Comments on: Ultrarunning: Embrace the Nectar

By: David Hanenburg

David Hanenburg — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:54:55 +0000

Kelly – Nice thoughts. It may be interesting to see a male/female breakdown of what is most focused on, ‘results’ vs ‘the journey’. Results/goals can and do inspire and motivate us all but I feel the ‘attachment’ to results can create unnecessary pain and cause you to miss out on the journey/experience.

Jay – Gotta love the negative split – especially at Cross Timbers.

Jeff – Looks like a nice mix of ‘journey’ and ‘results’.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 00:09:34 +0000

For me, the journey is always in the run itself – planning for it, training for it, the actual day out on the race. I almost never worry about the time or even if I finish the race, because those things don’t actually matter all that much to me.

I do pick goals for all of my races though – have fun, don’t get hurt, finish being the top 3, and then maybe a time goal or a goal of running close splits.

By: Jay Hall

Jay Hall — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 21:11:00 +0000

The first time I ran an ultra, it was the Cross Timbers Trail Run back around 1984. It was only a few months after hitting the wall in the Dallas White Rock Marathon where I shuffled/walked the last six miles and came no where near my desired finish time.
Fast forward to Cross Timbers and I was pretty apprehensive at the start. My friend, Luke Barber, offered me the best advice – walk the hills and stay behind him for the first half, which I did. We were way back in the pack of about 100 runners and I was getting impatient. Finally, we started to pass a few people after 15 miles, then more after 20. Finally at the end of the first loop at 25 miles, we were picking people off left and right. At 30 miles, I left Luke. For the next twenty miles, I ran alone passing everyone in sight. I felt like a kid again, running through the woods behind my house. It was an exhilirating feeling I just don’t get running on the road. I ended up finishing third behind two Dorking Sportsmen from Houston, ran negative splits, and probably would have won if the race had been a little longer.

By: Kelly

Kelly — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 14:29:37 +0000

I love this post. My husband and I have discussed this many times. He’s the type who only runs to improve his race results. I’m the type who enjoys the training as much, if not more, than the actual race. For me, “the journey” is the weeks and months of long runs, hill work, speed work, and cross training that lead up to the race. I’ve always struggled with stepping back in the middle of a race and fully appreciating the experience. It’s usually just a blur with a finish time my only concrete memory.

By: David Hanenburg

David Hanenburg — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 02:33:16 +0000

Hey Rick – I like your long race mantra. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

By: Rick Sanford

Rick Sanford — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 16:24:08 +0000

Some races I am focused almost exclusively on the results, however my most memorable events, races, and runs have been about the journey. My approach to my longest races has always been, “It Will Be A Good Day.” It is my reminder to myself how fortunate I am to take part in marathons and ultras. I know there will be low points in almost every race, but without those low points I cannot have the entire experience.

By: David Hanenburg

David Hanenburg — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 14:49:48 +0000

Patton – Nice quote and thoughts on ‘the journey’.

Derek – Thanks. Nice insight as well. Rocky will be a special day and I look forward to sharing the trail with you and 600-700 other runners. It is going to be a special group run.

By: Derek

Derek — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 04:46:00 +0000

Great post, it says so much about the journey. It’s making new friends, experiencing life and what it throws your way, enjoying the moment when those runs are so good and knowing the bad run will be history when you are done. I’m looking forward to RR, not to finish the race and get a belt buckle, but for the hours that I will be out on the trail. The interaction with fellow runners, the volunteers at the aid stations. I may not finish, but I will have a smile on my face and enjoying every minute of it.

By: Patton

Patton — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 04:17:43 +0000

I kept thinking about this quote from Victor Frankl during the race. He was referring to man’s pursuit for happiness, but for me this was interchangeable for running.

“Don’t aim at success-the more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue….as the unintended side-effect of one’s personal dedication to a course greater than oneself.”

At Bandera I focused soley on effort. I was going to run as hard as I could, as long as I could and hopefully not be taken away on a stretcher. I didn’t memorize splits, distances, or even run with my trusty Garmin. My goal was to be present, positive, breathe and glide. Those things I could control.

The journey you can, and should control. Results are a tool to measure time, not experience.