In September 2017, I stepped up to the starting line of the Run Rabbit Run 100 in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, alongside my friend Jayson Sime. The race is a 102.9-mile ultramarathon with 20,000 feet of elevation gain, which is no small feat for a couple of guys who don’t know what they’re doing.

Jayson had talked me into it, and if I were to be completely honest, I’d say we were there to test out his life philosophy, which is basically that you can do anything you dream up, as long as you put in the work and refuse to quit. That ethic has worked for him in almost every other area of life, despite growing up in poverty, one of six children with no father, and dyslexia.

In the six months leading up to the race, we figured since we weren’t naturally talented runners, the best thing we could do is work hard. So we ran 50- to 70-mile weeks all summer, and went through a full range of feelings: fear, regret, sadness, FOMO, hunger, thirst, exhaustion, pain, and joy. And gluttony, which is not a feeling, but what happens after you run 20 or more miles.

How did the race go? You can watch our film, How to Run 100 Miles, to find out. No spoilers here.

Directed and produced by Brendan Leonard

Co-Directors: Hilary Oliver and Aidan Haley
Editor: Aidan Haley
Cinematography: Brendan Leonard and Hilary Oliver
Animation: Brendan Leonard and Eric Bucy

Steamboat Springs Unit:
Director of Photography: Forest Woodward
Additional Cinematography:
Aidan Haley, Brody Leven, Syd Jones, Jayson Sime, and Brendan Leonard

Original Score: Cleod9 Music
Featured Performers: Ian McLeod, Peter Mulcahy, and Matt Sedivy
Audio Post Production: Scotty Beam/Cleod9 Music

“Puppets”
Performed by Atmosphere
Written & Produced by Atmosphere
S. Daley for Upsidedown Heart Music (ASCAP) & A. Davis for Ant Turn That Snare Down (ASCAP)
Taken from the album When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold
Used Courtesy of Rhymesayers Entertainment, LLC

Thanks
Run Rabbit Run
U.S. Forest Service
Meghan Hicks
Joe and Kathy Leonard
Cheryl Sime
Anders Norblom
Kate Duch
Paolo Mottola
Syd Jones and Debi Sule
Angie Lundstedt
Brody Leven
Christian Folk
Luke Nelson
Bodie Johnson
Jessica DiCarlo
Mr. Rider

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