Attending the Jeopardy! TOC

For the third time, Mrs Notthat and I attended a live Jeopardy taping. For being veterans, we made a rookie mistake and almost missed out. 

Yikes!

I've previously mentioned all the details of attending a taping here and here (for that first one, COVID was still a big deal), so I'm not going to get too much into those details. If you are interested, go here to see what shows are upcoming and request some free tickets.

As we have learned, it's best to go to a morning taping since you will generally get to see three shows (the afternoon taping allows you to sleep in a bit, but you only see two shows). Our tickets said to show up by 10:00 AM, and we got there about 9:55.

And we were nearly too late.

I had failed to remember my previous posts where I recommended getting there at least 30 minutes early. When we got there, there were already a LOT of people there. We got in line and kept moving forward, until ominously, we were all told to move back a bit. They had filled all their seats, but we were on standby since they were still waiting for some contestant guests to show up. (We were told they were waiting for about a dozen people. We were fifth and sixth in line, so it felt like we had a fair chance of getting in, but there were no guarantees.)

So we stood there and waited. Finally, they decided to let a few of us in, and as it turned out, Mrs Notthat and I were the last to be let in at that session. There were about twenty people behind us - those people were told they would likely get into the 2:00 PM session (and there was a bonus third session at 4:00 PM).

I couldn't believe how close we came to missing out.

After standing in the standby line and finally getting in, we were back to waiting, this time outside the Jeopardy/Wheel of Fortune store. Mrs using the mock host podium like a bar made me laugh.

A happier picture of Mrs Notthat. Fun thing - note how tall the exclamation point is - this podium is the only place that it's like that! Next time you watch the show, you too can be an exclamation point nerd!

Once you are in though, it doesn't matter much when you got in - normal people get a blue wristband while the special guests get a purple wristband, and get seated first. 

We all walked down to the outside of the studio, then stood and waited some more.

The first two times we were there, we were seated on the contestant side - fine seats, but not the best view of the contestants. Ironically, this time, after nearly missing out on getting in, we got pretty nifty seats more centered. Even better, we were about three rows directly behind where Sam Buttrey was sitting with Ken's wife!

Important Note: You are not allowed to have your phone out at all while sitting in the studio. There are a number of people constantly watching for people trying to sneak a picture. (I talked to the main "guest relations person," whose job is not unlike herding cats, and she said if anyone is caught taking a picture, they will indeed not only make them delete the picture, but will make them go into their recently deleted folder and delete it from there as well!) It was funny - in between shows, we were standing to stretch our legs and I went to look at my watch to see if I was missing stand credits, and she told me looking at your Apple Watch is not allowed either! In any case, this is why I have no pictures of anything that happened in the studio.

Jimmy McGuire, former member of the Clue Crew who is now the MC for the taping, came up with an idea of a contest in one of the breaks. He asked me to stand up, then another guy a few rows back of me, then a couple others. One thing that was apparent was that we all had gray hair. Jimmy's idea was to have a Sam Buttrey lookalike contest. I think only one of us didn't have a beard, so that guy won. Sam pledged that this contest would never happen again. 

In between the second and third shows, we went down to the area behind the studio, where you're allowed to take pictures, and I got this shot of Sam (in the teal shirt) talking to one of the contestants. Sort of.

In the above shot, one of the TOC contestants said "hi" to Sam and Sam, who is now a Jeopardy employee, had to tell her that he could not talk to her at all (so he spent time talking to her guests instead). It was kind of odd, but it was the only time Sam wasn't bubbly. (Between the first and second shows, we stayed in the studio and ended up getting to shake Sam's hand and talk to him a bit - he really is the nicest, funniest guy in person.)

During that second break, Mrs Notthat got Sam to pose with us. If only he had a beard, I might have won that lookalike contest!

One thing I hadn't realized previously, is that the door to the contestant green room is back in this area, and we ended up seeing several of the second show's contestants hanging out with their family/friends. I had been down to this area before, but hadn't been down there in a while - I think I'll now make a point to go down there no matter what.

The walls are filled with Jeopardy memorabilia like this.

