Who are these crazy runner people? (2/2)

(Be sure to read the post "AC100" first!!)

A few memorable runners... 

I can’t remember his #, 29 maybe?!! Jamil was 3^rd to get to us. He is memorable because he was eating something out of a Ziploc bag. I asked what it was – a mashed potato burrito! He said it’d been his carbs the whole trip!! I wish he’d stuck around longer; I am intrigued by his eating!! Also, his pacer was very cute (I am a single girl; I notice these things).

Because AC is a hard race, few runners finish in less than 24 hours. In fact, in some years, it's just a handful! Runners aiming for this needed to leave us by about 3:30am if they didn't want to sprint. It took an average of about 1.5 hours to get from us to the finish for normal, tired people. The winner took 45 minutes. Anyway! At about 3am we started to get a "rush" of runners. At one point we actually had 2 runners and 2 pacers at once! These guys were SO pepped up!! It was really hard not to be infected by their enthusiasm. They had pushed themselves to meet their goal and when they got to us they knew they could do it, I guess. Anyway, we watched the computer to see if they did it, and THEY DID!! Every one who left us on pace to get under 24, did it. There were FIFTEEN who did it this year which is a LOT. We didn't see a runner for a good hour after those guys left. The rest just wanted to finish. Some were racing personal best times, etc. But most really just wanted to get done, especially by the time we saw them. 

Sometime about when Bob was thinking he was going to have to go out and fix the markers, a random dude walked into our camp. He had paced a guy earlier in the night and ran up to us from the finish to see his runner, #99, Brad. Brad was almost to the station before us so we invited this pacer to hang out with us. I nicknamed the pacer as Orange Hat Guy because he was wearing an orange hat. He kept talking about runners with cute monikers that he and the rest of his friends had given them throughout the day. His actual name is Craig. He was a HUGE help since soon after he arrived, Bob left. Craig helped when runners came in and prepped stuff for his own runner. The computer made it seem that we would get several together or in quick succession so I was glad he was there. As soon as #99 left, so did he. He went the shorter route to the finish so I assume he made it in time to see his friend cross the line. 

Hansen Dam is apparently a location not too far from the race. I had never heard of it but MANY people came in wearing shirts for the Hansen Dam running club. On the back was something about AC100, someone named Mendoza. People wearing these shirts also liked to come up from the finish and go meet their runners. It stopped being creepy having people come up behind us once the sun came up. I finally asked one of these folks what the shirt was about. Apparently Mr. Mendoza was running his 10th AC100 and they were all celebrating this. When he finally got there, I congratulated him and he just looked at me funny! I might add that no one with a red shirt on spoke fluent English and they all talked to each other in Spanish.

#127, Chris and, #26 Diana left the previous aid station almost at the same time. We expected to see them at about the same time. Diana came in about 1.5 later all perky. She claimed this was the best day of her life. She'd been running about 25 hours... we then saw what seemed like every other number that ended in 7 and still no #127. He turned yellow in dad's software, meaning the algorithm thought he was taking too long. Finally, at least 2.5 hours later, we see a very slow walker and pacer coming down the hill to us. Ah, this would be Chris. The first thing he asked for was Ibuprofen. He sat a little while but not long and walked off toward the finish. He had PLENTY of time so walking would get him there. At that point runners were still taking a little over an hour, he did it in 1.5. Yet another runner we cheered when Dad announced he'd finished!! 

I think Tim's # was 151. Tim was memorable because, well, we never really saw him! He went straight into the bathroom while his very perky female pacer (his wife I hope) filled their bottles, etc. and continued to holler, every 30 seconds or so... "Tim? You okay? Tim? We gotta go, Tim! Let's go, Tim! Tim? You alright in there? Come on, let's go!" for at least 3 or 4 minutes. He came out and I'm pretty sure just started up the trail! I have no recollection of ever seeing his face!!

#23 was Wally. This didn't mean anything to us until he got to us. Wally is 70 years old!! He became the oldest ever finisher in the race's history. We made sure that Dad announced to us all when he finished so we could cheer. He finished in about 31 hours (I could totally go look this up but that's not fun! Dad did though, 31:20). It was well into the morning :)

#121 came to us late in the morning. There was no doubt he'd finish in time (they are given 33 hours to "officially" finish and there are cut-offs at all aid stations to attempt to ensure this). The man was all smiles. He never stopped smiling the whole 3 minutes he was in our station. I made him promise he'd smile all the way to the finish. All I know is that he finished, but I like to believe he was still smiling! 

If you know me, you know I love the number two and 22. Even when I'm at home, I follow along with this race and others (if dad's working) on the web. You can see all the runner's names and numbers and basically all the info about when they get to the next station and stuff. I always pick a few runners to "watch". I always pick a runner from Texas, a female about my age, and #22. Last year, #22 didn't finish. Actually, I don't think anyone I was following finished last year! Maybe I'm bad luck. Anyway, I was very excited that #22, Andrew, was making his way along the course. I'd have dad check on him now and then (via the cool software this was so easy!). I was SUPER excited when he was on his way to us!! Summer and I had looked him up in the race book thing and figured out that he was about 63 years old. Even more exciting - we like "old" guys who do this stuff!! He stopped long enough that I felt okay chatting with him. I explained briefly that I'd followed him the whole time (and why) and was so glad to see him. He said he'd had the same number last year but hadn't finished but that he thought it was neat that I'd been watching him. I congratulated him on doing so well this year and that I looked forward to seeing him next year. He finished!! 

I should point out that every runner we saw, all 74, finished. We don't really have "drops" at our station because there's no real way to get out except to wait for us for hours or to walk/run to the finish! And yet, knowing they got there made me happy!!

Our last runner out was #46. Lambert. He is memorable for being last, of course, but his pacer is really the memorable one. Eric is a ham radio guy! AND he had his radio with him! So we knew pretty much EXACTLY when we'd see them. Eric talked to dad on and off the whole 2 hours between the previous station and getting to us. It was very nice! They actually passed #104 though so were the penultimate finishers. 

All 74 runners were memorable and inspirational. No, I still have no desire to run, especially 100 miles. But I do have the urge to get out and move and be active as well as become active in the ham radio world so that next year Dad can be away from the radio and I can just respond instead of having to yell to him to come back!! 

AC100 runners, See you August 2, 2014!!!