You don’t need to be the faster runner to do great things and if you don’t agree with me just read this and think again

Every time I think I already know about the best runners in the world I discover I am actually so wrong!!   Today I will introduce you to Jerry Dunn or “Marathon Man “as he is known.

If we look at marathon times he might not be the faster marathoner (best Marathon time 3:23 in 1985 in Chicago…still super-fast for me! but not close to any world record)  but when you read all his accomplishments there are no doubt that he has earned his nickname! 

Jerry Dunn was born in 1946 in Indianapolis, Indiana.  He started running when he was 29 years old and these are some of his accomplishments:

In 2006 to celebrate his 60th birthday, Jerry ran 60 miles on a 1/8 mile indoor track at Black Hills State University. This effort raised over $1000 for a climbing wall at the local middle school. 480 circuits in 14 hours and 42 minutes. Last year to celebrate his 65 years he used the same track  but he completed 11 hours or 44 miles on it and then moved outside.  It was  28 degree temps, overcast sky and little or no wind. His goal  was to make it to the Crow Peak Brewery by 6PM for the beginning of his  self-hosted party. He arrived at 5:42 having walked the entire 21 remaining miles. Still took  him less than 17 hours to complete it at age 65!

In 2000 he ran a record 200 Marathon distances in 1 calendar year.   Yeah…this is still an unofficial world record!!!  He actually did 21 "official", marathons. In addition, he would run the course perhaps a dozen times before the actual race. He would arrive in town early and use the course for his daily run. Then come race day and run the official event.

In 1999 he ran Los Angeles Marathon course on 14 consecutive days

In 1998 he ran 29 consecutive days on the NYC Marathon course……first 28 days on the original marathon course in Central Park and the 29 day was the actual marathon race. Also in the same year he ran Los Angeles Marathon  13 consecutive days

In 1997 he ran the 13.1 mile course  of  the Indianapolis 500 Festival on 13 consecutive days. The same year he ran the Megan’s 24 Hour Track Run . . . Jerry ran 74 miles in 16 hours. He then took a five hour nap in a tent in the infield. Went start line of Portland Marathon on Sunday morning and completed the event in 5:31:23, thus accomplishing his goal of 100 miles in less than 30 hours elapsed time.

In 1996  as a way of celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Boston Marathon,  he  began running the entire course on March 21st and ran it every day for 26 consecutive days.  The 26th day coincided with the official 100th running of the  Boston Marathon.

Also in the same year he successfully completed 104 marathons in a single calendar year, at that time a world record.

In 1991 he ran Shore to Shore in 104 days. Transcontinental run, logistically organized and executed a solo run from San Francisco to Washington, DC in 104 days, raising awareness and funds for the working poor.  Began running in San Francisco with the goal of running to Washington DC. The total mileage was 2707, of which he ran 1900 and cycled the rest.

Oh and he got married during the World Disney Marathon at mile 9 J

He is the founder and race director of  The Deadwood Mickelson Trail Marathon,  Black Hills 100 Ultra Marathon, Lean Horse Hundred and the Run Crazy Horse 13.1 / 26.2 races but  he has never been able to run them on race day as he is always working and cheering for the runners.

This year for first time he is running all the races in a single year at age 65/66…..he said it is his way to prepare for retirement J …..I am really happy that I will have the honor to run with him in my first 100!!!!  Poor guy….he will have a stalker following him J

Don’t limit your challenges … Challenge your limits, and have fun doing it. – Jerry Dunn

* Information  from LeanHorse blog and other newspapers interviews and articles.

I forgot I have a Blog :)

Seriously! I guess I like running more than writing about it.   Have you noticed how some people tends to write more than what they are actually doing and how much some people complains all the time about their performance and try to find excuses for running 10 second slower! it really annoys me.  Too much food, I didn’t sleep well, I have been working a lot….etc, etc… Can’t they just assume that we all have bad runs and an excuse doesn’t change it…deal with it! It is not that you are going to lose your sponsor! Come on! Just enjoy it and love yourself for whatever you are capable to do. Trying to improve is good, don't get me wrong, I try to improve all the time abd we all like to improve and move forward but think that you are a failure because you don't always perform as well as you wish is not cool!  After all, this is a hobby for most of us and it should make us happy but sometimes I feel some people feels miserable about it.

