What If I Faked A Turned Ankle?
That way, I could withdraw from the race for a legitimate reason. No one would question it. I was finding the race harder than I thought it would be, and for a fair few K’s, I let that thought roll around in my head. Maybe if I stepped awkwardly, I could make it look real. I knew I was getting in my own way, chasing the negative thoughts, but they felt relentless.
Distance running is as much about the running as it is about the mental game.
I decided to give it two more kilometers.
I reminded myself—this was my choice. I was running the peaks of some of the highest mountains in Britain. The sun was shining, and it was beautiful. It wasn’t supposed to be easy.
But as I kept running, I started thinking—why am I able to keep going? Why is it that, when everything in me is telling me to stop, I still push forward?
This morning, I was thinking about that moment, trying to figure it out. Because it’s not just about running. It’s not just about racing. It’s about life.
Not everyone is running a 100km race. But everyone, at some point, will feel like they can’t take another step. When you’re exhausted. When you’re overwhelmed. When getting out of bed feels too hard. How do you keep moving forward when everything in you is screaming to stop?
I think the answer is this—you don’t wait to feel ready. You just take the next step.
When I was deep in that race, I wasn’t thinking about the next 50km. That would have broken me. I wasn’t even thinking about the next 10. I told myself: just two more. And when I got there? Another two. Then another. And somehow, I kept going.
That’s how it works in life, too. If getting out of bed feels impossible, don’t think about the whole day ahead. Just focus on sitting up. Then standing. Then taking one step. Then another.
What if you didn’t have to rely on motivation to achieve your goals? What if the key to success wasn’t about feeling inspired every day, but about showing up, no matter how you feel?
When I signed up for my first ultra-marathon, I knew that preparing my mindset would be just as important as training my body. You don’t have to be the strongest, the fastest, or the most naturally gifted to succeed—what matters is the ability to keep going, to commit to the process, to put in the work.
And that means making choices every single day:
- Training even when I don’t feel like it
- Recovering properly instead of pushing too hard
- Eating well to fuel my body and mind
- Saying no to social plans that don’t align with my goal
It’s all a test. Every decision has an equal reaction, however small it might seem in that split second.
In the lead-up to these events, I focus on planning and preparation. A clear plan gives me structure and something to follow. I start each week knowing what I have to do and, more importantly, why I have to do it. There’s no excuse I can make that will get me out of the work, because at the end of the day, I am the only one accountable for my progress.
If I miss a session, it’s not because I didn’t have time—it’s because I didn’t make time. If I skip something, I know that, for that day, I let my mind win. Some days, of course, it’s essential to listen to your body. But in three months, when I’m 40 miles into a 100-mile race and my brain tells me I’m too tired, what if I just stop? Give up? No. Because I’ve already learned how to push through. I’ve trained for this moment—not just physically, but mentally.
And the truth is, showing up every day, creating habits, and keeping promises to yourself becomes addictive. Seeing progress, feeling growth—it leads to more confidence, more belief in myself. And once you know that? You become unstoppable.
What if you had a mantra to carry you through the hardest moments? Something to say to yourself when everything hurts and you need to find a way through?
This is a key element of my training. Every day, I remind myself: I chose this challenge. It is a privilege and a blessing.
The insanity of the goal is what fuels the desire to keep going.
Motivation will come and go, but you can learn to build something stronger than motivation—self-respect. That deep, unwavering respect that makes you show up no matter how you feel. The understanding that when it gets tough, you push on, because that’s what you’ve trained for.
At first, the consistency of training felt relentless, never-ending. Now? I love it. I know I’m improving every day—not just in my physical performance, but in who I am. I am mentally clearer, more focused, and more confident in my ability to handle hard things.
And what if that’s the real lesson? That success isn’t about one big moment—it’s about all the small, unseen decisions. The ones you make, day in and day out, until you’ve built the strongest foundation possible.
It’s the same when it comes to mental health and wellbeing. Some days, just functioning feels like an endurance event. But the same principle applies—small choices add up. You don’t have to tackle everything at once. You just have to take the next step.
- Getting out of bed when it feels impossible
- Taking a shower, even if you don’t feel like it
- Eating something nourishing when you’d rather not bother
- Turning your screen off and stepping outside for five minutes
- Saying hello to a colleague, even when you feel like isolating yourself
- Starting a conversation instead of waiting for someone else to
These moments might seem small, but they matter. They create momentum. They prove to you that you can keep going. And just like in a race, one step leads to another. The challenge doesn’t disappear, but you find a way through.
The truth is, you don’t need to feel ready. You just need to begin.
