Will You Accept Responsibility For What You Want?

Think carefully before you declare that you want something.

When you speak your goals into existence, you set a new standard for yourself. Meeting that standard day in and day out requires effort. And if you are not willing to accept responsibility for this effort, don’t step into the arena.?

Crossing the threshold between a spectator, someone watching others pursue what they want, and a participant, a person willing to take responsibility for their life, is a binding contract.?

But if it's important to you and not a passing flirtation, proceed without hesitation. Commit yourself to the process, like Jason Bahamundi did when he decided to compete at the Western States Endurance Run .?

Set in the shadows of the Sierra Nevada mountains, Western States is the world's oldest 100-mile trail race. The event starts in Olympic Valley, California, near the site of the 1960 Winter Olympics. From there, runners climb over 18,000 feet and descend nearly 23,000 through California's gold country before reaching the finish line at Placer High in Auburn, California.?

Gordy Ainsleigh was the first person to complete the Western States trail on foot in 1974. Before that, folks considered it impossible for a human to make the 100-mile journey within a day. Gordy finished in 20 hours and 42 minutes, proving we’re capable of much more than we think.

When Gordy crossed the finish line, he set things in motion that are still unfolding today. His feat set a new standard for human endurance, planting a seed in people’s minds. Over time, this seed grew into a question: What am I capable of??

This question comes to define people. It alters how they view themselves. Ultimately, it grows to define them. As was the case for Jason. "I'm competitive. I've trained hard. I've done all the work. I want to put my fitness to the test. People often laugh at me, but my race motto is 'all gas, no breaks.' Sometimes you get to the finish line, sometimes it's a DNF, and sometimes you miss your goal by 10 hours. But for me, I want to test my limits as much as I can,” says Jason.?

Jason's penchant for exploring the edges of his capacity led him to endurance sports. At first, he pursued road bike races, half marathons, and marathons. Eventually, his competitive nature led him to triathlon, becoming an eight-time Ironman finisher.

"I wasn't any good at first," laughs Jason. "I chased people all over the place. I got dropped left, right, and center, but I was getting stronger. I got burned out on Ironman, though. Around that time, a friend asked if I wanted to do a 50-mile trail race. I fell in love with trail running after that.”

One of the many things that adds to Western State's allure is its exclusivity. In 2024, there were over 9,000 applicants, but only 325 will see the starting line. Every year, the Western States holds a race lottery. If your name is called, you're in. To enter the lottery, you must complete a qualifying race .?

These aren't run-of-the-mill races, either. Of the 240 qualifying races, the shortest distance is 62 miles . And you must complete a qualifying race every year your name isn't called to remain eligible. But if you keep racing and applying , your odds of being selected increase.?

"I raced Rocky Raccoon five times, all with the idea of collecting lottery tickets. If I could keep running Rocky Raccoon, I could get into Western States. I kept showing up and getting tickets year after year until finally, in 2018, they called my name," says Jason.?

Anything worth having takes time, decades, even to realize. You have this image in your head of crossing the finish line. It's romantic. And enticing. It's also misleading. You forget about all the work it'll take to get there.

?The tiniest inconvenience becomes a reason to quit. That's why races like Western States are so valuable. If you want to compete, they want to know how bad. How committed are you to this goal? Will you quit if your name isn't picked? Or will you race again? And again??

"How many people today say, 'It's not worth it? I'll find another 100-mile race to do. I'll do the Canyons 100. I could register for that and not have to do Western States.' But I kept racing to get my lottery tickets because it was important. That's what the whole experience of getting into, racing, and finishing the event taught me. If it's important to you, don't give up on it despite the obstacles that will come,” says Jason.?

Laying your dreams before the crowd takes courage. You risk failure and rejection. But not pursuing your dreams is a far worse fate. So, choose to take action. Choose to participate in life. Choose to take responsibility for what you want.

Jason is the founder of Run Tri Bike , a media company dedicated to exploring the transformative journeys of everyday athletes. Between his podcast network, events, and stories, Jason is spotlighting some of the fascinating stories in endurance sports.?