Best of luck to all of you tackling the Mountain Masochist 50m, New York Marathon, or Helen Klein Classic this weekend. If not, here are a few stories you might like to read:
Going to Extremes: Ultra Athletes Embrace the Pain - "(Runners) do it for different reasons. It's more out of pathology than passion. Look at them, what are they running away from? It may not be healthy, but it may be what they have to do to be healthy."
Saratoga Man's Limits Go Beyond Marathons - "The most dangerous word in the English language is ego. It gets more people in trouble. Leave the ego at the starting line with your stopwatch."
Try Running An Ultra (radio/mp3) - "The state of unglued is kind of hallucinating maybe. A little delusional. Grumpy, really tired, want to go to sleep. You start craving some of your favorite foods that you know you can’t eat today until you’re done."
Thx for the story links, Scott. Awefully stormy in the SF area today - may just do a stretching routine.
ReplyDeleteBarbra
Thanks for the links Scott. I've ran with Jim a few times around the bay and at TRT this year. He threw his back out really bad, but he continued and made it to the end.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I found in common in these stories is the emphasis on being positive and the camaraderie amongst the ultra runners.
Marco Denson
Hi Scott
ReplyDeleteI've just discovered your blog (having returned from a 16miler along the Rhine in Germany). As well as being a middling marathon runner - (3.31) in Berlin last month - I'm also a freelance writer, now in the process of writing up an article for Discovery Channel Magazine on the running hight. I saw your 2005 post on the subject and wondered if you'd be interested in being interviewed to talk about your own experiences? If you are, you can drop me a note at pspringett@gmail.com and we can set up a call. By the way, completely agree that it's about mile 8 when it kicks in on a long run. My own trick is to complete the long run and drink a very strong cappucino or similar. The buzz lasts for most of the day.
Nice pumpkin, must have been scary running at night on Skyline on Friday night! ;-)
ReplyDeleteGreat links, Scott.
Yes, pain but so many other great things in ultra, we are a bit crazy (like I did experience at HK again - We missed you for this great "rain return celebration" BTW! ;-).
I was expecting you running at NYC yesterday. Next year?
Jean.
Farther Faster
HK was great. First ultra ever. Umbrellas up for the efforts of the great volunteers on that race!
ReplyDeleteYour mention of those races reminds me how much I can't wait to get back to trail running -- just had Achilles surgery, so I'm on running hiatus at least til late Winter
ReplyDeleteIs ultrarunning not healthy? I get that a lot from my friends and family. They say it can't possibly be good to run that far, and I must be doing damage. Do you think I'm fooling myself in thinking a 50-miler is a healthy thing to do?
ReplyDeleteDaniel West
Daniel,
ReplyDeleteI've been running ultra's now for three years, from 30 to 100 milers, and people always ask me if my knees are still working. Well, the only serious injury I've suffered was a month ago when I joined a soccer team. My knee was very swollen after the second game, and I did not even get kicked by anyone. I could not understand that I ran 100 miles in 30 hours, and my knees were never in pain at all. Then I go play a soccer game and my knee is swollen for three days. Keep on running, that's all I can say.
Marco Denson