I have been getting a lot of questions thrown my way these days about the project. Thanks for your interest!!!! I figured it might be a good post to hit several of the more common ones...
How long do you think it will take? My goal is to complete the run in 45 days. I plan on 40 days of 60 mile runs with five rest days. However, all bets are off once the first step is taken and it may take longer or maybe a day or two less. It all depends on how it goes!
How are you going to do it from a logistical stand point? The current plan is to rent a motor home, have a crew of 3-4 people help (paying them with beer and probably bad food!), stay in a mix of KOAs and cheap hotels and maybe a few friends/relatives along the way. I plan on rising early and running from 5 a.m. to 1 p.m. every day before it gets too warm.
Are you eating anything special right now? What are you eating? The smart alec answer is that I eat pretty much what I want. The calorie math is pretty cool. The average human of my size burns roughly 2,000 calories a day just being a human. The average calorie burn per mile is about 110-120 calories. So, in a 60 mile run week, I burn 6,000-7,000 calories extra. That is like three extra days of food you can eat a week! Honestly, I try to eat less sugar, white flour and carbs than you might think. There is an emerging line of thinking that carbs are not necessarily the "be all" for athletic people. Veggies, proteins and a variety seems to be the trick for me. However, pizza and beer also seem to deliver the right fuel mix (in moderation of course!).
Where are you finding the time? First, I must say thanks to an understanding and supportive wife. She puts up with a lot. Secondly, I am lucky that my body clock is wired funny. I get up at 2:30 - 3:00 in the morning, get a work out in and can be serving my wife up some coffee by 5:00 a.m.! So, I get miles in while most people are sleeping. I can do this for extended periods and still keep sharp during the day. Luck.
How many people do this a year? Best I can tell only 5-15 people a year make the attempt. Roughly 200 people have done this since these types of treks have been recorded. There are probably more that attempt it and don't get recorded, but I don't think I am going to run into many crowds!
Why? I usually get this question with a look of "I am looking at a crazy person". The honest answer is that I just think it would be cool to do it. Planning it, training for it, talking about it and actually completing it seems like a neat thing to try. Though I will have a support crew, it will be mostly me against myself and the elements. I either take care of business or I don't!
I have done about 55 miles so far this week. I am going to attempt back to back marathon runs Saturday and Sunday.
Have a great weekend!!!!
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