Labor of Love

hI have about 5 min. to post a few pictures and my description of the Labor of Love 2 day ultra running event. Below is a small summary that I wrote on the plane. It really only touches the surface of all the accounts of the weekend. Jayne played the perfect host for my stay. And all my wonderful Vegas friends where around to share the visit, Lisa, Kim, Julie, and most of all Chicky, who was our fan out on the course. Kim drove out to meet us with less than 5 miles to go on the 50K and actually had a cooler of ice which was my saving grace for the tight IT band. Chicky and Jayne brought me an ice coffee, which really gave me a boost for the final 10 miles of the 50 mile run on Saturday. I will have to follow up with more stories. In the meantime......

This unique experience of ultra running is the ultimate endeavor that will test the body, mind, soul and spirit a basic life principle; to be in the moment.

Running for distances longer than the average person cares to drive sounds like a daunting task. In a runners’ mind – the distance is merely a small obstacle to conquer. Every step, every breath brings us closer to realizing that we can make anything happen. Our energy takes us in the direction we are going. If we feel tired, we slow down. If we feel energized we speed up. The continuous motion of traveling from point A to point B (finish line) using manual locomotion over distances greater than the average marathon (26.2) sets the stage for what I describe as a delirious euphoria of painful delight. In other words it’s a: “Labor of Love.”

The Labor of Love was the perfect fitting title to Calico’s Racing ultra run event at Lovell Canyon in Las Vegas, NV.

When a challenge is presented to run distances from 80-100 miles, how can one refuse? The Labor of Love ultra run offered different running options for everyone. I signed on for the 50miles on Saturday, followed by the 50K on Sunday. I completed 80 miles over a two day period. Finishing both runs is a stepping stone to my first 100 mile ultra in August 2010, called the Viaduct Ultrarun, located in Landsboro, PA.