Mindset.
I fail often. Whether that be a DNF at a race or a missed squat PB or a military skill, but I never view or see myself as a failure in fact I feel the totally opposite. For “winners” lose far more than “losers” ever have. It’s this mindset that allows me to find my limits and go against the grain. Similarly, a lot of people have there opinions about me and what I do. I just don’t listen.
Ultra running has taught me that endurance is never just physical. The longer the race gets, the more it becomes about mindset, resilience, and your ability to stay in control when everything hurts. You need to find the monster and sit with him.
As I prepare for my backyard ultra, I keep thinking about how closely endurance sport mirrors military mindsets and skills. And I’ve learned that real strength isn’t always loud. Sometimes it’s quiet resilience. Sometimes it’s carrying discomfort without complaint and continuing forward anyway.
Suffering has a way of revealing character. You cannot fake endurance, it strips “man” to its limits, it’s something you can’t cheat. That’s exactly why the average person doesn’t like it.
Highlighted in the idea that adversity is not something to avoid, but something that shapes you, moulds you to find the brink of human capability, therefore every ultra becomes a lesson in that philosophy. The more naysayers deem me incapable the more I want to prove them wrong. One more lap. One more hour. One more moment of choosing discipline over comfort.
And the longer races become, the more fascinating it gets. In ultras over 250 miles, women often become equal to, and often outperform men. Endurance rewards patience, emotional control, pacing, and resilience, similar to skill sets required in the infantry, and women are incredibly strong in ways the world is only starting to fully appreciate.
I’m proud to be an infantry soldier, even as a reservist. It has made me tougher, more robust, and more disciplined, this has reflected into my running and makes me the ultra runner I am today. I feel the FEAR (False Expectation Alternate to Reality) of big challenges but I do it anyway as my worst nightmare is having to live with the “what if” in all aspects of life.
HARD TARGET JOURNAL CONTRIBUTOR
Written by: Katie Brazier
British Army Infantry Reservist and Ultra Runner who pushes herself beyond her physical and mental limits, proving that with the right mindset, you can do anything.
Instagram: @katieb.runs
TikTok: @katieisrunning
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