Surviving the Tahoe Rim Trail 50 Mile Run

Race: Tahoe Rim Trail Ultra Marathon
Distance: 50 Miles
Teammates: Matt Voltoline

Where do I begin? 50 miles of running, 10,000 feet of climbing, 100-degree temps and an average altitude of over 8,000 feet (max of 9,550). While this wasn't the most physically painful race of my life, this was no doubt the most mentally challenging one.

Pre-Race:
Matt and I drove up to Carson City, NV on Friday to check-in, prepare our drop bags and get a good night sleep before the race. After years of talking about doing a 50 mile race together, we were finally here. And, not only had we picked an extremely difficult course, but one that was known as "A Glimpse of Heaven and a Taste of Hell." Our plan was to run the entire race together, have fun with the experience, catch up on life, learn a few things about ourselves and not worry about our finishing time.

Miles 0 - Mile 12: (Start to Tunnel Creek)
At exactly 6:00AM the gun went off and Matt and I began our adventure. The first five miles were uphill and difficult to run. The altitude made breathing difficult (especially when trying to eat or drink while running), and the single track course made passing sometimes impossible. But, we ran/walked our way up the switchbacks and made our way to the first aid station. After a short stop to refill our supplies, we climbed for another two miles to the top of one of the many alpine peaks that we would pass over. Three miles of downhill and rolling terrain followed before we arrived at the Tunnel Creek aid station (a few short steps from the top of Diamond Peak ski resort). Aside from the stunning views of Lake Tahoe and Spooner Lake, the first 12 miles were uneventful and very enjoyable.

Miles 12 - Mile 18: (Tunnel Creek, Red House Loop)
Leaving Tunnel Creek we faced a 6 mile out-and-back section down to Red House. Full of sand and very technical terrain, this section was basically 2.5 miles downhill, 1 mile of flat/rolling and then 2.5 miles of uphill. The flat section was a nice change and allowed us to actually "run" for a little while. Matt and I both felt great and Matt opened it up a little. Later, I would find out that Matt did not properly hydrate during this section and finished back at Tunnel Creek feeling dehydrated.

One note about hydration and nutrition... During a race of this length, it is critical, but very difficult, to eat and drink. Not focusing on your hydration for 20 minutes can be the difference between finishing and DNF'ing. So, for Matt, putting himself in a hole early on would make a challenging race even more difficult.

Miles 18 - Mile 26: (Tunnel Creek to Mt. Rose)
What followed was a torturous 9-mile section out to Mt. Rose. We climbed up and over two mountain passes, had very little flat running terrain and were exposed to the sun and heat. Matt and I both had dark times during this section. We talked with each other, helped remind each other to eat and drink, dodged a few mountain bikers riding the Rim Trail and pushed each other to keep things rolling. The arrival into Mt. Rose was uphill and really took a toll on both of us. By now, Matt was unable to go to the bathroom (a big red flag), I had a massive blister that I would have to lance and tape at each aid station for the rest of the race and the temps were in the high 90's. We sat at Mt. Rose for about 20 minutes to eat, drink, take care of our feet and prepare for the 9-mile section back to Tunnel Creek.

Miles 26 - Mile 35: (Mt. Rose to Tunnel Creek)
I won't bore you with the details, but these miles were difficult. The climbing was relentless and I started to get nauseated. My stomach was sour and the thought of eating or drinking made me gag. Even Matt spent most of this section dealing with his own demons. He hung tough, but I could tell he was having a hard go of it.

Pulling back into Tunnel Creek was like walking into heaven. A fully stocked aid station, cold sponges and ice cold Coke helped bring me mentally back into the game. Physically, I felt great. My legs and back were holding up. The challenge was to keep thinking positively and not worry about the hours that lay ahead of us.

I kept a close eye on Matt at this aid station and tried to get him whatever fuel he needed while he attended to his feet. I will let him tell his own story, but I was worried about him. We had people around us dropping from the race, sleeping while sitting in their chairs, and fighting the effects of the altitude (vertigo, headaches, nausea, etc.).

Mile 35 - Mile 40: (Tunnel Creek to Hobart)
After 30 minutes, Matt felt good enough to leave and he agreed to "just make it to the next aid station." After a short rolling section, the terrain pitched up and we faced a 3-mile climb to the top of another peak. I felt pretty good and was able to power-walk up the hill. Running was impossible at this point. The thin air and never-ending switchbacks forced everyone to walk. Matt was with me at the base of the climb, but I decided to go my own pace and wait for him at the top. I didn't want to leave him, but I was mentally in a place where I had to focus on just getting up the climb.

