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2013 Runner Update #3

The following email was sent to all 2013 WS runners on 5/16/13.

Race day continues to approach, coming at us in 43 days. I hope your training is going well and you’re feeling good about running from Squaw Valley to Auburn on June 29. I know anticipation may be high for you whether this is your first or 51st 100 miler. There are a lot of things for you to absorb so hopefully this update #3 will provide you with some information that is helpful and will ease some of the anxiousness.

The starter database is complete, bib numbers have been assigned, and the count stands at 411. If for whatever reason, you decide not to start the race, please let me know.

Medical

For going on 40 years, Western States has set the standard for medical care of its runners. We are very proud of our medical infrastructure. In addition to the start and finish there are ten medical checkpoints along the way. These are staffed with doctors, paramedics, nurses, etc. They are there to help you get to the finish. Your weight, pulse and blood pressure will be taken pre-race on Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and recorded on your wristband. When you get to one of the medical checkpoints, your weight will be taken. Recent research suggests that modest 3-5% weight loss during prolonged exercise is required for maintenance of appropriate hydration. Excessive weight loss suggests dehydration. Weight gain suggests fluid retention and in some cases may be associated with a serious medical condition (hyponatremia). How the runner feels and looks and his or her mental status is more important to the medical staff than a number on a scale.

Be sure to read the Medical and Other Risks from the WSER website. It has been updated to reflect the most recent research.

Race Week

There are lots of pre-race activities up at Squaw Valley. In addition to the regular WS sponsored clinics and activities, there is the Montrail 6K Uphill Challenge on Friday at 10:00 a.m. This is the second year for this event and if last year is any indication it will be popular again. No entry fee.

On Thursday evening after the WS Veteran’s Panel Discussion, the Squaw Valley Institute is presenting a talk by Diane Van Deren who, after a lobectomy in 1997 to stave off epileptic seizures, was left without the ability to understand the passage of time. Diane’s story is one of overcoming challenges that most ultra runners would have difficulty even imagining. This talk costs $10 with the proceeds going to the non-profit Squaw Valley Institute. You can purchase tickets online from Squaw Valley Institute at the link above or buy them at the door.

In addition, two-time Western States 100 women’s champion, women’s course record holder and Montrail athlete Ellie Greenwood will be signing posters at Alpenglow sports (415 North Lake Blvd) from 2-3 p.m. followed by a fun run and Montrail Shoe Demos from 3-6 p.m.

Race Day Webcast

Once again we will have close to real-time updates on race day via ultralive.net so your fans, family and friends can follow your progress. Webcast features include:

  • New look for webcast
  • Runners and general spectators can sign up for email/sms updates
  • Runners can activate Facebook wall posts of their splits if they want to
  • Runners can activate Twitter updates of splits

These features will be available the first week of June. Check the wser.org site for any news/updates for the live webcast.

WS Store

The WS online store is open for business under new management by Fleet Feet Sacramento. Look for many new items to become available in the next weeks. In addition to the online store, the store will be physically open at the Memorial Weekend training runs and up at Squaw Valley.

Montrail Ultra Cup

Western States is the final Montrail Ultra Cup event and the competition is heating up! Check the website for standings through Leona Divide. Standings after Ice Age will be updated in a week, so check back then if you made it over to Ice Age. Keep in the loop by following Montrail on Facebook and reading the blog.

Enjoy the last month or so of training. We’ll see many of you Memorial Day weekend.

Craig Thornley, Race Director

 

Posted in 2013 Runner Updates, Race News | on: May 17th, 2013 by Craig | Comments Off

2013 WSER Research Activities

The following email was sent to 2013 entrants on 4/9/13

Want to know how you can help advance science this year at the WSER?

We have several studies again this year, and we need your help for these to succeed. Please read the information below so you are aware of the studies and opportunities to help advance science. Note that we would like to recruit study participants in advance of registration for Studies 1 and 4, so please contact the investigators if you are interested in participating in those studies.

Marty Hoffman, MD

WSER Research Director

Study 1. Investigation into the cause of ultramarathoner’s eye (The ultra-eye study) 

Have you ever experienced visual problems during an ultramarathon? The Ultra-Eye Study is directed at determining the underlying cause of these problems. If you have had visual problems during an ultramarathon, please take a short survey at the following link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Ultraeye

You may participate in additional studies during the Run whether you’ve had visual problems during an ultramarathon or not. But, we are especially interested in getting those with prior vision problems to participate.

