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BY PAUL JANKOWSKI
Times Correspondent | Wednesday, August 17, 2005 | (No comments posted.)
CHESTERTON | On his personal Web site, Chesterton resident Paul Stofko immediately addresses the question he faces almost daily.
Why run a 100-mile race?
"I look forward to test the limits of my body both mentally and physically," he wrote.
Stofko, 29, runs ultramarathons, defined as any race longer than the standard 26.2-mile marathon.
The 1994 Lake Central graduate has completed 10 ultras, ranging in distance from about 30 miles up to 100. He's finished two 100-mile races, including the prestigious Western States in Squaw Valley, Calif., last year.
His next task may be the most difficult.
At 4 a.m. Aug. 20, he will set out to conquer the Leadville 100-mile Trail Run in Leadville, Colo. There is a 30-hour time limit, and Stofko is hoping to reach the finish line in 25 or 26 hours.
That means he'll be navigating his way through rough terrain throughout the night -- after going all day -- and his gear will include a headlamp.
Along the way he may encounter some wildlife, temperatures could vary by as much as 50 degrees and he'll battle altitude. The climb and the descent of the trail totals 15,600 feet, with the lowest point being 9,200 feet and the highest 12,620.
All in a day (or two) of work for Stofko, a fitness specialist/personal trainer at the Duneland Health and Wellness Institute in Chesterton.
"My clients think I'm crazy, just like everyone else," Stofko said.
More than 400 competitors started last year's race, and less than half finished. There are several checkpoints -- which include food -- and the runners must reach them by certain deadlines to keep pace within the 30-hour limit.
"They have medical checks every 10 miles," Stofko said. "They check your lung capacity to make sure that's OK, and they weigh you. If your weight drops more than 10 percent, they pull you out.
"You're in the hands of the race officials. They can pull you out of the race if they want to."
The first Leadville 100-miler was held in 1982. According to the all-time results, there have only been four other finishers from Indiana. One is Kankakee Valley cross country coach Walt Prochno, who ran the 1993 race in 28 hours, 44 minutes, 25 seconds.
The winner the past two years has been Paul DeWitt, a Colorado resident. He broke the course record last year, finishing in 17:16:19.
The course is a 50-mile out-and-back loop. Pacers are allowed in the second half of the race, but Stofko will be on his own.
"You'll be climbing the mountain at night, but once you get past the 50-mile mark you have a good shot to finish the race," Stofko said. "If that's the point where you're going to get stuck, you're pretty much done."
Stofko sometimes competes in area road races but spends most of his time training. He ran for nearly six hours two weeks ago in the extreme heat, covering 31 miles along the hills and trails of the Indiana Dunes.
Earlier this year, he won an ultramarathon in Pekin, Ill. He won the 30-mile McNaughton Park Trail Run in 3 hours, 58 minutes -- his first ultra victory.
Simply finishing the Leadville 100 will be a victory for Stofko.
"With the altitude being so high, a lot of problems can happen," he said.
The Paul Stofko file
High School: 1994 Lake Central graduate. Ran track his senior year only.
College: B.S. in Exercise Science from Northern Arizona University; A.S.in Nutrition from Purdue University Calumet.
Job: Works as a fitness specialist/personal trainer at Duneland Health and Wellness Institute in Chesterton.
Race history: Started running ultramarathons while a student. Has completed 10 ultramarathons, finishing first in his last race (a 30-miler) in April.
Coming up: Will compete Saturday and Sunday in the Leadville 100-miler in Leadville, Colo.
More info: www.paulstofko.com and www.leadvilletrail100.com.
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