Feel Like You Don’t Belong?

“I feel like I don’t belong.”

Client after client says the same thing. 

They look at social media, read articles about who’s doing it right, and stand at the starting line comparing themselves to everyone else.

They hesitate to sign up for the races they really want to run, want to be sure they’ll finish, avoid running with others, apologize for taking up space on the trail and being in the way, and wait for the day they’ll finally feel part of the club.

Feeling like you’re perpetually outside looking in feels so real and so isolating.

You can do all the things you think will make you belong - get faster, run a big race, win a race, finish a 100- or 200-miler - but you’ll end up feeling the same.

That’s because you’re thinking about it from the wrong direction.

You give yourself membership. You let yourself in the club.

The one and only qualification you actually have to meet?

Running one ultra distance race (and there’s even a little grey there).

It’s that simple. 

And you do that for yourself.

There’s no membership committee, no one you need to prove anything to, and no one you need to please, other than yourself.

Media and experts may give this impression, but they don’t control the velvet rope to entry, and they don’t judge who’s worthy of getting in or sit poised to revoke your membership.

As long as you’ve run that one ultra needed for entry…

You belong even if you think you’re slow.

You belong even if you never place.

You belong even if you’re last in every single race.

You belong even if at the start of every race you feel awkward and slow, like you forgot how to run.

You belong if you’re trying again after a DNF.

You belong even if you have a ton of DNFs.

You belong even if your last ultra was a bazillion years ago.

You belong when you’re working your way back from injury.

You belong no matter what your body shape or weight - when’s the last time you watched a 100-mile finish line?

You belong if your training wasn’t anywhere near perfect.

You belong if you’re not sure what you’re doing.

You belong if you’re nervous and not sure you can finish.

You belong even if you get tired in a race and thoughts of dropping cross your mind.

You belong even if you drop when you don’t need to.

You belong if you sometimes challenge yourself beyond your current ability.

You belong even when you feel you don’t belong.

It doesn’t matter what other people think. When you start training, racing, and believing like you belong, they will too.

It’s time to make this sport yours.

What do you want to run?

How to you want to run it?

How do you want to measure your success?

How do you want to spend your time in the sport?

Welcome. Make yourself at home.

I’ve done this exact work and I can help you get comfortable with believing you belong and seeing what’s possible for you.

Message me and let’s talk how.