Reaching the top was awesome. Not only were the views of Lake Tahoe beyond description, but I enjoyed some time by myself. I found a large boulder in the shade, took my shoes off, ate some food and soaked up the experience. I congratulated runners as they crested the mountain and had the closest thing to a religious experience as I will probably ever have. After 30-40 minutes of waiting, I decided that I needed to get the legs moving again and that it would be best to run to Hobart where I would refuel and wait for Matt.

Hobart Aid Station:
I made it to the Hobart aid station feeling great and having had run the last two miles to the aid station. I spent some time tending to my feet, eating everything that looked good to me and helping a few other racers who came into the station that looked like "walking death." After 45 minutes, I determined that I could not longer wait for Matt and that my body would shut down if I did not continue. With a heavy heart, I decided to push on and focus on finishing the race.

Mile 40 - Mile 43: (Hobart to Snow Peak)
After an enjoyable 1 mile run out of Hobart, the course again pitched up and runners faced the steepest climb of the day. At over 9,550 in elevation, their are no trees on the slope and you feel very lonely and exposed. This section was not terribly hard and I made it to the top of the peak feeling physically intact. The problem was that my brain began playing tricks on me at the beginning of the climb. The wind sounded like peoples voices, cracks in the rocks looked like snakes and my own footsteps sounded like they were coming from behind me. I constantly turned around expecting to see someone following me!

Mile 43 - Mile 48: (Snow Peak to Spooner Lake Trailhead)
Leaving Snow Peak was amazing. We ran down a small single track trail that was seemed to hang off the side of the mountain. The first mile was very technical with a large drop-off to the right and a very steep decline. But, as we descended back into the trees, the trail became more runnable and I had a great time opening my stride up and letting gravity push me down the hill. My legs felt great and I knew that I could punish my quads as much as I needed. I was almost there! But, as with before, my mind was playing tricks on me. I swear I heard voices, saw a few snakes and was constantly being chased down by other runners. A few times, I even pulled off to the side of the trail to let the imaginary racer pass me on the trail. Yikes.

Mile 48 - Mile 50: (Spooner Lake Trailhead to Finish)
Truthfully, I didn't take care of myself on the descent down from Snow Peak. My stomach was bloated and I was unable to drink anything. Not wanting to implode in the final 2 miles, I drank some Coke and thanked the aid station volunteers. I ran the final 2 miles at a decent pace and continued passing other racers (I passed over 30 racers in the final 10 miles). The finish line marked the end of my journey and I quietly crossed the line, sat down and allowed my body and mind to relax.

I will let Matt tell his own story, but rest assured that he did something truly amazing. Not only did he finish, but he did so in a way that highlights his strength and mental toughness. Congratulations Matt!

Many people have asked me what I ate and drank. So, here is my best guess at what I consumed over the course of the day....
- 6 Gu packets
- 4 packets of Clif Shots (Strawberry and Coke)
- 3 boiled red potatoes w/ salt
- 2 turkey and cheese sandwiches
- 1 cheese sandwich
- Handful of M&M's
- 1/2 of a cheeseburger
- 4 smoothies made with Ensure and strawberries
- 2 Otter Pops
- Handful of dried ginger
- 1 piece of ginger candy
- 10 peppermint candies
- 20 oz of Coke
- 6 oz of Sprite
- 3 oz of Ginger Ale
- 12 oz of water
- 200 oz of Water w/ Nuun
- 15 "Salt Sticks" salt tabs

Cheers,
Chris

New Quarter at the MAS

The summer quarter officially began for me last night at the Miami Ad School (MAS). This is my third quarter teaching classes and I have really enjoyed the experience.

This quarter, I have gone back to teaching "Interactive Concepting," which is their introductory class to understanding how to concept for digital. In the class, I will help students understand how/why/when to concept for everything from rich media to email marketing to social media to website usability and much more.

It should be a fun quarter. The students were very excited to learn about digital and wouldn't stop peppering me with questions.

- Chris

Two Facebook Profiles?

I've noticed an interesting trend on Facebook recently. With the rise in popularity of online gaming (Mafia Wars, Sindicate, etc), many users are creating a second profile for the sole purpose of playing these games.

I first noticed this trend when a few "Facebook friends" sent me requests to be friends again. Is this the beginning of a new trend? What type of impact will this have on Facebook, or other social media sites, if it catches on?

Thoughts?

- Chris

Client Rolodex No Longer Enough

A recent article in Adweek, "No Sellers' Market For Traditional Shops," offers some great insight into the affects the economy is having on the M&A market. It's a great read and should act as a good kick in the butt for agencies who are hoping to coast through this recession without innovating.

"Gone are the days when agency principals could expect a nice payday just for selling their client Rolodex."

http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6528956977944672654

- Chris