Aug 4, 2009 10:49 pm US/Central
Naperville Man Has Run In 37 Ultramarathons
NAPERVILLE, Ill. (CBS) ―
-
-
Gingerich runs twice daily to prepare for the grueling ultramarathons.
CBS
Everyone likes a challenge, but how about this one. Imagine running 135 miles non-stop with no time to sleep, you have to eat while you're moving, and you don't stop doing this for nearly two days. Now imagine actually signing up to do this in the desert.
"I think most people think I'm crazy, crazy or nuts," said Zach Gingerich.
By day, Zach Gingerich works at the Office Max Headquarters in Naperville, but the rest of his time he spends running. Gingerich just completed the Badwater Ultramarathon, considered the "toughest foot race on earth." The 135-mile journey starts in Death Valley, the lowest elevation point in North America and finishes at one of the highest, near Mount Whitney. To call it grueling is an understatement.
"It gets up to 130 degrees typically… 120 to 130. Surface temperature is usually around 180," said Gingerich.
Zak has completed 37 Ultramarathons and two Badwaters. He typically runs twice a day every day, and runs in saunas to get used to the heat. It's also not unusual for him to run from Naperville to Chicago's Lakefront. This year he shaved 12 hours off his time completing the Badwater in 25 hours and 6 minutes.
"Any time you do something for 20 some hours it just gets to be a lot and you go through a lot of different emotions and mentally I was just trying to hang in there, but when it gets dark for me that's the hard part. Someone was always running with me and keeping me on track, so mentally I didn't have any time to go in a bad place," he said.
Zach had five family members and friends that helped him get through the challenges, including nourishment.
"When I first started this whole thing that was the hardest aspect for me was trying to figure out how to run and eat. Skittles, beef jerky, apple sauce, [and] ravioli. At 42 miles, one of my friends brought me a strawberry popsicle. That was the best," said Gingerich.
There is no prize money involved, but Zach took home third place out of 90 runners and had the second best American time ever. At 30-years-old, he's not ready to give it up.
"Nobody is out there really out there trying to make a living. We're just out there for the love of all things extreme. I don't know what I'll do for something tougher, but I'm sure I'll find something," said Gingerich.
Zach isn't ready to commit just yet, but he thinks he'll compete again next year. He's also considering the opposite extreme, perhaps 135 miles in the freezing cold of Minnesota.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
The Tattooed Ladies of Hollywood
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
Reporting
Comments