Longtime blog readers know I run ultramarathons.

Ultamarathon: (noun) Any footrace longer than 26.2 miles, typically 50 kilometers, 50 miles, 100 kilometers or 100 miles, usually run on trail and characterized by other extreme elements including heat, cold, elevation change, river crossings and technical terrain.

Running an ultra is a lot like writing a novel. They’re both daunting (crazy) undertakings, requiring many long, lonely hours ultimately leading you to doubt yourself and your (lack of) sanity. It takes a certain sort of (masochistic) personality and doggedness (stubborn as an old mule).

So any sort of platitude that ultra runners shout at each other usually holds true for writers, too.

My favorite?

Puking is acceptable. Quitting is not.

My author pal Sue Ann Jaffarian wrote a whole blog about it. Check it out.

Now, I gotta go run.