And that's about it! The shows we watched will be broadcast January 27, 28, and 29. It is a bit of a spoiler that we know who won those games, but it will still be fun watching them air - because of where we were sitting, there's also an excellent chance we can be spotted in the audience shots. 

In the end, we were there from about 10:00 to 2:30. There are no food or drinks allowed, and the bathroom is in another building and you can only go there between shows, so you need to be pretty solid during that time.

And patient. SO patient.

But it's worth it - the actual games fly by. During the first break of each game, Ken answers questions from the audience, which is fun. At the end of each game, Ken does a Q&A with the contestants that is really fun and interesting (and I think you can see them on the Jeopardy website once the episode airs). It's also fun to see the odd things they do during the breaks - the pickups where Ken may have stumbled over a word or two (Sarah the producer thought Ken was sounding too happy when he said the word "battle" and made him do a couple more takes to get it more somber!). 

What a fun morning (once the stress went away!).

That's it - move along…

Western States 100 2024 - Last Chance Aid Station

The big question on my mind this year was whether we would be able to take the normal route to the wide spot in the dirt road that is the Last Chance aid station, or would we have to take a round-about route that nearly involves crossing state lines, as we did last year? 

The winter was pretty generous, so the doubts were justified, but the winter had been nothing like the 2022/2023 winter that had washed out chunks of the Mosquito Ridge Road, making it impassable. 

So yes, we got to use the normal route, and it was interesting to see the several places that had been extensively repaired as we drove in.

My motel room for the night, heading out on Mosquito Ridge Road.

Some Last Chance Basics

Last Chance actually shows up on some maps, although you may have to zoom in a bit. Maybe a lot. Find Foresthill, and just before it is Mosquito Ridge Road. Trace that road for about 24 miles and you may see something called Greekstore. Before that, there was an easy to miss left turn towards Dusty Corners (which will not show up on any maps) and Last Chance. Back in the gold rush era, Last Chance was a boom town. Now, all you see are random scattered mining bits here and there - it's really hard to envision anyone living here.

As major medical aid station, Last Chance, at an altitude of about 4700 feet, is on mile 43.3 of the Western States 100 course. It's remote, with little to no cell service, no electricity, and no Starbucks. It also does not allow runner crews and is before you can have a pacer. This means we have the complete attention of the runners. Especially due to what comes next - the first of the really hot canyons.

Out of the 50 or so volunteers that make up the Last Chance aid station, probably 30 or so show up on Friday and camp out. (People coming in Saturday have to get there fairly early since the road between Dusty Corners and Last Chance is closed due to it being part of the course. But those people didn't spend Friday feeding the mosquitos, so there is that.) Also, since that road is closed, you can't leave Last Chance until the last runner comes through, about 5:30 PM.

Friday Set Up

For the 13th straight year (not counting the 2020 cancellation), I headed up Friday morning, stopping at the WSER warehouse to pick up and fill a bunch of water jugs, as well as some other supplies. As has become normal for us now, our ice was taken in a trailer to the Dusty Corners aid station, where we could grab it in the morning, reducing the melt waste we would normally deal with. One change though was that, instead of a trailer bringing up a large water tank for us, we would rely on about 40 5-gallon jugs to supply drinking water and the water for the Car Wash, where we cool off the runners.

Eventually, I arrived at Last Chance, and was surprised to see a fair number of people already there! I was not surprised to find that the mosquitos were also already there - they had really missed us and wanted to make up for lost time.

After unloading the van, it was time to start putting up the signs. I set up two sets of "Burma Shave" style signs at the entrance and many personalized signs a bit after the aid station exit. (Click HERE to see a post about the signs.)

After all that was done, it was starting to get a bit dark, so the gas campfire was started and the circle of chairs around it started to fill with volunteers. 

Photo by Peggy. All campfires should have a set of porta-potties close at hand!

Saturday Morning - Getting Ready for Action!

My normal breakfast for this event is yogurt with granola. That may change now - about halfway through eating it I heard and felt a tooth fracture on a particularly stubborn piece of granola. The good news was that it only hurt if I chewed on it. The bad news was that this was going to make eating just about anything a challenge. (I've since had several dentists look at the tooth and the consensus is that it has to go. And that granola is evil. But tasty.) Fortunately, I was able to mostly just ignore the tooth during the day.

