3 months ago I had never run more than 5 miles

And that was in high school

The first 8 months of 2023 I probably logged a total of 15-20 miles of running

Mostly with a weighted vest on while training for Murph

Yet this past weekend I finished a 100 mile ultramarathon in 26 hours and 43 minutes

And honestly I feel pretty good all things considering

I didn't do it to showcase how great or how tough I am

In fact I'd say I'm not genetically gifted, superhuman, or a physical specimen by any means

I'd say I'm pretty average across the board there

I probably work out less, not more, than the average gym goer

I've probably averaged about 2.5 to 3 hours in the gym per week over the last 18 months

Yet here I am, an official ultramarathoner, with fairly minimal training or preparation for it

What I do think I have going for me is a really solid foundation of functional strength that has come from very effective and efficient programming

I want to share more about that here - because I'm convinced most people can benefit from an exercise program that allows them to workout only 2-3 hours a week, yet be physically fit and generally prepared to take on whatever fun challenge they might want to

I know the word 'fun' is used relatively here - as many people reading this (myself included) would not call 100 miles of running fun by any means

Maybe you want to jump in on a CrossFit workout here and there with some coworkers, test yourself at a Murph workout once a year, or run a 10k with friends and family on short notice

That's what your exercise program should do for you...without you having to spend your whole week working out

I have a lot more I want to share on the specifics of what I've been doing over the past 18 months - for myself and for other clients - that has allowed them to look and feel great while also being physically ready for whatever life throws at them

So if you're interested in that, hang tight and stick around

Because now that my running days are over (for a long, long time) - I'm going to be sharing all about the exercise, nutrition, and lifestyle principles that have consistently set myself and others up for success

But today I want to share my initial big takeaways from a pretty monumental achievement

After the race, I got several questions about my initial takeaways, what it was like, what I learned, and how I did it.

"I don't know yet"

That was about the only answer I could give after run/walking almost 27 hours, eating to survive, and constantly moving through the dark/cold night on zero sleep

Now that I've had some time to reflect (and sleep), here are some initial takeaways that I've learned from completing my first (and likely only) 100 mile ultramarathon:

1) My Family Is My Greatest Gift

I received some really great compliments before, during, and after the race

Everyone that knew me felt pretty confident that I was going to finish those 100 miles despite having never done anything close to it

God has given me a gift of enduring, persevering, and gritting things out

I received texts with various things of 'beast' or 'beast mode', people telling me I'm 'built different', that I'm an 'animal'

I was told by a friend I really respect that I'm the type of guy he wants to have the ball in his hands with the game on the line in the 4th quarter

5-10 years ago all of those comments might have made me feel more loved, appreciated, and puffed up my ego a little bit

These days they honestly don't do much for me

And that's not to say I don't appreciate hearing them or think they're kind things to say

I've just grown more confident in who I am and how God's made me that I don't need to hear them

I've also matured enough to know my physical abilities and mental grit are not the greatest gifts I have

My wife and two children were able to join me for the race

For those that don't know my wife Lindsey, she is absolutely amazing

I'm not just bragging on her because my wife - but real talk not many women out there could have pulled off what she did this past weekend, with as much ease as she was able to pull it off with

I would have had a much harder time doing what she did than running 100 miles

She was pit crew for myself and one of our friends, she prepped essentially everything for the trip and race day to help me mentally prepare and just be able to show up, she kept our kids warm/fed/entertained all by herself for 30+ hours (outside, in the cold at times, and in about a 50 foot radius around our car)

Oh and she totaled up a half marathon, mostly while pushing a double stroller, over the course of the time I was running

I don't think I'm being the least bit biased when I say she's amazing

But I also know that because it was confirmed over, and over, and over again

By people I love and people I don't even know

And while the compliments about my own abilities didn't do much to fill me up - hearing what people said about my wife and my kids certainly did

I can't tell you how many of the other runners, volunteers, and supporters raved about them

How encouraging and amazing my wife was juggling all that she was

How much joy our kids brought with their smiles around the race loop that kept them going

While your personal talents and abilities are something to be proud of - your family (or those people that you influence the most) are a much greater gift and reflection of how you're doing

2) Running 100 Miles Is NOT Hard

This might offend some people, but the truth is training for (and completing) a 100 mile ultramarathon in 3 months time was not hard

Now hear me out on this one

I'm not saying I wasn't challenged, way out of my comfort zone, or that it was easy by any means

But the more my priorities change, the more I learn about what it really takes to live up to a higher standard, and the more my responsibilities grow - my perspective changes on what is considered hard

Running 100 miles really wasn't hard - not when you compare it to the things in life that truly are hard

You know what is hard?

