After finishing Project 30, I can assess the hardest runs appropriately. Each run was a challenge, and I never felt guaranteed that I would finish. More often than not, I was ready to quit at mile 18, hell most of the time, I was over it by mile 12, but I kept pushing forward. As the former SEAL turned endurance athlete and overall all badass, David Goggins says,
"Don't stop when you're tired. Stop when you're done."
A sentiment like that would ring through my head constantly during these runs. I knew I had to finish these runs no matter how tired I was. I couldn't have a do-over. That said, some runs were especially mind-fuckingly difficult. Below are the top 5 most challenging Project 30 runs that I did in order of increasing suck.
#5
Bangalore, India. April 10th, 2022
The Bangalore run was challenging because of the heat, a theme that would carry through every run I did in Asia. There were two main things I was looking to avoid on this run: pavement and pollution. To avoid running on the pavement and to minimize the amount of car exhaust and open flames, I decided to look for a few parks I could run in. However, due to some obscure city-regulated park closures, I had to run in one park, Lalbagh Park. This made for a challenging run because I felt like a hamster running around a wheel repeatedly. The park had a perimeter of about 2.4 miles. What’s worse is that I wanted to avoid running on the pavement as much as possible, so I ran on a dirt loop track about 1 mile long. It wasn't easy mentally to wrap my head around repeating the same route multiple times. I was in so much of a loop that I ended up listening to the same song, ‘What’s Up Danger’, on a loop to finish the run. I heard this song for ten miles straight.
But what puts the Bangalore run in the top 5 is how I felt afterward. Almost as soon as I finished the run, my lungs and chest felt terrible, thanks to the horrible air quality. Every breath felt like a group of razor blades were maniacally dancing in my lungs. Not a great feeling, let me tell ya! I lay in my hotel room for four straight days after the run, only leaving for food.
I felt the residual effects of this lung damage for a few months. That lingering sensation of painful breathing awards the Bangalore run a dark place in my mind.
#4
Appalachian Trail, Virginia, USA. November 21st, 2022
I was very excited to do this run. I recently finished the book, A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson, a funny story about the author attempting to hike the Appalachian Trail (AT). While reading it, I kept thinking about how great it would be to hike a portion of the trail one of these days. Then it hit me; I would visit family in Virginia for Thanksgiving, and my mom's place is only a couple hour's drive from a handful of the most famous peaks of the AT. I knew I would have to make this one of my Project 30 runs. So, I arrived in Virginia a little earlier than I usually would for Thanksgiving to give myself time to get the run in.
This run started difficult because it was the first time I started a run in below-freezing temperatures. Luckily as the sun rose, the temperatures rose to a manageable 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
But the real challenge to this run was something I never in a million years would have guessed to be a challenge. Leaves. Yes, you are reading that right. The hardest part of this run was dealing with leaves. You know, those little pieces of nature that make trees lush during the spring and summer. Those same leaves make the fall in the northeast of the USA so picturesque. Well, those same leaves tend to all fall out during the fall. And man, do they make for a nuisance during a run.
For the first few miles, leaves weren't much of an issue. Running was smooth, well as smooth as running uphill can go. But then I found myself deeper and deeper into the forest. The sheer volume of leaves on the trail at some points along the run quite literally made it impossible for me to run. At their extreme, leaves were piled so high that my knees became obscured as I attempted to wade across the leaves. Running became impossible through these leave-covered trails. Every time I tried a running pace, I would be rewarded with a hidden rock or tree root, each looking to gift me a twisted ankle. Even with normal walking attempts through these piles, I would find myself nearly tripping over every hidden trap-laden step. So, I spent much time wading through the trail as if I was traversing pools of water. This had the effect of slowing me down dramatically during the run. Unfortunately, I was reduced to a walking pace for most of the run to prevent injuries.
Of course, slowing down to a walking pace meant the 30 miles would take much longer to finish the run. I am usually finished within 5 to 6 hours of running. So, I wasn't prepared when this run took 8 hours to complete. I planned to be on the trail for a short time. So, I ran out of water at the 22-mile mark, about 6 hours into the run. It made for a great, quasi-crazy conversation in my head.
"Well, good job Dylan; here's how you die." "What a silly way to go out." "Wanna be runner found dead this afternoon as he attempted to run a trail with no water."
