I have been re-reading many of the fabulous race reports from the Superior Sawtooth 100, as I contemplate running it next year.

Julie Berg’s post is the one that I keep going back to.  It’s full of fantastic course details for one thing, which I am soaking up.  But the best part is that it is full of positive energy.  She has a great explanation for why someone should think about running 100 miles:

You know what it is all about? It’s about stretching yourself. It’s about reaching out of your comfort zone, doing something that you are not sure you can do, trying as hard as you can, preparing as well as you can..and if you are able to reach that goal..it’s magic. By reaching that goal you build confidence within yourself. You feel good about yourself. You begin to complete more tasks that are out of your comfort zone..you build more confidence. It’s not all about running. It’s about life. Sometimes it is tough and you don’t succeed at your goal but that is good practice, you’ll succeed next time, or the next. You will learn and you will do it. Oh yes, you will. If I can, we all can.

Well said.  Too many race reports are full of the agony and the anger when things don’t go as planned.  Julie’s is full of upbeat energy and a continual focus on solutions after she identifies a problem.  That’s a success strategory for ultras that I need to adopt.