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Stephanie Allen: Hi, everyone, and welcome to today's episode. My name is Stephanie Allen. And while I typically work in the pharmacy department, today, I want to take you to a place of staggering beauty, where jagged peaks pierce the sky, wildflowers bloom along Edmonds Ridge lines and silence is broken only by the sound of your own heartbeat and breath.

This is the San Juan Mountains of Colorado, home to some of the most challenging ultramarathons in the world. These are a hundred mile journeys through thin air, relentless climbs, and unpredictable weather. I recently completed one of these races and wanted to share a couple of lessons I learned through my journey.

Now, before you hit pause, because you're not a runner, hang with me. This episode isn't really about running. It's about what happens when we push ourselves beyond what feels possible and what lessons you can bring into your own life. No matter your pace, no matter your path. Picture this, you've been on your feet for 20 hours. The sun has set, the temperature has dropped, and your headlamp beam is the only thing cutting through the darkness. You climb one slow step after another at 12,000 feet above sea level. Lungs burning, legs, trembling, and every step asking yourself, "Why are you here? Why not just stop?"

And then at the top of the ridge, everything changes. The stars fill across the sky brighter than you've ever seen. The world feels both impossibly vast and deeply intimate. And in that moment, you realize you are still moving, you can keep going. Running a hundred miles in the San JuanS isn't about speed. It's about persistence. It's about showing up for the next step and then the next. And trusting that the finish line will come if you just keep moving forward.

Lesson one, break big goals into small steps. Here's the first takeaway I'd like to pass along from my own experience, even if you never lace up a pair of trail shoes. When faced with something overwhelming, whether it's a new job, a huge project, or even just a messy house, don't focus on the entire mountain. Just focus on the next step. Ultrarunners don't think, "Wow, I have a hundred miles ahead of me to go." That's far too overwhelming. Instead, we focus on the next little goal, which is typically, "Let's just make it to the next aid station just five miles ahead. I can do that." So, ask yourself, "What's my next step? What's just the small next doable action?" That's how mountains are climbed. That's how a hundred miles are run. That's how change starts.

Now, let me be clear. This is not easy. By mile 70, the San Juans will test you. The altitude makes every breath hard. Your legs beg to stop. Your mind whispers all the reasons why you should quit. But here's the thing, every runner learns that discomfort isn't the enemy, it's the teacher. And often, these darkest points, when you're convinced you're finished, actually become the moments you discover strength you didn't know you had.

Lesson two, discomfort equals growth. This is the second lesson I'd like to share that I think each person can carry into their own life. We live in a world that seems to avoid discomfort at all costs. But the truth is growth never comes from staying comfortable. Whether it's learning a new skill, having a hard conversation, or pursuing a dream that scares you just a little or a lot, the discomfort is often where transformation happens. A hundred miles will force anyone to face their discomfort and find ways to both embrace it and work through it.

And when reflecting back on these moments, the creative problem-solving and growth through the discomfort are often astounding. So, I challenge you to ask yourself, "Where am I avoiding discomfort? And what would happen if I perhaps leaned into it instead?" I truly believe that doing things that make you uncomfortable lead to the most memorable and impactful experiences.

And then, after 36 hours on your feet, you turn a final corner and see the finish line, the cheers, the embrace of your crew and pacers, the overwhelming feeling of both exhaustion and joy, that final realization that you finish this enormous thing. It's not about the belt buckle or the medal, it's about the story you now carry and the people who were with you along the journey that you now have these shared experiences with. It's about the realization that "I didn't think I could, but I did." That's the real gift of these mountains. Physical or symbolic, not running a hundred miles, but realizing that our limits are rarely where we think they are.

So, here's my invitation to you. When life feels overwhelming, break it into the next small step. When you face discomfort, see it as the doorway to growth, not a wall to stop you. You may never run through the San Juan mountains, but you don't need to. You have your own peaks to climb, your own finish lines to work towards. And I promise you are capable of more than you believe.

But if you are interested in starting, continuing, or growing your running journey, I highly encourage you to check out Southwest Runners. They've created a fantastic running community around Farmington and the surrounding cities and are very welcoming to runners of all abilities, whether you are just starting out, looking to expand into ultradistances or anywhere in between. In the spring, summer, and fall, Southwest runners host a local run club on Tuesdays and Thursdays that help support and grow the running community. I hope to see you there. Thanks for spending these minutes with me. Until next time, keep moving forward.