I tried to run 100 miles……and failed. Here is what I learned

A few months ago, on a clear, crisp starlit night, I woke up from a blissful doze under an expansive Eastern Washington sky. I rolled over and repeatedly retched under cover of the sparse knotted vines which were still barren in late March. Hmmm, Cabernet Sauvignon, I read from the sign. I made a mental note that the 2021 Columbia Valley Cab vintage could have interesting taste notes based upon the stomach deposits I had made over the last few miles. I noted 20mins had passed since I thought a quick cheeky sit down would be a good idea. Falling asleep was not planned & it suddenly seemed quite reckless as the temperature was dropping.

It was just after midnight & I was 17hrs & 62miles into the Badger Mountain Challenge. I was attempting to run 100miles in the hills of Eastern Washington. I failed!

Let's cut to the chase. This is LinkedIn and its business cliché time. No life event can pass without the opportunity to turn it into a learning experience expressed in a visionary, charismatic style supported by an inspirational meme. But that's the thing with clichés; they are clichés for a reason. Clichés develop as frequently used phrases and/or analogies that aptly describe real experiences which happen. I don't 'avoid clichés like the plague' but try to understand why they were written in the first place.

Spoiler alert. I dropped from the Badger Mountain Challenge at mile 70 at 3 am after being unable to hold any food or liquids down for a good 6hrs. With no calories inside me and some strange shivers coming on, I couldn't face the 2000ft Climb to McBee ridge and the next 12miles of an exposed ridge. So, I DNF'd and compiled the following clichéd learnings.

They are true clichés with real learnings. They are informing my path to improvement in ultra-running, my work life &, in fact, life in general.

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For consistency and the run geeks out there, I will keep my learnings in the genre of running. But please know that I intend for the reader to translate them into business analogies.

Embrace failure

Let's start with the easy one. I know that a very high percentage of first attempts at 100milers end in a DNF, but that many first-time DNFers go on to a successful 100miler in the future. Therefore, I was fully aware that a DNF was a strong possibility, so while I was careful to maintain a winning mindset, I viewed my entry as a journey to ultimate long-term success. In short, I knew there was a lot to learn about 100mile ultras, and many of those learnings could only be gained by just doing it. Reminder – business analogy.

Plan for known barriers

I've run a lot, and I've read a lot about ultras. I knew what the many potential tripwires could be. I identified how they could play out in my race, and I made strategies to overcome them. Feet can get destroyed over this distance on rough terrain and debilitate even the toughest, most experienced runner. I planned sock changes at crucial aid stations and suffered very few issues. I know that aid stations can be alluring DNF traps in the middle of the night after 12+ hours of running. Hence, I mentally prepared to simply exit every aid station irrespective of my condition, knowing that I would be on my way once back on the trail. It was a good and well-informed plan. However, it still did not withstand the pressure of 70miles, 17hrs of running, and lots of vomiting. This was a flaw in my plan. I should have foreseen all those sensations. Who feels good at 70miles? So, I need to do some work on this one. Stuff happens – plan for it.

Roleplay the hard bits

I knew nutrition is challenging in a long race. Ultra-folklore is full of emptying stomachs & bowels. I am particularly challenged in this respect. I am a champion eater in everyday life, but after 10hrs of running, my system shuts down and refuses to take anything. You cannot run for 10hrs+ many times in training, so you need to role-play. Suffice to say; I had practiced new nutrition tactics tested over many very long runs. This got me into the unknown territory of 70miles, but then the wheels came off the bus. It's progress. I predicted the problem and role-played myself into better performance than I'd ever previously had. But there is still more work to do.

?Break the challenge down

100miles is a long way. It's a head-screw. There were aid stations every 5-8miles. My only objective was to make it to the next aid station. It doesn't matter how bad you feel; you can always grind out another 5miles right?

The mind has a limiter.

