100 Miles for 100 Members

From Sep 2021 thru Sep 2022, I ran four 50ks, one 100k, one pseudo-backyard ultra of 88 miles (pseudo because I ran 3.67 instead of official 4.167 mile laps), and attempted one 50-miler and two 100-milers. With my second marathon mixed in, I ran over 500 miles in races. Not bad for my first year of ultra running (or maybe really bad and/or totally insane?).

At my first 100-mile attempt in February (Rocky Raccoon), I bowed out at mile 74 with hypothermia (I climbed 5000 ft in this TX race, compared to 3100 ft in my neighborhood 88-miler). At the 50-mile attempt in July (Pikes Peak Ultra), I missed cutoff at mile 22 but they allowed me to finish a long 50k (I ended up running 40.1 miles and climbed 8,900 feet). At the second 100-mile attempt in September (Run Rabbit Run), I was forced out by time at mile 77 (this one I climbed 15,000 feet…and destroyed my left knee which forced a six-week break from running). That means I’ve got two big fat DNFs (Did Not Finish) on my official running record.

As much as I hate to lose, the improvements I experienced over the course of one year of ultrarunning have been dramatic. Thus, instead of being dragged down by failures, those huge gains have enabled me to keep a positive attitude by viewing those DNFs as mere stepping stones.

I can’t wait for redemption at Rocky Raccoon and Run Rabbit Run. I look forward to running other more iconic races such as Leadville 100, Western States Endurance Run 100, and UTMB 100. I know it sounds crazy, but I also look forward to even longer runs: Cowboy 200, Bigfoot 200, Tahoe 200, Moab 240, and Cocodona 250 (and yes, those races are 200, 240, and 250 miles!). Come June I’ll be doing a practice run for these longer runs at a 72-hour race here in Kansas called The Sticks (organized by great folks at Ultraverse Supplements, whose Proxima C Endurance Fuel I’ve been using; they also organized the first 100k I ran). In the meantime, I still need to finish 100 miles, which is precisely what I’m going to do on November 25-26.

Last November I ran 88 miles to raise funds for Eighth Day Institute on Giving Tuesday. Until then I had only completed two marathons, two 50ks, and one 100k (barely!). If friends had not spontaneously appeared as a pop-up crew to take care of me at the aid station in my front yard—led by Jake Ramstack, they fed me, clothed me for the cold, and each lap literally lifted me out of my chair and pushed me back onto the road to run more—and if others had not arrived to run a lap or two (or six in the case of Oscar Repreza…that’s basically a marathon!), I am 100% confident I would not have been able to finish those 88 miles.

It's that time of year again and I intend to make this a tradition. Since I failed to reach the 100 mile mark twice this year, and since Eighth Day Institute’s fall campaign goal is to recruit 100 new members, I’m going to run 100 miles for 100 members in what I'm dubbing "Dr. Doom's College Hill Pseudo-Backyard Ultra."

I’ll start running at noon next Friday (the day after Thanksgiving, on November 25, 2022). Last year I ran 3.67 mile laps; this year I’m running 3.92 mile laps; next year I’ll run the official backyard ultra 4.167 mile laps. If I can stay on schedule like I did last year (1 lap every hour), I’ll finish 25.5 hours later around 1:30 pm on Saturday, November 26. More important than staying on schedule, however, is finishing my first 100-miler and recruiting 100 new Eighth Day members (we've already recruited 19 of them!).

I’d love for you to be a part of this crazy—but in my humble opinion, also wonderful—endeavor. Here are at least five ways you can participate: 1) pace me, i.e., run a lap or two with me; 2) crew me, i.e., take care of me between laps; 3) cheer me on (last year, this included fireworks and lots of folks at my front yard aid station); 4) support my effort by becoming an Eighth Day Member here; and/or 5) spread the word by either sharing this page or the same post on our Facebook page.

For those of you who can join me at any point during the 25.5 hours or more next Friday and Saturday, in addition to the aid tent and supplies for me, I’ll have in my front yard a table and chairs, a keg of beer (and wine or any other drink of choice, if requested), and an outdoor portable forced air heater, all for visitors to experience Eighth Day “conversations you can’t have anywhere else.”

If you have any questions or don’t know my home address, email me or text me at 316.573.8413.