Tahoe 200 Endurance Run is a 204.8 mile trail race in Tahoe, California. It is a race I started on the morning of Friday, June 17, 2022 and finished on June 20, 2022 (my birthday). Tahoe 200 was the final race for me in the Destination Trails Triple Crown Series, having finished Bigfoot 200 in 2019 and Moab 240 in 2020.
I finished the Tahoe 200 in 75hours 46min 07secs, placing 20th out of 241 runners. I ran the 204.8 mile race without a crew, without pacers, in a single pair of sneakers, and a single trekking pole. The race gave us freezing temperatures, snow, hail and ice storms, ~35,000 feet of elevation gain, and air conditions that caused many respiratory problems. I slept about 3 hours, changed my socks 7 times, drank 3 RedBulls, had an aid station sing “Happy Birthday” to me on my birthday, and went on a journey from a place of peace and logic to battling my insanity to embracing my new reality and following the spirit tracks of those that ran before me then back to reality we all know and share. The Tahoe 200 was truly an “out and back” race.
It was a physically tough race that challenged me and my abilities. It felt like a hard test, yet one where I knew all the answers as long as I maintained confidence in myself. Tahoe 200 was an amazing experience that reminded me why I do these types of endurance events.
Unlike many of my other races, I had three goals for this race:
- Stretch Goal: Finish in under 72 hours (3 days).
- Goal: Finish in under 80 hours
- Minimum Goal: Finish the race
I missed my stretch goal, but hit my other ones. I am thrilled with the outcome. I can totally look back and see how I could have hit my under 72 hour goal but doing so would have probably robbed me of some of the best experiences of the race.
Like many of my other race reports, this will be about my view point and experience. If you are looking for specific details on the trails, check out the Runner’s Manual and links within. Those will give you much better, more detailed information than I could. If you plan to run Tahoe 200 and have questions or looking for tips, feel free to reach out to me.
A Couple of Quick Race Stats
Tahoe 200 is usually an annual single loop race that runs around Lake Tahoe in September. In 2020, the race was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, the race was canceled because of the Caldor Fire that burned from August to October 2021. After a two year break, the Tahoe 200 race was back with a course and date change. The race moved from September to June and a portion of the original around the rim course was closed off due to fire damage. This year, Tahoe 200 converted from a looped course to an “Out and Back” course.
- 204.8 miles
- ~35,000 ft of ascent
- ~35,000 ft of descent
- 6 aid stations (3 sleep stations)
- Total of 11 aid station stops and 4 sleep station stops
- High temperatures in the mid 80℉
- Low temperatures around 30℉ with wind chills in the 20℉
Preparation: Training, COVID Changes, Spreadsheets, Notes, etc.
I had originally planned to run Tahoe in 2021. Unfortunately it was canceled due to the Caldor fires. In 2021, I had also planned to run a 72 hour race which was canceled due to the Texas ice storm. Going into Tahoe 200, I had not run a race over 100 miles since October 2020, over 18 months.
Training:
During 2021, my work required more of my time during hours I used to train. I was leading a global team across 7 different time zones. This meant less dedicated time to train, especially in the mornings. I was still able to run about 45 to 50 miles a week, but had less time to weight train.
My weekly workout routine:
- Every Day:
- 20 Burpees
- 15 Pull-ups
- 130 Pushups (60-40-30)
- 150 Crunches
- 2min Plank Hold
- 50 Leg Lifts
- 25 Leg Lifts with hip lift
- 2min Bridge Hold
- 4 Days a week:
- 130 Pushups (60-40-30)
- 150 Crunches
- 80 Lunges
- 50 Leg Lifts
- 25 Leg Lifts with hip lift
- 2 min Plank Hold
- 2 days a week: 4 to 4.3 mile road run
- 1 day a week: 3.1 tire drag run
- Fridays: 25 minute rowing
- Weekends
- 2 of the following depending on my schedule with the goal to cover at least 30 miles over the 2 days
- 13 loops on Hill of Life in Austin, TX: 13+ miles, ~3,500ft Elevation gain
- 18 to 21 mile easy trail run
- 12 mile trail run
- 2 of the following depending on my schedule with the goal to cover at least 30 miles over the 2 days
For nutrition, I am vegan/plant-based. I make sure my meals are nutritious and try to avoid heavily processed foods. Although, I usually have one plant-based meat meal a week. During training, I tried and used the race nutrition options (gels, blocks, bars, etc.) that I planned to use at my races. I kept the calorie intake during training runs to a minimum on purpose to train my body to go longer distances with little nutrition/calories.
Preparation:
In preparing for Tahoe, I followed the same process I used for Bigfoot and Moab. I printed out the runner’s manual, made it into a nice notebook/folder, and renamed all the spreadsheets from my Tahoe 2021 prep to 2022.
Having switched to an Out and Back course meant that organizing/preparing my drop bags was actually a little easier. They had to contain enough gear and nutrition for 2 stops which would give me more options when I stopped. It also meant that I could drop some gear in a bag and have it available for later if needed.
I made a very basic race plan. The sleep stations were pretty limited on the race. There was a sleep station at mile 50, 100, 150, and 190.