I will stop with this as it is not worthy.  I will move on to my own business. :)

Bear Mt. 50K

In summary this is what has happened during the first half of the year. I will try to catch up with more details on some interested running adventures soon!

Towards the end of last year I got bursitis in my hip. This time was much worst, to the point where it was even painful to walk. It took me more than 3 months to recover and be able to run again. Basically I didn’t do much running from December 2011 to March 2012. I had to go to physical therapy 3 times per week, rest and take a bunch of antimflamatories. No running really sucks!!! (excuse my English :) ) I was like an animal in a cage and just when I thought nothing could be worse, I was diagnosis with retrolisthesis.

Of course again the doctors said I should not run. My doctor consulted with a colleague and after seeing my "puppy" face they said “ well, you can run but without a watch, you will never be a champion, you should not try to run fast, that will make it worst and it will hurt. We know you will still do those ultras but take it easy, don’t push it, listen to your body and stop if you have pain”.

DC 50M

I really didn’t need them to tell me I will never be a champion, I have never been fast and I don’t care that much about it. If I can run I am happy!! No matter how fast or slow, though it is not nice to heard someone telling you that!!  It even made me want to go out and try to run 5 minute mile to prove them wrong.....LOL...yeah sure!! ...not even a chance!

Around March I started to feel better so I reassumed my training.
Even though I try to think I am perfectly fine the true is that I have pain in almost every long run and the faster I try to run the more painful it is. Some days I fell perfectly fine and I almost forget about my hip and bsck being a mess but it always comes back.

During my ultras I need to take some pain killers every 4 hours to keep going. I am luckly that my body seem to handle the pills well.  I try not to abuse and only  take them if the pain is really bad and towards the end of the races.   I am not complaining about it, after all I can still run and that makes me really happy. It is just another factor I need to consider as hot weather, rain, be tired etc.  Should not be an excuse and I will never use it as one.

Holly Molly, it was hard to get the distance back!! I felt so out of shape and unmotivated that I had only one option……I had to sign up for some ultra asap!! That way I could be forced to run!

ouch!

I did the North Face Endurance Challenge 50K at Bear Mt. and it went well. As a fun note, I felt at mile 14 and sprained my ankle very badly (still hurts me now when I wear high heels),  I ended up running 16 miles with a bag of ice tied to it...it was actually pretty funny and made me feel so hard core!! and also STUPID!!! I should have stopped but I am too proud to have a DNF.

After that I did some short races and the Brooklyn half. I did not perform that well but I had a lot of fun. I also crewed for my friend Deanna who was running 150 miles in Vermont. 

skin treatment

A month later I ran the North Face Endurance Challenge 50M in Washington DC. I love that race! This year it was like doing a tough mudder! It rained all week so the trail was covered in mud and water. My back gave me some troubles during the race but  I just tried to forget about it and keep running. Someone told me during the race that the difference between a regular runner and an ultra-runner is that we have more tolerance to pain…he said most ultra-runners have some type of pain at one point but we all keep going. I think I agree.

I recovered really well after this race and just 2 days later I was running again. The following Saturday I did a 10K race. The following week I ran 10 miles almost every day and I was feeling really strong.

I thought a lot about my dream of running a 100 miler and at one point I was almost decided not to do it as I was afraid how I will handle to keep running past the 50 miles point if my back hurts. When I finished the 50 miler I asked myself whether I would turn around and do it again.....the answer was" Hell not!!

I burned my friend's shoes :)

You know the saying that you need to forget your last marathon before thinking about the next one? Well,  I kept thinking about it and thinking and thinking and thinking!!! And even though the logic told me I should not do it my heart was telling me to DO IT!....Heart WON and I have signed up for my first 100 miler in just 2 months!! 

Details on the race and training coming soon!!