Most people spent last weekend watching a marathon session of March Madness basketball on TV. Not this Massachusetts teacher Martin Tighe. He was setting records on the treadmill for the 50K, 50 mile, 100K and 12 hour run - all in one effort, and all for a good cause.
(PRWEB) March 31, 2005 -- Just too cold to run outside this weekend? Heading for a 30 minute run on the treadmill instead? Remember how nice it is to get off that treadmill when you consider Martin Tighes workout plans last Saturday.
Over the weekend when most people were spending a marathon session watching March Madness basketball on TV, Martin Tighe was getting a long workout on a treadmill, a seriously long, world record breaking run.
While you were rolling over at 8:00 A.M on Saturday morning, Martin had already been on the treadmill for two hours, cranking out miles in just over 7 minute pace heading towards his first of four records, the 50K in 3:44:48. (Yes thats 7:20 pace for 5 miles longer than a marathon for those keeping track) At the Massachusetts Emerald Square Mall, in front of inspired onlookers, Martins blue and orange LOCO running shoes flashed in a blur on the NordicTrack treadmill. The goal, to set four Guinness Book of World Records in a single effort.
This 12 hour effort was just a warm up for Martin Tighe's April 29 attempt to run more than 154 miles in 24 hours, which also would be a world record. For the record, Tighe set the record for the most miles run on a treadmill over a 12 hour period, 85.83 miles, eclipsing the old record by 0.15 miles. Tighe also set treadmill records for the 50-kilometer, 3:44:48, the 50-mile, 6:06:19, and the 100 kilometer, 7:39:31. "I feels great right now, the last 5K I really nose dived - for a couple of moments that I thought I was going to drop out." he said afterward.
This run was aimed at attracting attention to another passion of Martins'. That is helping at-risk teens go the distance in school. Martins day job is an adjustment counselor at "The Network, Attleboro's alternative school environment for at-risk teens. "It's about the program and the struggles and the challenges that they have, I get a lot of inspiration from their resiliency to the challenges they face in their lives." He said.
Martin kept his energy level up with a regular race staple of vitamin water, bananas and Fig Newtons. However, he still struggled at times. To set four records in one run, Martin had to run at the much faster pace for the first records and then hold on for the last few hours. Major quad cramps slowed him after he set the 100K record. The crowds cheers kept him on track and running. After setting this record, Tighe raised his arms in a "V" for victory. Tighe' is already an accomplished ultra runner.
In April 2003, he won the North Pole Ultra marathon, a trek across the Artic. For that one, he trained for months in a walk in freezer. This time it was in a climate controlled environment, but the run was just as hard and inspiring to all.
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