Scott’s Blog

Twenty minutes and counting and I’m ready to rip roar around Mont Blanc Massif! The thunderstorms have ceased for the moment but it looks like it’s going to be a wet night.

You can follow the race live here:

My crew will be doing updates whenever possible on Twitter: @scottjurek

Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc LIVE Page: UTMB LIVE

Ultrafondus Live Page (will have live info and video in French & English): Ultrafondus

My race number (dosier in French): 19

For pre-race interviews with some of the top competitors, check out iRunFar.

For the fourth year in a row, I find myself back in Chamonix excited to circumnavigate Mont Blanc with the world’s best “trailers.” I haven’t had my day here but I am feeling in the best shape I have ever been for this world class event.

I relocated to Boulder, CO for the past two months to get my sea-level lungs ready for the oxygen deprived air in the Alps. Tony Krupicka has been a regular sidekick for high altitude exploits. It has been a pleasure sharing time on and off the trail with this great athlete.

Not only is he a phenomenal runner, but he’s also an exceptional writer and you can browse photos and read about our adventures on his blog.

I also had the pleasure of hanging out with Kilian Jornet. I made him lunch (he’s mostly vegetarian) and taught him how to slackline, which he was quite good at on his first try!

At the end of July, I headed back to Seattle for an all time favorite race, the White River 50 Mile Trail Championships. I shaved 11 minutes off my PR and came in 4th amongst a deep field – a good that sign that the Boulder training is working!

It was great to see friends like RD Scott McCoubrey who puts on a fantastic race year after year.

Congrats to the winners Tony and Meghan!

A few days later I went to Outdoor Retailer in Salt Lake City with Brooks Sports where we unveiled the new Cascadia 6 which will be released spring ’11! I participated in the Uphill Challenge against Jared Campbell. Fun stuff, though to be honest, I prefer trails to treadmills.

One of the downsides of doing the Uphill Challenge is being a sweaty mess for the rest of the day. However it didn’t dissuade this “monkey” from talking to me.

Alex Honnold is one crazy mofo climber and is training to run his first ultra this fall. I watched his short film, “Alone on the Wall,” last year and was inspired by his mental fortitude while doing the first ever ropeless climb of Yosemite’s sheer 2000 ft wall of Half Dome. I highly recommend watching the series, “First Ascent,” made by my talented friends at Sender Films.

After the tradeshow, I traveled to France and immediately spent four days fast-packing around Mont Blanc for a little course recon, sleeping up high in the refugios.

Upon my return, I got my chef on by making vegan Thai Red and Green curry for 50+ people at an outdoor dinner sponsored by Brooks Sports France. Mount Banc and the mountains looking over Chamonix made for an incredible backdrop!

I spent the last few days relaxing, making final preps for my race, and getting the gear dialed for the “big loop.” Big thanks to my fun and hard working crew!

Congrats and thank you to UTMB RD Catherine Poletti for all the incredible work and energy she and her husband Michel put into making this the world’s best 100 mile event!

Feeling ready to go like I never have been before for UTMB! Merci pour votre support!

“You never know how strong you are, until being strong is the only choice you have.” -unknown

I am in Brive-la-Gaillarde, France watching the foreboding dark sky make lakes in the hotel parking lot. It is two days before the IAU World 24 Hour Championships where I will be taking a third crack at the classic and grueling 24-Hour ultramarathon event.

As I watch the large drops pelt the ground, I prepare my mind for what it will be asking my body to do in less than 48 hours. Of course the obvious question is “why?” Or at least that is what most people ask. Running around a 0.7 mile loop for 24 hours is hard even for an avid runner to comprehend. If you ask ultrarunners and those who follow my running career you would get a slew of answers. Some would say “He’s got to show us he still has it.” “He’s in a slump.” “He hasn’t won a major race since ’08.” “He’s gotta keep winning, keep inspiring.” or “Is he still running from something?”

Although those questions I shrug off, the thoughts that do go through my head are the recent loss of my mother and how I will run in memory of her. When the discomfort and fatigue become unbearable I will run because I can.

