2020: The Birth of "Mottsy Ultra"

    12/31

    It all started with a trail run...

    Man, 2020 was a rough one by far for most. I was an online student so when the pandemic hit my environment didn't change much. I guess I was pretty fortunate in that regard. However I still felt the loneliness, boredom, and depression slowly creeping up on me. I was struggling to stay busy in the early months of the pandemic. I tried so many different things, made numerous daily routines, started calisthenics, cold showers, eating crazy healthy, and honestly so much more. But nothing could stick. I'd do good for a week then stop. I figured, let me try running again, it was something that I felt I was decent at...

    I have a history with running. I ran in high school and college for brief periods of time(total of 2 seasons), but after college it made me hate the sport. I took almost 2 entire years off with pretty much zero exercise. I tried a road run in May of this year. I got about a half mile or so into it and started dry heaving.  This really deterred me from running again and it reminded me of why I hated running. 

    Then one day my dad, who is an ultra/trail runner himself, explained to me the basics of ultra and trail running. I remember vividly him saying, "...it's much more enjoyable. You run at a slower pace, for a longer time. It is way more relaxed and you don't feel like passing out every time you finish a race. It's a different type of pain." This really caught my attention because I always hated short distance running because of how it makes you feel. To me, it never felt good. So after a conversation with my dad and some thought, I went on my first trail run in June since nearly 2 years. 

    The beginning of 2020 trail running...

    So as I stated before I really didn't start trail running and really just running in general until June(besides a couple road run attempts, which had to be <5mi. combined.) So here I was completely unprepared and feeling totally out of place in the trail running environment. I had some shitty nike shoes that you would get at kohls or something. More casual than actual running shoes. So my dad, being the runner he is, leant me a pair of his hokas... yup I said it, HOKAS. The thickest shoes in the game. Now I was ready to do a trail run.

    Me and my dad pulled up to our local state park, "Bear Mountain." This is where he would normally train for his races. Awesome trails, all types too, except theres no flat trails. I remember so vividly being so happy seeing people being outside, training, and having fun! It seemed like the absolute perfect place to train at. It wasn't my first time however. I would have XC races and practices here, but again short races. We also never explored the trails really.

     The plan was just to do a short run obviously. I was in terrible shape. My dad was just taking me on an out and back. I think it ended up being about 4 miles in total. I remember just really enjoying my time. We weren't running fast, we had some good conversations, was able to drink water without the urge of throwing up, etc. It was just a great time and I'd say I was hooked from this moment on. I loved being in nature, hearing the birds, seeing the sun glisten on the tree leaves, it was a magical place.

    The birth of Mottsy Ultra...

    After that first trail run with my dad, I slowly became more and more obsessed with the sport of trail running. Originally I wanted just to do it for exercise. I thought maybe I could do some short races again like halfs, 10ks, 5ks but on trail. I also never thought I would ever want to do an ultra marathon ever. I started watching videos on these amazing athletes that seemed like superheroes to me. People like Kilian Jornet, Anton Krupicka, Mike Versteeg, Courtney Daulwater and so many more! I started talking to my dad about ultra races and maybe signing up for one. The fire was lit and there is nothing stopping it now. 

    So not too long after, maybe a week or so after that first trail run, I signed up for my first 50k that was about 3 months away. This was something that I really felt I just needed to do and experience. I felt like I wanted to share my journey and maybe inspire others to do what I did. So I started an instagram page to share my journey and connect with the amazing communities that are trail and ultra running. So there it was, I became Mottsy Ultra, spreading my message, sharing training, and just having fun with it.  This was the part of 2020 where it became grind time. 

    2020 training, finding my passion...

