fbpx
  • Home
  • Our Story
  • Courses
    • Finding Your Best
    • Finding Your Best for Business
    • Warrior’s Edge
  • The Latest
ENROLL NOWLOGIN
Friday, March 29, 2019 / Published in Confidence, Grit, High Performance, Inspiration

PUSHING MY LIMITS WITH A 35-MILE ULTRA-MARATHON RACE

35 miles of running. 10,000 feet of climbing.  9.5 hours of one foot in front of the other.   

For the first time since the Rio Olympics, I wanted to be tested again physically. That’s why I signed up for an ultramarathon in Whistler B.C. When I first committed to this race, running four miles felt like hard work. I had no idea how it would go. Here’s my story: 

I first started formally training my mind in the four years leading up to the Rio Olympics. To be honest, I initially committed to investing in mindset because I thought it would help me win a gold medal. What I realized over the next four years was that while it helped me play better than I ever had, it fundamentally changed the experience of pursuing my best.   

I started having fun again. Moments and circumstances that were previously stressful for me started to become enjoyable, and I couldn’t wait to be in moments of challenge to see how I could show up a little better than the previous time. I cared about the outcome as much as I had before, but I now knew the cost of holding on “too tightly.”  I was locked into the process and committed to bringing all of me to each moment. This gave me a sense of freedom while competing I had never felt before, and I was hooked.   

Since retiring from volleyball, I’ve been using these mindset skills while navigating a new career as well as encountering the changes that come with retiring from a sport I played for 20 years. Every day at work with Compete to Create I have been inspired by hearing the stories of people who are continuing to push what’s possible for themselves at work and in their home lives. That inspiration is what drove me to reconnect with the feeling of pushing my own boundaries. 

How would my mental skills show up — or not — for me while attempting to run farther than I ever had? This is what I went to explore. 

The race was everything we hoped it would be. We got uncomfortable, we laughed, we worked together, we felt new “pain,” and we learned what it takes to keep pushing when my body was screaming for me to stop. What I appreciate most about really being exhausted is that it tends to bring out a more honest connection with yourself, with others, and the world around you. This was the greatest joy I felt in this race. Exploring new edges within myself, while having an overwhelming support of volunteers, as well as the natural connection that comes with being “in it” with other runners giving it their all. It was an incredible reminder of how much stronger we can be when we’re connected to others, and this is what has stuck with me more than anything else.  

Our race time didn’t matter, the hours of training felt forgotten. What I was left with was a sense of community and connection. Since that ultra, I find more joy in supporting my friends and family in their own pursuits and am much more intentional about seeking out opportunities to do so. There is so much more within us when we are connected to others, it still fires me up when reflecting on those moments in the race. The moments when I felt like I had nothing left, and one look, one comment, helped me dig deeper and push through. The simple reminder that we all have much more strength within than we often give ourselves credit for.   

Reconnecting to myself in this extreme way helped me to tap into that more in my everyday life, and fired me up to continue training my mind so I can fully experience the richness of each moment.  

My hope is that everyone we work with at Compete to Create can find their own way to reconnect — to themselves, to their communities, and the rhythm of the world that fires them up.  It’s in this place that the pursuit of what’s possible becomes really, really fun.  

With fire,

Courtney Thompson

Training mindset principles is important for anyone looking to improve personal performance. These principles are covered in the Finding Your Best course. Apply today to join the next cohort.

Tagged under: high performance mindset, marathon running, mindset

Recent Posts

  • MINDSET TRAINING – HOW FOCUS IS KEY

    If you can get your mind right, you can be at y...
  • PERFORM LIKE AN ATHLETE AT WORK AND IN LIFE

    The following are highlights from the conversat...
  • HOW YOUR PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY LEADS TO PERSEVERANCE IN UNCERTAIN TIMES

    Exclusive Excerpt from the New Audible Original...
  • THE PASSION TRAP

    The new Audible Original – “Compete to Cr...

OUR COURSES

  • Finding Your Best
  • Finding Your Best for Business
  • Warrior’s Edge

FOLLOW US

RESOURCES

  • FAQ
  • The Blog
  • Finding Mastery Podcast
  • Media Inquiries
  • Audible Original

Careers

Privacy Policy | Terms 

© 2015-2020 | All rights reserved

TOP
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.