Fairly early in the morning, three of us drove back to Dusty Corners to grab the ice we would need (spoiler alert: It was a lot, like well over a thousand pounds a lot). Then, while the food prep started to get serious, we set up the Car Wash.

Runners can get sprayed, showered, or sponged, often all at the same time as ice is being shoved in their sleeves, hat, bandana, or other, ummm, creative places.

This year we were back to embracing the ice water buckets (which were strongly discouraged in '21 and '22). Alert readers will note, in the above picture, we've learned to cover the area in front of the table and ice buckets with pine needles, which greatly reduces the mud we would normally see. 

Then it was time for the pre-race briefing. As a surprise, Lon, the longtime guru who organizes all of the 20 aid stations, showed up for the briefing. There was the normal overview of how Last Chance works, along with descriptions of the various volunteer positions available.

Lon, along with Last Chance captains Bonnie, Peggy, and Eric. I like how it looks like they are all looking at a particularly fierce mosquito.

After that, Peggy gave Friends of The Trail awards to the two longtime medical volunteers, Ted (the dad) and Andrew (his son). The family that pops blisters together, well, they get awards together?

Finally, it was time for Lon to take the stage. Lon is stepping down from his role with the race after this year, so we thought maybe he was just visiting his favorite aid station one last time. (I'm sure he thinks of all 20 of the aid stations as his children, and as such, would never pick a favorite. But if he did, it would be Last Chance.)

It turns out that Peggy hit a milestone this year - her 15th as a Last Chance aid station captain. Lon presented her with a copy of John Trent's book about the race "Second Sunrise" and the highly prestigious Stationmaster Award. 

Eric, Peggy (holding the Stationmaster Award, which I feel like she should have to wear like a badge), Bonnie (holding the book), and Lon (doing a jazz hand?).

Now it was time for the group shots. 

Group shot I took with my phone.

Group shot Jill took with my 35mm camera (which was acting up) that included me (on the far right) and the radio grandkids (in front). This was our "be goofy" shot.

Group shot of all the Stevens Creek Striders members.

Shot of the Last Chance captains by the new Last Chance flag!

It was about this time that we heard that the leaders were going to show up soon, so we all headed off to make last minute preparations.

The Runners Start Showing Up

In the past, we would typically get two, or maybe three runners near the course record pace, then we would have some time before the next few showed up. 

Not this year.

The first 17 runners came in within a 16 minute time span. There was no time to geek out over the elites - and while many of them skipped the buffet, they all wanted ice and to get cooled off. 

We were like a NASCAR pit crew, minus the power tools. Tyler would go on to finish seventh.

Mandie the greeter snagging Anna's bottle as she entered Last Chance.

Kaci, the Pixie Ninja, double-high fiving another runner at the Car Wash!

Eventually we would get short breaks between runners, which allowed us to get fresh ice and fill the buckets and sprinklers. It was really starting to warm up by this point - I put a thermometer in the sun and it was up to 100º, which is a bit unfair until you realize that the climb up to Devil's Thumb is going to be completely exposed as a result of the wildfire a couple years ago. So, 100º it is!

Some running friends started showing up as well - I missed a few as I was busy restocking the ice and such, but managed to capture a few.

John on his way to his third finish, looking WAY too perky still!

Liz gulping a Ginger Ale before heading out. (I am NOT going to point out that she let out a massive belch at about this time.)

Brazen Sam also on his way to his third finish! 

Franco may have been the only runner we saw wearing gloves!

I hadn't known it at the time, but Loren was carrying the bib of a runner that sadly passed away before the race started. An amazing gesture that captured the spirit of this race so well.

Loren: "I'VE LOST MY SUNGLASSES!!!"

And before we knew it, it was all over. We ended up with three runners missing our cutoff, which is about average. 

As has become my norm, once everything was packed up and ready to go (not a trivial process), I chose to head straight home without stopping at the track to see the finish (the winners had long since crossed the line), in part because of my tooth, but mostly because I was exhausted.

