Dear Running with the Devil Athletes,

 

Race week is finally here! I hope all of your training and heat aclimatization has been going well and that you’re ready to have a great time this weekend! Below are some details for the event weekend which should answer any questions you may have. Any questions left unanswered, feel free to email me. After Thursday night, please rely on my cell 702.812.2609, used sparingly, as I will be crazy busy preparing for the race.

 

Schedule of Events:

 

1. Friday June 26, 2009: 5pm- 9pm: Packet pick up and small event expo at the Hacienda Host Hotel on U.S. 93 near Hoover Dam in Boulder City. To Mapquest directions to the Hacienda, enter: 18-43 Highway 93/ Boulder City, NV 89005. Packet pick up is in the banquet room off to the left maybe 100 feet beyond entering the front doors. ALL are expected to make a VERY HONEST effort to come to packet pick up during these hours. Race morning is VERY busy and my volunteers need to be out on course taking care of you there. If ONLY ABSOLUTELY necessary, I will do race morning packet pick up. Please arrive no later than 45 minutes before your start time to get checked in, etc. There is no need to email me about a Saturday pick up.

2. Saturday June 27, 2009: Please arrive to the Boulder Beach Special Events Beach (start/ finish area) with ample time before your race’s scheduled start time. There is a covered BBQ area which will keep the sun off your heads. 50 milers, marathoners, and ½ marathoners MUST weigh in!

PARKING: Pull into the Boulder Beach Special Events Beach area. You will see a covered BBQ area coned off about ¼ mile off Lakeshore Drive - this is the start/ finish area. Continue passed this area down toward the lake. Park on either the right or left side in the dirt parking area. It is about a ¼ mile walk back up to the event area. Please do not park in the water safety/ ranger station parking lot- this is not available for our use.

Mile Markers

Mile markers will be every 1 mile for the marathon, ½ marathon, 10K, and 5K. All outbound miles thru #13 will be in BLUE. The 50 miler will continue in RED, noting every 5 miles. After your turn around, the 50 miler will continue in RED, Marathon in BLUE, ½ Marathon in GREEN, 10K in SILVER, and 5K in PURPLE. All Calico Racing markers are signs placed inside of traffic cones. NO spray painted markings are mine. Only pay attention to cone signs and/ or possibly colored duct tape.

 

For the 50 miler: I will also be marking the marathon distance along your course (note this is NOT the same as the regular marathon). If you are having a bad day and are considering dropping, you have the option to complete the marathon distance. You will be considered a marathon finisher instead of receiving a DNF. However- you will be taken out of the running for any overall or age group awards for either the 50 mile or marathon distance and your posted results will have an * by it denoting a different course with an unofficial time. Note your time- this will be checked against the turn around split. Continue to walk another 1.3 mile to the next aid station and we will do our best to get you transported back to the start/ finish area- your patience is appreciated.

 

Aid Stations:

REMEMBER: You must carry at least 20 ounces of fluid. Aid stations are REFILL only. Cups will be available for HEED and Cola. Only 10K and 5K runners have cupped water available on their course. To carry your water I recommend a 24 ounce insulated Polar Bottle. These help keep water much cooler than traditional bottles. Polar Bottles will be available for purchase at the expo in 24 and 20 ounce sizes for $11 and $10 respectively inclusive of sales tax. Otherwise, you may use a Camelpak or Fuelbelt- though I find the smaller sized bottles on a Fuel Belt time consuming to refill and inadequate to fill with ice.

 

All aid stations will have the following: Hammer HEED (electrolye drink; both Orange and Berry), limited Hammer e-caps, limited Hammer Gels in a variety of flavors,boiled potatoes and salt, bananas, oranges, limited cola,peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, water, ice, pretzels, sunscreen, Vaseline, baby powder, and first aid kits. If you need something and don’t see it out- ask. It may be in the cooler!

 

Chill Towels has generously donated Chill Cooling Towels to be available at alternate aid stations on course. A display towel will be available at packet pick up for you to touch, smell, feel etc.

 

Iced washcloths will be available at every aid station, except for the 1.55 for the 5K and 10K. Please be sure they are all returned either to an aid station or at the finish line. These are more sanitary than sponges and will be sanitized, laundered, and reused next year.

 

An ice water dunk will also be provided for your clothing at all aid stations.

 

Yard sprayers will be at each aid station to spray you down.

 

Ice: Will be available in the coolers for use in ice bandanas, under hats, etc. Please let the volunteers assist you as we only want one cooler in use at a time to preserve the lifespan of an ice cube! You will want to fill your water bottles with ice before adding water, as the water from the pitchers or jugs will likely be warm. NO RUNNER HANDS IN THE ICE- a volunteer will assist you.

 

Trash must be placed in the bins provided only. Any littering will be an automatic DQ!

 

Scales will be provided at the start/ finish area, the marathon turn around and the 50 mile turn around. Please see below regarding mandatory weigh ins for the marathon and 50 miler.

 

Ice bathes will be available. For the marathon they will be available at miles 9.0 and again at mile 27.2. For the 50 miler they will be available at miles 9.0, 16.5 and again at 33.5 and 41.0. They will be prefilled with water and will be iced on demand. Bath towels are available.

 

Photography:

Evan Pilchik Photography will be the official photographer for the 2009 Running with the Devil event. He has been working with Calico Racing since the Running from an Angel event in January 2008 and I'm pleased to have him continuing to work with us. Please smile pretty and buy lots so he'll come back!

 

Portable Toilets:

Portable toilets will be available at the start/ finish line, and on outbound miles 3.1, 9.0, 13.1, 16.5, and 25 (all hit again on return).

