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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
With an increase in daylight hours and heat from the sun, ultra runner Jeff Humble is set to take on a test of endurance unlike anything he has tried before.

Jeff Humble runs the Salt Flats Endurance Run in Utah in January. - Michael Lebowitz/LongRun Picture Company photo

The 40-year-old city director of planning will be participating in the Fat Dog 100 ultra run on the weekend of Aug. 18 and 19. The race is run across three parks and a recreational area between Keremeos at Cathedral Provincial Park and Manning Park, BC. Humble will be running the 120 mile route – the longest of five distances- through hot and mountainous terrain.

At one portion of the run, there will be a river crossing at Pasayten River, which is a waist -deep water way with currents and a rope to help the runner pass along, according to the Mountain Madness website.

An ultra run refers to a race that is longer than the traditional 26-mile marathon and it is safe to say Humble's route will be among the higher distance compared to what he has run before. Within the last year he has completed the Dedmonton 24, held last September at Gold Bar Park in Edmonton, which had him covering 136 km in 24 hours. This past April he also finished the Salt Flats 100 Mile Endurance Run in Salt Flats, Utah, in just over 28 hours.

"I have only done a few of the ultras, so my number one goal is to finish and make sure I hydrate because it is going to be incredibly hot," he said of the upcoming Fat Dog. "So lots of hydration to avoid heat stroke and just keep moving. Otherwise it is hard to predict how things are going to unfold."

What may be most appealing about the Fat Dog 100 is that it is depicted as "seriously scenic," with a number of features to attract runners including "stunning alpine views and meadows of wild flowers." The vistas are something that attracts Humble to this race as well.

"This race is going to pretty much be climb, descend, climb, descend, climb, descend and I think there is a river crossing," he said. "But it is supposed to be very scenic and very beautiful. Running trails is really exciting, the grade is always changing and the trail is never the same and you can get into a zone and enjoy the scenery."

Training and preparing in the weeks to come will be an important aspect for Humble leading up to the event. In recent weeks, he has been doing a lot of running with cycling because he happens to also be participating in the Race Across America bicycle race this week, held between Oceanside, Cal., and Annapolis, Md. But in the coming weeks, he said he will be increasing the amount of running he does.

"Right now I'm at about 60 to 100 miles a week," he said Monday. "Hopefully when I get back, I will increase the mileage a bit more to build up the base and then get some speed. Later, I'll cut the distance and taper off a week or two before the race."

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