Tahoe 200 Endurance Run – extending the limits

Time.  It goes in the blink of an eye for some things and drags on for others. 2 years ago I entered the Tahoe 200 Endurance Run and began the training required to run 205.5 miles, with 40,200 ft of ascent and 40,200 ft of descent, in under 100 hours with most of the fun taking place between 6,500 – 9,800ft above sea level.  It’s not a staged race where the clock stops as you have a nights sleep and that’s what attracted me to the event.  Fortunately, I hadn’t thought about that task ahead when signing up, or I might not have, beyond the simple arithmetic that completion in 100 hours requires me to move at 2.05 mph. 

I was often asked how do you train for an altitude based event. Unfortunately Scotland’s highest mountain is a mere 4,413 ft and doesn’t have the profile of the ascent or 28 degrees of heat so simulating the conditions was impossible.  However my coach Genevieve Freeman got to work designing a plan specifically for me based around my physical ability, my work and life.  The plan was constantly tweaked depending on the results that were analysed daily.  At times I felt like a piece of meat being tenderised – I was battered, rested and battered again.  During the two years I regularly visited my sports therapist, my chiropractor and had regular massage’s all to keep my body together.  As I approached the race I was in the “shape of my life”.

Then 2 weeks before the event I found a swelling in my groin and within 4 hours it was diagnosed as an Inguinal Hernia.  I had to wait 5 days to see the surgeon but couldn’t just sit still as I was at a vital stage of my training.  I spoke to Gareth, a good friend of mine who is a surgeon who advised me to buy some Hernia pants for support.  It gave me a peachy bum but my testicles are now relocated in my throat!  More importantly my hernia was being held tight and I could continue with my training before I met the surgeon!  The surgeon said I should be ok but if the hernia comes through the stomach wall during the race, I would be in excruciating pain and need to be rushed to hospital for an emergency operation.  Game on then.

2 years disappears and as race day approached I was beginning to question my sanity as I poured over spreadsheets and lists trying to work out how to pace this race and get in under 100 hours.  I managed to get the race time down to 90 hours which included 3 x 3 hour rest periods in total over the race.  These would either be sleep or time at aid stations but it was just a guess as you can’t anticipate what will happen.  This type of event would differ from any other ultra or Ironman event when it came to aid stations as you couldn’t just “fly through” them.  You had to have a very detailed plan of what you were going to eat at the stations, pick up either in a drop bag or from the organisers table or from your crew because the length between stations could be 20 miles which could take 8-10 hours while exposed at high altitude.  You also had to consider your mental state as going this long without sleep meant making decisions almost impossible and this is where my amazing wife Fiona came to the rescue, on numerous occasions, as my support crew.

Start to Baker Pass; 7 miles / 2,711 ft up / 1,168 down / highest point 9,000 ft / time 1hr 52 mins

Race day arrived and the sun was shining.  At the start line with my fellow G2G pals we take the oath that if anything happens then “it’s our own damned fault”.  As I looked around I noticed I had one of the biggest back packs.  This was because I was carrying all the recommended gear whereas some people we gambling that they wouldn’t need it for the first couple of days.  In addition, some ran with less than the required amount of water – a risk I wouldn’t entertain.

The first section goes straight up, a 3.5 mile climb so I planned to take it easy and settle in.  The objective of the day was to survive to Sierra at Tahoe at 63 miles and the first aid station where I could have contact with my crew and sleep.  I was also picking up my pacer Becky at this station which would be a morale booster so the focus was to get through 63 miles.

As we headed off the dust from the runners raised up from the dry ground and I could feel it in my throat.  This would become a bigger challenge as the race went on.  After power walking the initial steep climb, I dropped my G2G pals on the downhill.  My strategy was to run the downhills where the terrain allowed it to make up time which I’d lose in the climbs.

Baker Pass to Loon Lake; 17 miles / ,1632 ft up / 2,841 down / highest point 8,000 ft / total time 6hrs 11 mins

I came into this station at least an hour ahead of schedule.  They served water melon and it took away the dust coating and taste in my mouth.  Most aid stations had a range of food available from breakfast burrito’s, burgers, soup and pasta.  I took on my full water capacity 3.2L due to the length of this stage.  I didn’t want to be looking for streams on the race although had the necessary water purifier if required.

