Will You Run 100 Miles Today?

Can you believe there are people in this world who go out and run 100+ mile races... for fun?!?




These “ultramarathoners”, as they are called, will race from early in the morning, through the day, into the night, hopefully finishing some time the next morning. You might imagine what their training regiment involves - grueling runs of 20, or 30, or 40, maybe even 50 miles at a time - often leaving for a “quick run” on a Friday night to return Saturday morning.



I’ve actually read several stories about them - Dean Karnazes “Ultramarathon Man” being a pretty good one on the topic. This month’s Psychology Today had a very good article on Podiatrist Troy Espiritu and his rise from human to superhuman. There’s quite a bit of discussion about golf ball sized blisters, eating while running followed by vomiting while running, hallucinations while running, sleep deprivation, delusions, broken bones, strained body parts... and people who do it for “fun”.



The article also shared several lessons we all can take from these ultramarthoners. Even though we may not feel the need to go out and run for 24 hours straight, we all need a certain degree of mental, emotional, and spiritual strength to face the challenges life throws our way. Everybody needs a certain degree of “toughness”. Or, as Salvatore Maddi, researcher from UC Irvine, calls it, “hardiness”.



Maddi conducted a 12-year study to evaluate the psychological well-being of telephone company managers. Halfway through the study there was an unexpected turn in that the telephone industry was de-regulated. This caused half the employees Maddi was studying to be laid off. For two-thirds of that group, the lay-off was traumatic. They were unable to cope - many died of heart attack and strokes, they engaged in violence, got divorced, and suffered from poor mental health. But for the other third, their lives actually improved - their health got better, the careers ‘soared’, and their relationships improved.



What is the difference between these two groups of people? Maddi defined it as “hardiness” - or the ability to look at obstacles as opportunities. Hardiness ‘gives you the courage and motivation to do the hard work of growing and developing rather than denying and avoiding”. The good news - hardiness can be cultivated and developed in you - just like it is in an ultramarathoner.



So what can learn from Maddi’s study and the lives of ultramarathoners? That being laid off doesn’t have to be the end of your career - but the beginning? Or maybe that you too have “superhuman” powers to overcome obstacles and run for 100 miles - or maybe just start with one mile?



The article offers four suggestions to cultivate YOUR hardiness:



Enlist the help of friends and loved ones. Have the support of others not only makes us feel cared for and appreciated, but it can also increase our motivation to complete difficult tasks or goals. Ultramarathoners often train in a group for long grueling runs - evidence there is a strong need to be a part of the group that motivates the runners behaviors, and the being part of the group might actually help relieve real aches and pains as the socialization causes the body to release “feel good” hormones, even while running 30+ miles. Being a part of a group will help you achieve your goals - even if your goals are beyond “normal”.



Seek out challenges. Most of us actively avoid problems and needless work. We work hard to maintain comfort and think of resilience as something we’ll reluctantly tap into in the event of some kind of personal disaster. The truly “tough” don’t enjoy personal struggle any more than the rest of us, but what they do enjoy is the opportunity to conquer an unexpected obstacle. Such difficulties and calamities are exciting chances for them to conquer, something to accomplish, not reasons to crawl back into bed.



The key to adapting a challenge-hungry frame of mind is developing confidence in yours abilities. One way to do this is to set goals that become progressively more challenging - intentionally expose yourself to situations that take you out of your comfort zone. Build your tolerance for the unexpected and uncomfortable by small increments, and eventually you will build your abilities and “toughness”.



Get physical. Not only does exercise build your physical toughness, but it is a key to overall mental/emotional AND physical wellbeing. The more you exercise, the more you build up your ability to tolerate stress and the more you increase your overall feelings of healthiness and wellbeing. The ultramarathoners in the study found that as their training increased, they were able to tolerate their children’s temper tantrums more easily, they slept better, and had more energy throughout the day. Isn’t that a great benefit and increase to your daily “toughness” simply by dedicating 20-30 minutes to exercise a few days per week?



Finally - Reward yourself. If you’re going to do all this hard work to train for an ultramarathon, or for life, doesn’t it makes sense to reward yourself for your accomplishments? Take a day off, treat yourself to a nice meal, of going on a little shopping trip. Just don’t overdo it - don’t engage in behaviors that would negate the progress you made in your goals, but look for rewards that might forward your progress, or increase the gains you have already made.



So, there you have it; four simple tips to help you on your path to become superhuman. This is the beginning to running a 100+ mile race.



On the other hand, this could also be a few easy ideas to improve life in general.



For the complete article, please check out Psychology Today April, 2011. There’s also a great article on how striving too much just might not be the key to happiness - The American Nightmare: We have everything the American Dream prescribed, so why aren’t we happy? Enjoy.