Overcoming the difficulties of an ultramarathon reminds me that I can overcome the difficulties of life

We strive toward a goal, and whether we achieve it or not is important, but it's not what's most important. What matters is how we move toward that goal.

You can hurt more than you ever thought possible, then continue until you discover that hurting isn't that big a deal.

Train where your fitness is NOW, not where you want to be.

For me, challenging myself with this type of endeavor [ultramarathons] brings the best out in me because even at the darkest, deepest moments when I feel like I can't go on, when I feel like there's no chance I could break the record or much less finish the trail, somehow I find that strength inside of me.

But the longer and further I ran, the more I realized that what I was often chasing was a state of mind- a place where worries that seemed monumental melted away, where the beauty and timelessness of the universe, of the present moment, came into sharp focus.

Only the most saintly and delusional among us welcomes all pain as challenge, perceives all loss as harsh blessing.