From owner-ultra@caligari.Dartmouth.EDU Mon Jul 28 10:17:25 1997 Date: Mon, 28 Jul 1997 13:15:40 -0400 (EDT) From: Geraldine Wales To: penguin-l@frank.mtsu.edu cc: IUS-L@american.edu, ultra@caligari.dartmouth.edu, drs@caligari.dartmouth.edu Subject: BAUS 24 HOUR Well folks, this is my report on the Bay Area Ultrarunning Society's 24 hour run. I could just say that I participated but to do so would be such a disrespect to those brave souls who were out there with me, runners as well as volunteers. At first I was thinking that this was really a Stupid, notice the capital s, thing to do two weeks after a tough 50K; but, I have begun to feel differently in the past week. There are tough trail runs that are famous for having hills that reach to the sky and then there are 24 hour runs that have no shade and a sun that constantly pounds at your body until your internal body temperature matches that of the outside air. BAUS 24 Hour was that type of run. It is races like this one in which your mind plays an important part in how well you do. Some keep it busy by listening to a radio, others by getting into themselves and finding out what they are really made of. I normally get into myself and on this one I learned what many people have been trying to convince me of for a very long time - I am a tough lady - I will never doubt that again. I started out with a goal in mind - PR = Personnal Record - anything over 82 miles would do. By 4 hours into the race, I knew I would have to readjust that goal; but, quitting was never an option. My internal body temperature was way up there. I drank, I ate but nothing seemed to work in bringing it down. I thought that this had to be because of the 50K trail run I had done so well at two weeks before - I was only fooling myself. Then the right leg started to act up. The side of the knee swelled up. Ice bag with lots of red duct tape and I continued on. The pain moved from place to place on the right leg and each time it was followed by swelling. After the third time I just let it go and continued on. Surprise, it went away. At midnight I was humming along real good and suddenly had the urge to throw up. Sure did, not once but three times. I felt better afterward so I continued on. An hour later my stomach decided to turn south as I continued north. It has done this before so I took a 30 minute nap and when I awoke it had rejoined me. The temperature really didn't get much cooler through the night and all payed for it. When the sun came up so did the temperature and very quickly. By this time I knew a 100K was about the best I could accomplish and I never wanted anything more or worked so hard to get it as I did for this one. I was able to finish with 63.75 miles. Then there was Carey Stoneking whose stomach went south as he was going north and it never rejoined him. Quitting was not an option even after a few hours nap when it became apparent that he was not going to be able to do much of anything except walk. But, he came back out and he walked. I can't say enough good things about our ten year old Danny Chase and his father. If this is the type of courage of generation X then our future is in very good hands. Danny did everything his father, Bob, told him to do. He ate and drank plenty. When dad said it was time to go home and go to bed he did; but, he was right back with us the next morning covered in sunblock and covering those miles. The young man deserves a lot of credit for even wanting to attempt this. His father deserves some credit to. This must have been a very difficult decision for Bob to have made, allowing his son to participate in such a hard event. There were some real good highlights for me on this one. I have read much about the comaraderie of ultra runners and it sure was evident in this one. When someone was down they were given encouragement and when they were up they encouraged others. From the start it was an individual race for all. Who came in first or second made no difference. Lady G