After giving so much to the ultra community, Laz turns his focus to a deep personal project.
Laz has always had a nomadic trait in that he has found a way to mark almost every road in Tennessee with his running.
Turns out his dream has been to have the time and strength to do a transcontinental run, on his own terms. Now is his time. Listen to our conversation.
Español:
Laz siempre tuvo un aspecto de nómada que expresó en sus años marcando un mapa de Tennessee con todas sus rutas de correr. Su sueño, en fin, es de cruzar el continente a pie, y en sus términos. Ya se hace realidad.
Traducción en Español
Andrew: Bienvenido a Territorio Trail, somos Andrew y Neisa y hoy estamos hablamos con Laz, el creador de Big’s Backyard Ultra y Barkley Marathons; entre otros experimentos en los altibajos extremos de la humanidad.
Laz: (se rie)
Neisa: Queremos hablar sobre su viaje personal, una carrera transcontinental.
Laz: Sí, lo he estado planeando desde Julio. El año pasado en Mayo hice una prueba para ver si podía soportarlo físicamente. Y luego, durante un periodo de ocho días, soporté, resistí.., así que sentí que había alguna esperanza de poder mantener mi viejo cuerpo el tiempo suficiente para hacerlo. Y entonces fue una cuestión de si podía obtener los fondos y los medios para hacerlo. Hablé un poco de mis planes en Internet y, de repente, muchas personas respondieron ofreciendo su apoyo y lugares para hospedarme, especialmente en el oeste, donde no hay mucho una vez que llegas al oeste de Dubuque.
Andrew: Absolutamente. A lo largo de los años, recorriste cada parte de Tennessee y cubriste casi obsesivamente un mapa con tus rutas. ¿Cómo fue que esta semilla se convirtió en este proyecto?
Laz: A cada corredor le gustaría cruzar áreas extensas y, por supuesto, si vives en América del Norte, es un desafío perfecto. Pero se necesita el dinero y el tiempo que requiere para hacerlo. Para la mayoría de nosotros, es un proyecto que logras después de jubilarte pero debes hacerlo antes de que seas demasiado viejo.
Neisa: No se trata de récords, ni recaudar fondos para una causa. Es un proyecto personal?
Laz: No intento recaudar fondos. Lo voy a hacer porque quiero.
Neisa: Como visualizas este proyecto en relación a los otros recorridos de Norte America?
Laz: No será muy impresionante. Ya soy viejo y lento. Tengo que caminar porque mis piernas estan cansadas. Perdí mucho tiempo del año pasado porque estaba lesionado. Estaba dudando que iba a mejorar y pensé que era ahora o nunca. En Mayo decidí intentar correr 8 dias para probar como me sentía. Nadie sabía de mis planes, lo hice sin ningún apoyo. Corri 200 millas en esos 8 dias. No es impresionante, pero me dió la confianza de que puedo hacerlo.
Andrew: Como te sentiste?
Laz: No hay nada como estar solo en el camino, contigo mismo. Después de ir de un lugar a otro y al ver el mapa… te das cuenta de lo lejos que llegaste.
-Andrew tried continuing
Neisa: Cuanta gente está ofreciendo ayudarte?
Laz: Deben ser por lo menos unas cien personas y a muchos ni siquiera los conozco. Han leído mis publicaciones en el internet o nos escribimos por email. La gente es bien generosa.
Neisa: Cuantos pasos por dia estas entrenando o como te estas preparando?
Laz: Casi dos millones de pasos hasta el momento. Me preocupa los riesgos de lesión. Hay que seguir entrenando aunque estes cansado – pero sin lesionar. Tengo que mantener un promedio de 50 km por dia.
Andrew: Mencionaste que este es el tiempo clave de poner en acción a tu proyecto. Como ha desarollado?
Laz: Siempre estaba al fondo de mi consciencia, pero no lo daba mucha prisa hasta llegar a creer que fuera posible que no recupere de mi lesión. Cuando salía a correr o caminar, llegaba a una milla con mucho dolor. No me quedaba otra opción, tuve que volver y así alcanzaba dos millas. Finalmente vi a un doctor y me recetó fisioterapia. Mis remedios caseros fueron inútiles.
