Pacing Duties

I've done so many races in my time and sometimes, I feel terribly selfish taking up other people's time just so that I can run, and they never ask for anything in return. The race organisers - especially those that aren't run for profit - spending so much of their own time making sure everything goes like clockwork on the day, and then of course the volunteers, some of which stand around for hours on end to help out us runners. That's why in recent years, I have made a conscious effort to give something back to the sport I love, by volunteering and supporting other runners to successfully complete their races too.

Over the past couple of months though, I've found another way to help and support other runners, and especially my friends, and that's through pacing.

I've never really paced anybody at a race before. When I lived in Arizona and competed in ultras in the US, it seemed like pacers were allowed at any race of 100km or longer. I'm thankful to my old coach Adam who paced me on a few occasions, namely Black Canyon Ultra, Javelina Jundred, and then the Mogollon Monster 100-miler, where my good friend Kristina was also a pacer for me. In Canada though, allowing pacers in races is far less common, although I did benefit from having four amazing pacers at The Divide 200 a couple of years ago, thanks to Barb, Pawel, Shane and Tyler.

But having a pacer in Canada has started to gain some momentum at certain races, and I have been fortunate to have undertaken this duty this past couple of months at both The River's Edge Ultra and the Iron Horse Ultra.

What I will say is that being a pacer is not easy. Every runner is different - some like to chat, some like the silence, some like you to run ahead, some like you to run with them - it's all very individual, and it's even more difficult when you don't really know the person.

Back in September, a friend of my from Calgary asked if I was free for the River's Edge Ultra as a friend of his was looking for somebody to pace them at the 100km. Given that we live pretty much on the doorstep for REU, I had no hesitation of offering my services, and so it was that I found myself pacing Jill for 25km of her race.

I'd never met Jill before, so I didn't know what kind of runner she was. I knew she was very talented and I didn't want to let her down by running too fast or too slow. As it turned out, Jill preferred to run quietly and not talk too much, she didn't want me running too far ahead, and whilst I think I ran a little too quickly (I'd only done a few kilometres whilst she had already ran 50+km when I picked her up!), she crushed that course and ended up walking away as the winner in the ladies 100km race. 

Come October, I was once again called up for pacing duties, this time by my good friend Barb. I know Barb pretty well, and she had paced me at The Divide 200 for 60km, dragging me through a chilly night on mountain trails, and helping me to finish that leg safely. I wanted to repay her by helping her to achieve her goal of finishing her first 100 mile race. For this, we would be heading to St Paul in Northern Alberta, for the Iron Horse Ultra.

The Iron Horse Ultra isn't an easy race. It may not be a mountain race, but there are some tough sections, and when they're not technically tough, they are mentally tough, with some long sections on straight gravel roads, or following the Iron Horse Trail itself.

Although I know Barb well and we could chat all day, it was still difficult knowing what her expectations were when pacing her. She appreciated the chatter, she appreciated the music, she liked that I ran slightly ahead of her, she liked it when we did the run/walk method for a given time to get us moving a little more quickly, and she was in great spirits for most of the run. I kept Barb company for a good 60km throughout the night, making sure she didn't get lost, leading the way across farmland where flagging was difficult to see, even for me who hadn't ran the entire distance. There were moments where the negative thoughts crept in and I tried to drag her out of those darker moments, whilst being patient and appreciative as to why she was thinking the way she was - after all, I've been there myself and am familiar with those thoughts when things start to get tough. It was also about making sure she was ok when she took a tumble, making sure she was eating and drinking, keeping her safe when trying to clamber over barbed wire fences when the legs are tired. But at the same time, it was about allowing Barb to do everything on her own, ultimately she could have told me to just sod off, but she didn't - she listened and she persevered, and when we ran through St Paul on that Sunday morning and the finish line was just ahead, it was about allowing Barb to celebrate her success, knowing that it was her hard work, dedication and commitment that got her to that finish line, and having that belief in herself that she could do it.

Of course, even as a pacer, I'll look back at both of these events with fond memories. The River's Edge Ultra is a toughie, it was a hot day this year, and whilst I only ran 20km or so with Jill, I had a fantastic time out on the trails. The climbs in this race weren't any easier, and it was so dusty and dry out there that even some of the downhills were hardwork. The ropes were definitely needed on some sections, and those last couple of miles on that homestead loop are still not entirely runnable, even on much fresher legs!

When pacing Barb, I joined her when daylight had already faded and I he cool night air was setting in. We bundled up to stay warm, knowing we'd be running through the night, and I carried an extra head torch just in case we needed it later on. The volunteers at the aid station in Elk Point and at Happy Hill not only made sure that Barb had everything she needed to complete her race, but they also offered me warm food and drinks to get me through the night. Outside of the aid stations, our bottles froze, and I was certainly drinking slushy water for a while that sent a chill through me.

Running along the Iron Horse Trail didn't seem so bad with good company, and the ups and downs leading us to Happy Hill came and went very quickly for me. Heading across the fields at 3am in the pitch black, l felt a sense then of responsibility, knowing that Barb was relying on me to get her through this section without going off course and getting lost. Things turned chillier as the night wore on, and some of the stiles and gates we had to climb became more slippery. We saw the moon rise, we caught a brief glimpse of the Northern Lights, and a few hours later, we experienced the morning st beautiful sunrise as we got closer to the finish line. Although not racing, I once again had the most incredible time in great company, and I loved every minute. The most precious and rewarding part though was making that final turn into Reunion Station in St Paul, and watching Barb run towards that finish line, everybody clapping and cheering, and her husband Jimmy being there to welcome her - I think I may have got a little emotional at that point.

So yes, pacing is not an easy job but the reward is seeing somebody else achieve their goal, seeing that emotion as they cross that finish line, and being able to celebrate the success with them. There are some that have said they find me inspiring, although I never really believe that I do anything special. But it works both ways, and I too find others inspiring. Seeing how Barb battled to that 100 mile finish line inspired me at the recent world championships in France - when I think back to how Barb was that day, if I finished looking any better, then I didn't try hard enough - I wanted to have that same grit and determination that she had, and then I'd truly believe I've left everything out in the course.