What’s Your Why? – The Motivation Behind Running a 250-Mile Race

Ashton KanstrupRace Preview, Ultra Thoughts

Guest Post by Shelby Farrell | Follow her Cocodona 250 training journey at @shelbzzf & shelbzzf.com

I remember my first run. Not the first time I ran, but the first time I ran after enjoying all of the french fries, ice cream, and Thirsty Thursdays in college. Discomfort in your own skin, amplified by every jarring jiggly step. For me it was the beginning of discovering self-discipline, the beginning of self-discovery, the beginning of falling in love with running. Ew. Typing that made me cringe. Is it “running” I love? Not in the isolated form of the word. It’s the ability to connect your mind and body in nature. It’s the power of being able to traverse a landscape by foot– a prehistoric practice, lost over time.

But why? Yeah, those thoughts are cool; on a physiological level that dopamine release feels glorious, and on a physical level it is a healthy activity– but that’s not enough to make someone want to run. Let alone run 250 miles, solo, in one shot at the upcoming Cocodona 250.

Shelby Farrell testing out trekking poles for the first time during a training run in Malibu Creek State Park, CA.

I’ve been thinking about my “why” and I’d like to share it. I think it’s an important thing to know about yourself before embarking on such an adventure. It will be a useful file to pull when my mind starts to go awry. So here it is:

Everyone experiences hard hits in life; it’s what you learn from it. My greatest blow was the sudden death of my dad at age 19. It sucked (obviously). It made me realize quite quickly that we only have one chance at living our individual life to the fullest. For me, running feels like the maximal way to do this. On a run, you are using your mind and body to its highest potential, in a unique synchronized fashion– this makes me feel incredibly alive.

To experience such a natural human high while covering 250 miles by foot in a plethora of serene Arizona landscapes, over the course of three days, is going to be absolutely out of this world. I can’t imagine any other way I’d want to live. What’s your why? 

Views from the Cocodona 250 course on Mingus Mountain. PHOTO: Jubilee Paige

Besides your “why,” another mental file that might help propel you forward is knowing about the glorious 20ish miles of mostly downhill travel between Mingus Mountain Camp (at mile 112.9 AS10) into Jerome Historic State Park (mile 126 AS11) and then Dead Horse Ranch State Park (mile 134.9 AS12).

Smack in the middle of that cruise control section is the historic town of Jerome, sitting at 5,000 feet elevation. It’s an old copper-mining town, turned tourist destination, and artist haven. At one point Jerome was the fourth largest city in Arizona with the population peaking around 15,000 in the 1920’s. Around this time it earned the title, “Wickedest Town of the West.” When demand for copper decreased Jerome became a promoted ghost town with a population of 50 to 100 people. In 1967 the federal government named Jerome a National Historic District, and since then, now with a population around 450, it has flourished to be the visitor-friendly, creative hub that it is.

Alright, but the course surely is not all downhill… in fact, there are several climbs in the course section descriptions that recommend poles. For that reason, I did a little experimenting on this weekend’s training run… Enjoy!

WATCH: Shelby Farrell takes us on a training run at Malibu Creek State Park to try out trekking poles for Cocodona 250.

About the author/athlete: Shelby’s spirit animal is a mountain lion. She likes to channel their strength, intention, and power while on the trails. Become her IG friend @shelbzzf and subscribe to her YouTube channel for weekly training highlights as she prepares to tackle her longest run ever. @shelbzzf | shelbzzf.com