Several years ago, a good friend of mine told me about a conversation he had with some people he worked with. They got to talking about running — as one does 😃 — and eventually the conversation came around to the longest distance that each of them had ever run.
One of them shared that he’d participated in a contest with a few runner friends of his, to see how far they could go before they just had to stop. Like, couldn’t go any further. (Or is it farther?) The friend shared with that group that he ran 77 miles before he said, “I’m out.”
I’m fascinated with this story not because I want to go out and run 77 miles — I don’t! — but I’m really interested in how far each of us wants to go, how far we think we might be able to go if we really pushed ourselves.
What reminded me of all of this was an article that appeared in the Atlantic this week — “Go For a Walk,” by Arthur C. Brooks — about his 100-mile-long walking pilgrimage along the Camino de Santiago, a network of walking routes in Spain that has attracted travelers from around the world for more than 1,000 years.
To be sure, Brooks didn’t do it all at once — he walked about 20 kilometers a day, for a journey that took about a week — but I loved what he had to say about it:
“The secret of the Camino is really its utter lack of thrills. The quiet monotony is initially hard to deal with. At the beginning of the journey, interior shouting torments the modern pilgrim, who is generally unaccustomed to being under-stimulated. A thousand thoughts about life’s exigencies bite at the ankles; one is tempted to stop at every roadside cafe offering wi-fi to check in on the outside world. But by about day three, these torments begin to subside as the walk begins to slow the mind to the speed of the body at a pace that is natural and unforced. The walk becomes a long piece of music — andante, of course — that neither lags nor hurries.”
So all of this makes me wonder: how far is the farthest you’ve ever run, or how far is the farthest you can imagine yourself running? (This also goes for walking, if that’s your thing — how far is the farthest you’ve ever walked? I’m into walking long distances too.)
I got into running by accident. I walked a half marathon with my sister four years ago. I had so much fun walking that half that it encouraged me to get into running. Last April I ran my first 50k at the Zion Ultras. I'm 58 and a slow runner, but I finished before their cutoff time. I think it must be like childbirth. You forget about all the training and pain. I've already signed up for a 60k at the Bryce Ultras.
Longest run is a full marathon. In ‘15 when I started to run I ramped up kind of fast. I went from 10k in November to 1/2 in March to Full in May and Full in Sept ‘16. At the time, and if I still dream, I would love to do at least a 50 miler. There is one in MI I would love to do. But it would mean not working so I could train more.
At this point, almost 6 years later from my first race, I am content with 1/2. I am doing AF virtual this Sat (25th). I am not really ready for several reasons. Including a recent struggle with PF. But I will do it. And right now that is the longest I can imagine doing. It will be hard but I am really psyched!!
My longest run is a marathon. The longest hike is Tour du Mont Blanc, about 110 miles. It’s one of my favorite trails, amazing scenery and great food! They have an annual ultra trace UTMB there too.
Non-stop, I did 26.3 last year virtual marathon. My Garmin has the bad habit of dropping 0.1 mile off my total when I upload, so to be on the safe side, I ran another 1/10th.😂
The hardest I ever done was 22 miles round trip over 2 days when I hiked Mt. Whitney with a heavy backpack. Starting at at about 8,000 elevation day one and ending about 5 miles and 4,000 gain with ever thinning air at Trail Camp to spend the night, then Day 2 hike to summit for 6 miles and 2,500 more elevation, then back down 11 miles for a total of 17 miles on day 2. My feet were a mess! But, so worth it!
Second hardest was 42 miles spread out over 5 days doing one of the routes to Machu Pichu. The hardest day was 10 miles over the 15,500’ elevation Salkantay Pass. It was amazing!
I'd love to do Mt Whitney. . .Grew up in that area. Badwater Ultra is my dream. Doubt if I'll make it this lifetime, but it will be there next time around!
for now..my goal is to run a half marathon non-stop. I've done 2, made it to 10 miles before stopping. After that, I know it'll increase to the next goal!
I did 52000 steps one day, which was over 19 miles. It was a wellness challenge for work. I would dearly love to do the Camino. I have heard it is a life changing experience.
A little more about your question. You asked "how far could you go if you just kept pushing?" I came close to answering that one a few weeks ago. My son (age 31) and I (age 67) went backpacking in the Weminuche wilderness (Elevation 9000 to 12,800) in Colorado. He had set a six day aggressive loop course that involved two days of the six that were off-trail on the "Kodiak High route". I knew this would be super hard on the old legs, but I like a challenge. The first day of the off-trail portion, we went for 11 hours, crossing fallen trees, scree, and rock slides. We were both totally exhausted at the end of the day, my legs were worse in the last couple of hours than any marathon I have done. It was a slow-motion exhaustion, different from running. Fortunately, the next day was an easy one, but at the end of six days, I had to pretty much take a week off running to let the legs get back to normal. I knew I had finally gone to my limit. I didn't cross it, but I finally know where it is.
31.1 Miles (50K) in the Huntsville Texas Ultra. But, that was not NEARLY as hard as the 26 in the Pikes Peak marathon. It's not the miles, its the altitude and terrain.
All in one go. . .16 miles running because I wanted to finish the trail while I was doing a Half-Marathon training run! I don't feel right counting the others. . .too many miles to count. :) How about you??
Great! You have me beat. A half-marathon is my sweet spot!
I think it was in one of the article you posted in the last few years about a man in prison who ran a marathon. I couldn't find it; however, the gist of it was if you could do 26.2 miles in a marathon, you could run any distance. It was a mindset thing.
