Moonrise on the Tahoe Rim Trail

Last month I had everything lined up for a typical Tahoe training weekend when a last minute invitation came my way. Would I pace a friend of a friend for 30 miles of his first 100 miler at the Tahoe Rim Trail Race? The Tahoe Rim Trail Race takes place on high elevation alpine and sub-alpine forest trails in the Carson Spur of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Several friends have completed the race, and I would already be in the area to volunteer, train, and hang with my friend Gretchen, so I was intrigued. After googling Tom's recent race results and a reassuring phone chat I answered "Yes, please!" And off to Carson City I went, arriving just in time for the race briefing on course conditions and to meet my runner. Tom was warm and friendly and had a good race plan. I began to warm up to the thought of spending 7+ hours with him on the trails from miles 50-80. Gretchen and I jetted after the race briefing, cooked dinner, relaxed and turned in early in Truckee.

Saturday morning I slept in and went for a peaceful walk in the woods with Gretchen's husband Andrew and the dogs. I did yoga and ate a hearty lunch. Tom had been on the trails since 5am. Just thinking about it made me tired, so I napped to prepare for the late day run. I followed the live race updates and showed up at Spooner Lake State Park around 2:45pm to get in the zone and chat with other runners. I finally met Devon in person and also enjoyed meeting ultra runners Nathan, Larissa, Brett, and Carly. Tom arrived a little before 4pm. He was nailing his projected pace and looked great! After a bit of delay we left the Aid Station around 4:15pm.

Sarah and Tom at Mile 50

Hobart, Tunnel Creek, Red House, Bull Wheel, the Tahoe Rim Trail race had an Aid Station around every corner! I checked with Tom before each Aid Station to see what he needed to keep stops as short as possible. Real food is a major advantage of going slow! While helping my runner, I found time to eat everything from grilled cheese to sweet potato burrito bites. I loved the trail between Hobart and Tunnel Creek and from Tunnel Creek to Bull Wheel. Climbing up to Marlette Lake and overlooking Lake Tahoe in the late day sun was spectacular. Due to a mix up, Tom was without critical gear, so I loaned him my headlamp and used a hand held flashlight another runner donated. As the evening chilled, I put on all my warm clothing. We paused to take in the moon rise and to feel our place on the earth. We saw the front runners on their way back, and continued to slowly and steadily make progress into the night. It was very challenging to stay on course in the dark, especially through the forest between Bull Wheel and Diamond Peak. Thankfully Tom was alert and we stayed on course with only a few detours. No one passed us during my time on the trails with Tom. The loneliness of a 100 mile race without a pacer would be extreme I imagine!

Diamond Peak Aid Station: How does Tom still look so good at mile 80.5?

At Mile 80.5, Tom was met by his mom and dog and pacer Jenelle. Jenelle would cover the last 20 miles with Tom, seeing the sun rise and rejoicing in the finish of his first 100 mile race. Tom finished in an impressive 16th place in 25:32:34. His brother and mom were there at the finish, but I confess I was fast asleep. Only 65 out of 114 entrants completed the 100 mile race, a testament to the tough conditions out there. That July night the Tahoe area had the all time low temperatures in the nation. After leaving Tom in good hands with Jenelle a little after midnight, I headed back to Spooner Lake State Park to pick up my gear. There I enjoyed a hot chocolate and happened to catch 2nd place runner, Thomas Reiss, cross the finish line a little before 2am, just under 21 hours. All in all a great weekend! I feel more confident about the 50K distance and better prepared for the slow miles we are sure to face during the technical sections of the TransAlpine race. No stats to share on the 30.5 miles, as my Garmin ran out of battery around mile 27. Special thanks to the Nevada State troopers for only giving me a warning for going 69 in a 50 zone instead of a $400 ticket. I don't normally speed, but I'm pretty sure the design speed of that road is at least 75! If you're driving into Carson City, take care!