Heartland 100
‘Spirit of the Prairie’
(my first 100 mile run!)
By Brent Jesko
Cedarburg, WI
How do you describe what it is like to run 100
miles? How do you convey all the
planning, the emotions, the highs and lows of the day (and night)? How can you thank those who helped you along
the way? And why would someone
undertake such an adventure in the first place?
Well, I know I’ll never be able to put all those
answers into words… But in order to
capture the memories, I thought I’d write my race report on the Heartland
100. I know its something I’ll never
forget and will look back on when I’m 50, 60, or 70 years old as a most special
day! I apologize in advance for the
length, but a lot can happen in 100 miles…
I’ll start at the beginning. 4:15am, Saturday, October 13th. I’d been in-and-out-of sleep for the last
two hours and finally decided to get up and get ready for the race. All my gear was packed and everything was
laid out ready to go. I think I’d spent
almost as much time planning and packing for the race as I had training the
last few weeks. But the big day was
finally here! After I got ready I knelt
by the bed to pray. Mostly just out of
gratitude for how much God has blessed me.
I couldn’t think of anything in the world I’d rather do today than this
race, and couldn’t ask for a more special group of people to share the
experience with!
So I drove the 20+ miles into Cassoday and checked
in with the race director around 5:30am.
I then decided to wait a bit in the car out of the wind. It was cool watching the lightning in the
distance, but a little ominous at the same time. No matter. Whatever
happened today was meant to be, and I sure wasn’t gonna worry about things I
couldn’t control. I figured the more
things that went wrong, the more epic the adventure (and subsequent stories)
would be. So I welcomed whatever
weather came our way, and remember being very at peace about the boding storm –
almost like it was an old friend that might decide to stop by.
Anyway, they gave us the 5-minute warning while I
was still stretching. I decided to get
my gear strapped on and start making my way over to the start. While I was still adjusting my belt and
bottles, the race director said go, and everyone took off. I was lined up behind some spectators, so just
worked my way around them and started walking down the road. Everyone seemed so excited that our journey
had finally begun! I had been
anticipating this day and this moment for many weeks, and felt just like a kid at
Christmas.
Despite my excitement, I wanted to start very
conservatively and send my body a message that everything was low key, so just
relax. I did this by walking the first
few minutes, and believe I was in 2nd-to-last place when I finally
accelerated into a gentle jog. It was
still dark out so I had my flashlight, and started to talk to the runners
around me. Everyone was so positive and
joking around. After a few miles I
commented that this ultra thing seemed way easier than people said it was, and
we all laughed, knowing how early in the race it truly was. But I didn’t care how many miles I’d gone,
or how many miles were left. My goal
was to just be out there all day long doing what I love. The more miles, the more fun - all the
better I thought. So we made our way
down the road, still watching the lightning in the distance, but never getting
wet.
I had decided to walk 3 minutes out of every 15 and
really focused on this discipline during those first few hours. The course started out on flat dirt roads,
so there were no hills to walk. I
noticed that my running pace was a bit faster than most others around me, but I
was walking more and playing leapfrog with a few other runners. One lady I spoke with had DNF’d at Wasatch
the prior month, and was here to get a 100-mile finish. I kept forgetting her name, so just called
her Wasatch woman. Talk about a hard
course in the mountains of Utah! Heartland
must seem easy compared to that one, but she said 100 miles was still 100
miles, and each race had its own challenges.
I would find out later how right she was.
So the sun finally came up and I ditched my
flashlight in my drop bag at mile 8. I
downed a Boost meal replacement drink and headed back out. The course really started to get scenic in
this area, as the hills grew bigger and the views were quite impressive at each
crest. I loved the prairie and the
openness of the course, as it reminded me of growing up in Amarillo. I made sure to keep walking all the hills
but really flew down the other sides.
My GPS indicated I was reaching 6 minute pace as I leaned into some of
the bigger down-hills, but my effort was easy and flowing. Overall, with walking breaks I was averaging
an 11-minute pace – right on plan. I
knew the key to this distance was protecting all my internal systems. You’re only as good as your weakest link
when it comes to extreme endurance.
Cardio, legs, stomach, energy, mind, will – lose any one of them and you
could be done. So patience and
replenishing was the plan.
