patriots' run 2009: the dream and the plan

the event: "the patriots' run" ultra option (they also offer a 26.2 mile marathon option) starts at noon on 9.11 and continues until 9:11 p.m. the course is 3/4 of a mile, paved, and circles around two trails park in olathe, kansas. runners and walkers log as many miles as they care to throughout the 9 hours and 11 minutes.

the plan: i plan to run a very conservative pace employing a glide that i worked on developing this summer. i plan to fuel every half hour and while i am fueling i intend to walk. these walk segments will give my running muscles a partial break and will also allow other parts of my system to partake of some recovery time.

the dream: i am dreaming of continuing my glide with walking fuel segments for the entire 9 hours and 11 minutes (with the exception of restroom breaks). my dream is to at least cover 50 miles (69 laps), and i am hopeful of covering 54 miles. the course record is 61 miles (84 laps) and was set last year by gregg buehler. according to my sources gregg intends to run again this year. i am also dreaming of placing in the overall top 3. 50+ miles is likely to get me on the podium, but even with that, you never know who all is going to show up for an event like this.

my great friend, scott griffith, will be crewing for me and will be posting live updates to my facebook status. if you are yet a facebook friend with me and are interested, you can find me: here.

some reality: my long run personal best is 31.05 miles. i am coming into this event with one body concern, i.e., my left tibia which i gave the month of august to heal. this will be an adventure...stay tuned...