468: Real Life Lessons from Western States 100

What the Western States 100 Can Teach Every Runner (Even If You Have No Desire to Run 100 Miles)

Every year at the end of June, our house looks a little different.

Kevin calls it "States-mas." He clears his schedule, sets alarms so he doesn't miss the race coverage, and spends the day following every lead change, every aid station update, and every finish line moment from the Western States 100. If you've never watched an ultramarathon before, it probably seems a little strange. After all, why would anyone spend an entire day watching people run 100 miles through the mountains?

But after years of watching his excitement and hearing the stories that unfold every June, I've realized something.

Western States isn't really about running 100 miles.

It's about people.

It's about watching runners embrace challenges, chase big goals, face unexpected setbacks, make difficult decisions, and discover what they're capable of when things don't go according to plan. 

Those are experiences every runner can relate to, whether you're training for your first 5K, hoping to set a new marathon PR, or simply trying to stay consistent through a busy season of life.

This year's race gave us plenty of unforgettable moments. There were course records, first-time champions, heartbreaking DNFs, and inspiring comeback stories. 

As Kevin and I reflected on everything that happened, we kept coming back to the same conclusion. The biggest lessons from Western States have very little to do with ultrarunning and everything to do with becoming a better runner and, honestly, a better human.

Everyone has been talking about the winners. Both the men’s and women’s records were broken (and of course the overall course record), and the winner on the women’s side, Jenn Lichter, had never run 100 miles before this race. 

Mind-blowing. 

Inspiring. 

Incredible. 

But we chose to focus on some of the lesser known stories from the day. The legends who didn’t finish. The people who kept going despite their goals slipping away. The examples of runners learning from past heartbreaks to show up differently this year.

The real life gritty stuff.

The Best Runners in the World Have Bad Days

For many runners, a DNF feels like the worst possible outcome. I hear it from athletes all the time.

"What if I don't finish?"

"What if everyone thinks I failed?"

Those fears are understandable because we naturally connect our race results with our identity. We spend months training, talking about our goals, and imagining race day. When things don't go as planned, it can feel incredibly personal.

Jim Walmsley came into Western States after dealing with a nagging knee injury that had kept him from racing earlier in the season. Even though he wasn't completely healthy, he believed he had a chance to compete for another title. Kilian Jornet also arrived knowing he wasn't at one hundred percent. These are two of the greatest trail runners our sport has ever seen, and yet neither one made it to the finish line.

Watching Jim and Kilian reminded me of something important.

A single race doesn't define you.

Jim Walmsley is still one of the greatest ultrarunners of all time. Kilian Jornet is still one of the most accomplished mountain runners in history. One difficult day didn't erase years of hard work or incredible accomplishments. It didn’t add an asterisk to any of their performances. And it doesn’t change who they are as people.

The same is true for us.

If you miss your goal pace, have to walk more than you expected, or even decide that not finishing is the smartest choice, it doesn't erase everything you've done to get there. That race simply becomes another chapter in your running story.

Your performance gives you information.

It does not determine your value as a runner.

That’s true whether you’re a legend in the sport like Jim and Killian, or your name has never been published in a running magazine.

The value is in the effort and the willingness to give it a chance.

Curiosity Is More Powerful Than Expectations

Before the race, Killian said something that I loved.

Instead of making bold predictions or talking about what he expected to accomplish, he kept using the word "curious."

He was curious about what his body could do.

Curious about how his knee would respond.

Curious about what the day would bring.

I absolutely love that mindset because it's so different from how most of us approach races.

We often show up carrying a long list of expectations. We expect to hit certain splits. We expect our training to pay off in a specific way. We expect ourselves to feel strong from the first mile to the last.

When those expectations aren't met, frustration sets in almost immediately.

But curiosity changes everything.

Instead of asking, "Can I still hit my goal?" curiosity asks, "What is possible today?"

That small shift creates room to adapt. It allows us to work with the body we have today instead of wishing for the body we hoped would show up.

I experienced this during one of my own half marathons. I went into the race chasing a personal best, but the weather had other plans. It was cold, windy, and rainy. Early in the race, I realized I wasn't going to execute the plan I'd imagined.

Instead of fighting the conditions, I let go of my expectations and started responding to what was actually happening in the moment.

Ironically, that race turned into a personal best.

