My feeble attempt at a 24 hour endurance run…. I need to preface this with the fact that I am not an ultra runner, in fact I’ve always had problems running marathons either running out of gas and/or getting dehydrated. I have the utmost respect for ultra runners and marathon maniacs….. I just don’t understand how they can do it. So going into this I had no great expectations for running 100 miles or anything even close to that…. I just wanted to see how far I could go in 24 hrs. A little background….. The past few years I have gone to our local Relay for Life early in the morning and ran a long bandit run watching and sun come up with the early morning team members putting in their laps. This year I decided to make it official and sign up on a team and make myself available for the wee hours of the morning shift…. my favorite time to run. I found out last week that the team I signed up for had no structure and was told that I could run or walk whenever I wanted to. The wheels in my head started spinning…. I’ve increased my mileage this year averaging +40 week since January, the last four weeks I’ve increase that to 50+ …. I started thinking…. I could get several long runs in that period of time… I wondered how far I could go in 24hrs??? With less than a week before the Relay for Life I started formulating a plan….. it too late for any sort of taper (I took Friday off and that was my taper), I decided break the 24 hrs down into a series of runs incorporating walk breaks into my running. I also have a hard time staying up for 24 hrs so I decided I’d take one or two nap breaks. I wasn’t sure how to fuel my run but I knew I needed at least some shot bloks, some sort of salt (a bag of pretzels) and plenty of water. As Saturday approached the weather forecast went from bad to worse, and by Saturday we had triple digits temps. With the event being run on a high school track there was absolutely no shade……. not a good thing for someone that’s gets dehydrated easily. A few good things …. the event was close to home (within a mile), I also found out that we could bring RVs to the site and park within 50 feet of the track. Friday evening I loaded our camper with bikes and DW and I went and dropped off camper. It was 8:30 in the evening and on the bike ride home I realized that it was still very hot outside …. not good. Saturday morning I decided I should do the yard work I had promised DW because I knew by Sunday I would be wiped out. Even at 7 am I worked up a good sweat (not good) but by 9 am I was off on my bike back to the HS. Opening ceremony was at 10:00 and as I stood in the sun for an hour listening to the speakers, I was dripping sweat….. I thought this was crazy… I could bail out…. no one would know… I could just do an hour or two of walking like everyone else and be happy to have raised some money for the America Cancer Society. As one survivor was speaking about his fight with cancer, he said he took it “one step at a time”….. for some reason that stuck in my head. After the “Survivor Lap” and it was time for the relay to begin …with the temps well over 100 on the track…. I started walking trying to decide what to do……was I crazy to think about running??? I just figured I’d go “one step at a time” and after a few walking laps I went into a slow running mode. Even with walking breaks, within an hour I knew I was getting overheated … not only did I need to stop but I needed to get into a cool place. With my tail between my legs I pedaled home to our air-conditioned home…. I felt defeated and felt bad that I had left 100’s of walkers out in the hot sun. DW suggested a dip in her mother’s pool which felt very good and I ended up taking a nap. I was feeling much better by 3:00, and by 4:00 I had returned to the track and started walking again….. it seemed a little cooler although it was still probably in the upper 90’s. After 15 min. of walking I decided to try running again and went into a run/walk mode that seemed to be working along with the wet towels and ice that the organizers provided…. I figured I’d just go “one step at a time”. During one of my walk breaks I struck up a conversation with a young cancer survivor, Chris who was about the same age as our boys. I soon learned that not only had he been walking all afternoon but it was his goal to walk the entire 24 hours without any breaks. Picture of the Survivor Lap....Chris is at the far left...... My second period of running lasted a mere 2 hrs …. by 6:00 the heat was getting to me again….feeling somewhat nauseated I knew Iwas getting dehydrated and needed to cool my body down once again….. unfortunately our camper doesn’t have AC, so it was back on my bike for a return trip home and a cold shower and a cool down. A light dinner made me feel a little better, but I had more or less thrown in