Enough With Bad-Ass Already

Somebody runs an ultra, and now they’re bad-ass. The social-media confetti showers down. And compared to the baseline fitness of our wide-butt culture, they are. Butt! You’re comparing yourself to a demographic that walks 200yds and has to refuel. On pavement. At a theme-park.

Leaving that behind, now you’re in UltraLandia. But not so fast with that Bad-Ass Prom King or Queen crown. Here’s a convenient checklist to help out.

If you…
  • had a drop bag for a 50k
  • had pacers for a 50-mile or 100k
  • had a crew for a 50-mile or 100k
  • Finally, If you had pacer[s], crew/entourage for a 100
Then you aren’t bad-ass. You’re competent.

Try running a 100mi solo. You get to manage your own shit. All of it. You don’t get to drift along behind/in front of your pacer, who might be muling shit, etc. Afraid of the dark? Problems with being lonely? This gets right to the core of it all.

Do a bunch of these like that and then, maybe, you’re bad-ass.

Don’t get me wrong—pacers can be fun and all the rest. But don’t get ahead of yourself.

Comments

Jana said…
Meh. I've done ultras both ways. Either way, it's just a fun hobby, folks. Nobody is curing cancer out there.
10:01 AM
Mr Trail Safety said…
You mean we're not? Damn. Guess that GoFundMe was a scam after all.
11:02 AM
Unknown said…
when I see people at aid stations with facial expressions designed WWI trench fighting I like to remind them they 1) paid for this and 2) are supposedly doing it for fun
7:53 AM
Michael said…
You're likely badass when you duct tape your nutsack to finish UTMB.
8:45 AM
Anonymous said…
That's all you've got to say? Are you 15yo or something??
9:01 AM
Jeremy C said…
You mad bro?
7:57 PM
Anonymous said…
Sorry friend, 100 miles is only badass if you do it without using checkpoints and with one eye closed.
2:55 AM
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