The heat was building and my stomach wasn’t feeling great.  Was it the pressure of the hernia pants?  I was carrying compression shorts as a back up plan but they weren’t as good for my hernia (or my peachy bum!) so I pressed on. It then occurred what I was feeling could have been down to the altitude as we were at 8,000 ft.  The last couple of days I had a slight headache (6,500 ft) and the fact my guts were feeling lousy this early in the race had to mean something.  Then I came to an area known as the “Rubicon” which I’d describe as being on the moon. 

The Rubicon’s a dusty dry riverbed with massive boulders to navigate around or over.  Every footstep throws up dust which means you can’t see your feet so you walk into the next rock or you go over on your ankle.  You inhale the dust and your throat dries up and your eyes hurt.  Now for the best bit; it’s filled with weekend jeep drivers who are driving these oversized vehicles with great skill, over the rocks and up and down the mountain – churning up the dust.  Runners were choking, gagging and most of us acquired a sore throat or horse voice for the rest of the race – some had respiratory problems caused by the dust.  Some runners thought this section was amazing but most didn’t and we had to revisit it in the evening when the jeep participants were in party mood after a few beers and playing loud music.  Squeezing past them at various stages wasn’t fun but the risk was limited as they certainly didn’t want to crash.

By the time I got to Loon Lake I was in a mess and was considering pulling out.  I was preparing my excuses for my blog.  Dark points were to be expected but I couldn’t see how I could get through such a tough test when I felt this bad after only 24 miles.  I turned the corner before the aid station and Fiona was sitting in lotus position on a big rock with a big smile screaming encouragement.  Now that was a surprise as nobody was meant to be at this station as it’s a tough 3 hour drive but she and a number of others had made the journey.

As all good crew do, she sat me down in a chair and got me some food and drink although I could hardly take it in.  A medic advised me to eat a plain pancake to settle my stomach and it worked.  Fiona tried to massage my left shoulder muscle which had seized but that had to be left as it was too painful.  After a positive talking to about how ahead of schedule I was and about getting to the next checkpoint.  I was off with a smile on my face but knew I wouldn’t be seeing Fiona for another 15.5 hours.  Checkpoint to checkpoint focus is what you need, not thinking you’ve 181.5 miles to go. 

Loon Lake to Tell’s Creek; 6.5 miles / 933 ft up / 910 down / highest point 6,800 ft / total time 8hrs 6 mins

Even although the next check point was only 2 hours away the heat and altitude were getting to me.  The scenery was stunning as we ran through beautiful forests and mountains, but I felt a few twinges in my claves and hamstrings which is always a sign of trouble ahead. I made sure not jump or extend my gait. When I arrived at Tells Creek I collapsed into a chair as a volunteer went to get me some food and water.  That’s when I had the worst cramp of my life.  I started screaming as though someone had stabbed my calf.  I was made to stand up while someone rubbed my calf which was excruciatingly painful.  I was then made to chew salt tablets to get the salt into my system quicker – you want to try that and keep the contents of your stomach down. It’s not easy.

My G2G friend Laurent was sitting opposite me and he looked awful.  The heat and altitude was taking its toll and I realised that he was finished.  What kind of a race is this where fit people are out after 30.5 miles I though?  Get the focus back on Sierra at Tahoe.  Only another 33 miles to go.  The time spent at aid stations was mounting up but if I didn’t leave feeling better and fully stocked for the next stage I’d be finished.  This put more pressure on making sure I kept the pace up.

Tell’s Creek to Wright’s Lake; 13.5 miles / 2,062 ft up / 1,640 down / highest point 7,600 ft / total time 12 hrs 35 mins

I have little memory of the next section except I did most of it on my own before I met Bleu.  He was an experienced runner but he was carrying minimal water and ran out so I shared mine with him to get him to the check point – you have to look after each other out there.  I just had to keep moving forward to get closer to Sierra at Tahoe – this was critical.  When I got to Wright’s Lake one of the photographers got a photo of me sitting down trying to eat some soup.  I look out of it.

