The Mind of an Ultramarathoner - Goal Setting (Part 2)

PART 2 - GOAL SETTING
’Predicting the Future’

In racing, we always set 3 goals, Goal A, B, C. This helps us prioritize our focus during training. Our Goals can be general for the year or most often specific for an upcoming race. In this Part 2, I share my general running goals for the year to give you a broader perspective, then in Part 3, I share my race goals for my most recent 100k. 

My 2024 Goal A is to gain international racing experience, burst out of my bubble of the Ontario racing series, and see how I would compete on the world stage. By gaining international experience and partaking in the UTMB world series of races, upon successful completion of races, I gain points based on ranking as well, I would then be able to qualify for the mecca race, the Boston Marathon equivalent, The ‘UTMB 100-mile’ in Chamonix, France. The UTMB (Ultra Tour de Mont Blanc) is a race organizing company that specializes in putting on Ultramarathons around the world. I hope to race in 3 ultramarathons this year, 100k Canyons, which I’ve completed this past April! Woohoo! Another race in the summer, perhaps a 50k or 50-mile, and finally another 100k in the Fall. Once I complete these races, I’ll have enough points to enter me into the Ultra runner’s dream race, the UTMB 100-mile in 2025. So the mission is to get these races under my belt by staying healthy and keeping my mind focused. 

My 2024 Goal B is to establish myself as one of the top Canadian Asian Ultramarathon Racers and start down the path of becoming the top Ultramarathon Coach in Toronto. Some would argue that I’ve already established myself as a top Canadian Asian Ultramarathon Racer, considering the successful history of wins under my belt. But for those that are in the Ultra world, it’s a big ocean, we know there’s a lot more competition and credibility to gain on a larger stage, than just winning a bunch of flat land Ontario races and calling it a day. Maybe I’m hard on myself, but because I don’t have a coach, I have to be tough on myself in a nudging-reality-check kind of way, one that’ll push my perceived limits, and push me to reach my fullest potential. There’s no way to measure this Goal B, but with my Goal A, I will have competed in world renown races, which will add to my portfolio of experience. Expertise and knowledge are very necessary as a coach, but to many runners, experience through the achievement of accolades in the sport is deemed mandatory. So with the recent completion of the UESCA Ultra Coaching certification, my expertise is there, now onto the ‘walk the talk’ path of achieving accolades.  

My Goal C is to see this Ultramarathon passion through to the end of 2024. See what this level of dedication and focus brings me as I’ve never picked one thing and made it my thing to this depth. To prioritize one thing, one sport, one objective, which shapes my career trajectory, my brand as a coach and consultant, and my lifestyle, is difficult as a multi-talented person. There’s a bit of an identity struggle in that. “Be a meaningulf specialist, not a wandering generalist” is a quote I have on my wall from 2023. “The riches are in the niches” is another saying I’ve adopted from financially savvy friends. The reason for the inner struggle is typecasting, pigeon holing, and narrowing my options. If you’re a generalist and you have a range of skills that don’t apply to one job or career, but instead many, you know what I’m struggling with. The only way out of this predicament is through. By committing to this Ultramarathon journey, it will help me further understand my current disposition as a generalist. By flipping my mindset from what I have to lose to what I have to gain is key. Maybe as I shift into becoming a specialist, I’ll have learned that this may better reflect who I am becoming. Just like how I started as a Batman lover and Joker hater, but now that I’ve experienced a lot of life, I sometimes identify with the Joker (not in the killing of people for fun, but in how he lives free, and explores free will, as opposed to Batman, caged by his morals and duty). I digress. 

As you can tell, I’m in a reflective phase right now, and writing this article is very helpful, almost therapeutic; a process I’d recommend to any milestone-chaser, change-maker, and high achiever. So if you’re reading this, thank you, thank you for being my muse of an audience. With the template of training and race learnings from my 2023 100-mile race win, my 2024 goals set, I’m moving through 2024’s race season with lots of momentum. Excited for this year to continue to unfold so wonderfully.

Also, I can’t not mention a cherry on top, which is becoming an On Ambassador for 2024. This nomination is an incredible reflection of alignment and perfect timing. The support has been generous and adds more wind to my wings.

Now let’s get into more juicy stuff, Part 3, where I share my training for the Canyons 100k World Major by UTMB, in Auburn, California. 

The Mind of an Ultramarathoner - Canyons 100k Race Reflections (Part 1)

PART 1 - PREFACE
’My 100-mile win in 2023 was just a stepping stone’ 

Change begins when you think about changing. But results from change only come from the commitment to training. And true training commitment begins only when you register for a race (the big gulp moment), the moment you begin to self-actualize. Here is part 1 of my race reflections. This part will provide a foundation of context and I hope this brings you inspiration on your upcoming endeavors. 

