Dan's Papers - October 19, 2007

Two men from the Hamptons recently ran their first 62 miles, non-stop, in an ultramarathon. Rich Sandstrom, owner of a design build company called Halstrom and Assoc. from Hampton Bays, and Dennis Fabiszak, Director of the East Hampton Library from Southampton, traveled to Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains for a 100k challenge. They ran this race because they liked a new challenge.

"The more we read about it, the more we realized we didn't really know anything about that kind of running. It's totally different from preparing for any other kind of race," said Dennis Fabiszak.

Totally different it was. In order to run so many miles they had to eat a lot before, during and after the race. Sandstrom had a large breakfast that consisted of oatmeal and yogurt before the run. Fabiszak ate protein bars.

"A large part of the practice is the nutrition, to figure out what you can eat without getting sick," said Sandstrom. While training, each deciphered the food and liquids that would nourish their bodies without discomfort. For example, while practicing, Fabiszak learned that regular Gatorade became too sweet after a while and that he had to drink the Rain variety of Gatorade to make it through the duration. He also ate peanut butter cookies and protein bars as he ran through the mountains. Sandstrom had turkey sandwiches, power bars and jellybeans.

We assume that eating a large meal before running is a bad idea, Fabiszak noted. "When you grow up as kids your parents always tell you that you can't go out and play right after you eat because you have to digest your food." But the guys had no choice in this matter because running so many miles, their bodies would burn such an unbelievable amount of calories. Even consuming the cookies and jellybeans, Fabiszak dropped four pounds and Sandstrom lost six pounds at the weigh-in conducted half way through the race. If they drop five percent of their body weight they must sit out and eat, and if they drop seven percent they are out of the race. They both made the cut, although Sandstrom was close to the cutoff mark. "You really can run after you eat and you can run while you're eating, your stomach just has to get used to it," said Fabiszak. The ability to understand their body chemistries was something that took the two runners safely to the finish line.

Both men wore regular road running shoes for the race - Fabiszak Mizuno and Sandstrom Asics. There were many miles of large rocks that required unvarying focus on proper foot placement. Without the proper shoes their feet were pretty beat up. They've decided that next time they will wear trail running shoes with steel toes. Sandstrom has biomechanical problems and wears orthotics for his feet, so he stuck with the Asics this time because he did not want to take the risk of wearing a new shoe. He toughed out the pain in his knees for the last few miles, while Fabiszak experienced pain in the back of his legs.

"For the first few days after the race it was tough to walk upstairs," said Sandstrom. They were not running on roads where the mind can drift and one can put oneself deep into thought, forgetting the aches and pains of the moment. Neither man wears headphones while running, so they met new people along the way and learned a lot from their fellow runners. It was a first for most of the ultramarathon runners, so it was less like a race and more of a team effort, as the runners all supported each other. The 100k was completed by 53 of the 82 people that attempted it. Fabiszak and Sandstrom came in 25th place, finishing the 62 miles in 15 hours and 33 minutes. By now both have fully recovered, but they said the first week and a half after the race was painful.

At first glance Sandstrom and Fabiszak look like ordinary guys, but they accomplished something extraordinary with a lot of support and determination. "You have to be goal oriented," said Sandstrom. They practiced here in the Hamptons in all kinds of weather conditions, increasing the amount of miles they ran each time. In June they ran 32 miles, July 40 miles, and in the beginning of September, a few weeks before the race, they ran 50 miles in 9 hours and 44 minutes through the trails of Red Creek Park in Hampton Bays. They had members of their running club with them at Red Creek in rounds, helping them out. Both men are members of the Hamptons Running Club.

This is how they met and where a lot of their drive comes from. The group meets weekly on Sundays, changing towns from Hampton Bays through East Hampton. Anyone is welcome to participate. There is also a message board on their website where people can find fellow runners who live in the neighborhood and are interested in a running partner. For those inspired, visit www.hamptonsrunning.com. It is the support of this club that keeps the guys motivated. They will continue to push their limits in running. "Hopefully a hundred miles one day."