I recently had the chance to volunteer at an ultra marathon event where they were running both 100 mile and 50 mile races, and since I’m planning to run both of these distances in the future I thought it would be valuable to view the race from a different perspective. Typically I am a race participant, but if you have never volunteered at a race I can assure that it is a lot of fun and a great way to meet other athletes. That’s right, all the volunteers were themselves, runners. On race day I reported to my assisgned stationed, helped setup, and then waited for the racers to start passing by my station as I handed out cups of water and recovery drink. I fully expected to see lots of seasoned ultra endurance athletes, but nothing could have been further from the truth.
What I saw in the ultra marathoners were people just like myself. Their ages ranges from 20 to 69 and many of these people were completing their first ultra marathon, and while they had trained for this grueling event they were not all lean runners with years of training experience. It was quite a relief because I thought that I would have to train for years in order to run 100 miles or 50 miles, but the truth is, with the right training program I could complete one of these races within a year.
As I watched the race progress I kept hearing in my mind the old saying “If they can do it, so can I”.
Now most people, when they are doing a 100 mile or 50 mile ultra marathon don’t run the entire race and therefore I had a chance to talk with some of the runners as they stopped for water, food, or other necessities. After many miles into the race some of the runners were obviously hurting and some wished they had trained better but there were some commonalities in the mind set of all the runners that helped carry them to the finish line despite their physical struggles.
A Desire to Achieve Something Monumental
Belief In Themselves
Dedication and Commitment to Their Training and Race Plan
Always Keeping the End Goal in Mind. The Finish Line
I hope one day you’ll also make the decision to try an ultra marathon and achieve something you dreamed was impossible.