I started praying for people on my list – it had grown
to 50 in the last week before the race, and I wanted to make good use of the
time. Besides, praying and running
always go together for me, as I love talking with God along the way. Before I knew it, over 3 hours had passed
and we were approaching Lapland, the 16 mile aid station. This would be the first time I met my crew,
which at this point was my two brothers, Doug & Scott. I was happy to see them, feeling great, and
right on schedule (Doug joked that I was off by 30 seconds). But I had scripted the first part of the
race, and knew that my planning and patience would pay off with extra energy
reserves later on. Doug & Scott
refilled my water bottles for me and gave me another Boost. I also took off my long sleeve shirt, as the
storm had passed over and it seemed to be a nice temp. Grabbed another energy gel and off I
went.
The wind was picking up, but the temp was fine and it
was really great running weather. I
made sure to keep walking and was averaging closer to a 12 minute pace by now. The terrain was rockier and seemed to be more
uphill, but I was running how I felt and still on plan. I kept praying and relishing every view,
taking pictures with my cell phone along the way. The cattle guards were fun to waddle across, and the twists and
turns in the road kept it interesting. But
it was a remote course – no houses to speak of, not even farms. Just hilly, rocky prairie.
I started to get excited as we neared mile 25,
knowing I would see my wife, kids, and in-laws at Teterville. Trevor was so excited to see me and came
running out with a big smile on his face.
Amber and Zach were close behind, and soon I saw the van and Michelle,
my brothers, and Dennis & Gail. I
sat down in the chair, and Dennis held the umbrella over me as it had started
to rain. The clouds were getting
ominous again, and I was concerned that Gail would be worrying about me out
there on the prairie. But she seemed
relatively at ease, and everyone was so happy and helpful. I had so much attention as everyone offered
me food and drinks and took care of my every need. It was a little strange being the center of attention, but I
kinda liked it and really appreciated everyone’s help. I couldn’t believe they had all come so far
to be with me and help me, especially for something as weird as a 100-mile
run! But it felt good, and I relished
all 15 minutes at that stop, even eating a ham sandwich while I was there. I was re-fueled and rejuvenated to go! Even though I had been running for 5 hours,
I still felt fresh and really no different from when I had started. I guess that’s what some food, lots of
positive thoughts, and a really slow pace do for you. Definitely the easiest marathon I had ever run. Besides, I joked I still had three marathons
to go!
Before I left, I thought we should pray about the
weather, as I could tell everyone was a little concerned with the thunder. I decided on the spot to ask one of the kids
to pray for us, and thought Trevor was the right choice. He’s only 9 but really maturing and coming
into his own, and he responded right away with a great little prayer for God to
stop the rain and keep us all safe. It
really warmed my heart to hear him pray, and in front of so many people!
So I grabbed my jacket and headed into the rain. My brothers drove by me before the next
turn, and I just kept moving through the wet drops. As I headed north, it really started to pour and thunder and
lightning. One bolt seemed a little
close for comfort, and I contemplated lying down in a ditch for a while. But the clouds seemed to blow-over just as
quickly as they rolled in, and by the time I caught the runner ahead of me the
rain had stopped. Trevor’s prayer sure
worked fast. In fact, those 10-15
minutes was the only rain I experienced the entire race, despite storms all
around throughout. I joked with my new
running partner that we both seemed to accelerate during the thunder, but we soon
settled back into our normal pace. Now
we had a new challenge. The dirt in
this narrow section had turned into mud and was clinging to our shoes. You could wipe it off, but it would re-clump
in no time, making each shoe weigh about 5 pounds. Luckily, these conditions didn’t last more than a few miles, and
the road dried out fairly soon. I was
shocked to learn my fellow runner had surgery only five weeks before the race,
and was running her 3rd 100 this year – she lived in California and
said you could run an ultra out there almost every week if you wanted to. She had hurt her ankle earlier in the race, and
was not too optimistic about the day.
But she wanted to give it her all, and I admired her courage.
I then came up on another runner whom I found out
was most interesting. He had come all
the way from New Zealand to run this race!
Also said he had run his first 100 back at Western States in 1979! His name was Jim and I thoroughly enjoyed
talking with him and his great accent. We
made it into Texaco Hill aid station, and I grabbed some more potatoes and
fruit. I kept praying once back on the
road, and reminded myself that this day was not just about me. There were so many people close to me that
needed prayer, and this was a great chance to stay outward-focused as I ran
along. I kept going back to a mantra on
my card, S-L-L, “smile, lean, Lord.” A
smile does wonders for one’s attitude, lean was to remember my correct running
form, and knowing all this wasn’t about me but God’s plan.
