COACH’S CORNER WITH ROB DONKERSLOOT: IMPERMANENCE AND EQUANIMITY – COPING WITH CHANGE AS AN ULTRA RUNNER

Kate Dzienis • July 19, 2023

Rob Donkersloot
RUNNING AND MINDSET COACH
Rob Donkersloot’s Mind Focused Running specialises in assisting ultra runners prepare their minds and bodies for optimal outcomes and enjoyment, not only for running but for life. His Mind Focused Running community of some 30-runners ranges from those wanting to run their first 50km event to some of Australia’s leading elite ultra athletes. His unique approach includes instruction and ongoing support in meditation, mindfulness and mindset.

IMPERMANENCE AND EQUANIMITY: COPING WITH CHANGE AS AN ULTRA RUNNER

ONLY A FEW SHORT MONTHS AGO, MEMBERS OF MY MIND FOCUSED RUNNING run coaching community received the alarming news that a critical accommodation provider for an interstate race had been unexpectedly shut for the foreseeable future due to sustained and unmanageable growth in supply costs. The closure of this venue put the race at real risk of being cancelled, and with it, the dreams, financial investment and countless hours of training of many Australian and international athletes looking forward to the race of a lifetime in serious jeopardy.

As ultra runners, having to deal with unexpected situations and challenges comes with the territory when participating in a race – it’s often one of the very reasons so many people are attracted to the sport. For many, the thrill of overcoming obstacles and pushing past perceived limits is an incredibly enriching experience that can translate to other areas of their lives.

The time, personal sacrifice and commitment required to undertake the many lonely – and often gruelling – months of training is not to be underestimated by runners or the people who celebrate their magnificent feats of endurance from the sidelines. But it seems that these days, there are more and more stories emerging of disappointed runners missing out on the opportunity to toe the start line and do what they love than ever before.

So, when a situation prevents an athlete from undertaking their training or taking their place at the start line when all the hard work has been done in the months preceding race day, it’s only natural for myriad emotions to arise.

For me, running is a metaphor for life. As I progress on my own personal spiritual journey, I am so often reminded of the many facets of core Buddhist teachings that can be harnessed to tackle the challenges that are inextricably linked with the sport of ultra running.

In times of challenge and uncertainty – particularly when it comes to unexpected changes in circumstances that put preparations for a big race in doubt – Buddhist philosophies can help ease the suffering for runners who are forced to accept new, and sometimes unsettling, realities.

Two core teachings in Buddhism that can help runners navigate the complex emotions when a race is changed or cancelled are impermanence – the idea that all things change and nothing lasts forever, and suffering – how desire and attachment lead to anguish. These principles seem more relevant today than ever before with the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the increasing frequency, impact, and disruption climate change is having on communities around the globe.

The spread of COVID-19 has made illness and reduced performance a new reality for athletes to accept. In the past few years, several Mind Focused Running athletes have had their race plans derailed by COVID-19.

Kevin “Big Kev” Matthews had entered into the event of a lifetime, a 37-day run across Scotland and England called Run Britannia in June 2023. Only four days into the race, he contracted COVID-19 and had to drop out. Another runner, Nick, flew from Perth to San Francisco in July 2023 to run over 500 kilometres across Tennessee in an event called The Annual Vol State Race. Again, COVID-19 reared its ugly head when he contracted the virus after two days of being on US soil and only a week before the start of the race. For runner Chailee, COVID-19 didn’t get the better of her mindset when she contracted COVID-19 twice before two big races.

As an ultra runner prepares for key events, there is a good chance of contracting COVID-19. Time off for isolation and recovery can jeopardise training plans and goals. The impermanent nature of health and physical fitness highlights the need to understand that setbacks will happen, and one day we will slow down or hang up our running shoes for good.

For ultra runners, understanding impermanence and developing equanimity with any situations that may arise can provide the appropriate perspective and coping strategies needed to deal with changes and setbacks in training and competition.

Maintaining calm and balance in the face of difficulties – otherwise known as equanimity – is vital. As Chailee’s reflections on missing out on her recent race show, regular meditation and reflection can help increase equanimity and reframe short-term disappointments with a long-term, balanced view:

“Yes, it’s disappointing not to put all my hard work training into practice, but missing out on one race is just a blip on the radar, really,” she said. “I’ve got many more years of running ahead of me and many more races to enjoy. I won’t linger on the ‘what if’s’ but focus on what I can take from my training and apply to my next adventure.”

Climate change has also emerged as an unpredictable adversary for event organisers, with an ever-increasing number of extreme weather events leading to last-minute race changes or cancellations. Some races, like the 2022 Irrational 200-Miler, have been cancelled even after the starting gun had sounded because of severe storms and rain.

