Ultrarunning

I have been asked by a journalist to define what does endurance running or ultra running mean? At that moment I didn't know how to explain it. I had to take the time to reflect back to the moments that I was running. This is what I came up with.

Endurance running or ultra running for me is like a mini simulations of real life. On every journey, I experience a wide range of emotions such as exhilaration, disappointment, frustration, fear, pride, relief, etc. Due to its challenging nature there are lots of ups and downs (both literally and figuratively). At times, there's support (at designated stations, of course). Other times, I'm all by myself engrossed in vast wilderness. There's lot of quiet time to reflect, mediate, or even better yet, zone out. These lonely times prove difficult and compromise my mental and emotional strengths at times. Fortunately, difficult times bring people together, creating some memorable moments and life-time friendships.

Just like in real life, it's this balance of both good and bad experiences that make me feel alive and really push me to just keep moving forward, simply placing one foot in front of the other. Every endurance run trains me to live my best life. It shows me that there are no limits in this short life and that the longer the race, the better!