My plan:
- Bag Strategy:
- Pack a change of socks for each drop bag stop
- Pack 1 RedBull in each drop bag
- Pack my poles in the 50/150mi – Brockway Summit drop bag to pick up
- Pack extra shoes, just in case, in my 65/135mi – Tunnel Creek drop bag
- Pack a blanket in the 100mi – Heavenly bag
- Race Strategy:
- Nap at Heavenly – 100mi station
- Nap at Brockway – 150mi station
- Aim to sleep during the hours that I am most tired (Midnight to 4am)
- Fill up a bottle with Tailwind at every aid station – making sure I had enough Tailwind on me in case the aid station was out.
- Plan on the Aid Stations for “real” and “hot” food, but not depend on them for my only food source.
- Only consume caffeine on the 2nd half of the race
Pre-Race
As race day was getting closer, we were experiencing a heat wave in Texas with temperatures over 100℉ everyday. The weather reports from Tahoe were stating that the highs would be in the low 50s with freezing temperatures, high winds, and a windchill in the 20s at night. There was still snow on parts of the trail. While no special gear would be needed for the snow, I did have to make some adjustments to the clothing I was planning to bring. I added two of my long sleeve shirts. For some reason I did not think about how cold windchill in the 20s actually is. I thought, “I’ll be fine with a long sleeve and my rain jacket.”
On Thursday afternoon, I checked in and did my medical check. While hanging out, I saw a bunch of runners I know from other ultra races and endurance events. It was awesome to quickly catch up with everyone. The ultra distance community is great – relaxed and super supportive.
Race Day 1 – My Race Plan is Flawed
I was up pretty early in the morning; I had not adjusted to the time difference yet. I took my time to have breakfast and get ready before heading over to the race. The race started at 9am. I was at the starting location before 7am. It was cold. I was realizing that my running t-shirt and long sleeve was not enough to keep me warm. Since I was not ready to admit I was wrong, I blamed it on the lack of sun and that once I started to run I would warm up. I decided to hang out in my car to stay warm until they were ready to give out the GPS Spot tracking devices.
The race started with a climb up a ski slope. I took it pretty easy, I knew I had a long way ahead of me. The climbs were steady and long, but not too difficult. Within the first section we hit snow, which I was pretty jazzed about even if I was still cold.
From a lesson learned in my other ultra distance races, I took the opportunity to take a couple of pictures of the experience. The views were amazing.
I hit the first aid station about 2 hours and 30 minutes after we started. I quickly filled up on Tailwind and was on my way. I felt good. It was about 20 miles to the next aid station. I made sure I was eating and drinking plenty of water. I had one of the Lenny & Larry’s Complete Cookie-fied bars and it was awesome. I regretted not bringing more of them.
By the time I arrived at Tahoe City, the next aid station, I was very low on water and very thirsty. I was showing some early signs of dehydration. The aid station was incredibly busy with runners and crews. I found a chair to sit in and change my socks before checking to see what food they had. It was pretty chaotic. I asked a volunteer about their vegan options and was told all they had was vegan sausage and fruit. I did not want to have plant-based meat while racing since I did not know how it was prepared. I looked down and saw some peanut butter and & jelly sandwiches and asked if they were vegan. The volunteer said they were. I grabbed one and sat back in my chair and started to go through my drop bag for some food. While sitting there, a racer next to me asked his crew to get him a guacamole and tortilla wrap from the aid station. His crew returned shortly after and I asked him, “Is that just guacamole on a tortilla?” He said it was. I got up and got one for myself.
The stop took a little longer than I wanted but I was still feeling good about my time. I made sure to top off my water bladder and fill bottle of Tailwind. I was a little concerned that the next section was also about 20 miles long given some of the hydration issues I was having.
The packs of runners were beginning to spread out. While I could not tell where I was in the pack, I was pretty confident I was still in the top half. With over 30 miles complete, I started to wonder why I was running in another 200+ mile race. It was slow going. The scenery was stunning, but nothing remarkable had happened. Since I had decided to start this race, I knew I would finish it.
To change the subject, I thought about what remarkable things could happen. I thought I might encounter a bear. There were a lot of bears in the area and several had been spotted in the last couple of days.
“What would I do if I spotted a bear?” I thought to myself. I had totally forgotten what the bear chart they gave us said. I knew I would have to make noise. Previously, I sang KRS-One’s “Sound of da Police”.
I thought:
I don’t feel like singing. …
I know, I will talk to the bear about famous bears. That way, the bear would know I a cool with bears. …
Wait! What famous bears do I know? …
The Country Bears, but do I like them. Did we realize that the Country Bears were actually racist when we look back at them today? I should not bring them up. I don’t want a bear thinking I like racist bears. …
Paddington Bear – that is a cool bear. Paddington is from Peru, so I don’t know how relatable he would be. …
There are the Berenstain Bears. They are educational bears – teaching kids lessons about life. They’re alright. …
Are those the only famous bears I can think of? There was that bear from “Grizzly Man.” Oh no, I definitely need to make sure the bear knows that bear is super uncool. That is not a bear we humans like… .
I have to change the subject. I can’t keep thinking about this. …
So I started thinking about my race and sleep plan. I realized I made a major mistake in my planning. I had originally planned that I would try to make it to Heavenly (100mi) before sleeping. That was mainly due to the sleep station before Heavenly was Brockway Summit (50mi). Sleeping at 50 miles just seemed way too early to sleep. I started to do the math in my head. My previous calculations forgot to account for the start time of the race. Most of my past ultras start early in the morning, pre 7am. This race started at 9am. If I reached mile 50 in 12 hours, which would be quick for me on a 200 mile race, I would be there at 9pm. I should totally consider getting sleep at Brockway versus trying to push through.
