Thoughts = March 15 - Bumper stickers and Superhuman Feats

Just saw a picture of my pacer with this sticker. I got to earn me one of these this year.

(there are no Vermont stickers like these or I would have had one already)

Hopefully I can place it next to these two stickers I've already earned...I've done the "official marathon distance" 11 times and have done the Ironman distance 6 times. 

But going beyond those distances is where the true glory lies.

I don't want to diminish the achievements of thousands of people who complete the marathon and the Ironman distance. These people deserve some true accolades in being the few people in this obese society to buck the trend and actually get off their couches to do something very commendable.

But there is something truly superhuman to run 100 miles, especially if those 100 miles are up and over mountains. In certain analytical ways, I can definitely rationalize running the distance. But from a certain layperson perspective, I still cannot fathom the fact that I ran 100 miles last year in Vermont with over 15,000 feet of elevation gain.

In fact, I measured 100 miles on a couple of trips that I made with the car. Here is what I got...

Going from Staten Island to Scranton, Pennsylvania = 100 miles.

Going from Staten Island to the campus of Yale University in New Haven, CT = 100 miles.

Going from Staten Island to the Delaware Memorial Bridge = 100 miles.

Going from Staten Island to New Paltz, NY = 95 miles. I would need to do an extra 5 miles of running somewhere to complete 100 miles.

These are staggering distances, and yet with a little persistence and willpower, the human body can be adapted to go that far.

We are an extraordinary species. Our bodies can be adapted to serve us in a lot of ways, even in extraordinary circumstances. Our minds really know no bounds if put to good use.

Used together, our minds and our bodies can do almost anything!

Remember that the next time you feel it's not possible to do something.