But the reasons go deeper than that. On the surface I have always had both intrigue and distaste for the 24 Hour ultra discipline. It is very similar to other ultramarathon events. The requirements on the body, mind, and soul to “go beyond” are really no different. But there appears to be something that puts a different twist on what I normally have come to expect in an ultra. Like James Shapiro, the 24 Hour “seemed like the perfect tool to pry me open and see what I am made of.”

Take away the mountain passes and wildflowers, take away the point to point course and goal of a destination, and I am left with a 0.7 mile path and the movement of my feet.

I have the utmost respect for my buddy Mark Godale’s eleven year old US 24 Hour Road record of 162 miles and the legendary Yannis Kouros’ world record of 180 miles. Following my winning performances at the Spartathlon, I started to think that I might have what it would take to break Godale’s inspiring record. Even though I preferred to head to the mountains, the US 24 Hour Road Record remained on my checklist and possessed an element of intrigue despite having raced ultras for sixteen years. It was the one way to see how I stacked up against the legends of the sport.

After pulling the plug at the Ultracentric 24 Hour in 2008 due to a non record breaking course and the Northcoast 24 Hour in 2009 due to not being recovered from the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc, I decided that the 2010 IAU World 24 Hour Championships in Brive-la-Gaillarde, France would be the place to fully embrace the challenge of the 24- Hour.

The 1.25 km (0.78 mile) course of pavement and dirt was full of tight “Formula One” turns.

We line up in the city center and as we wind through town a Spaniard is leading the pack. My pace starts out a little bit fast before I get into a rhythm which is hard to do with 229 starters bunched up in groups around the course. I feel light and fast on my feet, and wonder if the Brooks Green Silence would be too little shoe for the mileage that lay ahead.

The first three hours go smoothly, clicking along at a 7:00/mile pace. Lee Dong Mun of South Korea blows by me around the marathon mark along with Shingo Inoue of Japan a few laps later. The course twists and turns over a mix of pavement and hard packed dirt with two hills that add up to 10 feet of elevation gain per 1.25 km lap. Not the perfect world record course, but one that will poke and prod us along like voodoo dolls.

I decide to hold off on music for the first eight hours, saving it as a special treat when the night will set in. The next six hours becomes a schedule of eating, drinking and running. I pass through the mat and timing building, 6:15, 6:20, 6:15, and lap by lap it goes on. Darkness sets in and I put the tunes on. The music takes the edge off the pain and the repetitive cycle I have put myself in. Shingo holds a couple lap lead, and I let him go. Maybe he will crack and a lot of race is left. I will run my race.

By 12 hours, I curse the monotony, but I knew that this would be part of the journey. I am reminded of what my yoga instructor “Big Bill” says with booming certainty as I struggle to hold a pose, “This is what you came for.”

As the night hours wear on I feel an electric energy when I run by dancing and partying spectators cheering on runners in the timing building and outside along the parking lot, and from the locals imbibing at the pub adjacent to the course, yelling enthusiastic encouragement and occasionally drunken jeers. At other times a stillness and loneliness exists on the far reaches of the course with only the sound of the river massaging the rocks, the wind combing the leaves of the trees, and the birds welcoming a new day.

More running, eating, drinking goes on as my laps slow. I continue to run with no walking for 16 hours. I don’t puke, roll on the ground in pain, nor have to leap over rattlesnakes (although I make 6 trips to the bathroom). But I face the hardest mental and spiritual challenge in my career. There are times when I don’t even notice what music is playing on my iPod, what my crew says to me as I run by, or what the other runners say as I pass them in the predawn hours. The great Kouros has described being out of his body and looking down at it while churning out his record performances. I don’t know if I see my body, but I seem to be somewhere else.

Sometimes my senses are so attune to taste, smell, touch, and sounds, while other times I am totally immune to what information they try to bring in. In some ways this is better. A certain comfort exists in not knowing what my body is sensing.

If the other ultramarathon events require razor sharp focus, the 24-Hour requires laser sharp focus that is almost supernatural, not manmade. The Samauri called it “Bushido” and yogis refer to it as “Sankalpa.” I summon my bushido and sankalpa and hunker down in a rhythm that will propel me into the morning light. The darkness is lonely, but I trust in the light ahead. I keep repeating, “This is what you came for. This is what you came for…”

I think of my mother who had almost every voluntary function of her body stripped away at the prime of her life. She never complained and even on her last day as I held her and saw the fear of death in her eyes she whispered “I’m tough.” My mother inspires me to live in the moment, and find joy in the challenging times. And so I press on.

