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Tag: Mountain running

Ultra War

Ultra War

Published by Patrick Durante on July 3, 2026

I have no great war, no big enemy. My war is with the self. I only go to my version of “war” a few times a year. It’s the extremes of a day, that’s drawn out with no sleep, where I am tested against the elements. The battlefield are mountains, but I don’t fight other men, I run with them against a common enemy, the clock and the course. This war is man made, I wasn’t drafted, I signed up under my own will in my Ultra War, I had a choice. Ultras are a war with self, between the person you are, and who you want to become. A testament to better the self through a process of pushing limits.

“”I judge you unfortunate because you have never lived through misfortune. You have passed through life without an opponent, no one can ever know what you are capable of, not even you.”

From the History.com Tom Hanks documentary on WW2

Many take up arms against what seems like a noble cause of completing an ultra, and don’t make it. Wounded, they are casualties of blisters, GI issues, a host of things that could take you out. Some need this test they need these extremes to see if the idea that’s in their mind matches what their body can achieve. Races are senseless violence against the self. Just a few months ago, the previous version of me was browsing Ultrasignup and decided to enlist. Sent off to war with a foe of varying degrees. I curse this person as I make my way through the mud, rain, and dirt of this foreign land. I have to make sense of it. I have to find my why with my fellow ultra comrades as we battle the course. Why do we do this to ourselves? What are we hoping to find in an ultra war?

“The important thing about a problem is not its solution, but the strength we gain in finding the solution.”

Those athletes made a wager: do I think this version of me is strong enough? Without training, one won’t have the strength to take on the enemy on foreign soil. It’s a gamble every single time, and every race we answer the ultimate question: “Am I enough?” Even when we succeed, that glory is never long. After every finish line they bestow upon you a medal of honor around your neck or belt. Like an admiral who’s seen many battlefields, we want the glory and honor that goes with calling ourselves ultra, but we keep coming back to prove our worth. Why?

While I write this in jest, I still can’t get my mind around what actual soldiers and military personnel do, and had to do, back when the war was active. It’s hard to get into their mindset, and maybe a lot of that is they didn’t have a full picture of what it would be like. I think most don’t know how bad things can get before they sign up for these events. It’s both scary and exciting, much like war could be, but this is a joke compared to the horrors of war. I’ve worked with athletes who have a lot of fear about what it’s going to feel like. It’s the limits that people want to touch, the edge of how far they have gone. It’s a calling to be tested.

You are enlightened by suffering not successes.

Like those of the past who were called up to fight for their country many didn’t have a choice, as they were drafted I am one that seeks that excitement. That’s what sends me off to war with a course, and self. They are not drastically different, in that men and women want to make something of their lives, and in whatever way they choose to do it, for those who volunteer. The soldiers of WWI and WWII often did not have a choice, as many were drafted, but some enlisted. I have no great war, and no clearly defined enemy. I sit here celebrating the fruit of their labor and sacrifice. I get to choose my enemy, but I still have to put in the training. It’s the idea that my enemy is always out there, getting strong, and if I don’t rise to the level needed to face them, I will DNF on the battlefield but I will always come home. That is where this comparison ends. They never knew if they would. 

With an ultra, you WILL make it back, but you are FOREVER changed. It will expose you to extremes we do not face in our day-to-day lives. This was a reality for people fighting on the front. Our ultra war is a joke compared to what they experienced, and I am not trying to compare it to actual combat. This is just the closest analogy I have for the extremes of sleep deprivation, hunger, and pain. It’s something they had to deal with day in and day out, for years. Those are true heroes and hardcore individuals who could stand that and serve, every day, for days on end.

I am not trying to romanticize war, just the act of bringing yourself to your limit. There is honor in that. Not all of us can fight for our country. That doesn’t make me or you any less of a man or woman. The importance of an ultra is finding your limit, finding what you are afraid of most, and facing it head on. It opens your eyes to what you can do in times of despair, and gives you strength you never knew you had. Some break, some do not, but all come back different. I encourage you to go to war with the self, to find your limit, and to never stop fighting. Don’t give up an inch of the ground you’ve gained in progress toward strengthening what you THINK you are capable of. If you don’t, how will you ever know what you are capable of? It’s better to pass through life with an opponent.

Smile, you get to grow old, you get to choose your hard, when many men and women caught up in war did not. I am grateful I get to choose my hard, not because I was drafted into it. Happy 4th of July, I celebrate our freedom, our independence. 250 years! Forever grateful to all the men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice so we can all live in this amazing country.

