When Neil Peruski first started running eleven years ago, it was because of the health benefits.
But now, it’s become a passion that has stayed with him every day of his life.
‘I’m not real pleasant to live with when I’m not able to run,? he joked.
On August 25, Peruski, and about 100 other runners from across the nation, participated in the Lean Horse 100 and 50-mile Ultramarathon in Hot Springs, South Dakota. An ultramarathon is any race with a length of over 26.2 miles.
The 37-year-old finished in an amazing 21? hours, conquering his goal of finishing under 24 hours.
If at first you don’t succeed
The difference between an ultramarathon and your usual marathon is that speed is not as critical as ones physical and mental strength.
Runners tend to be on their feet for six, 12 and even 24 hours or more at a time. And don’t even think about stopping for sleep. They only stop for the occasional eating, drinking, taking care of pains and to use the bathroom.
After running in numerous local races and national marathons, Peruski, a sixth-grade language arts teacher at Oxford Middle School, decided to push himself even further and try an ultramarathon.
Despite hearing horror stories of ‘monstrous blisters, lost toe nails and hallucinations,? he knew he was up for the challenge.
His first ultramarathon was the JFK 50-mile in Maryland in 2001, where he finished in nine hours and 20 minutes, vowing ‘never to do anything like that again.?
Never say never.
Peruski ran the JFK race three more times before he decided to try a 100-mile feat in Vermont in 2004.
He quit after 68 miles and 13 hours of running, and again, he vowed never to run the race again.
But once again, his need for completing his self-set challenge prevailed.
And then came the Lean Horse.
Give a ‘lil shuffle?
With his dad, stepmother and aunt watching from afar, Peruski gave his father a ‘thumbs-up? before the 6 a.m. start on Aug. 25.
His father had attended all of his ultras in the past only to see him fail. Peruski wasn’t going to quit this time.
He remembers frequently reciting a motto from a book by Dean Kanarzes called ‘Ultramarathon Man ? Confessions of an All Night Runner? that said: Run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must. Just don’t ever give up.
The Lean Horse ultras are run almost entirely on the Mickelson Trail, which consists of crushed limestone over dirt. While the total climb for the race is 9,500-ft., it’s very subtle, causing runners to go out fast and continue running faster and longer than they would on a hilly, single track trail.
Five miles into the race, he met a man he calls ‘Larry from Albuquerque.? A 60-year-old former Army Ranger and veteran of 70 marathons and dozens of ultras.
‘We had the exact same running pace and lots to talk about,? Peruski said.
After conversing a while, Larry let Peruski in on his ‘secret? strategy ? walk uphill, and then give a ‘lil shuffle? for a few minutes at a time on the flats and downhills.
At the 30-mile mark, Peruski said he began to have his ‘first bout with the demons that can plague ultra runners.?
‘I began to think of how I could justify not finishing in less than 24 hours, or trying to figure out how to deal with not finishing at all,? he said.
But then he remembered how he didn’t want to let his dad down this time and told himself to ‘quit whining.?
The big finish
Just about halfway through the race, he and Larry passed a racer sitting on the side of the road. A large blister had prevented him from running any further.
Peruski took the time to stop and help him, using a bottle of liquid adhesive and medical tape he carried in his running shorts, to patch up the man’s toe.
‘Larry and I lost a few minutes for helping out, but any one of the other runners would have done the same without hesitation,? he said.
Night had fallen. Peruski remembers the only sounds they heard were the crunching of gravel beneath their feet and the occasional ‘moo? of a cow.
Finally, they saw the dim lights in the town of Hot Springs.
At the finish line, they weren’t greeted by a large cheering crowd, but by a ‘dozen people who had nothing better to do two hours before sunrise.?
The two men had succeeded in their goal of finishing in under 24 hours. Both of them tied for 9th place.
Peruski said it didn’t seem to be a real big deal after he’d finished. He was tired and just wanted to sleep.
It wasn’t until the next day when he and all the other 100-mile finishers were awarded the coveted belt buckle made of Black Hills silver and gold.
‘I shed a few tears in the hotel room afterwards by myself,? he said. ‘It’s just a great feeling to know that all that hard work paid off and I don’t have to do it again.?
At least, not in the near future. Peruski plans to compete in another 100-mile ultra in four or five years or so.
Finish what you started
Peruski doesn’t consider his recent challenge an obsession like some might think. He considers it a way to test his limits, see what’s beneath the surface and to press on against all odds.
‘Running, whether done to extremes or just for the health of it, makes me feel more alive and in-touch with the world and myself than anything else I’ve ever done,? he said.
He hopes he can pass on the lessons he’s learned from his accomplishments and failures to his children and students.
‘I hope either my kids or anyone else that hears about (my accomplishment) realizes that things that sound or seem impossible to begin with usually aren’t if you put your mind to it,? he said.
To be sure, Peruski’s philosophy of finishing what you start will definitely be passed down to his students in the classroom.
‘Don’t take the shortcut, because usually, in the end, it doesn’t end up being the shortcut,? he said.