I was pleasantly surprised at how many hours of daylight there were. The sun was finally going and low enough behind the mountains that it was time for my headlamp. As it was getting darker, the temperature was quickly and noticeably dropping. The clothes I had on were not ideal for the temps; I had my t-shirt, running long sleeve, rain jacket, shorts, hat gloves, and a buff around my neck. I thought, “I’ll survive. I just need to keep moving and working to keep my core temp up.”
I think it was around 9pm when the weather took a turn. It seemed like it was snowing, but heavier since I could hear it. It was a light hail/ice storm. The hail falling was not like the large Texas hail I have become accustomed to. This hail was the size of Dippin’ Dots.
The hail started to get a lot heavier which made it a lot more difficult to navigate because ice/hail is reflective. My headlamp light would reflect off the falling hail and made it virtually impossible to see more than a foot directly in front of me. I focused on the trail at my feet and looked for the reflective confidence markers. It was a slower pace but I kept moving, lightly shivering the whole time.
The hail storm stopped when I was about 1 mile out from the aid station. I was so cold I knew that I needed to stop for some warm broth and that the best idea was to take a quick nap. I made it to the aid station sometime before 11pm. It was a hectic scene. Not as bad as the previous stations, but it was impossible to tell who was a racer, crew, or aid station volunteer. I went into the food tent and asked if they had any veggie broth. They did not. I asked what other hot vegan food they had. They ran through a couple of options like mashed potatoes (not vegan), noodle soup (not vegan – chicken and beef), and fruit. Without any hot vegan food, I decided to lay down and take a nap. I wasn’t very hungry, just cold.
They had 2 tents for sleeping. I went into a tent and I was the only one there. I grabbed a cot on the right most side with a wool blanket on it. Normally when I nap during a race, I will take a lot of my clothes off even if it is cold. This is because most of the time my clothes are a little damp with sweat and/or I don’t want to start sweating while I am sleeping and wake up in damp or wet clothes. Since my sleeping gear was at Heavenly, I only had the wool blanket they provided. I decided to just take out my contacts and take off my gloves and sleep in my clothes. It was a little after 11pm. I set an alarm for 2 hours. The plan was to lay still for the next two hours and hope to get some sleep. My upper body was so cold that I was violently shaking from the cold and could not rest. I closed my eyes, focused my breath, and worked on calming my body. The goal was not to fight the need for my body to shiver, I just wanted to stop it from being so violent. I was able to calm my upper body to a calm, consistent shiver. As I focused, I could feel the low, constant shiver warming my body and I was able to doze off.
I had a hard time falling and staying asleep. I think I slept less than 60 minutes total before my alarm went off and told me it was time to get back out there.
Day 2 – A Race Not According to Plan
While the tent was not warm, it was warmer than the outside and shielded me from the wind. The aid station had a lot of runners looking for a place to nap. I was able to get a chair so I could change my socks. I checked with the food tent and the volunteer asked if I needed anything. I asked again if they had any hot vegan food. They told me they just ran out of the vegan soup and broth. This really annoyed me because 2 hours earlier I asked about soup and broth and was told they had none. The volunteer said they had some little potatoes that she could cook for me. I told her that would be awesome and thanked her for finding something for me.
I went back to my chair and started to get ready for the next section. I knew there was a steep ascent or descent in the next section. I pulled out the trekking poles I packed in my drop bag, changed my socks, and then waited for my potatoes. I really appreciate the volunteer that found and cooked those potatoes for me.
I was up and on my way by around 1:30am. I was shivering and my teeth were chattering, but I was moving. I wanted to avoid running at this time of the morning because it is when I am the most tired and it tends to be the coldest time of day.
Roughly 9 miles after Brockway, I came upon the ascent/descent I had heard about. From this direction, it was a descent down a powerline on loose dirt. It was approximately a 1,200ft drop in about 1.5 miles. The descent reminded me of a more pleasant version of the powerline descents I experienced during the Barkley Fall Classic. This trail was maintained and absent of razor sharp bryers. “This is nothing,” I chuckled to myself.
I was descending the section very quickly, using my poles to help keep my balance. Then suddenly I went to move one of my poles and the handle came with me but the pole was left behind. I stopped myself, moved out of the way of the other runners so I could examine my pole and what happened. The internal cord in the pole snapped inside the handle. I realized there was no way I could fix this, especially on the trail. I wrapped up the pieces of the pole and put it into my pack. I decided I would continue to use the one pole, at least until my next drop bag.
After the powerline descent, we were on the streets of Tahoe. The sun was up and you could smell breakfasts being made. After about 4 miles, I entered the Tunnel Creek aid station. I reexamined my broken pole and knew there was no fixing it. I left it in my drop bag. I changed my socks, put my contacts in, had a little food, and was on my way. This section was about 17 miles to the next aid station. I was doing well on liquids and water consumption and was not seeing or feeling any dehydration issues I had earlier.
Then suddenly I thought, “Fozzie bear. That is another famous bear. ‘He tells jokes,’ I told myself. That would be another good bear to mention.”
The views on the ascent were spectacular. The descent to Spooner Summit, the next aid station, was quick. I did not have a drop bag here, so the focus was to eat, use the bathroom, and refill my water and Tailwind. I asked what vegan options they had. They had a vegan burger which many of the runners were asking for. I did not feel like it, but I was curious to try it since it appeared to be bright orange. I still need to look up what type of vegan burger that was.
