By HPRS Staff Columnist Jacob Stevens
“There’s no such thing as problems, only situations…and out of situations arise opportunity.” – PJ Fleck
We have all read the articles and seen the news, we all know, for the most part what is going on, and we are all struggling; we have all had races cancelled, been temporarily laid off from our jobs, or quarantined on some level. So now what? So now what are you going to do with this situation? Just to be clear and so that we are all on the same page, there will be no more “back to normal”; after Vietnam things did not go back to how they were in the early 1960s, and after 9/11 we didn’t go back to how things were in the late nineties.
As a society we have increasingly become soft and this is the first time that a lot of us will truly be tested. This is not just a community or state or even a national problem we are dealing with but a global pandemic and our actions in the coming days, weeks, and months will tell us a lot about who we are and who we will become as humans. Are you going to perpetuate ignorance and disregard for your fellow humans or are you going to take this situation and create an opportunity, to do something that you normally wouldn’t do?
The reasons to not pursue greatness are slowly dwindling away: I’m always stuck at work, I always have too much to do, I always overextend myself, there is never enough time…these are all beginning to dissipate in the current situation that we find ourselves in. The excuses to not pursue something great, something you are passionate about or something you have always dreamt of pursuing, which in turn will make you a better person, are quickly starting to dissolve with the current state of the world.
Ultra-running is mostly mental; in fact, I would venture to say that upwards of 90% of the people who toe a 100-mile start line have 100-mile legs and 100-mile lungs but there is continually a 40-60% DNF rate at nearly every single race, why is this? In my opinion it is because most of the people who toe the line may be in tremendous physical shape, and put in a lot of physical work, but they don’t have a 100-mile heart and a 100-mile head and that is what determines more outcomes in our sport than anything else. This is not just true for the 100-mile distance but for all distances and, as a matter of fact, for every situation in life!
Some of us are able to run outside while others are stuck running ridiculously small loops in our houses, apartments, or even balconies but what I am seeing from our tribe is that we are all still running! We are still finding ways to persevere and, for the most part, pursue greatness. Let us not forget the most important aspect of any task set before us, our hearts and our heads. This extends not just only to running but to the way in which we treat each other as well.
As you plan your future training/racing adventures keep in mind that a lot of the postponed or cancelled races are offering a virtual race option, take part in these rather than asking for your money back and be involved in our community. Almost all our race directors have abruptly had the rug pulled out from under them and are struggling. At HPRS the Virtual Pandemic Race Series was created to keep us all moving in the one direction that ultra-runners know best: forward. This event also provides a sense of community and a sense of involvement during a time when there are a lot of negative distractions; social media shaming/bullying being one of the most prominent. Let us focus on the positive and keep moving forward.
So, let’s take this situation and the opportunities that it has created and use them in a positive, kind, and loving manner. Let’s represent ourselves as something we can all look back on and be proud of, not embarrassed of. In our hearts and in our heads lie the ability to truly do something incredible during this time and to truly create a way of life and a way of thinking, about ourselves and about others, that we can be proud of. YOU can perpetuate love and happiness because YOU are amazing, and YOU can change the world.