I had my first top 10 finish in an ultra-marathon by getting 2nd place at the Midnight Moose 100 miler in September, 2019 after six years of racing. Prior to Midnight Moose, I always finished mid-pack and I thought that finishing top ten was impossible. Since Midnight Moose, I placed 3rd in the Fat Ass 6 hour trail race in November and 3rd in the Stride Inside 6 hour indoor track race in January. Although these are not elite races, I am very proud of these podium finishes. I have been reflecting over the last two weeks about how I got these results. What stood out in my mind – I have gotten really good at embracing the suck.
One thing is guaranteed in ultra-marathons, pain. Pain can be postponed and reduced during a race but it is coming for you. I have gotten faster at running over the last six years but I am not a speed demon. I have improved the most at dealing with pain or embracing the suck. For the most recent Stride Inside indoor track race, I spent a good amount of time preparing myself mentally for the pain. I knew that I could run pain free for three hours but that the pain would descend in a big way for the last three hours. I put this pain into context though. The Midnight Moose took me 30 hours to finish and I was in pain for most of that time. The suck was more intense for Stride Inside since I was running faster but dealing with pain for 3 hours is nothing when compared to the pain endured over 30 hours. I kept reminding myself that I only had to endure for 3 hours and this helped me deal with the pain and discomfort that came at the end of the race.
I also reflected on my two different personalities during a race. Similar to Seinfeld’s morning guy and night guy, I become race guy and finish line guy. Finish line guy doesn’t care about any of the pain that race guy endures before the finish. In fact, finish line guy doesn’t feel any pain, he feels amazing, instantly. When I’m race guy, I’m constantly reminding myself that I will be finish line guy soon – I only need to last a bit longer.
Embracing the suck has helped in different areas of my life as well. Experiencing short periods of pain helps me to appreciate the comforts of my life. Lying on the couch and sleeping in a comfortable bed feels extra good after a race. Utlra-runner and author Dean Karnazes put it well in a recent quote. “…We’ve thought that in the absence of pain — if there were no discomfort or struggle — our lives would be filled with happiness. But in many ways we’re so comfortable [that] we’re miserable. We get in our air-conditioned cars, ride in high-speed elevators to our air-conditioned offices and order lunch via GrubHub. Life is easy, so why do something hard? Well, because life is easy.”
Like racing and in life, you will always have to endure some level of pain and discomfort. Rather than fight against it, embrace the suck and practice enduring the pain. Dentist appointments, performance reviews and vomiting illnesses. These all royally suck but are great opportunities to put on a brave face and practice how you will react to temporary pain. This skill has certainly helped me get to the next level with my racing and has helped in many other areas of my life.