Here’s the race link for The Tahoe 200. 205.5 miles by foot around Lake Tahoe. 40,000′ of climbing, 80,000′ of total elevation changes. 100 hours.
I see no downside to trying
It’s like paying for a class. Even if I don’t finish, I’ll learn a helluva lot about trail running, new equipment, my body and the mental aspect of ultra-running.
And what if I do finish? It’s absolutely possible and I’ll toe the line with every intention of doing just that. But if I don’t, that’s okay too. You can only succeed if you give yourself permission to fail.
I am very, very fit right now. Discipline is freedom. By putting in the effort these past few months, I feel ready to give it a shot. I’ve spent the summer training hard and pushing the hills during my time in Portland, seeing the benefits in my 60k time at The Ridge last weekend. I’m lifting and Cross-Fitting regularly. My endurance engine is built. I feel confident enough to start, so I will.
How did this happen?
I was registered for the Badger Mountain 100 back in March, but that race got pushed because of recurring hamstring injuries. In May, I ran a very good 50k to prove my injury recovery to myself.
After volunteering at the Western States 100 in June, I was even more convinced that I wanted to run that race at some point. I had locked into the Pine to Palms 100 – a WS qualifier – in September to knock off the 100 from my endurance event to-do list, but with the five-hour drive from home, camping, the point-to-point race course and general lack of available pacers among my friends, it was becoming clear I wouldn’t be able to pull what I needed together for that race.
My thoughts turned to Rio Del Lago 100 in November – it’s local and a WS qualifier – but November is three months away and I wasn’t keen on continuing my training for that long. I could scale back and maintain where I was, but I felt mentally ready for a race sooner than later.
About a week ago, laying in bed, I started searching for other ultras in the area, whether they be Western States qualifiers or not. I came across a bevy of gnarly races – the Euchre Bar Massacre, the New Year’s One Day, the Bay Ridge Endurance Runs and the Headlands 50/75/100.
Then I found it – the Tahoe 200. Something about the course and the event made it feel more genuine to me. It was the same weekend as P2P – just four weeks away. I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling thinking about the race when Lena walked in.
Lena: “What’s up?”
Me: “I found the race I want to do. It’s called the Tahoe 200. It’s 200 miles circumnavigating Lake Tahoe. And there are still spots available for this year!”
Lena: “Um… of course there are still spots open. If you want to do it, then you should do it.”
I am the luckiest man in the world. Ever.
That was it. After a week of research, I registered. I’m in.
One of my mantras is “Just Start.” Get yourself in position to start whatever endeavor you want and see where it takes you. Yes, there is always more to prepare and always more to learn, but implementing is learning.
More on why the Tahoe 200…
- The Course: The uniqueness of circumnavigating Lake Tahoe seems oddly calming to me, and Lake Tahoe has become a special place for me since swimming across it last year and helping another swim cross this year. Before Uberman, I had mapped my own multi-day triathlon that included a length swim and circumnavigating Tahoe as part of the run course.
- It’s a Multi-Day Event: Getting myself up and running after hitting the first sleep stations will be an interesting experience. I had some of this with Uberman, but with longer breaks between days and efforts from swim to bike and bike to run.
- The 100-Hour Cut-off Time: This is a 2 mph pace. It’s not a race – it’s an adventure. It’s all about pacing and fueling. (Thank you to Max Wunderle for that advice.)
- 40,000 feet of vertical climb: That’s 10,000’ higher than climbing Mt. Everest over a four-day stretch. Sounds good to me.
- The first 62 miles: No pacers are allowed for the first 62 miles and from what I’ve read, this is the toughest segment of the course. Just getting that segment done solo makes it the longest ultra distance I’ve run.
- Race Support & Safety: After listening to the TrailRunner podcasts after last year’s race, it’s clear that race organizers go all out to support the race and are 100% focus
Potential Risks & Obstacles:
- Altitude: Most of the trail is between 6500’ – 9000’. I’ve the Donner Lake half-iron triathlon at 6000’ and didn’t feel much in terms of altitude. The next 2000’ of altitude is a marked difference, though I think I can adjust with the right pacing.
- Bears & Spiders: Not really. ???? Like sharks in the Catalina Channel and rattlesnakes in Death Valley. They’re there, but not really…
- Physical maladies: I could very well hurt myself. I could also get hit by a bus today in San Francisco or trip on the deck of Uno cards decorating my living room floor.
- Preparation: My longest ultra-marathon is the 50-mile North Face Endurance Challenge three years ago. I’ve run a 50k and 60k this year, and of course there was the Uberman odyssey last year. But I know I am fit and strong right now, and listening to how others trained and executed on previous Tahoe 200 races, this is much about overall fitness and execution – much different than a 100 where I’d be looking at my pace constantly trying to break the 24 hour mark.
- Time: The race starts in three weeks. I’ve got A LOT of new equipment to acquire and learn how to use like trekking sticks and a backpack. I’ll figure it out. I have to. I’m in.
Let’s do this.