I am hopeless with race reports. Here is the short version.
It was an amazing experience. The race motto is 100 miles of Heaven and Hell and I found out why on both accounts. The course is some of the most beautiful country you will ever see. It is also some of the toughest terrain I have ever been on. The second half of the course is considerably harder than the first half and it comes when you are tired, sleepy, and generally beat.
When I got back to work my friend Tom told me he was following along with his friend Cindy during the race. He said she wondered out loud how do you think he'll finish? He said she surmised that I would do it just like I lost all my weight. By putting one foot in front of the other.
Runners often kid about what it takes to finish and it always comes down to one foot in front of the other and always making forward progress. Here is what it looks like to finish 100 miles. Not much different than a 5k or a half marathon...just one foot in front of the other until your reach the end.
It took me 33 hours 20 minutes and 24 seconds before I reached that point. I owe a huge thanks to my wife Michelle for taking care of me all day and to Christine for pacing me for the final (and aforementioned hardest) 47 miles.
Goals are dreams with deadlines. Stop dreaming! I took control of my life and with the help of many wonderful people I was able to lose 135 pounds in 11 months. Set a goal, tell everyone who will listen, and stick to your plan. You can do it!!
I love this video. I can't imagine running 100 miles over a course like that. Props to Michelle and Christine for helping you get to the finish line.
ReplyDeleteCongrats!
Cory, you are stronger than you know. I bet you would amaze yourself. No need to fear the unknown, sign up and see how it goes. The course is so beautiful I gaurantee you would have a great time no matter what the clock said at the end!
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