Dreaming Long Dreams

I sit here barely having run the past three weeks terribly frustrated with my body and with not being able […]

By on October 5, 2007 | Comments

I sit here barely having run the past three weeks terribly frustrated with my body and with not being able to run. However, that’s not stopping me from daydreaming big dreams. :-) A desire has been building within me to tackle some intermediate length trails end-to-end. In the past I’d envisioned running these trails in a supported manner, but I’m getting the urge to just go out to a trail head… and, well, just go. The thought of this excites me greatly. I have some specific trails in mind,but am not about to share them yet.

This new idea raises far more questions that I would have imagined, but here’s a few. To start, do I have the courage to try one of these? Seriously, I am a big time scaredy cat. Most of the time I wouldn’t use a pacer in a 100 if it weren’t for the fact that I’d be scared shitless without one. (This happened when I dropped my pacer with 15 miles to go at Western States in 2005.) Also, as I’ve barely ever camped, let alone fast hiked or tried something like this, I haven’t a clue what kind of gear I would need. Where would I start looking for a pack? What’s the lightest shelter/sleeping arrangement that I can get away with. How would I take care of food and water? So much to learn. Anyone who reads this ever run/walked a trail in the 100-300 mile range? Know of someone who has? Please get in touch.

Bryon Powell

Bryon Powell is the Founding Editor of iRunFar. He’s been writing about trail running, ultrarunning, and running gear for more than 15 years. Aside from iRunFar, he’s authored the books Relentless Forward Progress: A Guide to Running Ultramarathons and Where the Road Ends: A Guide to Trail Running, been a contributing editor at Trail Runner magazine, written for publications including Outside, Sierra, and Running Times, and coached ultrarunners of all abilities. Based in Silverton, Colorado, Bryon is an avid trail runner and ultrarunner who competes in events from the Hardrock 100 Mile just out his front door to races long and short around the world, that is, when he’s not fly fishing or tending to his garden.