If you agree to participate, you will undergo a short (approximately 10 minute) series of eye tests once during the couple days before the Run, and then again shortly after finishing the Run. If you have abnormal findings after the Run, you will be asked to return for repeat tests until the abnormal findings resolve.

The study is under the direction of Dr. Marty Hoffman. Please contact him prior to the Run to participate in the study at (916) 843-9027 or martin.hoffman@va.gov.

Study 2. Gastrointestinal distress in runners participating in the 100-mile Western States Endurance Run

Gastrointestinal (GI) distress is a common problem in ultrarunning. In 100-mile ultramarathons, GI symptoms are the primary reason for dropping out among non-finishers and are the second most common problem impacting race performance among finishers.

At this year’s race, we are doing a study to investigate the frequency and causes of GI symptoms. The more participants we have, the better. In fact, it will be ideal if every WSER runner participates in the study.

Participation includes simply completing a short, on-line, post-race questionnaire. You will receive an e-mail after the race with a link to the questionnaire. It will ask you to provide information about your GI symptoms during this and prior races.

If you have any questions about this study, please contact Dr. Kristin Stuempfle (kstuempf@gettysburg.edu or 717-337-6448) or Dr. Marty Hoffman (martin.hoffman@va.gov or 916-843-9027).

Study 3. The impact of training longevity, gender and age on the 12-lead ECG of the veteran ultra-endurance athlete: An aid for pre-participation screening

The 12-lead ECG is a quick diagnostic test that provides us with important information related to the health of your heart and is used routinely for pre-participation heart screening in young athletes.

At this year’s race (24-48 hours prior to the race) we will be undertaking a study to establish the normal 12-lead ECG criteria for the veteran endurance athlete. The ECG will take 5 minutes while you will be asked to complete a short questionnaire as well as having your height, weight and blood pressure taken. If considered appropriate (usually 10% of the screening population), we may invite you for an echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart) to improve the sensitivity of the screening – this will take an additional 20 minutes.

So if you are over 35 years old and want to know more about the health of your heart please volunteer for this study – the more participants we have the better. We can be found in the registration area on the Thursday and Friday before the race.

The study is under the direction of Dr. David Oxborough. If you require more detailed information or wish to participate in the study please contact him prior to the Run at d.l.oxborough@ljmu.ac.uk.

Study 4. The impact of completing the Western States 100 mile Endurance Run on right ventricular function: A focused study on athletes completing in less than 24 hours

In 2011, we published data from the WSER highlighting a possible negative impact on the right side of the heart following completion of the race. This appeared to be in runners who completed the race in the quickest finishing time and therefore in order to build on the success of that study, we are proposing to repeat the study in runners who complete the race in less than 24 hours.

You will be required to have a 12-lead ECG and echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart), have your blood pressure taken and height and weight recorded 24-48 hours prior to the race, within 1 hour of completing the race and at around 6 hours into recovery. Each testing point will take approximately 20-30 minutes.

If you are interesting in learning about the health of your heart and the cardiac impact of completing the WSER, please volunteer for this study. We are looking for approximately 20 participants. Please contact the study director, Dr. David Oxborough (d.l.oxborough@ljmu.ac.uk), prior to the Run to participate or to get further details about the study.

Study 5. Injury pattern among 100-mile ultramarathon runners

Our knowledge and understanding of common injuries and illnesses during ultramarathon training is limited.

At this year’s race, we are doing a study to investigate the frequency and causes of common injuries and illnesses during training. We are hoping to get every WSER runner to participate in this study. This is a multi-center study involving at least one additional ultramarathon.

Participation includes simply completing an on-line pre-race questionnaire which should take only 10 minutes to complete. You will be asked to provide information about your training pattern, and injuries and illnesses encountered during training and prior races. You will be notified by email of the link to the questionnaire about 2 weeks before the Run.

If you have any questions about this study, please contact Dr. Morteza Khodaee (Morteza.khodaee@ucdenver.edu or 720-848-9056) or Dr. Marty Hoffman (martin.hoffman@va.gov or 916-843-9027).

Study 6. The relationship of foot strike pattern, stride parameters, and creatine phosphokinase during a 161-kilometer ultramarathon

You’re most likely aware of discussion about barefoot/minimalist shoe running and foot strike pattern.  We examined foot strike pattern at the 2012 WSER and had some fascinating findings. We will continue this work by capturing video at several locations during the 2013 Run. You need not do anything special to participate in this study other than run single file through our filming zones. Since we will be relating foot strike pattern with blood CPK concentration, we also encourage everyone to take advantage of the opportunity to have your blood work done immediately after finishing.