As the dawn approaches and the sun rising, I know I am still on pace to break the American record with a little cushion. Team USA coach Mike Spindler does a great job of giving me splits and lap counts the last five hours. As I come closer the record, the announcer keeps the growing crowd of spectators updated on my progress as I approach the 162 mile mark. Even other runners are now yielding to let me pass as they cheer “Allez, Go Scott! U-S-A!”

As I pass through the aid tent on the record breaking lap, Team USA coach Roy Pirrung hands me an American flag which I proudly hold overhead as I cross the mat making it official. I feel honored to be running for my country. In the final hour with the clock winding down, several runners are hoisting their national flags as proud representatives of this world class event.

My crew runs out to cheer for me on my final lap. When the clock hits 10:00 am Friday morning, an official is there to mark my final distance on the course. In some ways, it is anticlimactic because everybody doesn’t cross a common finish line. But there is still something special about making it to each of our own final finishing marks. My mark is 165.7 miles and it is an incredible feeling to finally arrive.

In the 24-Hour there is no finish line, just a moment in time when the mind will let the body stop. Just like all ultras the 24-Hour is analogous to life. In life there is no finish line. We all need to keep living, exploring, moving forward, despite what life delivers, to the moment in time when our body and mind let go.

Turns out Shingo was on a mission of his own. He broke the Japanese 24-Hour record by a mere 300 meters. The third place finisher, Ivan Cudin also broke the Italian national record, making the top three men new national record holders. Anne Cecille took gold and set an astounding French national record of 149 miles, just missing the world record.

Team USA men placed third for the bronze medal with a heroic late surge and PR by Michael Henze and a solid PR performance by Serge Arbona. The women’s team placed fourth lead by Anna Piskorska, Deb Horn and Susanna Bon.

I want to thank my all star crew, my teammates, Team USA staff, the IAU, USATF, Brive-la-Gaillarde race committee and my sponsors. Last but not least, I want to thank Mark Godale for setting the bar high and inspiring me to raise it a little higher.

Some say, “The Jurker is back” but I say I never left. We usually don’t know why, nor maybe never will, but in the moment may we know that THIS is what we came for!

Final Race Results
Running USA News Wire 5/16/10
USA TODAY Names Scott Athlete of the Week 5/17/10
Scott in the New York Times

Less than eight hours before the gun goes off in Chamomix, France for the 2009 Ultra Trail Tour du Mont Blanc! I am ready to rip and roar on this 166 km course that I have come up short the past two years. Third time is a charm!

Here are the details for following the race:

My crew will do their best to post updates on Twitter when possible. Follow me on Twitter: @scottjurek

Live UTMB webcast: UTMB home page

Click on UK flag for website in English.
Follow link to the LIVE coverage. The Live Webcast will probably only be in French, but you should be able to navigate it fairly

My race number (dosier in French): 4073

Fellow Americano friends running the race:
Jenny Uehisa 3403
Krissy Moehl 2477
John Stamstad 4026
Topher Gaylord 11
Joe Grant 2118
Jamshid Khajavi 313
Kim Gaylord 9543 (running TDS race)

Bon course! to all runners including my friends from all over the globe who will be running around Mt Blanc!

I also posted a small photo album of a week in Chamonix on my Facebook Fan Page. Check out some of the scenery I will be enjoying on race day!

Finally a big thank you to all the support and encouragement all of you have sent my way over here in France! Thank you to my sponsors Brooks Sports, Green Foods, & Pro-Tec.

Since racing season is in full swing, I thought I’d share my latest recipe for condensed liquid calories and protein. There’s been a lot of debate on the benefits of protein during endurance events. While many products extol the virtues, most research has not found a

direct link between protein and enhanced performance. One may think the calories from the fat and protein eaten while running provides energy, but that’s not the case. Our bodies have enough stored fat to provide energy at low to moderate intensities, and ideally we should not be burning protein for fuel. For higher intensities, carbohydrate is the fuel of choice. We usually have only 60-90 minutes of stored carbohydrate in the muscles (i.e. glycogen) at our disposal. Any additional carbohydrate needs to come from food we ingest. So, from a scientific view we really only need to eat or drink carbohydrate for optimal energy levels.

