Race Recap

Fried Brain Edition

Go Big, or Go Home

Yesterday I teased out the big informal physical challenge I’ve been training towards for month. Read all about it and see how my training progressed over the previous 2 months to get to this point HERE.

Well, I went out and I conquered the challenge.

It was a grueling neighborhood marathon that took place half on trail and half on suburban sidewalks and streets.

The kicker, I did ran this in a fasted state, meaning I did not have any food or calories 12 hours before starting this challenge. And even more challenging, I did not take any calories while on the run. Oh, one more thing, I didn’t drink any WATER either over the entire 26.2 miles.

I want to give a longer recap and explanation about why I did this and how it went down. But to be honest, I’m fried. My brain is mushing out of my ears this morning.

I’ll take today’s article to write down a few initial thoughts and point you all towards crafting and creating challenges like this for yourself and save the ‘deep dive’ for later in the week.

Initial Thoughts

A few scattered reflective bullet points to thread together later:

• You can train the body to do incredible physical things but you can’t rush the process. I’ve been training a certain way for a decade and that allows me to take on a challenge like this and take it down.

• The amount of external stimulus you require is an illusion of the mind a lot of the times. Finding the internal well of discipline, motivation, and passion matters SO MUCH MORE than all of the outside variables at play.

• Doing something for yourself, in private, with little fanfare, expectation of external reward, that is a demanding character test proves a lot more to yourself about yourself than a shiny trophy at the end of a race

• It’s important to smile, always smile, and allow the positivity of the action to overtake the negativity of a situation

A few physical thoughts on the effort to sew into a narrative later:

• Route planning is SO important for a challenge like this

• Tricking the mind into seeing progress makes the body feel invincible

• Good form takes you a long way when you start to break down

• Energy is the most important variable in performance

• Pain in the body comes and goes like clouds, what builds consistently almost always occurs in the mind

• The spirit has so much more power over the body than anybody imagines

There’s lots more to pick up and put together but that’s a good smattering of ideas that are coursing through me at the moment.

A Thoughtful Challenge

Here’s what I want you to take away from this effort for yourself.

It’s not about this particular challenge, running a marathon without food or water.

It’s about seeing a preference in the way you exercise, turning that into a style, and then passionately aiming at excellence once you discover how you bring the best of yourself to the forefront through a challenging effort.

When I run I want to feel FREE and unencumbered.

• I don’t want to carry lots of things (or anything)

• I don’t want to be reachable

• I don’t want to run in the ‘usual spots’

• I want to escape into nature

• I want to display counter energy to the norm

• I want to bring the best of myself to the effort

• I want to get inside the activity as much as possible

10 years of running this way opened me up to see a creative challenge that only I could envision. It excited me. It motivated me. It kept me accountable. It disciplined my will.

Salt Stains on the Hat show the truth!

Not because I could ‘show off’ once I was done.

It’s because completing it would be a confirmation of who I am when I say I find myself when I’m running.

That’s the challenge you need. A big one that aims directly out from your heart.

A challenge that’s more of an expression of self than a physical experience.

It’s not something you consciously plan either, the goal emerges directly out from the process itself.

When you practice exercise spiritually, there’s a whole world of meaning, opportunity, wonder, and adventure awaiting you.

Hear the call. Find your voice. Paint your masterpiece with your body.

If you want guidance on how to chart this course, send me a message using the button below and let’s talk about coaching. I've aimed dozens of people towards personalized physical achievements in the spiritual arena and I’d be honored to help you aim and execute on yours!

Let your spirit soar.

You GOT THIS.

Happy Training Team!