The Plan

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When I find a hobby I am interested in or set a goal for myself, I am kind of like a crack head, charging forward as fast as I can to get to the destination.  A few months ago when I was starting to discover the joy of running again and I was contemplating an ultra marathon, I was very close to acting like a dumb ass and handling this challenge the same way.  Then I realized what a colossal error that would be on my part and decided I needed an intelligent and well planned course of action instead.  First off, anyone treating a 100 miles lightly and not respecting the distance would probably be doomed to fail.  I am also 47 years old and my body would definitely need more time to adjust and prepare for that amount of miles.

I have had my sights on a 100 miler before, but never have I set a date and come up with a plan of action to accomplish such a sizeable feat.  I also understand that something this important will probably consume three years of my life, and can't just be about the finish line.  It needs to be about cherishing the journey and trying to soak up the enjoyment of each and every training run along the way.

My plan is to run every major milestone race in sequence starting with a 1/2 marathon, and then a full marathon, followed by a 50k, a 50 miler, 100k, and finally the granddaddy of them all, the 100 mile ultra marathon.  It is currently late March, and I have tentatively mapped out a big race starting this fall with another following every six months to lead me up to the penultimate endurance challenge in three years time.  I feel this way, I get not only the opportunity to step my way up the ladder gradually, but also the satisfaction knowing that I did it the right way.

Three years is a long time to wait to achieve ones dreams, but by having a challenge out there every six months, it will keep me motivated.  The slow progression will also allow me to train properly and avoid trying to rush into a run that I might otherwise be under prepared.  Hopefully this way, I can avoid any serious injury and stay hungry at the same time towards what lies next.

Currently I am trying to recruit a few accomplices to join me in my fateful endeavor, even if only part of the way.  I know having someone to train with and chat about the highs and lows of the grueling road goes a long way to staying on course. Unfortunately my wife has only ran a 1/2 marathon, and doesn’t share my insanity, but she promised she would be my crew and greatest supporter.

Cheers. It should be one amazing journey!

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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