Last year (2023), I registered for my favorite local race called the Sulphur Springs 100-mile Trail Race knowing I was going to win it. It was my home race in that the course was an hour away, I’ve spent hundreds of hours on those trails, I had run the race’s numerous distance offerings already (50k, 50-mile, 100k), and could call myself a seasoned ultramarathon runner, if not a top competitor in the region. Though it had been 3 years since I had competed in an ultramarathon. 

I registered with a winning mindset not out of cockiness, but because I had no reason to doubt it. I had the opportunity to stack the cards in my favor. I had enough time to mentally and physically orchestrate a winning program. A healthy runway of work-life balance to implement it, and make constructive alterations along the way with little to no adverse effects. On top of that, the 3 years off gave me a refreshing competitive edge; a nothing to lose, nothing to prove, mindset. It’s like I was starting from scratch, like many others who took a break during the pandemic since there were no sanctioned races. Albeit, I did have a bit of imposter syndrome, moments of “do I still have it in me?”, but that quickly faded when I hit milestones and put up big numbers during training. Typically imposter syndrome corrects itself quickly with action. This drought of 3 years actually took the pressure off, and allowed me to run wild and free, which to me, is the most dangerous x-factor of an ultramarathon competitor.

Of course I made room for anomaly scenarios like a threatening injury on race day, GI-distress, unpredictable poor weather, or a Professional elite-level ultra-runner showing up randomly to crush and humble the locals. But my mind had already planned for an intense training program.

(Reminder, all of this context about my 2023 100-mile race, will contribute to my most recent 2024 100-km race).

Firstly, my physical training included a hyper focus on injury prevention by hiring a team of clinicians to support me; a Chiropractor, Physiotherapist, and Massage Therapist. I upheld a daily regimen of mobility and myofascial self-massage and became known as the mobility guy at my workplaces. I switched all of my physical fitness training to advanced but experimental biomechanical run-specific training, no more aesthetic weightlifting, no more sports that could be a liability (team sports or contact sports). I joined a Contrast Therapy (Sauna and Ice Bath) studio to access the facilities regularly, which upgraded my breathwork knowledge, and increased the frequency of my healing protocol. 

My mental training was in full swing when I audited my outdated fueling strategy and overhauled my game-day plan by registering for an Ultramarathon Coaching Certification by UESCA (United Endurance Sports Coaching Academy). I learned more Ultra-Running strategies and training specifics from this course, as if I had hired a team of run coaches to bootcamp my knowledge base. I devoted myself to an earlier start to training by beginning in the harsher conditions of winter, which helped me adapt to adversity scenarios much sooner, translating to increased mental toughness over the entirety of this journey.

Lastly, I realized I had reawakened a deeply competitive spirit within me that was in hibernation during the pandemic. My awakening came from closure. I had finally internalized many lessons learned from my 2-year sabbatical to and from Costa Rica. By moving on mentally and emotionally from a headspace submerged in uncertainty, the opportunity to reignite my role and identity from a place of certainty brought me deep clarity and enthusiasm. That paved the way to the principle of ‘beginning with the end in mind’. My state of certainty sparked my competitive spirit, which illuminated the path to win.  

By using the hybrid identity of Pura Vida Julian, one that’s of purity and earthliness, and Get-Shit-Done City Julian, one that’s … well … a go-getter A-type, manifesting generator, the odds felt stacked in my favor. The plan was set and all I had to do was show up. I followed through with a win, and came away with a program plan that became a recipe for success, one that I was able to use as a stepping stone for my most recent ultramarathon success at the 2024 UTMB Major - Canyons 100 km Ultramarathon, in Auburn, California. 

10 Wellness Activities for Modern A-Types

As a ‘Modern’ A-Type: you are a doer, manifesting-generator, busy body, and fully aware of your nature and know that you’re only as good as the QUALITY of your energy (not quantity). Hence why I’m always protective of it, and seek novel ways to recharge. Here are activities that have been surprisingly “productive” + balancing that I feel could help you too.

1. 10 minute Sunrise and/or Sunset Meditation
(sleep/wake cycle syncing and setting)

2. Cupping
(passive hands-free physical therapy)

3. Nature bathing mindfulness practice
(focus on isolating your 5 senses one at a time)

4. High nutrient dense Wraps & Kimchi
(efficient and gut healthy)

5. Supporting (other A-type) friends
(giving is receiving rule)

6. Taking care of your key belongings
(because without them, your life would be more annoying)

7. Surround yourself with other modern A-types who want to grow better together
(men’s groups really help me focus, tune up, and hone my energy)

8. Being a B-type (in disguise): follower vs leader, passenger seat, participACTION, knowing you could full on lead, but realize you can conserve your energy while deriving the benefits of the activity.

9. Do arts and crafts at night
(switch off work brain and switch on creative brain, avoids Netflix and zombie mode, better for brain health and sleep)

10. Quality Time with people in another generation
(nephew time has been extremely refreshing and energizing)

Cuteness overload!

