When it comes to long-distance, ultra and extreme sports, the primary motivation for participating in these types of events is knowing that you are part of a small group of people who have the ability, time and resources to attempt this type of feat. Whether you want to push the envelope because your last accomplishment never feels good enough or because you don't feel satisfied with one area of your life and the risk of an extreme event seems really appealing, some people love to push themselves to discover their limit - physically, emotionally, spiritually and mentally.
I am in my 16th year of long-distance triathlon racing. This weekend I will be participating in my 19th Ironman in Lake Placid. I love the sport of triathlon but what I love the most is challenging myself - physically and mentally.
For me, my endurance journey has been inching upward. I continue to seek new ways to challenge myself and to stretch my comfort zone. I'm craving new ways to use the skills, experience and resiliency that I've developed over one and a half decades. Over the past year, I have found myself wondering what else can I try/accomplish/achieve in endurance/ultra endurance sports. Although I am physically and mentally tested everytime I participate in a 140.6 mile event, I find myself seeking new challenges.
As a coach to long-distance triathletes, I often hold my athletes back from participating in a full distance triathlon. Even if they came to me as a long-distance triathlon finisher, this doesn't mean that I feel that this athlete is physically (or mentally) ready to do another long-distance event under my coaching guidance. Although ultra running and Ironman triathlon are popular extreme events, I feel that far too many athletes jump into the training for the events, assuming that just because they hired a coach (or bought a training plan) that they will be prepared for the event in 6-8 months.
Strength, endurance, fatigue resistance, skills, technique, gear and speed all matter in determining how ready you are to participate in an ultra-endurance event. Although endurance is a big factor, it's not the primary factor in your event readiness.
Ultra events place immense stress on the body. Extreme calorie deficits and fluid loss can impact the health of the body. It's not uncommon for ultra endurance athletes to experience heart, kidney, muscle, tissue and/or bone damage as well as hormonal and nutrient disturbances. Ultra-endurance athletes have to overcome unpleasant emotions and negative thoughts during the event, which can take a toll on mental health. There are often environmental dangers like cold and heat. Because it's so easy to register for a race, far too many athletes register for a long distance/ultra endurance event without giving much thought as to the physical and mental toll that training for this event may place on the body.
Because of the extreme physical stress placed on your cardiac, aerobic and musculo-skeletal systems, I encourage you to consider the following before you register for an endurance/long distance/ultra distance event:
- Can your body handle consistent training without chronic injuries or sickness - especially when the body is fatigued?
- Is this event the appropriate next step in your athletic development?
- Does the process of training sound fulfilling, independent of the outcome?
- How does this event fit into your long-term athletic journey?
- Do you have the time, commitment, resources and discipline to properly prepare for your event?
- Do you consider yourself to be resilient - able to bounce back from adversity or a disappointing performance?
- Does the idea of being uncomfortable excite you?
- Are you disciplined when it comes to hard work (training for an event)?
- Are you able to stay focused and positive despite distractions, setbacks or unexpected circumstances?
- Do you have a good relationship with food and your body to ensure that you can keep yourself healthy, fueled and nourished?
- Do you consider yourself mentally tough, strong, flexible and able to respond well to obstacles?
- Do you have good intuition - that voice in the back of your mind that helps you do hard things despite doubts but also tells you when you need to back off or take extra rest?
Participating in an ultra endurance event should be a fun, safe, healthy and rewarding experience. If you are ready to take the next step and prepare for an ultra-endurance event, here are a few important tips:
- Stay patient. Transform your body slowly and over a long period of time. If you notice results immediately or after a few weeks, you are likely rushing the process.
- Stretch your comfort zone, don't jump out of it.
- Learn the skill of intuition - listen to your body's cues to help with problem solving, troubleshooting and to build confidence in yourself.
- Grow your grit muscle. Grit manifests when you start your workout despite any and all excuses. Grit helps you accomplish therapy and cross training when you are injured. However, grit must be guided by intuition.
- Enjoy the journey. If the race was cancelled the week before, would you still find happiness in the training?
- Release yourself from the pressure of the clock or competition. Don't ruin the journey for an expected end result.