- 10 lessons learned during a 415 km run
After some reflection about my past long distance runs, here are 10 key takeaways that can be helpful in life:
1. Teamwork is everything. Running can be individualistic; expeditions are not. When you cross mountain ranges at night, it is better to do it together. Shared passions take you further. Without the team, the finish would not have been possible. Cherish those that go the distance with you, sacrificing a lot themselves.
2. Progress is more important than the end result or finish line. Covering 415 kilometers through unforgiving terrain seems daunting when considered as a whole, but when you focus on the trajectory, enjoy it, and divide it into micro-chunks, it becomes much more doable. The journey counts. Enjoy it as long as it lasts.
3. Experience beats theory. You can read as many books about nutrition, climbing techniques, and endurance as you want; at the end of the day, you learn it out there. Just start, experience will follow as you go.
4. Plan A hardly ever works—and this can be a gift. As much as you plan a race, the unknown will strike. We faced snowstorms in Triglav National Park and thunderstorms in the Alps. You take a step back, evaluate the options, and adapt swiftly. Flexibility is everything. This is the entire appeal of starting the unknown.
5. As cliché as it sounds, you have to love what you do. I have encountered many long-distance runners, and those who went the furthest were always the ones who intrinsically loved what they did. It is as simple as that.
6. Preparation is everything. You don’t run long distances overnight; patience and gradual buildup are essential. Don’t skip a single step on the way. Magic doesn’t happen suddenly overnight.
7. Grit can be more important than talent. Most good runners can cover 100 miles on talent alone; after that, it’s all grit, generally speaking. For most of us, that is good news.
8. Your “why” needs to be solid. Suffering is not always a bad thing in sports, but it is in those moments that your “why” is tested the most. Is it strong enough to carry you through days of rain and storms? Will you keep that fire burning ?
9. Take care of your team (and yourself). Balance can also be found in extremes. Distance running is both a physical and emotional strain. Investing in sleep and recovery is essential to make it sustainable, as with many things in life. Balancing everything else you do is key. You are , after all, in it for the long run.
10. Endurance applies to all aspects of life. You don’t have to run far to have micro-adventures. Endurance can always be trained and improved in multiple settings, and it will benefit you in many endeavors in life. You don’t have to scale the highest summit, start with your direct surroundings. There is plenty to be found
Copyright ©Daniel Podzimek
The parallels between ultrarunning & medicine
There are many valuable elements in endurance sports and adventure that translate directly into a wide range of professional fields, and I believe this is especially true in medicine. I have always found expeditions and alpine adventures to be profoundly helpful in all other aspects of life. They cultivate persistence—medical school and residency also require long-term commitment, and lifelong learning is an inherent part of the profession. They also teach decision-making under pressure and how to deal with unplanned and unpredictable circumstances, such as snowstorms, sudden weather changes, or limited resources. The emergency unit is no different: sometimes it can be really calm and suddenly multiple ambulances are on their way. Both fields have high stakes. This is the essence of extreme running as well as in acute medicine.
In ultramarathons, as in many other fields, gratification is often delayed. Both paths demand sacrifice, preparation, and training. Running 400 kilometers is not always sunshine, but when your why is clear, the destination becomes reachable. You also learn that recovery after each hard race is non-negotiable—one cannot perform sustainably without balance. Teamwork and communication are crucial: How is the team feeling? Can we still cross this mountain ridge at dawn? Will we reach the summit at this pace? In both medicine and adventure, night shifts are common, and some expeditions and jobs continue 24 hours a day. Both are sometimes unhealthy (irregular schedules are proven to be suboptimal for your biorhythm), but by sacrifice we receive something that is very meaningful in exchange. Something that is perhaps not found with a full stomach or after a good night of sleep. And yet, neither is something I would ever want to exchange for a more predictable path. Are there easier paths ? Are there more predictable paths ? To both questions the answer is obviously yes. But it is during uncertainty and under pressure we learn most. We can fall back on our training, experiences and our life trajectory so far. The horizon is endless, the trail appears before us step by step. We don’t have to go fast, as long as we keep moving forward, with curiosity and enthusiasm.
Copyright ©Daniel Podzimek
