This may be some of the the most useful insight to training for ultra running events I’ve read. Many would benefit significantly from the lessons shared here. I especially appreciate the idea of digging a hole that she would benefit from later AND the importance of rest, recovery, and social life post digging. As for Blair, what an inspiring chapter written for those of us here in earth school. Embracing the process, digging deep, and letting go, and all of it coalescing into a magic trip through the crazies. It is all so beautiful!
Luke, thank you. And thanks too for being a friend, walking along beside us, sometimes distant, sometimes close, on the whole journey. Of course, we can put our rose-colored glasses on and assign meaning to certain events after the fact, and we can also look back and place them in the context of a longer trajectory. And the overreaching isn't confined to the physical; the psychological excavation after High Lonesome was deep, and then came the compensation, the regrowth. High to low, to the plains, to a climb and a new high, to second sight and a magical journey through those mountains. Now, recovery, assimilation, and compensation ... the new landscape waiting on the other side of uncertainty, of risk, courage and action.
Loved this. I’m seven weeks out from my own 50-miler and currently feeling somewhere between deep in the work and deep in the hole. There is always that nagging uncertainty about whether the accumulated fatigue is productive, whether I’ve done enough, or whether I’ve simply buried myself too far to climb back out. This was a timely reminder that the digging is only half the equation. The harder part might be trusting the work, stepping back, and giving the body and mind enough space to actually absorb it.
I really liked the distinction between can’t and won’t, as well as the idea that a good taper creates almost too much space to question every decision that came before it. There is no real way to know whether you got the balance right until race day. At some point, you just have to accept what has been done, control what is still controllable, and then let go.
Massive stoke for Blair. To come through the experience at Scout Mountain, recognize it for what it was, recover with intention, and then arrive at the start line feeling light and not attached to the outcome is incredible. What a race, and what a beautiful reflection on all the work, care, experience, and belief that came together to make it possible. All 🫀 and ❤️
Kyle, you nailed it – trust. Yes, trusting the work, but/and also trusting Self. When I had a gym I used to tell those overthinking clients that, "second-guessing the training is a second workout to recover from, because the heaviest weight in the gym is your own head." Trusting yourself, trusting that you have done what is appropriate to prepare and then letting it go is liberating, and accepting that you did what you did and maybe it's enough and maybe it isn't is so very human ... so let it go. 🫀
Many years ago, you and Enele explained can't/won't to me (and a cohort of National Guard). It's one of many lessons that stuck; it was very nice to refresh the knowledge base by reading it in this context. Congrats to Blair, onward to you both. (also, Eddy B. FTW)
Well that's a blast from the past, thank you. In that period I was on the accelerated learning program for human nature, trying to understand how people either quit or kept going when that going got hard, when self-image was put into question, when all eyes seemed to be on the person who was trying to decide what to do (when no one was actually looking because they were deep in their own confrontation with doubt). I imagined the answer would be complicated, or complex, and it was really very simple. Almost too simple to believe. There were some months of tests to verify the idea, a lot of, "go until you can't" prescriptions, while I took notes on what I saw. Being reminded of all that as I observed Blair on her journey to the start line, and then the finish line was a good reminder of how difficult it can be to master oneself, and also how beautiful the outcome when one succeeds.
Thanks for this. Can’t wait to hear the crewing side and Blair’s story. Love that her victory photo is the header for This Week in Running: July 27, 2026 on irunfar.com
I keep doing contradictory two things (human after all); dismissing the importance of that crew chief job in order to place more value on the work Blair did, and also accepting the importance of the whole team that made the journey possible. I also keep crewing, making dinner, cleaning and organizing all of the post-race detritus and supplies, laundry, keeping the space quiet and calm ... the race ends, and the integration and transformation begin.
The podcast is live! But what we all want — to read her thoughtful and deeply moving words — is a bit in the future, I believe. Integrating such a journey probably takes as much work as getting ready to embark on it.
