Athletics and Art.Going the Distance. Ultra-marathoner Scott Jurek Pushes Mind and Body to the Edge of EnduranceScott Jurek has been called the "King of Pain" and the greatest ultra-marathoner ever.Ultra-marathons can be 125 miles longer than a typical 26-mile marathon.Scott finished his first in 1994, and since then, he's dominated the sport.Today he holds records for these races thatcover more than 150 miles and last over 24 hours straight.A notoriously tough ultra-marathon is the 135-mile Bad water in Death Valley, California.In 2005, to get through the 130-degree heat,Scott was dunked in this king-sized cooler full of ice water.Halfway through the race, he collapsed, and for 10 minutes he didn't move.But he managed to get upand not only finish the race, but shatter the course record.Scott says it was his mother, Lynn, who taught him how to persevere.She died last March after living with multiple sclerosis for 30 years.So what propels you to be able to do some of these things?Running the distances you do?A lot of people wouldn't even dream of it.I think for me it's that self-exploration,that idea of there's something out there and the desire to seewhat my body, what my mind and down to what my spirit can do.
