PART 1 - PREFACE
’My 100-mile win in 2023 was just a stepping stone’
Change begins when you think about changing. But results from change only come from the commitment to training. And true training commitment begins only when you register for a race (the big gulp moment), the moment you begin to self-actualize. Here is part 1 of my race reflections. This part will provide a foundation of context and I hope this brings you inspiration on your upcoming endeavors.
Last year (2023), I registered for my favorite local race called the Sulphur Springs 100-mile Trail Race knowing I was going to win it. It was my home race in that the course was an hour away, I’ve spent hundreds of hours on those trails, I had run the race’s numerous distance offerings already (50k, 50-mile, 100k), and could call myself a seasoned ultramarathon runner, if not a top competitor in the region. Though it had been 3 years since I had competed in an ultramarathon.
I registered with a winning mindset not out of cockiness, but because I had no reason to doubt it. I had the opportunity to stack the cards in my favor. I had enough time to mentally and physically orchestrate a winning program. A healthy runway of work-life balance to implement it, and make constructive alterations along the way with little to no adverse effects. On top of that, the 3 years off gave me a refreshing competitive edge; a nothing to lose, nothing to prove, mindset. It’s like I was starting from scratch, like many others who took a break during the pandemic since there were no sanctioned races. Albeit, I did have a bit of imposter syndrome, moments of “do I still have it in me?”, but that quickly faded when I hit milestones and put up big numbers during training. Typically imposter syndrome corrects itself quickly with action. This drought of 3 years actually took the pressure off, and allowed me to run wild and free, which to me, is the most dangerous x-factor of an ultramarathon competitor.
Of course I made room for anomaly scenarios like a threatening injury on race day, GI-distress, unpredictable poor weather, or a Professional elite-level ultra-runner showing up randomly to crush and humble the locals. But my mind had already planned for an intense training program.
(Reminder, all of this context about my 2023 100-mile race, will contribute to my most recent 2024 100-km race).
Firstly, my physical training included a hyper focus on injury prevention by hiring a team of clinicians to support me; a Chiropractor, Physiotherapist, and Massage Therapist. I upheld a daily regimen of mobility and myofascial self-massage and became known as the mobility guy at my workplaces. I switched all of my physical fitness training to advanced but experimental biomechanical run-specific training, no more aesthetic weightlifting, no more sports that could be a liability (team sports or contact sports). I joined a Contrast Therapy (Sauna and Ice Bath) studio to access the facilities regularly, which upgraded my breathwork knowledge, and increased the frequency of my healing protocol.
My mental training was in full swing when I audited my outdated fueling strategy and overhauled my game-day plan by registering for an Ultramarathon Coaching Certification by UESCA (United Endurance Sports Coaching Academy). I learned more Ultra-Running strategies and training specifics from this course, as if I had hired a team of run coaches to bootcamp my knowledge base. I devoted myself to an earlier start to training by beginning in the harsher conditions of winter, which helped me adapt to adversity scenarios much sooner, translating to increased mental toughness over the entirety of this journey.
Lastly, I realized I had reawakened a deeply competitive spirit within me that was in hibernation during the pandemic. My awakening came from closure. I had finally internalized many lessons learned from my 2-year sabbatical to and from Costa Rica. By moving on mentally and emotionally from a headspace submerged in uncertainty, the opportunity to reignite my role and identity from a place of certainty brought me deep clarity and enthusiasm. That paved the way to the principle of ‘beginning with the end in mind’. My state of certainty sparked my competitive spirit, which illuminated the path to win.
By using the hybrid identity of Pura Vida Julian, one that’s of purity and earthliness, and Get-Shit-Done City Julian, one that’s … well … a go-getter A-type, manifesting generator, the odds felt stacked in my favor. The plan was set and all I had to do was show up. I followed through with a win, and came away with a program plan that became a recipe for success, one that I was able to use as a stepping stone for my most recent ultramarathon success at the 2024 UTMB Major - Canyons 100 km Ultramarathon, in Auburn, California.
