Aaron Dana: A Runner's Pursuit of Purpose

Aaron Dana, a trail runner, shares his journey into running and the mental health benefits he experienced. He started running in 2019 and quickly fell in love with trail running. Running became his outlet and a way to cope with stress. He found that running helped him manage his mental health and gave him a sense of accomplishment. Aaron progressed from running a half marathon to completing a 100-mile race. He learned valuable lessons about pacing, nutrition, and hydration. Aaron's goal is to continue improving and pushing his limits in ultra running. Aaron reflects on the mental growth and lessons he learned over the years of participating in the Midstate Mile race. He emphasizes the importance of celebrating wins and not getting caught up in comparing oneself to others. Aaron shares that the most important thing he did to finally achieve his goal was to have an unshakable belief in himself and refuse to doubt his abilities. He also highlights the significance of having a supportive spouse and crew who understand the challenges of ultra running. Aaron advises new runners to focus on being true to themselves, embracing the clock, and learning from the lessons the race has to offer. In this final part of the conversation, Aaron discusses his future plans and bucket list races. He also talks about his strength training routine, average mileage per week, and favorite hydration methods. The hosts share their experiences as race directors and the importance of volunteering in the ultra running community.