The 46th Edition

Are you intimidated by the goals you’ve set yourself? 

Do you look at the race you’re about to do and gulp?

Something to Think About

The more something scares you, the more valuable it often is.

Something to Ask Yourself

When was the last time you deliberately chose the intimidating option?

Article of the Week

This piece from Help Scout explores why doing things that scare you can be a powerful growth tool, especially in your career. Expect reflections on fear as a signal of meaningful opportunities and how small courageous acts can build real confidence. It’s a motivating read if you’ve been playing it safe and need a nudge to step into discomfort with purpose.

Track of the Week

Here’s one to cruise to… My mate Ben says Mount Kimbie’s great live.

this week’s Track of the Week is:

By the way, if you didn’t know, I put all these tracks in a Spotify playlist…

Personal Lesson

In the days leading up to MIUT 115 this weekend, I kept finding myself, as always, staring at the race profile (I put that at the top of this email). Steep up, steep down, then again and again across 118 KMs (73 miles) of rocky terrain. I knew this race would be hard. But it wasn’t just the physical difficulty that made me nervous, it was the unknown. What happens if my stomach gives up and I can’t fuel? What happens when you hit your lowest point and still have 30km left? What happens if I feel a pain and can’t figure out if it’s an injury of just my brain trying to make me think I should stop?

But here’s what I’ve come to believe: intimidation is a signpost, not a warning. It points toward something meaningful. Something that matters enough to shake you up a bit. The races that scare me the most? They always end up being the ones that shape me the most. They expose weaknesses. But more importantly, they reveal strengths you didn’t know you had. And sometimes, that’s the only way to find them.

We often talk about “comfort zones” like they’re optional to stay in. But they’re not. They’re sneaky. They tighten around you without you noticing. And it’s only when you stare down something big and scary that you realise how much you’ve been cushioning yourself. And, although I write this a few days before the race, I know that as I approach the start line (my least favourite part of every ultra), I’ll be reminded why I do it.

Running – Life’s Metaphor

Running an intimidating ultra teaches you the same thing life does when you take a leap: the fear doesn’t mean stop, it means pay attention. There’s growth on the other side of fear. But you have to keep moving to find it.

Final Thoughts

There’s a pattern I’ve seen in myself, and maybe you’ll recognise it too. The more I avoid the hard thing, the scary race, the honest conversation, the uncertain opportunity, the more stagnant I feel. We’re not wired to live soft, padded lives. We’re wired to rise to something.

These big intimidating challenges, they strip you back. They quiet the ego, shake off the fluff, and remind you what really matters. They take you out of your head and into your body. Into the present. Into that raw, beautiful state where you’re just doing the thing… no overthinking, no pretending, just survival mode!

So, if you’re sitting on the fence about something that feels a bit too big, a bit too scary, take this as your nudge. Don’t wait until you “feel ready.” You won’t. And that’s kind of the point.

You were made to do hard things. You were made to be brave. Be scared, be intimidated, be nervous, and then go do the thing anyway.

That’s where the good stuff live.

Thanks again for reading and subscribing.

Run the runnable, and keep showing up for yourself!

Tommy 🙂