Shortly after, I could see the next aid station
called Ridgeline at mile 36. The kids came running out to greet me, once again
brightening my smile. I quickly met my crew, changed socks, and ate one of my
mom’s homemade oatmeal cookies and some delicious grapes. I was glad my stomach
was holding up and knew that eating would be key to making it to the finish
line. I was tiring of my sports drink, and decided to drink mostly water, since
I was getting calories from food and electrolytes from my Succeed tablets. The
temps had climbed into the low 70’s, but there was a nice Kansas breeze
(translation 25mph wind) blowing to keep us cool. Here I made my first mistake
of the day, somehow leaving with only two water bottles filled, thinking I
would see my crew in only 6 miles. That was correct, but I was feeling
thirstier and drank those within 30 minutes. Luckily for me, I came upon two
ranchers - the first non-race people I had seen on the course all day - and
decided to ask them for water. So when the old guy in the passenger side of the
pick-up pulled out a jug of ice-cold water, I was ecstatic. It tasted sooo good.
I was rejuvenated and picked up the pace a little
from here, passing a runner from Tennessee that I had been playing leap-frog
with for almost an hour. Larry had DNF’d at a prior 100 (Leadville, run
entirely above 9000 ft in Colorado - ouch!) and was here for redemption,
ultimately finishing in 26 hours. We had been talking off and on since Texaco,
and I really enjoyed his southern personality and quiet resolve to finish this
race. I tried running slower with him, but just felt uncomfortable at that
pace. But since Larry wasn’t walking much, our overall paces matched fairly
close. Overall, I just found it more efficient to run at a more natural pace,
and then walk to slow down. I liked the
variety and felt like I was using my muscles different when walking, which would
keep my legs stronger for longer. Indeed, my biggest worry was my hamstring,
which I had injured last year. But so far it was holding up great.
When I finally reached Matfield Green at mile 42,
it was 3:15 in the afternoon and I had now been running for over 9 hours. I was
about 15-20 minutes ahead of my planned schedule, not because I had sped up,
but because I had not slowed down as much as planned. Although my longest
training run this year had been 40 miles, I felt much better now, mostly
because I was eating well and going slower. It’s so obvious, but nevertheless
so true. If you want to run farther, just run slower and take more walking
breaks. The body has an amazing ability to keep going longer than we think, if
we just open our minds to the possibility. So I pulled into the aid station and
my crew did their normal excellent job replenishing my needs. I knew this would
be the last time I saw the kids and Dennis & Gail, as they were going back
to the hotel for some fun and swimming. It was so good to have them here! Did I mention the shirts they were wearing? They were great! Yellow t-shirts that Michelle had made up as a surprise, with
“Hesko Crazy” written on the front. The
back listed the thousands of steps and number of hours and food items and
flashlights that went into this crazy adventure, with a final “more fun than
you can imagine” motto. Even though my
wife has never run an ultra, she has run a marathon and definitely captured the
ultra mindset. Other runners took
notice, and soon I was famous as “the guy with the crew in those great yellow
shirts.”
I ate well at Matfield, consuming potatoes from the
aid station, grapes, and even a piece of beef jerky. Now I was locked and
loaded. I took off down the hill and couldn’t believe how good I felt. I had
finished praying for all the people on my list, and really appreciated having
so much time to do this, to run, and to not worry about demands from the
outside world. No emails, no phones
ringing, no places to be or to-do lists to worry about. Just me and the prairie. It was so remote out
here. Go back 500 years and I bet not much had changed - just replace the cows
with buffalo. I loved it! Guess I
really am an introvert at heart, as much as I love people. Something about
being alone for so long, so quiet, and just me and my thoughts that I never
seem to get bored of. I’m just weird
that way.
But alas, my perfect time was eventually
interrupted. My stomach was feeling a little queasy and I had to go to the
bathroom. There were obviously no toilettes around, and nowhere to sit. So I
just wandered off the road a bit and found a nice quiet place to go - much
better. Now I decided to put my IPOD on
for the first time in the race, and viola! Instant adrenaline and energy! My run100 playlist was loaded with good stuff
- EveryDay Sunday, Eminem, Thousand Foot Krutch, 80’s rock, Lifehouse, and
Lincoln Park! I was jamming - and
picking up the pace. That lasted about
an hour, and then my body came back to reality. My quads were getting sore, my
feet were starting to hurt from all the rocks, and I think I was finally
getting tired. But just two more miles until the 50 mile turnaround. I made it into the Lone Tree aid station at
5pm (11 hours for the first 50) and went through my drop bag there for some fresh
supplies.
