Jon Rea joins Miranda and Jon for an honest and open conversation about the problems he's encountered along his journey to become a pro runner. 

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Elite ultrarunner Jon Ray takes us on an emotional journey through triumph and devastating setbacks in this raw, honest conversation about the mental side of competitive running.

After methodically building his ultrarunning career to achieve a top-10 finish at Western States, Ray faced a brutal sequence of injuries that derailed his 2023 season. Rather than hiding behind easy platitudes, he opens up about the psychological toll of these setbacks—from the shock of a sudden ankle sprain at Gorge Waterfalls to the crushing disappointment of a stress fracture diagnosis that sidelined him during a carefully planned sabbatical dedicated to training.

The conversation dives deep into the psychology of competitive running, exploring how Ray made intentional decisions to increase his investment in the sport over time. His reflections on internal versus external motivation reveal profound insights about what drives elite performance: "The amount of effort you can put in is different if you're going for first place than if you're going for 38th place," he notes, highlighting how competitive context shapes our capacity for suffering.

Perhaps most valuable is Ray's discussion of injury processing techniques developed with his sports psychologist. By mentally revisiting traumatic moments and analyzing decisions without self-judgment, he's found a path toward acceptance rather than bitterness. His current approach of "no forecasting"—avoiding negative projections about his running future while facing potential career-threatening complications—offers wisdom for anyone navigating uncertain recovery.

Ready for an unfiltered look at what it really takes to pursue running at the highest level? Listen now and discover why Jon's parting advice—"Don't take too much advice from other people. Do your own independent thinking"—might be the most important lesson for your own running journey.

Thanks for listening to Running With Problems. Follow us on Instagram @runningwithproblems. DM us there with questions in text or audio messages! Or email us at [email protected].

Hosted by Jon Eisen (@mildly_athletic) and Miranda Williamson (@peaksandjustice). Edited by Jon Eisen. Theme music by Matt Beer.