I’m seriously contemplating something I never would have thought I would contemplate..EVER in my entire lifetime. It’s going to sound insane. People will think I’m crazy. My own boyfriend thinks I’m nuts. The only person who thinks I might actually do this said, when I told her, “You’re actually thinking about this, aren’t you?” I’m sure my friends would want me to see a doctor. I’ve already admitted I need therapy. But I’m actually contemplating this.
My brother has suggested we run the JFK 50 Mile.
Yes, that’s right. An ultra marathon. What’s funny is my brother hasn’t even completed a marathon, so an ultra the first time out of the gate seems insane to me. But I’m hoping I can convince him that a few other races prior to the event might be a good idea.
We had talked about this before, kind of in jest but thinking about it all the while. I hadn’t thought about the ultra in months until he brought it up again today. So I, being the internet nerd, went online to check it out. And actually, it’s kind of cool.
from one of the websites: “This race, in Washington County, MA, was inspired by John F. Kennedy’s support of Teddy Roosevelt’s assertion, that to remain commissioned, military officers should be able to travel 50 Miles, on foot, in less than 20 hours. This led to the first JFK 50 in 1963 which is one of the oldest Ultra Marathons in the United States.”
That “MA” should actually read “MD” since it’s in Maryland, not Massachusetts but who cares. I like this idea, that a military officer should be able to travel 50 miles on foot in less than 20 hours. It’s doable. One website even says you could walk it and still finish under the 14 hour time limit, and it’s true. A consistent 15 minute mile would get you there in just over 12 ½ hours.
Not that I’m a military officer but the idea of the premise is great. If you’re going to lead, you should be strong enough to do so. And trail running! How fun! I don’t get to do much, if any, trail running in these parts but it would be a great reason to go camping in some hillier areas to get some training in. It’s a great motivator for me to get a few more races in and to stay focused throughout the year, building up to the run. And a great excuse to eat lots of good holiday snacks when it’s over since I’ll have the holiday season following the grueling run.
Plus I’d get to run with my brother. Probably not side by side since he’s 6 foot so his stride would be a bit longer than mine, but he has said he’s slow so maybe. J Just kidding, brother. But it would be fun. It’d be a nice trip out east for a long weekend, I’d get to hang with my fam out there, and compete in something insane (which people tell me I do when I run marathons, I might as well up the ante). I’d also get to buy a bunch of trail running gear, and since I love shopping for running clothes and gear this would be super fun. And the challenge of not only the miles, but the differing terrain, is appealing, as is the questionable weather, the intensity of that many miles upright all without a nap, not to mention the recovery time.
I haven’t committed myself yet, but I am thinking about it. It’s a great reason to get into P90X (which I was supposed to do in November) and to really get out and run more (which I have great excuses not to these days) and an even better reason to eat healthier (which both MS and I need to do).
1 comment:
I sooooo want to do an ultra. And someday I will! If you do it, it will be a great memory! My friends did their first 50-miler this year and it shocked them how rough it was. But they chose a SUPER tough course for their first one with a lot of elevation change. A few of them didn't make the 16 hour cut-off, but since there was a 100-miler going on at the same time they were allowed to finish. (Took them about 17.5 to complete)
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