I found the ultra-cocktail that really got me going
out of there. Three cups of Mountain Dew (time for caffeine), two Aleve, and
some AC/DC - I was humming in no time! Passed
quite a few people over the next 8 miles and thought I was running fast -
although my calculations still showed a gradual pace at best. Plus here were some of the biggest uphills on
the course. But speed is relative, and
I was walking less and singing out loud and just generally feeling a bit goofy
and pumped. Maybe it was the cocktail, or it could have been the endorphins
cruising through my body. Anyway, I was still having fun after 55 miles and
decided to make some calls while I had cell phone coverage near the highway. I
called my friend Roger, left a message for Matt at work, and then called my mom
to let her know how I was feeling. It was great to hear her voice! After all this I started praying some more
and was listening to “Everything” by Lifehouse. Thinking about all the kids out
there that might be struggling and even thinking about suicide just made my
heart well-up and I was definitely getting emotional. But I took it as a
God-thing and just prayed for them like crazy.
Finally I was back at Matfield Green, just as the
sun was starting to go down. Such a beautiful sight! It was close to 7pm, and Michelle had bought me a giant Dr. Pepper
to drink with crushed ice - boy did that hit the spot! I also ate some peaches,
which were delicious. My crew gave me a
message from Dennis at this point too, saying he had called from the hotel with
the kids, and wanted me to know that he was suffering too, swimming and
watching cartoons – I had to laugh!
I decided to try and do something about my feet,
which were really starting to hurt and get blisters. So I had my brother Doug duct tape the balls of my feet and wrap
them around over the top. This helped a
ton, and soon I was out of there. But this
time was different, as I now had a pacer with me - my wife Michelle. She was planning to run 11 miles with me to mile
68. Wow was that cool! We turned on our
lights as it got dark and were just taking our time, talking about all sorts of
stuff, some funny, some serious, the kids, the day, just everything - it was
great! She had trained just to do this
with me, as she didn’t have any races planned this Fall for herself. I was beginning to slow, but we were just
enjoying the darkness and each other’s company. I was telling her about the cows on the course, and not a minute
later we heard some heavy rustling just off the side of the road. We turned our lights to see a giant black
cow right there, not more than 10 feet away.
It startled us a bit, and soon we saw a dozen other cows nearby in the
field, their eyes glowing in the dark.
It was a neat feeling, but I made sure we kept talking and made noise,
as I didn’t want to accidentally get trampled or anything – they are such big
animals up close. By this time my
hamstring was getting worse, and Michelle was great to remind me of my proper
running form so as to not aggravate the muscle by twisting. Soon we came upon two guys walking – a
runner and his pacer. Found out the
runner Ron was doing this race for the pacer’s son who had some rare disease. A sad case, but he had a new friend who
wanted to help, and we told him we’d be praying for his family too.
We kept plugging along and eventually reached Scott
at Texaco Hill just before 10pm. The
boys had quite an adventure driving up to that aid station on a very primitive
road. I was now 45 minutes ahead of
schedule, and was still able to run just over half the time. My legs were starting to hurt all over, and
the bottoms of my feet were tender from stepping on golf-ball sized rocks all
day. But relatively-speaking, I was in
good shape. Scott and I headed into the
night and started talking, just catching up.
My brothers and I are close, but since we live over 1000 miles apart, we
don’t talk all that often. Soon we had
caught-up on the kids, work, and lots of stuff you just don’t have time to talk
about in everyday life. Scott is such
an encourager and he just naturally kept my spirits high. Running with him, Michelle, and later Doug
were definitely the highlights of the ‘race’.
Scott also had several surprises for me. My favorite were two messages he had
recorded on his I-phone, one from my dad and one from my mom. It was great hearing their voices in the
dark, and their words were so affirming and special to me. Scott also told me that my parents, my
sister, and my in-laws had setup a prayer chain, taking turns throughout the
night to get up and pray for me during the race. I just couldn’t believe how much everyone was doing - I am truly
blessed! I was reminded of this again
when we returned home to a giant sign on the door from many of our neighbors,
and from all the calls and emails of friends and co-workers. Several friends also took me out to dinner
when I got back, and everyone at work had thrown me a surprise party the day
before I left. With this much support,
there was no way I could not finish!
