Several weeks ago I finished one of the countries hardest 100 mile races - the Bighorn 100 in the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming. The feeling I had in this race was one like no other. A lot had to do with my mindset and how I practiced it. (Photo Courtesy of Mile 90 Photography.)

Having a higher level of perceived exertion during long term stressors is your bodies way of protecting itself. It’s telling you to take care of yourself and slow down. It’s not saying stop. It’s saying you have a limited reserve. Let’s preserve it for when we need it most.

Why is it so hard to take a break?

Part of it is we absolutely love what we do - run, bike, climb, ski. It is often exhilarating to run fast, to push fast on the bike. The other part - is we’re trying to get ‘better’ at what we do…and maybe we’re so focused on results that we lose sight of the big picture. Our passion takes over. We’re hooked so to speak. Reacting to rules we create for ourselves. Self-judgements. Comparisons.