Why Ultrarunning?
At the beginning of this year, I was registered and training for the Old Dominion 100. COVID-19 rocked the world and soon all notable races were either postponed or canceled altogether - including Old Dominion.
It’s hard enough to explain why you would want to run 100 miles in 24 hours to someone, but to explain why you still log 50-100 mile training weeks without any race scheduled or any events in mind is even more difficult.
The other night I found myself engaging in another self-imposed challenge with a friend of mine that was equally as ludicrous; running for 6 hours straight around a 1-mile figure-8 course from 7 pm to 1 am. When I was inevitably asked by multiple people, “Why?” I couldn’t muster any legitimate reasoning other than, “Because when I wake up tomorrow morning, I’ll feel like I leveled up.”
That still might not make any sense to you, but I think it captures my sentiments about ultrarunning in a nutshell.
Leveling up can mean a multitude of different things, but for the purpose of this post, I’ll condense it into a brief list.
Lifestyle: Ultrarunning is something that is hard to just dip your toe into. It requires somewhat of a lifestyle overhaul. You’ll need to prioritize rest and recovery. You’ll need to wake up earlier than usual on some or most days to fit your training in. You’ll need to commit to the daily/weekly/monthly grind that comes with training for an ultra. There is no half-assing a 50k or beyond unless you want to hurt yourself and hate the process. Any time I can build on my self-discipline through these lifestyle tweaks, I feel like I am leveling up.
Mental: Spending hours running every week is a great way to work through your brain malfunctions and personal issues. On some training days, the thoughts are positive and uplifting, while on other days they can be quite the opposite. But having the time to work through your thoughts without any external “noise” is crucial and necessary. Also, the occasional endorphin rush that comes with a solid training run helps to uplift the mind. Any time I can come back from a run feeling better than when I set out, I feel like I am leveling up.
Social: The ultra community is an interesting bunch of individuals, and I’m grateful for that. I’ve met many new friends through races and training runs that have added to my life in various ways, but mainly through good conversations and additional accountability. You learn a lot about other people when you’re running for a couple of hours talking shit. You gain perspective. You become grateful for the things that you have that others might not. And you can work through your faulty thinking when you try to put your thoughts into words for another person to understand. Any time I can learn from someone else or establish a new connection, I feel like I am leveling up.
Pain: There’s no avoiding it — ultrarunning is painful! Whether it’s a long training run, a high-volume week, or a big race, it all hurts. Most days I walk around with aches, strains, tightness, minor bumps, and bruises. However, if you can get accustomed to the general discomfort and learn how to manage it, you will become a stronger ultrarunner. You’ll also learn how to carry over these adaptations to your daily life, whether literally or figuratively. Any time I can embrace discomfort and gain newfound strength, I feel like I am leveling up.
Achievement: Ultrarunning has taught me that my endurance is far greater than I ever imagined. I remember signing up for my first marathon and not having a clue what I was doing. Then another marathon. Then a mountain 50k. Then a 50 miler. Now I’m gearing up for a 100k and 100 miler in the very near future. The point is that you never know what you’re capable of until you try, and deciding to try in the first place is what got me to where I am now in my training and racing. But these achievements and greater distances don’t just happen overnight. This advancement is the result of breaking things down into smaller, more manageable tasks or goals — just like most worthy endeavors. Any time I can achieve something I once thought impossible for myself, I feel like I am leveling up.
