Free 50/50 by Dean Karnazes Page A

had yet thought of simple measures that could be taken to make things flow more smoothly, such as arranging the sponsors’ tables in a manner that was intuitive, guiding people in a natural sequence from one to the next. Instead, tables and booths were strewn about haphazardly, confusing everyone.
    World-class introvert that I am, I began to feel increasingly overwhelmed as the mingling wore on. For me, the post-marathon marathon was more straining overall than running 26.2 miles. Could I really survive another six weeks in this environment without snapping and running off into the woods to be alone? As magical as today had been, suddenly I wasn’t too sure.

CHAPTER 7
    The Running Clinic
    Day 8
    September 24, 2006
    Boulder Backroads Marathon
    Boulder, Colorado
    Elevation: 5,200'
    Weather: 61 degrees; sunny, very dry
    Time: 3:46:56
    Net calories burned: 25,496
    Number of runners: 2,200
    R unning is a participatory sport , not a fan sport. For this reason, typical runners have only limited interest in sitting back and admiring elite and other well-known runners. Rather, typical runners want to learn from these folks and apply the knowledge to their own performance.
    Every time I travel to running events and meet other runners, I get a lot of questions about training, nutrition, shoes, and other topics of interest to those seeking to go faster or farther. The Endurance 50 was no exception. I answered a lifetime’s worth of questions from runners between St. Charles, Missouri, and New York City, many of them quite common (“How do you stay motivated?”), others more unusual (“What can I do to keep my inner thighs from chafing on long runs?”).
    The eight live events that I ran brought the most questions, because they involved thousands of runners instead of the handful or few dozen who kept me company during the re-created events. Indeed, for me, the live events brought a whole new meaning to the term
running clinic
. Sometimes I felt as though these events were 26.2-mile workshops on the run, and along with giving away truckloads of suggestions, I learned a lot from the other runners.
    QUICK TAKE: Many runners experience uncomfortable chafing of their inner thighs on long runs. To prevent this problem, apply some lubricant into this area before you start. Bodyglide and Aquaphor are two favorites.
    The Boulder Backroads Marathon was a typical case. I ran the live event alongside twenty-two hundred other runners as marathon number eight of the Endurance 50. Since it was a live marathon and I didn’t have a group to keep pace with as I did at the re-created marathons, I was able to run the race at my own natural pace. But because of the visibility surrounding the Endurance 50, dozens of runners chose to converse with me for varying lengths of time throughout. Some just wanted to encourage me in my quest. Others wanted to ask me questions. Still others wanted to run together for a few miles and talk about whatever.
    Chris Carmichael, Lance Armstrong’s cycling coach, who had given me lots of valuable advice in the run-up to the Endurance 50, had suggested a strategy to use in this type of situation if I grew tired of talking.
    “If someone asks you a question,” he said, “ask them that same question right back.” This tactic would allow me to minimize my talking and conserve my breath while encouraging the other runner to really think about his or her own solution. It would prove especially helpful in Boulder, because my body was already oxygen-deprived by our high-elevation location and by the sinus infection I had picked up within the past couple of days.
    “Do you run with a GPS?” one runner asked shortly after the starting horn sounded.
    “Yes. Do
you
run with a GPS?” I asked, instead of elaborating on how or why I used a GPS.
    “On long runs, do you prefer a backpack or a waist pack?” another runner asked.
    “Backpack,” I said. “Which do
you
prefer?”
    Of course, I felt obligated to provide a