Ann Arbor News article on my WS100 experience

A 29-hour run puts resolve to the test

Thursday, July 19, 2007

For most runners, a marathon is the ultimate challenge. For a few others, like Ann Arbor resident Tim Looney, the marathon's 26.2 miles are a mere pit stop on the way to more daring distances.

Looney, 45, recently completed the Western States Endurance Run, a grueling 100-mile ultramarathon in northern California. He didn't care that he wasn't among the top finishers. Survival was a noble accomplishment.

"Quitting was not an option,'' Looney said. "I told myself that during the race, and it made a huge difference. Because there are times everyone wants to quit and questions, 'Why am I doing this?'''

That mental catchphrase sustained him through the treacherous portions of the run, of which there were many.

In the middle of the night, approximately 20 hours into the race, he was afraid he would fall asleep on the course. But the second sunrise of his quest stoked his resolve.

Perhaps the toughest moment came when he tripped only miles from the finish line and dislocated a finger. Pain wasn't a problem, but he worried doctors at the race's final checkpoint would prohibit him from the last two-mile stretch.

After running 98 miles, he had no intention of stopping. So he concealed the bloodied finger in a bandana and kept quiet.

He crossed the finish line after 29 hours, 39 minutes and 9 seconds of continuous motion. His reward?

A trip to the hospital.

"They had to reconnect the tendons and everything,'' Looney said. "The physician's assistant told me, 'The only thing you could have done worse was have a grenade blow up in your hand.' I was a little surprised.''

Three weeks later, the pain lingers. But it is a small price to pay for what Looney considers an epic achievement.

"When I finished, one of the first things I told my girlfriend was that everyone has to have an experience like this,'' he said. "It doesn't have to be a 100-mile run, but something where you push yourself way beyond the norm just to see how far the human body and spirit can go.''

Pete Bigelow, News sports editor





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