The aid station had hummus and tortillas, so I had a hummus wrap. It was perfect. While I was there, I ran into Kevin who I ran Bigfoot with. He was there pacing another runner who was doing well early on. I asked how it was going. His runner was deciding to drop. They had gone out about 4 miles from this aid station before turning around and coming back. Kevin, like a good pacer/crew, was not ready to let his runner quit.
Then Kevin noticed I was using a pole. “Ed, you are using a trekking pole?” Turning to the person next to him, “This guy did Bigfoot without any poles.”
I replied smiling, “Well, only one pole.”
“It’s a start,” he joked. “We’ll get you using poles one day.”
I told him that in fact after our conversations during Bigfoot, I started to use poles more and I was only using one because my other one broke. We wished each other luck and I was on my way.
It was over 18 miles to the next aid station and drop bag. Since the course was an out and back, I figured I would start to see the leaders coming back on this section. I also heard that the Tahoe 100K was running this section. I had prepared to see a lot of folks coming the other way. I was not wrong. I saw all the leaders absolutely crushing it.
When I arrived at the Heavenly aid station it was a big surprise. At first it seemed that the station was on a balcony of a ski lodge, which it was, but the inside of the lodge was open to us. My plan was to do a quick stop, refill my water and Tailwind, have some food, change my socks, and then head out. I would make it back to Spooner Summit for a quick nap in one of their chairs.
As I got in, I found out that they had a real bathroom with running water (a real luxury). When I was washing my hands, I saw that my left hand was significantly swollen while my right hand was not. I thought that was weird but decided to not worry about it.
While I was eating at Heavenly, another runner came in with his pacer and was asking for a med check. It turned out he had been coughing up blood. The medic checked him out and basically said, “I am not a doctor. I can tell you that your lungs sound fine, but that is about all I can tell you.” The runner was making the hard decision on whether to drop or not. He was hoping the medic would give him a clear sign of whether to continue or stop. I could relate as I have been in that situation before.
He decided to drop, but did not want to tell his pacers and crew that came out to support him. He felt like he was letting them down. One of his crew came into the lodge to get something and utter some encouraging words about how he’s “got this.” I could see that did not make him feel any better about the situation. His pacer, who was with him when he started coughing up blood, told him that he would let the crew know and that he should get some food and rest a bit. Shortly after, the runner’s wife came in. She gave him a hug and whispered to him, “I heard what’s happening. You are making the right decision.” It really was the right decision for many reasons. In fact, I was hearing that a lot of runners were experiencing upper respiratory issues. My throat felt extremely dry, but nothing too bad.
I finished eating and was heading back out. When I went outside, the temperatures had already dropped from when I came in. I looked around the lodge. There were plenty of mats and blankets. It was not too noisy. Being inside, we were sheltered from the cold, wind, ices, etc. It was around 8pm. While it was much earlier than I planned, these were the best conditions to nap in that I would see all race. I decided the smartest thing would be to sleep now and have as restful a nap as I could.
I found a spot on the floor with a blanket and deflated air mattress. I awoke several times, but from what I could gather, I slept about an hour, maybe a little more.
When my alarm went off, I was focused and wanted to get back on the trails quickly. Given how cold it felt, I decided to put on an extra shirt layer from my drop bag. As I was packing up, I felt like I was way behind the pace and position I wanted to be in. I geared up and headed out to complete the second half of the race.
Day 3 – Just follow the Spirit Tracks of Those that Ran Before
It was after 10pm when I left Heavenly. It was cold. Thankfully, I put on an additional shirt before leaving. I started to notice that the ground off the trail was covered in a thin layer of snow and hail. My concerns about taking a nap too early faded away as I saw the amount of hail and snow grow. It looks like I missed the storm that blew through.
Eventually, I was back to the Spooner Summit aid station. There were several racers resting at the station, including Alex who I ran with at Moab 240. He was doing well.
Dawn was upon us, so I put away my headlamp and was back on the trail after Spooner. For the first part of this section, I was seriously tired. I was having trouble focusing and was dozing off. I was sleepwalking. It was a struggle until the sun was really shining and I ate a little food. Before long, I was on the descent half of the section and moving.
By the time I was close to the Tunnel Creek aid station, the temperature was getting much higher. At the aid station, I dropped off my extra shirt and changed my socks. My GPS watch had died and I did not bring the charger, so I switched to my simple watch. I refilled my water and Tailwind and grabbed the RedBull from my drop bag.
I was on my way. There was about 3 miles of paved bike trail and road before the steep climb up the powerline trail. I was fatigued and moving slower than I thought. Soon enough, I was off the bike trail and on the small uphill road section before the power line. I cracked open my RedBull, which was chilled and tasted pretty good.
When I reached the bottom of the power line climb, I stopped to prepare. I took a minute to appreciate the climb ahead of me and plan for it. I remembered my experiences with this type of climb at Barkley Fall Classic. I reminded myself that they were harder climbs for several reasons, the temperature and humidity was much higher, the paths were less defined and not covered in razor sharp bryers, and I have a trekking pole. “This would be a walk in the park. Just remember to drink water and take a break in the shade when needed. You are not done until you are done,” I told myself.
I took my time on the climb. I really appreciated how nice yet difficult the trail was and wished I had something similar close to where I live in Texas. It did have a couple of false summits, but before I knew it I was at the top. I looked back to see the climb and then continued on my way.
