One ‘Must’ for Succeeding at Ultramarathons

The first thing you need to do for success in ultras is simple…but a lot of runners skip it:

Define success - for yourself.

You have to know what you want to accomplish as an ultrarunner.

Why you’re running ridiculous distances.

Here’s why:

Knowing what success is increases your chance of reaching it.

It prevents you from wandering race to race, with no purpose other than the default “finish,” “run fast times,” and “place high.”

Which happens. I’ve watched talented runners walk away from the sport demoralized because they hadn’t thought beyond fast times, and weren’t running those times like they used to.

Think about why you wanted to run ultras in the first place.

For me, because I thought I was a bad runner and it took me so long to find this sport I love, I still define success as, “Now that I’ve found ultrarunning, make the most of my time in it.”

Defining it keeps you from getting sidetracked by distractions.

Tempting ones abound: qualifying for a popular race, running races because they’re nearby, adopting a friend’s time goal.

One distraction I tried was sponsorship. The moment I agreed to it, I realized I’d committed to their purpose and mine had become secondary. Sponsorship affected the races I entered, the race goals, and even what I wore. I was putting my time in the sport to use for someone else instead.

Clarifying success helps you maintain the focus and energy you need to get there.

One reason ultrarunners burn out after the new-ness wears off, is they lack a clear sense of why they’re spending the entire weekend running 100 miles through mud when a simple Saturday morning 10k in town will do.

Your overall definition of success gives races purpose.

For example, ‘making the most of my time’ recently at Across the Years meant getting a 20-30 mile long run in, while spending time with as many old and new friends as possible, and getting to my parents’ house in time for dinner with them.

At Superior 100 it meant reaching that 20th finish I could never have imagined the first time I ran it, and reflecting on how I’ve grown over 20+ years of running ultras.

At Massanutten 100 it meant even after a wreck prevented me from starting the race, still getting there to pace as many miles - do the most good - as I could.

So think about why you’re in the sport.

At the end of your life, what do you want to look back on?

Run that way now so you never have to wish you could go back and do it all over again.

I can help you define your version of success.

It’s one of the first things I help clients do in the process of achieving impossible-looking ultra goals.

And it helps immensely to have someone walk through your thinking with you.

If you’re curious, use this link to set up a simple consult call with me and let’s talk details.

I’ve got a new opening and it can be yours.