Ever think about running 100 miles? That's 100 miles with no sleep, little rest, and only occasional stops for eating and drinking. That's 100 miles of running through trails, avoiding sticks, rocks, snakes and holes.

"When I first heard about the hundred mile runs, I thought, 'Sounds like fun,'" stated Linda Keuneke Gorman, who completed her first 100-mile Ultra this past weekend in the Kettle Moraine 100 near Eagle, Wisconsin. Of course, one has to have a runner's mentality to react to a challenge in that way. "Normal" folks just don't understand.

Gorman, married to Joe Gorman of Indianapolis and now rural Decatur, is a 1982 graduate of Bellmont High School and a former cross country and track runner for the Squaws. She completed the 100 miles in 25 hours and 33 minutes, well under the 28-hour time limit set for the ultra race.

The event began at 4 p.m. last Friday, June 6, and ended, for her, the next afternoon. Gorman liked the idea of starting in the afternoon instead of early in the morning. "I have on more than one occasion gone out too fast in a long race. With only four or five hours of light that wasn't much of a factor since you can't go as fast at night. You do more walking and eating, building up for the next day," explained the enthusiastic Gorman, a blanket winner at Bellmont.

So, how does a former prep and collegiate cross country runner, used to running 3000 and 5,000 meter races, get to 100 miles? There were a few stops along the way, such as Indiana State, marriage, and four young sons.

The latter events convinced Linda that she needed a hobby, to help with sanity. "Three years ago I decided I needed some time to myself, away from the kids. I thought about doing some five-mile events, 10K, things like that. But even as far back as high school I've thought about doing a marathon," explained Gorman, who ran two years for Indiana State.

After tomorrow's Fort Wayne Marathon, her fourth in the Summit City, Linda will have run in eight marathons and 16 Ultra events in total. Ultras are races with more distance than the 26-plus miles of a marathon.

Currently, Gorman is rated 220th among the 50-mile Ultramarathon runners in the nation by UltraRunning Magazine.

"She did just a wonderful job," stated friend and running partner Mitch Harper of New Haven. "She was determined and just kept going. It was never in her mind not to complete the race," added Harper, who ran with her as encouragement over the final 31 miles as allowed under race rules.

"I was getting tired, and it was 2 a.m. with several hours to go," added Harper. Jerry Diehl, another running fried in the Fort Wayne Track club along with Gorman and Harper, chimed in with five miles to go, after the last aid station, and helped Linda and Mitch complete the grueling run.

"I had a great crew, with Joe meeting me at the stops with food, drink and encouragement, then the guys running with me at the end. At about 85 miles, you're ready for it to be over," admitted Gorman.

Linda had to work up to the 100 miles with training at home as well as other ultra races. After a 50-mile run in Texas, the Texas Trail Endurance Run, Gorman received a decorative blanket, shirts, pocket knife, calculator and sweatshirt for finishing. She has run half-marathons and 100K races. She once did a 50-mile race in nine hours and three minutes, and realized later that the time was very good. She ran a 62-mile race in 12 hours, 42 minutes.

Linda trains at home, running up and down the lane to her home. At the end of the trail, across 550 West, is the Friedheim Zion Lutheran Church school. "Three times up and down the lane is about a mile. The boys know that I'm doing and we have an agreement, if they really need me they flash on the porch light. It's really worked very well," noted mom Linda.

The four boys are Joey, 8, twins Chris and Jamie, 6, and Matthew, 4.

"I don't count the number of laps, but time. About 45 minutes is five miles and I usually run for about an hour," notes Gorman.

Linda doesn't over train. "I'm of the persuasion that less is better. I run about 25 to 30 miles a week. I don't really have the time to do more."

During the ultra runs, there is walking. There were 17 aid-station stops. "I walk four or five minutes while I'm eating. You have to eat and stay hydrated or you'll never make it," she explained. On the running menu are peanut butter sandwiches, fruit and other items.

"I change shoes about four times, and used the same shoes at the start and finish last week," she noted. She never gets blisters on her feet, but did in the trail run at Kettle Moraine.

She also ran in a group, and with one person, Bill Houlihan, a veteran of 100-mile events, the entire way. They finished together, in the same time, but Houlihan, 67, was listed 43rd and Linda 44th.

The Wisconsin run worked out well for the Gormans since Linda's parents, Richard and Evelyn Keuneke, now live in Wisconsin and were able to watch the boys during the event.

"It was so exciting to see Linda come across that finish line. It was quite an accomplishment," said Harper.

And it won't be the last one for Linda Gorman.