Like Belle Cook elsewhere in this thread, I can beat Brooks at the Camino game, though in a different way. In the summer of 1994 when I was between college and graduate school (read: I had time, if no money), I walked the Camino de Santiago--ALL of it. In fact, I began from the oldest starting point, Le Puy-en-Velay in France, and first walked most of the way from there to St. Jean-Pied-de-Port, the last stop in France before the Pyrenees, though the last bit of that got interrupted by a bus/train thanks to knee pain I developed going up and down all the hills of the Dordogne region (despite my youth!). After I recovered, from St. Jean I walked over the Pyrenees and *all the way* to Santiago de Compostela in a period of 5 weeks, or, you know, 450+ miles. All told....more than 550 miles. If you ever have time to walk any part of the Camino, you should do it. If you have time to walk the whole thing, either in parts or all in one go--so much the better!
That said, my longest run is one marathon....and the one was enough. ;-)
Just...don't watch the Martin Sheen movie "The Way." Ok, it has some good scenery...but it is not a good movie. When I was doing the Camino, it was not yet the huge thing it has since become; I was myself inspired by an article my mother sent me the year before, but I can't remember who it was by. I research and teach the Middle Ages, and back then was getting reading to apply to graduate school to prepare to do just that, so...that's one reason I did it. But my walking partner and I were pretty much the only Americans on the route at the time, EXCEPT for Shirley Maclaine (yes, the actress), who was a few weeks ahead of us on the path. Every time we stopped at a hostel and signed in and told the host(s) we were American, they would say "ah! Shirley Maclaine!" and show us where she had signed ahead of us. Shirley went on to write a truly whackadoo book about all the "visions" she had while walking the path. I didn't have visions--just drank a lot of beer because, let me tell you, when your feet hurt that much, that is all you want.
It might be useful for you and other folks to know that -- assuming the system they had in place back then is still in place, which I'm sure it is -- when you are walking a significant portion of the path, you can get a "credencial," or pilgrim passport, that gets stamped along the way, at pilgrim hostels you get to stay at in Spain (as long as they have room) for FREE. That's part of what makes this sort of thing doable....the hostels can vary in quality (we stayed in everything from a yurt to a remodeled 13th-c. church to the attic of the local village hall to gorgeous modern hotel-like buildings), but it's always an adventure.
"Through a range of astonishing and liberating visions and revelations, Shirley saw into the meaning of the cosmos, including the secrets of the ancient civilizations of Atlantis and Lemuria, insights into human genesis, the essence of gender and sexuality, and the true path to higher love. With rich insight, humility, and her trademark grace, Shirley MacLaine gently leads us on a sacred adventure toward an inexpressibly transcendent climax." Apologies if this is your type of thing, but, "the meaning of the cosmos"? From Shirley MacLaine? Gimme a break.
My farthest is 26.2 (with probably only 2-3 miles of walking before and after). I did a few years back just to challenge myself to do something that most people won't do, which was why I ran my first half marathon a couple years prior, but then suddenly the half became so popular and literally everyone and their moms were running half marathons. So, full marathon it was, just continued training for a couple months after a half and went for it!
If I ever run another one (TBD), I might consider running a *short* ultra (keeping in mind the definition of ultramarathon for now is just, anything more than a marathon!) just to say I've done that, but for now, taking it easy. :)
There's a part of me that would like to try it too. But first I've got to get back to 26.2 -- and it's been a while, a long while, since I've run that far!
For years I'd done the Relay For Life... had lost four loved ones to Cancer. It was kinda like a big party. Everyone met at the high school track at 5:30, pitched their tents and set up their food tables. The teams took a turns walking the track all night.
I'd collected money from workers and friends and usually came up with a hundred or two.
When I hit 62, I lost my sister and my father-in-law. I decided to go all in that year.
My boss allowed me to hit up my vendors for a donation and I hit most local businesses. When I told them my goal, they usually laughed and asked where to send the flowers.
I had a tee shirt and asked everyone to put one it the name of someone they'd lost to cancer.
It had over 75 names on it by Friday morning.
I took off Friday from work and started walking / jogging at 5:30 am. My wife brought my tent and we were in for the night...
By morning, I had logged my age...62 miles... and realized a year later that it is harder on your feet to walk than it was to slowly jog...
The best part, is that I raised $4200.... as I told a reporter who walked two laps with me, sometimes you just have to put it all out there for something you believe in...
This is beautiful. I find that many people don't go the 'extra mile' [pun intended] to honor their loved ones who've passed before them. But when they see others doing it, they get the courage to tap into that vulnerable place that feels the loss. I bet you inspired many others that year!
Not that year, but the following year when they showed a picture of me wearing the tee shirt covered with the names of the loved ones people had written on it. I had five people jog/walk with me the following year... only did fifty... my bride told me I had proven to everyone the year before I was nuts!
This is simply amazing, Steve -- what a wonderful gift and way to honor the people you loved who lost their lives to cancer. I'm truly humbled by this.
My one-day furthest was nothing compared to you all - 23 miles. Was a combined day of a half in the AM and then walking 36 holes of golf in the PM. One good note on the day, impressed my son - who played the 36 with me but he played from the cart [I "cheated" a little, put the bag on the cart while I walked the course. Great day out but paid for it the next two...
When I was much much younger, my best friend and I did a 50mile hike into the bush outside of Alice Springs Australia, with a real bushman. This was in 1992, years before crocodile Dundee was a movie. It was less about the distance and more about the outback experience. One of my most unforgettable trips.
Just the whole bush experience. We ate only what we could catch or find. Grub worms cooked are like popcorn. Raw they are yuck. I lost 5 lbs and in those day I am not sure I have the 5 to lose.
