After working for lululemon for about six months, the manifesto has really been creating an impact on my life. One phrase in particular really speaks to me: do something once a day that scares you. I thought about it and told Nick I was in for the GR20. We both agreed that if we were to attempt completing this hike, we would have to make it epic.

180 km, 4 days

To save our time and bank accounts we would give ourselves only 4 days to finish the 180km trail with over 25,000m of elevation change. Most people take about 15 days to hike the entire GR20 but we figured that a couple of young guys who can run a marathon under 3 hours at any given time should be able to tackle a few mountains in 4 days.

As we started to research and plan the trip, I soon realized how difficult this would be. We would be carrying our backpacks the entire way with all our food and gear. The route climbs and descends 2000-4000m each day on rugged terrain. Just to prepare, I did almost all my training runs in the months leading up to the trip, including a few marathons, with my backpack on. As my departure to Europe drew near, I will admit that I was filled with fear and uncertain of what I would be capable of doing.

day 1

Nick and I began our adventure just before 6am. Right away, we knew we were going to be in for a long few days. There was no room for excuses; we just had to keep moving. The experience was the most challenging and difficult that I have ever experienced, as well as beautiful and inspiring. I pushed myself through fear and pain and found I was capable of much more than I gave myself credit for.

day 2

By the end of the second day, I could barely take another step because I was so exhausted and sore. We had no choice but to continue since there was no road access until we finished the following stage. Once I was moving again, I loosened up and from then on, it was just about getting to the next stage.

days 3 and 4

I hiked for an average of 15 hours a day. On the last day, I had 51km to cover until I reached the end of the trail in Conca. I knew that I would not make all my connections to make it back home if I did not get to the end before the next morning. I kept moving forward, fighting through fear and fatigue, until I finally finished at 1am, 19 hours after I started out that morning.

I worked tremendously hard, and broadened my comfort zone exponentially. Every kilometer of the trail was a fight and I am so grateful to my friend Nick, who challenged me to do something that scares me. After GR20, running 100 miles in one day doesn’t seem so scary. Well, I guess there’s only one way to find out.

what is ultra running?

Ultra running is considered to be anything longer than a traditional marathon. Most people will say it's got to be at least 50km to be considered a true ultra marathon. Ultra distances range from 50km to over 200km in races such as the Badwater, which takes place in Death Valley, CA -- quite possibly the most unforgiving climate in all of North America.

Ultra marathons can be up to 200km long!

how to get into ultra running

I came upon the ultra scene after completing several marathons and started to look towards goals of running further instead of faster. I completed my first 50km road race in Canberra, AUS in April of 2009, which was a very humbling experience. I felt fine past the marathon distance until I got to the last 5km where I completely fell apart, or “hit the wall” as most people have come to know it. It seemed like a life or death situation taking place in my head and I was losing the battle. Somehow, I managed to overcome the struggle of my legs not responding to the instructions my brain was giving them, and made may way across the finish line.

I have since run several 50km races both on trail and roads and have become much more comfortable with the distance. My biggest problem in the first race was my pacing and my mindset. I was running as if I was doing a marathon, and ultras require a bit more patience and planning, not to mention mental toughness.

Brian's a goal-setting machine. Check out his BHAG below!

Recently, I set out to accomplish one of my latest goals: to finish a 50 mile (80km) trail race in under 9 hours. I was really nervous, since this was much longer than I have ever run before, but I was also confident in my body, my mind, and my training. Part of setting goals is setting them high enough so that it extends your comfort zone and forces you to go beyond your previous limits. That I did, while learning many different things along the way.

ultra running insights

• Don’t waste energy running up hills. You'll make up your time going down them and your legs will thank you.
• Running for many hours gives you loads of time to create new friendships and become inspired by other runners' stories. I ran side by side with runners who have completed Badwater, the Western States 100 and beat Scott Jurek in the National Championships. It’s comparable to cycling with Lance Armstrong, or shooting hoops with Michael Jordan.
• After a few hours, it becomes an eating event. Your body will only keep going as long as you feed it the right things. At an ultra race, the aid stations are stocked with cookies, chips, pop, gummies, gels, fruit, sandwiches, potatoes and much, much more. If you like to eat, run ultras!
• You can start to enter a meditative state after a few hours where you begin to realize that your limits are mostly based in your thinking, not your physical ability. This realization brings you peace, and then you keep on running.
• After 5 or 6 hours, you can become very emotional, starting to think about those closest to you and how grateful you are for everything you have. It is like if you knew you were going to die, all the things that don’t matter disappear and you focus on what’s most important: your family and friends and all their support. It pushes you to keep going.
• After 7 hours, you think Steve Jobs is the greatest man alive for inventing the iPod. As the runners are more spread out and you are running mostly by yourself, a little music does amazing things to your motivation and drive. Songs like Rhapsody in Blue by Gershwin never sounded so amazing.
• After 8 hours, the finish is drawing near and you feel a second wind coming on. There are always going to be ups and downs in an ultra race so you just need to be strong through the downs until you come back around. If you keep stepping one foot in front of the other, you WILL reach the finish line.

