By Amy Boylan, SCI Cambridge Springs PIO
Lukas Wise has served the Department of Corrections for 11 years. He is a well-respected sergeant with a professional, calm and humble way about him. Sgt. Wise is known for his admiration of running, having completed several races during his tenure at the facility. Just this year alone, he has accomplished 50-mile races, a 100-mile race, The Beast on the Bay and the Barkley Fall Classic. These races were just stepping-stones to prepare him for his biggest race thus far.
Last month, Wise conquered the 240-Mile Endurance Run in Moab, Utah. A total of 129 runners from across the country signed up for this challenge: 20 people did not start the race and an additional 23 people attempted but did not finish the race—and Wise wasn't one of them.
Sgt. Wise completed the course in 84 hours and 25 minutes placing 18th overall. When asked about this tremendous achievement, he modestly stated, "I am just an ordinary guy. Really anyone could do this." Wise expounded on why he decided to tackle this challenge (which is equivalent to almost 10 marathons in one race) and said, "When I am running, it reminds me of how lucky I am to be able to do this physically and mentally."
Wise expressed the importance of being on top of nutrition and hydration and how one cannot afford to mismanage these two core factors in a race such as the Moab 240 Endurance Run. Additionally, a runner has to listen to his or her body, which is what Wise did well during training. He consistently ran every day, topping off at around 92 miles per week. Wise did not have the luxury of devoting his undivided attention to training for the Moab Run as some of the other participants did. He still worked full-time (to include some expected mandates that come with the job), as well as being a family man and father of two teenage boys and a toddler son, who coincidentally took his first steps upon arrival in Utah preparing for the race. It was this excitement and support from his family and friends that drove him to success and he states, "The people around me make me better."
When interviewing Wise, he wanted to bring special recognition to his friend and fellow SCI Cambridge Springs Sergeant, Kirk Riddell. Sgt. Riddell got into running about three years ago and yes, you guessed it – Sgt. Wise inspired him to start. Wise was permitted to have a pacer run with him after the 78th mile of the race and he asked Kirk if he would be willing to do this with him. The plan was for Riddell to run with Luke during the nighttime hours to help motivate him during a time when he might be feeling the effects of sleep deprivation and mental fatigue. Riddell was honored to step up and perform this task for his friend. In fact, Riddell ended up running just under 70 miles in the three nights he accompanied Luke as his pacer, which was a great personal accomplishment for him!
When asked about one of their most interesting moments that stood out during this race, both spoke about running in the middle of the night on one of their toughest terrains, the steep La Sal Mountains. The particular area, known as Geyser Pass Trail, was known for free range cows, and they were on the lookout for these animals in the Utah darkness. Wise spotted a cow in the dark wooded area by the mountain with his headlight, but Riddell spotted a rather large black bear close to the cow, about 12 yards away. The rules about no sudden movements and how you should not run when you see a bear went completely out the window. Riddell said that this pair of PA prison sergeants "ran like Olympic sprinters" when they saw the bear run toward the cow. Needless to say, they were on their guard watching out for each other as they continued on that mountain trail throughout the darkness in the cold, 20-degree temperatures, which was typical each night in Utah.
Wise averaged about 1½ hours of sleep per night and was able to take a short break, get some food, tend to his body and see family at the aid stations between check points, with the furthest mileage between aid stations being 25 miles. His friend and pacer, Riddell, was extremely complimentary of Wise's demeanor when he came into each aid station. He said that many of the runners were demanding and selfish when they came in for their break; however, Wise came in asking how the other runners were doing, providing them encouragement and never broke down.
Wise and Riddell encountered an unfortunate hurdle during the last leg of the race – they took a wrong turn and went 1½ miles off course before they realized their mistake. They had to go back that same 1½ miles to the race route. Wise was mentally tough the entire race, but he admitted that this additional three miles of running when he had already ran well over 200 miles was difficult for him to accept at that particular moment in time. Regardless of the hindrance, Wise and Riddell were able to make it to the finish. The finish of this race was in a U-shape, and Riddell cut across the U to the finish line to join Wise's family so they could all see him finish the race together. Riddell wanted the spotlight to be on Wise and his celebration of this monumental accomplishment, which occurred on Oct. 14: Wise's 39th birthday. These coworkers and friends took about two weeks off from running to recuperate from this race, but there is no doubt that the finish line in Moab, Utah is just the beginning of a completely new race!
There was tremendous support from the SCI Cambridge Springs family during this event. Wise wore a GPS tracker for safety purposes, but this also enabled friends, family and co-workers to track him throughout the course. Wise received various congratulatory text messages and a warm welcome when he returned to the facility. Everyone was very proud of him and he was extremely touched at the show of support by so many people. Wise also recognized two additional Cambridge Springs staff and friends that train and race with him: Lt. Eric Burns and Officer John Murphy.
Congratulations to Lukas Wise and Kirk Riddell! This event exemplified teamwork, camaraderie and endurance and these men deserve to be commended for taking on this physical and mental challenge!