So why might we want to eat protein and fat while exercising? Why do we crave the fat and protein on long runs? Although the jury is still out, I have found protein and fat to be beneficial during ultra endurance events (i.e. those lasting 3+ hours) for the following reasons:

1. Fat and protein give a feeling of satiety.
2. The presence of protein and fat lower the glycemic index (sugar spike effect) of carbohydrates.
3. They break up the carbohydrate taste bud monotony. We all know that eating carbs in the form of gels and drinks can get old, so the protein and fat can refresh the palette.

During racing and training, I always make sure I consume enough carbohydrates every 20-30 minutes and I have found it helpful to incorporate protein and fat. I prefer to get those from whole foods such as bean & rice burritos, energy bars, and liquids (i.e. shake or smoothie) regularly throughout a race. Over the years, I’ve used a drink called “Balanced” that no longer was available due to the company reformulating the product. I was forced to find an alternative protein “meal in a can” drink. A number of people use “meal in a can” drinks like Boost and Ensure that contain dairy and lesser quality ingredients. So I went to the labratory (aka my kitchen) to create my own vegan concoction.

There are many protein powders on the market, but I use Jarrow Soy Essence because it is less processed, non GMO, and fermented for better digestibility. And it tastes good and easily dissolves into most liquids!

Protein On the Run

2 tablespoons Jarrow Soy Essence Protein Powder
8 oz rice milk*

Combine ingredients and shake, blend or whisk until smooth.

If you want to add more carbohydrate calories, add 1 tablespoon of agave nectar, brown rice syrup, or other sweetener. Other options include ½ banana or 1-2 dates. For more sodium, add ¼ sea salt.

* making your own rice milk is easy and reduces the waste produced from containers.

1 cup of cooked white or brown rice
3 cups water
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon agave nectar, brown rice syrup or other sweetener

Combine ingredients in blender and blend for 2 minutes until smooth. If the texture is grainy, strain through cheesecloth or fine strainer.

Newsflash: I’m alive and running!! Pardon the silence but it seems I’ve been too busy living my life to blog about it. Many have asked what I did during my break, so here is a quick and colorful recap…

At the end of November, I headed down to So Cal to volunteer at the Santa Barbara 9 Trails Race (aka the Rose Valley 33 Mile Endurance Run). My good buddy Luis did a fantastic job re-routing the entire course to Ojai at the last minute due to several trail and road closures brought on by the Santa Barbara Tea Fire just a few weeks prior to race day.

I refilled water bottles, cheered runners on and soaked up some Vitamin D at an aid station on Nordoff Ridge for most of the morning until Luis put me to work on the grill. Hey, who said vegans can’t make a mean burger?!?!

While it may be hard to sit on the sidelines a race, it is very rewarding, not to mention a ton of fun to give back the sport we all love. If it were not for volunteers, most running races would not happen. Check with your local race directors and running clubs to see how you can help others have a fantastic race experience!

While I was in town, I gave a free pre race slide show on race day nutrition at the Santa Barbara Running Company.

Back in Seattle, I did some trail maintenance and worked on a new trail at Cougar Mountain with the Issaquah Trails Club. Trail maintenance is vital to the preservation of the trails we all enjoy. With the drop in governmental funding for parks and trails throughout the country it is imperative that we pick up a shovel, pick mattock, or McLeod. While it may seem like a thankless job, there is nothing like seeing the fruits of your labor the next time you pass that maintained section of single track. And if you worry that you are missing a run by working on the trails, never fear as trailwork will definitely work you over both aerobically and anaerobically. Just insert some rock splitting and removal to your training plan!

To get involved with trail building and maintenance check with your local hiking clubs, trail work organizations, government land management agencies, trail race directors, or American Trails.

I also gave a presentation at Starbucks Headquarters which was chronicled on the Brooks blog.

What else did I do while on my running hiatus? I spent a lot of time enjoying the wilderness in other capacities like backpacking and hiking…

surfing, sailing,…

and even some rock climbing!

