Embracing discomfort
One of the first lessons ultramarathons teach us is how to deal with discomfort. In daily life, most people seek comfort and predictability. Whether it’s air conditioning, routine meals, or comfortable clothing, we’re conditioned to avoid hardship. In an ultramarathon you’ll have to deal with blisters, dehydration, muscle cramps, fatigue, extreme weather, and long stretches of isolation. There are no shortcuts, no quick fixes.
This teaches here is discomfort doesn’t have to be avoided, it can be endured, even embraced. When you learn that physical and emotional discomfort can be overcome, you become more capable of handling life’s uncertainties. Difficult conversations, job changes, loss and failure cab dealt with head-on. I mean you’ve already proven to yourself that you can persist through pain – this is just more pain.
Mental reframing
When at 70 miles into a 100-mile race, and your legs feel like they’re filled with cement and your mind is screaming to stop, the only way forwards can be to reframe the moment. By mentally breaking the rest of the last 30 miles into 5-mile sections or by taking it one CP to another can be the difference between success and failure.
And these reframing techniques spill over into life. You learn to view setbacks not as failures, but as stepping stones. You begin to take ownership of your own destiny. Instead of thinking ‘I can’t do this,’ you begin to ask, ‘How can I do this?’ Suddenly anything is possible if you can reframe the moment - a key element of resilience.
Building discipline
Training for Ultras takes months, if not years. Building up mileage week after week can make progress feel slow. The early mornings, the long weekend runs, missed family times, and constant physical maintenance takes commitment.
And this level of commitment teaches us that growth is often the result of small and consistent efforts compounded over time. You see in life, we often want instant results too. Whether it’s in our careers, relationships, or fitness. Ultrarunning teaches you to fall in love with the process, not just the outcome. When you’re patient and persistent, progress eventually happens. This mindset applies directly to personal development, long-term projects, or even recovery from illness or hardship.
Controlling the controllables
You might train months for a race, only to face a heat wave, torrential rain, or injury on race day. Learning to accept these uncontrollables is one of the hardest lessons, but being adaptable is the key to success.
This acceptance transfers to your everyday life. You begin to react to other people’s actions, the economy, illness, tragedy, all of which are beyond your own influence. What you control is your reaction. When faced with a DNF, ultrarunners adapt; they slow down, hydrate and change their strategy. In life, this same adaptability builds emotional strength when things have to change due to unforeseen circumstances.
Community
While ultrarunning may seem like a solitary endeavour, it’s surprisingly communal. Check points are manned by volunteers who’ll do their best to cheer you up. Fellow runners become instant friends. There’s a deep, unspoken bond amongst people suffering out on the trail..
This sense of connection teaches you that resilience isn’t always about going it alone. It’s about knowing when to lean on others. Outside of the race, resilience comes from a support network of friends, family and mentors, who remind you of your strength when you forget. Ultrarunning trains you to accept help, to express gratitude, and to offer support when others are faltering.
The Inner Critic
Over the course of 10, 20, or even 30 hours of running, your mind can become your worst enemy. Doubt creeps in. ‘You’re not good enough’, ‘You’re too slow.’ ‘You should give-up.’ The voice gets ever louder the further you go. But ultrarunners learn not to listen and develop methods to combat the negative thoughts.
In life, the inner critic can be equally brutal. It can hold you back from asking for a pay rise, applying for a job, or even starting a creative project. The resilience you build through ultrarunning comes from repeatedly proving that those inner voices don’t define your limits. You begin to separate thoughts from truth and reclaim your self-esteem.
Rediscovering purpose
Many ultra runners report that long-distance running brings clarity. The act of stripping life down to its rawest elements. Movement, breath and endurance. It forces you to reflect on what truly matters. Why are you out here? What do you want from life? What will you regret not doing?
This introspection deepens your sense of purpose. And a strong sense of purpose is one of the most protective psychological factors when facing hardship. Whether you’re going through a divorce, career change, or personal crisis, having a clear ‘why’ can carry you through.
Failing and restarting
Not every ultramarathon ends in success. Some races end in a DNF (Did Not Finish). Injuries happen. Bodies shut down. And yet, ultrarunners are among the first to sign up again. They examine what went wrong, adjust their approach, and come back stronger.
This resilience to failure is invaluable. Life, like ultrarunning, is full of setbacks. What separates resilient people is not that they avoid failure, but that they learn from it and return to succeed. Ultrarunning teaches that failure is not final, it’s feedback.
Running ultramarathons is not just a physical feat, it’s a masterclass in resilience. It teaches you to embrace discomfort, persist through uncertainty, reframe challenges, and stay grounded in purpose. These are not just athletic lessons, they’re life lessons. Whether you’re navigating personal loss, launching a business, managing mental health, or simply trying to live with more courage, the resilience built ultrarunning becomes a lifelong companion. And in testing your body’s limits, you’ll discover the boundless strength of your mind and spirit.
1,217 Marathons - 289 Ultras - 18 MDS - 9 GWR - 0 Limits
No comments:
Post a Comment