Friday Night Happy Hour for 20 in 24 Ultrarunners

I haven't been impressed with a group's accomplishments than our Ironman Canada group back in the 1990's.

But here I am, totally impressed with this group this past week!

I went to NYC this past Friday (Bar Thalia, W. 95th St.) to join what I think is the "who's who" of ultrarunners as we give a hearty send-off to those who are going the 24 hour distance in the 20in24 ultra race in Philadelphia next week, which benefited the Back On My Feet Charity.

Aside from a large group of runners that are doing the 24 hours next weekend, each person I was talking to had such an impressive ultra resume tied to them. A couple of people were going to Vermont next week. One was going to Vermont to pace (and oh yeah, she finished Western States 3 weeks ago also). We had a nice group of 4 people going to Leadville in 5 weeks!

The Leadville contingent. We're going there because we're not all there. ;-)

I was also talking to a person who has done several hundreds, including the old Vermont course; he will be up there in a volunteering capacity next week. Several of them are traveling to Arizona to do the Javelina Jundred this fall (I'm tempted to go with them). There was one woman who did her first 100 mile race at the NY Exposition 2 weeks ago and actually won the thing in a little over 22 hours!

There were others with 100 miles under their belts as well.

Yes, most of these people were congratulating me on my Western States finish, but the beauty of this group is that, in a couple of months, I will be the one congratulating most of these people with their amazing accomplishments. I mean, this is one heck of a group of over-achievers that we are talking about here.

And nothing is impossible with this group. Everyone here has certain goals they would love to accomplishment and nothing is going to stop them from achieving it. For example, one of the people going to Leadville is going for her first 100 there.

Leadville is one of the hardest 100 mile races in the world. Yet that little tidbit isn't going to stop her. She's going for it. If she fails, she will be back the following year to give it another try.

Not that's a great attitude!