Wright’s Lake to Sierra at Tahoe; 18.9 miles / 3,326 ft up / 2,946 down / highest point 7,400 ft / total time 19hrs 16 mins

Before I could have a sleep and pick up my pacer, my next challenge which was worrying me was the night stage from Wright’s Lake to Sierra at Tahoe.   I can get lost in a car park so the thought of running through a mountain range trying to pick out luminous ribbons with my head torch just filled me with fear.  I was fitted with a GPS tracker so the organisers knew where you were and I had the route on my Iphone but that guaranteed nothing.  Add to the fact there were bears in the woods (yes they do shit in the woods by the way as there was plenty of evidence of it) and I didn’t want to be on my own.

I hooked up with Bleu and John for night stage and had a good laugh along the way.  It was a full moon and it was surreal going through the forest and enjoying the challenging terrain.  I think the fall in temperature at night helped me settle into the race.  They got me to Sierra at Tahoe which was my goal and waiting for me were Fiona and my pacer Becky.  I’d now been on the go for 19 hours 16 mins and climbed into the boot of our rental SUV and had a 30 minute sleep.  Fiona cleaned my feet which were manky with dust despite my gaiters and also changed my socks.  Other runners were doing this more regularly but as my feet felt fine, I didn’t want to disturb them.

Sierra at Tahoe to Housewife Hill; 7.6 miles / 1,116 ft up / 1,899 ft down / highest point 7,400 ft / total time 22hrs 50 mins

What a difference a short sleep makes. I felt renewed plus I had reached my first goal which was a major achievement, particularly  psychologically, considering how I’d felt.  Becky led the way as we headed off to Housewife Hill and chatted getting to know each other which passed the time.  She was an experienced runner, had completed the race last year and more importantly an experienced pacer so she knew when to slow down and walk.  All I had to do was follow her heels, except for when she fell.  It was an innocuous fall but she cut her hand and this was treated by the medic when we arrived at Housewife Hill and met Fiona who sorted out our food and water.  Our next stop was 17.6 miles away so we needed to be fully loaded and there was no crew access although a fully stocked aid station.

Housewife Hill to Armstrong Pass; 17.6 miles / 4,092 ft up / 2,320 ft down / highest point 9,500 ft / total time 1 day 5hrs 20mins

It took us 7 and a half hours to reach Armstrong Pass which was 9,600 ft above sea level and having a running companion who knew the route took a lot of pressure off of me.  The views were breath taking but you had to keep your eyes on the ground so you didn’t take a tumble.   Becky needed her hand seen to again as it wasn’t really properly treated at the last station. 

Armstrong Pass to Heavenly; 15 miles / 2,243 ft up / 3,050 ft down / highest point 9,700 ft / total time 1 day 11 hrs 37mins

This section had a long downhill through a forest which I’m sure this was beautiful but wearing head torches meant being focused on the light and trying to see our feet through the rising dust.  It was like Chatelherault on steroids scale wise and the end of the race I could have sworn these forest sections all took place in the same forest as I constantly kicked the same bloody rock.  Twice I was frozen to the spot prodding the ground with my poles as I didn’t believe there was any ground in front.  Hallucinations occurred regularly with bushes becoming people and logs becoming cars which was a real ball breaker when you thought you were seeing a check point!

In reality it was hour after hour of monotony, ground  hog day, but taking you closer to your goal. 

It was dark, cold and windy when we arrived into Heavenly but I was delighted that my son Ali had arrived with Fiona, he was on a boys trip.  That elation soon disappeared as it turned out Becky had also hurt her leg when she fell and the pain was getting worse.  This was the first I’d known she had hurt her leg.  I quickly had some lentil soup and a few mouthfuls of burger before I crawled into the SUV boot for a couple of hours sleep hoping Becky would be sorted by the time I woke.  She wasn’t and that was the end of her race which was a big blow for both of us be we couldn’t ask her to go on and risk further injury particularly on this terrain.  Now I had to face my fear again of another night run on my own.

