Push. Beyond.
We believe that every person has the desire to push their physical and mental limits and through this process we become better. We believe that pushing beyond your potential is a critical part of the human experience. In a world where struggle is all too often avoided, there are those who seek it out. We are the few who wonder what might be beyond. Without struggle there is no true peace. Without pain there is no true joy. Succeeding when a task seems monumentally impossible opens the world to new possibilities that most people could never imagine.
Mindset.
Ultra-running is the vehicle that we choose to push our boundaries. Millions of people run, but we are the few who are ULTRA. ULTRA is not about a distance, it’s about a mindset. Most runners set their sights on 5K, 10K, or marathon and they feel accomplished when they reach that goal. We do not. We are never content. We seek the next challenge that will drive us to the brink of possible to see what we can learn about ourselves. It just so happens that the ULTRA mindset and running distances over 26.2 miles coincide.
Pushing Limits.
In Ultra-running, the mind and body are inextricably connected. As we improve one the other tends to follow. Pushing our limits could mean that we don’t train at all and one day go out and try to run a 10K as fast as we can. That’s not us. Being ULTRA means that we condition our bodies as much as possible so that it takes extreme measures to really test our mind. We aim to bring structure to your training so that your body is optimized for the mental struggle you seek. By being physically prepared, you are only left with the inner struggle to overcome impossibility.
Athlete Spotlight.
Melissa Ossanna
At the age of 27, Melissa was given a diagnosis that no one wants to hear, no matter their age. All the odd symptoms she had been having were determined to be due to multiple sclerosis. The diagnosis was made after she went blind in one eye over a period of hours, from optic neuritis.
15 years later, after persisting through many physical struggles and life changes, Melissa learned that her fatigue, for which she had been on intermittent disability, was primarily due to MS related sleep apnea. With treatment of her apnea, she took that extra energy to finally follow her neurologist’s suggestion to exercise. She did that by signing up for the Mount Desert Island Marathon, her local hometown race. Yes, there were 5K’s available, but the marathon distance drew her attention.
After signing up, she dug some old sneakers out of her closet and went for a run. It was actually a run/walk, of 0.8 miles, up and down her road. She was exhausted and wondered what on earth she got herself into, but she kept pushing. A year later, she finished that marathon, and was fully in love with running. A second marathon followed, then a 50K, then a 50 miler. She’s now finished 52 marathons and ultras, 9 of those being 100-mile races.
She tried for the Grand Slam of Ultra-running in 2019, but was hindered by the altitude at Leadville 100 in Colorado. Not one to be stopped for long, she has signed up for the Triple Crown of 200 milers in 2020. After making those plans, she got into Western States 100. As a result, she will be attempting to complete 2 100 milers (Orcas Island 100 and Western States), and 3 200 milers in 2020.
In addition to running, she is a clinical research scientist in the field of cancer drug development. She’s a mom, a wife, and dog mom to 3 rescued dogs, a Search and Rescue volunteer, and a caregiver to her aging parents. She says to note that her husband’s support is a key part of her ability to ‘Push Beyond’, as he picks up the slack when she does her long training runs and her work travel, even though his job is more than full time. Her dogs still nap with her when she needs a nap, and her son is a teenager.
Melissa Ossanna, 49 was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, but she is not letting that slow her down - literally. NBC's Tammy Leitner reports for TODAY. "