Thankfully besides talking to myself like a crazy person, panic never set in. I had been in waterless situations before and knew I would be fine running or walking for another 8 miles without water. I also had another advantage that would help me finish. I had a large juicy, tart green apple in my bag. I savored every single bite of that apple. I gotta say that apple was the greatest I've ever had in my life! It's as if the Greek god Dionysus hand-crafted that delectable apple for me.
I made that apple last for as long as I could. I was only taking a bite when my mouth felt dry. Five miles later, I hit a branch, and the party in my mouth was over. The lushes life-changing green apple fell out of my hands. I had already nibbled most of the apple by that point, so it was time that I parted ways with my divinely ordained apple. With only 2 miles to go, I was excited by the prospect of finally being done.
Eight grueling and groveling hours later, I had completed my 26th Project 30 run. But I did so with more blisters than I've had during any run. Thank you, you damn insidious leaves!
#3
Negril, Jamaica. October 21st, 2022
The funny thing about putting my run in Negril as a top 5 most arduous run is how different of an experience going to Negril is for most people. Negril is Jamaica's beach destination town. It's the world-famous part of the island where thousands of people, mostly overweight and obese Americans, sit lazily for hours beachside as a sweat-drenched waiter runs back and forth to ensure their hands are full with over-sugared bottomless drinks. Well, that wasn't my version of Negril.
I arrived in Negril thinking there would be a running path near the beach. If there was ever a place in the world that would have a great running track, or at the very least pedestrian paths, it would be in the country that is world-renowned for its track and field athletes.
I found out quickly that wasn't the case. Instead, I would have to run for miles and miles and miles on paved roads. However, there was the famous 7-mile Beach that I could run on. Unfortunately, though, the name is a bit of a misnomer. While there is technically a 7-mile stretch of beach, it isn't completely accessible as a portion of the beach is private to the resort's residents. So, I adjusted my expectations and accepted that most of my run would be on paved roads.
Negril was extra strenuous because I was no longer conditioned for running in the heat and humidity. Before Jamaica, I ran Project 30 runs on the Inca Trail, New York City, and Philadelphia, each with cold and crisp climates. I needed more transition time to run in a Caribbean environment. I could immediately feel the effects of this significant change. Usually, when I run in harsh environments, I find moments of respite when I run under the shade of trees or get hit with wind gusts. Unfortunately, though, there wasn't much of either. As always happens during a run, as I progressed, so did the day’s heat. It was only getting hotter. A hotter environment makes the run much more difficult, making me feel worn out faster. It's a vicious cycle that has haunted me in every hot and humid run. After my time in Asia, I learned that starting early, before the sun rises, is the best way to avoid the crazy heat.
But, I was starting deep into a residential part of the town. The residential part of town in the Caribbean always means, and I mean ALWAYS, there are street dogs to contend with. A consequence of running in underdeveloped areas of the world is that there are always street dogs. It seems like a rule. Seriously, every underdeveloped place that I have been to in the world has street dogs. Most of the time, they are not an issue and will usually stay in their little chiefdoms of territory. But every once in a while, there's a devil hound that has nothing better to do than chase Dylan down and attempt to bite him. Anyways I digress. I didn't want to deal with dogs while the sun was down. So, I started the run before sunrise, during that 30-minute window when the sky lights up, but the sun hasn't crested the horizon yet.
More than usual, I kept doubting myself. I wondered if I would be able to finish this one. Generally, during a run, I feel wiped out around mile 20. And then I have to reach deep into my mind and channel the great and powerful Joe Rogan and say, "Not today, inner bitch!" But during this run, by mile 10, my inner bitch was kicking and screaming already.
The lack of shade and wind was taking a toll on me. I had to take much longer breaks than usual during this break. Without any respite from the sun, I was sweating faster than I could take in water. It was challenging to walk in this environment, let alone attempt to run in.
I ended up taking many long breaks during this run. Anytime I found a shaded area, I took refuge to give myself a chance to cool down and recover. I was confident I would finish this run, even if it had to be at a crawling pace. I savored every bit of shade I could get.
Finally, after 8 hours of running, resting, and surviving, I finished this run. There’s nothing quite as savage as running in the heat and humidity.
#2
Bangkok, Thailand. March 29th, 2022
Bangkok was challenging because my knee gave out on me for the first time during a run. I'd experienced pain during runs before, of course, but nothing quite like the pain I had here. It was so painful that I couldn't allow my knee to bend. I was so beaten up at that point that I had to take the time to sit down, stretch out, and rest. At this point in Project 30, I had never had to stop to take a break longer than 15-30 seconds or so.
