Reaching new heights
Dr. Mark Morris enters grueling, 100-mile mountain race
BY LELAND ACKER

Dr. Mark Morris' career as an ultra-marathon runner is reaching new heights, literally. His entry in the Hardrock 100 on July 13 will mark one of the highest altitude races in which he has run.

"It has more than twice the altitude change of the Leadville (Colo.) Trail 100 and starts at a higher altitude," Dr. Morris explained.

Dr. Morris was unable to finish the Leadville Trail 100 last summer due to abdominal turbulence. He predicted before the race that his weight, then 175 lbs, would be a factor.

At 185 lbs for the Hardrock 100, Dr. Morris said he does not know how his weight will af- fect his performance. He said Dr. Morris said he hopes the weight gain is due to his lifting weights.

As for the Hardrock 100, Dr. Morris said it is one of the hardest 100-mile races, due to the altitude and altitude changes. The race begins in Silverton, Colo., then passes through the old mining towns of Lake City, Ouray, Telluride and Ophir. The total elevation gain is approximately 33,000 feet, and the average elevation of the race is 11,186 feet. Runners will reach the altitude of 14,000 feet when they reach Handles Peak. Dr. Morris trained for the race by running on treadmills.

"There are no mountains here, so I had to jack up (the treadmill)," he said. "I also had to work on running downhill."

During his run at the Leadville Trail 100, Dr. Morris said he tried to take in nutrition by drinking milk. This year, he has a different idea.

"I experiment a lot," he said. "I'll be drinking Maltodextrin this year. It is a carbohydrate powder that is tasteless and odorless. You put it in water." by using Maltodextrin, digestion and nutrition intake will go easier. Dr. Morris' hopes to finish the race are aided by the fact the race has a 65 percent finish rate among the runners.

"The reason the Hardrock 100 has a higher finish rate is that first, you have to have finished a 100-mile run in the mountains to compete, and secondly, you have 48 hours to complete the race, instead of the 30 hour time limit at the Leadville Trail 100," he said, adding that his goal is to finish the race in 40 hours. The race time limit is 48 hours. The average finish time is 41 hours.

Dr. Morris said the record finish time is 26 hours and 30 minutes.

"One big reason I finish is my wife," he said. "She's my coach and my helper."

He said his family is a big help to him when he races. Fans and patients of Dr. Morris will be able to track his results on the Web site, www. hardrock100.com. The race begins at 6 a.m. July 13 and will end by 6 a.m. July 15.