Andrew: A veces ellos saben qué hacer.
Laz: A veces saben lo que están haciendo. Necesito saber si puedo soportar el dolor; cuando tienes un sueño y te enfocas en conseguirlo, siempre se puede.
Andrew: Se te han presentado desafíos inesperados a través de la planificación?
Laz: Lo más inesperado fue cuando comencé a analizar el clima y me di cuenta de que comenzaría en Mayo en Newport Rhode Island. Quería ir por la carretera US 20 que va de Boston Massachusetts a Newport Oregon. Luego me di cuenta de que Newport Rhode Island queda a solo setenta y cinco millas adicionales. Entonces podría ir de Newport a Newport. ¿cómo puedes dejar pasar una oportunidad como esa?
Andrew: ¿Y no mencionaste en alguna publicación de las redes sociales sobre otro Newport?
Laz: Hay un Newport Nebraska a mitad de camino en el medio. Es destino. Analizando el clima en Mayo, me di cuenta de que mientras voy por el estado de Nueva York podría hacer bastante frío. Experimenté lo que es estar fuera toda la noche cuando hace mucho frío. Se complica corriendo porque es difícil mantener el calor de tu cuerpo cuando estás quemando tanta energía todos los días. Por eso las carreras por etapas se realizan en el verano como el Vol State. Cuando te hace calor, buscas sombra, pero no es tan facil cuando te hace frio. Estoy reconsiderando que llevaré conmigo. No me quiero congelar. Cuando llegue a Buffalo Nueva York, saliendo de las montañas, ya será Junio y puedo encontrar un centro de donación para cambiar la ropa que llevo. Pensaba en cortarme la barba para no tener que mantenerla cada dia. Ya pienso encontrar un barbero en Buffalo, asi la barba me calienta mientras hace frío.
Neisa: Buena idea.
Laz: Pienso mandar zapatos extra a puntos en el camino. Veremos si me quedo en la misma talla o si necesito talla más grande por inflamación de los pies.
Andrew: Muchos detalles. Como te sientes mientras entrenas?
Laz: Cambia dia a dia. Hay dias que digo, “Si, puedo hacer esto.” Cumplo con mis millas de entrenamiento. Entro a ese ritmo donde el cuerpo responde y uno queda meditando dentro de la cabeza. Así las millas pasan. Tambien hay dias donde cada paso cuesta y pienso, “Por Dios, nunca voy a poder. Si es asi todo el camino, sera un infierno.”
Andrew: Pero mantienes ese sueño. Laz, escribes muy lindo y el otro dia subiste un post que reflejo tu proyecto. Nos lo puedes leer?
Laz: Corro porque sueño. De joven, soñé mucho y aunque no logre todo, no era por falta de intento. Los años quitan la fuerza de las piernas, las millas dejan dolores en cada paso. La nieve no se derrite de la barba cuando entro a casa, pero el sueño continua. El joven todavía está, pero encapsulado en un vehículo viejo. Todavía en el atardecer de mi vida de corredor, puedo soñar el sueño mas grande. Transcontinental. 3,275 millas de Newport Rhode Island a Newport Oregon. Granjas y ciudades, montañas y desiertos. Dos pasos de montaña. Y un mes de maíz. La aventura mas grande todavia queda en frente de mi. Corro porque recuerdo. Corro porque sueño. Y el sueño es lo mas importante. Por lo tanto que uno sueña, eres corredor no importa la vejez ni lo lento que eres. Cuando vea el amanecer del Atlántico en Newport, me acordare a Wouter Hamelinck quien dijo “Si no lo puedes soñar, no deberias estar aqui.” Y cuando aparezca el sol, daré la vuelta y seguiré mi sueño al oeste.
Neisa: Que bello Laz. Estoy con lagrimas…
Laz: Escribo mucho. No tengo pensamientos de 140 caracteres.
Andrew: Eso fue del corazon. La verdad.
Laz: Espero que me inspire.
Neisa: Nos inspiras!
