Medina woman Connie Gardner sets American record for running 149 miles in 24 hours

MEDINA, Ohio - Medina runner Connie Gardner is never one to back down from her next endurance challenge.

Just a few weeks after setting an American women's record for running 149 miles in one day, Gardner is now focusing on the world record of 158 miles.

"You've always got to try," she laughed.

Gardner, 48, finished second in 24-Hour World Championships in Poland and led the American women's team to a gold medal.

The previous American record was 145 miles.

Setting a new 24-hour standard was extremely gratifying for the UltraRunning specialist.

"When I hit the 145, I had 145.23 miles and the American record was 145.26 miles, so then I thought, 'OK, I can do this.'"

Gardner said she never takes breaks and tries to eat 100 to 150 calories each half hour to keep up her stamina. Her snacks consist of bananas, peanut butter or gels.

She also relies on her mental toughness that comes from running distance races ever since she was a kid.

"There's always a a point in a race where you start to struggle. I can always come up with a time in my life, even when I was a kid when it might have been a little harder, where I felt worse. If it gets cold, I think, 'Oh, I've been colder.' If it gets hot, 'I've been to Death Valley.' I have a lot of experiences built up," Gardner said.

On Tuesday night, the Medina County Road Runners honored Gardner and gave her a big beer to celebrate the accomplishment.

"I told you guys, that's just what I needed," Gardner told the members.

Gardner, a mother of two daughters, said breaking the world record may be unattainable, but runners who know her aren't ready to bet against her -- not by a long shot.