I was feeling hungry as I approached the Brockway Summit aid station. I was hoping that the vegan options were going to be better than the last time I was at the station. There were a few very tired looking runners at the station when I arrived. My plan was a quick stop, just get the things done that I needed to. The volunteers asked if I needed anything. They said they were out of guacamole, but a woman said they had hummus. I didn’t really want hummus, but I wanted some real food so I said that would be great.
I changed my socks and switched the batteries out in my headlamp. My left hand was still swollen and significantly larger than my right hand. I had trouble with fine finger movements on my left hand due to the swelling and I could not make a fist. I thought it was very strange but I was not going to worry about it.
The volunteer dropped off the hummus tortilla foldover. It tasted good. As I was eating, I was listening to the aid station conversations. There was a lot of talk about the lead runners, as they were getting very close to the finish line, and about the respiratory issues a lot of runners were experiencing which was causing a lot of them to drop out. My throat was still having issues. The only way I could describe it was that it felt as if my right tonsil had dried out and was cracked. I would also frequently feel that I had to clear my throat and occasionally I would cough up something (not blood). Drinking a little water helped me feel better.
I also heard some of the racers talking about how they started to have some mild hallucinations. The most common experience people were having was seeing faces in the trees or seeing rocks and trees as animals. One guy said, “I have seen sooooo many turtles!”
During those conversations, I heard a volunteer mention spinach. I called out to one of the volunteers, “Yo! You folks have spinach?” He said they did. I still had about ¾ of my hummus tortilla left. I opened it up and asked, “Can you have them throw some spinach on here?”
He left and came back with my tortilla and hummus covered with a very large mound of spinach. I couldn’t even see the tortilla. He said with a smile to me, “You wanted spinach, right?” I laughed and said yes.
It was so much spinach I had to remove some just to fold the tortilla. When I took a bite, it tasted so good. Having the fresh spinach leaves hit the spot in a way that was so unexpected to me. It was like my body was craving fresh, raw veg and this foldover had delivered. It was so awesome, I asked for another and told them that they could use the spinach on the plate for the second one.
It was like those two simple wraps unlocked my energy reserves and replenished my positivity meter. I headed out, ready for the final 50 miles. It was about 19 miles to the next aid station and it would be dark by the time I got there.
As the sun started to set, I was beginning to feel the effects of having slept so little. The trees and rocks around me were beginning to transform into other things. I would see wolves, bears, eagles, and other animals in the trees and forest debris off the trail, I knew what I was seeing was not real and after a second to focus on the object it would change back into what it actually was.
I was entering the hardest section of the race, “The Third Night of Darkness.” With so little sleep and so many miles covered, I knew I would be fighting dozing off, sleep walking, possible vision issues, a somewhat broken mental state, and in Tahoe, dropping temperatures.
This time the dark was different than the other nights. As I looked around, there was no color; everything was gray/silver monochrome. I turned off my headlamp and looked again. Color. Headlamp on: Monochrom. Headlamp off: Color. I turned the headlamp back on and noticed that I saw colors at the edges of my vision. I convinced myself that it was just all the dust in the air messing with my lighting in addition to my dry throat. “Curse this infernal dust,” I thought. “Nothing to do but keep moving forward,” I told myself.
Soon I was on a section of trail that was flat, wide, with no obstacles, a drop off on one side and a mountain slope on the other. There was no way to wander off the trail or trip, so I picked up my pace and did not have to worry about much of anything. It was the perfect trail for my current state.
All good things come to an end. The trail changed into a path in the woods. I was struggling to determine the trail and I felt like I didn’t know where I was. I could not figure out if I was deep in the woods or close to a neighborhood. I kept seeing things that looked like cars or machines.
I took a turn on the trail and slowed down. “Did I end up in a parking lot?” I thought. Everywhere I looked, I saw cars. I didn’t remember this section but could clearly see the trail, so I decided to keep going. As I made my way, the trail ahead of me started to narrow. To make sure I was headed the right way, I took a better look at my surroundings. I stopped suddenly in my tracks.
Before me, I saw a backyard. It was the backyard of a person who seemed to collect Power Wheels. Power Wheels are the mini drivable electric cars for kids, they mimic Jeeps and come in decorated and colored in popular kids brands like Disney and Barbie. I thought,
There is no way I am on the right trail. I would have remembered running through or behind the backyard of a Power Wheels collector. …
I can’t run through this backyard. …
I know there were no turns off the trail I was running. …
I can’t be off course. …
What do I do? Keep moving forward.
Everything I felt was telling me not to continue. Yet, I walked slowly forward thinking about what kind of trouble I would be in if I am wandering around the backyard of this collector’s. How would I explain to them what is going on?
Then I looked at one of the Power Wheels at a slightly different angle. It did not look right, something about its proportions was off.
I don’t think that is a Power Wheels.
That is something else.
Is that just a downed tree?
While I did not know what I was seeing, I knew it was not a Power Wheels.
“I can’t even trust my mind anymore,” I proclaimed aloud.
“This is bad,” I thought to myself. “How do I continue if I can’t trust my mind?”