The study is under the direction of Dr. Marty Hoffman. Please contact him at (916) 843-9027 or martin.hoffman@va.gov is you have any questions.

Posted in 2013 Runner Updates, Race News, Research | on: April 10th, 2013 by DrHoffman | Comments Off

2013 Runner Update #2

The following email was sent to all 2013 WS runners on 3/26/13.

Race day is fast approaching. We just passed the 100 days to go mark! I hope your training is going well. Race prep is going well from our end and it looks like this will be a normal course year unless we have a freaky spring. This second runner update is to answer a few questions I’ve been getting and to update you on a few things.

  • Service Requirement - These signed forms are due to me by May 15, 2013. Please don’t wait until the last minute to send them in. Signed documents may be scanned and emailed to me so no need to spend $30 to overnight ship it. The WSER board instituted this requirement in 1998 to help the sport of ultrarunning. Trail work or volunteering at any organized race is accepted.
  • General Information Form – We ask that each runner fill out a general information form so Tropical John Medinger doesn’t make stuff up about you as you run the last 250 meters around the Placer HS track. The form can be found here and either snail-mailed or emailed to me. He’ll say just about whatever you write so have fun. Always a good idea to list all the people who have supported you in your quest to get to the Placer HS track.
  • Pacer Request Page – Thanks to Gary Wang, the creator of realendurance.com, and the WSER webmaster, Ian Doremus, the pacer request page has been up for a couple of weeks. There are many pacers offering their pacing services. Pacers are not required, but can be a real help in the middle of the night when your brain isn’t as sharp as it may normally be.
  • Bus from Placer HS to Squaw – If you are without crew and need a ride back to Squaw Valley on Sunday after the race, we will have a bus that will leave Placer HS at 3pm on Sunday and take you back to Squaw Valley. Send $45 to me to reserve your spot. The bus is usually not full so you might be able to get on without a reservation but reserve a spot to guarantee a ride.
  • Trail Work Days – The WSER Trail Crew has had two successful work days so far and there are three remaining. If you plan to work in April, May, or June you’ll need to fill out the volunteer form to work on federal land before the work day. Instructions for filling out the form and signing up to help are here. For those of you who have helped or will help, the WS community thanks you.
  • GU Roctane Drink instead of GU Brew – Our longtime sponsor, GU Energy, is going to provide us with Roctane Ultra Endurance Energy Drink and Roctane Ultra Endurance Energy gels. Roctane Ultra Endurance products are the premium energy source for committed endurance athletes who are experienced and competitive and undertake long (4+ hours) or intense (above lactate threshold) efforts.
  • Memorial Weekend Training Runs - This weekend is going to be a lot of fun. The Saturday run capacity has been increased by one bus so sign up if you haven’t. If you want to arrange your own transportation and use the aid stations you can also sign up Saturday morning at Foresthill Elementary School beginning at 5:45am. The Sunday and Monday runs still have space available and you can signup at ultrasignup. We are really excited about the festivities we have lined up for Sunday evening in Auburn. First off, co-owner of Firetrail Pizza and four-time finisher Jed Tukman, will have his mobile wood-fired oven cooking pizzas to help you recover some of the calories you consumed the previous two days starting at 5pm. At 6pm we’re gonna show the 1983 WS race followed by a discussion with Jim Howard and Jim King, facilitated by Andy Jones-Wilkins. Whether you’ve never seen this Desperate Dreams video or watched it 25-times like I have, we are in for a treat. Everything will take place at the Canyon View Community Center at 471 Maidu Dr in Auburn. You’ll have to buy your pizza, but everything else is free.

Don’t hesitate to ask if you have any other questions.

Train Smart.

Craig Thornley, Race Director

Posted in 2013 Runner Updates, Race News | on: March 26th, 2013 by Craig | Comments Off

2013 Runner Update #1

The following was mailed to 2013 WS Entrants on 12/11/12

Dear WS Entrants – -

Congratulations on your acceptance into the 2013 Western States Endurance Run.

This update is the first of several updates you will be receiving prior to the Big Day. The updates will contain critical information; so please read each update carefully. The updates accomplish two things:  They allow us to share important information with you and save you the painful experience of listening to Craig go on for hours and hours about race weekend details at the mandatory Friday briefing.

The entrant database is nearing completion and stands at 388 entrants.  The entrant list can be found here.  There are four Montrail Ultra Cup qualifying events left in the season leading up to the grand finale at WS.  The top-two men and women Montrail Ultra Cup winners from the Bandera 100K, the Lake Sonoma 50, the Leona Divide 50 and the Ice Age Trail 50 are still to be determined and may be added to the database at the conclusion of each event.  To find out how you can be part of the series, go to Montrail Ultra Cup.