I did my 1st half marathon Which waI do back just at UPS and then I'm go to my cooking jobss really a Daphne I never ran that far in my life but 1st I had to ride the bike 56 miles got off the bike and then ran and it took me 9 hours I was really proud of myself That's bike took 6 hours and aHalf marathon took me 3 hoursIn 5 years later I decided to run a full marathon working 2 jobs and bought my 1stHO. I
SEI'm now going to do virtual challenges I'm now back to working 2 jobs but I still flying time every day to add the walk or run and on the weekend I do longer runs and I take the bike out on Sunday I don't know how I do it but I do it cause I love to run and makes me so happyWork at UPS Sunday morningI'm gonna go up to my cooking job
Brooks may have physically walked a 100 miles but I bet if you asked him ,he, liked William Blake found “Eternity in an hour” as the walk slowed the mind down to the speed of the body.” Now that is really going the distance…
Funny that you should ask! A few weeks ago, right in the middle of haying, we got rained out on a Saturday night. I decided, that since I hadn't gone for a decent Sunday long run in over a month because of haying and the local wildfires, that I would try to run the entire length of our Forest Service permit, where our cows graze in the summer. Now, keep in mind I repair this fence every year and have ridden it dozens of times on horseback.
But I never checked the actual mileage.
Somewhere around mile 11, I started to wonder if I might have bitten off more than I could chew. By mile 16 I was desperately hoping to spot my wife driving up to see what was taking me so long. By mile 17.5 I was starting to think, 'only 9 more miles and I could call it a marathon!' Fortunately, my wife arrived about that time and put an end to such foolishness!
I put in just over 4 hours, which is terrible even for me, but since it was all dirt road with almost 1800' climb involved I don't feel _too_ bad about my pace. :)
Last year I ran the 90 day distance virtual challenge for RunOne New England. I managed 830.5 miles. My single day high was 30 miles. Running every day was exhausting, but taught me that we seriously underestimate our endurance capacity sometimes...which for me was a liberating realization so I started thinking marathon (vs. 13.1) as "possible" in a race setting. My marathon training ends in 3 weeks!
Daily average mileage was 9.23. The low was 4 miles a day (rest days. Lol!) The high mile days was me trying to overtake my next two nearest competitors. We all logged miles daily so it was visible how many miles needed to virtually "pass" runners in the quest for 1st place....unlike traditional virtual races where everyone is blind to the competition.
Great thread topic! I did the AT back in 1972 (yeah, I am old!) in 4 months, in the past five years have completed 4 marathons, but half marathons are my sweet spot. Currently on a virtual relay team circumpolaring the world: over 33,000 miles, will probably finish up by December of this year for a total of 15 months (everyone on the team are back of the packers, lol).
Completing the AT in 4 months is lightning fast, from what I've heard! Isn't like 6 months more the standard? That's just amazing. As is "circumpolaring the world" -- I've definitely learned something today 😃
Yeah, the average for the AT is 6 months. I was only 14 at the time, and we (my girl scout troop) staged supplies along the way so that we could walk it light. Re: circumpolaring, check out craw.racing: it is organized by Laz Lake and put together very well. He also put together the virtual great race across Tennessee, I did that last year and it was a ton of fun.
I just ran my first marathon on 9/11 so that has been the furthest. I think I will stick to 26.2 miles. I don't know if I could fathom any further. LOL I ran the Revel Big Cottonwood Canyon and it was pretty spectacular.
I'm SO jealous, Mindi! I've read about that race for years and it's always looked like one I'd love to run. All their events look spectacular. How did it go?
It is my favorite race ever. I have done the half for the last 5 years and this year I wanted to do the full. It was amazing, and tough. I had a ton of emotions. It started raining at mile 9 didn't really let up until about mile 20 and the out and back is brutal, not going to lie. HA HA. I finished it in 5:43, not what I had hoped for, but I know what I need to do for next year, I already signed up for it! Call me crazy, but I love the downhill. :)
Another great Friday thread Terrell. Really cool to read everyone's input. The farthest/furthest (lol) i have ever run is 26.2. I can't imagine going any longer but then again if you told me 2 years ago that I would be training for my second marathon I would have thought you were crazy. With work and with life I have no idea what I can accomplish until I am pushed. That is fun to me as long as I can keep the bigger picture in perspective.
What was really interesting about getting lost was that this marathon was a local one. I knew the area well. Another interesting tibit was that I had to go no. 2 from mile 12. The last port-a-potty was at mile 13. I was around mile 17 and this person was out cutting his grass. He asked me whether I was running the marathon (walking at the time) and I said yes and I asked him if I could use his bathroom. I agreed. To this day, every time I pass that house, I tell my kids about having to go number 2.
116 miles is the furthest I've gone during a 24 hour race in 2017. Some days it still seems unreal that our bodies can cover that kind of distance, but I think the toughest thing to train is the mind. I'd like to try something longer, maybe a 200 mile race or a fastpack.
As a Boston area native and a big fan of everyone who can BQ, I'll be cheering for you that day!!! Wishing you a cool, cloudy day with a nice tail wind and some pixie dust for speed! 🧚♂️
I remember walking 14 miles with a friend one day. Something he liked to do once a year “just because”. I was unprepared. While the walk was fine, the days after we’re rough - sore and exhausted. Fast forward some 10 years and now I run. I just hit my longest of 17 miles last weekend. I’m exceedingly slow and do Galloway R/W/R intervals but I’m about 2 months out from my first marathon. Fairly confident this will be a one time thing - training thru the FL summer has been humbling to say the least. 😅
Besides the high-mileage marathons that others have mentioned (where you walk a long way before and after), my longest intentional run was 32 miles of lovely wooded trails for a virtual 50k that was also a training run for a 100k I’d signed up for. After the 50k, my feet forced me to change the 100k back to a 15k. The 32 miles on the trail hurt my plantar fascia way way way more than any road marathon I’ve done. Legs were ok, but feet were just “Nope.” (Need cushier trail shoes, I guess.)
