Whitby, Ont.’s Viktoria Brown has conquered the multi-day racing scene, and he or she simply retains getting higher. Brown ran a whopping 747 kilometres on the EMU 6-day Race in Hungary, besting her earlier Canadian 6-day report of 736 km. Runners competed on an 898.88 metre-long licensed highway loop that was 100 per cent asphalt.
Brown is well-known for her many multi-day data, and for not too long ago competing at Badwater 135, the scorching extremely in Loss of life Valley, Calif., the place she completed fourth.
She holds the 48h Canadian report (363 km), and the 72-hour Canadian report (471 km), and was the proprietor of the 72h WR, not too long ago bested by Danish athlete Stine Rex. She entered EMU having educated minimally, and have become sick with salmonella poisoning partway by way of the occasion.”My objective at this race was to hit 800 kilometres,” Brown informed Canadian Operating.
“Solely three ladies have ever achieved that, and I imagine that with out the salmonella poisoning, I’d have hit it,” she mentioned. “I solely ran 56 km on day 5, whereas I ran 110+ km on all different days, together with 151 km on day six.”
Ultras are sometimes a take a look at in troubleshooting, and that is solely magnified by multi-day racing.”Vomiting began at midday on Monday (the beginning of day 5) and went on all day till I went down for sleep round 10 pm,” Brown mentioned. “I bought up at 3:30 am, was again on the course at 4 a.m., and ran straight till the race ended, 32 hours later.” Brown says she was extraordinarily fortunate to have a medical physician on her crew, whom she credit with bringing her again from sickness.
To fight the salmonella, Brown slept for six and a half hours to reset her physique.”I wasn’t throwing up anymore, though my physique was utterly empty and I nonetheless had diarrhea,” she mentioned. “However that meant that five-10 per cent of the consumption was absorbed, so we might slowly begin to refuel.” Brown needed to stroll till late afternoon on Tuesday, each as a result of her physique was recovering and on account of intense warmth through the daytime.”By late afternoon I used to be capable of begin jogging, then working, after which even working comparatively quick by the tip.”
Brown says she felt she was unable to coach for this race, however her glorious base health proved to be sufficient. “After the 48h World Championship in August (that I gained) I had some slight ache underneath my proper knee, so I might solely do minimal coaching,” she explains.”By the point the damage healed, I caught a chilly, so then I couldn’t practice in any respect. Possibly being extra rested for this race helped greater than the coaching would have,” mentioned Brown.
Put up-race, Brown says it’s exhausting to atone for sleep, however she has a shocking lack of soreness and no blisters.”My physique is in nice form, however my thoughts will want some critical restoration,” the runner mentioned. “These races are extraordinarily demanding mentally.” Brown will compete subsequent on the Kona Ironman World Championship in Hawaii in October, and later on the 24-hour world championship with Workforce Canada in Taiwan.
