I was laughing and giggling at the ridiculousness of my situation. I’ve come eight-one miles. and for the most part I felt fine, I was hydrated, fueled well, I felt comfortable in the heat and sun, I felt comfortable in the cold and dark…but my calves were tight, painful knots of searing hate. Straightening my legs required maximum effort and four-letter words.

Joly Smokes! Watching the Javelina Jundred from the sidelines last weekend I was witness to an amazing spectacle. I saw people from all walks of life, all shapes and sizes, and all ages get to the starting line and take on the incredible challenge of running a hundred miles or hundred kilometers in the desert, under some of the hottest conditions this race has seen.  I love this race for many reasons, most of all as a sport psychology professional I can witness people do something extremely challenging and see them all at multiple points during the race, you get to witness mental skills in action. The following are just some of what I saw from the sidelines.

Your motivation doesn’t have to come from a higher power outside of yourself to do something big. It doesn’t have to be a big ‘why'.’