Bromont Ultra 80 thoughts

 Do something long enough and there's a good chance your mind and body (if it involves that) will know what to do when faced with a major and unprecedented challenge.

Never give up. Never!

Eat every 40 minutes (or stick to whatever plan you made).

Don't be a negative thinker.

Assume you have successfully completed the challenge weeks, days and hours before you have even started.

When you're tired, eat and drink.

If you are cramping, stop and stretch and relax, that will pass.

Your loved ones, colleagues and friends want you to succeed!

Be kind and helpful to fellow runners (humans in general), it might make the difference not only in that moment, but in their day, and quite possibly their life.

Being able to run alone on a trail on private property surrounded by forest with sun filtering through is possibly one of the greatest things God could give me. Hour after hour.

So those were a few thoughts that I had post race that I didn't want to forget. And now, looking ahead, the question is, do I repeat? I know I can do it now, and the fact that I'm a year older doesn't phase me in the least. In fact I think I can be stronger and faster in 2022. The best thing about an injury from overuse and unbalance is the reperative exercises that fix said injury and make one stronger.

The 80 isn't scary like it was before, because I have completed it once. The question now that I have completed it once is, what training aspect needs to be emphasized the most? Previously I was most terrified of the first 10kms, and it was all downhill after Lt. Dan, the ominous climb that takes me about 30 minutes every time. But now that is just a distant memory. The slowest and most difficult part of 2021 was the last 30kms. Mostly because they were all  in the dark. My headlamp gave up after three hours, at the 65km aide station, and I continued at a fast walk on technical trails, up and down for 3 1/2 more hours mostly holding my iPhone! The water my crew had put in my hydration bladder was local water and tasted horrible, so I ditched it. Little things like that had an impact.

So how to improve? Get strong so night RUNNING not power hiking is possible. Get a new headlamp.

Nutrition and hydration were perfect as far as I can tell. Shoes? Maybe a different shoe, one that doesn't make huge bubbly blisters on my fourth toes of each foot.

No chafing or other issues.

My core needs to get a lot stronger. So maybe 4-5 run days a week and 3 solid core workouts. Can I keep to that?