kids on motorbikes and ATVs, who were sharing the last bit of trail with us (and stirring up the dust), we made it across I-90 and into Easton without complication. The fire station was within sight, except we had to take this odd detour around some businesses to get ourselves up and on railroad grade for the final push into the finish along the tracks. Scotty began pushing and as he approached the finish line his super supportive wife planted a big kiss of congratulations on him. It was very satisfying to see him step across that line. In a way, it was for both us even though it was his race and I was merely a supportive passenger. Yet, I couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment through his achievement. Very neat feeling. Now I understand why pacing can be so enjoyable.

Scotty finished the race in 27:07, which is a great time given the immensity of the challenge and the fact that this was his first 100-miler under such strenuous conditions ('welcome to NW ultrarunning!'). Kudos to Scotty and his wife! Of the 93 starters, there were 67 finishers, a respectable 72% finish rate. Jamie Gifford of Seattle, running his 7th CCC100, won the race outright and took 1st place for Men with a time of 20:52. D'arcy Africa from Boulder, CO took 2nd place overall and 1st place for Women with a time of 21:15.