My writings are just some of my random thoughts. No, I do not think running an ultra is the same as going to war. This was a creative writing piece, so treat it as such. Thanks for reading! Happy 4th of July!

My current mindset has been inspired from listening to Dan Carlin, and watching the WW2 documentary on history.com featuring Tom Hanks.

Hyner 50K Trail Challenge – PA Triple Crown

Hyner 50K Trail Challenge – PA Triple Crown

Published by Patrick Durante on April 26, 2026

This is my quick recap of the Hyner Trail Challenge, a 50K that kicks off the PA Triple Crown of racing for this year.

Question 1: Did I achieve my outcome goal and execute my process goals?

The goal was just to finish for this race, so yes, I achieved that. I had set a PacePro plan of at 6 hours, and I was an HOUR late! I had set this from looking at stats of past races, but I really had no idea. The thing about running a course for the first time is that its very hard to predict. The heat slowed me down as well as the hard start. I should have seeded myself more toward the back, and picked up time as the race progressed. Instead I put myself at the front and blew up, like the bomb I was. That was OK, I didn’t fully “blow up” I was more just out there to get this race done. If I had to do it again I would have taken that first climb easier, and the first descent slower. Word to the wise! Watch that first descent and that you don’t wreck your quads.

Question 2: Was I clearly under-prepared in any specific areas?

Yes, I was not ready for this much vert, and the heat got me, it was a lot hotter than I thought it was going to be so I didn’t have enough hydration for some of the sections. While there was a lot of aid stations I needed more water in some of them. I tried to get away with just one handheld. That was a pretty fatal mistake, as even SLIGHT dehydration will severally affect performance. That was my only major failing of the race, and I was still “OK” but for sure I was thirsty.

Question 3: Did I start the race too fast — how was my pacing and RPE effort?

The pace starting out seemed fine, but something happened mid race where I was moving too fast and burning up. I can see from the HR data it was too hard that lead to a struggle at the end. My quads got killed on the downhill so I paid a price for that as well.

Question 4: Did I stick to my tested nutrition and hydration script?

Yes, except for the lack of water. Near the end I didn’t want to eat any cookies and just started slamming gels, they seem to be the only thing that I can get down in the heat when I am forced to eat.

Question 5: How effectively did I troubleshoot any issues that happened?

The water issue was mitigated by dipping my hat in as many streams as I could. I used ice in sleeves to help cool me at the aid stations that had them, then also dipped them in the streams and wrapped them around my neck.

Question 6: What were my primary “limiting factors” during the race?

Heat slowed my pace and poor hydration. I wasn’t ready for this much vert early in the season. The start of the season makes it always difficult to get in enough training with weather conditions, and this year wasn’t ideal. What is the total amount of training I can and should do to increase performance? What if tried 10-12 hours a week? I need to balance energy for kids as well. When I am older I will have all the time in the world to train, but right now I don’t. That’s OK. I am also OK with everything else that is going on in my life. I am content to A-finish, and B-have fun. I did both of those. I think I had more anxiety about sleeping in the car, as this was my first FULL night alone. It went amazingly well, I slept better than I thought, and dinner with some friends the night before was awesome.

Question 7: Did my gear perform as expected under race conditions?

Yes, the shoes and double socks I wore made my feet bullet proof. This new double sock combo of Injinji toe socks with darn tough create a barrier that absorbed the shock of all the rocks and roots. I could tell I would have needed a sock change soon after I had finished. I did keep my feet dry, as that always saves your feet long term in these races.

Question 8: Was my mental “WHY” strong enough to pull me through dark spells?

Yes, I told myself that I was a coach, that I set an example. I tried NO MUSIC, and just my thoughts. I focused on the now. This worked very well, I stayed present, and I kept moving.

Question 9: What is the number one thing I need to stop doing?

Thinking about the end, I had to rope myself back into just realizing I had to run the mile I was in. I didn’t know the distance to aid stations, I didn’t have a pace chart, I didn’t have it on my watch. Why not? Because this was just a 50K and for me that is a short distance. I can get it done with less planning, I had an idea but I didn’t have it written down. That did create a little bit of race stress but I knew it was always 3-4 miles away per aid station.

Question 10: What went well with the race, and I should keep doing going forward?

The social aspect of it. The fact that I met many people, talking with them, and hung out afterward was what made this great. I did things a lot different in this race than what I normally do. If I keep doing what I have done in the past, nothing will change, so try new things! I pushed myself in different and unique ways. The car camping seemed scary going in but now I love it. It’s never as bad as you think… I have to always remind myself of that.