Heavenly to Spooner Summit; 20.4 miles / 2,947 ft up / 3,295 ft down / highest point 8,700 ft / total time 1 day 23 hours 31 mins

Fortunately I saw someone heading out of the check point and asked if I could join them.  Dennis said he was slow on the climbs and I’d be faster on my own but I reckoned slow was better than lost!  Not far into the run I spotted a baby bear climbing down a tree and mummy bear waiting at the bottom.  This wasn’t a hallucination and Dennis started making noise to chase them away!  I persuaded him that now was a good time to try and beat Usain Bolts 100m record and we made a quick exit.  The route involved 9 miles of climbing and the temperature was freezing plus the wind was blowing hard. 

At the most exposed summit we were looking for a bench as a marker.  There was a full  moon shining off Lake Tahoe and I would have loved to try and take a picture but it was so cold that I was in survival mode and kept moving forward. We stopped to put on extra layers of clothes and I was totally convinced that I’d been here before and knew what was coming next.  This continued the whole time we were on the summit but getting down was a priority both physically and mentally.  I started to have an out of body experience which made me feel like I was watching me running from above.  I even pinched myself in case I was sleeping and dreaming that this was happening.  It was surreal but that’s what lack of sleep can do to you.  On the way down we both heard bears growling which may or may not have been real but we weren’t going to hang around and find out.

Like many of the descents the terrain was rocky, like running in a quarry of broken slate for hours and my feet were beginning to grumble but so far I only had one blister.  I’d thought I could run the downhills but this was impossible due to the terrain.

I was pleased to see Fiona and Ali at the aid station and they got me wrapped up before bringing me a breakfast burrito which in the end Ali ate as I was going off food.  I snatched another couple of hours sleep.

Spooner Summit to Tunnel Creek; 17 miles / 2,858 ft up / 3,684 ft down / highest point 8,700 ft / total time 2 days 6hrs 26mins

Tunnel Creek was the next station but there was no crew contact so I wouldn’t see Fiona until Brockway Summit which was a further 15 miles away.  I was on my own for all of the 17 miles and got lost at some point losing about 40 minutes and didn’t see any other runners as we were all well spread out now.  Even with the map on my phone it’s hard as making rational decisions when you are sleep deprived is really tough which is why having a pacer is so helpful. There was a 5 mile downhill tarmac stretch to the aid station and my feet were beginning to complain so I didn’t run – proved to be a wise decision with the way my feet ended up.  I made sure I had them checked by the medic at the aid station.  He taped them up and I took a 25 minute nap in the roasting sun before heading off with another runner, Thomas. 

Tunnel Creek to Brockway Summit; 15 miles / 3,105 ft up / 2,209 ft down / 8,400 ft / total time 2 days 12hrs 27mins

I was glad to have company again as we left for Brockway Summit.  After a 5 mile tarmac walk we climbed the “powerline” which is a vertical climb up underneath a chairlift.  Day turned to night and the temperature again fell to freezing.  With about 7 miles to go Thomas dropped back and I headed off with another runner, Mark, as I really needed to get off the mountain.  Again I was heal following through the dust and then we both saw the silhouette of a bear ahead.  We stopped in our tracks and it took us over 5 minutes to realise it was caused by our head torches and there was no bear.  That didn’t stop my companion letting me lead past the “bear”!  I was starting to lose it mentally when Fiona met me at the aid station and I briefly saw Thomas come in and agreed to meet at 1am so we could head out together. I crawled into the SUV for a much needed 2 hours sleep.

As I was getting ready to leave the car, I needed to pee but I couldn’t as I had company – a family were having a picnic directly outside the back of the car.  I told Fiona who went round the back and said there was nobody there.  It turned out it was a bush but as far as I was concerned I could see a family having a picnic next to a reindeer.  This was a real concern because I had another night section coming up and as I had been delayed I missed Thomas. 

Brockway Summit to Tahoe City; 20 miles / 2,641 ft up / 3,616 ft down / highest point 7,800 ft / total time 3 days 42 mins

It wasn’t safe for me to go on my own so I waited 45 mins and joined a group who were heading out.  This proved a great move as they were experienced runners and had two pacers.