This may be some of the the most useful insight to training for ultra running events I’ve read. Many would benefit significantly from the lessons shared here. I especially appreciate the idea of digging a hole that she would benefit from later AND the importance of rest, recovery, and social life post digging. As for Blair, what an inspiring chapter written for those of us here in earth school. Embracing the process, digging deep, and letting go, and all of it coalescing into a magic trip through the crazies. It is all so beautiful!
Luke, thank you. And thanks too for being a friend, walking along beside us, sometimes distant, sometimes close, on the whole journey. Of course, we can put our rose-colored glasses on and assign meaning to certain events after the fact, and we can also look back and place them in the context of a longer trajectory. And the overreaching isn't confined to the physical; the psychological excavation after High Lonesome was deep, and then came the compensation, the regrowth. High to low, to the plains, to a climb and a new high, to second sight and a magical journey through those mountains. Now, recovery, assimilation, and compensation ... the new landscape waiting on the other side of uncertainty, of risk, courage and action.
Loved this. I’m seven weeks out from my own 50-miler and currently feeling somewhere between deep in the work and deep in the hole. There is always that nagging uncertainty about whether the accumulated fatigue is productive, whether I’ve done enough, or whether I’ve simply buried myself too far to climb back out. This was a timely reminder that the digging is only half the equation. The harder part might be trusting the work, stepping back, and giving the body and mind enough space to actually absorb it.
I really liked the distinction between can’t and won’t, as well as the idea that a good taper creates almost too much space to question every decision that came before it. There is no real way to know whether you got the balance right until race day. At some point, you just have to accept what has been done, control what is still controllable, and then let go.
Massive stoke for Blair. To come through the experience at Scout Mountain, recognize it for what it was, recover with intention, and then arrive at the start line feeling light and not attached to the outcome is incredible. What a race, and what a beautiful reflection on all the work, care, experience, and belief that came together to make it possible. All 🫀 and ❤️
Kyle, you nailed it – trust. Yes, trusting the work, but/and also trusting Self. When I had a gym I used to tell those overthinking clients that, "second-guessing the training is a second workout to recover from, because the heaviest weight in the gym is your own head." Trusting yourself, trusting that you have done what is appropriate to prepare and then letting it go is liberating, and accepting that you did what you did and maybe it's enough and maybe it isn't is so very human ... so let it go. 🫀
Many years ago, you and Enele explained can't/won't to me (and a cohort of National Guard). It's one of many lessons that stuck; it was very nice to refresh the knowledge base by reading it in this context. Congrats to Blair, onward to you both. (also, Eddy B. FTW)
Well that's a blast from the past, thank you. In that period I was on the accelerated learning program for human nature, trying to understand how people either quit or kept going when that going got hard, when self-image was put into question, when all eyes seemed to be on the person who was trying to decide what to do (when no one was actually looking because they were deep in their own confrontation with doubt). I imagined the answer would be complicated, or complex, and it was really very simple. Almost too simple to believe. There were some months of tests to verify the idea, a lot of, "go until you can't" prescriptions, while I took notes on what I saw. Being reminded of all that as I observed Blair on her journey to the start line, and then the finish line was a good reminder of how difficult it can be to master oneself, and also how beautiful the outcome when one succeeds.
Congrats, Blair Speed!!
Thanks for this. Can’t wait to hear the crewing side and Blair’s story. Love that her victory photo is the header for This Week in Running: July 27, 2026 on irunfar.com
I keep doing contradictory two things (human after all); dismissing the importance of that crew chief job in order to place more value on the work Blair did, and also accepting the importance of the whole team that made the journey possible. I also keep crewing, making dinner, cleaning and organizing all of the post-race detritus and supplies, laundry, keeping the space quiet and calm ... the race ends, and the integration and transformation begin.
Can't wait to hear Blair's perspective.
The podcast is live! But what we all want — to read her thoughtful and deeply moving words — is a bit in the future, I believe. Integrating such a journey probably takes as much work as getting ready to embark on it.
Absolutely. As long as it takes Blair to fully digest all of it and form her own words around it... I'm here for it.
If she even decides that she doesn't want to share what was found, I'm here for that too.
Thoughts and words this important to ones self, their journey and resulting growth, should not be rushed or be pressured to rush.