Not because everything was perfect, but because I stopped trying to force perfection.

The Biggest Breakthroughs Often Come After the Biggest Setbacks

One of the most inspiring stories from this year's Western States belonged to Vincent Bouillard, the winner of the race.

Last year, he dropped out around mile 80. For many runners, that kind of disappointment would be hard to shake. It would be easy to replay everything that went wrong or wonder if they were capable of coming back.

Instead, Vincent learned from the experience.

He returned this year stronger, smarter, and more prepared.

Not only did he finish, he won the race in course record time.

That story perfectly illustrates something we remind our athletes all the time.

Setbacks only become failures if you refuse to learn from them.

Every disappointing race has something to teach you.

Every injury teaches you something.

Every difficult training cycle gives you valuable information about your body, your mindset, or your preparation.

The runners who continue improving over the years aren't necessarily the ones with the most talent. They're the ones who stay curious enough to keep learning.

Success Changes As You Grow

Bronco Billy. What a great name. I had no idea who this guy was until this week, but I already like him based on that name. 

At 53 years old, Jeff Browning (aka Bronco Billy) wasn't lining up to compete with runners half his age for the overall win. Instead, he focused on breaking the age group record.

I love that because it shows what healthy goal setting looks like.

Too many runners continue chasing goals that no longer fit the season of life they're in.

Maybe success used to mean qualifying for Boston.

Now success might mean staying healthy enough to run consistently while raising young kids.

Maybe success once meant winning your age group.

Now it means finishing your first trail race without pain.

Neither goal is better.

They're simply different.

One of the healthiest things we can do as runners is regularly ask ourselves what success looks like right now, instead of measuring ourselves against a version of ourselves from five or ten years ago.

Sometimes Finishing Is the Victory

One of the stories that stuck with me most was Molly Seidel's race.

As an Olympic medalist, she certainly had high hopes coming into Western States. But things didn't unfold the way she'd planned. She struggled throughout the day, her pace slowed significantly, and she spent hours digging deeper than she'd expected.

She could have stepped off the course.

Instead, she chose to keep going.

That story reminded me so much of Kevin's experience at Long Haul earlier this year.

Kevin had trained hard and set an ambitious goal. As the race unfolded, it became obvious that the day wasn't going to go according to plan. His finish time ended up being slower than he'd hoped, and he finished several places behind where he had the year before.

Afterward, I asked him what kept him moving once he realized his original goals were out of reach.

His answer had nothing to do with the clock.

He talked about our family waiting for him at the finish line. He talked about our Real Life Runners community following along from home. He talked about his crew, the people who had given up their own time to support him throughout the race.

He wanted to finish because the experience still mattered.

That conversation reminded me that running is rarely just about us.

Our community carries us through the difficult miles in ways we often don't recognize until we're in the middle of the struggle.

Gratitude Changes Everything

One of the final stories Kevin shared was about John Kelly.

After crossing the finish line, John talked about how grateful he was simply to be there. He recognized that opportunities like Western States don't come around every day, and he wanted to soak in every moment of the experience.

I think that's something we all need to hear more often.

It's so easy to become focused on pace, splits, finish times, and race results that we forget what a privilege it is to run in the first place.

We get to challenge ourselves.

We get to explore trails and roads.

We get to experience the excitement of race morning.

We get to be part of an incredible running community.

Gratitude doesn't mean we stop setting goals.

It simply reminds us that the journey is valuable regardless of what the finish clock says.

Your Next Run Is Your Opportunity

You don't have to qualify for Western States or run 100 miles to apply these lessons.

You don't need elite fitness.

You don't even need a race on the calendar.

Your very next run is an opportunity to practice.

Instead of worrying about whether you'll hit your pace, ask yourself what you're curious about today.

Can you stay present when things get hard?

Can you adjust your expectations if your body feels different than you hoped?

Can you appreciate the simple fact that you're out there running?

Those small mindset shifts may not seem significant in the moment, but over time they completely change your relationship with running.

The runners who enjoy this sport for decades aren't the ones who have perfect races or never experience setbacks. They're the ones who keep showing up, keep learning, and continue finding new reasons to love the process.

That's the real lesson from Western States.

It isn't about running farther.

It's about becoming the kind of runner who can handle whatever the journey brings.