  • Most, if not all, events have gone to online registration.  Race results and race histories rely on the registration data from various run websites.  The data is only as good as the information that you provide.  If you would like to see accurate race histories for yourself, please use the same exact name for all your online race registrations.
  • Four training runs are scheduled for February 16th and the Memorial Day weekend of May 25-27, 2013. This has been a tremendous success each year with over 750 runners participating during the three-day weekend. Conditions permitting, the training runs will cover the last 70 miles of the course.
  • The WS Participant Guide is an important document and should be thoroughly reviewed by you and your crew.  Please take the time to read it carefully.
  • The WS Service Requirement Form must be received no later than May 15.  This is a very important requirement and must be completed before you can participate in the Run.
  • Snowpack is always a concern, although it is much too early to begin worrying about the amount of snow you’ll be facing on race weekend.  It will be at least April before we can begin to project race weekend snow conditions.  A snow-tracker link will be added to the WS website in February.  
  • GU Energy Labs generously provides WS runners with GU Energy Gel and GU Electrolyte Brew on race weekend.  A variety of Energy Gel flavors will be on the course.  The Electrolyte Brew will be available in lemon-lime and raspberry flavors.  The flavors will alternate with each aid station.  Make every effort to train using their products.  The last thing you want to do is try something new on race weekend.  Below is a review of their products.
  • GU Energy Gel
    GU Energy Gel was developed specifically for endurance athletes.  GU is designed to be an easily digestible carbohydrate.  The ingredients provide an athlete with the correct mix of complex and simple sugars, electrolytes for water balance, branched-chain amino acids to fuel the brain, and antioxidants to combat free radicals.  GU Energy Gel will sustain blood sugar levels when ingested during endurance events.  Each GU packet is 100 calories, and should be ingested every 30-45 minutes concurrently with GU Electrolyte Brew or water.
  • GU Roctane
    GU’s Roctane Gel is GU to a “higher power”.  Key functional ingredients are increased in Roctane to aid those who do ultra-endurance events.  In fact the formula was originally developed for an ultra endurance athlete (our founder’s daughter).  There is one ingredient in Roctane that is not present in GU Energy Gel:  ornithine alpha-ketoglutarate (OKG).  OKG acts to prevent the body from breaking down muscle during periods of trauma.  Roctane’s formula, which contains 100 calories, will maintain blood sugar for an entire 100-mile race if one packet is ingested every 30-45 minutes with GU Electrolyte Brew or water.
  • GU Electrolyte Brew
    GU Electrolyte Brew, as its name states, is a beverage mix formulated to provide sufficient electrolytes and calories (when used in conjunction with GU and Roctane).  Electrolyte brew helps maintain physiological osmotic balance — this is key for maintaining hydration and preventing stomach bloating.  It is recommended to drink 20-30 oz per hour during training or competition along with the recommended intake of GU Energy Gel or, preferably, GU Roctane Energy Gel.
  • GU Recovery Brew
    GU Recovery Brew is a beverage mix designed to aid recovery after a long hard workout or competition.  The idea is that the ingestion of a carbohydrate source and a protein source will help the body decrease catabolic affects post exercise and increase anabolic affects needed for subsequent training.  Recovery brew is a simple mix that contains both carbohydrate and protein components along with antioxidants for a quick recovery from a long run.  GU Recovery Brew provides adequate recovery for those ultra endurance athletes that have to continue training every day.  It can also be used during an ultra endurance event to add easily absorbed calories to your nutrition regimen.  The recommended intake of Recovery Brew is 16-24 oz directly following training or competition.
  • GU Chomps
    Chomps contain the same ingredients as GU Energy Gel; however, additional ingredients are added to provide the semi-solid properties.  Special ingredients such as electrolytes, antioxidants and amino acids are in Chomps, providing the same benefits as in GU Energy Gel.  During an endurance race, Chomps can be substituted for GU or added to increase caloric intake.  The recommended amount of Chomps is 8 chews for every 1.5 to 2 hours of activity concurrently with GU Electrolyte Brew or water.

Train smart, stay healthy and Happy Holidays.

Greg Soderlund, Race Director through December 31, 2012
Craig Thornley, Race Director starting on January 1, 2013

Posted in 2013 Runner Updates | on: December 12th, 2012 by Greg | Comments Off