Part 1
We, the participants of this race wondered what was the true mileage. The garmin of one runner recorded 212 miles with over 50,000 ft of cumulative gain but that that posted mileage was advertised as 202 miles. Let's call it a "200 miler mountain run in the Tahoe region", the first true 200 miler mountain run in the USA.
Pre - Race Day (Briefing)
It was the usual bib collection and check-in day at Homewood. The Tahoe 200 event had the generous schwag: a duffel bag, Tahoe 200 blue shirt, a pint glass, bumper sticker and other goodies. This race differs from the majority of US races, it had the mandatory wilderness gear. For many runners, they think it's not necessary, but come race day and you'll be glad you carried that mandatory gear. As for my own gear, I carried extras like asthma inhaler, meds etc and down vest. The extras added weight of another 6 to 8 pounds.
Before I get to toe the line, I attended the mandatory briefing. Though I know the course too well (fastpack segments of it years prior), I still felt the need to attend this meeting and I'm glad that I did. The briefing was not only a refresher to my memory about certain landmarks, I had to note the changes that were being made. On that briefing, we were told that a new limited aid station would be available, next to Showers Lake and that the organizer crew can had setup aid station in Big Meadows.
My parents (Linda and Rob) assured me to just run the course and everything will be taken care of. I only had two confirmed pacers before race day: Tim Berger and Phil Cox. My pace time was calculated to have finish time around 70 to 80 hours. I required pacer only at night time and gladly would do the solo trek during the day. I must admit I do operate well when solo but this kind of race, it's not safe to be on trail alone specially after 70 miles of foot work.
Race Start
At 10AM on Sep 05, all participants toed the line. Almost half of the participants, I know of them through the ultra community. There were three or four of us from the Sacramento region.
If I didn't drive aggressively, I would probably start late. There were really slow drivers or tourists before I reached Homewood. I had cut so many cars making it 15 minutes before the start time and made my head ready for the long 3 or 4 days.
Homewood to Bear Lake
Our first aid station was only a water refill stop. The volunteer manning that station was wearing the Fatdog 120 shirt. I loudly said "hey I was there in Manning Park", to which he responded "were you the chatty girl sitting infront of the bus?".. "opppsie yah that was me".
I told him of my bib number and off I went... I carried 3 liters of icy liquid from the start line and was still icy (coconut water mixed with vitamin c), I only needed a small amount of water to melt the ice.
There were few photographers scattered along this 18 mile stretch. I had hope that they didn't take a pic of me eating my gross frozen burritos.
How did I get this idea of having burritos along the trail (blame Jennifer). The first 40 miles of of Fatdog 120 in BC, Canada - I leapfrogged with Jen Hughes. Few times she stopped to eat her burritos. I thought of it and I was liking the idea. Eating trail bar or gels easily gets old on me. Every weekend, I am on my long run or climb in the mountains, that I had no option but to take trail mix bar with me because its easy, cheap and can be taken anywhere rain or shine.
Before I reached Wrights Lake, the flourie dust I inhaled when I passed on Rubicon started to wore me down. The next thing I knew, I was coughing incessantly with coloured pleghm. It felt gross! I mean it was definitely gross. My phlegm was no ordinary, it was BLOODY! And felt so sick and weird. I hoped it was not something like pneumonia which I contracted early in my 20s.
Mountain running when you are sick is no joke, not enjoyable and not a slightest fun. I tried not to be bothered and made myself just look forward to mile 80 station, which I'm positive I could get some help.
The "Rest Stop" at the Ski-Lodge made it cozy. My crew told me that my feet need to be cleaned and dressed by the medical team who were volunteered there. It was an indoor facility with plumbing washroom (for mountain running that was "luxurious"). I washed my feet but my body deteriorated fast. It was difficult to breathe let alone sleep. I then knew I definitely having something in my lungs. I had already taken meds and puffed with my inhaler but it helped only so little.
The Crew inevitably decided that I take this 200 mile task "station by station". Phil Cox was ready to pace me, actually anxious already to pace me. The Crew were my parents.
My delayed arrival at Big Meadows (6 hours overdue from schedule), contributed a lot as to why I began to chase aid station cut-offs. If I slept at the Ski-Lodge, my health might have improved but I may not leave, I really don't know. I thought at that time, that since I can't sleep, I might have to kept going.
I coughed out a lot of pleghm near Showers Lake. My Pacer once asked me that the color of my pghlem indicated a sign of infection. This coughing did not stop at all.
