Is inside the black box just to my left.

Computer > Ezmeralda (D > Hagen_walking\Hagen_Kline.pdf  (stupid smiley face is a colon).

It is from UltraRunning, March, 1987 -- I doubt if it is archived anywhere.

Jamie, you don't need to have run an ultra or have paced before to be a good pacer!

All you really need to do is read this helpful guide!

http://footfeathers.blogspot.com/2012/06/how-to-be-ultra-pacer.html

Another thing...

The ease of stopping can be distracting, intrusive, and several other things with nothing positive in their aura.

The Leadville Trail 100 is an out-and-back course.  The turnaround is at Winfield.  We saw

Winfield when we went to the training weekend in late June (the first visit).  The training

group had ran from Twin Lakes to Winfield and back--the famed double-cross of Hope

Pass (12,660 elevation), 21 miles round trip.  Kathy and I drove out there the next day so

she could be familiar with the road (I was running alone that year.  We would try it together

the following year.)  We looked at the remnants of the town that was Winfield many years

gone by, ate a sandwich, enjoyed the gurgle of a creek, and the overall quiet of a high

Rockies valley.  We thought about how busy it would be there in August.

When we got home we looked at a lot of pictures.  Winfield was a mess of cars, tents,

and banners--a carnival on race day.  Kathy saw it and said it first.  "That looks like a

finish line," she said somberly,  "I should not be there.  If you want to drop, you have to

get back to Twin Lakes."  I was in full agreement.  Those pictures and all the hoopla

was finish line atmosphere pure and simple.  That was one aid station I needed to get in,

grab whatever, and get out, get back to the trail. 

Later we would look at LT100 statistics--yup, most drops are at Winfield.

At the starting line we heard many voices about how easy it will be to drop at Winfield.

 In August, Kathy waited at Twin Lakes.  I had no option, but to get back over Hope Pass.

When you leave the starting line, no matter where that might be, don't leave with the

idea of dropping at Winfield... or any other intermediate point.  The only thing that is to

be on your mind is the finish line.  If the DNF is to occur, let it come swooping in on its

black wings and put an end to your misery, but don't drop because you have reached a

convenient place somewhere along the way.

Get into the aid station, get what you stopped for, get out of the aid station.  Pause out

there in your own loneliness of the woods or canyons; commune and commiserate with

a rock, tree, or vulture, but get back on the course and continue until someone official

says it is time to stop--race officials are very good at that.

rgot

 

+1 on the aid stations with finish-line atmosphere. I stay away from them as much as possible. Their aura, combined with the prospective of a grueling next section, makes it too easy to drop. I also prefer to be "left alone for dead" by my crew at such aid stations, just forcing me to continue on.

Couch, Oil Creek is a multiple loop course plus some sort of out/back at the end for the 100 milers I think. So you will need to brace yourself for that finish line several times. But you probably already know that.

what John M. says. good stuff. he likely doesn't know this, but his words helped me through my first 100. and they have come back to me during other 100's.

i know he said something about deciding ahead of time what is going to make you drop. for me it's only if my health is in danger and that has never happened. though, in weakness, i have dropped for lesser reasons. loop courses tempt you that way.

Hi FTYC,

I’m no professional, but here are my 2 cents.  Sorry it took me so long to chime in.

- How many miles per week for what period did you run before your first 100 (is this different from the next 100-milers)?

I’m kind of a low-key, low-mileage 100 miler (does that make sense?), everyone is different, but I’m usually in the 50 to 60 miles per week range.  But I will also mix in a 50 miler, some 50ks, maybe a marathon and do back-2-back 20 milers. I do this “peak training” over about 4 or 5 months.

- In how much pain (physically, from "overuse" or from the exhaustion) were you after the run, and how long did it take to recover from that?

I think this depends on how much you “push” during the run, but in general it’s no worse than a 50 miler.  It only takes a few days after to feel “normal” again, but it takes a while longer for your running to get back to “normal.”

- What is more challenging, the distance (physical exhaustion), or the mental barrier? (and what, specifically, was your greatest mental obstacle?)

I think that if you are mentally positive you can make up for some of the physical.  Like JohnM and other have said, mentally it’s best to think about the finish and don’t let any thinking about dropping earlier creep in.  On a loop course it’s best to make up little packages/bottles for each loop and then switch out any leftovers with the new package/bottles and get outta there as quickly as possible.

- How much night running before the race do you recommend? Weekly? How long, when in the night?

I’ll do a few night runs, but not on a regular basis.  Once you figure out the lights and carrying other stuff a few nighttime runs should be enough.  You should hook up with a running buddy so it’s not so overwhelming, especially for the first few times out.

- Is warm food better in the night, or just the same ol' stuff that you take during the day?

I like to mostly eat stuff that I bring myself (gels, cookies, shotblocks, etc.), but then look at the aid station tables to fill in the gaps.  I will add that there is nothing like warm potato soup in the middle of the night.

By the way, I have also sent you a PM on this.

Good luck and go for it !!!!!

Sandy