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The thunderstorm abruptly ended and I stepped out onto the cobblestone street toward the start line of the Lavaredo Ultra Trail in the historic plaza in the center of Cortina D’Ampezzo, Italy below the looming belltower that would soon toll 11 p.m. and our departure up into the mountains above town.
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In modern society, with ubiquitous technology making life easier, and media streaming all forms of drama and entertainment 24/7, the opportunity and inclination for us as individuals to do something truly epic is becoming scarcer all the time. In fact recent surveys indicate that Americans average over 10 hours in front of an electronic screen every day
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“Super Dave, do you want to run together?” asked Pablo, my longtime friend, at 3 Days at the Fair, a 72-hour race. Sitting in a chair with a mouth full of mac and cheese, I nodded. Together, we walked along the out-and-back section of the course when Pablo proclaimed, “200 miles. We’re gonna do it.
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For a select group of ultrarunners, December brings not only holiday cheer, but also notices of Barkley race entry acceptance. Their belated gift of more than 100 miles, over 60,000 feet of vertical gain, an unmarked course and inhospitable terrain won’t be theirs to unwrap until April.
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People get into the sport of ultrarunning for various reasons. Some to escape: the roads, the crowds, the noise and the stresses of everyday life. Others, to explore: nature, new places and the limits of both body and mind.
To our delight, what we find out is those limits lie far beyond our wildest dreams. “I went somewhere I never thought possible” is a common refrain of any 100-mile finisher.
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Runners are different. We’ve got unique coping mechanisms which help us hurdle through our training. I’ve got friends who won’t slow down until their watch reads “.00” after the last mile. Some run religiously seven days a week, while others train on flat surfaces to avoid slower times on Strava.