A good consistent pace was set and we charged on.  I just kept my eyes on Maria’s heals and made sure I didn’t fall behind. At one stage we stopped for a 5 minute trail sleep – that was a first!  The pacer Tim kept an eye out for bears while we rested and despite it only being 5 minutes we were refreshed and good to go.  I was grateful for the company with Maria and her friends during this 20 mile section and we came in ahead of schedule.

Tahoe City to Stephen Jones; 19.6 miles / 3,400 ft up / 3,260 ft up / highest point 8,400 ft / total time 3 days 8hrs 32 mins

When we reached Tahoe City my second pacer was waiting for me, Reggie.  After food and sorting out my water we headed off and were joined by Brian, another runner.  The forecast was that mid- morning there may be rain, possibly snow and I had all the appropriate clothes with me but was low on food as I was struggling to eat solids or gels.  As we were climbing the mountain the weather closed in and the snow started to fall and lie on the ground.  Brian had left his waterproof trousers behind and he was in trouble as he was in shorts.  In addition both Brian and Reggie had gloves that weren’t good enough so they began losing the feeling in their hands.  While I was dressed appropriately, with a lack of body fat and fuel I started going “down hill”.  Fighting our way to the top of the mountain became a battle for survival and once we made it Brian took off running down the mountain on his own.  He had to as his body temperature was dropping and he needed to warm up.  Reggie stayed with me and by now my feet were really starting to hurt with blisters so I could hardly run for the pain and I knew I needed to be “kind” to them to get to the finish. 

As we got lower on the mountain the sun came out and I stopped to get some chocolate to give me some fuel – I couldn’t have done this higher up as it was too cold to stop.  At the bottom of the mountain there was a long tarmac slog to the checkpoint.  Reggie had done his job as pacer for which I was very grateful as I don’t know I’d have made it off the mountain on my own. 

I climbed into the SUV to heat up in my sleeping bag.  Fiona got me some chicken noodle soup.  The noodles and the vegetables weren’t cooked but the liquid was hot so it served the function of heating me up.  One last section to go and it was a toughie especially as I didn’t have a pacer.  In hindsight I wished I had had a better understanding of what this section involved but looking back it was clear I was “out of my head” and not capable of the important decisions that were required.

I took 30 minutes warming up and learned that Maria and her friends were going out so I joined them. 

Stephen Jones to Finishing Line; 10.4 miles / 2,299 ft up / 2,432 ft up / highest point 8,500 ft / total time 3 days 13hrs 16min

This section involved a big climb.  At first I thought, oh this will be the last climb only to turn the corner and finding another and another and another. The climb took 2 hours!  Maria and her pacer we ahead and I was with John and his pacer who were slower.  It got dark, cold, the snow was thick on the ground and the wind picked up.  When were we going to reach the summit?  Where was the summit?  Am I alone on this mountain with two strangers?  Are they going to kill me?  Yes, that is what I was thinking – out of my head!  I was starting to lose it big time. 

One of the issues having not studied and understood this section in advance was that I expected we’d reach the top of the mountain, look over the other side and see the finish line miles below all lit up.  No.  There were actually 3 climbs involved and we were traversing the mountain to get to the other side.  I was cold, miserable and had actually forgotten I was in a race – time didn’t matter, this was survival.  The three of us were heading down the ski slope when my potential “murderers” decided to stop as John had stomach issues.  Was this part of their plan?  They told me to head on and they’d see me at the finish. Reluctantly I did and after a while I was totally lost, on a mountainside with bears in the vicinity, I had no idea where I was and the batteries were going in my head torch.  If I’d thought about it the app on my phone would have pinpointed me but I wasn’t capable of such a thought.  I phoned Fiona.

She was at the finish line with the organisers who could see from my gps tracker that I had missed a turning and was off course – this was the only turn off that didn’t have a sign past it saying you’ve missed the turnoff. I was put through to the organiser who tried to talk me in but she had difficulty distinguishing between up and down that didn’t help.  By this stage my feet were really hurting and every step was a painful effort especially on such a steep hill.  I was informed that if I kept heading down the path I would come out about 1 mile away from the finish line but because I hadn’t followed the course I could have been disqualified – that was possibly the final straw.  Fiona took over and headed out in the car with my pacer Reggie.  Reggie found the path and then found me.  I was scared shitless with the noises in the under growth because I was well aware of the bears in the area.

