There’s No “Right” Way to Do Ultrarunning

Ultrarunning Can Look However You Want It to Look

There’s no “right” way to do ultrarunning. You don’t have to run certain distances, race every month, or maintain a packed calendar of big events. You don’t need to stay in perpetual training mode or chase the races everyone else dreams of.

That’s important to understand, especially when you lose your energy and enthusiasm for ultras. Everyone else is buzzing about lotteries and race schedules, but thinking ahead sparks nothing for you. You’re not up for the intense demands of training—and it worries you.

"Am I done with ultras? Is it time to walk away?" you wonder. But that idea feels even worse. Ultrarunning has been a huge part of your life, and you still love running. You don’t want to quit, but you don't know where to go. You’ve reached a dead end.

Why? Because you think you have to do ultras a certain way - or not at all. And since you don’t want to run ultras that way anymore, you feel stuck with “not at all.”

But the truth is, you have another choice.

You probably entered the sport with assumptions about how it’s “supposed” to be. Train, race, repeat. Always have a next goal, always follow a plan, always push for the next challenge. 

And for a while, that was thrilling.

But over time, you’ve grown. With every race and every mile, you answered the big questions you started with: “What am I capable of?” and “How far can I go?” Without realizing it, you became a more experienced, confident version of yourself.

Suddenly, the vision of ultrarunning you started with doesn’t serve you the way it once did. It hasn’t kept up with your growth.

This is your opportunity to evolve it.

Think of your relationship with ultrarunning like a long-term partnership. At first, there’s the honeymoon phase—intense, all-consuming, and exciting. Over time, the relationship deepens and changes as you do. A healthy relationship grows with you, becoming something new while remaining valuable.

Ultrarunning is no different. It’s time to redefine what it's supposed to be, has to be and should be, into what you want it to be.

Beyond running “distances longer than a marathon,” you have a blank slate:

• You don’t have to race—you can design your own adventure runs. Many of my clients find this deeply fulfilling.

• You don’t have to run the big-name races. I’ve never run Western States 100 or Hardrock 100 because I’ve never felt a strong enough pull to pursue them.

• You don’t have to stay in constant race training. It’s okay to shift into maintenance mode until a race inspires you. In 2005, I didn’t race at all due to injury and life circumstances but kept training because I loved how it made me feel.

• You don’t have to focus on the longest or toughest races. Mixing in what I call “vacation” races can be a refreshing change of pace.

• You could take a break. I’ve done that the past few summers. Initially, it was to care for my dog Buddy, but I continued this year simply because it felt right.

For many women, defining what you want can feel unfamiliar. We’re socialized to prioritize others’ desires and ignore our own. If you’re unsure what you want ultrarunning to look like, that’s okay. Start somewhere—explore and experiment.

The point is, when you see a crisis of lost enthusiasm like this not as a problem but as an opportunity, you open the door to falling in love with the sport all over again—this time, on your terms.

You don’t have to give up ultrarunning just because your current approach no longer excites you. This is your chance to create a new, more fulfilling chapter in your ultrarunning journey.