“I need to trust that I can’t trust my mind.” I entered a state where everything was not real. The more my mind was trying to convince me that what I was seeing was real, the more I knew it wasn’t. I had to think on two levels at once. “What I am seeing is both there and was not there. The trail – the trail is always there”
It worked, I was moving forward on the trail and seeing the occasional confidence marker. Not long after I figured it out. I ran into a new problem. My headlamp started to flash which meant it needed new batteries. I had a secondary headlamp, so I switched to that one. My headlamp was dim, so I turned it up higher. I saw the trail and went on my way. Then my light lowered in power again and I could not tell which way the trail went.
I concluded that it must be my headlamp. I stopped, switched the batteries on my original headlamp and it seemed slightly better. Before long my headlamp went to its lowest power.
That was when I noticed something. There was a clear path of what appeared to be a blurry space from the ground to about a foot and a half above the ground. I scanned around and I was not seeing that phenomenon anywhere else.
“That’s it,” I thought. “That is the trail. The trail is the blurred path ahead of me. The blur is the residual Spirit Tracks of those that have run before me. I need to follow these Spirit Tracks. The previous runners will keep me on the trail.”
It worked, I was staying on the trail and moving forward.
As I took a break for some quick calories, I noticed the headlamps of two other runners. I could tell they were struggling a little with the trail in the dark. I called out and asked if I could run with them because I was having some difficulty with my headlamp and running together would keep us all on the right path and moving forward. I was so relieved when they agreed. I knew that the additional runners would provide more light and allow me to talk and not let my mind get in the way of my running.
I took the lead and set the pace. I kept it pretty quick and checked in with them on the pace. They said it was good, but they were pretty quiet. I did not tell them that I was staying on the trail by following the Spirit Tracks of the runners before us. I thought it was best to keep that fact to myself
I decided to start up a conversation with them. Conner was in the race and his dad was pacing him for this section. Conner was clearly tired and his dad was doing most of the talking in the beginning. I wished him a “Happy Father’s Day”. (Father’s Day was Sunday, June 19.) He asked if I had kids and wished me a “Happy Father’s Day”. I looked down at my watch to find out that it was after midnight and was actually Monday, June 20th. I replied, “Looks like Father’s Day was actually yesterday. But it is now my birthday.”
They both wished me a “Happy Birthday.” Conner was now in the second position in our group of three. I tried to keep a conversation going; keeping engaged in a conversation during this time of a race can be hugely beneficial because it keeps you a little more alert and avoids allowing your mind to slip into a dark place.
This was Conner’s first 200+ mile race. His wife, mother, and father were crewing and pacing him. He shared how and why he decided to do the race. It is one of the best stories I heard.
Conner loves hiking and wanted to hike around Lake Tahoe. He had heard about a relay race that runs around Lake Tahoe. He searched for the race and signed up. He was looking over the finish times and thought they were pretty long. “I thought we could win this,” he said. Then he realized all the finishers were single names, not team names. It was then he realized that he signed up for the wrong race and that he actually signed up to run a 200 mile solo race around Lake Tahoe. He decided to run it anyway, never having run this distance before.
I told him that was an awesome story and the best “reason” I have ever heard for someone running a 200+ mile race. They asked me some questions about my race history, why I was only using one pole, etc. We discussed our plans for Tahoe City, the next aid station. Conner was going to take a break and a short nap. I was going to stop in to change socks, batteries, refill my supplies, bottle and bladder then head out.
After a little while, they were having a hard time maintaining my pace. Both Conner and his dad needed to slow down. We asked each other how we all felt about splitting up. It was not too far from the aid station. I knew my “follow the Spirit Tracks” strategy was working, so I felt good going out alone. They felt good falling behind since there were two of them. We thanked each other for the help and the conversation and I took off.
When I arrived in Tahoe City, it looked like I was the only runner. A volunteer asked what I needed. I handed him my bottle and asked for Tailwind and my drop bag. I sat down in a chair waiting for my bag. A couple of other volunteers stopped by and we chatted as I prepped for the next section and drank the RedBull I packed in my drop bag.
I learned that this aid station was actively dealing with a bear situation. A bear had snuck in and stole a drop bag. Now, the bear was in the tree, clearly looking for an opportunity to nab some more drop bags. They were trying to chase it away with noise and throwing chairs in its direction. They seemed to be doing a good job keeping it at bay, but not enough to scare it away.
I appreciated that one of the volunteers stayed with me while the others dealt with the bear and helped the occasional runner that came in. She asked me about drinking RedBull and I shared my caffeine strategy for this race. I also shared that it was my birthday. She wished me a “Happy Birthday” and asked if I had any birthday cake flavored snacks to celebrate with. I did have birthday cake flavored stuff. “That is a fun idea,” I replied. I knew I had 3 different birthday cake flavored items: a protein cookie, a protein bar, and a Gu. I searched my drop bag. None of them were in my bag. Then I checked the items in my pack. I had the birthday cake Gu. I decided to eat it when I hit the trail.
As I was getting ready to go, I asked if they had replaced the markers that were torn down or if volunteers could provide any guidance on directions. They shared that vandals had not only torn down the Destination Trails race markers but also the actual trail signs. They did not know the course but could point in the right direction and I was on my way.
“Yogi Bear. That’s another famous bear. He steals pic-a-nic baskets. Just like the Tahoe City bear. Whoa! Yogi is probably very relatable to these bears. He is a good one to remember.”
