Barkley Marathons Hour 36 Update / March 19th, 2021

John Kelly @RndmForestRunnr A few #BM100 misperceptions I've noticed: 1. The race requires mental toughness, but you can't simply tough it out. Failure doesn't mean you weren't tough enough and being tough enough doesn't mean you'll be successful. (1/5)  2. Conditions matter, but they'll never be perfect at #BM100. Swings from frozen solid water jugs to scorching hot in 12 hours... that's just TN in March. I've had fierce storms from nowhere, fog from everywhere, and starts from 1:42 to 11:20 AM. (2/5)  If someone thinks a #BM100 finish requires good conditions, they've already failed. Bad conditions most affect those who had no chance to begin with. Energy must be focused on the things that are actually controllable. (3/5)  3. Yes, the #BM100 course gets tougher. So too does our gear, our training, and our collective experience. It's a delicate balancing act, to keep it just at that edge of possible & stretch us out fully across our spectrum of possibilities. (4/5)  Has it become too hard? That's been asked often in the last 30 years. And that's where the opportunity lies. Doing what couldn't be done carries far greater appeal than re-defeating something already conquered. #BM100 requires that motivation, as all great goals should. (5/5)  FOLLOW ME: https://twitter.com/AndyNoise