Greetings, friends! Syd here, the HBIC herself. Thought I’d pop in and do a guest post. Rex has been doing so amazing at these hundos, and it’s getting more attention. People who may not know a lot about ultramarathons are asking more questions about this adventure, which is AWESOME. This sport, and its vibe, are incredible, and more people should know about it!

That being said, I’m sure some non runner friends (or non ultrarunner friends) have seen me post about pacers and crew and say “ok cool, but what is this and that exactly? And what do you do about x and y?” So I figured I’d do a little HBIC crew chief FAQ blog.

What’s the main function of the crew?

I break it down to 3 things: 1) Food 2) Hydration 3) Health/Safety. Everything we do for our runner comes down to those 3 categories. All three of these things are crucial to him getting through 100 miles, and one thing going awry can break a race.

1. Food: Ultramarathoners burn an insane amount of calories and may lose their appetite, so we try to feed our runner as much real food as they’ll take. Yep, they can have gels, but they’re also encouraged to have sandwiches, fruit, chips, cookies, candy, whatever their stomach asks for. We also make them carry snacks for while they’re running.
2. Hydration: Each time we see our runner, we refill his hydration bottles for while he’s running, and try to get him to drink while with us. Balancing water and salt intake is important as runners sweat a ton, so we have him do salt tablets or pickles also.
3. Health/Safety: We carry a full medical and first aid kit, along with sunscreen, bug spray, wipes, changes of clothes, socks, shoes, headlamps, hats, batteries, everything. Any illness or mishap can happen, and we don’t want it to halt our runner. Kirby even had a charger for Rex’s phone while he ran.

I’ve seen his times; Does he REALLY run for more than 24 hours? He doesn’t sleep?

Racers all have a choice; most races have a 30 hour or greater time limit. If a runner can budget their time and pace and stop to nap, they’re free to do so, and some do. Others prefer to go straight through. At Prairie Spirit, Rex went straight through; at Honey Badger, he took about a 5 minute nap in the front seat of my car at mile 60 something, I think it was.

Does the CREW really stay up all night?

We grab naps, some of us. But I do stay up. The adrenaline, excitement and inspiration of watching him do this is legit! (And off the record, I LOVE sleep so that tells ya just how big that adrenaline is!)

What’s the best crew self care?

I’d say food, drink, and sleep! I try to provide lots of goodies in goodie bags and the car for the crew and pacers, but I’m finding lately that they’re going all out on their own also! Gay Ann had her car stocked with food at Honey Badger.

What are fun surprises for runners?

Whatever makes them smile! This can vary by their personality and the circumstance; with Rex at Honey Badger, Kirby zooming out in her cool car, blasting music and handing him water was a hit. Us positioning Ultrasaurus Rex with liquor bottles at every stop got a laugh every time, from all the runners! Anything that makes them forget that exertion and pain for a few.

What has been something odd you’ve had to replace during a run?

All of Rex’s food 😂

If you know Rex, you know he likes all foods and loves to eat. Long distance running, however, can mess with your digestion because the blood flow goes away from your stomach and toward the leg muscles that are doing all the work.

During Prairie Spirit 100, a race known for its buffet aid stations (and y’all I’m talking quesadillas, bacon, fried Uncrustables, M&Ms, like where’s my chair), Rex’s pacer Ryan came into the aid station at mile 60ish saying “he’s sick of the aid station food and only wants your food.” (Turned out Rex was having stomach issues, I felt AWFUL for him)

As a crew chief, I’m all, ok. It’s 8:30 pm I’m the middle of nowhere, Kansas and all I have are turkey cheese sandwiches, Pringles and Reese’s. To Sonic I go! horn sound

I got one of everything at Sonic and gave him a buffet at the next aid station. He took the tots and the popcorn chicken, so he got some calories at least🙂 It was then that I decided next race, I’d pack more different foods in the car no matter what!

I want to pace, but Rex is so fast! I’ve seen his race times.

Yes, Rex has amazing race times. He is also an ultrarunner.

In ultramarathon, participants rarely run the entire distance, in fact run/walk intervals and power hiking in the latter part of ultras is the norm! That means, as much of a powerhouse as Rex is, you’re not going to see his 5K pace at mile 50 of one of these events (which is the EARLIEST MILE that he can use a pacer!)

The #1 thing that Rex needs in a pacer is YOU. For real. The most important thing is for him to have someone there with him, to keep him moving. It is very lonely out there on the course, on dark trails where the runner knows they have so far to go. Having a pacer friend there to talk to, to keep them moving and to keep their mind off things, is so valuable.

Rex has had pacers that had him run fast to beat the rain, do 30/30 run walk intervals, power walk the whole leg, walk a whole leg, jog a leg, all of it. He’d love to run with YOU! Sign up to pace him!

His next event is the Hawk Hundred on September 9-10. If you’d like to sign up to crew or pace, here is a link to the SignupGenius: https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/30e094aa4ad2da2fd0-rexs1

This has been a great journey so far, for all of us! Come join in the fun!