Tim Berger paced me to Heavenly. Tim is rarely a runner. My friend is more of a climber, that is, rock climbing vertical walls. Also Tim was recovering from hip injury. I could have asked other running friends but I have always been at peace with my climbing friends.
At Heavenly, my blistered feet needed patches. The feet doctor wonderfully dressed my feet and even applied cream instead of vaseline... So much gratitude on this one doctor.
Mum Linda arranged another pacer. Mum had connection with lots of strong runners. At this point, I really didn't care to finish or not. I was going with the flow of taking task one aid station at a time.
Spooner - My "Unfriendly Station"
My pacer was surprised that I improved. I was running downhill when I made it to Spooner. My parents already knew that I won't be stopping or if I can help it, would only check at this station. Called it, "Unfriendly Aid Station", no idea who would manage Spooner but that, I suspected, I had to deal with running cliches. [Years I spent in Australia, university there do not have, sorority nor fraternity. If I sensed a group who are Clichy, I always avoid such group.] I practiced this even at my own work, not to get cozy with co-workers... My co-workers usually leave me alone.
The plan was to check in and out of Spooner and have my crew meet me after this Spooner, at the next onward trail.
But that's not what happened. An unexpected visitor or volunteer at Spooner station blew the whole plan. This volunteer, I had an extreme rough relationship with. This volunteer knew I don't chat and always ignored him. This same volunteer promised a DV judge in the Court of Sacramento, that he will stay away from me, not to talk to me, so to keep the peace. But this volunteer, was present, even if he could actually hide himself. I would have been at peace. My Crew knew who this unwanted man was, and he actually caused the delay of me leaving this particular (Spooner) station.
I figured the volunteer named Bill had a plan to disrupt my run. Among the possibilities were, that I could potentially lost my mind, and quarelled to him, that I might be disqualified. That was Bill's plan - who knows(?). I already sensed it when I saw him from afar.
I questioned myself, why a man, who apparently just returned from France, would volunteer and appear at a time that I was passing by? Whatever Bill's motive, I did not buy the pretentious gesture.
Bill tried to serve me soup. I thought of something bad to entertain such gesture. I told the Spooner management (civily) that my crew have food and everything, just to show that I was not buying their hospitality. I also thought, that their hospitality were of fake act, that they were hiding something "vindictive". I also understood that this group, did not want me to finish Tahoe 200...just like every athlete's own naysayers, this crew manning the Spooner Aid Station were considered my naysayers and/or my full time detractors.
Happily left without any incident but really felt or wish they had not interrupted my crew.
Onwards to the next aid station, I was proud of myself, for not showing any weakness. My experience dealing with Bill and my distrust saved me from whatever sensational drama, the group was planning.
The Cold Snow Valley
My health again deteriorated when I passed Snow Valley. It was only months ago that I was on this trail almost hit by lightning, scared the wit outta me!
The Snow Valley has always been exposed to some weather elements. This time, it was cold and gusty. My weary body now burned so much calories and being exposed to cold and gusts, made my health turn to worse. All I could hope was to see my parents, possibly give me some warmer clothing.
I actually broke in tears, not sure why....yet always look forward to see my parents. I always feel better each time I see them. I knew I was in good hands with them.
A friend of Mum, paced me once I reached this aid station... She was upbeat in pacing. Also at that aid station, a lot of runners dropped.
Onward to Marti's Peak, well we hit some bumps. We couldn't find the sign to the trail. It was blocked by PG&E truck. This stop here cost me over an hour. Because it happened during the day, I was moving faster, eventually making ahead of the cutoff. What's bizarre in the stop here was they moved the aid station.
The good news was, Lucas, the volunteer pacer was immediately available. Thank you Lucas.
I begged the pacer to let me sleep on trail.
At the Savemart aid station, my parents would not let me go out without company. The Japanese ultrarunner was still out there and moving, so my parents waited for him.
We exited this aid station together, to keep each other company, a brilliant moved. I was extremely cold despite ascending the uphill. I rested and tried to sleep along the trail.
Running with Koichi from Japan
The Japanese runner spoke few English words and I saw him trying to light a fire. I was alert enough and told him that we had have the drought and that he might not be able to control the fire. It was good that he listened to me.
We kept on moving uphill and by then, the sweepers caught up with us. I asked the sweeper if he had some extra caffeine for me, but the sweeper instead, I was given a healthy booster. This miracle booster was called "Guayaki"
Knowing that the sweeper will accompany the Japanese runner, I ran the downhill as fast as I could.