[Turned out to be a good choice as the 100k venue was mostly soft sand 😖 with temps in the 90s. Slowest 15k ever!]
Lots of “challenges” like 10k on Saturday and half marathon on Sunday. One of the hardest was the Canadian Army Commanders challenge. 5k at 8:00 and right into the half at 9:00.
This is a dream of mine. I went to France and Spain a few years back. We stayed a few days in the south of France and I read up on the trip and have been fascinated since.
Awesome. I've walked from Porto, Portugal to Santiago, in addition to different Camino routes in Spain. In 2018, I trekked 165 miles from Toulouse, France to Roncevalles, Spain. I have endurance in spades.
I'm an avid hiker and half marathoner so my legs and feet were strong. I increased my walking distances and number of hours on long walks. I plan to go back again; I love the zen of trekking across Spain.
When I ran the 2018 NYC Marathon. I didn't realize the amount of walking I would have to do before and after the race. I hit 5 miles before the race from going from the hotel to the subway to the ferry to the starting areas.. Then the race and then after to find my stuff and my family, then back to the hotel, then to dinner and the walk to the train home. I think in total I hit 45 miles that day and my legs were DONE!!! But I would do it all over again!
That's interesting. I did NYC in '18 also and never thought about that. Having to walk to get the bus, then walking around the starting areas because of my late starting time (couldn't just sit around!). And then , AFTER! so much walking! Just to get out of Central Park.
Yes! It’s hard to wrap your head around the number of miles walked before and after that marathon. Not to mention standing around, in lines, etc. it almost needs to be factored into the training!
to the start line at the DisneyWorld marathon! haha! Man, by the time you get off the monorail or bus drop off area, walk thru security, walk thru staging then walk to the corrals, and then you have to do the race....and then backtrack at the end...LOL!
Great to meet another runDisney enthusiast!! I agree, lots of distance logged just getting to/from the races. Looking forward to doing another soon...hope to see you there!!
I did it 2008, 2013, 2018 and then virtual in 2021. And have done more than 15 other runDisney in-person races. They're lots of fun! But yeah, walking to the start is long!haha!
To paraphrase Yogi Berra, running is 90% mental. The other half is physical. A half marathon is my longest distance. I think I could dial back by 20%, and do a 100 miles. I won’t test this.
The 15-miler was a training run for a marathon about 5 weeks ago but, unfortunately, I had to drop out due to some knee problems. I'm hoping to begin to run again next week.
Don't you hate it when your body tells you that it's time for a breather... twisted a knee 4 weeks ago and now with a knee brace, I walk or bike to get my miles in..
I just started running in June. I'm up to 9 miles and will do my first half marathon (in Philly) in Nov. and want to do a full marathon next year. No desire to do an ultra. that just seems crazy!
I thought so too, until a college friend of mine told me he tried doing them over the past few years. He's gotten REALLY into it -- from what I gather, it's more than just an event, there's a culture that has sprung up around it. It takes like 2-3 days to complete -- it's a commitment!
I love the idea of running / jogging a 50K, but I struggle with cramps and only made it through 2 of the 7 marathons I've done without cramping. I've tried more hydration, potassium, pickle juice, magnesium cream and a half dozen other potential cures but I think there's a reason I'm on the HALF marathon thread
When I ran the L.A. Marathon, I finished in Santa Monica. First I had to walk around to find my family. Then, we walked to my niece's apartment several blocks away, then, we walked to a restaurant that was also several blocks away. Finally, we walked back to where my husband had parked the car. Not sure how many miles total, but I would guess maybe 30.
I got into running by accident. I walked a half marathon with my sister four years ago. I had so much fun walking that half that it encouraged me to get into running. Last April I ran my first 50k at the Zion Ultras. I'm 58 and a slow runner, but I finished before their cutoff time. I think it must be like childbirth. You forget about all the training and pain. I've already signed up for a 60k at the Bryce Ultras.
I've done a few marathons but I've found that the Half is my absolute favorite length of fun.
I meant run! Definitely a Freudian slip! 🤣
Longest run is a full marathon. In ‘15 when I started to run I ramped up kind of fast. I went from 10k in November to 1/2 in March to Full in May and Full in Sept ‘16. At the time, and if I still dream, I would love to do at least a 50 miler. There is one in MI I would love to do. But it would mean not working so I could train more.
At this point, almost 6 years later from my first race, I am content with 1/2. I am doing AF virtual this Sat (25th). I am not really ready for several reasons. Including a recent struggle with PF. But I will do it. And right now that is the longest I can imagine doing. It will be hard but I am really psyched!!
Good luck this weekend, Ben!!!
My longest run is a marathon. The longest hike is Tour du Mont Blanc, about 110 miles. It’s one of my favorite trails, amazing scenery and great food! They have an annual ultra trace UTMB there too.
90km in a race but 45km running alone 3 months ago
Awesome!!!
Non-stop, I did 26.3 last year virtual marathon. My Garmin has the bad habit of dropping 0.1 mile off my total when I upload, so to be on the safe side, I ran another 1/10th.😂
The hardest I ever done was 22 miles round trip over 2 days when I hiked Mt. Whitney with a heavy backpack. Starting at at about 8,000 elevation day one and ending about 5 miles and 4,000 gain with ever thinning air at Trail Camp to spend the night, then Day 2 hike to summit for 6 miles and 2,500 more elevation, then back down 11 miles for a total of 17 miles on day 2. My feet were a mess! But, so worth it!
Second hardest was 42 miles spread out over 5 days doing one of the routes to Machu Pichu. The hardest day was 10 miles over the 15,500’ elevation Salkantay Pass. It was amazing!
