29 Jul 2025 2 min read

My First Time Crewing

How It Started, How It Went, What I’d Do Differently

I’ve had the joy of being crewed in my last few big races, and wow, it makes a huge difference. So when I had the chance to return the favour, I said heck yes. Enter: crewing Xavier for a 12-hour trail race.

🎯 The Goal

Race: 7K loop on a trail course
Time: 12 hours
Target: 100K total (14+ loops)
Plan: Start strong, then scale the effort as the heat cranked up to a wild 42°C

🛠️ Pre-Race Prep

I was also coaching Xavier, so I had a solid grasp of his “why” and his tendencies (aka, fast starts). I scouted the area the day before, cleared space with a weed wacker, and set up our shady base camp — tent, table, water, chairs, ice, and even a little carpet moment to keep it cozy.

Pro tip: When it’s a scorcher, shade and ice are gold. I brought so much ice and still could’ve used more.

Think salty-sweet-savory hydration heaven:

Hot dog wieners, perogies, potatoes
Watermelon, feta, olives (for the salty hits)
Chips, gels, Coke, Tailwind
BBQ, coolers, flowers and a water pump jug (yes, she’s fancy)

🏃‍♂️ Race Day Flow

I used a spreadsheet to estimate 44-minute loops — Xavier came in at 38. Good surprise, but I had to hustle to stay ahead of him. Early loops were all about fast transitions: water, gels, cold bandanna swaps, and lots of encouragement.

Adjustments along the way:

Slowed him down without killing the vibe
Managed hydration + salt based on sweat rate (light sweater = 500–700mg sodium per L)
Got creative with olives, feta and wieners for natural salt
Sponged down, massaged legs, swapped gear and electrolytes every few loops

🧠 The Mental Game

By loop 5, his knee was cranky and the heat was relentless. That’s when the real crewing kicked in, keeping his spirits up and troubleshooting on the fly. Costume changes (yes, 80’s vibes), surprise foods, quick check-ins, and even jumping in to run a loop with him helped.

Loop 10? I finally told him he was leading. His face lit up. He had a 24-minute lead — just enough to push through the last few loops.

💡 What I Learned

Crewing is a team sport.
It’s timing, intuition, preparation and vibes.
It’s knowing when to bring out the bubbles, when to tell people to stop talking, and when to pull your runner back before they blow up.

If I could do it again? I’d be more bossy (lovingly). Shorter breaks, more food on the go. Because even the best plans need tweaks when the temp hits sauna mode.