The inability to compete because of dangerous climate conditions can be mentally and emotionally challenging. Clinging to expectations and fixed outcomes – signs of attachment and desire – makes these changes even harder to accept for runners who trained for months.

Mind Focused Runner Jodie was part of the support crew for her friend Louise who entered the inaugural 100-kilometre Ultra Kosciuszko ultramarathon in December 2022. Unseasonal snow created chaos for event owners, forcing them to make last-minute changes to the course. Despite the confusion and last-minute panic for everyone involved, Louise finished the 100-kilometre race. Two months later, Jodie was due to run the Tarawera Ultramarathon, but heavy rain again forced last-minute changes. Bush fire at last year’s Delirious 200 Miler turned the race from a point to point to an out and back, disappointing for many as they missed seeing some of the best coastal scenery that had been promised.

While as athletes we constantly strive to improve, impermanence reminds us that performance is fleeting, and factors outside our control like illness or race disruptions will inevitably arise.

And as many of the runners in our community have begun to learn in our teachings at Mind Focused Running, acknowledging the very transient nature of health and the environment and accepting each moment as it comes is a step in the right direction to understanding the true nature of peace.

With this in mind, runners should anticipate disruptions in their training and race preparations in the lead-up to any race and be willing to adapt their approach to find meaning in the process rather than solely focus on achieving a performance goal. With an attitude of equanimity, we can learn to hold performance outcomes at arm’s length. We can minimise suffering by finding stability in the face of change and approaching obstacles to success with patience and grace.

Jaqui found this stability during the Covid lockdowns, she commented: “Every race was cancelled in Victoria for a number of years thanks to the world’s longest lockdown. Not knowing if and when a race would be announced in the future I had fellow runners share their “devastation” with me and stop running with nothing to train for. Thanks to the meditation and mindfulness that Mind Focused Running taught me, I found it easy to let go of the disappointment and really enjoyed my running not because I was “training” but because I was enjoying each moment for what it was. Being grateful for every step – I have since carried that mindset out of lockdown and generally into life as well.”

Meditation and reflection can provide the mental and emotional framework to cope with illness, cancelled or adapted events, and shifts in performance or goals. They can bring to our attention that change may be the only constant in life, but peace of mind can prevail. And when understood and practised regularly, can truly transform how one approaches running and life with more balance, calm and wisdom.

In the face of impermanence, equanimity is strength.

And for the ultra runner, peace of mind is power.

Rob Donkersloot
Mind Focused Running Founder and Coach, Trail Runner At Heart

mindfocusedrunning.com/

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Final 2024 Points Competition Results

