bobdina
06-01-2009, 03:11 AM
Lt. col. runs 30, 50 or 100 miles at a time
By Michael Hoffman - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday May 31, 2009 9:42:14 EDT
Think that 1.5-mile run for the PT test is tough?
Keep on for another 98.5 miles and find what Lt. Col. Elmer Norvell does for fun.
Norvell, 44, likes to go 100 miles at a shot, just shy of four times the distance of a marathon.
The Alabama Air National Guardsman completed his first marathon — a mere 26.2 miles — in 1993. It didn’t take too many races, though, for Norvell to realize he loved being tested. He challenges himself now with century runs, those 100-mile jaunts, and ultramarathons, generally 30 miles or 50 miles long.
To date, Norvell has finished five century runs and 22 ultramarathons. Of his century runs, Norvell clocked his best time at 20 hours and 51 minutes in North Carolina. Of the 35,000 or so runners who completed ultramarathons last year, Norvell had one of the 150 fastest times.
Norvell, a civil engineer, trains by running twice a day, usually six miles in the morning and eight miles after work during the week. On weekends, he does longer runs, sometimes 40 miles at a time.
The training didn’t stop even when Norvell deployed to Saudi Arabia. He just woke up at 4 a.m. and ran laps on base.
“The laps would get up into the hundreds, and I must admit it got boring after awhile,” he said.
Going such a long distance forces Norvell to literally eat on the run. His snack of choice is a hard-boiled egg dipped in salt. During a race, Norvell typically eats 10 eggs to keep him going to the end. Meal time is at the 33- and 70-mile markers.
“I usually just choke them down while I’m running because stopping is like a death sentence during these races,” he said.
One race volunteer made Norvell laugh while he gobbled up his eggs.
“During one race, one of the ladies looked at me and said I was one of the only ones to gain weight during the race,” he said.
As for that puny 1.5-mile PT run, Norvell usually clocks in at less than nine minutes.
“I’ve never been a particularly fast guy,” he said.
By Michael Hoffman - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday May 31, 2009 9:42:14 EDT
Think that 1.5-mile run for the PT test is tough?
Keep on for another 98.5 miles and find what Lt. Col. Elmer Norvell does for fun.
Norvell, 44, likes to go 100 miles at a shot, just shy of four times the distance of a marathon.
The Alabama Air National Guardsman completed his first marathon — a mere 26.2 miles — in 1993. It didn’t take too many races, though, for Norvell to realize he loved being tested. He challenges himself now with century runs, those 100-mile jaunts, and ultramarathons, generally 30 miles or 50 miles long.
To date, Norvell has finished five century runs and 22 ultramarathons. Of his century runs, Norvell clocked his best time at 20 hours and 51 minutes in North Carolina. Of the 35,000 or so runners who completed ultramarathons last year, Norvell had one of the 150 fastest times.
Norvell, a civil engineer, trains by running twice a day, usually six miles in the morning and eight miles after work during the week. On weekends, he does longer runs, sometimes 40 miles at a time.
The training didn’t stop even when Norvell deployed to Saudi Arabia. He just woke up at 4 a.m. and ran laps on base.
“The laps would get up into the hundreds, and I must admit it got boring after awhile,” he said.
Going such a long distance forces Norvell to literally eat on the run. His snack of choice is a hard-boiled egg dipped in salt. During a race, Norvell typically eats 10 eggs to keep him going to the end. Meal time is at the 33- and 70-mile markers.
“I usually just choke them down while I’m running because stopping is like a death sentence during these races,” he said.
One race volunteer made Norvell laugh while he gobbled up his eggs.
“During one race, one of the ladies looked at me and said I was one of the only ones to gain weight during the race,” he said.
As for that puny 1.5-mile PT run, Norvell usually clocks in at less than nine minutes.
“I’ve never been a particularly fast guy,” he said.