the towel and decided to try to maybe salvage an early morning run. We returned to the track by 8:00 and with the sun going down the 13 miles I had run in the heat didn’t seem like much at all. The luminari lighting was inspiring….. as part of my donation I did a few in memory of our fathers but couldn’t forget my biggest inspiration…. Munchkn. I was wiped out…. tired and sleepy but decided to walk around the track and look for my luminaries…. In the process< i caught up with chris who had been walking for close to 12 hours “one step at a time“….. salt stains on his shirt, he had a big smile on his face happy that it was cooling off and that he was half way done. i walked a few miles thinking if i should attempt to run but decided that maybe a few hours of sleep would rejuvenate me. it was hot in the camper and had a hard to getting to sleep but finally managed a few hours. i woke around 3:00 with a splitting headache …. i knew it was from dehydration…i tried a little coffee but water, pretzels, and shot bloks, went over better. not many people were out on the track…. but chris was there still walking “one step at a time”. i walked a few laps with him and with my headache starting to go away, i went into my run/walk mode….. 1 mile run, ¼ mile walk. after an hour i was starting to feel a lot better and began to think about what i could salvage before 10:00 am closing ceremonies. i had gone about 15 miles on saturday and figured if could keep my slow 4.5 to 5 mile an hour pace i could run at maybe 30 miles sunday morning. as the hours passed and the sun started to come up i was able to continue a little more comfortably and knew with the walking i could make it till 10:00. shortly after 8:00, as i was rounding the turn i saw chris had stopped and was down on one knee….. he was with his parents and with a smile on his face he told me he just needed a little break… i asked if he had needed water or something salty , his parents told me he hadn’t eaten anything solid the past 24 hours, he had never done this kind of thing before and had no idea what he should be eating. fortunately my stash of pretzels and shot bloks were close by…. with a handful of pretzels and a bag of shot bloks he was back up and on his way again “one step at a time”. it wasn’t long after that, that i found out the closing ceremonies were at 9:00 am instead of 10:00.…. just over a half hour to go. at 9:00 i found chris and congratulated him on his 24 hour journey and thanked him for being my inspiration to keep going sunday morning. i finished with a morning run just short of marathon distance and combined with the 15 from saturday gave me a total of just shy of 40 miles. things i learned from this run…… respect the heat , on a distance run….. you can only push it so far if you’re going to use walk breaks, incorporate them in your training…. i found the walking became more painful than running. don’t listen to your wife when she tells you’re crazy and most importantly…. take it “one step at a time” i="" caught="" up="" with="" chris="" who="" had="" been="" walking="" for="" close="" to="" 12="" hours="" “one="" step="" at="" a="" time“…..="" salt="" stains="" on="" his="" shirt,="" he="" had="" a="" big="" smile="" on="" his="" face="" happy="" that="" it="" was="" cooling="" off="" and="" that="" he="" was="" half="" way="" done.="" i="" walked="" a="" few="" miles="" thinking="" if="" i="" should="" attempt="" to="" run="" but="" decided="" that="" maybe="" a="" few="" hours="" of="" sleep="" would="" rejuvenate="" me.="" it="" was="" hot="" in="" the="" camper="" and="" had="" a="" hard="" to="" getting="" to="" sleep="" but="" finally="" managed="" a="" few="" hours.="" i="" woke="" around="" 3:00="" with="" a="" splitting="" headache="" ….="" i="" knew="" it="" was="" from="" dehydration…i="" tried="" a="" little="" coffee="" but="" water,="" pretzels,="" and="" shot="" bloks,="" went="" over="" better.="" not="" many="" people="" were="" out="" on="" the="" track….="" but="" chris="" was="" there="" still="" walking="" “one="" step="" at="" a="" time”.="" i="" walked="" a="" few="" laps="" with="" him="" and="" with="" my="" headache="" starting="" to="" go="" away,="" i="" went="" into="" my="" run/walk="" mode…..="" 1="" mile="" run,="" ¼="" mile="" walk.="" after="" an="" hour="" i="" was="" starting="" to="" feel="" a="" lot="" better="" and="" began="" to="" think="" about="" what="" i="" could="" salvage="" before="" 10:00="" am="" closing="" ceremonies.="" i="" had="" gone="" about="" 15="" miles="" on="" saturday="" and="" figured="" if="" could="" keep="" my="" slow="" 4.5="" to="" 5="" mile="" an="" hour="" pace="" i="" could="" run="" at="" maybe="" 30="" miles="" sunday="" morning.