No, I am not kidding. Ambitious? Definitely. Delusional? Maybe. But kidding? No.
Based on my recent progress, I believe that I can compete with the world’s best road ultramarathoners over distances in the 50-mile to 100K range. By the end of the year, I should have a much better sense of whether this is a reasonable idea.
Speaking of reasonable ideas, here’s one: if I really want to be the best in the world, perhaps I should start by trying to be the best in the country. Which brings me to my plans for the spring. My next important race will be the U.S. road 100K championship, which will be contested as part of the Mad City 100K in Madison, Wisconsin on April 7th. This location will enable me to see my Uncle Scott, who lives in Kenosha. The uncle proximity thing is actually a key part of my strategy, since Scott’s Houston-based brother, Chris, was on hand for both of my 2006 ultras, which went quite well.
Between now and then, my tentative schedule of major workouts and races is the following….
Jan. 27: 35-37 miles at 100K goal pace (roughly 6:25 per mile for the rolling Mad City course)
Feb. 11: Love ‘Em Or Leave ‘Em 5K
Feb. 17/18: 35-40 miles at 100K goal pace
Feb 24: Fort Steilacoom Resolution Series 15K or 15-Miler?
Mar. 3/4: 40-45 miles at 100K goal pace
Mar. 11: St. Patrick’s Day Dash? (exact distance unknown, but usually a bit over 5K)
Mar. 17/18: 30-35 miles at 100K goal pace
Mar. 31: Some random 5K?
Apr. 7: Mad City 100K
As you can see, the first big workout is . . . tomorrow, when the Jureks and I will be at Seward Park, simulating the Mad City terrain by switching back and forth between the flat perimeter loop and a hilly alternative loop. (Thank you to USATF for the great map-drawing tool.)
My Track Record 
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