Western States 100

One of the objectives of this week's vacation is to be at the start and finish line when Rick Cook competes in the granddaddy of all ultramarathons - the Western States Endurance Run.

The 50 or so of you who have access to this blog are in for a treat. I've asked Jim Braden, who has two Western States finishes to his credit, to share some of his thoughts and memories as a prelude to Rick's run this weekend. (I think Bill is planning on including this along with Rick's race report in a future issue of Deer Tracks.)

Here's what Jim had to share:

Wow, the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run. Great memories. My best to Rick, hope he does well. I will send him telepathic energy during the event.

I did it in 1990, age 55, and I think the second time was in '96. The first time was difficult, so I went back after a couple Leadville Trail 100's (28:04 best finish), thinking I could do better. Didn't happen. I finished both WS100's just under the 30 hr cut off times. Note: 60+% of starters don't finish.

WS begins with a run/hike up the Squaw Valley ski slope. Over the top, it's a very long and steep descent to the first aid station. I'm pretty sure that my problem the first time was over-extending my legs on that fast, long downhill, creating pain behind both knees. (I ALWAYS go out too fast!!) From then on, it was fairly painful, knees and, increasingly, quads, fighting the cutoff times to the finish. The course is net downhill, running up and down canyons, finishing in Auburn, CA. The canyons are very hot and dry. I recall traversing up one canyon wall when a runner ahead of me had passed out in the heat. Medics on horseback came to assist him.

Since the 1990 event was my first time going twice as far as the longest ultra distance I had ever run, and this would be my first ultra in the mountains, so I spent a lot of time, in the day before the start, questioning the gnarly vets for advice on keys to a successful run. Later, Karen overheard some of them wondering how far the Texas flatlander would make it before dropping. Learning this, I redoubled my focus to finish.

Unlike Leadville, where the primary issue is altitude, the WS primary issue is heat. Also, WS is more difficult than Leadville for crew access. It's more important to select and have enough of the right fluids and calories in your drop bags at the aid stations. Best to have too much, and a wide selection, taking only what you feel like at the time, leaving the rest. (My favorites: vanilla Ensure, and P&J's).

Forest Hill is a major aid station, at about mile 65, with crew access, weigh-in stations, full support services (I had a painful black big toenail punctured by a podiatrist to relieve pressure. Then I cut off the top of my running shoe over the toe to remove irritation.) That's where runners pick up their pacers.

I never plan on a pacer, depending on myself to get me through. However, on my second WS100 there was a retired runner who lived in Auburn looking for someone to pace. Karen put him on to me. What a lovely guy. He had retired from the Merchant Marine. He knew celestial navigation, and gave me a wonderful astronomy lesson as we ran through the beautiful starlit night. Eventually, he couldn't stay with me, and I couldn't stay with him because of the cutoff times.

After the last aid station, you cross a stream then head up a slope onto the streets of Auburn, finishing with a jaunt around the school's track. It was morning, I was filthy from the slog across the Sierra's, so I waded into the shallow stream to wash off before the finish. I bent forward to scoop up some water, but my legs wouldn't support the weight shift and I fell face down into the stream. Up I got, then hit the trail to the finish.

As I emerged onto the streets of Auburn, there was Karen. I thought she would be glad to see me. Instead, her face was ashen. I didn't know that when I fell in the stream I had cut my eyebrow on a rock. So there was blood running down my face and body, looking a lot worse that it was. We got through that, and her upset that the race officials hadn't logged me through the last two aid stations, and I hobbled to the finish.

After returning home, I suddenly got a sharp pain in my abdomen. The ER doc asked all the right questions about what I had been doing, and made a quick, correct diagnosis: I had chemically burned the lining of my stomach, taking so much, too much, Advil during the event. He gave me a tablet, which they give to ulcer patients, which produces a neutralizing foam in the stomach. Instant relief. (Postscript: it's since been proven that large doses of ibuprofen during endurance events can cause kidney damage. Take 8Hr Tylenol instead.)

I have lots more memories, and Karen, my crew chief, has many too, but let's leave this here. . . . . . .

Wow! Thanks Jim! Consider this an exclusive ... :)

Lots of concern though as the fires in California, some very close to the event, will test all of the runners this weekend. Here's a current Runner's World thread on the fire!