When Professor Len Ruth weighed close to 222 lbs he would talk about running in a 5K race, which is approximately 3.1 miles.
“Years ago, I’d be in church and they’d talk about how there’s a 5K coming up and I used to joke about how I’d run in it,” Ruth said.
That changed after Ruth made his new year’s resolution on Jan. 1, 2005, to lose weight.
After losing the weight – Ruth said he’s lost roughly 80lbs – he began running in 5Ks. He continued to move up the ladder, running in 15Ks, half-marathons (12 miles), marathons (26 miles), 50Ks (31 miles), 50 miles, 100 miles and most recently the Northcoast 24-hour endurance race in Cleveland on Oct. 3.
Ruth, who lasted 15 hours, said he was disappointed with his finish.
“I would’ve gone further, but I got really sick to my stomach,” he said. “I had already gone 70 miles, so it was enough.”
Ruth has been running for almost five years.
“(The reason I continue to run) is partly because I have an addictive personality,” Ruth said. “It was fun, it helps me keep my weight off.
“Mostly (I do) it because I like to have hard things that I put in the future that I work towards and then try to accomplish those things because then you get a greater sense of accomplishment.”
Ruth said that he runs every day and doesn’t take a season off. To prepare for this race, he did six months of training. When training, he ran 80 miles a week and he would alternate days: A 15-mile run would be an easy day and a 35-mile run would be considered a hard day. Ruth said he spends close to 15 hours a week running. The week preceding the race, Ruth said he tried not to run as much.
Ruth’s family attended the race to support him. During the race, tables were set up with food and liquids, according to Ruth. The race began at 9 a.m.
“Sometimes you just get into a zone,” Ruth said. “You just look at the clock and two hours have gone by and you didn’t notice it.”
While running, Ruth said some of the runners talk to each others would listen to music (which usually isn’t allowed in ultra marathons) but said being tired was one of the last things on his mind.
“Surprisingly, when you’re out running (you don’t get) tired. I’ll be going until two in the morning, four in the morning and I don’t feel like it’s a normal day,” Ruth said.
“I think with the adrenaline and the exertion and pain, I don’t feel sleepy at all. At least not for 24 hours.”
Ruth considered his 24-hour race as a failure, but said he was proud of the Umstead 100-mile endurance race he completed in Raleigh, NC in April, clocking in at 22 hours, 33 minutes and 41 seconds.
“It’s a little crazy once you get past 65 miles,” Ruth said. “Go past that and it does get a little masochistic, a little bit crazy.”
Service Box: Tips for those interested in running in a marathon
1) Take baby steps
“The key is that you have to build up after a long time,” Ruth said.
Ruth also said that potential runners should stick by the 10 percent rule: “Never increase your mileage by more than 10 percent in a week.”
2) Stay consistent
“I don’t take many days off,” Ruth said. “You can’t let yourself go back to where you (started).”
3) Make it a priority
“My whole day revolves around running,” Ruth said. “It’s gotta be the number one priority in your life, almost.”
4) Age is nothing but a number
“It’s a lot of 40, 50 and 60-year-old people doing this because as you get older, you still have your endurance,” Ruth said.