Ultrarunning
Jun. 3rd, 2004 01:57 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
azziriaThe challenge is to run 135 miles. Through Death Valley. In July. These people must be totally nuts.
I've just been reading about the Badwater Ultramarathon, almost certainly the most demanding and extreme ultra held anywhere in the world.
Totally nuts, yes, but I’m also totally in awe of them. I’m fascinated by what drives them. By what makes them both willing and able to face such a huge mental and physical challenge. What they do makes a conventional marathon (26 miles) seem like a stroll in the park.
Very interesting to note, though, that the winner for the last two years has been a woman, a 40-something mother of three, Pam Reed. And that last year 4 of the top 10 finishers were women. And that the contestants are nearly all in their 40s and 50s. So extreme ultrarunning seems to be a leveller of the sexes, and definitely not a young persons game.
So maybe I’m in my prime after all!
I've just been reading about the Badwater Ultramarathon, almost certainly the most demanding and extreme ultra held anywhere in the world.
Totally nuts, yes, but I’m also totally in awe of them. I’m fascinated by what drives them. By what makes them both willing and able to face such a huge mental and physical challenge. What they do makes a conventional marathon (26 miles) seem like a stroll in the park.
Very interesting to note, though, that the winner for the last two years has been a woman, a 40-something mother of three, Pam Reed. And that last year 4 of the top 10 finishers were women. And that the contestants are nearly all in their 40s and 50s. So extreme ultrarunning seems to be a leveller of the sexes, and definitely not a young persons game.
So maybe I’m in my prime after all!
no subject
Date: 2004-06-04 02:21 am (UTC)We have the Comrades Marathon here - 90km, usually in quite a heat. For about 10 years in a row, the winner was Bruce Fordyce, with a top time under 5 hours and 30 minutes. When I was in the army, at one point I was the fastest runner over 2.4km in our regiment - I could do it in 8m20s (admittedly, with assault rifle and in boots). I worked out that Fordyce could do the 2.4 a little slower than me - about 8m45s - but he kept that pace for 90km...