Eat and Run: My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness

by Scott Jurek

I ran, and kept running, because I had learned that once you started something you didn’t quit, because in life, much like in an ultramarathon, you have to keep pressing forward.

I ran because overcoming the difficulties of an ultramarathon reminded me that I could overcome the difficulties of life, that overcoming difficulties was life.

Sometimes you just do things!

If you can’t talk, you’re running too fast and too hard.

You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have.

Focus on the “runner’s five”: hamstrings, hip flexors, quadriceps, calves, and the iliotibial (IT) band, or connective tissue that runs from your hip down the outside of the leg. These are the muscle groups that tighten even when people aren’t running, from bad posture, sitting, repetitive activities, and just living. Though there are myriad exercises to choose from for each area (I suggest The Whartons’ Stretch Book for clear instructions and diagrams), what’s important is to do them correctly and regularly.

Dusty was hilarious, but everyone thought he was totally full of shit. I wasn’t so sure. He had something that allowed him to keep going when everyone else stopped. I wasn’t sure what it was, but I wanted it.

Next time you’re running, count the times your right foot strikes the ground in 20 seconds. Multiply by three and you’ll have your stride rate per minute. (One stride equals two steps, so your steps per minute will be twice your stride rate.)

Nowadays there are plenty of websites that list music by BPM (beats per minute) — try http://cycle.jog.fm/. Either 90 or 180 BPM songs will do the trick.

What’s important isn’t what part of the foot you strike but where it strikes. It should land slightly in front of your center of mass or right underneath it. When you have a high stride rate and land with the body centered over the foot, you won’t be slamming down hard, even if you connect with the heel.

Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will. —Mahatma Gandhi

Snow. Sun. Sandstone. Sky. He was doing what he liked and knew. It was now. And this now had no pressure, just permission. —James Galvin

“You only ever grow as a human being if you’re outside your comfort zone.”

But the next morning I didn’t want to get out of bed. I could hear music. It was the siren song of a warm bed, a cozy couch, a few hours of reading, or listening to music, or just being. No one was forcing me to run. No one said I had to. No one was going to die if I just relaxed a little. Those were the lyrics of the song. It was the catchy, terrible tune that had seduced so many runners to drop out of races. It was a melody I could not afford to listen to. The song was calling: Rest. You just ran one mountain. No need to do another.

Bushido is letting go of the past and the future and focusing on the moment.

You could carry your burdens lightly or with great effort. You could worry about tomorrow or not. You could imagine horrible fates or garland-filled tomorrows. None of it mattered as long as you moved, as long as you did something. Asking why was fine, but it wasn’t action. Nothing brought the rewards of moving, of running. Sometimes you just do things.

“How do your feet feel? How are your legs? Are you still drinking?” It was Ian, behind me, checking, worrying, doing what pacers often do. I had to think for a second. How did my feet feel? Now that he mentioned it, they hurt. I had a few blisters. My legs? Yeah, come to think of it, they were kind of shot through with invisible knives. “Fine,” I said. “I’m fine.”

The other runners must have endured privations, too. Every single one of us possesses the strength to attempt something he isn’t sure he can accomplish. It can be running a mile, or a 10K race, or 100 miles. It can be changing a career, losing 5 pounds, or telling someone you love her (or him). I can guarantee that no one at the Western States knew they were going to finish, much less win (including me). A lot of people never do something great with their lives. A lot of people never attempt it. Everyone here had done both. Staying at the finish line and greeting those runners, I could pay tribute to the pain and doubt, fatigue and hopelessness, that I imagined they had pushed through. Staying there allowed me to acknowledge the strength they had needed to summon, to congratulate them on setting their sights on an important goal and achieving it. I didn’t realize it till later, but it allowed me to give back something to the sport that had already given me purpose and a measure of peace, that had granted me some answers—however fleeting and ephemeral—to the question why.

If you could walk a mile in my shoes you’d be crazy too. —Tupac Shakur

You don’t want your competitors to know there’s a wounded animal around. The wounded animal gets taken down by wolves.

FINDING THE TIME If you’re going to run regularly, you’re going to need to carve out part of your day, even if it’s 30 to 60 minutes. If that seems impossible, ask yourself: How much time do I spend watching television? Or surfing the Internet? Or shopping? Take some of that time and devote it to doing something good for yourself. If you’re still in a bind, double up on activities. Run to work and back. Many companies have become increasingly helpful to employees who want to exercise, providing showers, changing rooms, and sometimes even incentives; they realize that a fit worker will incur fewer health costs. Run to work and get a ride home. Run to the grocery store and have someone pick you up. Combine errands, running from place to place, and you’ll get a workout in while you’re taking care of business. And if you’re already working out regularly, you’ll be that much more fit.

When you run on the earth and with the earth, you can run forever. —Raramuri Proverb

The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places. —ERNEST HEMINGWAY