Running 100 Miles in 27 Hours
and how this ends a 7 year quest to 'break free'
Estimated Read Time: 6 minutes, 18 seconds
Somebody recently asked me, “Have you ever done anything like this before?”. “I did bike across the US, but, this was 5-10 times harder,” I said.
“I biked anywhere from 6-10 hours a day and rode 200 miles in 19 hours once. But I didn’t have to worry about making money, keeping up with friends, and making progress in other parts of my life.”
Still — biking gave me something I haven’t experienced over the past 21 years since — 3 months of pure bliss. 10/10 happiness. A glimmer of hope the rest of my life could be so perfect.
I felt alive biking from one town to the next, not even knowing where I’d sleep at night. But life is more complicated than eating, finding shelter, and getting from Point A to B.
Running The Hennepin Hundred was an important step in my quest to live a 10/10 life. My goal — to recreate the essence of the bike trip and share those lessons with others.
I’ll start with the story of my bike trip and how that led me to where I am now. The significance is important for understanding this run, and the mission of QuarterLife.
Heaven on Earth
Biking across the US is the happiest I’ve ever been. I loved meeting strangers and sharing my journey with them.
The stories I created, was a part of, and heard from others gave me a deep sense of meaning.
I felt tapped into a collective human consciousness, growing exponentially with each encounter and new experience I had.
Sharing these moments with people back home helped me connect with some wistful yearnings they once had too — allowing me to feel closer to them.
Riding through the ever-changing landscapes, towns, and people across the country was ‘Heaven on Earth’. I could feel the heart and soul of America with all it’s quirks.
I’d stay in people’s homes, share a meal with them, visit cute shops and funny tourist attractions — everybody and everything was so unique.
Coming out of the trip, finding that same level of fulfillment in my ‘ordinary’ life became my new obsession.
Deeper Issues
I figured setting a clear and compelling vision for my future was the logical next step.
Turns out making $1M, being part of several, vibrant communities, and having my dream physique with a beautiful, successful girlfriend, was a lot to ask for by 30.
What I needed was therapy and coaching. I didn’t start until 28 when I couldn't understand why my reality was so far from my expectations.
I felt lost, overwhelmed, and stuck — confused at how I could be so happy for 3 months living out of a tent, and so unhappy in my ‘normal life’ sleeping in a queen sized Casper bed.
What I couldn’t see at the time was how I struggled with depression and anxiety since I was 10-years-old — and how the pressure I put on myself to meet certain expectations by 30 made things worse.
Hiding Insecurities
All I cared about in the 3.5 years after biking was achieving financial freedom, meeting cool people, and falling in love with my future wife.
By 2021, the time I started taking my mental health seriously, I hardly made any new friends, had a few flings lasting a few months, and was nowhere near my financial goals.
My goals masked the parts of myself I felt ashamed of — the parts of me that were harsh, struggled with intimacy, and clashed with certain managers.
I felt unhappy again which I didn’t know how to admit to myself because I thought the bike trip had changed me for good.
The trip did give me a lot of confidence, tools, and perspective to live a better life. But I still held onto habits and limiting beliefs that brought me back to familiar, dark places.
My perfectionism and criticism was crippling. I compared myself to the highest possible standards and harped on all the ways I fell short.
I struggled to break old habits and create new ones. I felt ashamed for using video games, drinking, and overeating to cope with hard, negative feelings.
I thought I was broken. I felt trapped in a toxic, downward spiral of social anxiety, isolation, depression, and self-loathing.
I lived in my own mental prison for over 20 years, using big goals to bypass my deepest insecurities — a way to avoid the real work of creating real change.
The Healing Journey
So what does this painful backstory have to do with running 100-miles and living a great life?
Well — there’s a common understanding that many ultramarathoners have trauma.
You don’t run 26.2+ miles for fun without having some inclination for suffering.
Worst case, you’re a psychopath
At the very least, you’re a masochist
More likely than not, you’ve been through some painful shit
Running is therapeutic. The resilience you build, the confidence you create, and the chance to turn your pain into glory is a way to rewrite your personal narrative.
The Hennepin Hundred was a way for me to turn years of suffering into something meaningful.
Reconnecting with a Higher Purpose
I struggled finding community after leaving the church. Then I found Alluviance.
Alex Kremer was a killer sales rep and leader helping top performers master their craft, build community, and transform the inner game. The trifecta spoke to me and his background impressed me.
I signed up for my first immersion in November, 2023 where I committed to running the 100-mile race.
One surprising way the community helped me grow was by reconnecting me with my faith.
I forgot how fundamental Christianity was to my identity. I remembered my core values were rooted in my religious upbringing.
Even my bike trip was a result of a Christian mentors and friends who gave me the courage to step into the unknown — to pursue dreams I buried long ago.
In hindsight, my best moments were times I connected with God, and my worst moments were times I disconnected from Him.
Building QuarterLife
I recently found an old journal entry on how I’d share my story of ‘breaking free’. I used to think the bike trip was that story but I see now it was only the beginning.
My real' breaking free' story is the internal work I've done over the past 3 years to create lasting change — and the story I continue to write in pursuit of a 10/10 life.
Even though my journey took 7 years longer than expected, I'm no longer a prisoner of my own thoughts. I feel liberated from the toxic cycles I felt trapped by.
I still get in my head, but I visit for short periods now. I don't live in my prison anymore, and I have a better relationship with my ‘cave’.
While my relationship with Christianity has changed, the spirit of my vision hasn’t. The mission is the same: find freedom and share the experience with others.
Freedom can mean anything: a new career, a healthier mindset, a hot ass girlfriend — the definition depends on what my clients and I decide on.
The shape and form of what I do will change, but the essence will not. What I’m most proud of over the past few years is how I found the courage to share my whole story.
One definition of the root word for heal is ‘to make whole’ which feels fitting because I’m not afraid to talk about God and the ugly parts of my life anymore.
I have many more stories to tell. Some will be my own. Some will be of others. I’m excited to continue creating, being part of, and hearing these stories.
My North Star is clear — Love God, Love Others, and Love Myself. QuarterLife is the current manifestation of this vision, and I feel ready now to give it my all.
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Matthew 22:36-40
This was really a powerful read- inspiring! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for sharing this! Love it