As I am wrapping up Thinking for a Change by John C. Maxwell, I came across another couple parts that I am compelled to share. I guess these last few episodes have become a book review 😊. No worries, I believe all these lessons are great to pass along to see if and where they may resonate. This particular section is a quote by Thane Yost: “The will to win is worthless if you do not have the will to prepare.” I read this and my mind went to ultra-trail marathon’s/running and training - or “preparing” for them. Having the “will to prepare” for a race I don’t think had ever entered my mind. It was just the thing I felt I must do if I wanted to complete an ultramarathon. Having the “will” to train wasn’t a concept for me, I just ran. However, in a race, I’ve felt and thought about that will to continue, to keep moving forward, like life! There is something, that why, passion, purpose – however we want to classify it, that keeps us moving forward, no matter how much pain we may be in or how much hardship we are facing, there is that will. But the will to prepare/train? Not a feeling – conscientiously at least. Yes, during training periods, or preparing for a life mission, we deal with the same struggles and pain caves that surface in an ultramarathon. Yes, there are days we don’t want to get up and do the things we must do and honor our commitments. But we do – there is that will to prepare. For me however, it is the race – that why I guess, rather than a will – is it the same thing??? The RFP Ultra Dad’s Podcast is sponsored by Time on the Trails – delivering you a customized experience out on the trails in Arizona and beyond. Please visit us at www.tottaz.com and on social media via IG, FB, TW & LI. Keep an eye on the Ultra Dad’s Instagram account @ #ultra_dads. You can view the live recording of today’s episode on our YouTube Channel Here! How’d we get here? The Ultra Dad’s Podcast came from an idea Cindy Shane created. Well, she planted the idea in our head after listening to the first time Bryan was on the RFP Podcast in May 2020. There have many times over the years when we speak on the phone or in person the “we should be recording this” line comes out. Well, here we are jumping in with both feet, like we tend to do, sharing with you our perspectives on life. Let’s be candid – we are not perfect, and we fail often. Our favorite term to use is “it’s not ideal” and there have been countless times we’ve uttered, “a plan is great until you are punched in the face;” – but we do laugh a lot, at ourselves and/or each other mostly 😊. All that said, there are those brief moments where things tend to fall into place and we, somehow, make it to that finish line – as ultrarunners yes, but most importantly has husbands, fathers, friends, and human beings. We wanted to share those imperfections and those incredible moments that we’ve been fortunate enough to experience together over the last 30+ years. So, sit back, grab a cold one, and hopefully this will be another time where things fall into place. Bryan & Mik