But back to the race. The only change I had made now was at the aid stations. No more sitting to relax and eat, as my
hamstring was tightening up quickly when still. So I just stood and moved around and tried to keep it as loose as
possible. Otherwise it felt like
rigor-mortis. But even standing was
hard on it, and I needed some fast walking just to stretch it out before I
could resume running. I took some more
Aleve and figured I’d just have to push through it. At least all the cross-training I had done was paying off with my
quads and calves still relatively strong.
The other issue I had was my stomach.
Eating didn’t sound all that great anymore, and I felt like my system
wasn’t processing much. So I just kept
drinking, took some Tums, and it held in there OK. Much better than the experience I had two years prior at the Kettle
Moraine. Overall, I just kept moving
and held my thoughts positive. I knew
this was key, because the body tends to follow the mind. “Taking every thought captive to the
obedience of Christ” was my theme, and joy was my focus and my choice.
It was now after midnight, and Scott and I were
surprised the wind was still blowing.
The temps had dropped, and all the aid station workers were bundled
up. But I kept running in my tank top
and amazingly never got cold. I guess my
body was fine, after 12 years of acclimating to cold Wisconsin weather. We were making good time and were now an
hour ahead of pace. Coming into the 83
mile aid station, I was thrilled to get some bacon to eat, but passed on the
pancakes as my stomach was still only so-so.
I’m not sure why bacon was my preference, but boy did it hit the
spot. I think the protein, salt, and
fat was a nice change of pace from the carbs.
I also downed a Starbucks double-shot for a caffeine boost, as it was
now after 2am in the morning.
So I was feeling good, but at this point I started
to get confused. Ultra-brain had kicked
in and I started thinking a sub-24 hour race was possible. This mix-up stemmed from my stopwatch, which
had quit ticking at 20 hours. I guess
the designers never imagined anyone would need it longer than that. Anyway, I did some quick, but mis-guided
mental math and decided to start pushing the pace. This was a mistake, partly because my math wasn’t right, but
mostly because my attitude changed from a fun adventurous run to a racing
mentality. Now every hill was an
obstacle, every pain was a new concern, and I started thinking more about pace
and mileage. This mental shift, plus sleep-deprivation
combined to erode my positive outlook for the first time in the race.
The good part was I now had Doug to run with. I was looking forward to talking with him,
and we really had a good conversation for a couple of hours. I wasn’t quite as sharp anymore, but Doug
& I caught up on our families and enjoyed the time together. He was definitely keeping me going. He didn’t even bother to tell me until later
that they couldn’t get the car to start and had to jump-start it. He was also making me laugh, especially when
I would complain about something and Doug would say “hey brother, I’m tired too
but you don’t hear me whining – quit being such a wimp!” Of course he had only run about 7-8 miles at
this point, which magnified the witty sarcasm.
The course was getting hillier again, so we had to
walk a lot of uphills. But my strength
was still there and we were making good ultra ‘RFM’ (relentless forward motion). The only bad part was I could no longer
accelerate downhill. This was due in
part to my sore quads and tight hamstring, and also because I kept tripping
over rocks. Doug would say “brother,
don’t you see those rocks – just step over them.” He’s right I would think, after kicking another baseball-sized
stone, but something in my mind-leg connection just wasn’t quite working right
anymore. Lucky for me I have decent
balance, or I’m sure I would have bit-it several times. We finally came into the last official aid
station at mile 92, and I knew that a sub-24 hour race was out of the
question. But I also knew we were still
over an hour ahead of my planned pace, and decided to just try and keep running
as much as possible. But I could tell
my running durations were getting shorter, and I had quit talking as much. I had never doubted I would finish this
race, and now knew the finish was getting close. I was hurting more at this point and really just wanted to be
done. Even though 8 miles isn’t very
far, it seems like a long way when you’re tired, a little grumpy, and moving at
a snail’s pace. I would run more at
times and think we must be picking it up.
But then I would make the mistake of asking Doug our last mile split (he
had his GPS) only to find out we had covered the latest mile in 15
minutes. How is that possible? I would
think – surely we were moving faster than that! Obviously my sense of time and pace were completely out of whack. This was one of several times in the race
when I meditated on the verse written on the back of my prayer list, from
Jeremiah 12:5.
