This episode is for those ultra runners who want to receive great advice and hear great real-life experiences from a world-class ultra runner.

She shares her journey of running a 10k as an out-of-shaped kid to doing her toughest challenge to date, a 1300 km run through New South Wales.

She gives us an insight to her process of mentally preparing for an ultra race.

She shares what motivates herself during low moments of a race, and the important question she asked herself during one of her races.

We talk about Run Against Violence, which is an organisation she founded to help those in situations of family violence.

She gets real and lists the many ways running has had a profound impact on so many levels of her life.

For those interested in starting ultra racing, she discusses the logistics of planning an ultra race: crew, fuel, vehicles, etc.

She mentions the documentary coming out about her next month, and teases us with what is next for her in 2019.

Today's Guest

Kirrily Dear

Kirrily Dear is an ultra runner who completed a 1300 km run through New South Wales in 2017 in 19 days, which equals 32 marathons.  She is also an advocate for human rights, and founded Run Against Violence, in 2014, to help those dealing with family violence.

What You Will Learn About

• How Kirrily built up her training to run 500 miles continuously.
• What Kirrily’s advice is if you want to get involved with something you are passionate about.
• How Kirrily made her way to the increased mileage she is able to run now.
• What she means by normalizing the extraordinary.
• How she prepares mentally for ultra distance races.
• Why she chose to DNF 4 of her races.

Inspirational Quotes

The challenge isn’t so much the running. It’s putting your feet on the floor the next day, and getting up and doing it again.  It’s that back up that you need to be able to do, being able to do it day after day after day.

What do I enjoy about running?  What is it I don’t enjoy?  The freedom.  I guess it’s had a pretty significant impact on my mental health.

In a way, I would suggest just ignoring the numbers. and just find ways of moving, don’t worry about running even, just walk.

I think when you are working from a sense of pressure rather than the passion, I think that’s, it becomes a struggle.  I think it becomes very difficult.

I don’t ever let myself off the hook.  It didn’t even occur to me to think that it’s too hard.

If you want to succeed, you just have to get up.

Enjoy the moment.  That’s my mantra.

Resources Mentioned

Last week's interview with Hajo Seppelt

Run Against Violence Website

Run Against Violence on Twitter

Run Against Violence on Facebook

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