Pacing Woes....

SillyC2

I just need to get this off my chest.

My running buddy is registered for a 100 mile race, not this weekend, but the following weekend and I'm going to pace him. Only, he's ridiculously under trained and I'm afraid he has no hope. The past two times we've gone out together for a long run, he's bailed before I've bailed, and I've had the worst winter and spring in terms of illness and injury. I agreed to pace him for 35 miles.... if he gets to 65 I'll take him to the finish.

But based on his training, I think there's only about half a chance he'll even make it to the 50 mile mark.

I'm going to keep my feelings to myself, though, and do the best job possible. And if he drops out, maybe pick up someone else to pace since I'm there already.

I just can't shake this feeling of impending doom.

vmclach

Mind me asking what his training is like? It doesn't sound good that he "bailed" during training runs. I'd think in order to run 100 you'd got to be one mental tough SOB.

I feel your pain. My brother often does this with marathons. I don't like when people don't train for races. I get worried for them. I suppose most people can wing a marathon, but a 100? Definately not lol..


Still curious about training

saskie78

This would irritate me too for some reason that I don't quite understand. I also never fully understand this. Half the joy of racing for me is the training leading up to it, the push through those uncomfortably long or uncomfortably fast runs.

I agree with vmclach. Methinks doing 100 miles with inadequate training is unlikely, especially with his apparent lack of mental check-in here. Hope you get some nice miles in and can do your best to help him out.

SillyC2

Mind me asking what his training is like? It doesn't sound good that he "bailed" during training runs. I'd think in order to run 100 you'd got to be one mental tough SOB.

He's not completely hacking this thing. His longest run this year was a 50k. I know he's run a bunch of 20 to 24 milers in April and May because I was there. He was supposed to go on and do another 20 the day after but I know he most often only ran 6 or not at all. What I don't know is how much he's been running during the week.... maybe more than I think? He bailed on our last run at 14 miles (okay, okay, that had 3500 feet of climbing, and 3500 feet down, so it was hard!). I've had a lot of setbacks this year (oral surgery, 2 months off with PF, in the hospital with gall bladder issues) and I'm concerned that it seems that he's less fit than I am.

He is definitely not a tough SOB, so for that reason, I'm not actually worried about him physically. He'll crumble mentally when the wheels fall off physically. I just don't think he has either the training or experience. His nutrition and hydration isn't even close to working for him.

There isn't going to be any "I told you so" going on. I asked his wife if he was considering dropping to the 50, and he's not... so there will be no mention of that out of ME. I care about him and don't want to see him all morose with the DNF.

DonPendergraft

I once ran an ultra under-conditioned. Once. I learned my lesson!

aldousmom

since he's refusing to train, could you at least have him consider being super well rested, and eat well until the race? Will you be crewing him as well, or only pacing? Crewing him can have you control his nutrition during the race a little more (for extra insurance) He could totally do it....Lots of people do 100 milers w/ a 50k as their longest run. If he's well rested and stubborn he may surprise you. In any case, it won't be your fault, and I doubt he would hold you accountable.

SillyC2

since he's refusing to train, could you at least have him consider being super well rested, and eat well until the race? Will you be crewing him as well, or only pacing? Crewing him can have you control his nutrition during the race a little more (for extra insurance) He could totally do it....Lots of people do 100 milers w/ a 50k as their longest run. If he's well rested and stubborn he may surprise you. In any case, it won't be your fault, and I doubt he would hold you accountable.

Yep! He's got a good race plan and has everything well organized and well thought out. List, lists, lists and a schedule for nutrition and hydration. So I'm absolutely going prepared to pace - you are very right that he may surprise me. I'm tapering myself this week so that I can go in ready to grind out 35 miles.

I'm pretty sure his wife is going to be crew chief. I'm hoping. I'm going over on Wednesday to hash out the details.

SillyC2

Okay, time for an update!

TLDR - only 15% of the entrants finished the 100 miler. My athlete was not one of them.

Race day was wicked hot - in the 90s and pretty humid. Since I used the word "wicked", you might guess we're in New England, and it's not a dry heat and we're also only a month out of snow so nobody is well acclimatized.

The course was a 25 mile loop run 4 times. The plan was for me to join him for Lap 4, and he didn't have a pacer for lap 3.

My athlete's wife was at the start/finish. I got a text from his wife saying he was trying to drop at 25 and she sent him back out. Then I got another text that he wanted to drop at 35. So I texted them both and said I would be there, not for Lap 4, but for Lap3 and we'd worry about Lap 4 when it happened. The plan was to get him out of the start/finish very quickly when he came in. I guess I was agreeing then to run 50 miles with him.

We started out after mile 50 in the dark, but it was pretty clear that his major malfunction was IT band problems. He was power walking pretty well at mile 50, and we definitely had enough time to powerwalk the rest of the course. But by mile 55, he was doing about 1 mile per hour because of the knee pain. So he turned in his number at the next aid station.

saskie78

Aw, sucks for him that couldn't finish! Hopefully, he'll heal up and get after it again soon. Nice job being a good, flexible pacer!

plateaued

I have kind of a different (selfish I think) spin on folks who don't train. At the beginning of a race i always worry i will finish last . . .never do . . and usually do well, but I worry.

I look around and all i see are athletes in top shape (or at least that's my illusion). Midrace, however, all the folks who didn't tran are way behind and it's my comfort

aldousmom

55 miles is nothing to sneeze at! too bad about his leg, hopefully he'll be back at soon. Good job on keeping him moving!