Run Kathy, Run: Tulsa's Hoover Trains For Ultra Marathons

If you see Kathy Hoover running around the streets of South Tulsa, you may not be able to keep up.

"The further you go because you've been running for a long time, you can sustain long-distance running."

The 53-year old runs ultra-marathons:100 mile races.

"The whole goal is to just get used to tired legs and just sustain that running until your exhausted."

Hoover's the 1st Oklahoman to complete an ultra-marathon three straight weekends. The first in Arkansas, second in Kansas, and the third near the Illinois River in Tahlequah. To train is not as hard as you would think.

"It's not something you can wrap your mind around when you start. But when you start to hit mile 75 or mile 80, you're like ‘I only have a marathon left to complete," Hoover said.

Harder, though, is the mental aspect.

"You have to be prepared to stay up all night. Without any sleep."

Ultra marathons usually have a 30 hour time limit and Kathy usually completes hers in 24 hours. So to keep her physical strength during the race, she eats almost anything.

"You learn to eat a lot of variety, a lot of junk, basically. When you're out there, you'll eat almost anything."

But when it's done, "There is nothing better!"

And as she gets better with time.  Maybe she'll go for the all-time record of 6 consecutive weeks of running 100 miles.