So right now I'm just training for my first marathon but who knows after that? Someday I may conquer an ultra. I was reading an old Runner's World issue today and I found "5 Reasons to Run 50 Miles." I found them all resoundingly true and certainly in my realm of thought.

5 Reasons to Run 50 Miles (As Heard at a Recent Finish Line)
-Runner's World February 2005
Exclusivity- "Any idiot can run a marathon, but it takes a special kind of idiot to run an ultra."
To Push the Envelope- "If we didn't run these, how would we ever know how far we could go?"
Existentialism- "To those who know, no explanation is necessary. To those who do not, no explanation will suffice."
To Live Longer (or at least feel that way)- "Some folks complain that life passes too quickly. Not in an ultra."
Anatomical Aesthetics- "Your feet look better without toenails."

The existentialist comment was my favorite.

I also read an article in the same issue titled"New York Minutes." Author Kristin Armstrong noted as she was suffering through her final stretch of the New York Marathon, "Would it really mean as much if it didn't hurt?" The truth in this statement truly hit home as well. It's those workouts that absoltuely kick your butt until you can barely stand up straight that are the most gratifying. No pain, no gain- right? Especially in a sport like distance running, it's usually only you against your mind. That's the biggest competition.