Your modern car with all of its digital controls can technically accelerate faster and achieve a higher max speed than you are allowed to push it to in normal driving mode. It has built-in limiters to protect against undue wear and respect for safety. These limiters tend to be digital and so you can find motor workshops that remove these limiters to achieve higher performance. You will probably invalidate your warranty, but that car can go faster. Your body is the same. Ex-Navy SEAL and ultra-athlete David Goggins reckons that when you are totally spent, seemingly on the edge of total collapse, you are essentially only about 40% done. He has tested that theory pretty comprehensively. There is no doubt that endurance is a mind game. When things are tough, your brain just wants you to relax and find a more comfortable place, but you can achieve more. Sometimes, circumstances require you to invalidate your warranty, and incredible performances can be achieved. This is easier said than done as the brain is a powerful tool, but as with all things, practice and gradual stretching of your limits create new norms and acceptance.

Do hard stuff

I believe humans are designed for struggle. We thrive with a difficult objective and we wallow when we have nothing to achieve. The quote 'to feel pain is to be alive' has been attributed to many people from Buddha onwards. It doesn't matter who is getting the royalties on this quote - they are all correct. I knew that a 100 miler would leave me somewhere at the bottom of existence at some point between miles 0-100. I want to know what that feels like and find out how I respond.

Life is comfortable.

Very few notable achievements are easily achieved. One of the most elusive of human achievements is self-fulfillment and happiness. Very few people make those achievements regularly, but I hazard to guess that most of us have felt a deep satisfaction and sense of completeness when overcoming something really hard when we are well out of our comfort zone.

Sometimes, you have to step off the edge….

Not every challenge in life comes with a user manual. Not every task comes with a guaranteed outcome. Many of us live comfortable lives in safe environments. That's a good thing. But it doesn't harm us to step off the edge once in a while and look into the abyss. Sometimes you may find something new you were not expecting.?Turn that around. If you only do things with an inevitable outcome, you are certain never to discover anything new.

No such thing as a hack

Hacking, as a shortcut, is a myth. Sure, someone can prove me wrong with a few isolated examples. But history proves that consistent, progressive improvement achieves the most significant and most sustainable results. I was not able to run 50+ miles overnight. I've spent years enduring & enjoying distance runs and specifically spent the last 18months building up the miles & experiences to consider starting a 100miler. I've enjoyed, and continue to enjoy, the journey.?

Humor is a superpower.

Navy SEAL commander and selection officer Rich Diviney tells the story of his own BUDs week, and specifically the famous part where all the candidates lay down in the freezing Pacific surf in a test of mental endurance while shivering close to hypothermia.

The selection officers tempted all the shivering candidates with hot coffee and a tray of donuts, if only they decide to quit. Someone to the left of Diviney said, 'unless you have a triple caramel chocolate donut, then I am just fine here, Sir.' A few candidates chuckled, including Rich, and at that point, he knew that the joker and Rich himself would make it through the test. The candidate to the right of Rich remained suspiciously quiet. He quit 10mins later. Scientists have discovered that humor releases certain chemicals, which have been shown to improve resilience and focus. I know that difficult messages can often be well communicated with some self-effacing humor. It is a powerful weapon. I usually throw a 'nice day for it' comment to volunteers in the freezing middle of nowhere at midnight in my long races. The minor chuckle it generates brings perspective. Try it, and 'chill out.

Avoid the grey zone

'Do or do not' said Yoda.

Coach Troy, the video cycling spinning coach I used to follow in the distant age of DVDs, said, 'too many people go too easy on their hard days, and too hard on their easy days'. Life is not entirely binary, but you should approach it with an all-in or all-out approach. You are either fully committed to an objective, or you are better off staying in bed.

Enjoy the ride

I have discovered I prefer the training to the actual event. I only enter events where the journey or the adventure really appeals to me.

I need to enjoy doing it and not just look forward to the achievement of finishing.

Enjoy the ride!

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