18.. uh.. 8 hour charity walk for cancer - now with blisters!

I walked in memory of Nils

Once again, the twitter log during the race is a better race report than i could ever write.

When I went into the race, I basically had three objectives (besides the whole raise money for cancer thing)
1.) Assess my ability to go all night long
2.) Cover 50 miles
3.) Get some heat training in

Friday 06:51 PM June 06, 2008
PSA I will be doing a charity walk for cancer tomorrow, from noon until 6am (18 hours), and will be tweeting updates here.

Saturday 1:21PM
3 miles down. It's at least 90 degrees out here, but I feel good. Sweating a lot.

Saturday 1:53PM
5 miles, 10 percent to my goal. Stopping for lunch, and need bodyglide on right heel.

Saturday 02:14 PM
Back on the track. 180 laps to goal.

Saturday 02:38 PM
25 laps done, kind of a big milestone. 10k or so.

Saturday 03:35 PM
37 laps down 163 to go, taking a break. The heat is intense.. Reflecting off the asphalt track.

Saturday 04:18 PM
10 miles done, 40 to go, hot as balls out here, but it'll cool off soon. Listening to stackoverflow podcast to pass the time.

Saturday 05:03 PM
Lap 50 done.. Good timing, they're doing the cancer survor only lap right now. 25% done.. Gettin there.

Saturday 06:06 PM
There it is, my first ever blister. Going to try to find something to lance it with. 55 laps done btw.

Saturday 06:14 PM
Blood blister on left foot, don't know what to do about it.

Saturday 06:31 PM
Walking on the untreated blood blister. I guess i'll go until I can't anymore. It doesn't hurt... Too much...

Saturday 06:45 PM
It's not all doom&gloom.. I hadn't peed in hours despite lots of fluids (concerning) until just now (relieving). Plus, it's cooling off!

Saturday 06:48 PM
Jogged for 10 mins before the blisters btw. I feel fine, really. Just the left blister is slightly uncomfortable.. That's about it.

Saturday 07:38 PM
On lap 70. Thunderstorm on the horizon. Rain, ok. Lightning.. Nope.

Saturday 07:47 PM
They're kicking everyone off the field.. And tent city.. Ushering us indoors. Blister pain increasing.

Saturday 07:52 PM
Walking on uneven ground (to the brick and morter safehouse from lighting) is extremely painful flat track much better.

Saturday 07:58 PM
Two blisters on left foot now. Seriously thinking about dropping..

Saturday 08:19 PM
Dropping due to blisters. 18 miles. Disappointing.

Sunday 11:00 AM
i am convinced that it was the size 15 shoes that caused the blisters. for now on I need to make sure I wear 14s for lsds.

...
One thing to add that was not in the twitter logs is that when I sat in the fieldhouse, I couldn't control my coughing. The remnants of the bronchitis were back. Honestly, this was my first workout since the onset of the disease which lasted a month.. so I was pushing too hard and I knew it.

Oh well, I got some great heat training out of it.
Plus it was a charity walk, not a race. and 18 miles is 18 miles.

Remember kids, enjoy the weather. It's the only weather you've got.

-steve

I've had it with the NYRRC lottery

This photo taken at the finish line of my first ultramarathon, a 50k april 20th in connecticut. joey ran about the last quarter-mile with me.

Here's a fun idea - lets give an update to this post?

Steve's lottery results for entry to the NYC marathon:
2001 - DENIED
2006 - DENIED
2007 - DENIED
2008 - DENIED
(and just for kicks)
2008 NYC HALF MARATHON - DENIED

The good news is that I am now guaranteed an entry in 2009. But let me tell you, this is a really friggin' frustrating way to get in. Expensive too, because I've paid lottery fees for 4 times for this thing now - on top of one of the most expensive entry fees for a marathon in the country.

That said:

2009 - ACCEPTED

unless something happens.


here's an example of something happening! I've come down with bronchitis and it's not going away! Had it almost a month now, and I've literally run zero miles in the entire month of May. I'm on an inhaler now to try to get rid of this, and hopefully I'll finally be able to resume my training next week.

As far as this weekend, wish me luck. I have "time on my feet" training in a relay for life cancer walk at work. 18 hours of walking.. there is no expectation that you walk more than a fraction of the entire 18 hours, but there is no rule that says you can't try to walk the whole time. An extra benefit is that I'll be able to assess my ability to walk overnight, like people usually have to do in 100-mile ultras. Should be interesting.

By the way, they're starting a "biggest loser" competition at work next week. I'm approaching it with a very aggressive strategy and the way I see it, this is no time for modesty. I'm in it to win it - and I'm going to smoke the competition. More details on that in the near future.

Also, in case there's any confusion, I'm still planning on the Grand Teton and Vermont 50-milers in August and September, the Chicago Marathon in October, and now, likely, the JFK 50 miler in November.