Subject: RE: who is doing an ultra this weekend? Originally posted by Comet
Originally posted by 1stTimeTri A big congrats to the new inductee into the 100 Mile Club - Donkai "DJ" Dave Jesse! 25 hrs 32/3 min.! Awesome! Congrats, DJ! Can't wait until you're functional to tell us about it! How'd your first-time pacing go?
. I'm sorry for the formatting since I'm doing this on an iPad (sucks ). Well, I was definitely a little anxious and excited while waiting for DJ. The weather was quite humid at first, then the rain dumped on us just after he checked in at the station prior to where I had to meet him until a few minutes before he came in to my checkpoint, and then it got dark and very cool about 30 minutes in the woods after we took off. Being on the wet, wooded trail in the dark is such an awesome experience! The section I paced had quite a few hills, and there were rocks to watch out for. I made sure that I had fresh batteries in my headlight since DJ's headlight wasn't as bright - I let him borrow mine the rest of the night when I transitioned off. If there was more than 30 seconds of silence at any given time during the 7.5 mile and 1 hour and 30 plus minutes of walking/jogging, I would be surprised. I was quite the yapper with constant chatter and asking him questions, trying to gauge his physical and emotional well-being, keeping him company, and, most importantly, keeping him moving forward. I think he got a little pizzed at me for clapping and praising the other participants along the way. Heh. DJ had created a spreadsheet before the race and identified some checkpoint goals/times/nutrition intake - I confirmed with the crew Captains to make sure to be considerate of the pace and gauge him (breathing, body positioning, cadence, and such ) and try to help remember his nutrition intake. DJ did VERY well! I felt very comfortable and relaxed, but stayed focused of his needs. It was a GREAT experience and was GREAT helping my friend! |