After 5 or 6 hours of running, you start to think about people in your life you're grateful for: your biggest supporters.

Brian and his running buddy, John, who had just completed his first 50 km

I completed my first 50 miler in 8 hours and 55 minutes, at the Sulphur Springs Trail run, just outside of Hamilton, ON. The sense of accomplishment was indescribable. I passed 5 of the 16 people ahead of me during the last 20 kilometers of the race.

More supporters - a.k.a. the lululemon team!

I guess now I just have to up the bar one more time and start preparing for my first 100 miler (aiming to finish under 24 hours) in September. I’m putting this out there to the world so that I am held accountable and follow through. It really does scare me, but I know I can do it if I try. That is the power of goal setting. Share you goals with others and if it doesn’t scare you just a little bit, then try making some bigger goals. If you share your goals with others, it’s amazing how much you can do with their support.

Brian and his big, hairy, audacious goal.

My name is Brian, and I am addicted to marathons.

While it may seem crazy, the 26.2-mile running tradition of the marathon has taken over my life, taking me from a largely inactive lifestyle to not being able to go a full day without training or planning for my next race.

I started running as a way to keep fit and meet new people, joining a small Learn to Run group. Over several weeks, we supported each other as we struggled to build up to our first 10km races.  I couldn't imagine attempting twice that distance, let alone a marathon, but the sense of accomplishment upon crossing the finish line was infectious.

My group and I continued to run together after our springtime 10km, and on my 19th birthday, I completed my first half-marathon. As painful as that first 21.1km was, it was the best birthday present I could have given myself.

From there, I was asked to join a small group of older guys on their Sunday morning long runs. I ran with my new friend John and others each week that winter, struggling to keep up with them while listening to their inspiring stories. They gave me enough courage to toe the line at the annual Around the Bay 30k Road Race in Hamilton. Somehow, a couple of great race representatives convinced me to register for a spring marathon while at the run expo. That meant six more weeks of training before I would attempt the great distance of 26.2 miles. I was scared.

Running the Boston Marathon in 2008.

On race day, I had one goal: to finish. And thanks to some smart training, I did finish and felt relatively good. (In distance running, things start to be described in relative terms, once you discover that it could always be worse.) Looking back, that is the point where I actually started to enjoy running just for the sake of running.

Finding yoga brought my running up to a much higher level, and my addiction began to take shape. First it was a couple of races each year, then it was four, and finally, in 2008 I completed eight marathons. So what could I do next? How about running the Great Wall Marathon in China? Yes, by now, you can officially call me crazy. It was a humbling experience but I was fortunate to meet many incredible and inspiring people from all over the world. Only eight days after the Great Wall, I offered to pace my old running pal, John, in the Ottawa marathon where he would set a new personal best. After all his help early on with my running, it made me so happy to be able to help John.

Meeting Simon Whitfield after placing 11th overall in the Road 2 Hope Marathon in Hamilton.

Being a part of lululemon has pushed me even further to set some really daring BHAGs, such as running a marathon barefoot, or completing a 100 mile race in less than 24 hours. It has also given me the opportunity to guide beginner runners through those tough times leading up to their first race.

Now, after completing twenty-four marathons and three 50k's, I have come to realize that for me, it's a lot more than just running, it's about the people you meet and the relationships you create. I no longer sign up for a race to run a fast time, but to meet incredible people and share the experience with those I have bonded with during countless hours of training.

From the Disney Marathon, just over a month ago!

It blows me away to see where running has brought me in only six short years, and I can only wonder where it will take me in the future if I keep on setting the bar ever higher.

Do you have an addiction to running? Zumba? Pilates? How has it shaped you as a person? Let us know!