Running 100 miles requires strategy, training--
and a bit of persistence as well
By Jennifer DuBois
Outside Online

His may not be a household name, but Joe Schlereth is one of the runningest ultramarathoners around. Later this month the 46-year-old will compete in his 30th century, on the same course where he cut his 100-mile teeth in 1989.

Schlereth has been competing in ultramarathons since 1988, and in that time has completed the Grand Slam of ultras--running four or more 100-mile trail events in a summer--four times over. His ultra resume includes the Vermont 100, the Angeles Crest 100, and the Western States 100.

Leadville, where Schlereth finished eighth last year, is renowned for its high elevation, rocky terrain, and extremes of weather. Ranging between 9,000 and 12,000 feet, the course can be challenging for someone who lives in Fresno, California, which remains firmly rooted at 300 feet above sea level.

So how does a flatlander like Schlereth train for such an event? "I don't do it as well as I could," he admits.

What the Pittsburgh native can't access in elevation he makes up for in distance. Last year Schlereth logged about 9,000 miles, covering about 180 per week--often hitting the pavement twice in one day. On Saturdays he heads up to the Sierra Nevada for whatever altitude training he can get.

"I may not have the speed, but I do have the persistence," he says.

Schlereth also tries to compete in about 10 ultramarathons per year.

"The reason I like the ultra better than the marathon is that the one who is persistent is the one who does better, not the one who is faster," he says. "If you've got a lot of desire and a lot of willpower I think you can generally overcome the obstacles of an ultramarathon."

Of the 29 100-mile trail races under his belt, Schlereth has placed in the top 10 in an impressive 25 events. But victory has eluded him in all but one, Utah's Wasatch Front 100-Mile Endurance Run in 1993.

"I think it's still feasible to win but it doesn't get any easier at my age," he says. "In my opinion, everybody's a winner just for doing it."

Schlereth led the pack for awhile at last year's Leadville but started to fade coming back down Hope Pass, just beyond the halfway mark.

"Last year I thought I had the right pace. I tend to run like I would in California at lower altitudes. But about halfway through the race the altitude gets to me," he says. "If Leadville were a 50-mile race, I'd be doing better."

A major hurdle for most Leadville runners last year was the weather. A month-long dry spell before the event ended in a downpour the night before the start, muddying the trail and flooding the creeks. Schlereth took it all in stride.

"I heard a lot of people complain about the weather last year, but that wasn't really a factor for me. In fact, I got to Twin Lakes [the 39.5-mile checkpoint] first, which was probably a mistake for me because it meant I was going too fast. This year I'm going to try to go slower in the beginning."

This year his goals are to get a coveted sub-25-hour belt buckle, to place in the top 10, and to win his age group, which he has done five of the six times he's run the course. He hopes eventually to earn the gold belt buckle that comes with completing 10 Leadvilles.

His strategy is simple: "If I'm in the top 10 I try to stay in the top 10; if I'm not I try to go a little harder."

In a sport where self-confident grins can quickly fade to self-doubting grimaces, Schlereth keeps an even keel.

"I don't get too high and I don't get too low," he says. "I would say I have a fairly steady outward appearance. I have the same ups and downs as other runners, I just try not to show it.

"I sometimes stop at the crests and look and be thankful that I'm able to do these things and see these things. Though I'll admit that sometimes it's the last place I want to be."