I’m a huge fan of photography, physical fitness, computers and anything Internet. So, it was no surprise for me to start reading about individuals called extreme runners or ultra marathon runners. I was fascinated that someone can run a 26+ mile marathon, let alone 100 miles.

Before my knee surgery (back in July), I was running 3-5 miles per day, 3-4 days per week. Not bad for a 49 year old, I think. However, I can’t fathom running 100 miles.

Well, during my recovery time, I started reading about these extreme runners and focused on one guy, a New Jersey photographer. It turns out, he also had a knee injury and then hired a running coach to help him run this 100 mile trek after his recovery.

Before you decide to read his story below, I found out he just moved in to my town, on my street, about ten houses away. How ironic is that?

I think the story is very cool and tip my hat to Tom Sperduto for running this great distance and completing this incredible feat.

Running the Oil Creek 100 Mile Trail Run – A Journey to Define Me

100 mile “before and after” self portraits.

I have told many people who have asked me why I chose to run 100 miles that everyone once in their lives should have their very own ROCKY story. I knew the Oil Creek 100 mile trail run would be mine. I had no idea just how close it would come to that. This was my first 100-mile ultra marathon. It was my impossible dream. I now know nothing is impossible.

Preparing for this adventure was four months of the most intense training of my life. I lost close to 40 pounds since June and I owe everything to my amazing running coach, Lisa Smith Batchen, who trained me to complete the race. I could not have done it without her. I followed her coaching and guidance to the letter and I will never forget what she has done for me.

I had traveled to beautiful Oil Creek State Park during my training for a 30-mile run. I knew how tough the course would be. It had 35,570-feet of elevation change. Race day brought new challenges that I did not expect -ankle deep mud, wet and slippery ground and dense fog that made it extremely difficult to see while running at night. There were also unexpected joys. The aid station volunteers were like family. I truly felt love for them. Soup had never tasted so good and encouraging smiles never felt so warm.

Photo courtesy of Charlie Houpt

During the race I always knew that my wife Jen and our friends Andrea, Shane and JT would be waiting for me at aid stations. The thought of seeing them kept me going. While running, I listened to my iPod when I needed to and kept coming back to the same voice. My 4-year-old daughter Emily encouraging me. “You can do it Daddy, I can believe in you, I know you can run 100 miles.” Her voice would drive me to an emotional edge. I knew I would not quit. I would not end without running one hundred miles, even if that meant having to finish the race on my own. It almost came to that. I arrived at one aid station at 85.3 miles with six minutes to spare before I was pulled from the race. I told my wife “This is probably not going to happen. Whatever happens, I am running 100 miles. I am not stopping.” My wife and crew never stopped believing in me but they were putting plans in motion for how and where I could complete my dream past the 32-hour cut off time. To complete the race I would need to run faster. I think it was around mile 87 I simply let everything go. I ran as hard and fast as I could and I was screaming, crying on the trail. I was happy. The happiest place and time of my life. God was with me on the trail, nothing would ever again sway my belief. Nothing would ever be the same. “Trust Me.” A voice beating in my heart and my head mixing in with the sweet sound of my daughter. I was whooping and hollering and screaming with joy and laughter.

I’ll take you back to the beginning. I decided to run 100 miles with one purpose. It was my desire to seek God and know Him again. Every training run, every mile was a step for me back into the relationship I let slip away. Those who know me best know that the most powerful words I have ever read are Jeremiah 29:13 “If you seek Me with all your heart and all your soul, then you will find Me.” Everything was about this … every moment, every step was a desire to live those words.

I crossed the finish line with 13.5 minutes left before the cut off time. Everyone made a tunnel for me and I ran through it into my wife’s arms. Crying uncontrollably, I said the words to her I promised myself I would say four months before when my training for the race began. “Where’s your hat?” It’s what ROCKY said to Adrian after he went the distance. Somebody said, “The greatest display of heart and courage I have ever seen” while I was sobbing in my wife’s arms. Tom Jennings, the man who made the race and my dream possible handed me my 100-miler finisher buckle. It will hang on my wall in my “Last Wildcatter to Leave Pithole” award plaque for being the last place winner of the first Oil Creek 100 mile trail race. I will look on it often and I will always remember – I chose to seek God and he found me on the trails.

This post was originally posted on Tom Speduto’s blog