="" as="" the="" hours="" passed="" and="" the="" sun="" started="" to="" come="" up="" i="" was="" able="" to="" continue="" a="" little="" more="" comfortably="" and="" knew="" with="" the="" walking="" i="" could="" make="" it="" till="" 10:00.="" shortly="" after="" 8:00,="" as="" i="" was="" rounding="" the="" turn="" i="" saw="" chris="" had="" stopped="" and="" was="" down="" on="" one="" knee…..="" he="" was="" with="" his="" parents="" and="" with="" a="" smile="" on="" his="" face="" he="" told="" me="" he="" just="" needed="" a="" little="" break…="" i="" asked="" if="" he="" had="" needed="" water="" or="" something="" salty="" ,="" his="" parents="" told="" me="" he="" hadn’t="" eaten="" anything="" solid="" the="" past="" 24="" hours,="" he="" had="" never="" done="" this="" kind="" of="" thing="" before="" and="" had="" no="" idea="" what="" he="" should="" be="" eating.="" fortunately="" my="" stash="" of="" pretzels="" and="" shot="" bloks="" were="" close="" by….="" with="" a="" handful="" of="" pretzels="" and="" a="" bag="" of="" shot="" bloks="" he="" was="" back="" up="" and="" on="" his="" way="" again="" “one="" step="" at="" a="" time”.="" it="" wasn’t="" long="" after="" that,="" that="" i="" found="" out="" the="" closing="" ceremonies="" were="" at="" 9:00="" am="" instead="" of="" 10:00.….="" just="" over="" a="" half="" hour="" to="" go.="" at="" 9:00="" i="" found="" chris="" and="" congratulated="" him="" on="" his="" 24="" hour="" journey="" and="" thanked="" him="" for="" being="" my="" inspiration="" to="" keep="" going="" sunday="" morning.="" i="" finished="" with="" a="" morning="" run="" just="" short="" of="" marathon="" distance="" and="" combined="" with="" the="" 15="" from="" saturday="" gave="" me="" a="" total="" of="" just="" shy="" of="" 40="" miles.="" things="" i="" learned="" from="" this="" run……="" respect="" the="" heat="" ,="" on="" a="" distance="" run…..="" you="" can="" only="" push="" it="" so="" far="" if="" you’re="" going="" to="" use="" walk="" breaks,="" incorporate="" them="" in="" your="" training….="" i="" found="" the="" walking="" became="" more="" painful="" than="" running.="" don’t="" listen="" to="" your="" wife="" when="" she="" tells="" you’re="" crazy="" and="" most="" importantly….="" take="" it="" “one="" step="" at="" a="" time”=""></ i caught up with chris who had been walking for close to 12 hours “one step at a time“….. salt stains on his shirt, he had a big smile on his face happy that it was cooling off and that he was half way done. i walked a few miles thinking if i should attempt to run but decided that maybe a few hours of sleep would rejuvenate me. it was hot in the camper and had a hard to getting to sleep but finally managed a few hours. i woke around 3:00 with a splitting headache …. i knew it was from dehydration…i tried a little coffee but water, pretzels, and shot bloks, went over better. not many people were out on the track…. but chris was there still walking “one step at a time”. i walked a few laps with him and with my headache starting to go away, i went into my run/walk mode….. 1 mile run, ¼ mile walk. after an hour i was starting to feel a lot better and began to think about what i could salvage before 10:00 am closing ceremonies. i had gone about 15 miles on saturday and figured if could keep my slow 4.5 to 5 mile an hour pace i could run at maybe 30 miles sunday morning. as the hours passed and the sun started to come up i was able to continue a little more comfortably and knew with the walking i could make it till 10:00. shortly after 8:00, as i was rounding the turn i saw chris had stopped and was down on one knee….. he was with his parents and with a smile on his face he told me he just needed a little break… i asked if he had needed water or something salty , his parents told me he hadn’t eaten anything solid the past 24 hours, he had never done this kind of thing before and had no idea what he should be eating. fortunately my stash of pretzels and shot bloks were close by…. with a handful of pretzels and a bag of shot bloks he was back up and on his way again “one step at a time”. it wasn’t long after that, that i found out the closing ceremonies were at 9:00 am instead of 10:00.…. just over a half hour to go. at 9:00 i found chris and congratulated him on his 24 hour journey and thanked him for being my inspiration to keep going sunday morning. i finished with a morning run just short of marathon distance and combined with the 15 from saturday gave me a total of just shy of 40 miles. things i learned from this run…… respect the heat , on a distance run….. you can only push it so far if you’re going to use walk breaks, incorporate them in your training…. i found the walking became more painful than running. don’t listen to your wife when she tells you’re crazy and most importantly…. take it “one step at a time” >

