The Ultramarathon Mindset: Trail Talk – Details, episodes & analysis

Gwen Zywicke is my guest this episode. She is an ultra runner and an Instructor at Louisiana State University and a writer. Her book, Ultrarunning Mysticism:  Mind, Body, Spirit and the Sacredness of Overcoming Suffering, explores the relationship between ultrarunning and mysticism. She is working on a new book focusing on the science of the brain in relation to ultra running.

Devin and Jonathan are both returning podcast guests. They are both part of the Buckle-Heads running group in Topeka, KS. They have trained and raced together and supported each other in pursuing their running adventures. Their next big race is the Bighorn 100 on 16 June 2023.

Option 1: You have to have confidence and belief in yourself in order to run ultramarathons!

Option 2: You start the race full of doubt and know that it's going to be so hard you may not finish.

Which of these two options is the best mindset for ultramarathons? Both!

Jeff Winchester and Jeremy Reynolds are The UltraRunning Guys. They are podcasters, ultramarathon runners, and Race Directors. 

In this episode we discuss what is the mindset that will get you to the finish. And discover it's not the same for everyone!

You will face three roadblocks when you set out to be the best version of yourself and go after an epic life. These aren’t the only roadblocks, but these are the ones waiting for you right out of the gait. If you are feeling stuck, it’s probably one of these three mental blocks you’re dealing with.

Katie Spotz wanted a big challenge. Something that would make her dig deep and have her only option to overcome the challenge or fail. She chose to row a boat, solo, across the Atlantic Ocean. She holds the record as the youngest person to do this.

It was a challenge that gripped her, and she realized that she couldn't live with the regret if she didn't answer the challenge.  She's continued to find ways to challenge herself, competing in triathlons and running ultramarathons. She especially enjoys designing her own adventures, running across numerous states and inline-skating the keys in Florida.

What do you want? This is one of the hardest questions to answer. 

It sounds simple. But it’s not.

Most of the time you don’t think about what you want. And when you do have to think about it, you find out you’re not really sure what it is.

Having success to make a lifestyle change like losing weight or getting fit comes down a point of making a decision. Often there is a tipping point that makes you say, "Enough!" Maureen Lehr reached that tipping point and had not only lost weight, but she's now involved in four sports that keep her fit and give her a variety of challenges. She also met some great people along the way who help her keep going. 

What is your WHY? And does it matter? Do you need to know why you are working for some epic goal?

A lot of coaches will tell you that you need a strong WHY to keep you moving toward your goal. 

But is this true? Maybe . . . maybe not.

Jenny Overstreet is an obstacle course racer making her way into running ultramarathons. She always said that she hated running and stuck to shorter distances, primarily as training for her obstacle course races. But when so many events were canceled, she started running on trails. She enjoyed running in the woods and gradually started increasing her distance.

She eventually got to a point where she decided to  enter an ultramarathon and found she enjoyed the experience. She is still focused on being competitive in OCR, and she's adding ultramarathon races to her list as well.

Do you ever find yourself thinking the same thoughts over and over?

It’s like your brain is on autopilot. 

You might not even remember what triggered it, but you end up feeling stressed out and depressed.

Because it seems like these autopilot thoughts always tend to be negative.

The truth is that these thoughts you have are an addiction.

Yes. You can become addicted to thinking negative thoughts!