Congratulations. You survived “The Simulation.” You subjected your body and mind to the most demanding training of this entire cycle, and you have come out the other side stronger and, more importantly, smarter. That experience of profound fatigue likely taught you a powerful lesson: this is not a journey you can complete alone. While ultrarunning is an individual sport, a 100-mile finish is almost always a team effort.

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This is part of a series of posts regarding how we prepare, plan, and train to complete the 100 miles Ultramarathon Umstead 100: Relentless to 100. For all the ultrarunning series, here is Relentless to 100, last week’s post, and for additional ideas, follow the link. Training for a 100. Alternatively, you can also follow our Podcast so you don’t miss the weekly summary post.

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With just six training weeks until race day, our focus now shifts from internal systems to your external support network. This is the week we begin the crucial process of building your A-Team: your crew and your pacers. These are the people who will step into the arena with you, guiding your body and mind when you are no longer able to guide them yourself.

Assessment:

Your first task is to understand the distinct and vital roles your support team will play. They are not interchangeable. Knowing what to ask for is the first step in getting the help you need.

The Pacer: Your In-Race Guide & Protector A pacer runs with you during designated sections of the race (at Umstead, pacers are allowed after 50 miles). Their role is multi-faceted and goes far beyond just setting a pace.

• Safety Monitor: Their #1 job is to keep you safe. They watch for signs of medical distress, disorientation, and unsafe footing when you’re too tired to do so yourself.
• Taskmaster: They are your external brain, relentlessly reminding you to stick to your plan. “It’s been 45 minutes, time to eat.” “Drink some water now.”
• Navigator: Even on a familiar looped course, they take on the mental load of navigation, so you can turn your brain off and just follow.
• Motivator & Companion: They are your shield against the negative thoughts of the deep night, providing encouragement, conversation, and a positive presence.
• Mule (Race Rules Permitting): They can help carry extra gear, food, or water, lightening your load.

The Crew: Your Pit Stop Engineers Your crew operates at the main aid station (the Start/Finish at Umstead). They are the master logisticians who manage your “Pit Stop Protocol” so you don’t have to.

• Emotional Anchor: They provide a familiar, reassuring presence at the home base, a brief respite from the solitude of the trail.

• Logistics Chief: They have your drop bag organized and ready for your arrival. They know what you’ll need and have it laid out.

• Chef & Nutritionist: They can prepare hot food like soup or quesadillas, restock your gels, and ensure your bottles are filled with the correct fuel.

• Medic: They are your primary source for blister care, taping, and first aid.

• Gear Master: They manage your equipment—charging electronics, laying out a change of clothes, getting your headlamp ready for the night.

Planning:

With a clear understanding of the roles, you can now begin the process of Building Your A-Team.

Make the “Ask”: When you ask someone to take on one of these roles, be completely transparent about the commitment. Crewing or pacing a 100-miler is an exhausting, often thankless, 24+ hour endeavor with long periods of boredom punctuated by moments of intense stress. Invite them to be part of the challenge, and give them the grace to decline if they are not up for it.

Identify Your Needs: Reflect on your experience during “The Simulation.” When you were at your lowest, what kind of support would have helped most? Do you need a drill sergeant pacer to keep you moving, or a calm, empathetic friend? Do you need a hyper-organized crew chief, or just someone to hand you a Coke and a smile?

The Ideal Candidate Profile: The best crew and pacers share common traits. They are reliable, calm under pressure, self-sufficient, and unflinchingly positive (while still being honest enough to tell you when you need to address a real problem). Crucially, they know you well enough to handle you at your absolute worst.

Diabetes Learning Notes:

For the Type 1 athlete, our crew and pacers are elevated from a support team to an essential component of our medical safety system. They are our backup brain, our extra set of eyes, and our first line of defense when we become too tired or hypoglycemic to make safe decisions for ourselves.

Your T1D Support Audit must assess what specific diabetes help you will need. Do you need someone who is tech-savvy and can help troubleshoot a CGM or pump? Do you need someone who is unflappable in the face of a medical alert?

When Onboarding Your T1D Support Team, your planning must include training and clear communication.

• Create a “T1D Cheat Sheet”: This is a simple, one-page document for your crew and pacer with critical information:
  • What a low blood sugar looks/feels like for you.
  • The location of your low treatments and exactly what to give you.
  • What key CGM alarms mean (e.g., “Urgent Low Alarm means get sugar into me NOW”).
  • Emergency contacts.
• Pacer-Specific Training: Do at least one training run with your pacer. Let them practice asking, “What’s your number? What’s the trend arrow?” This normalizes the conversation, so it’s automatic on race day. They should know where you keep your low treatments on your person at all times.
• Crew-Specific Training: Your crew chief must know where your “T1D Redundancy Kit” is and what’s in it. They should be able to find your backup meter or a spare infusion set quickly. If you need specific foods for your fueling plan, they need to know the exact carb counts.

You have a responsibility to educate your team. Their ability to help you is directly proportional to the clarity of the instructions you provide them beforehand.

This week’s actual numbers:

Week 7	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thur	Fri	Sat	Sun	Total
Plan	Stretches & Rolling	6	5	Rest	10	31	31	83
Actual	Stretches	4	8	Rest	Rest	32	31	75

Next Week Plan:

Week 6	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thur	Fri	Sat	Sun	Total
Plan	Stretches & Rolling	6	5	5	Rest	16	26	58

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