After returning to “the scene” by co-leading a pace team at the CIM 2023, I decided that volunteering and supporting other runners was definitely how I wanted to get back into things. In April, JoAnn and I swept at Canyons 100k, and met some awesome new friends during our late-night trail adventure.
In May, Naomi, Jamie and I swept at Silver State 50 mile and had a blast. We even got to run a lot more than anticipated when a miscommunication led us to be way behind the cutoff.
In June 2024, I had the honor of pacing JoAnn the last 22 miles of Western States 100. Highlights included the terrifying river crossing (it was over our heads!!), the Eastern European guy yelling at us in his thick accent something like “if you don’t get zee buckle zees was all for nothing – NOTHING!!”), and hearing JoAnn say this was the best day of her life, more than once. On the climb to Robie, we saw Tim (Mike had said as long as Tim is still there we will make the cutoff!). At Robie Point, a bunch of friends met us and we collectively ran JoAnn to the track to finish in the magical Golden Hour. Steve had worked Peachstone Aid Station, and it was awesome to see him at the track cheering her on, one year after his race ended at mile 70 with a broken femur.
In July 2024, I paced Maria for 38 miles of the TRT100. The TRT100 was my favorite – I had 6 finishes there and it was an absolute delight to be back on the trails, without the pressure of being IN the race. During those first 30 miles or so I thought (hmm maybe I could do this again!?) but by the time we finished I was cooked and glad I didn’t have to go further. Those feelings don’t last long though and less than a week later I had signed up for Lake Sonoma 100k in October. Time to get back into it!
Steve had surgery the week before the Lake Sonoma 100k to remove all the hardware in his femur (the rod and 4 pins that had been placed after his spiral fracture during Western States 2023). He was using crutches but still came to the race to support me along with our dog, Bruno (Bev stayed home with friends for this one).
It was so good to be back in a race, meeting new people, cheering on friends, and enjoying a hot day on the trails with others. We ran an out-and-back course, mostly along the side of Lake Sonoma. It was super hot and it was a bit cruel to be so close to a lake but not close enough to cool off in it. Around the halfway point I came across a woman sitting on a rock, and checked in with her. She told me she’d been throwing up for hours, so I gave her some of my papaya enzymes and promised her she would feel better about an hour after taking them.
I saw Steve and Bruno at a couple of aid stations, which was a huge boost.
Around mile 40, I passed a young man and we leap-frogged until the mile 48 aid station. He mentioned to a volunteer that he’d been trying to hang on to my pace to keep himself on track. The volunteer said “why don’t you two just run together then!” We both agreed, and I now had a friend, Marlon, to run with to the finish. It was a huge boost for me, as I’d run most of the day solo aside from small talk here and there, and it was especially nice once it got dark. I learned he was from South Lake Tahoe and worked with a mutual friend. This was his first 100k, and he said he was grateful for the company.
About a mile from the finish, a woman caught up to us and said “Hey, are you papaya enzymes lady?! I’ve been thinking of you for the past 30 miles!” I was so happy to see her running well. I encouraged her to pass us and she said “I wouldn’t pass you at this point, you saved my race!” The three of us ran it in to the finish together, crossing in 15 hours, 40 minutes.
The next day, Steve and I had an incredible breakfast in Healdsburg. It was a fantastic return to ultras.
jp chronicles 