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Barkley Marathons -- Ultras
I didn't know much about ultra-marathons until several years ago I met somebody who ran one. An ultra-marathon is about 100 miles long.
It's an interesting American (global?) subculture and the motivations of each runner varies. I find it all quite fascinating. My friend said that she was crying and hallucinating the last 60 miles of the race.
Can't say that these folks are heroic, but there are certain aspects of people running an ultra that I admire. I've never run more than 5 miles at a time and am mostly just lazy. I biked 40 miles today (66 klicks) at a very leisurely pace and that was well enough for me at this point. Maybe I wasn't taught to be tough of mind.
Today in the WaPo they had a great article about an ultra -- the Barkley Marathons -- that is one tough race. The man who set it up must be one sadistic sonofa*****. It is held in Wartburg Tennessee. Only 6 runners have conquered the course before. It must take a certain brand of insanity to set a goal to finish the course.
Read entire, including the comments...
It's an interesting American (global?) subculture and the motivations of each runner varies. I find it all quite fascinating. My friend said that she was crying and hallucinating the last 60 miles of the race.
Can't say that these folks are heroic, but there are certain aspects of people running an ultra that I admire. I've never run more than 5 miles at a time and am mostly just lazy. I biked 40 miles today (66 klicks) at a very leisurely pace and that was well enough for me at this point. Maybe I wasn't taught to be tough of mind.
Today in the WaPo they had a great article about an ultra -- the Barkley Marathons -- that is one tough race. The man who set it up must be one sadistic sonofa*****. It is held in Wartburg Tennessee. Only 6 runners have conquered the course before. It must take a certain brand of insanity to set a goal to finish the course.
Read entire, including the comments...
WARTBURG, Tenn.
Alone, running and hiking in the mountains for almost 50 hours, Brian Robinson's mind had slowly unraveled. He had run through two sleepless nights, through fog and sideways rain, through thornbushes and over rattlesnake dens. Now, with 80 miles finished and 20 left in the world's toughest footrace, Robinson no longer could differentiate between real and imaginary. Around each corner, he thought he heard picnickers laughing at him. At midnight. In the remote woodlands of Tennessee.
Alone, running and hiking in the mountains for almost 50 hours, Brian Robinson's mind had slowly unraveled. He had run through two sleepless nights, through fog and sideways rain, through thornbushes and over rattlesnake dens. Now, with 80 miles finished and 20 left in the world's toughest footrace, Robinson no longer could differentiate between real and imaginary. Around each corner, he thought he heard picnickers laughing at him. At midnight. In the remote woodlands of Tennessee.
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