The alarm went off at 3:00 am... two hours to show time.
If any of the 3 runners and 4 crew slept at all, our sleep was brief and not very restful. Bill and I packed the car in the dark then took advantage of the breakfast buffet our hotel had set up especially for Western States 100 runners and their crew. Meanwhile, Wader collected his thoughts and second guessed what he had packed the night before.
Not much was said during our 30 minute drive to the start at Squaw Valley. It was cold... too cold for shorts and a t-shirt, so most runners congregated indoors where they took photos with their crews or meditated in quiet corners. As 5:00 am approached, the 400-odd runners assembled in the dark. Everyone counted down from ten. A cheer went out and the 34th Western States 100-mile Endurance Run was underway.
Hurry Up and Wait - Crew Notes
Even in a car it takes almost 3 hours to get to the first major aid station at Robinson Flat, about 50K into the 100-mile course. Cheryl, Danielle, Bill and I set up our pit stop and discussed who would do what when each of our runners arrived. Bill worked on a crossword puzzle. After exploring the remote campsite and saying "Hi" to some old friends, I found a quiet spot under a tall Ponderosa pine and snoozed for an hour.
When the lead runner, Hal Koerner, came into view, the whole aid station came alive with hoots and cowbells. Hal smiled and greeted his friends and crew as he took his time to get weighed and walk through the chute. It appeared as if he had barely broken a sweat. In contrast, most of the runners who followed were covered with sweat and trail dust and not all appeared to be having fun.
Dommer was the first of our runners to pass through. His pace was not far off the sub 20-hour pace he had planned. He looked strong and relaxed. Go, Dommer, go!
Ryne was only 15 minutes back. Like Dom, Ryne was hoping for a sub-20-hour finish. With 100+ ultras to his credit, Ryne was experienced and fit. At the start line, it was even odds as to which of these 2 Canucks would finish first... but only 6 hours into the run, Ryne was not looking good. He stumbled into the chair and mumbled incoherently as we tried to feed and encourage him. He'd lost weight and his water bottles were full... a bad sign as this suggested he'd not been taking on fluids. Ryne was uncharacteristically quiet as he continued down the trail. We were worried.
As we waited for Wader, friends Matt Sessions and Randy Rankin passed by. They both looked strong and fresh. If they could maintain the pace for the next 70 miles, they would both be wearing silver buckles on the trip home.
As noon came and went, we agreed that I would remain alone to crew for Wade if he didn't pass through by 12:30. As if on cue, he arrived. Wade looked good and confirmed he felt strong except for a bit of nausea. Our experienced pit crew fixed him up with icy water, eLoad and Red Bull as he was gooped up with sun cream and crowned with a hat full of ice. Wade left Robinson Flat in good spirits and also in contention for a silver buckle. We hurried off to the cars so we'd be sure to be ready for Dom and Ryne 50K down the trail.
Michigan Bluff, our next meeting point, is a handful of houses that date from the California gold rush. Once a year, this hamlet comes alive with hundreds of runners and today was that day. We had to park several kilometers from the aid station and Cheryl especially was concerned that Dom might slip by us. The leader, Hal, ran by moments before we arrived, so we took our time to stake out a spot under one of the few available shade trees.
I had hoped to catch some "ZZZ"s but ended up cracking a few beers and eating smoked salmon with some friends as the lead runners trickled in. When I learned that my friend Matt didn't have a pacer, I found him one. If Dom and Ryne were on pace, they should be coming through soon. I went down the street and tried to look out for their distinctive orange Montrail Team Canada shirts. I waited. And waited. And waited.
Word from the race officials was that Ryne and Dom had left the last checkpoint 5 miles up the trail hours ago. Where were they?
Then we saw Dom. He was weaving slowly down the trail. He could barely stand on the scales to be weighed-in without support, so was rushed to the medical tent with Cheryl in hot pursuit. Bill and I looked at each other in disbelief. Carrie, Matt Session's partner, broke down in tears when we learned that Dom was so far gone he couldn't tell the doctor the name of his wife... this as Cheryl held his hand.
As we tended to Dom, Ryne also stumbled down the trail. Although he was coherent, he had lost 9 lbs and needed some love. He'd been vomiting since we'd seen him last and had not been able to process food or water. Even though the temperatures were in the high 80sF, Ryne began to shiver uncontrollably. We helped him to the medical tent and covered him with blankets while he dry heaved.
For the next couple of hours, I went back and forth between Dom and Ryne as they hollered from cramping and the chills. Ryne tried to eat ice without throwing it back up but wasn't getting far. As things go in ultramarathons, Dom recovered enough to continue down the trail. As we debated to end Ryne's suffering, and his race, with an IV, Wade showed up.
Wade didn't look all that bad and he said his legs were feeling great, but he, too, had been puking his guts up for about 7 hours as he made his way through the hot canyon section of the Western States trail. By now I was on first name terms with most of the medical staff, so I figured best Wade join the other Canucks in the med tent.
Ryne doesn't like needles. A needle is required for an IV. As I was trying to help Wade, a holler rings out, the doctors rush over to Ryne. He's writhing and screaming about not wanting a needle as the needle goes in. The doctor misses the vein and blood starts squirting all over the place. Poor Wade has to make his own way over to a shade tree as I try to help Ryne get it together. Next think I know, the med staff is hovering over Wader and back he goes to the med tent. Ryne gets another bag of IV as Danielle wonders what she is doing in this house of horrors. Meanwhile, Cheryl and Bill had to leave in order to meet Dom at the next aid station. What do we do with 1 car, 1 runner on IV and another still in the game but barely?
By this time Wade is shivering. He can't keep food down. He's totally in control of his faculties and his legs are fine, but his body is very weak. As the clock ticks down, Wade instructs the medical people to cut off his name tag, signaling an end to his race. Like an ambulance, I am given special permission to drive Wade's car to the aid station where Danielle and I scrape our friends off the cots and dejectedly head to our hotel.
Dom soldiered on, but we would learn in a few hours that he, too, abandoned the race 20-miles down the trail.
Western States Endurance Run: 3
The Boys: 0
Here are the results from a few other Club Fat Ass members, friends and fellow Canucks:
Randy Rankin - 22:49
Matt Sessions - 26:37
Jim Jones - 27:27
Neil Ambrose - 26:42
John Turner - 26:18
Unfortunately, my fellow Capilano Eagle, Al Harmon did not make it, nor did Doug Mitchell.
"100 miles is a long way to run"
-- Ryne Melcher, Dom Repta and Wade Repta
"Now my summer is ruined."
-- Wade Repta upon committing to run the STORMY 100-miler 6 weeks after not finishing the WS-100. (He had planned to spend his summer drinking and chasing girls.)
"It is better to have tried and failed than never have tried at all"
-- good quote I couldn't attribute a source to
Congratulations to everyone who tried!
PS If you're interested in conspiracy theories and seeing photos of the 2007 Western States Endurance run, check out Pacing Wader - The Conspiracy Theories
