THE ULTRA A thesis submitted to the Kent State University Honors College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for University Honors by Brittany Masters May, 2011 Table of Contents Acknowledgments iv Chapter 1: Day One: Sam 1 Day One: Adam 7 Day One: Alyssa 13 Chapter 2: Day One: Sam 15 Day One: Alyssa 20 Day One: Sam 23 Day One: Adam 31 Chapter 3: Day Two: Sam 32 Day Two: Adam 37 Day Two: Jeff 41 Day Two: Sam 43 Chapter 4: Day Two: Jeff 51 Day Two: Adam 53 Day Two: Alyssa 56 Day Two: Sam 59 Chapter 5: Day Two: Alyssa 66 Day Two: Sam 68 Chapter 6: Day Three: Adam 72 Day Three: Sam 73 Day Three: Jeff 82 Chapter 7: Day Three: Kristi 88 Day Three: Sam 89 Day Four: Adam 93 Day Four: Alyssa 95 Chapter 8: Day Four: Sam 99 Day Four: Jeff 104 Day Four: Alyssa 106 Day Four: Sam 111 Day Four: Jeff 117 Works Cited: 118 iii Acknowledgments I would like to thank everyone on my Honors Thesis Committee for their time, commitment, and hard work. Without the support, guidance, and confidence from my committee, my thesis would not have been possible. First, I would like to thank my thesis advisor, Professor Robert King, for everything he did throughout my writing process. Thank you for all the advice, inspiration, and feedback you provided. Due to your excellent instruction and insight, I am a better, more confident writer. Dr. Leslie Heaphy for her encouragement and prompt answers to all of my questions. Thank you for all your guidance, not only on my thesis, but throughout my academic career. Dr. Paula Sato and Dr. Mary Rooks for the time they sacrificed, and their willingness to be on my thesis committee. Marianne Cosentino and Charlie Shoemaker for helping me edit and format my thesis to meet the format and pagination requirements. My family and friends for their support and eagerness to read my work and offer feedback. Last but not least, God, who made everything possible by providing me with strength, wisdom, and the group of people mentioned above. iv Chapter 1 Day One: Sam The shot fired shook the world around me, and like a herd of wild antelope, we were off. My body reacted to the noise before my brain had time to register what was happening. Methodically, my legs stretched out in front of me, carrying me through the air. This didn’t seem real to me. I contemplated whether I was in fact, dreaming. The cool air settled around us, and the spectacular light show from the east was just starting, illuminating our path as we began our journey. The animals were going about their day as usual. They didn’t let us interrupt their daily schedule of hunting and gathering. The race started at the Silaka Nature Reserve. Like most of the land on the Wild Coast, it was protected and provided dynamic scenery of both beaches and trails. I knew three things about this race: it was freaking long, incredibly picturesque, and there were endless numbers of wild animals that I could encounter or be devoured by. I was amongst twenty or so other runners who had the same crazy passion as myself. Our pack moved swiftly in unison like a school of fish. The first three miles went by effortlessly. The birds sang in my ear as I settled into my pace. The sun began breathing heat down my back. Anxiety set in as I wondered what the day had in store for me. The run should take most of the day, but I had no idea how to judge when I was “almost there.” The race ended in a place that started with an L, but I’m not going to bother butchering the name. I was getting comfortable in my tempo, when my mind 1 2 started to wander, as it normally does. I thought about other races I had completed, and the training I had put in. Despite all my hard work and commitment, I was still freaking out. What if I didn’t do enough? What if I DNF? Did I travel all this way to fail? My dad’s voice instantaneously popped in my head. “You gotta believe in yourself if you want to accomplish anything, Sam. You don’t get anywhere in life without hard work.” He was right. I had run thousands of miles, or close to it, and as every runner knows, it’s a matter of mind over body. Think positive. To calm my nerves, I focused my thoughts on the many reasons I loved to run, and what had compelled me to sign up for this race in the first place. Life before running was unfulfilling, monotonous, and draining. I was stuck in a rut. That all changed when a co-worker begged me to start walking with her during lunch. After a few weeks, I found myself enjoying the fresh air and the energy it gave me. Slowly, I started incorporating running into my walks, and eventually I could go a few miles un-winded. Noticing my new hobby, a friend encouraged me to enter a local 5k. Crossing the finish line made me feel invincible, like I could conquer anything. The running bug had bitten me, and I spent hours looking up races after that day. 5k’s turned into 10k’s, 10k’s evolved into half marathons, inevitably leading me to marathons, and now . ultras. These races made me realize my potential, my strength. Every workout, every run, had a purpose. The constant challenge brought excitement and joy to my life. Running rescued me. Dean Karnazes, a running legend, wrote in his book Ultra 3 Marathon-Man, (my Bible), "For those of you who do make it, you will cross that finish line as a different person. You will be forever changed by the experience. You will learn more about yourself in the next day than you have previously known in an entire lifetime." Truer words were never spoken. Every race is a different experience. It’s not always the résumé building races, like the Boston Marathon, or the races you finish with a personal best that change you. It’s the small, local races with barely any spectators, the ones you enter for training to prepare for that ‘big race’, and those you sign up for on a whim, that have the greatest impact. This was in no way a small race. Out of the six ultras I’ve completed, this will be my longest to date. Ultra marathons are a completely different ball game. An ultra is defined as any race over 26.2 miles, which is the distance of a marathon. In a four-day trek along the Eastern Cape of South Africa, otherwise known as the Wild Coast, I would run a total of 167 miles. Now that’s an ultra! Most people act dumbfounded at the thought of 26.2 miles, so imagine the looks I got explaining this race to people. My friends assume I love torture, and well, my family barely grasps the concept of running. Before every race, my mom asks: “So, how long is this again? How long does it take you to finish? This is what you do for fun?” You’d think after 20 or so marathons, and Lord knows how many half marathons, my mom would know or at least make an attempt to remember. Needless to say, I left out most of the details when I told her about this race. She freaked out hearing that I was 4 going out of the country; therefore, I decided it was unnecessary to tell her I’d be running for at least nine hours a day, four days in a row, on an unmarked course, in the wild. This was for me, and I didn’t want anyone ruining it by preaching about the dangers and how irresponsible I was. My spontaneous decision to run the Wild Coast Ultra might not have been the wisest choice, considering I had just been dumped and was self-medicating with a bottle of vino. In the midst of my self-pity, I googled places where I wanted to go on vacation and came across this race. Feeling empowered, I registered for it thinking I’ll show him. I thought differently in the morning as I nursed my hangover. Regardless, I was here. The thoughts swimming in my head came to a halt as I stopped to take in the breathtaking scenery. A vast wall of trees towered above me on one side, giving life to the land I was trekking. The opposite side gave view to a mountain that looked like a painting one would see in The Louvre. This was such a remote area that encompassed everything from deserts, rocky headlands, teal oceans, flowing waterfalls, and impenetrable woodlands. My body had warmed up, and I was feeling more comfortable as I entered the forest through a narrow opening leading to a faintly marked trail. The sunlight streamed through the trees, weaving in-and-out, creating various patterns. My backpack felt heavy, and I regretted packing as much as I did. I would learn though. The other runners had disappeared from my vision, but I knew they were in close proximity. The race coordinators advised us to try and stay with at least one other person, if not several. Safety was a big issue. There are mountains and cliffs you could 5 fall down or off of, massive rivers- connecting to the Indian Ocean- that you have to cross, not to mention that these were shark infested waters, and last but not least, the wildlife roaming the land around us.