Running on Asthma and Endometriosis Made Racing Felt like Hell
Aside from asthma, I suffered patellar injury and painful pelvic pain (I suffered over a decade from endometriosis). I was on crippling agony from time to time.
For years, I get cramps without warning. It affected my mood and performance whether I am at work, training, racing, travelling, onboard the plane, anywhere --- basically anywhere this disease comes without warning. In fact, on my travel from Dubai to San Francisco, a doctor had injected me higher dose of pain killer onboard the flight.
I told myself, just few more hours and I would be done with this race. I took pain reliever and more puffing to relieved my asthma. "I can't quit this 200 mile race" was my mantra. I pray and hope that god's intervention will buy me time. The asthma showed no sign of improving, so as the the patellar pain and the endometriosis - it just got worse, but I had to "tough" it out there - just hoping that I won't die with my asthma.
Few more hours I can see a doctor or sleep in my car? I focused myself on my steps. I made sure that on my downhill run, I won't fall or worse twist an ankle.
What Really Took Me to Finish the Tahoe 200 Mile Foot Race (My Thoughts)
For much of that 200 mile race, I kept thinking of my real mum. The parents I described in this blog were not my biological parents. My real mum past away when I was a really young. My mother died of cystic fibrosis.
As you can imagine, it can be understood why I would be prone to lung infection. It is in my genes. All those years past, it was like every year I had lung infections. I took it by stride and not letting the disease bugged me down.
Before my biological mother died, she was a teacher by profession. My mother never took disability as an excuse not to work, when she was more than qualified to take disability pension. On top of that, my mother while suffering extremely from the dreadful disease, even went as far to upgrading her professional skills. My mum enrolled in law school, while teaching and while sick. To put that all in perspective, my mother went to teach elementary students, carried an oxygen tank herself, wore breathing medical devices and taught young children. After the teaching job for the day, she goes to her university, in order to finish her law degree. My mother always say "perseverance". Was my mother an amazing human?
That whole thought of my mother "survived it all", made me strong as a kid trying to survive and made it in the real world. I always had this "instrument of thought" that if my mum took all the odds without begging anyone, I could do this too!
Therefore, this Tahoe 200 mile, while I suffered the asthma, the endometriosis and patellar pain, the way of looking at it all, in prospective, in comparison to my mum, this Tahoe 200 may just be a piece of cake... Imagine sick and "not giving up to live for the sake of children" compared to sick but just trying to finish a 200 mile foot race? --- My mother's life was my great mentor.
Mum as my "Instrument of Thought"
With my biological mother as my role model to stay strong, collected, pragmatic, perseverance, and the "Will" --- was how I run my life, made it all those years to be able to function "Independently". I moved from one country to another, from one continent to another, from one job to the next ===>>> just me, myself, without any help from anybody, legally, and morally. With that said, with my mother's memories, helped me and motivated me, that I was able to accomplish something somewhere and somehow. If my mother survived all the hurdles in life with accomplishments, I would be too and that felt great knowing that I am now a strong and an independent woman.
What is Cystic Fibrosis?
The people who suffered from this disease called "Cystic Fibrosis" do not live long, let alone do some activities... However, I have read that some survived, live long enough, and they become great athletes. Read more info on this disease here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cystic_fibrosis
To The Finish Line
The sign 200 miles appeared and another runner who finished waited for me. It was so kind of him to be there. I felt relieved and I was so done that I can't wait to rest, sleep and see a doctor. I was not even sure if my parents would be present at the Finish Line, but I will finish the damn race whatever it takes.
Soon I saw the crowd with the Finish Line insight, not so distant from me. I plan to walk it, but a lady friend in the past, I remembered she told me to run all the way to the Finish Line, to feel that victory.
Alas, I finished and so proud of it. I was happy to see my parents who were always there.
I was glad that I can now finally moved on, moved on to my next gig, my next hustle whatever that would be.
When I say that, I meant moving on to my next adventure, that is, climbing 8000 metre peaks. However not sure when that climbing 8000 metre peak is ever going to happen. For all that I know my next of kin may not be on this earth anymore and I have to really mature and be financially responsible.
Thank you to all who have helped me complete and realize this endeavor. Tahoe 200 mile footrace was basically my 2014 life, nothing but just work and training, the whole nine months of intense training. I'm proud of every one, who finished the race and proud to all those who attempted, volunteered and helping the event, Tahoe 200 - you Rock on.
