Photo courtesy Chris Howarth
Sometimes reading about other people doing extraordinary things makes us reevaluate our lives and take some new risks, or at least mix it up a little. For instance, those of us who dabble in jogging but wish we were actually runners can take inspiration from the story of Chris Rhys Howarth, a Brit who will spend much of this summer running across Kenya to raise money for poor street children in that country. Howarth, who got the idea for the run from a Kenyan street child named Michael, plans to average 30 miles a day for the seven weeks’ journey. If Howarth can run 30 miles a day, it’s within the realm of possibility that an average mortal can run just a little bit more than 6 miles a week.
Photo courtesy Ultrarunning News
Sure, that’s inspiring. But just in case you aren’t quite ready to slip on those running (not jogging) shoes and step up the mileage just yet, read on for something even more inspiring. And that would be extreme ultrarunning, of course. Competitors in the 2010 Badwater Ultramarathon, currently underway in Death Valley, Calif., are running for 135 miles without stopping, while gaining more than 13,000 feet of elevation. Luckily, temps are supposed to hover at a relatively cool 100 degrees for the next few days in Death Valley. The fastest runners will finish the race in about 24 hours, while most racers will take 40 hours or so to complete it. In this context, how hard can it be for us casual joggers to step up the mileage just a tad? It really doesn’t seem so taxing to run for 30 minutes when you think about those ultrarunners hoofing it up Mt. Whitney while the sun rises, then sets, then rises again.
Thanks to our friends at ExplorersWeb.com and The Adventure Blog for tipping us off to these stories.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
That’s how those ultrarunners got started too…just one more lap…
Just thinking about it makes me tired! I guess I could do an extra lap or two on the track…