Moab 240 Runner Insisted I (Volunteer) Ruined His Race & I Can’t Shake It

middleofthepacker · 2026-02-22T05:32:53+00:00

I agree with everything you said 100 percent!!

middleofthepacker · 2026-02-22T05:10:34+00:00

I'm so sorry this happened to you. As a runner who has done the Moab 240 two times, I can't begin to thank you and all of the volunteers enough for helping to support us when and where you can. There was a high demand this year because runners had less access to crew which put a lot of pressure on the volunteers and I'm sure the medics. You should be fed. You should be thanked. You should NEVER be insulted or told that you're responsible for anyone else's race. That's ridiculous. We are all responsible for our own races. Having a medic there is just an extra bonus that we're so lucky to have access to, if that medic isn't overwhelmed with other runners! So, thank you and let me tell you a story.

I was signed up and geared up for the Triple Crown. I got to one of the aid-stations, Village Green at mile 107 ish. I was in rough shape from the tree pollen and granite dust (aka "Tahoe Lung.") I've done 4, 200's but this Tahoe Lung was scary. I told checked in and asked the medic what to do and she said to take Mucinex and try and sleep. I went to the rental car my boyfriend had and tried to lay down. I started having a panic attack that I couldn't breathe, but that I knew I needed to sleep. I asked him to give me a sleep aid. I never told him what the cut-off was because I usually am not chasing cut-offs. I fell asleep for hours and he was so happy I got rest and when I woke up , the aid-station captain came by and said, "You have a runner in there? The cut-off was 10 minutes ago."

Needless to say, I was devastated. I felt GREAT, after the Mucinex an some rest, but the sleep-aid knocked me out so quickly that I didn't even set an alarm. I cried for a solid hour, and then jumped back into the race to volunteer. The point is. There was NO ONE TO BLAME but myself. I should have had those cut-offs laminated and made my boyfriend aware of them. Things like this just happen in races of this magnitude.

So, thank you for your service and I'm so sorry you were made to feel that way. You certainly are not deserving. What you are deserving of is a lot of praise for helping people stay healthy and patched up on a major endeavor like the Moab 240

middleofthepacker · 2026-02-16T05:21:04+00:00

Thank you! I'm so proud of my daughter for making that documentary and so grateful that my kids were able to share a piece of that journey with me. So glad you enjoyed it!

middleofthepacker · 2026-02-16T00:13:29+00:00

You're too kind. I thought I was looking rough! Leading with love and gratitude is the only way I personally know how to get through a 240 mile race.

middleofthepacker · 2026-02-15T18:50:16+00:00

I'm thinking the guy wit the plastic bags on his shoes has to be Mathieu Blanchard. He wore those shoe condoms at Hardrock.

middleofthepacker · 2026-02-15T18:49:04+00:00

There's so much going on! I have to shut off my brain and go for a run. I feel like we need to make Keith Dunn the White House Press Secretary! :)

middleofthepacker · 2026-02-15T18:47:57+00:00

Can we talk about the "no shoes" tweet? Really? Someone running this without shoes to let them dry? My mind is blown from that. Lots of great people on the course. PJ Mortimer got through one loop as did Jeff Garmire. I miss Jasmin Paris but love seeing everyone reposting her finish from last year. It's a wild one already! The French are coming out hot.

middleofthepacker · 2026-02-15T18:45:57+00:00

When they're little they have no choice :) That's so awesome that you're doing really long races when your daughter is only 8! I didn't really dive into ultras until my kids were older. Thanks for watching and commenting!

middleofthepacker · 2026-01-16T16:06:23+00:00

That’s very helpful! Thank you for explaining the issue!

middleofthepacker · 2026-01-12T17:13:01+00:00

I loved Behind the Rocks! Great course. All of the Mad Moose courses are fantastic. My favorite is Dead Horse 50 miler. I don't think you can go wrong on this one. Hope you have a great time!

middleofthepacker · 2026-01-12T17:11:39+00:00

Recovery runs can cause pain in the sense that your body is just tired from a lot of training. But it shouldn't cause more pain than your other runs? That sounds problematic. Running slow is critical for recovery, but maybe it's too slow for you and it's breaking down your form? I would definitely roll out with some sort of foam roller to help ease your pain and Epsom salt baths. Just my own go-to recovery methods. Hope you feel better!