I was very nervous about getting lost in the next section. As I was going, I was continuously checking the GPX tracker on my phone. In the dark, I could not see much around me. It was not long before I checked the tracker and I appeared to be off the trail. Not being able to see the trail, I followed my phone to get back on the trail, bushwhacking through the area. The tracker is very good, but it is not always exact to your location. I looked at the tracker and it appeared the trail was behind me. I turned around and went back. I was pretty sure I had been on the trail then went off trail to find it, only to go back to where I was. “This is going to be rough,” I thought to myself. I decided to look at the track every couple of minutes just to make sure I did not miss a turn. That plan worked well, until it didn’t. There was a section that I remembered that had a concrete lattice path to get through a wet marshy area.
I was back in that marshy section. With the dark, my monochrome vision, and the inaccuracy of my tracker, I found myself in the marsh scanning the landscape for the lattice trail. Not knowing how deep and muddy the area was, I tried to stay on the edge of the marsh, avoiding any part that looked like it was covered in water. I was relieved when I found the lattice and followed it to the end. I was back on a wide trail, but could not tell if I was on course.
To add to my struggles, my headlamp flashed to indicate that it was low on batteries. I had just changed them at the last aid station. They should last 8 hours, the batteries should not be running out already. I stopped to change them out again. I turned on the medium level light and after about a minute, it switched back to the low level. “This sucks,” I thought. For whatever reason, none of my batteries were full. I would have to survive on the low level light until morning if I didn’t want to run out of batteries.
I stood there thinking about a plan. I was still seeing things in the trees and debris, my headlamp had to stay on the low setting, and my GPX tracker was having issues accurately showing where I was in relation to the trail. Then I noticed a light headed my way. I waited for him to get close and went over to him. “Do you know where you are going? I am having trouble staying on the trail and seeing where the trail is. Do you mind if I run with you for a little while until we get back on a clearer path?”
He did not mind. Soon enough, we were out of the tricky part and on a wide trail with no upcoming turns. I thanked him for the help and said that I was going to pick up the pace. He thanked me for the help as well and I took off. I did not make it very far. I kept losing track of what was happening. I would either slow down, drift sideways when running, or just stop and stand. Time and distance would pass, but I would not know how I got to where I was.
I heard the runner behind me call out that he thought we were off course. I decided that it would be foolish to continue on my own. I stopped and waited for him to catch up. I asked for his help with his light while I changed my headlamp’s batteries again. I asked if he would mind if we stuck together until daylight. He did not mind because he was struggling as well.
We ran together and talked. His name was Ty. His wife and son were crewing for him. This was his first 200 mile race. We keep talking the whole time learning more about each other’s lives, families, etc.
The conversation kept me going and together we stayed on course. Before I knew it, we were climbing up a section, starting to see snow patches again, and the sun was rising. With dawn, I was picking up my pace. We were both feeling more comfortable and confident in the light.
Ty saw a structure he thought was a porta-potty or outhouse. He told me he was going to take a pit stop. We thanked each other for the help and I continued on, while Ty went to find the outhouse.
Day 3: Part 2 – Big Poppa
I felt I was too behind my stretch goal of under 72 hours. I wanted to pick up my pace. I caught up to and passed other runners. I had to keep stopping to make sure I was on course, to remove layers, put in my contacts, etc.
With all my stops and the good pace he was traveling at, Ty caught up to me. He told me that the structure he saw was not an outhouse. His mind was playing tricks on him and it was just a snow pile. We made an unspoken agreement to stick relatively close together until we hit the next aid station.
Eventually, the trail dropped us off on a paved bike path. We passed a family of three that cheered out our names. They were clearly tracking the runners and knew we would be coming through. They shared that it was still around 4 miles before the aid station. I really thought we were closer.
Ty commented on my pace, “I thought I was a fast walker and I am having trouble keeping up with you.” I told him that I hear that a lot. He replied, “I hear it all the time too, but I have to jog every couple of steps to keep up.”
Ty was telling me that his wife and son would be at Stephen Jones, the next aid station. He also told me that his friend, Patrick, was volunteering at the aid station in a chicken costume. Before too long, we saw Patrick in his costume. He actually decided to meet us on the trail to make sure we did not get lost because some of the markers had been removed and to offer moral support to Ty. The three of us chatted for a bit. Patrick was checking in on Ty to make sure he was feeling good.
He was congratulating Ty on his performance and thanking me for running with Ty. He also mentioned how fast I was walking. When we were getting close to Stephen Jones, Patrick asked what food we wanted. I asked for a tortilla with guacamole or hummus and spinach. Then he took off ahead of us to get everything ready.
We were the only runners in the aid station. Ty’s family was there. Stephen Jones had an impressive setup. I sat down and had the tortilla and hummus wrap, no spinach, they made for me. I drank my final RedBull that I had been carrying. Patrick gave me a zombie card which totally confused me. He explained that he made cards for every runner still in the race as a fun “pick-me-up” and souvenir from the Stephen Jones aid station. They also found out it was my birthday and sang “Happy Birthday” to me while I finished eating and drinking. The volunteers let us know that we were close to the top 20 runners in the race.
I took the time to load up some songs in my queue on my phone for the final descent. My plan was to listen to music in the last part of the race and wanted to make sure I had some good tunes queued up.
Ty and I left Stephen Jones together. The final section was over 10 miles and was basically shaped like an M. We would have a climb up, a short descent, another short climb, then descend to the finish.
We ran together and shared more stories. We climbed to over 8,500ft elevation and I could feel the altitude change. It was a little harder to get a deep breath, but neither of us were struggling. When we got to the top, we took a moment to take a couple of pictures.
