One of my favorite ways to train or explore outside is by combining sports. After discovering gravel cycling two years ago, my mind has been blown by this whole new world of movement (cue the Disney music here).

Everyone has a story to tell of the trails and hardships of getting to a start line. The sweat, the shifting of priorities and juggling of all things in life to just to strap on a bib number.

The world of ultra-running is a beautiful amalgam where success is not guaranteed without an ideal combination of training, discipline, tenacity, problem solving and luck come together perfectly with the ability to ingest and digest sufficient calories to prevent physical and psychological breakdown as you cover extreme distances on foot. Not a single person I know that participates in this sport lacks motivation, work ethic or enthusiasm for a challenge. It’s one of the many reasons I love this sport and the community that it comprises.

A common thought that crosses my mind frequently the week of a big race is ‘Why?’ It comes in many forms.

Some adventures require a little something extra. Whether that’s an audacious goal, great friends, a stellar crew or a coach ensuring you, you’re capable of great things – it’s the combination of all the little things, that make the grandest of adventures possible.

Strength is a funny word. When you look up the definition, brawny and well-built are among the list of descriptors, those, and one’s ability to move heavy weights around. But the strongest people I know have never set foot in a gym.