I'd love to do Mt Whitney. . .Grew up in that area. Badwater Ultra is my dream. Doubt if I'll make it this lifetime, but it will be there next time around!
Bad Water Ultra looks crazy enough with just the Death Valley portion of it, never mind making it to Whitney Portal.
And July with your own crew! 135 miles in 24 hours. . . that's why I say it is a dream! :)
🔥 🥵
for now..my goal is to run a half marathon non-stop. I've done 2, made it to 10 miles before stopping. After that, I know it'll increase to the next goal!
I did 52000 steps one day, which was over 19 miles. It was a wellness challenge for work. I would dearly love to do the Camino. I have heard it is a life changing experience.
22 miles, walking
A little more about your question. You asked "how far could you go if you just kept pushing?" I came close to answering that one a few weeks ago. My son (age 31) and I (age 67) went backpacking in the Weminuche wilderness (Elevation 9000 to 12,800) in Colorado. He had set a six day aggressive loop course that involved two days of the six that were off-trail on the "Kodiak High route". I knew this would be super hard on the old legs, but I like a challenge. The first day of the off-trail portion, we went for 11 hours, crossing fallen trees, scree, and rock slides. We were both totally exhausted at the end of the day, my legs were worse in the last couple of hours than any marathon I have done. It was a slow-motion exhaustion, different from running. Fortunately, the next day was an easy one, but at the end of six days, I had to pretty much take a week off running to let the legs get back to normal. I knew I had finally gone to my limit. I didn't cross it, but I finally know where it is.
This sounds amazing, Daryl!! Eleven hours is some serious, serious hiking 🥾
31.1 Miles (50K) in the Huntsville Texas Ultra. But, that was not NEARLY as hard as the 26 in the Pikes Peak marathon. It's not the miles, its the altitude and terrain.
All in one go. . .16 miles running because I wanted to finish the trail while I was doing a Half-Marathon training run! I don't feel right counting the others. . .too many miles to count. :) How about you??
26.2 miles for me, at each of my 3 marathons -- though now it's been 20 years since I've run that far!
Great! You have me beat. A half-marathon is my sweet spot!
I think it was in one of the article you posted in the last few years about a man in prison who ran a marathon. I couldn't find it; however, the gist of it was if you could do 26.2 miles in a marathon, you could run any distance. It was a mindset thing.
Like Belle Cook elsewhere in this thread, I can beat Brooks at the Camino game, though in a different way. In the summer of 1994 when I was between college and graduate school (read: I had time, if no money), I walked the Camino de Santiago--ALL of it. In fact, I began from the oldest starting point, Le Puy-en-Velay in France, and first walked most of the way from there to St. Jean-Pied-de-Port, the last stop in France before the Pyrenees, though the last bit of that got interrupted by a bus/train thanks to knee pain I developed going up and down all the hills of the Dordogne region (despite my youth!). After I recovered, from St. Jean I walked over the Pyrenees and *all the way* to Santiago de Compostela in a period of 5 weeks, or, you know, 450+ miles. All told....more than 550 miles. If you ever have time to walk any part of the Camino, you should do it. If you have time to walk the whole thing, either in parts or all in one go--so much the better!
That said, my longest run is one marathon....and the one was enough. ;-)
Lisa, this is AMAZING! Okay now, I'm gonna have to go over and walk the Camino... you and Belle (and the article) have inspired me 🙌
Just...don't watch the Martin Sheen movie "The Way." Ok, it has some good scenery...but it is not a good movie. When I was doing the Camino, it was not yet the huge thing it has since become; I was myself inspired by an article my mother sent me the year before, but I can't remember who it was by. I research and teach the Middle Ages, and back then was getting reading to apply to graduate school to prepare to do just that, so...that's one reason I did it. But my walking partner and I were pretty much the only Americans on the route at the time, EXCEPT for Shirley Maclaine (yes, the actress), who was a few weeks ahead of us on the path. Every time we stopped at a hostel and signed in and told the host(s) we were American, they would say "ah! Shirley Maclaine!" and show us where she had signed ahead of us. Shirley went on to write a truly whackadoo book about all the "visions" she had while walking the path. I didn't have visions--just drank a lot of beer because, let me tell you, when your feet hurt that much, that is all you want.
Good to know! (I'm glad I chose this as today's thread if for no other reason than I got to hear this story from you, Lisa.)
It might be useful for you and other folks to know that -- assuming the system they had in place back then is still in place, which I'm sure it is -- when you are walking a significant portion of the path, you can get a "credencial," or pilgrim passport, that gets stamped along the way, at pilgrim hostels you get to stay at in Spain (as long as they have room) for FREE. That's part of what makes this sort of thing doable....the hostels can vary in quality (we stayed in everything from a yurt to a remodeled 13th-c. church to the attic of the local village hall to gorgeous modern hotel-like buildings), but it's always an adventure.
And, for lolz: https://www.amazon.com/Camino-Journey-Spirit-Shirley-MacLaine/dp/0743400739/ref=asc_df_0743400739/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=245369404481&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9524056233440838829&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9018941&hvtargid=pla-514761712237&psc=1
"Through a range of astonishing and liberating visions and revelations, Shirley saw into the meaning of the cosmos, including the secrets of the ancient civilizations of Atlantis and Lemuria, insights into human genesis, the essence of gender and sexuality, and the true path to higher love. With rich insight, humility, and her trademark grace, Shirley MacLaine gently leads us on a sacred adventure toward an inexpressibly transcendent climax." Apologies if this is your type of thing, but, "the meaning of the cosmos"? From Shirley MacLaine? Gimme a break.
15 miler!!! Hoping for a 16 one before year end...every time I run a half, that feels like an utter boat load of miles! Kudos to all who run further!
