Running ultra distances requires immense physical training, and mental training too. Being mental prepared for the challenges you’ll face during a race is just as important as the physical ones, and could make or break your race. In this post we explore the mental challenge of dealing with discomfort when running in ultra, and how to deal with it. This post is adapted from ultra runner Addie Bracy’s book, Mental Training for Ultrarunning. Getting comfortable with discomfort Nobody enters a 50-mile (80 km) race with the expectation of an absence of pain. We do so with a curiosity of how much we can handle and to see whether we are tougher than the terrain or the distance. Even though we leave the start line knowing that we are guaranteed to experience some discomfort, it can still be difficult to tolerate, especially the longer the race goes on. At times, even the most experienced athletes question whether they can do it. Just because being uncomfortable is an expected aspect of ultrarunning doesn’t mean you should show …