4/18/2023
It had also been nearly 3 years since competing on the Wake Forest University Track & Field team and I was itching to battle again. I knew I had fire within me, yet I had fallen out of a high level of aerobic fitness. I was physically fit, but not to the same degree that I had once been.
Over the past few years, I had really become passionate about backpacking, hiking, and camping. Although these hobbies truly make me happy, I was missing was the fierce competition that I deeply enjoyed. I missed competing against others and pushing my mind and body to the limit. There is an old saying, "you are your biggest competition". An individual's mind can quickly compromise not just athletic achievement, but all achievement. Distance running is one of the most authentic ways that I have been able to test my limits. There is that lingering question.
How much pain can I withstand? Mentally? Physically?
After a day of hiking on a blustery March morning, my girlfriend and I found ourselves sitting in a restaurant in downtown Colorado Springs. I started talking about my passion for backpacking and how I wanted to jump into trail running and ultimately test my limits in an ultramarathon. I knew I had a significant amount of training ahead of me if I wanted to do well, but that didn't matter. I just wanted to push myself as hard as I could. The conversating essentially ended with my girlfriend suggesting that I stop dreaming and start doing. Such a simple concept, but many of us find it difficult to take that next step and start doing. This struck a chord in me. I was annoyed. I knew deep within myself that she was right.
During my travel home from Colorado to North Carolina I pondered that discussion. I signed up for the Uwharrie Gold Rush 50k (31 miles) held in the Uwharrie National Forest just outside of Albemarle, NC. Having something cemented on the calendar was what I needed at the time to create a sense of urgency. My strategy was to get something on the calendar and work backwards from there. I had from March until late October to build a training program and execute with race day in mind.
I started training with two things: confidence in my mindset and residual fitness from years gone by. These two things combined can harness more power than any machine. A fixed mindset can cripple the strongest muscles in the world. I believed in my ability to strategize, mentally prepare, and trust in my own process. Of course I needed to physically prepare to keep myself healthy and happy, but a growth mindset is what truly enables you to dig deeper when you want to give up.
Moving on...
It had also been nearly 3 years since competing on the Wake Forest University Track & Field team and I was itching to battle again. I knew I had fire within me, yet I had fallen out of a high level of aerobic fitness. I was physically fit, but not to the same degree that I had once been.
Over the past few years, I had really become passionate about backpacking, hiking, and camping. Although these hobbies truly make me happy, I was missing was the fierce competition that I deeply enjoyed. I missed competing against others and pushing my mind and body to the limit. There is an old saying, "you are your biggest competition". An individual's mind can quickly compromise not just athletic achievement, but all achievement. Distance running is one of the most authentic ways that I have been able to test my limits. There is that lingering question.
How much pain can I withstand? Mentally? Physically?
After a day of hiking on a blustery March morning, my girlfriend and I found ourselves sitting in a restaurant in downtown Colorado Springs. I started talking about my passion for backpacking and how I wanted to jump into trail running and ultimately test my limits in an ultramarathon. I knew I had a significant amount of training ahead of me if I wanted to do well, but that didn't matter. I just wanted to push myself as hard as I could. The conversating essentially ended with my girlfriend suggesting that I stop dreaming and start doing. Such a simple concept, but many of us find it difficult to take that next step and start doing. This struck a chord in me. I was annoyed. I knew deep within myself that she was right.
During my travel home from Colorado to North Carolina I pondered that discussion. I signed up for the Uwharrie Gold Rush 50k (31 miles) held in the Uwharrie National Forest just outside of Albemarle, NC. Having something cemented on the calendar was what I needed at the time to create a sense of urgency. My strategy was to get something on the calendar and work backwards from there. I had from March until late October to build a training program and execute with race day in mind.
I started training with two things: confidence in my mindset and residual fitness from years gone by. These two things combined can harness more power than any machine. A fixed mindset can cripple the strongest muscles in the world. I believed in my ability to strategize, mentally prepare, and trust in my own process. Of course I needed to physically prepare to keep myself healthy and happy, but a growth mindset is what truly enables you to dig deeper when you want to give up.
Moving on...