It is! Any distance deserves kudos. I mean, we're all moving beyond the couch, right? Yay! Woohoo!
It does to me too!
My farthest is 26.2 (with probably only 2-3 miles of walking before and after). I did a few years back just to challenge myself to do something that most people won't do, which was why I ran my first half marathon a couple years prior, but then suddenly the half became so popular and literally everyone and their moms were running half marathons. So, full marathon it was, just continued training for a couple months after a half and went for it!
If I ever run another one (TBD), I might consider running a *short* ultra (keeping in mind the definition of ultramarathon for now is just, anything more than a marathon!) just to say I've done that, but for now, taking it easy. :)
There's a part of me that would like to try it too. But first I've got to get back to 26.2 -- and it's been a while, a long while, since I've run that far!
If we've done it before, we can do it again, right? Just takes time and dedication!
For years I'd done the Relay For Life... had lost four loved ones to Cancer. It was kinda like a big party. Everyone met at the high school track at 5:30, pitched their tents and set up their food tables. The teams took a turns walking the track all night.
I'd collected money from workers and friends and usually came up with a hundred or two.
When I hit 62, I lost my sister and my father-in-law. I decided to go all in that year.
My boss allowed me to hit up my vendors for a donation and I hit most local businesses. When I told them my goal, they usually laughed and asked where to send the flowers.
I had a tee shirt and asked everyone to put one it the name of someone they'd lost to cancer.
It had over 75 names on it by Friday morning.
I took off Friday from work and started walking / jogging at 5:30 am. My wife brought my tent and we were in for the night...
By morning, I had logged my age...62 miles... and realized a year later that it is harder on your feet to walk than it was to slowly jog...
The best part, is that I raised $4200.... as I told a reporter who walked two laps with me, sometimes you just have to put it all out there for something you believe in...
This is beautiful. I find that many people don't go the 'extra mile' [pun intended] to honor their loved ones who've passed before them. But when they see others doing it, they get the courage to tap into that vulnerable place that feels the loss. I bet you inspired many others that year!
Not that year, but the following year when they showed a picture of me wearing the tee shirt covered with the names of the loved ones people had written on it. I had five people jog/walk with me the following year... only did fifty... my bride told me I had proven to everyone the year before I was nuts!
This is simply amazing, Steve -- what a wonderful gift and way to honor the people you loved who lost their lives to cancer. I'm truly humbled by this.
My one-day furthest was nothing compared to you all - 23 miles. Was a combined day of a half in the AM and then walking 36 holes of golf in the PM. One good note on the day, impressed my son - who played the 36 with me but he played from the cart [I "cheated" a little, put the bag on the cart while I walked the course. Great day out but paid for it the next two...
I bet!
When I was much much younger, my best friend and I did a 50mile hike into the bush outside of Alice Springs Australia, with a real bushman. This was in 1992, years before crocodile Dundee was a movie. It was less about the distance and more about the outback experience. One of my most unforgettable trips.
It’s was 1982. Phones are not the best keyboards 🙃
Wow, Richard. This does sound like the trip of a lifetime -- what do you remember most about it?
Just the whole bush experience. We ate only what we could catch or find. Grub worms cooked are like popcorn. Raw they are yuck. I lost 5 lbs and in those day I am not sure I have the 5 to lose.
Sorry the message is a little off text today
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I did my 1st half marathon Which waI do back just at UPS and then I'm go to my cooking jobss really a Daphne I never ran that far in my life but 1st I had to ride the bike 56 miles got off the bike and then ran and it took me 9 hours I was really proud of myself That's bike took 6 hours and aHalf marathon took me 3 hoursIn 5 years later I decided to run a full marathon working 2 jobs and bought my 1stHO. I
SEI'm now going to do virtual challenges I'm now back to working 2 jobs but I still flying time every day to add the walk or run and on the weekend I do longer runs and I take the bike out on Sunday I don't know how I do it but I do it cause I love to run and makes me so happyWork at UPS Sunday morningI'm gonna go up to my cooking job
Brooks may have physically walked a 100 miles but I bet if you asked him ,he, liked William Blake found “Eternity in an hour” as the walk slowed the mind down to the speed of the body.” Now that is really going the distance…
I bet he did too... (now I'm going to have go read up on my British Romanticism class notes from college!)
Funny that you should ask! A few weeks ago, right in the middle of haying, we got rained out on a Saturday night. I decided, that since I hadn't gone for a decent Sunday long run in over a month because of haying and the local wildfires, that I would try to run the entire length of our Forest Service permit, where our cows graze in the summer. Now, keep in mind I repair this fence every year and have ridden it dozens of times on horseback.
But I never checked the actual mileage.
Somewhere around mile 11, I started to wonder if I might have bitten off more than I could chew. By mile 16 I was desperately hoping to spot my wife driving up to see what was taking me so long. By mile 17.5 I was starting to think, 'only 9 more miles and I could call it a marathon!' Fortunately, my wife arrived about that time and put an end to such foolishness!
I put in just over 4 hours, which is terrible even for me, but since it was all dirt road with almost 1800' climb involved I don't feel _too_ bad about my pace. :)
In don't think it was foolishness ...
I love this story, Justin! I think you should feel fantastic about it... it's like you ran a marathon by accident 🙌
Last year I ran the 90 day distance virtual challenge for RunOne New England. I managed 830.5 miles. My single day high was 30 miles. Running every day was exhausting, but taught me that we seriously underestimate our endurance capacity sometimes...which for me was a liberating realization so I started thinking marathon (vs. 13.1) as "possible" in a race setting. My marathon training ends in 3 weeks!
You're my new hero!!!
