Jay Norman - Ultrarunning
Every step is different. That’s why Jay Norman is passionate about ultrarunning-a sport that puts him on the winding trails of the world’s wilderness byways. Whether it is Nepal or Costa Rica, the Rocky Mountains or the Texas Gulf Coast, Jay revels in testing his physical and mental mettle and immersing himself in nature - one step at a time.
Jay ran his first 100-mile wilderness trail race in 1987 at the age of 47 - a grueling competition that took him atop 12,600-foot Hope Pass overlooking Leadville, Colorado. Since then, he has run 12 marathons and more than 200 ultra-marathons (distances longer than 26.2 miles).
Running almost represents a second life for the Oklahoma native. At 69, he is the oldest runner to compete in Costa Rica’s six-day, 120-plus mile Adventure Run Coastal Challenge. Jay plans to compete in the 2008 Adventure Run, where he will turn 70 during the event. Holder of the 60-to-64-year-old age group record for the 100-mile Arkansas Traveler competition, he also finished the exhausting Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run in less than 24 hours.
If all that weren’t enough, Jay also completed a double crossing of the Grand Canyon-running and power walking more than 40 miles in a total elevation drop and gain of 10,500 feet from the South rim to the Colorado River and on to the North rim, then back to the South rim, again in just over 14 hours.
“Ultrarunning, particularly on wilderness trails, provides a sense of adventure, physical challenge and satisfaction that few other sports endeavors offer,” Jay says. “Self discipline, determination and mental toughness are as much a part of the sport as the physical effort.”
Jay’s favorite Mannatech products include Advanced AmbrotoseTM, PhytoMatrixTM, PLUS, CardioBALANCE®, ImmunoSTART®, PhytAloe®, Manna-C, GI-Pro® and GI-Zyme®.
To prepare for an ultrarunning event, Jay runs about 75-100 miles a week and, when training for a steep mountain run, he uses the stairwell of a 22-story office building. There’s nothing more reaffirming than hearing the repetitive slap-slap-slap of his shoes against good ole terra firma.
Posted on Tuesday, July 15th, 2008
