For the last four days I've been super busy doing a bit of running and helping to staff this absolutely amazing event called Strides For Life. It's a 4-day 100-Mile run. And I don't mean a relay. Each person individually runs 100 miles over the course of 4 days. Wow.
Each day is split up into 5 legs that are approximately 5 miles each- it's hard to make them exact, so some are a little long and some are a little short. Here's what a day running Strides For Life looks like:
8:00 am: Start running leg 1
9:00 am: End leg 1
9:15 am: Start running leg 2
10:15 am: End leg 2
10:30 am: Start running leg 3
11:30 am: End leg 3
11:30 am - 1:30 pm: Lunch break
1:30 pm: Start running leg 4
2:30 pm: End leg 4
2:45 pm: Start running leg 5
3:45 pm: End leg 5
Each leg has 3 aid stations along the way at 1 mile, 2.5 miles, and 4 miles. At the end of the leg (the 5 mile stop) all runners stop and wait for everyone to get in so that they can begin the next leg together.
Runners can choose to run all 4 days and all 100 miles or they can choose to run a fewer number of days/miles.
All runners are asked to try to fundraise at least $200 for each day they play to run, all of which benefits the American Cancer Society. So if a runner wants to do all 4 days and all 100 miles, they should try to fundraise at least $800. There is a $25 registration fee, but that $25 counts towards their fundraising total. Aside from that, all the runners have to do is show up. The planning committee and support staff take care of all food, lodging, and transportation for runners- pretty good deal huh?
All runners stay at a local college dorm, so the lodging is by no means "luxury", but most of the runners that have been a part of this event for awhile don't care- they describe it as "Adult Summer Camp" and seem to love every second of it.
It was so motivating and inspirational to be around this group of dedicated runners for the past 4 days. My goal was to run 1 leg of each day. When I wasn't running, I was helping to staff the 4 mile aid station vehicle during each leg.
Well, I sort of completed my goal.
I didn't quite do one full leg on day 4, but on day 3 I managed to run just about the entire day- 23.5 miles, so I think that makes up for it! That full day of running taught me so much about myself, running in general, the dynamics of this event and the camaraderie of the runners that are a part of this event, that I can't even describe it in words. It was incredible. And it was the exact motivation I needed to dig into this marathon training.
I've never run more than about 13 miles in one day, so running 23.5 in a day made me feel invincible! Now that I know I can make it that far, I have no doubt that I could do a marathon.
I'll be posting again soon about those 23.5 miles- the furthest I've run in the last year and a half has probably been about 6 miles, so I feel like I've got some explaining to do!
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