Laz: Los sueños son pesadillas a veces. Igual estoy con mucha anticipación. Correr continuo es algo que hay que hacer para entender – todo lo que requiere. La libertad de andar de pie – viajando por el país con lo poco que tienes en la mochila. Por eso quiero llevar todo lo que planeo usar. También todo lo que uno ve – el paisaje. Es un continente grande y con variedad de geografia. Estoy emocionado a entrar a Wyoming y ver en el horizonte los Tetons. Todavia me tardare una semana llegar a las montañas rocosas.
Andrew: Eso es mucho suspenso.
Laz: Poco a poco las montañas crecen. Despues subes al paso de montaña y miras atrás al horizonte, “estaba allí, hace una semana”
Neisa: Porque siento que vas a escribir un libro?
Laz: Quisiera. Un amigo mio va a establecer un sitio de web con mapa para seguirme y con tiempo escribiré sobre el viaje. Tomaré fotos para subirlas pero se por experiencia que no voy a tener mucho tiempo para escribir en el momento. Uno se enfoca en tres cosas: correr, descansar y comer.
Andrew: No hay tiempo para nada mas.
Laz: Después de un tiempo tu vida se aleja. Uno piensa “tengo carrera, tengo familia.” Parece algo que lei en un libro. Mi realidad se convierte en la linea blanca en el camino que nunca se acaba.
Andrew: Me desorienta de solo pensarlo. Gracias Laz por compartir con nosotros. Esperamos que tu viaje sea exitoso.
Neisa: Vamos a seguir tus fotos y actualizaciones.
Laz: Será facil seguirme porque estaré en camino por 4 meses. Mejor que los pobres que andan rompiendo records en 30-40 días. Pierden la belleza. Es la gente que uno conoce a través del viaje. Me emociona.
Neisa: Que bien! Que lindo que nos cuentas tu sueño, Laz. Muchisimas gracias!
English Transcript
Andrew: Welcome to Territorio Trail this is Andrew and Neisa and today we’re speaking with Laz, the mastermind behind Big’s Backyard Ultra and the Barkley Marathons; among other experiments in the extreme highs and lows of humanity.
Laz: (laughs)
Neisa: We’re here to talk about your personal voyage, a transcontinental run.
Laz:
Yes, I’ve only been planning it since July. I went last May and did a test run to see if I thought I could physically stand up to it. And then over an eight day period I held up so I felt like there was some hope that I can keep my old body together long enough to get it done. And then it was a matter of could I come up with the funds and and the means to do it. I talked about it a little bit on the internet and all of a sudden there’s all these people who were offering places to stay and crewing for me and especially out west where there’s a whole lot of nothing once you get west of Dubuque and the further west you go the more nothing there is.
Andrew: Absolutely. Over the years you’ve run through every part of Tennessee and almost obsessively covered a map with your routes. How was this a seed that grew into this project.
Laz: I think every runner deep down would like you to run across big stuff and of course if you’re in North America, North America is a natural target which is kind of something that sits at the back of your mind because to have the finances and the time that it requires to do it. It really comes down I think for most of us it would be a project you have to do after you’ve retired but before you’re too old to do it.
Neisa: So no records, not a charity run. This is absolutely personal.
Laz: It’s not a charity run. I’m doing it because I want to do it.
Neisa: How do you see this in the larger picture of transcontinental runs?
Laz: Well it won’t be very impressive. I’m old and I’m slow. Mostly I just have to walk because my legs are used up; the year before this I lost almost a whole year almost completely because of injury. And it was the longest lasting injury I’ve had. I was starting to doubt that I would would get past it and it dawned on me that it’s now or never. I’m not going to get younger so I’m probably not going to get stronger. So I decided last May to do a trial run and see if my body could stand up to that kind of stuff. I still was doing journey runs but just two or three days and I was mostly be crewed. So I got out and made it a stealth run; no one knew where I was, I had no help. I did about two hundred miles in eight days; not impressive, but it was good enough to feel like “yeah I can do this.”
Andrew: And how did that feel.
Laz: It was a lot of fun. There’s really nothing quite like being out on the road by yourself. When you move down the road from place to place and after awhile you look at the map… and man you’ve gone a long way from where you started.
Neisa: How many people are supporting you?
Laz: I haven’t counted them there must be about a hundred different people they are all across the US.
