What I learned from my first ultra trail run

I decided to run my first ultra marathon, a 50k race up in the mountains of San Diego. And, I have to say, this whole experience taught me a TON about myself, business and frankly just life in general. I ran a race called The Peak 50 which I was later told is not for beginner ultra folks (whoops) and after running (more like hiking and rock climbing) it?

Yup, makes sense.

I had the great pleasure of running this race with my good friend Justin C. . l I think I can speak from both of us when I say, "We're hooked" and I definitely get why. I'm a far cry from being David Goggins but I was able to channel just a little bit of him during this event.

Anyhow, here are the top five things I learned.

#5 It Takes a TEAM

???????? Big things are not done without great teams. Having Justin there with me was huge for me but that is not where it ended. I’ve run close to a hundred races but there is nothing like an event like this. Especially the ice water soaker person at mile 19 and the “where the hell did you come from” water carrying person in the middle of the trail on mile 25. Angelic, the only way I can describe it.

#4 The Power of Small Goals

?? Big things can be scary. But, they are not all that scary when you break them into pieces. I did a whole lot of, “just get to the next aid station” or, “just get to the top of this hill”. Thinking about the whole thing can be overwhelming unless you break it into manageable pieces.

#3 Resilience and Adaptability

???? Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face. Right? My whole “let’s keep the heart rate low and stay in zone 2” went straight out the window on mile 4 when we had a death hike up a rock canyon. Get ready to adapt, be resilient and take what you get. Find a way to win.

#2 Timelines are RELATIVE

? I had a race goal to finish around the 7.5 hour mark and I actually finished around the 9 hour mark. Yeah, an extra 1.5 hours, at elevation, on the trails, not ideal. However, its not the time you finish with, its the fact that you FINISH. My medal looks the exact same as all the other finishers, just took me a bit longer. ??

#1 Mental Toughness is CRITICAL

?? Where the mind goes, so goes the body. Oh my was there a constant conversation in my mind, especially mile 19-26 which was mind you straight up hill, totally unsupported in full sun, 90 degree heat. Quit? No way. You should quit. No way. Your body is capable of WAY more than you think, often times (maybe all the time?) it’s limitations of the mind that really get in the way.

Yes, I’m going to run another one. Special thanks to Marco Altini, PhD for the inspiration (keep sharing!) and Knight Campbell for encouraging me to be outside more.