This was a challenging psychological moment because it was the first time I had to deal with the reality that my body could break down on me. Up until that point, I hadn't dealt with any real injuries. I had trained and logged in well over 1,200 miles over a year. During all that time and those miles, I had only dealt with exhaustion and some minor pains.
When my knee gave out on me at the 25-mile mark of the run, I thought it could be over. "And this is how it ends, only seven runs in, and I am finished," I thought.
The silliest part is that I brought that knee pain upon myself. I had this stupid idea of testing the mileage limit of the shoes I was wearing to the limit. I wanted to find out how long a good pair of shoes could last before I needed to change them out. The good rule of thumb for mileage on a pair of shoes is usually 300-500 miles depending on how hard you run on them and the quality of the shoes. I ran with my pair of shoes for over 870 miles! These pair of shoes lasted a ridiculous seven Project 30 runs.
So, I learned how long the shoes could last if needed, but damn, there's no way in hell that I would recommend anybody get close to the limit of their shoes. Trust me, the shoes can last you a while, but getting yourself a new pair is better. That way, you will continue to have the support and cushion you need while running.
After stretching and massaging my knee for a while, I decided it was time I got up and pushed forward. It's moments like this one that I hate to love. It's the moment every fiber in my being tells me to quit, my mind goes into overdrive, and I tell myself, "there's no way in hell that I am quitting." It took me forever to finish those last 5 miles, but I got them done. I pushed through every painful step because I refused to accept defeat so close to the finish line.
My willpower was tested, and I passed it, but little did I know that this test was the dress rehearsal for the much more challenging test.
#1
Ubud, Bali, Indonesia. April 21st, 2022
The most brutal bastard of all my runs. It's the run that almost led me to quit Project 30. It would take me about a month before attempting another Project 30 run. It tested every fiber of my being.
The test started when I again felt a sharp pain in my knee. This was and continues to be the most gruesome running-related pain that I have ever been through. It was as though the devil was driving an arrowhead into my knee every time I took a step. This pain eclipsed the pain I felt during the Bangkok run. To make matters worse, this pain from the depths of hell began at mile 12. Meaning I faced another 18 miles of running ahead of me. I had to look deeper into my mind than I have ever before.
David Goggins' Cookie Jar method came into my head. I reached into my memories and reminded myself that I had already completed eight of these damn runs. I knew I could do it.
"Hell, I was sick in bed for a week in Thailand, and then two days after feeling better, I ran in Bangkok. I know I can get this motherfucker done!"
I had to hype myself up and remind myself I was not here to quit. I am here to finish. When I am in the most pain, I am being truly tested. I had to prove that I would not accept defeat in the harshest conditions.
It's always easier to quit and accept an excuse you give yourself. But quitting costs are much higher than just at that moment. Once you quit something, you pay for it for the rest of your life. That moment follows you, and you will continue having to pay for it every time you think about it. I was not about to accept that payment. I knew what I had to do.
The devil may be shooting arrows into my knee, but it isn't broken. I am proving that by still moving. So, that's what I did. I kept moving. After the injury, I slowed down dramatically by about three minutes a mile, so it was obvious that this would be my longest run. Each mile was brutal and excruciating, but each mile further meant one less mile left. All I had to do was keep moving. I couldn't allow myself to stop.
Thankfully during the run, I had two people help motivate me during the run, one was a stranger that happened to be out running that day, and the other was my friend, Akshay. I wrote about the motivating effect that they had here. They helped me further push down the pain and keep pushing forward. Here I was in the most amount of knee pain I have ever been in, and yet the presence of other runners was enough temporarily drive out the pain. I am still amazed by how powerful our minds can be. It further proved that our minds and bodies could do extraordinary things when trained correctly.
Eight anguishing and hard-fought hours later, I finished this behemoth run. The nearly 90-degree weather, 100% humidity, rolling hills, and knee pain from hell all took their toll. Each gave my mind a screaming reason to quit, but I refused to listen. I am immensely proud of finishing this run and not accepting the desire to quit.
Embracing the Suck
These may have been the most challenging runs that I have done, but I wouldn't have traded them for any other run. Runs like these five truly tested my resolve and gave me a chance to prove to myself that I could get it done no matter how tough the challenge was ahead of me.