Jim Ott's Blog: 100 miles of endurance

This column was published in the Tri-Valley Herald and Valley Times in June 2010

On Saturday, June 26, 2010, Marianne Paulson will join more than 450 other athletes in her third attempt to run 100 miles in the Western States Endurance Run.

Paulson, who grew up in Norway and now lives in Pleasanton, has finished nine other 100-mile races. She's extremely fit for a 46-year-old mother of three boys who is celebrating 20 years of marriage this July.
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As she toes the line at this year's race, Paulson hopes to avoid the encounter that delayed her last effort in 2007 when, after she'd run 97 miles, a large bear blocked the trail and refused to move. This caused Paulson and another runner to miss a crucial time cut-off by 13 minutes, dashing their chances for an official finish under 30 hours.
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The annual Western States run starts in Squaw Valley and climbs 2,550 vertical feet in the first 4½ miles. The route then follows the original trails used by the gold and silver miners of the 1850s. Traveling west, runners climb another 15,540 feet and descend 22,970 feet before reaching Auburn.
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In other words, it's one heck of a run that takes two days with no sleep. Rivers are crossed, joys are beheld, hopes are smashed, sleep-deprived hallucinations emerge, tears are shed, and many runners don't finish. But not a single runner would trade being anywhere else.
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Three other Pleasanton runners--all in their mid 40s--will also compete this year, including Ron Rel, a 44-year-old software executive who only recently began running ultra distances after becoming internationally ranked in XTERRA races, which are rugged-terrain triathlons.
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Rel said running Western States is the equivalent of “stepping off into an abyss” since he's never before run 100 miles.
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For Harris Goodman, a pathologist who works at Alameda County Medical Center and Saint Francis Memorial Hospital, running Western States is the next step in what started as a way to get out of the house about 10 years ago.

“I was a bookworm,” said Goodman, 46. “I didn’t like running at first.” But at the suggestion of his wife, he took one of his children for a long run in a jogger stroller, and Goodman got hooked. Since those days, he's finished 22 ultra-marathons, including two 100-mile races.
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Also at the start line in Squaw Valley will be Dan Boyle, who ran Western States in 2007. Boyle and his wife Diann, who is also an ultra distance runner, are pilots for Southwest Airlines. (Because runners are largely selected by lottery to get into Western States, Diann was not chosen this year.)

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“I was an overweight chess geek in school,” said Dan Boyle, 46. “I run ultras because they’re on trails instead of roads. The camaraderie, atmosphere and scenery are awesome.”
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[Dan Boyle, left, with Ron Rel]
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All of the runners from Pleasanton are married and have children, ranging in ages from 6 months to 16 years. Finding the time to train for 100 miles is often as challenging as the run itself.
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Along with morning and evening runs during the week, typical long training runs begin at 3 in the morning on Saturday or Sunday and end five hours later, in time to get home to spend time with family. Each runner credits his or her spouse with essential support.
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A favorite training area is the Pleasanton ridge, where the steep trails are similar to those along the Western States route. Such training comes with its share of risks, and not just from injuries. On a recent ridge run, Paulson saw a mountain lion crossing the trail 100 yards ahead of her. Similarly, Goodman encountered a bear on a training run along the Western States trail itself.
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Along with the Pleasanton competitors, other local Western States runners this year include James Richards and Elizabeth Vitalis from Livermore; Marc Dube, Suzie Lister, and David Rhodes from San Ramon; and Mark Overhoff and Dan Burke from Danville.
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So why run 100 miles? What's the appeal? The responses are many.
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Marianne Paulson has this to say: "I love life outdoors and to challenge myself--and I guess I am a bit adventurous. I like the excitement of not knowing what is ahead, like a burst of energy, a low point, or a beautiful waterfall. Training for and completing a 100 miler is very strategic and you have to execute the plan and make changes along the way to make it to the finish. The race itself is extremely interesting and you find out a lot about yourself. I find out something new every time and I guess that is what causes me to want to do it again. It is also a great feeling to be very physical fit. You have to be or you won't be able to make it to the finish line."
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Dan Boyle said running long distances challenges his limits to see what he can accomplish. “It's just me, the trail, and the clock, and no one else to blame if I fail. When I succeed, it’s extremely gratifying,” he said.
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For Harris Goodman, running ultra distances is fun. "Yes, it really is fun and relaxing," he says. "And the support from other ultrarunners is incredible. The100 mile events are not you against other runners, but you against the course, so everyone is so supportive and helpful. Also, you can't believe what you can accomplish until you try."
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Ron Rel sums it up well when he says he will attempt 100 miles "because I don't know if I can do it. I’m going to find out what I’m made of.”
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