Purisco

Self-development and High Performance

Ultramarathoner Habits

In the last two years, I decided to focus on long-distance running and completed my first marathon and then 3 other ultramarathons. My search for longer distances was due to the need for better physical and mental preparation, where the basis would be a routine full of healthier habits.

When participating in these competitions, I always tried to understand how I would become a true ultramarathoner or what types of characteristics I should have to become one. This was difficult because in each competition I met different groups where there was no single standard but rather several groups that shared the same habits, such as the older ones who had a lot of experience, the influencers who would eventually generate their content, the group of those who had a reason to be there, and others who were there for themselves and no one would even know later.

All of these groups had one thing in common, which was the goal of making their lives better.

Even though I did several long training sessions and competed, I only started to feel like an ultramarathoner after completing my third ultra race. From this experience I was able to understand the true essence of this practice, which in this case I identified with the following factors:

  • Purpose, the basis of everything, from the moment of training to competing, only each one of us can define the reason for being there, and in difficult times, the purpose will support the discipline and also on overcoming of difficult moments.
  • Overcoming, will be a constant element based on the number of unforeseen events that appear during the race, often greater than we imagined, but there we will have to find the strength to overcome them.
  • Tenacity, the ability to not give up, to have the strength to face the uncertain and to keep going even if there is only the minimum strength or resources available.
  • Spirituality, inevitably in the face of the greatness of the effort and overcoming, beliefs will be exalted regardless of what they are, and eventually things that were previously impossible will happen naturally.
  • Self-knowledge, everyone who wants to go beyond their limits or achieve great things needs to understand themselves, from how they will act, react or feel at each moment, and even how their body and mind will respond in each situation.
  • Connection, at all times, whether with other runners or with the nature around you, both will contribute to the gain of knowledge, experience and strength to continue, because everyone there has a common goal.
  • Balance, extremely importanc to know how far to go, everything that is taken to the extreme also generates other losses.
  • Humility, is to stand firm and understand your own existence, to see the size of our fragility in the face of the grandeur of nature, and even so, to be willing to help and contribute mutually to those who are by your side, always open to listening and accepting that there are elements to be improved every day, it is to understand that those around you are as susceptible to the elements of life as you are and thus we all become equal.

Each of these factors became increasingly clear with each passing moment, and the most interesting part was that in other areas of life, whether professional or personal, they could be developed and applied, thus contributing to better results.