Sunday, July 1, 2007

Me Do An Ultra?

I could still recall several weeks ago when we have decided to push through with this ultra marathon 100km. I could still remember what I was reading that time, Romi Garduce showed me this book ultra marathon man. It basically chronicles the life of Dean Karnazes who ran almost 350miles single push(I think). I was already familiar with Dean Karnaze's exploits even before reading the book. Well I read the book because Romi Garduce, ran almost 15km after reading that book hehehehe something that he will never do. The first thing that caught my attention is the caloric breakdown of food at the back of the book. Dean consumed burned and consumed almost 30,000 calories in only 3 or 4 days if my memory serves me right. A normal human being would consume only 2,000 calories a day. The first thing that entered my mind, was “I want to run ultra marathon because I want to eat a lot and never gain extra pounds hehehehe.” Definitely this once more sparked my interest to do an ultra.

Ultra marathon is any run event which goes beyond the 42.5km marathon. The first time I encountered and understood the word marathon was way back in my grade school days. Unlike other people they knew it was a 42km run or something but for me It was the battle ground of the Persians and the Athenian. Legend has it Pheidippides, a free Greek ran the battlegrounds of Marathon to Athens to inform the Athenians had vanquished the Persians. Upon arriving he dropped dead from exhaustion Wow!!! Moreover some historical text suggest he also ran from Athens to Sparta which is roughly 130miles!!! In two days with shield, helmet, and military uniform!!!

So the team is complete and we just need to train problem is we only have 4 weeks, my last long run was during the pasig marathon, after that only 20km tops hehehehe. However the team is happy and upbeat and believes we will have a hard time hahahaha.

I started to actually ask myself why run an ultra. I have some answers these question why climb, why run marathon, why do triathlons etc. I found those answers while running, biking, or climbing. So why do an ultra 100km ill get back to that when I finally completed one I hope its gona be soon. Biggest problem though despite having a memory of an elephant, when clarity and wisdom arrives to answer those questions, i finally see the finish line with joy and happiness I somehow forget the answers why i invest myself in these things. Thats why I keep doing it again with the hopes that wisdom or state of nirvana would be embedded in my head and I will have the capacity to answer "why do it?" if somebody ask.

Why run the 100km. Top ten reasons in the top of my head 1) jump start my sluggish monotonous athletic lifestyle 2)Create some regiment and structure in my daily grind 3) Preoccupy my mind and to create distractions 4) Something to blame why I am sick, lazy to go to work 5)Because i wasn’t able to answer the meaning of life and how many dimples does a golf ball have while running a 42km 6)To prove I can do it and further push my limits 7)Inspire other people to run 8)Because its there (applicable ba yun) 9) I want to do something with my life 10) To bring the news to my friends that the Persians have been defeated hahahaha, honestly to show them if I can do it so can you. I think I want to run an ultra so I can make the most out of my life and the blessings god has given me. I am guided by the phrase "What you are is gods gift to you, what you become is your gift to god". Running an ultra will help me appreciate life more and hopefully inspire others.

I could still remember after thinking about this list, next day I started my crash course in running 100km. Laced up my shoes and started running. Why do I want to run an ultra marathon, ill probably know the answer when I accomplish one I hope(lord help me!!!). But for now, my answer is “run forest run”.


1 comment:

Unknown said...

i have yet to find the answer to why run an ultra, or why run at all... i just do.

speaking of karno, i was at his book signing earlier in the year. he wrote...good luck on your first ultra. little did i know that i was going to be running my first one 2 months later.

good luck with the run for life, neville, and when you find your answer, lemme know :)