10 Things I Learned Running a 100-Kilometer Mountain Race Yesterday

Me at the finish line, tired, filthy, bloody, and remarkably happy.

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1. The human body, the human brain, and the human spirit are capable of far more than we give them credit and far more than we think is possible.

2. Even though we are capable of so much more, anytime we feel physical discomfort, our bodies always want to give up first. And, our bodies will give our brains all sorts of reasons to go along with the plan.

3. So, we have to come up with ways to counteract all the incoming messages to our brains telling them to quit.

4. The best method for counteracting negative incoming messages is to have a firm, rock-solid 'Why' in which we have an unshakeable belief.

5. We must always remember that no matter how we feel, and no matter what is going on around us and to us, our brains are always in control. At any juncture, it can override negative thoughts, negative feelings, and negative influences.

6. Sadness, anger, resentment, fear of judgment, sense of failure, and frustration stem from not having an unshakeable belief in our 'Why.'

7. When we know our 'Why' we can finally strive toward our potential.

8. Setbacks will inevitably occur along our paths. So long as we have our 'Why' we are prepared to brush them off and continue on our course.

9. Thinking really big is an excellent place to start when trying to reach our potential in any arena in life. But, when it comes to taking action, we have to break it down into small, manageable chunks around which we can wrap our brains.

10. In other words, we can't think of running 100 kilometers. It's too much for the brain to understand. It doesn't seem possible. We have to break up the race into segments the brain can understand and complete. And such is everything in life.