Congratulations, Jim, on a very inspiring day of running. 40 miles in a day is beyond me at IRC, much less 90+ temps. My DW just finished a Relay in our town over the weekend, but ours was only an 18 hour one. The surviver's lap is very moving and a very obvious reminder of the reasons why everyone is relaying. Kevin

Wow SLOJim, what an amazing RR! I was thinking about you Saturday because it was sweltering in Lomita so I knew it was even hotter where you were. You covered an incredible distance under very hot conditions. Plus you have incredible mental strength for doing this on a track . You did very well and planned as well as you could with the Shotblocks and pretzels. Congratulations to you and your friend Chris. Rest well and see you someday soon.

Hi Jim, Call me crazy, but doing yard work would not have been my first choice of a warm-up for at 24-hour run in extreme heat! I give a lot of credit to you and anybody else who would attempt such an effort, even in the best of weather conditions. But to toe the line in sweltering heat takes a lot of courage and determination. Even with your breaks, you just kept coming back again and again. Congratulations on your perseverance and tenacity, and on getting in some great mileage for a terrific cause. Maybe you have more of what it takes to be an ultra athlete than you thought... Thanks for weaving Chris' story into your RR. It must have been very inspiring to see him out there, at all hours of the day and night, going one step at a time. Jay

Wonderful report, Jim; however, I would have to disagree with your description of "feeble." And to echo others' sentiments, thank you for weaving Chris' story in, as well. I dare say they are few and far between, those individuals whose lives have not been affected by cancer, be it a family member, friend, acquaintance. I've never had the opportunity to participate in our local Relay for Life, but I have heard from many who have, and they say the experience is unmatched.

Jim, you rock!! Wow, I couldn't even stand LIVING in that kind of weather, much less walk or run in it. 40 miles is a long ways!

Jim, Like the others here, I am amazed and so admire your dedication to this event. Feeble doesn't belong in the same sentence here----you followed through on something important to so many and the cause is without question an inspirational one in need of our support. Good running and congratulations. Your report is wonderful. Thank you---for that and sharing this with all of us. Well done CNYrunner/Karin

Thanks you all for you wonderful responses...it is a run I'll never forget... and maybe I'll do again Dromedary .... it was actually easier to run it on a track (except for the lack of shade), I've been doing most of my training runs on the college track early in the morning, so I'm used to going around and around. What made it easier were all the activities going on.... bands playing, kids playing in the infield, but one of the funniest was a little girl that was doing a cheerleader cheer and selling cupcakes to raise money for the ACS.... every time I would pass by she would ask if I wanted to buy a cupcake....I didn't have any money with me until my second segment of running, so I waited until I was ready for a walk break and something to eat ...she was surprised I finally stopped. I did stop a few more times for sweet treats.