113.61 Training Miles for Week (3/21 - 3/27)

With less than 6 weeks remaining before the 200 mile race, ran 113.61 miles this past week with a peak training day of 26.54 miles. This occured during an official marathon in Waukesha, WI called the Trailbreakers Marathon. Finished the race in 3:26:04. This was my 27th official marathon (26.2 miles) finish since I started running in 1997 - with an average finish time of 3:31:38 - not too bad for a slow ultrarunner.

The photos below are from this weekend's race. In the bottom photo, I am running with my friends Mike Younglove (on my left) (who came out of a 20+ year marathon retirement to run a 3:35!) and Robb Linnemanstons (on my right) (who has run a gazillion marathons and ultramarthons and was actually with me when I ran my first trail 50 mile race back in 2003).






















Over the last 7 weeks, I have average 97.72 miles/week in preparation for the big event. I hope to peak in mileage in 2 weeks with a goal of hitting 175 miles the week of 4/4 - 4/10. During that week, I will be competing in the MadCity 100K race in Madison, WI.

124.05 Training Miles for Week (3/14 - 3/20)

We are now seven weeks away from the McNaughton Park in Vermont 200 mile race. This past week ran 124.05 miles with a peak day of 22.50 miles.

This week's photo is from the 2009 North Face Endurance 50 Mile Run in LaGrange, WI. This was a case where you have a goal in mind and find out that on that given day you are just not going to succeed. The goal then changes from a "time" goal to a "finish" goal. Sometimes just finishing a race is enough. Hopefully, in a few short weeks we will succeed with our time goal of well below 48 hours.

109.91 Training Miles for Week (2/28 - 3/6)

As promised, I will post my weekly training mileage for the next 9 weeks as we approach the 200 mile run in Vermont. I will also include some random photos for past events.

This week ran 109.91 miles with a peak day of 20.03 miles.

This week's photo is from the 2009 Milwaukee Marathon in which I paced my friend Randy Steiner to a Boston Qualifying run of 3:31:01. Randy needed 3:30:59 to qualify but Boston personel said we can't deny you over one second. I thought that was pretty nice of them and says a lot about the people running the Boston Marathon. Randy along with many other runner will be toeing the line next month in Boston.

Donations for the 200 Miles for 200 Wheelchairs Goal

Friends -

I have set up a personal page on the Free Wheelchair Mission website to help share the gift of mobility with others (http://fwm.kintera.org/dexterthepunisher ).

We are going to run 200 miles nonstop through Vermont's Green Mountains starting May 6, 2010 to try and raise enough funds to purchase 200 wheelchairs. Information on the race can be found online.

The following is an excerpt from the Free Wheelchair Mission's website:

In wealthy countries, a disabled person can get a wheelchair, however, there are over 100,000,000 disabled adults and children for whom the dream of a wheelchair is worlds beyond their expectations. They live without this basic form of mobility by crawling through life or waiting for a loved one to carry them to fulfill the simplest of needs--the disabled and the family members are thereby restricted from a full life. The average cost to manufacture, ship, and distribute one of its chairs for $59.20, an extraordinarily modest investment that changes the lives of the disabled and their families.

The Free Wheelchair Mission is a nonprofit public corporation with exempt status under section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Our tax ID number is 31‐1781635. All contributions are tax deductible as allowed by law.

I have started off the fundraiser by purchasing 1 wheelchair - please help me raise enough funds for 199 more. Thank you for your consideration and kindness.

Love,
Ryan

McNaughton in VT 200 Mile Run for the Free Wheelchair Mission

It has been too long since I posted a blog and for that I apologize. I wanted to let you know about what I have been training for - a 200 mile trail run in the Green Mountains of Vermont in May (www.peakraces.com/mcnaughton/).

I have been preparing for this adventure for years - having run the McNaughton Park 150mile race the last three years placing 3rd, 2nd, and 1st, respectively (www.mcnaughtonparktrailruns.com/index2.htm).

My training in 2009 was my highest mileage yet. I averaged over 60 mile/week for the entire year. In fact, I have average nearly 7.5 miles/day for the last 4 years (8.5 miles/day for the last two years). I have been thinking about how I can mix this race into something that would be beneficial for others. My church did an offering this Christmas for a charity that I knew not much about. In fact, I never really thought about wheelchairs and how hard it would be for people that were disabled to be mobile without one. I have a great crew coming out to Vermont to help me and what we are attempting is mind-blowing to some (200 miles on foot - not rest), but it pales in comparison to what many people have to do each and every day of there lives. Although we are in it to win it, we are going to suffer maybe 48 hours - there is no comparison.

My plan is to try and raise money for the Free Wheelchair Mission.
www.freewheelchairmission.org


The mission is: to transform lives through the gift of mobility to the physically disabled poor in developing countries as motivated by Jesus Christ. Our vision is to provide 20 million wheelchairs.

