Coming back for more - A Better 250 (and life) Experience

Jeff Garmire

Last Year 

I jumped right into the Cocodona 250 miler with only a couple of weeks of notice. I had the confidence and fitness to be successful, but I was entirely unprepared. It was only my second ever traditional Ultramarathon and my first one over 30 miles. Now, I did have years of FKTs, mountain adventures, and backpacking experience, but the organized aspect of a race was foreign to me.

At the start line, I had to ask how drop bags worked, and after being thoroughly confused, I stuck an extra pair of socks in my running vest and considered myself prepared. Five minutes before the race started I realized I didn’t have the mandatory Spot Tracker strapped to my shoulder. I ran over to the registration tent and made it back to the start line during the final countdown. 

My training in 2021 was centered around the Barkley Marathons and this 250-mile ultramarathon was simply an add-on using the fitness I already had. My dad was recovering from open-heart surgery and my relationship was crumbling… so a 250-mile race was the answer, right? Despite all the issues and distractions, I was able to weasel my way into the top 20 without a crew. I had as much fun as any other runner, and I knew I had to come back. 2022 would be my year…

This year 

In the last year I ran two more races, embraced the freedom of being single, and traveled while moving to nearly 100% remote work. I crewed and paced for people in their races and immersed myself in learning as much as I could about ultrarunning. The raw skills were there from FKTs, challenges like Nolans 14, and tens of thousands of miles of backpacking, but the specialized knowledge and experience needed sharpening. 

I paced for runners who DNF’d, set PRs, and crewed for runners that simply achieved their goal of finishing. It taught me a lot about all the things that are at play in an ultramarathon. 

With more knowledge and experience, I dove head-on into training. I raced a last-person standing event on New Year's Day and further practiced running through the night. Then, it was all my focus on Cocodona… until I got hurt…

It was early March and a small slip led to a quad tear which led to IT Band issues. The peak of training was suddenly halted and I began seeing a Physical Therapist and even worked with a Chiropractor as my hopes of doing well at Cocodona 250 suffered. 

For six weeks I ran less than 10 miles a week, and at a very slow pace, simply to try to work through the injury. But, then it was race week and there was no other decision but to head south. I would put myself on the start line and see how far I could make it.

The race

I always hesitate to ask for support, help, or people to go out of their way, but this was the year to take the plunge. I first asked my aunt about crewing me during a 250-mile race. Newly retired, and amazing at logistics and planning, she agreed and even brought her friend Ginny and their new van down to Arizona. I had seen the success of runners with the crew last year and I wanted to duplicate it. The next step was pacers. 

In any long ultramarathon, runners are usually allowed to run with a pacer later in the race. Pacers were allowed at Cocodona at mile 60, and I wanted to take advantage of the camaraderie, support, and fun they could bring. I asked Ari, Josh, and Sydney if they would join me, and they all said YES! I now had an awesome team… my body just had to hold up.

The race began and everyone blew by me. It was as if they were running a 5k and not a 250-mile race. Self-doubt immediately crept in, and simply wondering, “Am I the one doing this wrong?” But, fast-forward ten hours and all the runners that had jumped out fast had fallen back. By the time I was allowed my first pacer I had moved into 6th place. 

Josh was my first pacer. We had met for ten minutes before the start of the race, and that was it. This 20-mile section would be our introduction. Through the Granite Dells, we ran and traded thru-hiking and running stories with each other. We navigated some of the trickier rock sections well and by the end of the section, I was in 4th place and had made a new friend!

Ari, a D-1 track athlete from California took the reigns and closed out the night with me. We ran past the 100-mile sign in a total time of less than 23 hours and I was concerned at my pacing. Was I going too fast? Or was the benefit of a crew this awesome?

photo credit: @aladdin_hikes

In the email to my crew and pacers, I said we were going to focus on one thing above all else, having fun. We all had animal print clothing and Josh even brought a dress to really enjoy the uniqueness of the experience. My Aunt and Ginny wore leggings with a tiger face on them and every aid station was a party!

Sydney showed up in Jerome, AZ and the combination of all three pacers pushed me through three nights, little sleep, and a drastically different experience than last year. When I struggled in the deepest parts of the night I had a friend out there to talk with and dissect which images in my mind were real and which were fake. My crew was awesome in every aid station and they felt like Nascar pit stops. We were dialed in and having so much fun. 

At 1 am and with 37 miles to go, my friend, Bryce was waiting at Fort Tuthill. It was a 20-mile section and my goal was to catch at least one more runner and move into the top 5. I told him to make the pace uncomfortable for me and I would just hang on. It worked and during the last section, I powered up a 2k foot climb and passed a runner in front of me. The final miles were painful… as they should be… but I successfully accomplished my goal of finishing and so much more.

But, the experience became so much more than the miles and the race. It was so cool to see all my friends enjoy the experience as well. In the last two weeks, I have received texts and emails from them asking which ultraraces they should sign up for. The fun and camaraderie of the trail world is contagious and motivating. 

Running Cocodona 250 with a crew and pacers didn’t only produce a better time, but it also led to a more fun time shared with some of my favorite people!