tips from Kristen

[from email to sarah]

here is quick thoughts while they're fresh.  first, she's apparently a pretty badass runner - she has 2 sub-24 finishes and i don't think they were easy races.  she was really nice and balanced.

-- practice being out and awake for 24+ hours even if just hiking.  so when we're in utah and the weather permits, we should spend 24+ hours jogging/hiking the wasatch course [This is the most new/interesting point for me.  we should do this at least a couple of times, in Utah or otherwise.  in fact, we should start early morning to simulate the race]

-- she doesn't take any iron pills and doesn't recommend you do unless you do so normally

-- walk uphills!  you can run the downhills, you can rest, you can drink, and you can eat. having to walk or shuffle on easy flats/downhills because you killed yourself on the uphill is one of the most demoralizing things

-- she does 4-5 night 25-30 mile night runs.  (she also gets nauseous from a headlamp so she uses a handheld)

-- don't run things that don't prepare you for the course - i.e. pavement or really flat trails (i think that was referring to long runs/races, not what we do during the week)

-- clif bars are too heavy to eat throughout the race.  use more liquids/gels.  

-- develop an arsenal of foods we each can eat during runs so there is something we can eat no matter how we're feeling.  go to Zombie Runner and buy one of everything they have and just try it on runs.

-- if one of us breaks down and starts crying, the worst thing the other can do (as far as the race is concerned) is to get down and comfort, even though it feels right and natural because that's what we normally would do for each other.  she had that issue when her husband paced her and she finished 4 hours later than she thought she would have with a friend pacer

-- 30 hours on the wasatch is "phenomenal".  we should aim for 33, according to her.  30 hours is a top 35 finish.

-- training for race specific things (i.e. eating, drinking, being out there for a long time, being on the course) is more important than running miles or cramming 50s.

-- once we're do the 50 miler in may, we would have a much better idea of our strong/weak points and can train accordingly.  I think after that point we change focus to night runs, overnight runs/hikes, back to back runs, and doing the Wasatch course

-- being a pacer/crew is stressful! "where is my runner?  is anything wrong?  i have to be positive for them even though they're going slow and look like shit"

-- what keeps her coming back is going to incredible lows and then always somehow getting out of them and it never happens the same way

-- apparently AC100 people organize trail work sessions, so we can do it with them.  and we could try running w/ ken/kristen that weekend.  Kristen is training for the San Diego 100.  we should try and coordinate to do the trail work w/ Ken/Kristen.

-- she's really excited about the Mt. Disappointment race.