Having more down time made it possible for me to explore various farmers markets (Ballard, University District, Ojai, Ventura), harvest fruit, and make food for friends.

“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.”
– JRR Tolkien

At the end of January, I attended the Outdoor Retailer show to promote the latest version of the Brooks Cascadia 4 which won the “Editor’s Choice” award in Runners World’s “Spring 2009 Trail Shoe Guide.” If you pick up a pair, the insoles have my course record from Western States 100 printed on them.

My racing season began in early February when I flew to Costa Rica to participate in the 6 day Coastal Challenge.

Needless to say, I was a bit out of shape for this but had a blast! I’ll post a race report and photos next time…

Thanks for staying tuned in!

Photo credits: Luis Escobar, J. Vargas

So you may be wondering why I’ve been off the blog for a stint. I’ve been on what I call “winter hibernation,” where I recharge my batteries so to speak, both mentally and physically. I just needed some down time from running.

So what exactly have I been doing for the past month and a half other than not blogging? Not running! When I say “not running,” I mean NOT running. I’ve always taken 4 – 6 weeks off at the end of every race season to let my muscles and mind mend from the long months of hard racing and training. I truly believe this recovery period has been instrumental in enabling me to churn out top race results year after year.

I first began “hibernating” in my nordic skiing days. At the end of the ski season, the snow would start to melt away, and suitable ski conditions along with it. The warm temps and slush caused me to lose motivation to ski or even cross train. So instead of becoming depressed, I embraced the opportunity to take a complete rest from all types of specific training. Although it seemed unnatural at first, it later felt like the right thing to do. I started recognizing it was not only beneficial physically, but also mentally. Following the hibernation period I was ready to start running and cross training with a newly found enthusiasm for my goals for next season.

Then in my first couple years of ultrarunning, I came across the book Train Hard, Win Easy: The Kenyan Way by Toby Tanser. Tanser traveled to Kenya to learn the Kenyan secrets of success. He interviewed the Kenyan elite and coaches to better understand their training philosophies. A recurrent theme in their philosophies was the importance of rest and recovery during the offseason. Yes, even the Kenyans lay on the couch at the end of their season! Many of the athletes refer to taking time off in which they do not run a single step, sometimes for two months.

Top marathoner, Moses Kiptanui, states that he takes a two month break after the race season. 800 meter runner, Nixon Kiprotich describes the importance of the break for an “opportunity to relax, put on a few pounds, and catch up on family life he has missed while spending the summer on the European circuit.”

So not only was taking a break backed up by the Kenyans, but the restocking of my fat stores was given Kenyan approval. Even though I usually put on a few pounds during all of my breaks, I never worry about it. After a couple of good base building months I am back to my normal body composition. So stop feeling guilty about those pounds you packed on during the holidays!

Cosmas Ndeti says “The marathon recovery cannot be hurried; I like to eat well and spend time with my children, then begin a hard buildup.”

I have been eating well, while my break has hardly been hurried. What I thought would be 4 weeks turned into 6 weeks, and no it was not spent in front of a tv on the couch. I have been enjoying getting back in touch with some of the activities and friends that I was not able to keep up with during my busy travel and racing schedule. The break has been physically and mentally refreshing. In my next posts I will be giving the full rundown of what I did to get recharged and what lies ahead in 2009!

So the lessons learned from the Kenyans and the art of hibernation:

1. Take a hibernation break at the end of every season.
2. During the break, run as few steps as possible.
3. Eat well and don’t be afraid to put on a few pounds.
4. Make time for friends, family, and life outside of running.
5. Hibernate four to eight weeks or until fully recharged!

Many of you have been wondering what happened at Ultracentric and why I have not posted sooner. I decided to let the dust settle a bit before posting a race report. A lot of critical comments have been posted on the Ultra list and I wanted to focus on what I have learned from my experience last weekend. All too often emotions run wild, and I feel it is best to sit back and contemplate a bit.