• Following God in a world that thinks it's foolish
• Learning how to be a husband that really loves his wife, leads her selflessly, puts her first, looks past her faults, and does the little things every day that require sacrifice
• To raise children, to train and teach them, and to be present yet let go of control in a crazy world
• Seeing my wife spend 9 months selflessly building a human, only to give an unmedicated and natural child birth (on no sleep and with no food)
• Following your passions and your heart to put yourself out there on business ideas, get rejected time and time again, fail way more times than you succeed, yet keep pushing forward
• Seeing people dealing with loss of loved ones, abuse, and dealing with the weight of things that no one should have to deal with

If there was one reminder that kept coming up - it was that running 100 miles is cool, it's physically/mentally challenging, it's fun to talk about, and it's certainly not something to downplay...

But in the context of life - it's not hard

3) Endurance Is A Sneaky Way To Escape

I've talked in the past about the dangers of using fitness to escape the responsibilities of life

I didn't realize it at the time, but I used to use the gym as a way to do this all the time

No one is going to argue with my desire to be healthy

I would justify that it's not like I'm using drugs, alcohol, or other things to escape

Yet I was spending 6, 8, 10, 12 hours a week working out when my family, my employees, and other people I was leading needed me there

Unfortunately, I know way too many people in the endurance and ultramarathon communities that have families and marriages that have suffered because of their goals/drive/addictions to the sport

I'm by no means saying this is the case with anyone who does ultramarathons.

Sadly I've also seen this in CrossFit, bodybuilding, BJJ, any group fitness classes, golf, work, and just about any sport or activity that takes up 5 or more hours a week

But I say endurance events are sneaky, because most people aren't illogical (stupid) enough to go from zero running, to 100 miles in 3 months, and right back to zero running

Most of the times you run a 10k, then a half marathon, a marathon, a 50k, a 50 miler, a 100k, and eventually work up to 100 miler over the course of years

And many people get addicted and push to even longer distances than that

With all your training, to do it the right way (NOT the way I did it), gradually requires more and more of your time

What started as 5 hours can quickly turn into 10, 15, 20+ hour weeks of running and training

What other pursuits, goals, or business ideas have you been putting off that you could finally address with that time?

What would your wife or kids do with 5, 10, 15, or more hours of having you around?

If that sounds harder than running and working out, or something that you're avoiding (read point #2 again), then you need to take an honest look at yourself (like I had to 18 months ago) and ask yourself the real reason why you're training so much

To my first point - make sure you know why you're doing it. If you're looking for approval, hoping that performing better or doing more will improve your relationships or situation - I challenge you to take an honest look to see if you're running from something instead of running to something

4) I'm LESS HEALTHY, not more healthy, by training for this

Many people I've talked to assume I'm far more healthy, balanced, and fit now that I've been strength training AND logging lots of running miles each week.

I've written about this a lot already, and have a lot more to say on it moving forward, but that's certainly not the case

In fact, I feel a whole lot worse. Since my mileage has increased over these past few months, a few things I've actually noticed:

• My body fat has gotten worse (I'm more 'skinny fat' with lower muscle mass)
• My gut and digestion has been worse, and I'm hungry way more often
• My joints hurt more
• I've gotten sick far more often
• My strength has gone down substantially
• My libido and overall energy is lower

So if you're looking to add more running to your current fitness routine - I ask you again to question why you're doing it

Because once you start logging more miles, you may hit a point (like I did) where you're actually getting less healthy

Especially if your goal is just to generally look good, feel good, and find something you can sustain for a lot of years to come

5) Most People Greatly Underestimate What Is Possible

I was convinced I would never run a regular marathon, let alone an ultramarathon.

Running 100 miles was not a bucket list item, or an itch that I just needed to scratch to feel successful.

In fact I really didn't want to do it, which I think was part of the reason I ended up doing it.

In the past I've preferred to live in a comfort zone

My comfort zone probably looks a lot different than your comfort zone

Because I do like things that challenge me, but it has to be things that comfortable challenge me

I know that probably makes no sense - but basically I want to selectively choose hard activities that I know I can do well at

This 100 mile race didn't fall into that category, because I knew it would require A LOT of sacrifice and change to my current routine (that was actually working very well)

However, this accomplishment also reminded me of how much is really possible.

If you asked me at the start of 2023, or even halfway through the year, I would have NEVER thought it possible to do what I did

Yet I did it.

And I actually felt like I did it pretty well.

Which challenges me to think about what other areas of my life am I holding back on what's possible?

Where else am I cheating myself of my full potential because of fears, excuses, or because it's just the way I've always done things?

I think the best part (and hardest part) about doing hard things is that you realize how strong you are and how many hard things you can actually do if you set your mind to it.

The problem is, that also comes with challenges to face and acknowledge

Why haven't you gone for 'that thing' yet?

Whatever that thing if for you.

It's okay to give yourself permission to succeed, while also giving yourself permission to fail.

If you have something you want to do, you feel like you need to do, or you simply don't want to do (like running 100 miles) - why not go see what's possible?

You certainly don't have to run 100 miles to challenge yourself and see what's possible.

I would actually probably say you shouldn't go run 100 miles - but there's probably something in your life that you need to go chase once and for all.

What is it for you?

There's nothing worse than playing it safe, when you're capable of so much more.