#5 - What’s Your Ultra?

I had a roommate in college who did some ultramarathons and LOVED to talk about them. We always had to warn people not to bring up running around him or he’d never stop talking! It was a little annoying but the truth is he was fired up about ultras—and that’s a very good thing.

Ultras are hard. Really hard. Running 50 or 100 miles is something that takes a lot of hard work, determination, and passion. It’s not something you do on accident or without really trying. Getting fired up about stuff is a key energy driver—why do you think it’s so much easier to play a soccer match in the rain than take out the trash in similar weather?

Being passionate about sports is great—but it’s not enough. Simply put, passion alone will not make you successful. We already talked about the tools that will help you climb the cliffs on your way to success. Passion creates energy which is awesome. As an athlete I had many days where I was seriously passionate about my sport. The weather was perfect, I was training with good buddies, I felt rested and energetic. We’ve all had those days, it’s easy to be passionate and want to train. I also had days that were the opposite; I was sore and beat up from previous workouts, the team was grumpy, and the weather is 40 degrees and rain. If I was relying on passion alone to get me out of bed for a 3 hour run on a day like that, I’d never make it out the door. That’s why success needs accountability, discipline, etc. to go with the passion (these are the PROCESS sections of Advancing Daily).

So, embrace your passions but don’t expect them to make you successful. Passion is important—it’s what makes sports so fun! Life without passion would be like eating plain yogurt (gross). On those perfect days, enjoy the passion and let it fuel you so that on those cold, muddy, sore days you can remind yourself why this is fun. Don’t rely on your passion to make you successful, but always bring it with you.

Get out there and chase your passions! Understand what drives you and why—your “why” is your passion and it’s usually more foundational than the actual activities you do. For example, many comedians would say their passion is comedy but on deeper questioning they acknowledge that their real passion is bringing happiness to people—their talent is comedy.

Today, remember why you are passionate about sports. Enjoy the weather, the challenge, the friends, the wins, etc. Share your awesome training session on social media with #whywetrain