Upon arriving to check out the race course on Friday, I was shocked to see the amount of climbing and descending on the 1.15 mile loop. I had been told and it was posted on the website that the loop was flat and fast with nine and a half feet of gain. I decided against using my altimeter to measure the elevation gain and loss and would just accept the course as it was presented. Too late now. I had spent too much time and money, as well as extending my training and racing season to let the course derail my plans for an American record. Mental outlook is so important prior to a big performance. Plus, I had my friend and crew member Justin, telling me the hills were no big deal. I knew it wasn’t true, but the positive talk was appreciated.

On Saturday at the start it would have been easy to complain about the weather as it was 35-40 degrees with 30 mph gusts and a steady 15-20 mph wind. The temps were supposed to warm to a perfect 55-60 degrees and I felt that I could deal with the wind as it was supposed to decrease late in the day and throughout the night. I settled into a rhythm running 6:30 pace. It was a little faster than I had planned. I knew I would back off to 7:00-7:15 pace as planned. I enjoyed the company of Seth, a 2:26 marathoner from Salt Lake doing his first ultra, and Elijah an East African who was also participating in his first ultra. It was a pleasure meeting and running with both of these talented athletes.

As the miles clicked by I began to memorize all the intricate details of the course. I learned where the cambers of the pavement and the tangents met each other so as to keep a balance between running on level pavement as much as possible without losing too much of the tangent line. The hills seemed manageable, but I knew in the back of my mind that these hills would become mountains late into the race. On the back side of the course one hill was made particularly difficult because of the wind. It not only consisted of a nice climb, but 30 mph wind blowing right into my face. It became the worst stretch on the course and I tried to waltz through this section as smoothly as possible. It was too early to expend more energy than needed.

A benefit of 24-hour races is having fellow runners pass by and offer encouragement. It was a pleasure to share some quick exchanges with runners I have known for years, as well as runners I was meeting for the first time. I was impressed with the 48-hour runners as they had been on the course for over 24 hours and still had another day to go!

The volunteers and those that came to offer their support were wonderful. They gave a good Texan welcome to all the runners and I would like to thank all of those who helped out with this event.
I came through the marathon at 3:04. I was right on schedule with my splits. I was hoping for a 3:05-10 marathon split. The hills were making my splits tougher to attain, but I stuck to the plan and kept moving along. My 50K split was approximately 3:44. Unfortunately the race organizers did not have enough volunteers to give splits out on the course. The distances were marked on the course, although it was hard to remember where they were, as my crew would tell me what lap I was on and approximate distance.

Somewhere around the 40 mile mark I started to notice the effect of the hills more and more. I was holding 8:15-30 pace and well ahead of American record pace, but I began to question whether this was a course for an American record. I also was feeling the effects of my Spartathlon performance from six weeks prior. The effort I would have to put out on this hilly course would be even greater than what I did at Spartathlon. As I went by my crew I told them I was contemplating dropping from the race and saving myself for another day and another course. Of course they were tough on me, encouraging me to go on saying I couldn’t drop now as I was still on American record pace. I told myself I would continue until 50 miles and be done. I knew what would lie ahead and it was not worth risking injury for a below American record performance. At 49 miles I called it a day.

When I stopped, I felt good about my decision. It is never easy dropping from a race and I have only done this a handful of times, but in those instances it has been a wise choice. It was clearly a wise choice in this case, as I checked my altimeter to see how much elevation gain I experienced. In 49 miles I climbed and descended 1069 meters! Yes, 3,500 feet, 71 feet per mile! To break the American record of 162 miles I would have climbed over 11,500 feet! Despite being a seasoned trail and mountain runner, 24-hour with elevation gain are not desirable. In order to achieve my best possible performance and compare against the world’s best, the course needs to be flat as possible.
Despite all the negative criticism that has surrounded Ultracentric I would like to compliment Robert on his efforts to offer prize money at the 24-hour distance and encourage top athletes to go after American records. This is seldom seen in the sport of ultrarunning.

So what I have learned? The most important lesson learned for me going forward in 24-hour record attempts is to check out a course before competing. I trusted that the course would be flat and fast with nine and a half feet of elevation gain. I went off what the RD had told me in a phone discussion and the info posted on the Ultracentric website. In retrospect, I should have had someone in the Dallas area check out the course before I committed and spent the time and money. Most importantly, I only have so many great 100 mile plus performances left in my career and I need to be selective when I put my body, mind, and soul on the line.

