Like a lot of you right now, I'm training for the marathon. I'm slogging through those long runs, pushing my body to reach that distance that seems so incredibly long. And 26.2 miles really is long.
So what I don't get is how some of these Ultramarathoners do it! When I start feeling like I want to just stop (somewhere about 16 miles into that 20 miler) pictures of Dean Karnazes slip into mind.
I read his book a couple months ago. He's the ultra-marathoner who has done most of the most of the world's most difficult Ultras. Hundred mile races are like an easy day for him. Anyway, he's just started his quest to run 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days. Runner's World magazine has a nice interview with him about it in this month's issue. He'll be in Chicago on race day to run the LaSalle Banks Chicago marathon as part of the schedule. He'll be wearing number 36, because this will be the 36th state of his quest. He finishes number 50 in New York.
He came up with this idea because he thinks it has never been done before. But since he announced his plan, someone else went ahead and did it. Sam Thompson of Mississippi finished with his 50/50/50 late last month. The picture is from his run in Chicago. While he obviously was not here on race day, he did run the same route as the Chicago marathon. He also raised a lot of money for hurricane Katrina relief efforts.
I'd love to have the time to be able to get away to do something like that. But who am I kidding. A mile a day in 50 days in 50 states is probably about my limit.
Anyway, there is still another guy doing something like what Dean and Sam are doing. Findlay Young of London is running 24 half marathons in 24 days in major cities around the world. He's calling it 'The Geat World Run' and he'sraising money for cancer research. If you feel like joining him, he's leaving at 11am Tuesday (9/12) from the lakefront running path on Cannon Drive just south of Diversey. That's near the CARA board for those familiar with the area.
If my schedule allowed, I would be there. Instead, I'll be thinking of him, and Dean, and Sam later this week during the late stages of another 20 miler!
See you on the roads!
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