But to run it well, my mind was what mattered. My first step was to allow myself to feel hurt, and bad, and sad, and all those emotions that unexpected loss—whether in an ultramarathon or a relationship or a job—inspire. So that’s what I did while I continued running a mile downhill, then 1,800 feet uphill to the Devil’s Thumb aid station 4 miles away. I felt bad, but I kept going.