Some Stats Most Will Find Wildly Boring

Like all aid stations along the course, there are several times posted that a runner can use to gage their pace and chances of finishing, either under the 24 hour finish pace or the 30 hour pace. These times are based on historical averages, but I've always been curious how it actually works out. The following covers all runners that came into Last Chance from 4:00 on (79 runners, 42 of which finished, although two of those finished after the 30 hour cutoff).

Curious note: Last year, we had 92 runners come in after 4:00, and 69 of those finished - a 75% finish rate. This year's numbers were quite different (79 runners with 42 finishing - a 53% rate). Overall, in 2023 there was an 86.5% finish rate, while in 2024, there was a 76.3% finish rate. I'm not sure what might explain this difference between the two years.

For Last Chance:

• 24 hour pace: 2:05
• 30 hour pace: 4:20
• Final cutoff: 5:25

Here is a chart that shows the finish time of each runner that entered Last Chance after 4:00 and managed a finish (two of these finished over the 30 hour cutoff).

Gaps are runners that didn't finish. Click or tap this to see it larger, if you find such things irresistible.

Note the one runner that finished in just a bit over 26 hours - that runner had a heck of a finishing kick!

This chart shows how far each of the 79 runners managed to get before either finishing or dropping.

Of the 31 runners that came in between 4:00 and the 4:20 pace time, 25 finished. From 4:20 to 4:59, 29 runners came in and 14 of those finished (one past the 30 hour cutoff though). That's nearly a 50% finish rate of people that were officially behind the finish pace. Those runners closed very nicely.

From 5:00 up to the last runners to enter Last Chance, 19 runners came in, and three of those finished (one past the 30 hour cutoff though)! The last runner to come into Last Chance and managed a finish came in at 5:07 - 47 minutes past the projected 30 hour pace!

The lesson is that it isn't a fantasy that those runners coming through so late have a realistic chance of finishing - they really do! Maybe they will get to soon start working with their crew and pacers, and that makes the difference. Maybe night running is their thing.

Maybe that second scoop of ice in their bandana and that third piece of watermelon is just what they needed, and it's now game on!

And That's About It!

As always, a huge thanks to Stevens Creek Striders for managing this aid station (astonishingly, their 42nd year doing that - the most years of any of the aid station by a fair amount!) and allowing myself and many other non-Striders to become honorary Striders for the day.

It really is a pretty amazing experience to be there helping the runners all day - it's a fair amount of work, but there is fun to be had as well. And you get the chance to make connections with so many runners - working with them at a critical moment in their race.

That's it - move along…

Western States 100 2024 - Last Chance Aid Station - The Signs

For the last 12 years while volunteering at the Last Chance aid station, I have put up a few signs for various runners I know (plus recently, for other runners that friends know and request a sign for). There are also a few general purpose signs to distract the runners that may not see a sign specific for them. These are placed a bit after the runners leave the aid station - there is a small hill that I start putting them on. I've also recently added a couple sets of "Burma Shave" style signs just before the aid station's entrance.

Also recently, Oscar has started making some signs of his own that I pick up on Friday morning and put up for him. In the end there are about 60 or so signs total. 

I've had runners totally miss seeing their sign, while others will actually stop and take a selfie with theirs. I can imagine they can be a little overwhelming after a bit, but hopefully they are mostly a nice momentary distraction from what they are facing - the first of the really hot canyons and the climb up to Devil's Thumb.

Fun thing: In 2016 Billy Yang made the movie "Life in a Day" about the race that year. If you haven't watched that movie, you really should (it's free on YouTube). The really cool thing, and one of the things that inspires me to keep making these signs, is a bit in that movie that starts around 33 minutes in with Devon at the Last Chance aid station (we are almost never shown in any WSER clips since we are really remote, but that year Billy chose to meet up with Devon here and go with her from there.) Devon is in a really low spot at this point. She's walking out with Billy and really dealing with a race that is not going how she expected. And then she sees the signs. And even better, she sees a sign for her (actually made by one of the other volunteers - I bring supplies so others can add signs if they would like). That moment is glorious. (Devon ended up finishing in well under 20 hours in third place, and I credit that sign for some of that!)

Coming into Last Chance

The runner's view heading into Last Chance.

I created the ones on the left four or five years ago - I thought it would be fun to have a set of signs that harkened back to the old Burma Shave signs that used to appear along the highways. 