Thanks! You're pretty impressive too! No slackers on Terrell's Channel, none at all. 😊
I just think we're all just a little bit crazy !!!
This is so, so amazing, Bren!!! 🙌 You are SO right. What were your average daily miles like?
Daily average mileage was 9.23. The low was 4 miles a day (rest days. Lol!) The high mile days was me trying to overtake my next two nearest competitors. We all logged miles daily so it was visible how many miles needed to virtually "pass" runners in the quest for 1st place....unlike traditional virtual races where everyone is blind to the competition.
15 last week, 16 will be the most and I hope to achieve tomorrow as I’m training for my first marathon at Kiawah in December
Awesome!! 🙌
Great thread topic! I did the AT back in 1972 (yeah, I am old!) in 4 months, in the past five years have completed 4 marathons, but half marathons are my sweet spot. Currently on a virtual relay team circumpolaring the world: over 33,000 miles, will probably finish up by December of this year for a total of 15 months (everyone on the team are back of the packers, lol).
Just one word... WOW!!!
Is WOW enough to escribe this? Amazing...
Completing the AT in 4 months is lightning fast, from what I've heard! Isn't like 6 months more the standard? That's just amazing. As is "circumpolaring the world" -- I've definitely learned something today 😃
Yeah, the average for the AT is 6 months. I was only 14 at the time, and we (my girl scout troop) staged supplies along the way so that we could walk it light. Re: circumpolaring, check out craw.racing: it is organized by Laz Lake and put together very well. He also put together the virtual great race across Tennessee, I did that last year and it was a ton of fun.
That's amazing! He's the one who organizes the Barkley Marathons too, right?
Yes! I can only dream about the Barkley.
I just ran my first marathon on 9/11 so that has been the furthest. I think I will stick to 26.2 miles. I don't know if I could fathom any further. LOL I ran the Revel Big Cottonwood Canyon and it was pretty spectacular.
Mindi, I agree, the REVEL in Cottonwood, and the one in Evergreen CO, were two of the most enjoyable races I have done. Slackers LOVE the downhill.
I'm SO jealous, Mindi! I've read about that race for years and it's always looked like one I'd love to run. All their events look spectacular. How did it go?
It is my favorite race ever. I have done the half for the last 5 years and this year I wanted to do the full. It was amazing, and tough. I had a ton of emotions. It started raining at mile 9 didn't really let up until about mile 20 and the out and back is brutal, not going to lie. HA HA. I finished it in 5:43, not what I had hoped for, but I know what I need to do for next year, I already signed up for it! Call me crazy, but I love the downhill. :)
Congrats!
Thank you!!
Another great Friday thread Terrell. Really cool to read everyone's input. The farthest/furthest (lol) i have ever run is 26.2. I can't imagine going any longer but then again if you told me 2 years ago that I would be training for my second marathon I would have thought you were crazy. With work and with life I have no idea what I can accomplish until I am pushed. That is fun to me as long as I can keep the bigger picture in perspective.
Thanks, Brian! That's so, so true, isn't it?
What was really interesting about getting lost was that this marathon was a local one. I knew the area well. Another interesting tibit was that I had to go no. 2 from mile 12. The last port-a-potty was at mile 13. I was around mile 17 and this person was out cutting his grass. He asked me whether I was running the marathon (walking at the time) and I said yes and I asked him if I could use his bathroom. I agreed. To this day, every time I pass that house, I tell my kids about having to go number 2.
Ha!!!
116 miles is the furthest I've gone during a 24 hour race in 2017. Some days it still seems unreal that our bodies can cover that kind of distance, but I think the toughest thing to train is the mind. I'd like to try something longer, maybe a 200 mile race or a fastpack.
That's so, so amazing, Carissa (and by the way, hey there! 👋 )
Hi there 👋🌞
Hope you are well, my friend -- how is training for Boston going?
It's... going lol. Happy to be healthy and racing and just trying to keep it all in perspective.
As a Boston area native and a big fan of everyone who can BQ, I'll be cheering for you that day!!! Wishing you a cool, cloudy day with a nice tail wind and some pixie dust for speed! 🧚♂️
I remember walking 14 miles with a friend one day. Something he liked to do once a year “just because”. I was unprepared. While the walk was fine, the days after we’re rough - sore and exhausted. Fast forward some 10 years and now I run. I just hit my longest of 17 miles last weekend. I’m exceedingly slow and do Galloway R/W/R intervals but I’m about 2 months out from my first marathon. Fairly confident this will be a one time thing - training thru the FL summer has been humbling to say the least. 😅
I live in Florida and have run on some damn hot days... I just saying to myself , it's going to get cooler... I hope it will anyway...
I feel you. I live in FL too and it was no joke training for my marathon here and running in Utah. Good luck! You got this!
Oh, I can imagine. Atlanta summers are hot, but nothing like Florida summers, that's for sure.
Besides the high-mileage marathons that others have mentioned (where you walk a long way before and after), my longest intentional run was 32 miles of lovely wooded trails for a virtual 50k that was also a training run for a 100k I’d signed up for. After the 50k, my feet forced me to change the 100k back to a 15k. The 32 miles on the trail hurt my plantar fascia way way way more than any road marathon I’ve done. Legs were ok, but feet were just “Nope.” (Need cushier trail shoes, I guess.)
[Turned out to be a good choice as the 100k venue was mostly soft sand 😖 with temps in the 90s. Slowest 15k ever!]
32 miles is basically an ultra (to me, at least). That's awesome, Steph.
A friend did the Moab 240-mile race. Absolutely stunning pix, but she suffered way way way more than I am willing to suffer. (She’s young 😜)
I can't even fathom doing that...
TWO hundred and FORTY miles.... just, wow. That's got to be close to the limit of human endurance!!
