@mark.dowdleruns: My WausaUltra journey.. It started in October 2020. I was glued to my phone watching the epic battle between @courtneydauwalter and @harveylewisultrarunner at Big Dog’s Backyard. A format where you run 4 miles every hour on the hour until 1 person remains. It blew me away.. I had to give it a try. So I signed up for WausaUltra’s 2021 spring race. I went solo, curious to see what I could do on my own. On my second loop, I called my dad to ask if he could make the drive up. 3 hours later he was there cheering me on. My fuel was mostly Jimmy John’s sandwiches and a goal to win. I DNF’d at 21 hrs, 87.69 mi, and taking 5th place. Determined to improve, I went back the next year in 2022. This time with a stronger crew (Lucy, her parents, and my dad) and the same goal of winning. After 20 loops, my mental weakness couldn’t help but compare itself to the other runners. I DNF’d at 20 hrs, 83.52 mi, and taking 5th place yet again. Determined to figure out this race, I went back in 2024. My crew was the same unit, full of experience and excitement. For me, I knew my goal had to change. It went from “trying to win” (external) to “just don’t quit” (internal). After 34 hours of running and 141.4 miles down, I was the last person standing. It took 4 years to secure a victory in this format. It took every success and failure in those 4 years to allow the space for this weekend to happen. It’s easy to have external goals and broadcast them out. But in the darkest of moments, you’re left with yourself. That goal better be strong enough to keep going forward. Continuing forward became THE goal. In many ways, it feels like I’m all but just beginning. —— #ultrarunning #trailrunning #lastpersonstanding

markruns

Open In TikTok:

Region: US

Saturday 11 May 2024 00:05:33 GMT