Hope these high performance wellness activities spark ways in which you can still be your high achieving self while not burning out! The modern way of the A-Type is evolving into quality before quantity energy expenditure, in all aspects of life, not just work.

Within 6 weeks, I was able to BQ!

I came into this fall season as a slow Ultra runner, but with a few powerful tweaks to my training, I was able to polish off the season with a Boston Qualifying time of 3:01. How’d I do it in just 6 weeks? It starts with a rule from the book Atomic Habits by James Clear.

James Clear highlights a game changing rule; the 1% rule of marginal gains to improve performance over time. This strategy is all about the accumulation of small wins as a base foundation for consistent big wins down the road. By tweaking atomic sized habits that we commonly overlook, we can use them as small win opportunities to create confidence momentum, not only in pursuits like long distance running, but in every aspect of our lives.

The rule comes from the story of the struggling 2003 British Cycling team, where a newly hired coach decided to improve every tiny thing by 1%. After 5 years of overhauling, re-learning, and repair work on the team’s systems and processes, by breaking things down to then rebuild it’s hundreds of parts by 1% improvements, this British cycling team became the winningest team in the sport’s history over a 10 year span!

I took this rule and other tips from Atomic Habits to re-craft my run training strategy. I tweaked small things, focused on improving weaknesses, and committed to a system of good habits. Here they are categorized into physical, mental, and emotional.

PHYSICAL HABITS

Active Recovery is an area of training that increases training quality better than anything else. So I put more time and energy on recovery than actual running. I realized showing up to my training fully recovered and energized empowered me to hit my numbers with ease. The following three 1% habits made me a healthier (and therefore faster) runner.

1 - I started doing 15 minutes of Run-Specific Mobility every day (1% = 14.4 minutes out of 1440 minutes in a day)

2 - I added two weekly contrast Hot-Cold Therapy with Sauna and Ice Bath sessions the day after training to help with inflammation (~1% = 2 x 60 minute sessions, 120 minutes out of 10,080 minutes in a week)

3 - I Epsom Salt bathed and Self-Massaged twice a week for muscle recovery and relaxation (~1% = 2 x 60 minute sessions, 120 minutes out of 10,080 minutes in a week)

This focus on Active Recovery is akin to sharpening the axe. It is a performance multiplier. “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” Truly a quality over quantity strategy that has stuck and poured over into other parts of my life.

MENTAL HABITS

Being organized and specific with training benchmarks elicit focus and informed action.

1 - Instead of setting weekly mileage goals on my Strava app, I set weekly duration goals at race pace 4:00–4:30 min/km during all of my runs. This helped my body quickly adapt to the specific cadence, ground impact, and heart rate required to hit a fast marathon finish.

2 - My goal setting strategy was about subdividing my goals into Goal A, B, and C to maintain a balance of rigidity and fluidity, rigid with what they were, but fluid with which one I’d use on race day: A — Sub 3:00, B — Sub 3:05 (BQ), C — No time, just run intuitively.

3 - During my (stress-inducing) ice baths, I practiced Mental Imagery simulations of the more difficult segments of the race (the beaches turnaround, the bridge climbs, and the last 2k finish). My reasoning was to mimic higher stress at these segments so that my nervous system was prepared, and my self-talk was rehearsed. (*It’s been reported that 70–90% of Olympians use Mental Imagery for performance).

EMOTIONAL HABITS

As simple as it can be, I chose three quotes to cultivate emotional momentum. I used these as my ‘North Star’; my guiding light throughout the cultivation of my ecosystem of habits.

1. “It’s not what you’re doing, it’s how much of you is doing it.”
Commitment is the name of the game. From prep, to program, to performance, no half-assing, I chose to commit full on. You get out what you put in. And I wasn’t afraid to put in everything.

2. “Have more fear of regret than failure.”
If I didn’t get the result I was hoping for, I could easily make excuses. But that attitude doesn’t suit the person I wish to become. I’m at the phase of my life where I believe that taking ownership over my actions and results leads to an honest and virtuous life. Whatever happens was meant to happen, live with it and move on.

3. “If you’re given 4 hours to chop down a tree, take the first 3 hours to sharpen the axe.”
Preparation is everything. This principle of life has served me well. By expanding preparation to more than just the physical tasks of marathon prep, my life has become so much more holistic and fulfilling.

Although my highly focused 6-week ascent in speed translated to a great result, it doesn’t always happen this way. This is not a recipe or prescription for success, it was my recipe that worked for that day. I encourage you to experiment with the rule of 1%, and create a system of habits that resonate with you and your other ongoings. Once these little tweaks align seamlessly with your lifestyle pace, you’ll be well on your way to success, all it’ll take then is probably the most essential ingredients; time and patience.

I will be taking this result as momentum for 2024. I am planning on racing UTMB qualifiers so that I can run UTMB in 2025. I hope this article has given you some insight into my process and sparked a shift in yours. Thank you for reading.

May the force be with you,
Namaste,

Julian