My brother, the amazing ultra-runner, AndyMan, got up very, very early this morning to compete in the second of four 100-mile ultra-marathons he's entered to be conducted in a three month stretch (he completed a 100-miler in Vermont last month). The Leadville Endurance Run commenced at 4 a.m. Mountain Daylight Time. This race may well be the toughest of the four runs for which he is entered. Maybe 50 to 65 percent of entrants in most 100-milers complete the course; Leadville's completion rate is only about 40%.
First of all, as you might expect for the Rocky Mountains, the race is at a high altitude and it's mountainous. I'm told that races at altitude mean less available oxygen. And, of course, half the run is, like, UP the mountains. Andy's lives and trains in Florida, which is flat, and low; so this will be especially tough for him. This race is also crowded for a hundred miler. Something like 560 people have signed on for this one. Okay, compared to marathons, where, say, 35,000 people might be signed up it's not so many; but it's a lot for a 100-miler. Lots of people running means lots of people around whom he must navigate. Unlike marathons, which are generally run on well-marked streets, ultras are run on trails and paths through the woods, across streams, and over gravelly sides of mountains. On a good day, a 100-miler takes about 24 hours to complete, which means half of it is at night. Having people around can sometimes be helpful, I'm told, to encourage and help with directions; but they can get in the way, too. Oh, yeah, and the forecast in that part of Colorado for today? Snow. In August. Something that they don't have a lot of in the Sunshine State. It ain't Christmas, but I hope Santa brings Andy a decent finish anyway.
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9 comments:
Think that many people would use up the extra oxygen???
Rock on Aman and Chaser!!!
Go! Go! Go!
I just can't imagine doing that. That's passion, I guess.
And I'm loving the snow. Global Warming: FAIL.
If they run for 24 hours, is there any time to sleep?
Yeah, John, they're barely sane.
Tam, they do not sleep. Andy's finished these in as little as 20 hours, and as much as 32 hours. Twenty-four is normally considered pretty good (they get belt buckles at some runs if they finish in less than 24 hours). They'll walk from time to time, and they'll sit down at the aid stations they have about every fifteen miles, but they don't sleep. Last race, in Vermont, Andy was near exhaustion, and lay down for about five minutes by the side of a trail. Another runner grabbed him, told him to get up and keep going.
That can't be good for you (as I puff on my ciggie).
Yeah, John, I've said the same thing to him, but, oddly enough, he doesn't do it for his health. It's almost like a calling.
Update: Andy's friend Candi called me at about 10:30 last night to tell me Andy didn't make it. He was pulled from the race at an aid station about 18 hours into it. The thin air and lack of oxygen at more than 10,000 feet make it hard to breathe, and that was what got him. Anyway, he's still amazing, and I'm really proud of him.
Dave have you heard from Andy? or about him? Sorry he didn't finish but just entering something like that is amazing.
Andy called Monday, Tam. He's doing okay. Less than 1/3 of the entrants finished that race, and of the original 39 people attempting the Grand Slam this year, only six remain. You can check Andy's blog at this link (which I also have in the upper left side of my front page).
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