Thoughts on 2025

First, Caleb and Abby were both so inspirational. I knew Abby when we lived in Boulder and this is a long time coming. It’s the cliche takeaway, but her journey has not been straightforward and simply finding herself on the starting line seemed wildly unlikely. She gained entry in what feels like a ‘stroke of luck’ after so much bad luck and she capitalized! There weren’t any stones left unturned before the start line and it’s just so very cool to see a professional check the boxes and have a day (but like..check the boxes for a very very long time). 

Although a different, seemingly more normal training block, Caleb put on a clinic. He had ambitious goals and seemed to control most of the variables as well as possible out there! If you look through Caleb’s training, there is nothing all that sensational and it’s a great reminder that we’re talking about ‘ultra’. There are still so many ways to find success in this sport and in a lot of ways, I find that very ‘freeing’ when thinking about my own passions, strengths, and weaknesses. 

Adam P. was another story that resonated. His recap went something like…’it went well until it didn’t and then I walked it in’. To see a former winner of the race still opt into the other type of experience is another amazing reminder of where we can derive meaning in our practice of running and how goals can change and still be significant/can create amazing memories (even…if it takes some time to realize why those memories are significant).

There are certainly so many other incredible stories from the day. I don’t mean to simply point out the champions’ stories, but all three of these races resonate with me on a personal level. I sometimes feel a bit stagnant with my running; wondering if my ‘best years’ are behind me. I’m certain those thoughts have crossed Abby’s mind in the past and she just kept betting on herself and controlling what she could. There’s an element of faith and belief that is required to lean into that ‘grind’ and one that I’m personally going to try and keep top of mind this coming year/these coming years. So long as the pursuit of the goals stays enjoyable, the rest really doesn’t matter. There’s something beautiful about simply holding onto hope for that magical day/breakout performance/etc… even when there are so many days that don’t check that box. My take away from Abby is to keep showing up and to keep believing. 

At one point in my career, some of you/some ‘fans’ thought of me as one of the more underrated runners on starting lines. It’s a label I took/take pride in for obvious reasons. At the same time, Caleb’s name was often thrown around in the same way. When you poke around Caleb’s training history/Strava/workout results/etc… nothing stands out as exceptional (outside of the obvious exceptional race performances). He does the things well. He logs a lot of ‘boring’ volume. He seems to deeply believe in himself and not read too much into what could be considered perceived weaknesses. More recently, I’ve gotten a bit wrapped up worrying about the limitations of my own weaknesses. I’m not all that ‘fast’ by today’s standards. I’ve never measured VO2, but I am doubtful it’s all that impressive. True ‘speed work’ often leaves me feeling beat up and disappointed in objective output. Caleb wasn’t the fastest runner on the starting line (also… his words). If you were comparing raw genetic talent as measured in a lab setting, he probably ranks reasonably low across many variables on the elite start list. But…he won in the second fastest time in the race’s history. This is still ultra and there are still so so many factors in a successful day. My take away from Caleb is to not set perceived limitations on myself and trust the training. 

Adam’s race hit home as I had a similar day on that course. Interestingly, I was chatting with a ‘doctor friend’ recently and it was brought to my attention that I likely had COVID on the start line in 2022 (looking at incubation periods and when I started to test positive immediately after the race). This could also explain the seemingly random injury that popped up out of nowhere the day before (a theme that others have seen with the virus). Regardless, it wasn’t Adam’s day; it wasn’t my day. I couldn’t help but remember the significance of the event I was participating in when it wasn’t my day. People wait a ‘lifetime’ for a single run on the course and I had so many that uprooted their lives to support me on the day. It just felt a bit impossible to pull the plug even if I really really wanted to (and in hindsight, there were some justifications in doing so). I used to look up to those that had never dropped a race. At a certain point, I dismissed that as a silly standard to set and still largely do. There are very very good reasons to drop and I’m not here to suggest when is/isn’t an appropriate time to do so. But… if I look back on what drew me into the sport there was an element of wanting to prove my ‘toughness’. As I shifted to a more performance oriented mindset, this went away somewhat…but I find myself feeling the need to ‘prove that’ again in line with performance goals. Running is hard. Ultras are hard. Good days are hard. Bad days are really hard. My take away from Adam is to ‘stay hard’ (jk… but only kind of). 

Lastly, I’m so bummed for David and Riley for their experiences. I am big fans of both and had them both picked for the win. I’m certain that they will both pivot and have incredible performances ahead, but also know it likely stings in a big way right now. David has been such a fun character to cheer for these past months. I think in some ways, his experience may feel like a ‘cautionary tale’ - i.e. don’t put yourself out there too much/dream too big as all of that is bound to blow up in your face at some point. Realistically, his chances of having the best possible day for him were so very small. He put the work in, checked most of the boxes, but didn’t have the right cards on the day. I have seen some very negative commentary after the fact and that’s just silly. David has been wildly vulnerable and inspirational these past months and that seems to ruffle some feathers. I really hope he continues to do what he’s been doing and help us all to realize it’s ok to have big goals and fall short vs. not having them in the first place.