If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out,
how can you compete with horses?
If you stumble in safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by the
Jordan?
Although I was having a tough time, I knew it was
nothing compared to what so many people have to go through in their lives. Plus I chose to do this, and only had to
endure for hours, not days or weeks or years.
So again, just put everything in perspective and keep the RFM going. This really wasn’t as bad as I had feared.
In fact, I remember thinking that although the total effort was much tougher
(obviously) than other races, I actually felt better than near the end of my
first 50 miler, or when I DNF’d in the heat of the Kettle Moraine two years
prior.
So we were making progress and the course had now
become flat as we neared Cassoday. I
could see the city lights ahead, plus some cool red lightning (caused by Kansas
dust in the air). For whatever reason,
we started seeing more runners at this point and were passing them. This helped me to run more and I just knew
the finish would be here before long. I
couldn’t remember anyone passing me since the 50 mile turnaround, which was a
good sign that my body had held up, and re-enforced that I had run the first
half conservatively enough. Finally,
with about 1.5 miles to go, I told Doug to just lead and I would follow him
home. I wanted to run the rest of the
way. We passed another runner, but I
couldn’t quite keep up with Doug as he pulled away. Then we turned onto pavement which I knew meant less than a half
mile to go. I started running with all
I had and soon passed Doug (whom I mistook for another runner at first). Then I saw my kids up ahead, but they didn’t
recognize me at first in the dark with my light shining in their eyes. I called out “Trevor, Zach, Amber” and they
instantly knew me and ran up beside me for the last hundred yards or so. It was a sprint now (although somehow even 7
year old Amber could keep up with me) and soon we had crossed the finish line! 24 hours 30 minutes, I heard the lady say -
amazing! I could now stop.
Everyone was there – I remember hugging Scott,
seeing Dennis & Gail, kissing Michelle.
I don’t remember taking pictures, but we obviously did – I looked almost
like a different person, with a hollowed-out expression and strained face, but
smiling nonetheless. They say at a 100
miler you’re not the same person at the finish that started the race, and I
think I now understand what that means.
Limits and obstacles don’t seem as big, and there’s a healthy yet humble
confidence that seems to grow as you imagine new horizons.
So now I was now officially a 100-mile runner! I had learned a lot about myself, and about
perseverance. I had learned in a deeper
way what it means to depend on God for emotional and spiritual strength. Most of all, I realized how to depend on
others in tough times. My crew, my
family – they got me through and helped me so much along the way. Although many may think of ultra runners as
independent, I was learning what dependence on others was all about. I thanked Jesus for this experience, and for
being with me every step of the way.
Now that it’s been two weeks, I feel almost normal
again. My hamstring is still a little
tight, but improving. I won’t run again
until Thanksgiving, part of a planned off-season and well deserved break for my
body. But I have been biking and
lifting weights, just keeping it simple and light. I know there have already been many positive ripple effects from
the race, especially in my relationships.
There is now a group at my workplace that want to run their first
marathon next spring. We’ll have a lot
of fun training together in 2008, and traveling to Duluth together for the race
(Grandma’s). Running definitely builds
community if you do it right.
But I have noticed some people are shocked when
they find out what I did. Most of my
non-runner friends didn’t know about the race.
I have generally avoided the subject, as it tends to be something hard
to describe in a quick conversation.
Plus the attention makes me uncomfortable. But it somehow ended up on the prayer line at church, and the
news spread throughout the neighborhood due to my kids. One of my friends, who used to live in Japan
now calls me Hyaku-San (100
man). I like the way it sounds. He saw me taking out the trash the next day
and laughed because Hyaku-San was very slow.
I would say there have been three flavors of response from people.
1. Did
you say it was a bike race? A relay, what? You ran
100 miles?
2. Why
would anyone want to run 100 miles?
3. Wow,
that’s amazing, great job!
I still don’t know how to completely answer #2,
although I have some thoughts on the issue.
Most of all I know how much I love to run (even though it seems boring)
and realize if I wasn’t training for a race I’d still be out there looking for
trails and running for hours when time was available. Will I ever run another 100 mile race? My wife (who knows me better than I know myself) says of course I
will. But I also know that the time
involved and focus can distract from more important things – especially
people. So I’ll just take one year at a
time and let God lead the way.
In the meantime, keep running - keep dreaming - and
whatever you do, keep on keepin’ on!
Brent Jesko
Cedarburg, WI