Headed out to Rio del Lago

Ah Rio, Rio, Rio, my first 100-miler back in 2004 and I almost didn't finish because of all the rookie mistakes that I made, before and during the event. It's two loops, the first 67-miles or so is interesting, trails and hills. This part of the course utilizes parts of the Western States 100 route and you are running with the folks running the 53-mile Sierra Nevada Run & Relay. The second 33 mile loop is a lot less exciting, it's mostly flat, by the American River bike path, and runs behind some homes and hotels. Yawn... Maybe it's just my preference, I like being deep in a hilly/mountainous trail in the middle of the night.

Well I get to run and run at night so I have no real complaints. Besides I'm not there for me, I'm a pacer my job is support. It's good for me, I haven't been volunteering as much as I have done in the past. Like Donald who I paced at Headlands 100, Gundy is a tough fast runner who is hunting for a fast time on this course. I guess he feels recovered enough from AC100 two weekends ago. So freakin crazy. I needed all 6 weeks between KM100 and TRT100 and this past summer and here are these guys popping off 100s like they are 50ks. I guess it's all relative. He also ran and finished Badwater earlier in the year, his third time. He's the guy who shared his heat training methods with me that allowed me to have a great race at hot and humid KM100.

So I'm gonna go early and take pictures. Got a new camera now. One of my favorite fast runners is also running - Mark Tanaka (pic). He was busy shifting his work schedule around, calling other doctors to work shifts, trading this shift for that shift, while saving lives and treating people. Always running around that guy.

I'm off. You all have a great weekend.

Update: Oh snap according to the update starting at mile 40.35, Chikara Omine (pic) is running the race and he is leading the field with the course record holder Jon Olsen (pic) 27 minutes behind him and Mark Tanaka 9 minutes Jon. This is Chikara's second 100-mile start. Ok I'm really getting out of here now. Have to get there before these guys blow by pacer central.

Pacing Olga at Rio del Lago 2006.