What does it take to get ready for a 50 mile run? How long should you plan for training and what are the things you should be ready for? I spill the tea on how training has been for me and what I wish I knew before I started.

1) Expect the unexpected.

If you think training is going to take you 6 months, plan for 8-10 because you never know what might happen during your training.

In June, I rolled my ankle 3x during a 30k trail race, resulting in a strain to my posterior tibial tendon. I also struggled with my mental health for a couple weeks, which made it hard to stay motivated.

The best advice I can give here is to plan for injuries, days where you don't feel like running, and buffer time for rest.

2) Balancing a social life is hard.

Remember when there was a global pandemic, we couldn't go out and everything was closed? Now that everything is opening up and we're socializing again, the temptation to get back out in society and have IRL experiences is a thing - even for an introvert like me.

Since amping up my training, I've had to sacrifice a social life to wake up at ungodly hours for trail runs and training. Getting back to dating again was something I was looking forward to this summer. However, balancing date nights with fancy dinners and bottles of wine with early morning trail runs just doesn't work for me.

My sleep schedule is weird. Alcohol hurts my body and hinders my recovery (except Juneshine. It's the only alcohol I can drink that doesn't give me a hangover). Dating is hard when they cannot relate or understand why you have to be in bed by 8pm on a Friday.

3) Entering the ‘pain cave’ is a celebration.

Ultra runner Courtney Dauwalter’s mindset and advice around celebrating the painful parts of running helped me when I hit "the wall" during my last 50k.

In a podcast episode, she talks about "embracing the pain cave" and seeing it as a way of celebrating how far we've come instead of fearing it.

When I felt like my body was falling apart during my last 50k, celebrating the fact I got to that point (20 miles) helped me crank out 11 more.

4) Your environment matters.

What you expose yourself to visually, audibly and emotionally is impactful. If you're watching sad movies, listening to negative news, and exposing yourself to things that stir up negative emotions, you're not going to feel pumped for a run. You might feel motivated, because you know it's something you have to do, but it's going to be a bit more of a challenge.

The books you read, the podcasts you listen to, the movies you watch, the photographs on your wall, and the places you go… it all has an impact.

My advice if you're looking for inspiration is to watch anything by Billy Yang. He is an ultra runner and videographer. One of my favorite films by him is 'Life in a Day', which you can watch for free on YouTube.

5) Who you're surrounded by matters.

I find this has the biggest impact on motivation and success.

If the people you surround yourself with are incapable of understanding or supporting your goals, they will hinder you.

Yeah. I said it.

This doesn't mean cut off your friends who aren't runners, or to isolate yourself. It just means that you need to be mindful of the people you are spending time with and how they make you feel. When you're deep in training for something that requires focus and determination, being around negative people, drama, and/or empty experiences will leave you feeling exhausted.

This summer, I found myself in a couple situations where I was pouring too much of myself into people. Getting lost in their world, when I needed to be focusing on mine, left me in an emotional rut that hindered my progress.

6) Do not let comparison steal your joy.

In the world of Strava, FKTs, and PR's, I choose to compete with no one but myself.

I struggled with imposter syndrome at the beginning of my training because I wasn't crushing 20 mile runs and bagging peaks every weekend. I was barely able to crank out 8 miles before my legs would cramp up from not being used to the elevation gain and change in altitude.

My advice here is to never let someone else's progress make you think you're not doing enough. We all started somewhere and part of why we love this sport is because it's hard. Keep challenging yourself and if you do look to another runner, I hope you do it for inspiration.

Also, utilizing the mute function on IG will quiet out the 'noise' from the pretentious ultra runners (they know who they are).

7) Every failure is a learning opportunity.

My first DNF was a blessing. I came back stronger, motivated and determined to finish. I learned a lot from my first DNF about mindset, expectations and discipline. I could have let it get me down but I chose to let it fuel me instead.

I learned much of what I am sharing in this blog after reflecting on that race. So, don't let a failure stop you from pursuing what you know is possible. There's a lesson in there. Find it and let it fuel you.

8) Never forget your WHY.

Having a WHY is so important. It puts intention and purpose into your run. Maybe you're working towards running your first marathon or shedding 50 lbs. Maybe it's qualifying for Boston or shaving time off your PR. Maybe it's honoring the life of someone you love or raising money for a cause.

For me, it's running to raise money to help Lili fight cancer.

It's running to honor the life of my father, whom suddenly passed away from cancer in March. I'm carrying a toy model of his beloved Corvette with me as a way to take him along on the journey.

Find something that you're passionate about and let it drive you when times get tough.

9) Discomfort is a good thing.

There is no growth or change without discomfort. It's in the moments when you want to give up when you have to keep pushing through. Leaving your comfort zone is key if you want to get stronger physically and mentally.

However, it's important to recognize when discomfort can be a sign of something bigger. For example, deciding to DNF wasn't a hard choice to make when the risk of heat exhaustion was extremely high. It's okay to give into discomfort if there's a significant risk to your health.

10) There’s magic in community.

One thing I’ve learned this summer while training for #R2R2R is the power of community - especially on the trails.

In June, I joined Wellness on the Trails and started running with a group of amazing women - 'Trail Chicas'. We go on sunrise trail runs up Mount Baldy, sunset runs around Griffith Park, and support one another in achieving our individual goals.

Running, to me, was a solo sport until I found the magic in community. When I'm running with a group, I am faster, stronger and perform better. Also, it's great having people who get it and actually want to wake up at 2am to summit a mountain. There's also the accountability aspect, which is key on the days you want to snooze your alarm.

I am training to run Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim across the Grand Canyon (~50 miles) to raise money for Lili’s fight against a rare form of Stage IV Ovarian Cancer.

This is also in memory of my father who passed away from cancer less than 5 months ago.

You can support by donating to our #GoFundMe campaign (Lili receives 100% of the donation) and/or purchasing from my Etsy shop! I am donating 10% of monthly profits to Lili.