Participating in a 135-mile foot race in extreme conditions is no doubt a daunting task. As we have seen in the posts over the last few days, relentless hills, torrential rain, mud covered trails, and wild animals can make you feel like an elephant is sitting on your chest. The Brazil 135 Mile Ultra course will "flip you, spin you, splat your body until your bones hurt," and just when you think it is finished chewing you up and spitting you out, it will do it all over again. Just ask Jarom how he feels in the video below. Pretty self-explanatory.
When you do manage to survive the 135 mile journey, the finish is oh so sweet. For me, the moments just prior to crossing the finish line are filled with a hodgepodge of thoughts and memories, all of which culminate at the very moment the tape is broken. Below is a video of fellow Team USA runner Ken Posner finishing the Brazil 135 Mile Ultra.
The next two videos show me and Jarom finishing, and the awarding of the finisher medal and t-shirt. I had an amazing time on the course with Jarom and Ken. It is extremely rare to run and entire 100+ mile race with another runner, let alone run it all with two runners. Yet, sharing a crew and the course worked to perfection, and in sharing this incredible journey, we got to learn quite a bit about each other.
And, of course, I cannot resist re-posting one of the most memorable finishes I have ever witnessed in person, that of Tom Sperduto. If this doesn't make you want to run an ultra distance event.....
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