The day after they quit three-quarters through the 100-mile Tahoe Rim Trail endurance run in 2009, Chattanoogans Natalie Sims and Chad Wamack determined to return and go the distance this year.
They did.
With their spouses present to provide support, plus Britt Reynolds as a safety runner, or “pacer,” for Wamack’s last 50 miles, the two were among 66 finishers of the grueling but awe-inspiring race near Carson City, Nev. Nearly 110 runners started the Tahoe 100 in Spooner Lake State Park.
Starting at 5 a.m. on July 17, Sims finished in 29 hours, 24 minutes, 34 seconds. The 36-year-old interior designer was 31st overall and in the top seven females in the longest race she ever completed.
The 76 miles she and Wamack did in the 2009 Tahoe 100 previously was her longest run.
“This defintely was a tough course – not one of the easiest to choose for your first 100,” Sims said last week. “But it is so beautiful. The Lake Tahoe views are so incredible – that’s what drew us out there in the first place.
“You run straight through. You really don’t sleep,” she added. “They have aid stations every six to eight miles, and their aid stations are pretty amazing. They have soups and other kinds of food, snacks and different kinds of drinks. You usually take 15 to 20 minutes when you stop at one. But at mile 30, 50 and 80 there are bigger aid stations. You can visit for a while with your support group.”
Her husband, Matt, was there, as was Wamack’s wife, Lisa. Natalie didn’t use a pacer, but Wamack said Reynolds’ help was “invaluable mentally.”
“Britt joined me at the 50-mile mark and ran through the night and part of the next day,” Wamack related. “After 60 miles or so you think you are eating and drinking but actually your mind and stomach begin to play tricks on you. It’s an important role that the pacer plays, making sure you are staying on track with your nutrition and navigation.”
The 39-year-old Wamack, who works for the NAI Charter Real Estate Corp., completed the 100 miles in 32:25:54.
Three highly experienced ultra runners from California finished in under 20 hours. Thomas Crawford, 30, smashed the race record by nearly a half hour with a 17:47:09 finish.
“Those guys are just freaks of nature,” Wamack said, noting that the race includes 24,000 feet of elevation gains and losses. It starts at 6,800 feet above sea level and gets to 9,250.
The 2010 event included a stretch in 90-degree heat and a small stretch in snow – in mid-July.
“It’s just spectacular,” Wamack said, “the beauty of the mountains of the Sierra Nevada overlooking the lake.”
It’s breathtaking in two ways.
After “bailing” in 2009, Sims said, “We knew the next day we were going to be back this year. I think we were physically trained to do 100 miles then, but it’s such a mental strain.”
Said Wamack: “We went to the awards ceremony, where all the finishers get buckles (like rodeo riders), and we said that would be us this year.
“Really, I think we were a little naive for the mental aspect. Physically we had trained, but we gained knowledge about nutrition and about running through the night. That was the only race I did not finish and felt good about, because we got great experience from it, and we were able to train through the whole year for what we had to do.”
Sims agreed.
“There was some disappointment, but you learn so much,” she said.