 

Chip Timing:

This is a chip timed race. Your LOANER chip will be in your race envelope with your bib. You must affix it to your shoe laces using the ties provided. The system will not read your chip if it is more than 8” off the ground. The chip must be returned at the finish line, if you drop out, or if you choose to not race.

 

Turn Around and Splits:

You MUST display or communicate your bib number to the turn around clipboard volunteer. 50 Milers: please be sure to communicate your bib number to the volunteer at your turn around so we can take your split.

 

Mandatory Weigh in and Weigh Loss Allowance- PLEASE READ!

Due to the extreme heat of this event, measures are taken to ensure your safety and health. While EMS (ambulance) is available on course, we must do our part to prevent getting into physical trouble. ALL marathoners, 1/2 marathoners and 50 mile runners MUST weigh in on race morning. HALF MARATHONERS: you do NOT have a weigh in on course, but your starting weight is recorded for reference. MARATHONERS and 50 MILE RUNNERS: Your starting weight will be recorded and then figured out to a 4% and 7% loss of body weight. Marathoners have a MANDATORY weigh in on course at your 13.1 mile turn around. 50 mile runners have a MANDATORY weigh in on course at your 25 mile turn around and again at mile 36.9.

 

IMPORTANT: If you loose 4% of body weight or more you will be held up at the aid station while you rehydrate, refuel, and wait. Be sure to take in electrolytes! For every pound of body weight needed to replenish you will be required to wait 10 minutes. For reference, 1 pound equals 16 ounces of liquid. This time requirement is for your safety so as to prevent runners from guzzling a ton of fluid that your body can not absorb as quickly. Anyone loosing 7% of body weight or more will be immediately removed from the race. These measures are generous and commensurate with other extreme races and are in place for YOUR health. Be sure to stay on top of your hydration and use the external cooling methods available on course. Note: 50 milers: you will have access to the scale at your mile 13.1 to self monitor, but it is not required. Additional Note: Weight GAIN is also not advised. If you gain weight on course you will not be held up, but you will be strongly urged to ease up on your fluid intake and rely more heavily on external cooling techniques.

Symptoms by percent body weight water loss (from Hammer Nutrition's "Endurance Athlete' Guide to Success")

  • 0% none, optimal performace, normal heat regulation.
  • 1% thirst stimulated, heat regulation during exercise altered, performace declines
  • 2% further decrease in heat regulation, hinders performance, increased thirst
  • 3% more of the same (worsening performance)
  • 4% exercise performance cut by 20-30%
  • 5% headache, irritability, "spaced out" feeling, fatigue
  • 6% weakness, severe loss of thermoregulation
  • 7% collapse likely unless exercise stops
  • 10%comatose
  • 11% death likely

 

Drop Bags:

Drop bags are available for 50 mile runners. They can be accessed on course at mile 16.5 and again back to the same bag at mile 33.5. Bring drop bags on race morning to the start line. ALL drop bags must be received by 6:45am. Bags will be returned to the finish line at roughly 5pm and will not be mailed at my expense.

 

Volunteers:

As with every race, volunteers are a vital part of the event. The extreme heat nature of the Running with the Devil event dictates that volunteer positions are a shorter duration than other races. As a result- more volunteers are necessary vs. other similar events. While all of these positions are attended to, I would love to have a few more volunteers to alleviate the burden on these kind souls. If anyone has friends or family coming to watch that are willing to commit to a few hours on an assigned post- please email me. It’d be much appreciated by all!

 

Outside Support:

EMS Ambulances will be on course the entire duration of the event. Being inside the National Park the roads are open to the public. Therefore you can have your loved ones checking in on you, but you must rely on the aid stations for your support. Also, please try to keep this driving to a minimum! They must follow all traffic laws and may not block traffic! Any blocking of traffic will cause tension among the park rangers and reduce my chances of being permitted for next year. Please respect the other athletes and the race’s perpetuity. If your loved ones are keeping an eye on you on course, I kindly ask that they keep an eye on ALL runners. This is not your normal race and EVERYONE needs to pitch in, come together, and look after everyone's well being.

 

Safety:

All runners must remain on the lake side of the roadway. The course never has you crossing over the roadway. You will be passing runners heading the opposite direction as it is an out and back. Stay to your right. Single file running is preferred. You may only run 2 abreast if you can both stay to the outside of the white line. You must yield to passing runners. Lake Mead is a popular boating area, so there will likely be vehicles towing boats on the roadway. There will be signs alerting motorists that runners are on the road, but you are advised to be alert.

 

Weather:

Despite the unseasonably cool temperatures we’ve had in Las Vegas this June, the weather is heating up! Lake Mead is typically 5 degrees hotter than in town. I am expecting in the neighborhood of 110 degrees for race day.

 

Post Race:

Calico Racing is proud to welcome back the Salvation Army’s Emergency Disaster Services mobile canteen. This team of wonderful volunteers is using Calico Racing events to train their volunteers in food service is disaster relief situations such as 911, Hurricane Katrina, and the like. Some great food is on the menu- enjoy! And please thank them for their contribution.

 

Wet and dry hand towels will also be available at the finish area so you can towel off after the race. Please return all used towels in the clearly marked bin provided.

 

Awards will be handed out in the covered BBQ area after the race when enough of the winners seem to be present. If you think you may have won an award, please check with me before leaving.

 

Course Certification:

Yes- this course is certified. Heck if you can qualify for Boston on this one- more power to ya!!

 

Lastly:

I want to take a moment to express my sincere thanks to each and every one of you for attending Running with the Devil event. I have poured my heart and soul into this race- and I hope that that care is evident. We are a smaller event than many of you may be used to- but that is what can make it so great. A personal race with first rate amenities. You are all pioneers. With your help, I hope to position this and other Calico Racing events for future growth and a lifelong achievement of passion, environmental responsibility, fun, and of course… running.

 

See you all this weekend!

Joyce