What Happens If You Can't Finish a Race?
Sometimes, the thing that deters you or scares you away from doing something is the very thing that should push you closer to making an attempt.
Think about it: How many times have you been intrigued by or interested in trying something new, but the anxiety of a new situation and the fear of failing ended up outweighing that excitement, and you opted out? On the flip side, how many hobbies have you practiced and perfected so many times that — without the risk and uncertainty elements — ended up boring you and burning you out?
Fifty-eight-year-old Charlie Engle, an ultramarathoner and author (and former drug addict), has run 5,500 miles across the Sahara Desert in just 110 days, has finished Badwater — one of the world's toughest foot races — and has completed nearly every extreme adventure race the planet has to offer. But as he continues to take on new, more difficult challenges, Engle has one top criteria item for those events: They must be uncertain.
"I did literally a couple hundred marathons early in my running career, and I still love to run a marathon, but I don't step to the start line of a marathon and wonder if I'm going to finish," Engle says. "That feeling of uncertainty — the feeling of not knowing if you’re capable of finishing the race — is a gift."
Related: Here's Why Having a Little Bit of Anxiety Is Actually Good for You
On this episode of The Hard Way w/ Joe De Sena, Endurance Series host Johnny Waite and Engle discuss the ultrarunner's ambitious plans to take on a "5.8 adventure" — swimming, running, kayaking, and hiking from the Dead Sea to the top of Mount Everest in a thousands-of-miles journey that, vertically, amounts to just 5.8 miles in total — along with why being uncertain whether you can finish something makes it the adventure of a lifetime.
Listen to the podcast in its entirety below, then commit to something you're not sure you can finish — a Spartan or Tough Mudder obstacle course race, a lengthy Trail race, a DEKA functional fitness event, a HIGHLANDER hiking adventure, or any other HARD event — and crush the hell out of it.
Connect With The Hard Way w/ Joe De Sena Podcast for more great discussions below!
The Hard Way w/ Joe De Sena YouTube Channel The Hard Way w/ Joe De Sena Spotify Podcast The Hard Way w/ Joe De Sena Apple Podcast