I ran a 27.2 marathon once. I got lost. I intend to walk the full Camino de Santiago when I turn 75 (3 years from now).
A great goal...
You can do it!
This is awesome, Jim (about the Camino de Santiago, not the getting lost 😃 )
Lots of “challenges” like 10k on Saturday and half marathon on Sunday. One of the hardest was the Canadian Army Commanders challenge. 5k at 8:00 and right into the half at 9:00.
Couple weeks ago I did a backwards version - a half into a 5K. That was nice, the 5K felt like a flash. ☺️
Interesting, David! Where did you run the Canadian Army Commanders challenge? (I'm imaging some really cool place in Canada)
Ottawa.
I've walked the Camino de Santiago in 175-mile segments 5 times.
This is a dream of mine. I went to France and Spain a few years back. We stayed a few days in the south of France and I read up on the trip and have been fascinated since.
No WAY!!!! Belle, what was it like?
Awesome. I've walked from Porto, Portugal to Santiago, in addition to different Camino routes in Spain. In 2018, I trekked 165 miles from Toulouse, France to Roncevalles, Spain. I have endurance in spades.
Wow, no argument here! 😃 Were those just trips of a lifetime? I can only imagine how beautiful they must have been. How did you train for them?
I'm an avid hiker and half marathoner so my legs and feet were strong. I increased my walking distances and number of hours on long walks. I plan to go back again; I love the zen of trekking across Spain.
I commented above -- I walked the whole thing in 1994. I am with you on this. Would love to do it again.
When I ran the 2018 NYC Marathon. I didn't realize the amount of walking I would have to do before and after the race. I hit 5 miles before the race from going from the hotel to the subway to the ferry to the starting areas.. Then the race and then after to find my stuff and my family, then back to the hotel, then to dinner and the walk to the train home. I think in total I hit 45 miles that day and my legs were DONE!!! But I would do it all over again!
Whew, the Dallas marathon wasn't THAT bad! I probably only walked a FEW extra miles, not another 19!! Yikes!
That's interesting. I did NYC in '18 also and never thought about that. Having to walk to get the bus, then walking around the starting areas because of my late starting time (couldn't just sit around!). And then , AFTER! so much walking! Just to get out of Central Park.
Yes, I'm going with 45 also LOL!
Oh, trying to get a taxi after, fuggedda bout it
TRUE!!! I was walking so slow by the time we got to dinner. I felt that the curbs off the side walks were HUGE!!! LOL
Yes! It’s hard to wrap your head around the number of miles walked before and after that marathon. Not to mention standing around, in lines, etc. it almost needs to be factored into the training!
WOW! That's almost 2 marathons in a single day. I can only imagine how tired you must have felt after!!!
to the start line at the DisneyWorld marathon! haha! Man, by the time you get off the monorail or bus drop off area, walk thru security, walk thru staging then walk to the corrals, and then you have to do the race....and then backtrack at the end...LOL!
Great to meet another runDisney enthusiast!! I agree, lots of distance logged just getting to/from the races. Looking forward to doing another soon...hope to see you there!!
I bet! When did you do the Disney marathon?
I did it 2008, 2013, 2018 and then virtual in 2021. And have done more than 15 other runDisney in-person races. They're lots of fun! But yeah, walking to the start is long!haha!
26.2 and I’m pretty happy with that.
I am too! That's the farthest I've ever run too -- 26.2
To paraphrase Yogi Berra, running is 90% mental. The other half is physical. A half marathon is my longest distance. I think I could dial back by 20%, and do a 100 miles. I won’t test this.
Really?! I love the sense of possibility, still 😃
26.2 but this was years ago. if my achilles ever heals i'd love to try it again!
Same here! The farthest I've ever run is the marathon distance, and I did that 3 times -- but the last time was 2001, so it's been a minute 😃
The furthest run I've done is 15 miles. The furthest hike I've done is 22 miles in a day in Yellowstone NP last summer.
Both are impressive! Was the 15-miler a training run, or just because you felt like running that far?
The 15-miler was a training run for a marathon about 5 weeks ago but, unfortunately, I had to drop out due to some knee problems. I'm hoping to begin to run again next week.
Don't you hate it when your body tells you that it's time for a breather... twisted a knee 4 weeks ago and now with a knee brace, I walk or bike to get my miles in..
I just started running in June. I'm up to 9 miles and will do my first half marathon (in Philly) in Nov. and want to do a full marathon next year. No desire to do an ultra. that just seems crazy!
I thought so too, until a college friend of mine told me he tried doing them over the past few years. He's gotten REALLY into it -- from what I gather, it's more than just an event, there's a culture that has sprung up around it. It takes like 2-3 days to complete -- it's a commitment!
I use a racing wheelchair this passed fall I rolled 80 miles in 10 hours
Wow, Dave!
I love the idea of running / jogging a 50K, but I struggle with cramps and only made it through 2 of the 7 marathons I've done without cramping. I've tried more hydration, potassium, pickle juice, magnesium cream and a half dozen other potential cures but I think there's a reason I'm on the HALF marathon thread
I hear you! Just curious, what made you try pickle juice?
Somebody recommended it and said it had worked for them.
Jim - I had similar cramping issues & recently discovered LMNT electrolyte mix. It works well for me & I can tell a difference.
Thanks Howie. I'll try it for sure!
They have some crazy flavors, but I like the Orange Salt best.
st ordered the orange, that's funny...
When I ran the L.A. Marathon, I finished in Santa Monica. First I had to walk around to find my family. Then, we walked to my niece's apartment several blocks away, then, we walked to a restaurant that was also several blocks away. Finally, we walked back to where my husband had parked the car. Not sure how many miles total, but I would guess maybe 30.
Noted! 😃