The ones on the right were created in 2021 when Tony "The Endorphin Dude" was running the race. (Originally, the last one said "Crush it Tony!" I changed it to "Crush it Runners!" to make it more generic so that I could keep putting them up.) Tony is infamous for making a "joke" when he comes into an aid station about how the previous aid station threw a soda at him. (A couple years ago a runner came up to me and asked if I was responsible for those signs - after being assured she wasn't a lawyer, I confessed, and she confessed that they really made her laugh. Runners are odd.)

General Purpose Signs

These are signs that are not specific to anyone that get put up every year. Most are just mixed in with the specific signs, but a few end up in the aid station itself.

Here is a shot showing some of the signs along the trail after the runners leave the aid station.

Last year I put the signs up way too bunched together - it was not possible to casually walk and read them all without stopping. Runners don't like to stop. So I spread them out this year. A lot.

Specific Signs I Made

These are the signs I made specifically for the 2024 race.

I asked Jasmin if she had any thoughts about a sign for Sam (from Brazen Racing) this year. She suggested that it had to somehow mention the recent Fiandaca family DNFs at this event.

Dave was the designated runner for the Last Chance aid station (all aid stations get to supply a runner). Sadly, he did not get to see his sign.

About a month before the race, Baldwyn managed to fall off Fergie the horse, and break three ribs. The smart money was on Baldwyn not being able to run this race. The smart money lost. (The drawing was done by Baldwyn, and I thought it was too good not to add to the sign.)

I had several people ask for a sign for Soren. He finished in just over 29 hours, and was the first "Golden Hour" finisher! (Fun thing: He actually ended up getting this sign after the race. Runners are always welcome to take their sign if they want, but that doesn't happen very often for a variety of reasons. I have a large stack of old signs hanging around for just in case though!)

Katherine mentioned that John likes haikus, so we worked together to come up with this. I think it is genius. Fun thing: After the race I noticed the sign had folded over in the sun, so I doubted he saw it. He sent me a picture proving he saw it, and responded with a slightly illegal haiku himself:

I am too tired

For responding in haiku

I must recover

I was born in Kansas, and so have always considered Kaci to be a kindred spirit from Nebraska. I always make a sign for her. Above is the second sign that was made for her (and the one that was used). The first sign I made for her I decided was was way too cluttered and hard to read.

I wanted to make the "10th finish" bit be a subtle background, but it just turned into a mess.

Katherine and Diane provided input on this - particularly the "Race hair don't care 'till you get there!" bit.

This was requested by Michael.

This was requested by Janeth and Miki.

This was requested by Kiran. I tried to draw a pair of gloves, but wow are those awkward gloves! (Baban is known for often wearing enormous gloves!) And it is super cool that Baban not only saw this, but took a selfie with it!

Mandie requested this sign.

Alison's squeeze Chris provided input on this sign. (If you are wondering, that stick figure is Chris and next to him is Trixie, their dog, sitting. I have never been accused of being an artist.)

Josam requested this sign - he had sketched how it should look, but I did not do a great job of replicating that sketch. Still…

For the first time since 2019, we had a runner get their tenth finish. And wouldn't you know it, there were three that did it (including Kaci!).

There were seven runners that got in with 256 tickets! That's nine years of qualifying and sitting through the lottery! These people persevered!

Josam suggested something like this for Loren.

Pen started out as number 43 on the wait list. A lot of us spent the winter and spring watching her slowly move towards the top of the list. In the end, she was number five, and did not get in. I put the sign up anyway, so all the runners could marvel at the word "Pentastic!" (Josam helped with this one too.)

This one was requested by Andrea. I didn't get any ideas for it, but Instagram provided enough info to put this together.

This also came from Andrea (from Youa). I thought the Long Island line was funny. Probably it was just confusing.

From Michael and Josam.

Franco got in with 128 tickets! Eight years of qualifying before finally getting drawn!

Signs Provided By Oscar

Oscar and I don't talk about who we are making signs for beforehand, so there ends up being some duplication, although they generally end up with very different looks and themes, so it's all good! (And I believe it's his wife that's the artist.)

And That's It!

I know that was a lot - I'm impressed you made it this far!

That's it - move along…