To Go On…
November 15th, 2008 by ScottReporting 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.
November 15th, 2008 at 11:49 pm
Guess you’re in the middle of this as I write. Good luck – I look forward to reading about your experience with the 24 hr format. And thanks for the Shapiro link – I’ve only read Meditations From the Breakdown Lane and loved his writing. Again, good luck!
November 18th, 2008 at 1:56 am
Good luck in the race. So I guess that accounts will be more important to have a calm mind that the legs strong. Whirl to the same route for 24 hours ago I was really impossible.
I expect to read in the next post you’ve passed the American record.
Hugs, Germán.
November 20th, 2008 at 6:47 pm
Hi Scott, I have read that you have dropped the UltraCentric 24h event after 50 miles. Even though it is maybe difficult for you to blog about it, could you please write a brief report? It is in failures that the greatest champions can be recognized. Telling about your failures is so much better than telling about your successes. Thanks