I was delirious and didn’t realise that my rescuer was Reggie.  I thought he was one of the event organisers so I wasn’t too polite to him as he asked me to walk back up the mountain so we could come in the correct way.  After 10 minutes we were joined by a member of the event team who had come cross country following the chairlift to find me and I’m grateful for his effort, if a little late.  They got me onto the right road and now we were heading to the finish.  We came to a fork in the track and the organiser said you go left Derek and follow it down to the finish.  Where’s the sign I said to which he responded, oh we assume everyone knows where to go at this stage!  Well seen as it was still pitch black and I couldn’t hear the cow bells I gave him a mouthful on shite markings and assumptions which had cost me over 40 minutes wandering around on my own in the dark.  Then I headed down the road.

A few minutes later the crowd spotted my headtorch and started going mental.  Cow bells were ringing, I could hear people calling out my name and all of a sudden I was there with bright lights blinding me as I ran straight into Fiona and almost the camera man.  I’d finished the toughest race of my life.  205.5 miles (with a bit extra) with 40,200 ft of climbing and 40,200 ft of descending.  I was whisked over to sit down so they could get an after picture and then asked to choose my Tahoe buckle – the prize.  Kelsey, who is a G2G pal who came in 3^rd woman, what a star, gave me a big hug and thrust a beer into my hand.  The next minute Reggie was standing next to me.  I turned to him and said, sorry to keep you waiting and thanks for hanging around – I was the next day that I discovered it was Reggie who had found me and led me back to safety while working on the phone with Fiona. 

Final thoughts

65^th out of 215 who started - chuffed

Total time 3 days 13 hours 16 mins – beat my target by 4 hours 46 mins

Running time 2 days 21 hours 33 mins

Average running pace 3 mph - pleased 

Only 66.5% of participants finished this race.  It’s a challenger race therefore not for beginners.  I am so proud to have finished it and beaten my projected time by more than 4 hours and the cut off by 14 hours.  They talked about discovering yourself on the race and I’ve certainly been to places in my head I didn’t know existed.  You only get to those places by pushing the limits and this is about as close to mine as I have been.  I’ve met amazing people along the trail who all share a similar outlook on life which is the biggest reward in entering these events and was so pleased to meet up with my G2G pals again.  But I think 205 miles is enough for me.  I spent the next two days crawling on my hands and knees to the bathroom as my feet were so damaged.  11 days later I can walk normally, but they’re not 100% yet.  I lost more than a stone in weight and I started at 10 stone 4 pounds.  I’ve eaten like a pig since the race and am now 10 stone 1 lb but the muscle wastage is frightening.

In the end I slept 7 hours, not the 9 hours I’d budgeted but I spent 10.5 hours at checkpoints which was unexpected but completely necessary as I tried to cope with the effects of running at altitude which were severe.  Having an average moving pace of 3mph may not seem like a lot, but over 69 hours it isn’t easy.  I had to power walk up the hills and these were big, steep climbs.  Where possible, and this was determined by the terrain, I’d run down hill but then you get to the stage where you have to temper everything based on getting to the finish line, surviving.

After the race, we had a worrying 24 hours when the race results showed I’d DNF’d but that’s now been corrected as the organisers mixed up two people with the same surname. I was 65^th overall out of a starting field I circa 215. 

In 2 weeks time I’ll have my hernia operation and then start the recovery from there.  After that I’ll be gradually getting back to training as I need to rebuild my body and fitness for 2020.  No events planned as yet.

This adventure is dedicated to our late friend Carol O’Docherty and her spirit was out there on the course coaxing me along in the dark moments.  She’s forever in our minds.

The real bonus was having my wife Fiona as my crew.  She has always supported me but never in this role and if it hadn’t been for her turning up unexpected at check point 2, this blog could have been about a DNF.  Throughout the race she tended to my every need which is what a support crew does.  When the shit really hit the fan she took control and organised my rescue and made sure I didn’t break the rules and be disqualified.  What an amazing experience to share together while raising money for Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centres in the memory of our friend.  Tahoe 200 you took me close to the edge, but I survived.