By Alexis Oosterhoff • January 30, 2025

Results for the 2024 AUTRA Points Competition have been finalised, and are available on our Points Competition page. Full details of the top 10 (as shared on Facebook during January) are detailed below, and results for all participating AUTRA members can be found in the documents at the above link. It was a real battle throughout the year between our top two finishers, Phil Gore & Kevin "BK" Matthews, with both giving it their it their all at events, and through contributions to the community - volunteering at multiple events, and submitting articles to our monthly newsletter, Ultramag. They finished within 2km of total distance for the year (Phil on 1203.087km, and Kevin on 1205.510km), and it was only Phil's final volunteering effort on 6 Inch Trail Marathon in December that gave him the that very narrow victory. As you'd be aware from previous communications, this marks the end of the Points Competition. With trail running (of all distances) now incorporated into AU T RA's constitution, and after careful consideration of the costs of the competition payouts in it's current form, the committee felt it was time for it's retirement. This marks my seventh and final year of delivering the points competition to membership (2018-2024), after taking on the role from Cheryl Symons. It has brought me great joy in doing so, and I feel like I've had an opportunity to get to know so many of our members through seeing their race (and volunteering) performances over the years! I'm continuing in my role as the AUS/NZL statistician for DUV (from whom we shared the data for the points comp), and you can expect to continue to find your ultra-race result on their site. 1st Place - Phil Gore (WA) - 86 points Phil's achievements this year have included a massive 265.653km (and 2nd place) at the IAU 24h Asia & Oceania Championships, wins at the Red Dirt Backyard Ultra (33 laps), the Australian leg of Big Dog's Backyard World Team Championship (96 laps), and the Soochow/Taipei 24h Ultramarathon (270.826km). He also knocked out an easy (!) 72km at the Light Horse Ultra 24h in between supporting his amazing wife Gemma. Those two 24h wins netted Phil new Oceania 24h Open Male records, IAU Level 1 qualifiers, and pushed him to the top of Australia's 24h trophy board (with only the great Yiannis Kouros having run further). Phil topped-up his points by contributing one article to Ultramag, worked as an Event Director at Herdy's Frontyard Ultra, and volunteered at a further five events through the year. He finished on 86 points. 2nd Place - Kevin Matthews (WA) - 84 points Finishing in 2nd place in the AUTRA 2024 Points Competition is WA's Kevin Matthews. He monstered his way through the year with finishes at Australia Day Ultra 100km, Delirious WEST 200mi, 24 laps at Herdy's Frontyard Ultra, 190km at Light Horse Ultra 24h, 23 laps at Birdy's Backyard Ultra, and also completed Feral Pig 100 miler, Sandman 50km and Six Inch 47km. And to top things off, he contributed five articles to Ultramag, and volunteered at five events. BK ran 1205km in Ultramarathon races this year, all of them AUTRA-listed, and surpassed 100 marathon finishes (including 51 Ultramarathons!) Kevin finished the year on 84 points, a massive 34 points ahead of our 3rd place finisher Sue Robertson. 3rd Place - Sue Robertson (WA) - 50 points Finishing in 3rd place in the AUTRA 2024 Points Competition is WA's Sue Robertson. Sue completed the Ultra Series 100 miler trilogy of Delirious WEST, Irrational SOUTH and Unreasonable EAST, and rounded out her year with the Sandman 50km and Six Inch 47km races. She received 30 points from the racing at AUTRA-listed events, and was awarded a further 20 points by volunteering across eight events and contributing two articles to Ultramag, for a total of 50 points for the year. Thank you Sue! 4th Place - Margie Hadley (WA) - 47 points Finishing in 4th place in the AUTRA 2024 Points Competition is WA's Margie Hadley . She was the top-female finisher at both the No Time to Die Frontyard Ultra & Wild Dog Backyard Ultra, 2nd at Birdy's Backyard Ultra, ran 182km at the Australian 24h Track Invitational and placed 3rd at Coast to Kosci. Margie received 47 points in the competition 5th Place - Melissa Robertson (NSW) - 44 points Finishing in 5th place in the AUTRA 2024 Points Competition is NSW's Melissa Robertson. Melissa took out 1st place at Irrational SOUTH 200 miler, 2nd place at Lakes Trail Festival 100km, 1st place at Hume & Hovell 100 miler, 3rd place at Rumble in the Jungle and 6th place at Ultra-Trail Kosciuszko 100 miler! She also volunteered at the GNW 50km event, receiving 44 points in the competition! 6th Place - Aaron Young (WA) - 42 points Finishing in 6th place in the AUTRA 2024 Points Competition is WA's Aaron Young . Aaron finished in 1st place at each of the Ultra Series "Triple Crown" of 200 milers (Delirious WEST, Irrational SOUTH and Unreasonable EAST), 55 laps at Big Dog's Backyard World Team Championship, and rounded his year out with Feral Pig 100 miler. Aaron receives 42 points, just nudging ahead of Maree Connor (who also finished on 42 points) on a count-back 7th Place - Maree Connor (NSW) - 42 points Finishing in 7th place in the AUTRA 2024 Points Competition is NSW's Maree Connor. Maree had an outstanding year, achieving 2nd place with 221km (and an IAU Level 1 qualifier) at the IAU 24th Asian and Oceania Championships, 1st place at the Lakes Trail Festival 100km, 1st place with 67km at the Southern Sydney 6h race, and 1st place with 116km at the Narrabeen Allnighter 12h. Maree also competed at Spartathlon race this year (for which she contributed an article to the September Ultramag on her experience), receiving 42 points in the competition. 8th Place - Darren Linney (SA) - 41 points Finishing in 8th place in the AUTRA 2024 Points Competition is SA's Darren Linney . Darren completed 34 laps at No Time to Die BYU, 199km at the Adelaide 24h race, and 814km at the Australian 6 Day race, for a total of 1241km raced and 41 points . 9th Place - Tristan Cameron (WA) - 40 points Finishing in 9th place in the AUTRA 2024 Points Competition is WA's Tristan Cameron. Tristan completed the Ultra Series Triple Crown of 200 mile races (Delirious WEST, Irrational SOUTH and Unreasonable EAST), along with Feral Pig 100 miler, for a total of 1154km raced and 40 points. 10th Place - Jen Millum (WA) - 39 points Finishing in 10th place in the AUTRA 2024 Points Competition is WA's Jen Millum . Jen finished 1st at all three of the Ultra Series Trilogy of 100 milers (Delirious WEST, Irrational SOUTH and Unreasonable EAST), and was 2nd female with 35 laps at the Wild Dog Backyard Ultra. With a volunteer stint at the Yaberoo Trail Ultra, Jen finished the year with 39 points in the competition. To view the complete list of members who secured points in 2024 click here and then follow through to Points Summary under the 2024 tab. All winners have already been contacted, with cash prizes distributed for 1st - 7th places, and AUTRA Store vouchers sent for 8th, 9th & 10th.