Neisa: That’s great!
Laz: It’s really great. It’s exciting. A lot of people I’ve never met, they have seen stuff on the internet or we maybe communicated by email. Some just know about it and I don’t know them at all. But people are really nice.
Andrew: Right, they just want to help make it happen.
Laz: Yeah I just got to do my part it’s about six and a half million steps.
Andrew: You did the counting or at least a ballpark.
Laz: Well, the doctor said with my legs I should count my walking in steps and not miles; and I said that was good because it gave more impressive numbers.
Neisa: So how many steps are you doing per day or how is your preparation going? How are you doing?
Laz: I’ve done a little over one point two million steps in training so far. I had to devise my own training plan to prepare my body for it. Thought about the stresses I was gonna have to withstand and I have tried to adapt my training to what I’m gonna face. A lot of it’s about getting out every day, every day, every day and doing a lot of stuff while I’m tired. I’m going to be tired most of the way across, and trying not to get hurt. I think there’ll be a lot of low level injuries going on the whole way that’s going to be part of that kind of stress. I need to average about thirty miles a day for four months; probably not gonna do that without having some aches and pains, but I just hope that stuff will get better as I go along.
Andrew: You mentioned that this is the right time to execute this project. How has this evolved?
Laz: Well you know it was always in the back of my mind, but I just thought I would do it someday. Didn’t really think about it hard until I had a long term injury that really kept me out. What I did for most of that year was I would go out and walk a mile and by then it would be hurting really bad so I got my second mile because it was the only way to get home. I did a lot of two mile days. I finally gave up and went and saw a doctor and he gave me some physical therapy, that I’m ashamed to say, fixed it right up. All of my home attempts at remedy were futile.
Andrew: Sometimes they know what they’re doing.
Laz: Sometimes they know what they’re doing, but I decided “well, if I’m going to do it I need to figure out if I can stand up to the strain.” When you dream something and just keep focused on it, there’s always a way.
Andrew: Absolutely, what unexpected challenges have you found revealed through the planning?
Laz: I don’t think anything is unexpected I guess the most unexpected was when I started looking at the weather and realized that I’ll be starting in may in Newport Rhode Island. I wanted to run US 20 which goes from Boston Massachusetts to Newport Oregon. Then I realized that Newport Rhode Island is only seventy five extra miles. Then I could go from Newport to Newport. I mean, how can you pass up an opportunity like that?
Andrew: And didn’t you say on some social media post about another Newport.
Laz: And there’s a Newport Nebraska just about halfway in the middle. It’s fate. It’s meant to be. But when I looked at the weather in May I realized going through upstate New York it might be kind of cold. So all of my journey runs after the first journey run I did was in the fall, and I experienced what it’s like to be at caught out at night when it’s really cold. That’s not easy on a journey run because it’s hard to keep your body heat up when you’re burning that much energy every day. They’ve always been in the summer when it’s nice and warm. It’s like the Vol State is in July. Everyone talks about how hot it is, but if you get too hot you just find some place in the shade to lie down. If you get too cold, it’s not that easy. So I’ve been making some adjustments to the gear I’m going to carry. Have enough to not freeze if it gets cold. Then around Buffalo (New York), when I get out of the mountains, it’ll be just about to turn into June and I’ll be coming down into the flat lands so that I’ll probably do a transition of gear and find a goodwill store. I was going to cut my beard off real short before I started so that I would not have that to mess with every day. I think I’m gonna leave it until buffalo and then find me a beauty shop or a barber shop somewhere where they’ll trim it all off there. Kind of nice to have in cold weather.
Neisa: That’s a good idea.
Laz: I’m probably gonna ship some changes of shoes ahead. I’m contemplating waiting and having them shipped ahead. After I get going I’ll find out if I stay in the same size or if my feet will persistently swell and I might have to get a larger shoe.
Andrew: Lots of details. How has your training felt so far?
Laz: It varies from day to day. Some days I feel like “oh yeah, I’ve got this I’m going to make it.” I cover my miles. I’m getting down to where I get that good old journey run pace going, where you’re just in your head, just riding along and your body just works on its own. There’s a sameness to it you get into a nice rhythm and the miles just kind of flow past. And then some days it’s really hard and I have to work for every step and I think “Oh God, I’ll never make it. If it’s like this the whole way it’s gonna be hell.”
