Introduction

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I believe I am finally ready to begin the monumental quest of completing a 100 mile ultra marathon.  It's something I have wanted to do for almost 20 years and have gone back and forth on the idea more times than I'd like to admit.  I'm not a professional, just an age group athlete that likes a good challenge from time to time.  It must sound crazy to a normal person, or to anyone that isn't into pushing themselves to unfathomable limits.  I'm being honest when I say that the thought of running for 24+ hours is overwhelming, but I feel drawn to the suffering and mystic surrounding such a difficult task.  So why do it?  There’s no actual or comprehensible reason I can explain in words.  All sorts of cheesy phrases come to mind, but probably the best one that represents me is, "because I can."

For starters, I have been a runner for a good portion of my life, at least since I was a sophomore in high school.  Back then, I used to jog to stay in shape during the off season for skiing, up and down an old nature road I went.  I'd head out after school and do anywhere from 2-6 miles, letting my mind wander and dream of who knows what.  Running soon became enjoyable and I ended up finding a passion I never would have considered.  I eventually entered my first half marathon when I was a junior with very little training under my belt, but I finished.  Then, the following year, in the fall of 1990, my Dad and I trained for and completed our first marathon together.  I was a now a runner.

I'd love to be able to tell you I stuck with it and soared to great heights, but running soon fell out of favor when I went away to college.  Every few years I would rekindle my joy of pounding the pavement, but it never took a hold until 10+ years later when I decided to train for an Ironman triathlon.  I had envisioned competing in Hawaii ever since I was a youngster watching Dave Scott rule the sport and Julie Moss crawl across the finish line.  I wanted to be a part of that misery and elation.  It was an item on my bucket list for as long as I can remember.  Again, it was my Father and I along with my step Mother that spent almost two years getting prepared for one of the biggest events of our lives.  We didn't make it to the big island, but the three of us all crossed the finish line of Ironman Florida in 2004.

And then it happened again.  I guess I got burned out, or couldn't find the motivation or drive to work towards those lofty heights that once burned inside of me.  Sure, I was always searching for that inspiration, but it took another decade of lost causes until my wife and I started doing Spartan races.  The two of us had a great time training for and running some pretty grueling OCRs.  We even completed the trifecta in 2017, a Beast, Super and Sprint all in one year.

That leads me today, my declaration to the world that I am going to spend the next three years training for my new goal, a 100 mile ultra.  I'm not going to write about every training run or race, but I will share my trials and successes along with plenty of insight I have learned throughout my years being in and out of the sport.  I am by no means an expert on running, but I am a licensed Physical Therapist Assistant in the state of Texas, so I do have a background in physiology, anatomy, and kinesiology.  My name is Jonathan Cummins, join me on my Road to 100!

You can follow my workouts on Strava @ Jonathan Cummins
Also, I have published two fiction novels available on Amazon.  The main character is an ultra runner!
Killer is Me
River of Deceit

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