Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Running through the Wall

I have just finished “Running through the Wall: Personal Encounters with the Ultramarathon” edited by Neal Jamison. It was a pretty inspiring read that got me thinking about longer distance running. Given that my training runs are 3-5 miles today, I will not be entering the Hardrock 100 anytime soon.


I was surprised by the age range and motivations of the various ultramarathoners. They were young and old. They were driven by demons, desires and a sense of adventure. The stories communicated successes and failures, discretion often being the better part of valor.

I have been very intrigued by extreme endurance events. I get bored on the trainer for an hour with the benefit of a television and Netflix. I wonder how people can keep going for 24, 36 or even 48+ hours. The mental challenge is one that I am not even sure how to take up. My approach will be to gradually build up training sessions with 2 or 3 bike rides and then get back into hiking. I am hoping that climbing 14’ers will be an entry way to trail running.

My high level plan is to complete the Kaiser Colfax Marathon on May 5, 2010 and then the Bear Chase 50K run in October. The Bear Chase is held in Lakewood and I could count on some family support.

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