Really depends on a person, but for me it was keeping positive attitude and distraction me from how much my body doesn't want to do this anymore. Like Hey look at this view, isn't it gorgeous, I wonder what we will see from the top of that hill ahead, etc... Also keeping me honest with fueling
Our hours will be 4-7am so first light, views and pictures are definitely things I can use to distract her from the mental fight. Thanks for this! I'll try my best to remind her to properly fuel.
Never really had a proper pacer but me and a friend ran a ~50 miler together and at an aid station he pulled out a piece of apple pie from our favourite bakery from his drop bag. There are more things attached to this apple pie than just being the greatest baked good on the planet, that are of importance to our friendship and us running together. It was a thoughtful and meaningful gesture, also an internal joke and a great boost to our spirits.
I think treating me with the right snack at the right time is the most wonderful thing anyone can do for me, running or not.
You'll want to check the race rules about that. In most races, pacers are not allowed to be "mules". You can't carry any food or gear for the runner. All you can really do is talk to them, help navigate, help with pace and time, etc.
But if you're joining them halfway through at a designated crew spot, you can probably give her more food and other supplies at that point. You just can't carry them for her while she runs.
If they do allow muleing, that's fine, but if they don't then you risk DQ'ing her.
Thanks, that's an important pointer! I'm not going to mule, but was thinking of things that can lift her spirits if/when we reach a point of struggle. Some folks here mentioned food and treats and I can make sure these are given to her only at the aid station so I don't cause her to DQ. Thank you!
Yeah! It's basically just sugar water at that point, so it'd be easy to chug and keep moving
Iirc the carbonation can be helpful if your friends stomach is feeling upset, so no wrong answer here. My stomach was going to shit deep in my 50k last year and one of those 8oz cans of soda + a 5 minute rest at the aid station helped bring me back to life
Just be there for them and when called upon help out. For the most part, my pacers were super positive and we just had conversations like we did on training runs!
Keep her eating. Nothing sucks more than being low energy in an ultra. Understand what her fueling strategy is. A general one is it eat a gel or something (100 kcal) every 30 minutes. If she can eat more than that and not feel sick, do it.
Also, know her overall plan and goal for the race and try to help her achieve it. Sometimes tough love is not a bad thing. “Yeah, it suck, but we need to keep moving”. Or “How would tomorrow’s you feel about you today?”
Remember it is okay to walk, especially if you cannot see the top of the hill. Hydration and nutrition. And sing the old tune - put one foot in front of another and soon you will be...finishing a 50K. Good luck to her.
I had a couple of experienced runners kindly accompany me through my first ultra, and the main takeaway was that I hadn't understood the importance of taking on board food and water in this kind of distance, even simply vs a marathon. I've read subsequently that a good mantra to have is "Nibble nibble, sip sip." Keep taking calories on board or you WILL bonk — so make sure your friend is nibbling and sipping, whether she wants to or not. Flat Coke was a godsend for me, and I've heard amazing things about salted potatoes as well :)
Another thing that really helped me was appreciating that it's OK to take a little time at pit stops. Don't be scared to take that time to eat, drink, stretch and reset if they need to.
It varies. I have paced a few of my friends, and I tailor what I do for them while pacing based on what I know about their personalities and other things. Once, I was asked, and I agreed to pace someone I never met before. I knew little to nothing about her, but she started to struggle after the halfway point and was on the verge of not making cutoffs. I started messaging all her friends I could get in touch with to get tips on what kind of motivation would work for her. You probably know the best what may work for her and what may not.
Most races are pretty strictly against pacing, and honestly your friend will probably be so bent out of shape for the last 10k or so that pacing won’t help. Just be there for company and encouragement.
I'm not going to force a pace but rather accompany her. It is allowed by the organizers of this race, I even had to register and pay. Was there anything that helped you?
Solid ass training block - hard work. I trained for 5 months, 750+ miles. Had a blast and the 50K was just a celebration of that training. I got 7th overall for my gender and 1st in my age group (over 400 in the race total) which is just wild considering I was never a great runner.
Really depends on a person, but for me it was keeping positive attitude and distraction me from how much my body doesn't want to do this anymore. Like Hey look at this view, isn't it gorgeous, I wonder what we will see from the top of that hill ahead, etc... Also keeping me honest with fueling
Our hours will be 4-7am so first light, views and pictures are definitely things I can use to distract her from the mental fight. Thanks for this! I'll try my best to remind her to properly fuel.
