Joe Kulak is a 35-year-old environmental insurance agent dressed in a business suit and talking on a cell phone in the lobby of his downtown Denver business office. He doesn't look like what I expected from a hardcore ultramarathoner who just smashed Ian Torrence's Grand Slam of Ultrarunning record by racing four 100-mile runs in just ten weeks. He's not even limping.

Yet it's true. This is the same man who collapsed at the finish line of the Leadville 100 after refusing to drop out, despite the fact that he couldn't keep any food or water down for the final 30 miles. This is clearly a man with determination fiercer than I can imagine.

The Grand Slam of Ultrarunning began in 1986, the early years of 100-mile trail racing. This year, the series consisted of the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run in early June, the Vermont 100 in July, the Leadville 100 in August and the Wasatch Front 100 in early September. Kulak ran the four races in 75 hours, 7 minutes, more than three hours faster than the record set last year. When asked about the record, Kulak said, "I feel pretty good about it. I have a lot of internal pride." This is clearly a modest guy.

Earning the record was anything but easy. Kulak has endured a tough season with multiple injuries. First he suffered an Achilles heel injury before the Grand Slam series began, then he injured his IT band during the Vermont 100. "I was barely walking four days after the race, and I couldn't jog for eleven days," he recalls. Massage, stretching and rest helped him work through the problems.

Of course, a few injuries were only part of the battle in Kulak's quest for the Grand Slam record. He started training in January, building his weekly base mileage as high as 100 miles a week. A typical week included one long, hilly run of 20 to 30 miles, four 90-minute trail runs, one speed workout on the treadmill and an occasional run on the pavement. Kulak lives near Green Mountain in Lakewood so he typically trains on the trails there. He wanted to add a few road runs to his training this year because he thought it could help him conquer long downhills.

In training, Kulak says he's diligent about listening to his body's needs for fluid replacement, sodium and calories. During Western States, he took at least 1,000 milligrams of salt an hour. But, as temperatures soared to 104 degrees, he still suffered from cramping. Kulak also ran into problems during the Leadville 100. Although he tried to continuously replenish his body with fluids and calories during the race, he suffered from severe stomach problems. He says the race reminded him of a tough lesson. "For the last 30 miles of the race you've got to put blinders on and not get upset or worried about what's going to happen. It's never a matter of if something will happen, but when."

Despite the physical problems Kulak battled, it was mentally recovering from each race that became Kulak's biggest hurdle this year. He kicked off the season in the spring with the Niwok 100K, then ran the Old Dominion 100 Mile Run to test his fitness. He felt solid during Western States and Vermont, but started to lose his enthusiasm by Leadville. "Mentally, the hardest part became toeing the starting line for each race. The last 50 miles started to get easier but the first 50 kept getting harder." Kulak finished his season with a fifth place finish at the Angeles Crest 100 in late September. By finishing these six 100 mile races, Kulak set a new record for an ultrarunning series known as The Last Great Race. There have only been 27 people to run the six 100 mile races in the same year. "It has been a long, adventuresome summer full of fond memories. It will be a restful winter!"

Kulak has run more than 35 ultramarathons. He'd only run two marathons before signing up for his first 100 seven years ago. He's used to people thinking that he's crazy. Even his family thinks his hobby is strange. "I can see where people think it's crazy. There's something eccentric about pushing your body beyond what's healthy for a long period of time. It's downright stupid at times." And because Kulak works in a conservative business office, he says he doesn't publicize his victories. He says that most people in his office know that he's a runner, but they don't know the details. "The only thing that would give away what I did over the weekend is that I limp around the office and drink excessive amounts of coffee trying to stay awake." Kulak says he tries not to take vacation time to prepare for his races. He usually flies to the race on Friday and flies home Sunday night.

Kulak says he's tired from a long season of racing and is ready to take time off this winter to spend time with his pregnant wife Kristen. He's excited to start remodeling their home for a nursery. Kristen told him that she was pregnant with their first child the night before the Leadville 100, giving Kulak a lot to think about during the race. She got her first sonogram right before the Wasatch Front 100 in September. "I couldn't tell who was more nauseous during the race - me or Kristen!" Kulak said. The couple told their family about the pregnancy before the start of the Angeles Crest 100.

Now Kulak says he is glad to get back to a normal schedule and race less. He found this season to be emotionally and physically draining and wants to focus his attention on his developing family. Yet don't expect Kulak to take too much time away from the ultrarunning scene. His idea of scaling back his training schedule is to only run two 100 mile races next year!