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No more talking about my first ultramarathon. It’s time to do it. Thank god.
My crew of one — wife Barb — and I head to Pekin, Ill., on Friday afternoon to prepare for Saturday’s run in the Potawatomi Trail 50. The 50-mile race begins at 6 a.m. I hope to be done in 12-15 hours from the start.
I’ve spent much of this week in final preparations. I’ve set aside a bunch of shirts, socks and shorts. I’ve waterproofed four sets of running shoes. (The trail includes at least a couple of creek crossings.) I’ve prepared some maltodextrin-spiked water bottles. I’ve run my last couple of short, stretch-the-legs training runs. I’ve thunk and re-thunk this thing.
Time to run.
Follow me:
- I plan to run with my iPhone and my Endomondo app running. If it works right, you can follow me live at this link.
- The race directors have a group on Facebook that can be found at this link. There will be updates throughout the weekend. (In addition to the 50, there are 100- and 150-mile races, and a 30-mile “fun” run. Sadists.)
- And Barb will post occasionally to either her Facebook page or my Facebook page.
I’ll let you know next week how it went.
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You can wish me well in the comments below. I could use all the support I can get.
in the deed 
Even though I call myself a “runner”, I cannot begin to fathom what you will be experiencing on Saturday!! I’ll be with you in spirit! There’s a certain comraderie amongst runners but I can’t help but think you’re just a little crazy for doing this:) Good luck, keep warm & fueled & as dry as possible. Hopefully the weather will cooperate for you. I’ll be anxious to hear your thoughts “post” race!
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Thanks, Al. From the talk on this group’s FB page, you can see the runners are out to have a good time. It will be a challenge, but I hope it proves to be fun, too.
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You’re a man’s man, and lucky to have a good woman. Good luck!
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Thanks, Jim. The trail is in great shape, and I think the weather is going to hold out, too.
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Have a great race!
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Thanks, Jacqueline. Enjoy your taper. 🙂
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Good luck! You can do this!
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Thanks for the encouragement, Janey. I received so many kind words. I’m posting a story on the event later today.
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Hope that everything has gone well, and that you’ve had a good time?
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Had a great time and met my goal — to finish 50 miles. It was a real challenge. I’ve got an entry set to post this afternoon, complete with lots of photos. Thanks for being kind enough to inquire.
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