Ultrarunning Tips that have helped me weather the journey both on and off the race course
- The miles are the miles. They don’t get shorter, but if we don’t fixate on them, they pass quicker. Remember that you are never running 100 miles; you are running small, sustainable sections from aid station to aid station.
- When you begin to fall apart and struggle, the email you forgot to send at work, the item you need to pick up at the store, will not matter. Long-distance races teach us about being in the moment – about letting go of our to-do lists and the stuff that tends to preoccupy us. Races teach us that letting go is often the starting point to tapping into oneself.
- One step at a time is the only way to arrive. No matter how bad you may feel, every little step forward counts. Forward motion is what gets you to the next mile, and all of the miles after that.
- It never really ends. So you cross the finish line. But then you are still with yourself, left to decipher where you just went internally, what it meant to you, and where you will go from here.
- Struggle is real. But it’s also in our minds. There’s the pain that makes it impossible for you to put weight on your ankle, and the pain that tells you that if you don’t put weight on your ankle, some wild animal out on the trail may come and eat you. It’s amazing what we are capable of if we let go of “I can’t,” and get out of the way of ourselves.
- Adapting is our human nature. It begins to rain. You get lost. You’re out of water. Your eyes are falling shut from exhaustion. Plan B always materializes. We are made to endure, to figure things out, and to create solutions. Panic is the enemy when it comes to letting our survival instincts kick in. Be logical. Know that everything in life passes. Commit to being open minded. Commit to staying positive. Commit to action.
- Go the journey. Don’t turn back. Have faith that you can and will succeed. Accept the obstacles. Embrace the challenge. Will it get easier? Maybe, but maybe not. Don’t be preoccupied with easy. Our greatest struggles are often our best teachers.
- Do it because you can. One day you may not be able to take on a new challenge. Knowing that you embraced all that life had to offer you, regardless of fear and doubt, if not in spite of it, will stay with you long after the details of specific events fade.
- Believe in yourself. Believe in the people who believe in you. Believe that you can do whatever you set your mind and heart to.
- Talk to the people around you, talk to nature, talk to yourself. In your darkest moments, because they are likely to come, talk to the people you love, and the people you lost. When you are in the midst of crossing a threshold in your life, sometimes who and what you are is as raw and real as it gets. Connect with yourself, and with those who share the miles with you.
- Accept the outcomes. Sometimes our best is enough, and sometimes it’s not. When it’s not, let it be a teacher to guide you forward. Accept your successes and failures alike; each are what help you to cross critical thresholds in your ongoing story. Keep going. There is no backwards in the road of life.
- Laugh. Have fun. Beyond paying for this, you trained for it. You devoted time and energy to it. Find comedy in the ups and downs and all of the moments in between; laughter is great medicine.
- Dress your best! Wear clothing, gear, and running shoes that not only do the job, but lift your spirits and make you happy. Think fun, bright, comfortable, and efficient! #Lululemon #Hokaoneone #Drymaxsocks
- And finally, enjoy the journey. As cliché as it may be, it’s all there is in the end. You will never remember arriving so much as the moments along the way. Let those moments fuel and inspire your future journeys.
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