Inspired to Insanity

This weekend I ran a spontaneous 6 hour race.

Let me explain…

Ever heard of a man named Dean Karnazes?

He is a pretty famous ultra-marathoner. He has run 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days. He has run on a treadmill for 48 hours straight (crazy I know). He has run across the US, averaging 40+ miles daily. He is doing things that are inconceivable to most. So when I heard he was going to be at a local running shop I had to meet him. On Saturday I made the drive and sat listening to his every word along with 30+ other runners. I think we were hoping he would wave a magic wand and endow us with the same powers he had. He shared some training and nutrition insights. He shared some great stories as well. Then…

Someone asked him what made him so special?

He said he felt like everyone else. He believes that we are all capable of doing what he can do. We just need to do it consistently and believe we can do it.

After the meeting he shared that he was going to be at the Vista View 360 Race on Sunday. It is a 6 hour race and the goal is to see how many 1.25 mile loops can you complete. I thought about what he said and decided to signed up.

No adequate training under my belt. To quote the Bon Jovi song, “I was living on a prayer.”

The most I had run over the past 4 month was 1 hour and twenty minutes. Here I was attempting to do almost 6 times that (ouch).

I knew that I didn’t have the training but I had plenty of inspiration and belief, thanks to Dean.

Why am I sharing this?

Life is not always planned. In fact, the surprises life shares with you adds flavor to your life. Today’s message is to STEP-UP. Sometimes the only thing stopping you from doing things that you never thought possible, is your rational brain. As much as I believe in structured training, as much as I believe preparing, I also believe that life is meant to be lived with your heart too.

Looking at the facts, I had no business even trying. This was not my rational brain acting but my heart.ย Dean Karnazes inspired me to look inside and kick through any preconceived notions of what needed to happen in order to run such a long race. I guess he did wave his magic wand and shared his superhuman strength. I am better today because of it.

Growing up I was told that you become the company you keep. Raise your standards, surround yourself with people who push you to grow or be left behind.

Grow daily. Push your limits. Step-up.

Cheers,

AC

PS – Read part 2 in this series: 6 Lessons from a 6 hour Race ๐Ÿ˜‰

Comments

6 responses to “Inspired to Insanity”

  1. Johanna Avatar
    Johanna

    So proud of you!! Way to reach far into yourself and pull out the strength only men of excellence can! ๐Ÿ™‚

    1. admin Avatar

      Thanks for the kind words. More adventures to come. ๐Ÿ™‚

  2. abe Avatar
    abe

    excellent testament to “will power”

    1. admin Avatar

      My parents taught me this. Many thanks to them. Appreciate your comment and support.

  3. […] I mentioned in my previous blog post (Inspired to Insanity) inspiration and belief are powerful drivers. The most I had run in the past 4 or 5 months was 80 […]

  4. […] lots of talk about my 6 hour race (See “Inspired to Insanity” or “6 Lessons from a 6 Hour Race”) I had some questions as to what I ate and drank for […]

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