It seemed like a good idea at the time...
One aspect of ultra running that most runners ignore is the amount of time required for the hobby. I call it a hobby because unlike most other sports, ultra running takes a considerable investment in time. Technically, you can become an ultra runner with little capital outlay. I say "technically", because it is also very possible to spend a fortune on ultra running. Try running Badwater, especially if you foot the bill for your crew. Or Comrades. UTMB anyone?
So, the sport can be cheap, but there is little way of getting around the chronological cost. Especially if you would like to keep the financial cost low. Think in terms of getting up at 3:00 AM and driving to a race, in order to save the cost of a hotel the night before.
The same holds true for the volunteering component of ultra running. I chuckle when a sleep-deprived runner asks me a question while I a volunteering at an aid station. Buddy, I've had as little sleep as you, but here is my answer!
So, Lee Anne and I woke up at 5:00 AM on Saturday morning and drove to the Haliburton Forest Trail Run. We would be volunteering at the 40K (25M) turn-around aid station (AS7). Keep in mind that this is the first aid station to shut down. AS7 closes shop at 4:00 AM Sunday morning. So, Lee Anne and I would help runners from about 9:30 AM Saturday morning until 4:00 AM Sunday morning. With a judicious rest break, we would be good to go, after our shift, right? Here is where it gets complicated...
At 8:00 AM on Sunday morning, after a brief press conference, friend and fellow ultra runner Clay Williams would embark on a running odyssey from Port Severn and run the Canal Pursuit, to raise funds for mental illness. Clay Plans to run (he is still running as I type) 750 kilometers, to Ottawa. Please consider supporting Clay, either with a donation or by pacing him. More information on the Canal Pursuit can be found here:
Canal Pursuit for Mental Health
Let's pretend that ultra runners have a total disregard for sleep. With the exception of mountain climbing, sleep is something that people in other sports think about. We don't need no stinking sleep! Our reasoning was that since we were in the area, we might as well help to pace Clay. Looking at a map (again, please disregard sleep considerations), it would be possible to start pacing Clay at about noon on Sunday, somewhere near Severn Bridge...
To sum up, our sleep was woefully inadequate for the weekend. Here is roughly how my weekend went:
5:00 AM Saturday: Wake up and drive to HFTR
10:00 PM Saturday: Pretend to sleep (did not happen!)
4:00 AM Sunday: Drive to a hotel in Bracebridge
6:00 AM Sunday: Sleep
10:00 AM Sunday: Drive to where I thought Clay would be running*
1:00 PM Sunday: Pace Clay
10:00 PM Sunday: Get to the B&B and go to sleep
5:30 AM Monday: Get up and pace Clay (Lee Anne did the running while I crewed)
10:00 PM Monday: Get to sleep at home
* We had a humorous detour, as in my sleep deprived condition, I thought it was the second day for Clay (Sunday was actually his first day) and went to the wrong checkpoint... It took us 3 hours to find Clay.
Haliburton Crew
Helen puts on a no frills, no nonsense trail run. There is little pampering. There are bears, to keep you awake. We saw the 50 mile runners once and the 100 mile runners twice. It poured rain. I spent almost an hour trying to get the fire going. AS 6 (about 10K from our AS7) were smart and started their fire early. I waited until all the wood was wet. Envision a pile of wood that is partially submerged. Yup!
Helping the runners was no easy task. Many were in need of dry socks, rain gear and some hot broth to get them going. There were few runners suffering from heat related problems, which was a nice change, given how hot it has been this year. The problem was their feet, with an impressive assortment of blisters and soggy skin. Due to the poor trail conditions, most runners were not able to push hard enough to get into serious trouble. We saw many tired runners, but few needed medical attention. Small condolence for such trying conditions!
Although tired, it was great fun to meet up with and assist fellow runners as they appeared out of the black night. All were quick to thank us for helping them achieve their goal.
Canal Pursuit
Clay is running along the canal to raise funds for mental illness. His ambitious goal is to run about 60K per day. As I was pacing him on Sunday (due to the delay in meeting up with him, I only paced for 23K) I thought about how very few runners will attempt to run 60K. Think about doing so for 13 days straight. Quite the daunting task!
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