This past weekend I had the absolute honor of crewing and pacing two clients (Jess Leventry and Lindsey Terronez) plus another friend (Taylor Neals) through their first 100 mile races. I’m writing this a few days post-race because I’d love to capture thoughts that I’d like to keep for a lifetime. I’m still short on sleep and the brain is moving slow but stick with me for a reflection that holds lessons for all.
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I’ve been performance coaching for the past 8 years (the past 3 full time (Project Endure)).
In that time I’ve worked with all different kinds of people working toward all different types of goals. Despite the different personalities and pursuits, the mission is always the same: to help each client bridge the gap between where they are now and where they want to be and in turn, bridge the gap between who they are now and who they want to be. I find so much meaning in all of the work that I do and sometimes there are moments that stand out above the rest – this past weekend was one of those (and here’s another).
The rest of this blog is a stream of consciousness (with lessons bolded).
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The preparation for this race (Viaduct Trail Ultramarathon) began months ago when Jess, Taylor and Lindsey decided that running 100 miles was something that they wanted to pursue. In the months leading up to the race there was a lot of planning, a lot of training and a lot of setbacks – nothing worth having comes easy. In other words, the road to get to the race was full of obstacles, challenges and even doubt. Through it all, we focused on showing up, being smart and moving dirt – persistence is powerful and consistent effort compounds. In the end, we were able to make it to race weekend, each runner having taken a different path in training – there are many paths that we can pursue that all lead to the same outcome; there is no one right way. As a team, we all stayed at the same Airbnb somewhere near Lanesboro, PA and even though it was just one night, it was a great bonding experience – there was a sense that we were all in this together, because we were. Following a big dinner and talking game plan, we all went to bed and did our best to still the mind and get some rest. The race started at 5:00 am on Saturday, July 13th and to be honest, the crew didn’t know what to expect. We drove to the halfway point of the 12.5 mile out-back course (mile 6(ish)) and set up our tent, a table, chairs, a grill and our food. From there, and with zero cell service, we passed the time as best we could while we waited for the girls to run the first 40 miles without pacers. The crew had lots of laughs as we learned to throw rocks with our non-dominant hands into the woods, made up games and had good conversation – being disconnected from the world can create a space for us to better connect with each other. We started to send pacers out to run with the girls in the hot summer sun around mile 40 and from there the logistics became a challenge. The crew needed to drive cars to miles 0 and 10 as we kept someone to manage the tent at mile 6 (all without cell service with little margin for error) – clear communication and selfless effort allows for smooth support. Somehow we managed to make it all work without major mistakes and before we knew it, the girls were approaching mile 60 and we were swapping pacers. I jumped in to pace Jess from mile 60 through mile 75 (7:30 pm-1:00 am) and was so excited for that chance. We started with the sun setting and soon needed our headlamps as the darkness crept in and enveloped the woods. With two lights to guide our steps, we made our way through the trails well into the night. I felt (and feel) so grateful to be able to be in the struggle with a person who I admire and have invested so much into – that was a special feeling for me and I can’t even explain how proud I was of Jess as we moved through the woods. Being a great coach isn’t about shouting from the sidelines but stepping into the struggle with the people who are working hard for what they want. We made it back to the start (mile 75) and remember crossing a bridge just before getting to the parking lot and looking up at the night sky that was filled with more stars than I could count. It felt like outer space was so close and that if we just reached up we could touch it. I gave Jess a big hug as I sent her off with Justin (her boyfriend) to run the last 25 miles and then drove his car back to mile 6 where I waited for Lindsey so I could run with her to mile 10. Less than an hour later I picked up Lindsey and we moved 4 miles in the dark – jogging for a few minutes at a time and then walking to recover. I’ll never forget how much pain she was in (or at least looked like she was in) for almost the whole race. I looked at her face when light allowed and could see the internal battle that she was fighting (and winning). We wrapped up those few miles with a fast run downhill toward the car that was waiting for us at mile 10 where she would switch pacers and head deeper into the trails. I remember driving the car back to mile 6 just knowing that everyone would finish – sometimes feelings are more sure than statistics. We got a few minutes on deep but poor sleep before the sun rose and we saw the runners at the tent one more time before the finish. Everyone looked good, with smiles on their faces as they could feel that the end of the pain was close. The remaining crew (not pacing) cleaned up our tent and drove to meet the runners (Jess & Lindsey – Taylor had finished in just over 24 hours) at the finish. Watching them each run strong to finish their 100 miles was an emotional experience for everyone involved – investing into others means experiencing the highs and lows with them. It set in that we were 3 for 3 and that these girls fought battles for 100 miles and even though there was every reason to stop (pain, nausea, fatigue, brutal conditions and everything in between) it was never an option. These 100 miles showed the power of a team and also the power of the mind – we become what we choose to be. In the end, this race is a great metaphor for life – we all experience ups and downs yet none of it lasts forever and we need to keep that in mind. One of the biggest affirmations from this weekend is that people who find success (which can mean different things to everyone) are the ones who continue to put one foot in front of the other even when it’s unappealing, unpopular and uncomfortable. I drove home from the race (with the help of two Monster energy drinks) and was so happy to give Michaela and Theo big hugs – I missed them so much and felt inspired to be a better version of me, for them. I proceeded to feel like a zombie and got 12 hours of sleep before starting this week with business as usual. I’ll wrap this one up for now…
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Getting to be in the trenches with incredible human beings DOING HARD THINGS means more than I can put into words. It’s inspiring to watch others choose endurance even when comfort is calling and quitting is tempting.
“Every athlete who has pushed beyond his or her known limits of endurance in the quest for improvement understands these sentiments. There is no experience quite like that of driving yourself to the point of wanting to give up and then not giving up. In that moment …. when something inside you asks, ‘How bad do you want it?’, an inner curtain is drawn open, revealing a part of you that is not seen except in moments of crisis. And when your answer is to keep pushing, you come away from the trial with the kind of self-knowledge and self-respect that can’t be bought.”
Matt Fitzgerald
Do hard things.
Joe Rinaldi
IG: @joearinaldi
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