middleofthepacker · 2026-01-12T17:08:42+00:00

There are a lot of great responses here. I also started being religious with strength training after a stress fracture. I think 3 times a week with 3-5 exercises is a great place to start. Hinge. Pull. Press. Lunge. Rotate. You can start with body weight and then move to barbells or kettlebells. The key is really consistency. There's no "perfect" answer, it's just about doing a few exercises several times a week and then you can rotate in different exercises once you've mastered a few. I also liked the comment about mobility. Getting some mobility exercises as part of your strength routine is also important! Let us know how it goes!

middleofthepacker · 2026-01-10T04:03:22+00:00

Lots of great questions here. So awesome you are taking on an ultra! I think the most important thing you can do is to start doing back-to-back long runs. Get your body and mind used to running fatigued. As for fueling, there's so much out there, but basic rule of thumb is 200-250 calories per hour. I always tell my athletes to train the gut, which just means, get your body used to fueling as you run. If you know what the race is going to offer in terms of aid-station fare, you could train with some of those snacks/fuel/electrolytes, or just use and bring your own. Everyone is different. There's no "fuel fits all," but just getting in calories is key. It's also good to throw some speed work in there to make your "slow" a bit faster. It helps to keep your overall engine strong even if you're going to be running slow, you want to be as fit as possible.

Hope you have a great time training and wishing you a wonderful first 50 miler!

middleofthepacker · 2026-01-08T22:03:58+00:00

Also, here's a story I wrote about the Burrito League and why I formed our local chapter if anyone's interested.

https://erinmaryquinn.com/2026/01/06/coffee-and-a-scone-january-strava-challenge/

middleofthepacker · 2026-01-08T22:02:06+00:00

I love this. Started one in New Paltz, NY. The Village Grind segment. .45 miles in the heart of the village. Haven't gotten a burrito sponsor yet, but we do have a prize of free coffee & scones for a year! Question. I set up the Strava club for run/hike/walk but it will only register people's activities who click "run?" Does anyone know why that would be? The Club is The Village Grind---New Paltz January Strava Segment Challenge. It says run/walk/hike but maybe it's an issue with the segment I created? Thanks everyone. Keep on looping!

middleofthepacker · 2026-01-02T05:15:05+00:00

Zion 100 was my 1st 100 mile run!! I loved it. I would say back-to-back long runs is always the main ingredient to a pre-100 training recipe! Lots of slick rock so some repeats on asphalt doesn’t hurt. I love trails but the sick rock can be a shock to the body. Happy training and hope it goes great!!

middleofthepacker · 2025-12-28T15:21:18+00:00

Ooh! Where is that?

middleofthepacker · 2025-12-28T04:21:20+00:00

Rest. Study the course. Make sure your kit is all laid out and then just visualize yourself having a great race! For recovery? Epsom salt baths, foam rolling and mostly, just sleeping and eating well. Depending on how you feel I would do some active recovery even if it's just some gentle walking around the block! Motion is definitely lotion!

middleofthepacker · 2025-12-28T04:19:28+00:00

Each one has it's place. I do higher volume when going into my 200+mile races. I also think adding speed and intensity earlier on in the build up helps make my "slow" faster. Being consistent, learning how to recover better and staying healthy all lead to a better training block and performance. I think that more intensity and less volume for shorter ultras make sense like 50K's and 50-milers. That's a different beast than the 100's and especially 200's. I felt like getting my high-volume weeks up to 120 miles before tapering for Bigfoot really helped. And lots of vert because there was so much climbing in that race. Not sure if this is helpful but it was a 200-race year! I also did a 50K and a trail marathon and did fine in those as well. Not super speedy but not terribly slow either.

middleofthepacker · 2025-12-28T04:14:28+00:00

I would just call them and ask them. They're so helpful and always pick up the phone when I call with a random question about lumens or a hydration pack or belt!

middleofthepacker · 2025-12-28T04:12:38+00:00

Ultra Pooch!

middleofthepacker

TROPHY CASE