Magnetic Desire - Part 1

Ultramarathoning is 90 percent mental. The other half is physical.

Baseball great, Yogi Berra, was known for his quirky way of telling profound truths. This quote is especially pertinent to the sport of ultramarathoning. “

"Baseball is 90 percent mental. The other half is physical." 

Substitute the word ultramarathoning for baseball and the quote is still true. I invest an average of 14 to 15 hours per week on running and strength training. Nearly all of my runs are 10 miles or longer, and the majority of the running time is spent on self awareness exercises such as meditating or contemplating. Since nearly all of these longer runs are done in the Angeles National Forest, it can be said that my running coincides with the practice of forest bathing; immersing myself in the sights, sounds, and smells of the forest. In keeping with the Yogi Berra inspired description of ultramarathoning, the contemplative practice of forest bathing helps with the mental 90 percent and the 70 miles per week running average takes care of the physical half.

In my last series of essays, I described how I use the mindset practice of manifestation to help me reach my running goals. The process of manifestation, going from dreaming about a goal to actually acting toward it, can be broken down into four simple steps; dreaming, visualizing, feeling, and doing. When I retold my story of The Canyons 100K Ultramarathon for readers, I talked about race day itself, not the physical and mental training my body had to undertake before the event. The pre-race plan required months of consistent, dedicated execution in order to be sufficiently ready to take on that event. Running schedules, strength training, dietary considerations, and other mind and body conditioning had to be performed in order to put me in position to successfully complete the ultramarathon.

To date, I have competed in four 100K events having officially finished two of them. The two I did not successfully complete were the same race: The Canyons 100K Ultramarathon. Last year, the overall cutoff time allotted for officially finishing was 19 hours. I crossed the finish line in 19 hours 8 minutes, missing the cutoff by eight minutes. This year, the cutoff time at the last aid station was 17 hours 15 minutes but it took me 17 hours 17 minutes to get there. This time I missed the cutoff by two minutes. It would be easy to say that the primary reason I ran this race again this year was because I missed the cutoff last year. Although this was an important consideration for signing up to do the race again, it was not the main reason. So, what was the primary motivation? Why did I go through all the physical and mental training to compete in this race again?

In an interview with Mel Robbins, Dr Tara Swart Bieber, neuroscientist and author, introduces listeners to the concept of magnetic desire. Dr Bieber explains that during the process of neuroplasticity, when our brains are forming new neural pathways, the brain filters thoughts into two different lists: logical versus emotional. Our brains are designed to prioritize those thoughts that help us survive, so by default, logical thoughts take precedence over emotional ones. But when a thought has magnetic desire, when our brain, heart, and gut are aligned with our goal to fulfill this desire no matter the consequences or obstacles, then the emotional pull of this wish supersedes any logical objections to it. In other words, it’s magnetic desire that is essential for giving us the resiliency to see a goal through, despite the pitfalls along the way. Magnetic desire is the force behind manifestation.

I’m rolling into the halfway point at the Forest Hill aid station. My thighs and calves are feeling the previous 30 miles and I’m looking for my drop bag. A drop bag is what you pack with food, gels, creams, sprays, extra clothing and anything else you think you’ll need to finish the journey. Race volunteers take your preloaded bag to a designated aid station near the halfway point of the race where it will be waiting for you to restock your running backpack and prepare yourself for the final push to the end. 

Because I’m experiencing pain in both legs, I’m anxious to get the BioFreeze pads from my bag. BioFreeze is a remarkable topical treatment that soothes muscle pain on contact. I grab my bag and remove the box with the BioFreeze sticky pads. The pads are impregnated with the topical solution and are thin, stretchy gauze-like pads that stick to your skin. I open the first sealed bag, remove the pad, then apply it to my thigh.

The pad is absolutely dry.

Even though it’s sticking, it’s dry and it’s doing nothing for me. I remove another pad, apply it to the other thigh and the result is the same. The day before, I happened to be in a pharmacy and picked up a tube of BioFreeze gel as an extra precaution. I commend myself on being an accidental genius. 

I rub the gel on my thighs and calves. My legs feel better but it’s not anything like having the pads. I’ve knocked the pain down a couple of notches; not great, but definitely better than nothing. It’s nearly 2:30pm and I have until 7:45pm to make it to Driver’s Flat, 18 miles away. Without the pain and the previous 30 miles, I can run this distance in less than four hours. Nothing has been easy to this point and the battle has just begun. 18 miles in five hours is now a daunting task.

Hot food and a lot of love are waiting for me at Driver’s Flat. But more importantly, I’m focusing on the whole reason why I’m out here. The Canyons is part of a network of races put on by UTMB, the global governing body of mountain trail races. UTMB is the equivalent of the NFL or NBA for football and basketball, respectively. By finishing one of the few UTMB  races held around the world, you can earn points to qualify for the lottery that gets you into the championship race in Chamonix, France the following August. The longer your event is, the more chances you get for the lottery. I’m competing in the 100K which will earn me six stones (or chances) in the lottery. 100 milers earn eight stones, 50K runners earn four stones. There are three races in North America that qualify and this is one of them. This is my one and only chance to earn stones and qualify for the lottery this year. The time I spent competing during that event was more than 17 hours, which is plenty of time to contemplate the magnetic desire possibility of a lottery chance. The stakes are high for me to finish this race, but are the stones enough of a magnetic desire for me? This is to be explored next time.

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