By Jason Schultz
The Palm Beach Post
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — There are some people who like to go out for a short jog every day and there are some people who like to run a little longer. And then there is Bob Abate.
Abate, a Fort Lauderdale firefighter, spends his free time training for ultratriathlons, which involve biking hundreds of miles and running multiple marathons in the same race, and ultramarathons of 50 to 100 miles. But on Feb. 27-28, Abate said, he will attempt the longest continuous running race he has ever run, the Lost 118. This is a 118-mile continuous run around Lake Okeechobee in about 34 hours.
“This is probably the most in one sitting I’ll ever do,” Abate said.
The types of races Abate runs are as much about finishing as the time, he said. The last time he ran the 100-mile Keys 100 race more than 60 people started the race and only 38 finished. In 2008, only five of the 15 runners who started the Lost 118 race finished it.
Abate said he started training for triathlons and ultramarathons in 1988 after leaving the Marines. His training for this race involves running 18 miles a day around The Acreage. While there is a lot of physical training for such a long race, Abate said actually finishing is mostly a mental struggle because of how long you have to make your body keep moving.
“You want to sleep more than anything. Sleep deprivation is the biggest part of it,” he said. “If you can stay awake, that is 90 percent of it right there.”
Abate said he uses his job as a firefighter, which involves working 24-hour shifts, as training to function despite sleep deprivation. His mental toughness has also involved running with a broken toe until he could straighten it out.
The biggest thing Abate said he needs is something to run for to keep him moving to the finish line.
“I’m running this race for my wife (Marsha Abate),” he said. “You have to have something to do it for, a reason. I can do it for myself anytime. That is a training run.”
At 44 years old with more than two decades of grueling races behind him, Abate said he has no plans to stop running anytime soon.
“Maybe,” he said, “I can be one of these guys who is 80 years old and still running marathons.”
Q&A
Can you sleep while running?
‘Have I done it before? Yes. Do I like doing it? No.’
What do you eat during a 100-mile race?
‘You eat anything you want. You eat solid foods, hamburgers, cheesecake, if you’re hungry, eat it.’
What is your favorite race?
‘The Great Floridian (a triathlon in Clermont every fall). I’ve done it 19 of the last 20 years.’
How does being an ultra-runner affect your job as a firefighter?
‘It keeps me in shape for my job. I’ve seen a lot of fat firemen. You have to stay in shape. People depend on you.’
Do you have any advice for people wanting to try long-distance running or triathlons?
‘Just go out and do it. If you fail, you fail. Next time you’ll do better.’
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