Worth The Hurt 52.4 Mile Ultramarathon - Race Recap

"A ship is safe in harbor, but that's not what ships are for."

- William G.T. Shedd**

My name's Dan Czerwonka, and on Sunday I ran my first ever ultramarathon (any running race over the marathon distance of 26.2 miles) - the inaugural running of the San Francisco Ultramarathon (the "SFU") 52.4 miles.  And I ran it barefoot (yes, barefoot; no not with "those barefoot shoes"FN1;).  I'm one of 6 athletes sponsored for a year to run the SFU and then enter other crazy races of our choosing to raise money for a charity of our choice.  This is my account of the race, the preparation, and the discoveries I've made through it all.

(At the finish with my lil sis Amy.  She ran her first marathon!)

Living by Example IS Worth the Hurt

Recently a super-nice chick from a PR firm contacted me for a short quote about why I do what I do, and why I am a part of Worth the Hurt (WorthTheHurt.net) as one of the 6 sponsored athletes that are a part of the San Francisco Ultramarathon's "ultra athletes ultra-fundraising program."


It was such a simple question, and one I should have obviously anticipated as I began this little 52.4mile barefoot "adventure," but it caught me surprisingly off guard and made me revisit some things internally in order to respond to her.

I have posted the response below if you guys want to give it a read.  It is directly relevant, or even central to, the topic of my post "Sole Searching", as well.

Keep It In Perspective and Remember to Breathe!

I was doing laundry today and saw an episode of Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel on TV for the first time.  It was a pretty inspiring show and had a piece on Lopez Lomong, the Olympic runner who escaped from Sudanese rebels as a child after being kidnapped to fight in the rebel army and then lived in a Kenyan refugee camp for 10 years, before coming to the US and becoming a world-class runner.

Sole Searching

As I prepare for the San Francisco Ultramarathon this year, it's quite apparent to me that I will face 98% of the challenge of this race before race day.  And I still have a long road ahead of me. I'm scared out of my mind, anxious and excited, all at the same time.  Sure it might be just another race to some, but to me its one of the biggest challenges I've yet faced, and it's a big deal personally because of what it signifies...

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, "Our chief want is someone who will inspire us to be what we know we could be."

If nothing else, it is my great desire to inspire others, to help them realize that they are capable of achieving great things, and to live as a mirror to reflect their own limitless potential.

Trouble Eating Healthy - I'm on a Tight Budget with No Time!

This post is written by our first **Celebrity Blogger** - Captain Josh Evilsizor, of the U.S. Army

Josh flies Black Hawks. And to make sure they never go down, he HAS to stay healthy. Period. That means staying fit. And staying fit means exercising AND eating right. But for those of us with limited time and limited financial resources, its often easier (and cheaper) to work out than it is to eat right.

Below is Josh's detailed methodology for maintaining that critical balance. And it is do-able for ALL of us regardless of time or income.  Here it is after the jump:

Mistake #1 - Trying to Cure Plantar Fasciitis with Orthotics - Ouch!!!

Yes, I realize it's been 5mos since my last post, but I started a new job and haven't been able to write lately.  Not to worry - more to come soon!  

For now, I thought you might like to read this exchange I had with a girl recently about this little doozie.  ;p  

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Hey D,

Are you serious about running barefoot? that's crazy! I've seen people do that before, doesn't it hurt? I have flat feet, and plantar fasciitis, and so I could never run without my orthodics.....although I've read about Chi running, and the whole barefoot theory and how it's actually better for your natural form. Griffith park is awesome to run at, and it's good that you're getting your friends in shape :) I'm trying to battle out plantar fasciitis right now, so I'm not running a whole lot, just enough to maintain and hopefully be injury-free by June because I have a few races lined up.

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K, hey! 

That's a bummer about your PF!  If you want to get rid of it, the FIRST thing you should do is get rid of your orthotics!  They're only making it worse!!!  Ever see a giant stone archway with a support beam sticking up in the middle of it?  Nope!  Know why?  B/c the weight of the arch is what creates the strength!  Put a support up the middle of it and you will collapse it!  (For more fun and interesting insights, read Born to Run by Christopher McDougal)

The SECOND thing you should do,

Think Fast! 10 Second Race Nutrition Quiz

I'm sure its debatable which of these is in fact the best nutrition sidekick in a race, but there is one standout that is clearly more difficult to digest than the others in  the group - can you find it in this pic?

I almost packed  it by accident for my ride tomorrow morning ;p (and hell I probably would've eaten it if I had).

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