In Germany, I jumped and hung from a guardrail 30 feet above trees in Bavaria to avoid being hit by a car on a snowy mountainside. In eastern Washington state I jumped from the shoulder of the road to keep from being struck by an inattentive driver traveling at 55mph. In the middle of the Mojave Desert I had only 12 ounces of water left to get me 40 miles to where I could replenish my water supply. And, there were many other life-threatening situations.
I would cover as much as 50 miles in a single day while having to push over half of my body weight. My ultra-endurance adventures caused intense blisters, toenail loss, tendinitis, two herniated disks in my back, dehydration, and more. I willingly planned and executed these solo journeys and documented them with pictures, videos, audios, and writings. Many have said that my ultra-running endeavors across America, Germany, Alaska, the Mojave Desert, and elsewhere were "extreme" and "risky." I agree with them.
So, the question that is commonly asked is: WHY?
Since I was a boy I've dreamed of doing adventurous things. When I was in elementary school I dreamed of being an astronaut. I was born during the decade of the "space race" (the 1960's) and during my elementary years in the 1970's astronauts were the most adventurous people around. As my abilities in running began to unfold in the mid-to-late 1970's, my mind began to wander to potential adventures as a runner. In the late 1970's runners were in the news for crossing America. In 1980, a young man by the name of Terry Fox was attempting a run across Canada... with his right leg being a prosthesis. It was that same year that Frank Giannino set the speed record for running across the United States, and I was only 15 years old. So, adventurous men and women were in the news and I was intrigued with their endeavors.
What makes someone want to take on an extreme undertaking, like running solo coast to coast across America? Over the years I've done some reading on the topic and have come to some conclusions.
There are people that have a strong need for achievement. In an article on the topic, Christopher Bergland wrote this in Psychology Today: "The need for achievement personality trait is characterized by an enduring and consistent concern with setting and meeting high standards of achievement. This need is influenced by internal drive for action (intrinsic motivation), and the pressure exerted by the expectations of others (extrinsic motivation)." I would agree with that, to a degree. I don't agree with his statement that it is an "enduring and consistent concern." I'm 51 years old and have accomplished many extreme running adventures. However, it has been over 5 years since I completed my solo run across the Mojave Desert and I don't feel a pressing need to plan and execute another extreme running challenge. Therefore, I do believe that extreme athletes can reach a point of satisfaction with their accomplishments and not have to endlessly seek extreme undertakings in order to try and fill some bottomless need for achievement.
There are those who take on extreme challenges to achieve a personal best, while there are others who are driven by a lust for fame and glory. My ultra-endurance endeavors have always been aimed at promoting youth health and fitness while consistently aiming to do my very best at ultra running. Fame and glory never came about, so it's a good thing I wasn't hoping for that. Pushing the mind and body to the absolute human limit is a rush for many extreme athletes and doing that can be like a drug. Some become addicted and can't wisely discern how far is too far. As a result, some pay the ultimate price -- dying while doing their extreme sport.
There are certainly those who have moments of experiencing the edge of death while 'pushing the edge of the envelope' in extreme sports. I believe that those who have mental flashes of family and friends during those edge-of-death moments need to truly re-evaluate why they are risking their life to go farther, higher or faster. What's a story of an extreme challenge if the adventurer isn't around to tell it? It's "history," not "his story." Having a lifetime of reaching for mileposts along the edge of a road can be endless and lonely. However, I've learned that reaching for memories with loved ones is far more satisfying than any expanse of land to be conquered on foot.
From Him, Through Him, For Him (Romans 11:36),
Paul J. Staso
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Visit my YouTube channel -- https://www.youtube.com/user/pacetrek
Click on any of the links below to see some of my adventure photos:
- United States in 2006 (3,260 miles solo in 108 days at age 41)
- Montana in 2008 (620 miles solo in 20 days at age 43)
- Alaska in 2009 (500 miles solo in 18 days at age 44)
- Germany in 2010 (500 miles solo in 21 days at age 45)
- The Mojave Desert in 2011 (506 miles solo in 17 days at age 46)
- Various Photos From Mileposts Gone By
- Students Worldwide Who Ran With Me Virtually
- Roadside Sights From My Running Adventures
- Some Cycling Moments From The Past
