Forget Christmas. Or your birthday. Or even the last day of school.
For me, this is the most wonderful time of the year- because it’s time for the Western States Endurance Run.
Runners have 30 hours to complete the 100-mile run through the Sierra Nevada mountains in California, starting at Olympic Valley and ending on the race track at Placer High School in Auburn. Steep climbs (over 18,000’ of elevation gain, and 23,000’ of descent!), scorching heat, brutal cutoffs, and some of the fastest ultrarunners in the world chasing an audacious dream: the coveted silver buckle, awarded only to those who finish in under 24 hours.
And every single year, I find myself obsessively tracking the top runners on the livestream, refreshing the leaderboard, and shaking my head in disbelief.
Last year?
- 10 people finished in under 15 hours and 20 minutes. That’s 9:12 per mile.
- The top 10 women all finished under 17 hours and 33 minutes, an average of 10:31 per mile.
- The winner ran 100 trail miles at an average of 8:32 per mile. For 100 miles!
For comparison: that’s faster than my usual pace for 5 measly miles…on pavement…in pancake flat Indiana.
That’s not just fast. That’s damn near incomprehensible.
But that’s the thing about audacious goals: they don’t start off feeling reasonable.
They start with a dream that makes you laugh nervously. It might not work. It probably shouldn’t work.
And then?
You work backward. (If you’ve never heard of the race, or want to see what goes into the preparation, I highly recommend this series that follows the training of one of this year’s contenders)
You train. You get smarter. You eat better. You learn how to suffer. You show up when you’d rather quit. And inch by inch, step by step- you turn the outlandish into the doable.
That’s what I love about Western States. It’s not so much about the race itself, but the audacity of these people to chase huge goals.
It’s a reminder that you and I need something big to aim at now and then.
As any of my clients can tell you, I love micro- adventures as a starting point for getting unstuck. But to really dive in and pursue a life of meaning? We must have what Jesse Itzler refers to as a Misogi.
Because unless we test those edges, how will we ever know where they actually are?
While the notes above about the top finishers are so impressive- and superhuman, quite frankly- my favorite number from last year’s run is 60.
That’s how many people finished during the golden hour last year, the last hour of the race. These are people just like you and me, fighting to the very end to accomplish a seemingly unattainable dream- finishing by the 30- hour cutoff time. The running community shows up for these people just like they do the winners, cheering them on to their own victory. It’s truly magical.
So here’s your nudge:
What’s your version of Western States right now? The book you’re scared to write? The half marathon you’ve never said out loud? The year of solo parenting you’re just now coming up for air from?
Whatever it is- don’t try to eat the watermelon in one bite. Just take the first slice.
And keep going.
See you out there! (But let’s be honest, probably not this weekend. I’ll be glued to the race coverage!)
