The Ultramarathon Mindset: Trail Talk

Option 1: You have to have confidence and belief in yourself in order to run ultramarathons!

Option 2: You start the race full of doubt and know that it's going to be so hard you may not finish.

Which of these two options is the best mindset for ultramarathons? Both!

Jeff Winchester and Jeremy Reynolds are The UltraRunning Guys. They are podcasters, ultramarathon runners, and Race Directors. 

In this episode we discuss what is the mindset that will get you to the finish. And discover it's not the same for everyone!

The education system conditions us to find the "first right answer." We have to learn the answers so we can repeat them back when we're asked to provide them. So we come out with a framework of "answers" that condition us to see how the world works and what our role is supposed to be in the world.

Another word for "framework" is a Matrix.  Yes, I want you to think about the movie. That is the world we live in.

And we stay trapped in the Matrix of the answers we "know" until we learn how to ask higher-value questions. Answers will keep you stuck where you are. But asking better questions will set you free to live an epic life.

Ultramarathon running is about taking on the challenge and finding out how far can you go. Barney Riesbeck is looking at life like an ultramarathon. In this episode we talk about the races he's run, the challenges he's created for himself and others, and the people that serve as an inspiration to keep going after epic goals for life.

What are the best days of your life? If you follow the common belief they are somewhere in your past. Things were better "back then." 

But what if you change your mindset and start telling yourself the story that your best days are still ahead of you. How would your life be different? 

There is a truth that your expectations will determine what you get in life, for good or bad. 

Best-of Episode: 

Cliff Moitt’s Spartan journey started with a TV show in the 80s called ”The Battle of the Network Stars,” and the stars were going through these obstacles. When he saw that he realized that the body is meant to do something different, something epic. At the time he was running 5 and 10K races. When the movie “300” came out, he was impressed by the Spartan culture and toughness. He continues to test himself in the Spartan races.

There is a phenomenon called the placebo effect.

You can have the benefits of a drug even without taking the drug.

Your belief will create the outcomes.

Drug trials - placebo even creates side effects.

Placebo is a fake drug. It’s a magic feather.

It’s your belief and expectation that produce the results.

Ila Allen was one of my first guests on this podcast. Many people know her from her posts in the ultramarathon running groups on Facebook. She trains outside in the weather extremes of Chicago, running along the lake. Wind (lots of wind), rain, snow, sleet, heat, or humidity, she says she can't run inside nor on a treadmill. But she won't run if there is lightning. A wise precaution.

She ran the 100-mile option in the race, Across the Years. And she came so close, logging a little over 98 miles. Any DNF is disappointing. But she plans to go back again this year.

We tend to believe that we are right in what we think we know. 

But “what we know” isn’t always right.

Some things we used to “know” that aren’t so.

1. The earth is the center of the universe.
2. The earth is flat.
3. The sun revolves around the earth.
4. Disease is caused by humours in the blood. The cure is to drain some blood out of your body.
5. Humans only use 10% of their brain.
6. Cracking your knuckles causes arthritis.
7. Eating carrots will improve your eyesight.
8. Women are intellectually inferior to men.

We ultramarathon runners love to push and test our limits. 

The challenge is what draws us. And it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of doing more and longer races. 

But there’s a downside too. Sometimes we forget that rest and recovery are just as important as training and racing. We’re in an extreme sport, and we can take our drive to do more to the extreme and find ourselves in BURNOUT. 

My guest this week is Heather Hart. She’s an exercise physiologist, ultra runner, blogger, and coach. She’s had some personal experience with burnout, and in this episode she shares how she got there and her journey back to balance in life and running.

Then there’s the story of the miner in California who gave up his claim after digging for years.

10 years later someone bought the claim and struck one of the richest veins of gold ever found after digging only 3 more feet.

Perseverance is at the heart of ultramarathon running.

And perseverance comes from mindset.

Your mind will give out long before your body.

But there are times when you know it’s time to take a DNF!