I want to thank my crew Justin Angle and Dusty Olson for taking time to come and support me. They did a great job making sure smooth transitions were made for aid and calculations made on distance updates. Although they were bummed that I did not succeed, I am sure they were happy they didn’t have to spend a sleepless night in windy 32 degree weather…

Finally a big thank you to my sponsors Brooks Sports, Green Foods, and Pro-Tec for the generous support this season!

Reporting live from McKinney, Texas… I am feeling ready to go. A few thoughts before I set off…

The weather looks good with temperatures near ideal, high of 60 degrees and low of 32 degrees. Wind is supposed to be blowing 15 to 20 miles per hour with occasional gusts of 30 miles per hour, so the wind will be making me earn my keep.

The 1.15 mile course is not flat, but the undulations (or hills as we normally refer to them) may be welcomed to vary the repetitiveness. Or, that “special treat” of variation may be loathed as the hours click by and the climb seems to grow in size.

The current American record is 162.46 miles, set by Mark Godale. Mark gave me a call this past week to wish me good luck and it is comraderie like this amongst fellow competitors in our sport that has always impressed me.

The world record is held by Yiannis Kouros at 180.33 miles and only one has come within 10% of this legendary mark. My goal is to see where I stack among these marks and measure myself in an event that has been testing athletes since the ancient Greek games to indoor 24-hour races in Madison Square Gardens to modern day world record performances by the great Greek, Kouros.

Like me, Nikki Kimball will be making her debut in the 24-hour event and she is ready to go after the American record. Although both of us have a wealth of ultra experience, we are embarking on an adventure in uncharted territory.

And finally, it occurred to me the other day that I have never done a race where there is no finish line. 24-hour races have a starting line and that is it. The finish line will be elusive, a moment in time that I will chase around and around the one mile loop.

On the inside cover of Ultramarathon is the following text that serves as a reminder of what will lie ahead in my 24-hour adventure.

To Go On.
When Everything Else
Wants To Stop…

It is not pain I feel but sinking.
My involvement with the world grows dimmer.
It occurs to me that it would be nice to keel over.
A barely audible whisper says it would be a nice way out.
It seems almost impossible to bother any more…
but I do.

My season comes to a close this weekend with a new adventure, The Ultracentric Experience, a 24-hour race in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. It will be my first 24-hour event.

What took so long? To be honest, 24-hour events once seemed kind of nuts to me. I loved running 50 or 100 miles on a trail, spending a day and night in the wilderness following a ribbon of singletrack –- that seemed sane enough. But running around a small pavement loop or rubber track for 24 hours just to find out how many miles I could crank out, well, I didn’t really see it.

Then in 2000 while training for my second Western States 100, a coworker at Seattle Running Company, Jeff Dean, gave me his old paperback, Ultramarathon by James Shapiro. He said it was a must read, a classic from the early 80′s. It was worn around the edges and had that musty old book smell, and it took me a couple of months to get around to reading it.

Well, the book blew me away. The first chapter describes the author’s experience in a 24-hour race at the Crystal Palace in London, and the writing is some of the best I have read on what happens to the human psyche in an ultramarathon. After reading that chapter I started to think I could wrap my body and mind around a 24-hour race. And I began to appreciate the mystery and adventure of an event so many see as mind numbing and insane. Here’s how Shapiro says it:

“The 24-hour is one of the classics. Too many men and women I admired had done it and I hadn’t. It had too perfect a shape and handle for me not to yearn to pick it up and use it to pry myself open to see what I am made of. One learns to accept the destinies one creates for oneself. Besides, a race would be impossibly dull without some fear and doubts to wrestle against.”

So there are many reasons I’ll find myself on the starting line this coming Saturday: a book written three decades years ago, the challenge of seeing where I stack up against the legends of ultramarathoning, and a desire to pry myself open once again and see what I am made of.

If you can’t get your hands on one of the few existing copies of Ultramarathon, check out Shapiro’s article:“It’s Seven O’clock In The Morning” Sports Illustrated July 28, 1980. It’s an excerpt from the first chapter of Ultramarathon. It might just move you to run a 24-hour race!