Silver Buckle In My First Ultramarathon - Ultra Trail Australia 2024

Look at my face as I crossed the Ultra Trail Australia 2024 finish line.

That's the face you make when you achieve an audacious goal you were NOT guaranteed to achieve. 

In the Ultra Trail Australia, a 100km footrace with over 4450m of elevation gain in the Blue Mountains National Park, men who finish in less than 14 hours get a silver buckle as a recognition for the hard yakka. Men who finish in less than 20 hours get a bronze buckle; the total cut-off for the event is 28 hours.

I'd never run further than 44km before the race.

I could've easily set myself a goal of just finishing the race. That would've been comfortable. It would've meant that I could've taken my time at the aid stations, and I wouldn't have had to race the clock during the last few hours. 

However, knowing that setting comfortable goals is the best way to guarantee you'll never achieve what you're capable of, I set my sights on finishing in less than 14 hours. 

The last couple of hours were brutal. 

The last major aid station was at 79km. From there, it was a bone-crushing 800m of descent over 10km, followed by 900m of ascent over the last 11km for the finish. 

That downhill really cooked my already beaten-up legs. By the time I began the 11km ascent towards the finish, the sun had gone down, and it was pitch black. 

Sub 14 hours. That's all I could think. The hill was steep. I was tired and moving slowly, but I knew I had a chance as long as I kept moving forward. I knew it was going to be a very close call.

So, when I made it over the finish line in 13:42:19... The face says it all. 

The moral of the story:

Don't set goals you are guaranteed to achieve. 

Paradoxically, setting a goal you're guaranteed to achieve REDUCES your chances of achieving it because you're more likely to half-ass, get bored and give up.

Aim higher. The goal has to be scary to inspire and motivate you to show up and do the work even when you don't feel like it. 

Your training will be of higher quality, and on game day, you will perform closer to your true potential. 

Aiming high and setting an audacious but realistic goal will bring out your best.

This applies to everything: work, running, body composition, lifting, sports, everything.

That's enough from me - it's your turn.

What goals are you currently working towards? 

I can't wait to connect and hear about your journey. Send me a DM on Instagram to start the conversation.

Your friend,

Pyry