Andrew: But you hold on to the dream. Laz, you have a way with words and you wrote this lovely reflection on this project and your mindset. If you didn’t mind would you read that to us.
Laz: I run because I dream. As a young man I dreamed great things and though I did not achieve them all is not for want of trying. Years have taken the snap out of my legs the wear and tear of the accumulated miles have left aches and pains are part of every step. The frost on my beard does not melt when I come inside at the end of my run but the dreams live on. The young man is not gone he is just encased in an aging vehicle. And even in the twilight of my running I can dream the biggest dream of all. Transcon. Three thousand two hundred seventy five miles from Newport Rhode Island to Newport Oregon. Farmlands and cities, mountain ranges and deserts. Two high mountain passes. And a month of corn. The greatest adventure of my running career is still ahead of me. I run because I remember. I run because I know. I run because I dream. And the dream is the most important of these. As long as you can dream, you’re still a runner no matter how old and slow. When I stand on the beach in Newport watching for the first ray of sunrise over the Atlantic. I will remember the words of Wouter Hamelinck; “If you cannot dream it you should not be here.” Then when the sun appears I will turn my back on it, and head west to chase my dream.
Neisa: That’s so beautiful Laz! I’m in tears right now, really. It’s such a beautiful thought.
Laz: I just write a lot of things. There’s no one hundred-forty character thoughts.
Andrew: It was heartfelt. It was true.
Laz: Hopefully it will inspire me.
Neisa: You inspire us.
Laz: Dreams are nightmares part of the time. But I’m really looking forward to it. Journey runs are something you need to do to really understand – all of the things that go into it. The freedom of just being on your feet, traveling across the country with just a little bit of stuff in your pack. Which is why I want to carry the stuff I’m going to use the whole way. And then all the things you see watching the countryside go by… it’s a big continent and there’s a lot of different kinds of of geography that I’ll be going through and you just watch it change. There are things I’m looking forward to: I think when I get into Wyoming and I get about halfway across, I can start watching for the Tetons to appear in the distance. Waiting for that first time that you can see the line of the mountains way off on the horizon. And then it will take about a week to get there.
Andrew: That’s a lot of anticipation.
Laz: Watch them slowly grow and make your way up to the top. Then get up to that mountain pass and look back way off in the distance to where you can barely see… And think “I was there.” A week ago.
Neisa: Why do I have the feeling that you will write a book about this.
Laz: Oh well I would like to. Gonna try to have a friend of mine, Mike, is going to help set up a website with a map where people can follow it and then as I get time I’ll probably write about the trip. I know I’m planning to take some pictures and post them as I go along. I’m not a photographer who’s gonna take a million of them. But there will be some things that I want to take pictures of. I know from past journey runs that I won’t be writing a whole lot during the run, because when you’re doing something like this, you’re running, you’re repairing yourself, you’re refueling or you’re resting.
Andrew: And there’s not much room for else.
Laz: Not much else goes on. You just have to stick with business it pretty much consumes your whole life. And then after a few days there is no other life you know “I have a family and a job.” It seems like something I read about the book. My real world is this white line going down the road that never ends.
Andrew: That’s a mind bender. Laz, thanks for sharing with us. We really hope your journey is successful and fulfilling
Neisa: and we’re going to be following you all the way. Absolutely, wishing you the best.
Laz: It won’t be hard to keep up with me because I’ll be out there for about four months. It’s better than these poor people who have to go out and try to set records and run across in thirty or forty days. They miss the true joy of the journey. What I was gonna say earlier that I left out – it’s the people you meet, so many people and I already know there are these people I’m going to meet and there’ll be other ones you see along the way and it’s primarily through a lot of rural countryside and I’m quite looking forward to the adventure.
Neisa: That’s great! It was so nice to talk to you Laz thank you so much.
Gran noticia. Es bueno que Laz tome un poco de su propia medicina ….ja ja ja …. En serio, suena bien. Espero que pueda cumplir su sueño.