Thursday, November 8, 2012

Run D'Amore 50k

Run D'Amore is the glorified fat ass spinoff of Run-de-Vous. For those who don't know what a "fat ass" race is, Wikipedia defines it as "a series of low key runs that are frequented by experienced runners & walkers and characterised by the phrase 'No Fees, No Awards, No Aid, No Wimps'". After the success of Run-de-Vous, the race director decided to put on this race for all those who wanted to come back. 

I had reservations about returning, as my Run-de-Vous belt buckle experience was life changing, and I really wasn't ready for round two. It was too soon. I still wanted to bask in the glory of my huge 100 mile accomplishment. Besides, I was already committed to the Santa Barbara/Malibu double weekend, so the point was moot. Fortunately, there were some rule changes and an early start option, so I found a way to fit this race into my schedule. I managed to squeeze a 50k into my jam packed weekend by taking the Thursday early start.

My concern about Run D'Amore was that it turned into what appeared to be a 4-day progressive staged race with the benefit of the time clock stopping on Thursday and Friday nights. This would mean that a runner could conceivably complete 25 miles a day, crawl into their comfortable bed and sleep for eight hours, return the following day to complete another 25 miles and then repeat this two more times. That runner would in essence complete 100 miles in 24 hours, which seems very unfair to me. I believe that one needs to experience the sleep deprivation, exhaustion, delirium, and pain to truly understand and appreciate how difficult it is. 100 miles is 100 miles, and I applaud everyone who completes it regardless of time. There is no such thing as a belt buckle being worth the weight of tin. However, when you challenge yourself and do it straight through in the allotted time limit without the benefit of a stop clock, you will limp away knowing that you truly challenged yourself. I voiced my concerns to the race director, and he adjusted the rules to reflect the stop clock issues. Like I said, 100 miles is 100 miles, and kudos to all who duked it out!


I got my 50k done in about 9 hours. I wanted run the whole thing, but I figured with Santa Barbara and Malibu right around the corner, I'd take it easy. It got really cold and wet out there by the time I left, so I was glad to be done. Congratulations all who completed Run D'Amore in the harsh weather!

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