Jun '25 • General Discussion
Jealousy Can be a Good Thing
I went to the mountains Saturday for a big mountain bike ride. The mountains of North Carolina is one the most beautiful places in the world, and it was no exception on this day.
We began our climb up to a trail called Heartbreak Ridge. It was my first time riding this one, and I heard it was a “death march” to get to the top. I can now confirm, about 6 miles of hike a bike…but with views like that? Worth it.
On the climb up, we began encountering people trail running and quickly realized there was an ultra race going on. My friends and I laughed, as it was the same 50k we accidentally rode through last year also.
For me though, something was different this year…
The runners were all so friendly. We were of course offering encouragement, but every runner that passed was in such good spirits. And it was HOT, plus over 90% humidity. As one guy passed I yelled out “not a bad morning for a little jog huh?!” to which he replied “you got it man! only 20 miles to go!”
As we pushed our bikes up the steep trail filled with roots and rocks, the runners passed us, one by one, smiling, cruising on their hard earned downhill.
The guys I was with began the usual talk you’d expect from a group of mountain bikers encountering runners:
“Fuck that!”
“Why would you run out in this heat?”
“You couldn’t pay me to run 30+ miles”
It was like deja vu. We had the same conversation last year, and I distinctly remember joining right in.
But now a different feeling came over me…
I was…jealous.
Here I was, in one of my favorite places in the world doing what I love doing most, and suddenly I wished I was running an ultra marathon?
What is happening to me?!
See, I’ve come to learn that’s what endurance training does to you. As you build a bit of a fitness base and cross some finish lines, you start to unlock something within yourself. You start to see the potential. The possibilities.
It opens up a whole new world of adventure.
One year ago seeing these guys running a 50k through Pisgah National Forest seemed like a pipe dream, something I could never do. Now, I know I could do that, and I’m probably not too far from that fitness level right now!
Maybe jealous is the wrong word to describe that feeling I had out on the trail, because I still had an absolute blast bombing down Heartbreak Ridge on my mountain bike.
The feeling of admiration for the runners was just different this year. I felt more like one of their peers than just a big guy in their way with his bicycle.
Time to scratch that ultra itch.
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Jealousy Can be a Good Thing
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