Fundamental Ultraruning Skills: The poo in the woods
My good friends over at Ted's Google Group started a thread on paleo wiping. This reminded me of several questions I've received over the years regarding the delicate issue of pooping during ultras. I am always a little surprised this question does not come up more often. Here's the situation- you're thirty miles into a 50 mile run. You're surrounded by nothing but untamed wilderness. You have to drop a #2. Since there are no porta-potties for another 20 miles, you are left with no choice but to drop drawers and let loose. I always assume everyone has the benefit of being raised in the sticks. I sometimes forget my suburbanite friends have probably never had the opportunity to hone their wilderness bowel movement skills. I am also somewhat surprised at the amount of anxiety some people feel at the thought of dropping a deuce outside the friendly confines of the plastic vertical coffins neatly lined up at the start line of races....