I would personally love to raise enough funds to help with 200 wheelchairs - one for every mile we are going to run. One wheelchair costs $59.20.

The race starts at 6 PM, Thursday May 6, 2010. From this point forward, I plan on blogging at least once a week to provide an update on my weekly mileage as we prepare for the 200 mile race that is just 2 short months away.

Wishing You a SUPER Christmas

From my family to yours -

wishing you a Super Christmas.

In Christ -

Ryan, Christina, Chase, Cruz, & Dash Dexter

McNaughton Park 100 Miler 2005 Race Report

In going through my old e-mails, I came across my race recap from the 2005 McNaughton Park 100 Miler. This was my second 100 mile race and the first time I went sub-24 hours.
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Many of you know about my 100-miler last year in CA. Although I finished the distance in the cut-off time of 30 hours, I was still a little disappointed with myself- I believed that I could/should run it in 24 hours. With the blessing of my wife- I set my sight on 24 hours with the McNaughton Park 100 in Pekin, IL. A friend from Madison (Kathy) was also going down attempting her first 100 so I caught a ride down with her and her brother Paul.

The McNaughton Park 100 is a ten-mile loop of rugged trails and open fields. Each loop contains about 1600 ft. elevation change- so over the 100 miles that's over 15,000 ft. elevation change. When I went down there last year and competed in the 50-mile race option I was shocked that there were hills like that in IL. But in Pekin there are. With my cell phone in my drop bag, I called Christina after every loop. I had predicted times for each loop to reach 24 hours. The first two loops needed to be done in 2 hours with about 5 minutes added to each consecutive loop and leaving 3 hours for each of the last 3 loops which would be done in the dark. I ran the first 10 miles in 1:40 and did not slow down until the 4th loop. By mile 40, I had a 1 hour cushion for my 24 hour goal. Miles 40-50 were tough (that was the only time I thought about stopping). It was a hot day around 80 and that was around 1 - 2 PM Saturday afternoon. I hit the 50 mile mark still an hour over schedule at a time of 9 hours 40 minutes (5 minutes faster than my 50-miler last year on the same course). I wanted very badly to lay down a take a 30 minute nap at 50. I thought, let me rest and then I will still have a 30-minute lead over my goal time. I did not- just keep moving- slow and steady like a machine.

Things began to get better and I continued covering the miles. I kept maintaining and reached my goal of 70 miles by 9 PM at 8:15 PM (still 45 minutes ahead of my aggressive game plan). Besides miles 40-50 there was never a doubt that I was going to finish, but still the question was can I run 100 in a day? By working hard all day Saturday, I now had 9 hours and 45 minutes to cover 30 miles during the night. Perfect- that is a steady walk. But running alone at night is still tough- but God works in awesome ways. Miles 3-5 of the 10 mile lap are extremely rugged with steep inclines and declines. I had just come out of that section on my 7th lap- so it was about mile 75 and 10 PM at night. I was walking up this hill into an open field-it is completely dark. Then I hear this voice, "RYAN DEXTER". It was my friend Terry Alberti whom I know from racquetball and church. We usually see he and his wife Donna and their sons at Panera after church on Sundays, he knew about the race and I had sent him the website information. I thought if they were going to come down it would have been during the day (which was when my mother-in-law Judy came to see me - thank you so much for your support). Terry had driven all the way down from Madison to see me. He had gotten to the race start/finish and Andy (the greatest race director in the world!!!!) told him where he might find me along the course. Terry had parked his car and walked up about 1/4 mile to the field and waited for a headlamp in the darkness. We walked to the aid station about 1/4 mile down the field together and talked. It was AWESOME and carried me the rest of the night. Terry you are an angel and I was not ready or expecting that! Basically, Terry drove 8 hours just to spend 5 minutes with me. Can you believe that? He ran his own ultra.

My brother-in-law Brad came down from Madison also and he and Paul ran the last 10 mile loop with me. We ran that last loop in about 2:45- my legs were still fresh and runnable. I sprinted across the line in 22 hours 51 minutes and some seconds. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I could run a 100 that fast. I trained hard for this race having logged over 300 miles in March training. And mentally I was ready- I knew I could cover the distance- I was not afraid.

The following photo is Kathy and I before the 6 AM start Saturday morning. Kathy covered 60 miles in the race and then decided to rest. I am very proud of you Kathy- 60 miles is nothing to laugh at- JOB WELL DONE.


The second photo is me at mile 60 right after leaving the start/finish area.

The last photo is me about a minute after finishing at 4:52 AM Sunday morning (Just add 20 hours to that clock and you got my finish time).

I feel night and day better that after Western States last June. Really the only thing hurting me are the bottoms of my feet and some rather big blisters on my heels. Other than that I am good to go. By following Jesus all things are possible- this was just one small thing that we did together. Without HIS strength and perseverance this goal would never had been obtainable.

Thanks to all of you for your thoughts during the day/night and for those of you that I ran with training for this race- thanks for pushing me to do better.

Ryan