Since I am heading into another hundred, I thought I would dedicate this week to helping your crew and pacers be prepared for the one hundred mile experience. I believe crews are essential and a gift to their runner. This is my guide fro my ultra crew and pacers.
THE ULTRA MARATHON CREW
By Nicole Lowe, Dark Voodoo Princess
Goal of the Ultra marathon Crew:
- Safety for myself and my runner
- Keep my runner moving toward the finish as quickly as possible
- Make decisions for my runner during later stages of the race
- Allow runner to DNF ONLY if serious injury is highly likely or death may result
Understand the Crew Experience
- You will be deprived of sleep
- You will be stuck in a car
- You will be tending to a possibly grumpy runner
- You will be bored
- You could be hot, cold, hungry
- Rushing from aid station to aid station
- You could be suddenly asked to pace: do you have running shoes and shorts?
- You get to see a new place
- You get to hang out in the outdoors and enjoy nature
- You get to meet new people
- Be prepared to help your runner: buckle, tie, zip, apply glide, and dress and undress.
- Handling dirty sweaty smelly clothing
- Cheer on other runners
- Support other runners who are in need of help
- Watch the amazing determination of human endurance
Things to discuss pre-race:
- Start and finish time
- Course/terrain/elevation/weather
- Time cut offs for the race
- Where meeting
- What will runner likely need at each meeting
- How things are packed and labeled
- What is packed (if need it early or later in race)
- Expected pace of my runner
- Injuries likely to flare up and how to deal with them
- How much electrolyte stuff to put in water
- What do we do if we miss each other at a meeting
- Check with aid station crew to see if runner came in
- Meet at next spot
- Is there cell phone service
Things to Know about Ultra marathon runners and races:
- Runners mood will to go up and down
- Runner may not be thinking totally clear
- Runner will be in pain eventually
- Stomach issues and mild dehydration are inevitable
- It hurts more to stop and start than to keep moving (ten minutes is goal in aid station unless we are changing or taking care of something like blisters)
- Where to get extra supplies if needed close to the course
Questions to ask yourself to help your runner:
- Have I planned for myself?
- Clothing
- Gloves/hat
- Food
- Water
- Entertainment
- Light
- Reflective gear
- How far until I meet up with my runner again?
- What is the temp outside, how is that going to impact my runner?
- What is the weather, how is that going to impact my runner?
- When is it going to get dark?
- When is it going to get light?
- What is in my runners gear?
- Did my runner go to the bathroom?
Visual Assessment of Runner:
- Limping
- Swollen hands
- Wet anywhere
- Shoes? Dry, muddy
- Light at night
- Reflective gear if on the road
- Sun burnt
- Walking or running
Mental Status check
- Confused or Disoriented
- Just tired
- Sugar low
- Electrolytes low: swollen hands, sloshing stomach,
- hypothermia: shivering uncontrollably, blue lips or fingers, mumbling, coordination issues
- dehydrated: pinch back of hand spring back slow or tents
Possible Questions for runner:
- Blisters or hot spots
- Too hot?
- Too cold?
- Stomach issues
- Pepto-Bismol for diarrhea
- Tums for stomach acid
- Ginger or pepto-bismol for nausea
- What do you want at the next aid station?
Cold/shivering:
- Was the runner warm when running?
- Keep runner moving
- Multiple layers
- Change clothing
- Wind proof outer layer
- Hand warmers
- Before you DNF: Out of elements for twenty-thirty minutes and all new clothing
Rain/snow:
- Sunglasses and hat
- Poncho
- Change clothes
- Rain proof /resistant outer layer
- base layer
Hot/swelling joints
- Some people just swell up but . . .
- S-Caps
- Visor
- Ice under hat
- Dunk shirt in cool water
- Slow down
- Frozen drink
- Before you DNF: Shade for 20-30 minutes
Before my runner comes in:
- Check with aid station crew about any updates or changes in race.
- Have gear ready my runner decided they will need at this stop
- Set out any gear my runner may need so I can get them quickly
What to do when my runner comes in:
- Let my runner know when I will see them next (see you in five miles)
- Send them out, ASAP
- Ask what runner will want at next aid
What to do when my runner leaves:
- Get to the next meeting point
- Stay warm
- Eat
- Sleep
- Have fun, enjoy the scenery
- Laugh at my runner
- Meet other crews, watch movies, read books, and take pictures.
What do I do if my Runner has/is….
- Vomiting/nausea
- Keep hydrating
- Suggest walking
- Give anti-nausea meds
- How hot is my runner?
- Diarrhea
- Keep hydrating
- Baby wipes
- Glide
- New shorts
- Anti-diarrhea meds
- Suggest walking
- Blisters
- Pop blisters with a clean pin
- Clean area with alcohol wipe
- Place second skin over blister if roofless
- Tape with elastiskin or KT tape
- May need mole skin around blister to top off that
- Double socks
- Dry socks
- Cramps
- Muscle
- Electrolytes
- Stretch slow
- Stomach
- Walk
- Stretch body (arms up)
- Muscle
- No protein
- Water and electrolytes
Notes for Pacers specifically
- Do Nothing Fatal
- take care of your own needs
- If you fall behind, I’ll have to leave you
- Don’t carry anything for the runner, you can share water if needed
- Talk and tell stories to runner although runner may not respond with more than a grunt
- Keep an eye on food and water intake
- If the runner is going slow put them in front and prod them along
- Don’t let the runner crawl into a cave to sleep
- Be positive and don’t complain
- Don’t agree with complaining runner
- I don’t know what happened to Number 1
Dehydration | Heat stroke | Heat exhaustion | Hypoatremia | |
Symptoms | Thirst
Dry mouth No sweat (clammy) Lightheaded Weakness Less urine |
Temp 105
Throbbing head No sweat Red hot dry skin Muscle weakness Cramps Nausea/vomiting Rapid/shallow breathing Rapid heartbeat Confusion Disorientation staggering Seizures unconsciousness |
Confusion
Apple juice urine Dizziness Fainting Fatigue Headache Muscle cramps Nausea Pale skin Profuse sweating Rapid heartbeat |
Craving salt
Confusion Convulsions Fatigue Headache Irritability Loss of appetite Muscle spasms or cramps Muscle weakness Nausea Restlessness vomiting |
treatment | Get out of the sun
Walk or stop Drink water |
Get out of the sun
Place ice on neck and groin Get in cold water Take to hospital if no improvement |
Get out of the sun
Place ice on neck and groin Get in cold water |
Walk or stop
Electrolytes Salty food or S-caps No water Take to hospital if no improvement |