Cornbelt Running Club 24 Hour Run – Elridge, Iowa – 54+/- entrants
Started out warm, humid, got hot, then hotter, high 80′s and 95-100+ on the black rubber track, sun baking all day, some clouds late, round and round we went and went and went, never got bored, even close, just got hot and hot, many good runners there, most suffering thru the heat, got 200 laps at 12:30 slowish 50 miles ever, not tired, no cramps, feet sore but okay, just hot, finished with 264 laps or 66.66 miles. Not as much as I hoped, too fast at beginning with the heat and not acclimated to it. Many people commented that was much harder than any trail race or hilly road ultra.
Great race organization and so many volunteers and lap counters, very good job. A local race with many local runners doing this as their only ultra. Very social race and many new friends were met. I would like to go back, hopefully with normal temps and a better approach.
Ed Roussaun was there trying to break the age 60-64 age group record for 100K(62.14M). He got so close but severe leg cramps stopped him cold for several hours. He came back for more laps no record. Tim Johnson was the leader as I left to drive home early, on pace for a total of 120 miles or so, not sure of exact total, a very good run for the heat, about 18+hours for 100 miles. I think Bill Seldomridge was second at the time. Maybe someone else on the list can give us final results.
Most runners I knew at this race finished with less miles than normal, by 15-20 miles. Guess I’m trying to justify how I ran based on other peoples results too. Never got real sleepy and was never tired. My feet got very hot, 2 small blisters, one on the heel and one between big toes and 2nd toe, okay after changed to larger shoes. My soles literally burned off parts of the soles, amazing!! Ice water felt good when I stuck my feet in the cooler, a local TV camera was there to get a good shot of this, especially with my duct taped feet. Amazing the ups and downs during a race this long on a track, definitely tougher event on a track than a road or trail, same surface the whole, even with direction change every 3 hours.
Stomach problems late in the night slowed me down a lot, a bit sick, stayed up all night, rested a lot, but just too fast too early for me. Now, I’m not that tired, rested a lot the week before, maybe too much, legs not sore and feet not too bad, considering.
Am I ready for Mohican 100 in June, well at 1AM Sunday I thought not, then David Hughes (a friend of my brother said this is one tough race and had fewer laps than I, he agreed much tougher than any trail/road ultra) and he has finished several Trail 100′s.
I have one month to recover and get used to the heat, which should not be a problem now, I’m already entered, so no turning back.
Later, Jeff
(Still living and learning about this 100mile/24hour events)
(data from UltraRunning)
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