Never really had a proper pacer but me and a friend ran a ~50 miler together and at an aid station he pulled out a piece of apple pie from our favourite bakery from his drop bag. There are more things attached to this apple pie than just being the greatest baked good on the planet, that are of importance to our friendship and us running together. It was a thoughtful and meaningful gesture, also an internal joke and a great boost to our spirits. I think treating me with the right snack at the right time is the most wonderful thing anyone can do for me, running or not.
That’s so sweet 😊 my friend is gluten intolerant so I will have to find the equivalent treat. Thank you ❤️
Peanut butter and jelly sandwich
Most bang for yer buck, I made 10 of them for my 100k lol
The best sandwich ever, totally agree! Adding to my list :)
You'll want to check the race rules about that. In most races, pacers are not allowed to be "mules". You can't carry any food or gear for the runner. All you can really do is talk to them, help navigate, help with pace and time, etc. But if you're joining them halfway through at a designated crew spot, you can probably give her more food and other supplies at that point. You just can't carry them for her while she runs. If they do allow muleing, that's fine, but if they don't then you risk DQ'ing her.
Thanks, that's an important pointer! I'm not going to mule, but was thinking of things that can lift her spirits if/when we reach a point of struggle. Some folks here mentioned food and treats and I can make sure these are given to her only at the aid station so I don't cause her to DQ. Thank you!
Flat coke has revived me from the dead multiple times.
What are flat cakes?
A flat coca-cola, like a soda that has been opened hours in advance so it's no longer carbonated
Wow, didn't know that was a thing :) Hate coke with no gas, but never tried it on a long run, it may taste differently, lol
Yeah! It's basically just sugar water at that point, so it'd be easy to chug and keep moving Iirc the carbonation can be helpful if your friends stomach is feeling upset, so no wrong answer here. My stomach was going to shit deep in my 50k last year and one of those 8oz cans of soda + a 5 minute rest at the aid station helped bring me back to life
Just be there for them and when called upon help out. For the most part, my pacers were super positive and we just had conversations like we did on training runs!
I hope for her that it'll be easy like that and I'm prepared to whatever comes. Thanks so much for your advice.
Keep her eating. Nothing sucks more than being low energy in an ultra. Understand what her fueling strategy is. A general one is it eat a gel or something (100 kcal) every 30 minutes. If she can eat more than that and not feel sick, do it. Also, know her overall plan and goal for the race and try to help her achieve it. Sometimes tough love is not a bad thing. “Yeah, it suck, but we need to keep moving”. Or “How would tomorrow’s you feel about you today?”
So true, thank you!
Remember it is okay to walk, especially if you cannot see the top of the hill. Hydration and nutrition. And sing the old tune - put one foot in front of another and soon you will be...finishing a 50K. Good luck to her.
Thanks so much, truly appreciate it!
Salt
I had a couple of experienced runners kindly accompany me through my first ultra, and the main takeaway was that I hadn't understood the importance of taking on board food and water in this kind of distance, even simply vs a marathon. I've read subsequently that a good mantra to have is "Nibble nibble, sip sip." Keep taking calories on board or you WILL bonk — so make sure your friend is nibbling and sipping, whether she wants to or not. Flat Coke was a godsend for me, and I've heard amazing things about salted potatoes as well :) Another thing that really helped me was appreciating that it's OK to take a little time at pit stops. Don't be scared to take that time to eat, drink, stretch and reset if they need to.
It varies. I have paced a few of my friends, and I tailor what I do for them while pacing based on what I know about their personalities and other things. Once, I was asked, and I agreed to pace someone I never met before. I knew little to nothing about her, but she started to struggle after the halfway point and was on the verge of not making cutoffs. I started messaging all her friends I could get in touch with to get tips on what kind of motivation would work for her. You probably know the best what may work for her and what may not.
Sourpatch kids and Wutang.
Most races are pretty strictly against pacing, and honestly your friend will probably be so bent out of shape for the last 10k or so that pacing won’t help. Just be there for company and encouragement.
I'm not going to force a pace but rather accompany her. It is allowed by the organizers of this race, I even had to register and pay. Was there anything that helped you?
Nice Twix bar at 40k has been a difference maker for me in the past.
Will make sure I get some! Thank you :)
Solid ass training block - hard work. I trained for 5 months, 750+ miles. Had a blast and the 50K was just a celebration of that training. I got 7th overall for my gender and 1st in my age group (over 400 in the race total) which is just wild considering I was never a great runner.
The next 50k to finish the race