An Ultramarathon (just barely)

04.24.05


So, when I signed up for the Greenland Trail 50K, I didn't realize that it was technically an ultramarathon. Anyway, the longest race I had ever run was a half-marathon, so I thought this would be good enough, even though it was a little bit longer than a normal marathon. The course was about 7.5 miles, so the 50K was a four-lap race. Four laps of hell. Okay, it wasn't that terrible, but, being April, there was still quite a bit of snow and mud on the course. The fact that there were ATV tracks through the snow was supposed to help, but I found instead it had the same effect on me as trying to run on a balance beam. Keeping my strides within that small 8-10 inch tire track made me look more like a drunk failing the white line test than a marathon runner. Especially by mile 27 or 28. That was probably the most challenging thing about the course for me.

Here are some pics from that day:

Me before the punishment began.
Tova cheering me on!
Me coming into the finish at the end of lap 4...
Finally, it's over!
It felt so good to get off my feet when it was all over.

Looking back, I feel like this was a good experience, and I'm glad I did it ... but I don't think I'm going to make a habit out of ultramarathons. At least not until I'm old and I have to run slowly. I saw some things that will probably scar me for the rest of my life, including some very time-efficient people who could not bother to take more than 2 steps off the trail to relieve themselves. In fact, they didn't even bother to take their shorts down (and I'm talking numero deuce here--yeah, no joke). It goes without saying that I'm now convinced that ultramarathoners are a really tough bunch of crazy people, and I'm not really at a point where I can consider myself one of them. When I finally get over my post-race laziness and fast food spree, my next race is going to be at most a half-marathon.

Posted in Outdoors

4 Comments

  1. Lardawg Says:
    April 24th, 2005 at 10:14 AM Doug, Your reputation proceeds you. When those people saw you coming up behind them you scared them so bad they pooped their pants. Way to go man!
  2. alan Says:
    April 24th, 2005 at 10:55 AM dude, you are seriously the most hard core person ever. maybe one day i will be able to run more than 3 mi!
  3. Cyrus Says:
    April 25th, 2005 at 12:14 AM Now I feel truely sloth-arific. Hopefully my pact with a local professor will pay off and I'll get my ass back into shape. With you as my trainer Sophmore year I got into the best shape of my life...I've alays thought you awesume for that.
  4. BJ Says:
    August 29th, 2005 at 06:02 AM that was right by our house! ... let's see... when you were down our way running that, I was a couple miles away.... hmmm... probably sitting on my butt wathcing golf or something even more ridiculous. You make me feel fat, Doug. Thanks a lot for making me feel fat close to my house.

Leave a Reply