By CATHY DYSON

Lots of people go to great lengths for a good cause, but David Broman and Adam Eidson probably would be considered extreme in any circle.

This year, the two want to do seven ultramarathons--events that almost make the regular 26-mile races seem like a walk in the park. In the process, they'll try to raise $100,000 to help fund orphan adoptions.

They'll run on courses that cover wooded trails and steep hillsides where terrain is too treacherous for quick steps.

The shortest race in what's aptly called the Beast Series is 31 miles; the longest, 100 miles.

As the two train, they'll try to prepare themselves for the challenges they'll face.

As they found out during their first ultramarathon in mid-February, there are some things a person can't prepare for.

Broman, a Spotsylvania County resident and longtime runner, described the Saturday trek through the woods near Appomattox.

It started before sunup, so runners had to wear head lamps. They slogged through 6 inches of snow in freezing temperatures.

"It's dark, you can't see and you hit this stream," said Broman, who's so tall it caught him at the calves, but hit others in the chest. "It shocks the bejeebies out of you."

Some might be shocked that Broman is running at all--much less at the grueling pace he's chosen.

The 46-year-old was featured in The Free Lance-Star in summer 2007, as he set out to run 12 marathons in a year and raise $30,000 to help prospective parents pay the many costs associated with adopting.

He topped both goals, with 14 races and $32,000 raised.

He took the next year off, then did nine more in 2009, and raised $37,000.

Halfway through that year, Broman got the news that runners hate to hear. A doctor told him his legs were great, but the rest of his body was jelly.

He had torn cartilage in his pelvic bone and needed to take a year off to recover.

Broman, a bald guy who's been dubbed the "happy runner," exercises to relieve stress and improve focus.

The thought of not running for any length of time--much less 12 months--was too much to bear. His running coach suggested he see Eidson for other options.