Ty informed me when we had reached the last summit on the course. I told him that I was going to listen to some music for the final section of the race. As I slowed down to get my phone out and start my music, another runner and his pacer came blazing past us. While I was tempted to chase them, I was enjoying these moments.
Being on the summit was awesome. I could see for miles all around, there was barely a tree and snow covered the ground around me. I hit play on random, ready for one of the epic songs that I had loaded up to really add to the moment. To my surprise, “Big Poppa” by The Notorious B.I.G. started to play, not a song I put in my queue. I thought,
What!?! Well, f— it. This works. …
To all the ladies in the place with style and grace
…
I love it when you call me Big Poppa!
Throw your hands in the air if you’s a true player!
Many snow patches had melted and reduced in size from when we first encountered them. Using the confidence flags to find the path down the mountain, I ran and slid down the snow and ice patches doing my best to stay upright.
We were so close to the end and I was ready to be done. The course changed to dirt roads that crossed back and forth down the mountain which was a lot less fun. All the dust in the air made things worse, especially given how dry my throat was. We even encountered several dust devils swirling.
Once I could see the full path to the finish, I told Ty that I was going to take off to the finish. I felt great, but it was still pretty steep and I was tired. I was a little scared I would cross the finish line like I was in the Cooper’s Hill Cheese-Rolling race (rolling head over heels).
I managed to stay upright and finish the race in 75 hours and 46 minutes. I waited for Ty at the finish and he finished shortly after me. We congratulated and thanked each other. I had my after race mugshot taken, picked out my buckle, and received my other finisher goods.
All Done
I was tired, but felt great. I found a place in the shade and caught up with my friends at the race. Joel came over to congratulate me. I had him take a picture of my hands. I was not sure anyone would believe how my left hand was super swollen while my right hand was fine. Joel and some of the other runners hanging out asked what happened and I told them I have no idea, but I shared that I was only using one pole in my right hand. “Ahhh”, “Yep”, “Of course”, “Gotcha” I heard from the chorus of people there. I asked for more information. Joel explained that holding and gripping my pole in my right hand prevented that hand from swelling.
I saw Mika and congratulated her on her win. Mika’s mom came over and was helping us all out. Since Mika is vegan as well, her mom wanted to make sure I had enough vegan food to eat and brought me over two plates of food: spaghetti with marinara, bread, and some salad and vegan meat tacos. Kevin and others stopped by to check on Mika, myself and other runners. We shared some stories and the respiratory issues we experienced. It was a great way to end the race and celebrate my birthday. Chilling in the shade, eating food, and chatting with other kick-ass trail runners.
I eventually made it back to my hotel and cleaned up. Overall, my body was in good condition. I had some chafing (expected), some cuts and scratches (expected), bad sunburn on my nose and ears (expected but preventable), and my feet were in excellent condition (unexpected). I only had one blister on one pinky toe.
Very few restaurants were open on Monday night, so I ordered a vegan chicken tikka masala pizza and seasoned fries from an Indian Pizza Fusion place. It was a wild pizza. I ate most of it before crashing pretty hard. Between the stench of my race gear and the smell of the pizza, I think you could see the scent lines emanating from my hotel room that night and next morning.
Final Thoughts
I am thrilled with my Tahoe 200 experience and very pleased with the outcome. This was my fifth 200+ mile race. In almost the last two years, the number of ultra distance races I ran was minimal with no 200+ mile races in 2021. I felt a strange paradox going into Tahoe 200. I felt like I was experienced and knew what I was doing, so I didn’t prepare as much as I felt I did in previous races. I was also worried that I may have become complacent in my trail running training. I was also worried that I may not enjoy the ultra distance races as much as I used to.
Looking back, I realize how good of a race I ran. There was not a challenge that came my way that I felt wholly unprepared for. My experience and learnings from those experiences, allowed me to have a great race. A race where in the end I felt that not only did I run a better race, but also helped other runners run a better race. When I think about all the help I received from others in past races, it is wonderful to feel I may have paid a little of that back.
Tahoe 200 was a culmination and celebration of my training and past race experience. My experience, knowledge, and attitude helped me run a great race. After Tahoe 200, I can confidently say that running ultra distance races are still for me. While I may take a planned break for them for a short time, I will be back.
Thank Yous & Shout Outs
- All the runners I met and shared the Tahoe 200 experience with: Conner and his dad for running with me at night during the section between Brockway Summit & Tahoe City. Ty for both helping me get back on track and course between Tahoe City & Stephen Jones and for keeping me company and moving in the right direction until the end.
- Destination Trail Races, Candice, Joel, the race directors, organizers, and team of Tahoe 200 for putting on a great race.
- The aid station volunteers who were always willing and eager to help us in any way they could. They made running without a crew a lot easier. A special shout out to the volunteers that piled all that spinach on my hummus tortilla. Another special shout out to Patrick and the Stephen Jones aid station, on the final stop, for singing Happy Birthday to me and making a special personalize final aid station zombie card for every runner.
- Mika’s mom who made sure I had plenty of vegan food to eat after I finished.
- The photographers (Jason Peters, Anastasia Wilde, & Sarah Attar) for capturing all those awesome moments.
- AJ, my wife, for all the help with organization, logistics, booking hotels/flights, and taking care of the kids, animals, etc. at home while I was running. A special thank you to AJ for dealing with the parking and parking payments for my car while I was running in the mountains and woods.