    I had three months to get in the best shape of my life to complete something that seemed so daunting. I was determined more than ever to. There was something inside of me that said I was actually gonna follow through with it unlike all of the other habits I tried to establish in my life. So that's exactly what I did. I made running a habit. I set goals for myself and achieved them. I was a total rookie at first. I had no idea about how to train. I spent countless hours behind my desk researching training programs, recovery tips, injury prevention, you name it. I was investing so much time into it I just knew this had to work. This was it, I found my passion, my love, my drive! I truly began to love to run! 

    I started out as most would, low mileage on the trails, a few times a week or so. I would do my longer runs on off days, hopefully catching a partner but that didn't happen often. But that didn't matter. I dealt with numerous injuries as one could expect. Plantar fasciitis, meniscus issues, intense muscle knots,  patellar tendonitis, and a lot more. I dealt with them, it sucked, but I healed, recovered, and moved on. My body adapted to the training over time. I tried to increase mileage slowly every week, ending up peaking at around 55 miles before tapering for race day.     

    Becoming an ultra marathoner...

   I ran the Boulder field 50K. A 31 mile trail race with about 4000 feet of elevation gain. Not super technical and seemed like a nice race to start with. I ran it in 5hrs and 37mins and I will never forget those hours. It felt like a life time. I learned so much about myself and my running ability.    

    I originally wanted to run it under 5 hours but that was probably a bit of a stretch for my first ultra. Plus I was a complete rookie. I went out super hard and ended up paying for it big time. I felt trashed at 13 miles in like I wanted to stop. Pushing myself through that next 18 miles was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life both physically and mentally. It is really hard to put into words the feeling of finishing your first ultra. It was just amazing and I wish I could relive that moment. 

    Post Ultra, 2020 recap, and plans for the future...

     During this time I had incredible experiences on the trails and in the mountains. Alone or in a group, I never regretted stepping outside and going for a run. Nothing feels better than finishing a run. I didn't just sign up for an ultra to be one and done. I will continue to push my bodys limits and continue to compete in ultras as long as I'm still interested and physically capable. Running has become my lifestyle now and I don't know what I'd do without it, or where I would be if I hadn't gone for that very first run.

    Starting in June of 2020, I began my running journey. In these 7 months I was able to cover 1050+ miles! I also climbed 160,000ft of vertical gain in that time period. My biggest month was the last month of the year, December. I covered 250 miles just in one month. Pretty crazy for someone that couldn't run a half mile just 8 months ago. My goals for the year was to reach 1000 miles and climb more than 150,000ft of vert. As you can see I smashed those goals.

    I plan on carrying this good momentum over to 2021! I think it is going to be the most exciting year to come! I have so many big plans, new goals, and new races! Bigger, harder, and farther! I truly couldn't be more excited. Right now I am setting the bar high! 3,000 miles for 2021 is the goal, oh and the vert goal you may ask? A nice chill 400K should do me good I think. Some races you can expect will be listed on my blog on the right hand side. Currently signed up for one real ultra, but I will be running a self supported ultra on my birthday. Stay tuned for that!

    Closing remarks...

    Well 2020, what a year. I can't believe that it's all over now. I really gotta say I loved this year. I really created something of myself. I finally found something that I truly love.  Something that I'm so passionate about. Something that I want to do everyday. That really is something to be thankful for. So thank you 2020 for all the ups and downs and where I am today. It truly was an unforgettable year. As always thanks for reading. I appreciate each and every single one of you :)



sincerely,

ya boi mottsy <3    

Introduction to the "Get Outside. Go Explore. Reconnect." blog and a bit about me.

    11/19

    A bit about me...

    Hello everyone and welcome to my blog and my first post. Thanks for being here :) My name is Brian Mott, aka Mottsy. I am a 21 year old ultra/trail/mountain runner primarily. I also have a background in snowboarding. Aside from that I like to hike, adventure, hang with friends, be outside as much as possible, but of course always with my trustee sidekicks: craft beer and whiskey ;) Currently a part time student and worker with a dream of chasing the highest peaks full time. I spend most of my free time training and doing the things I love, which mainly is running for the time being. I have been a runner for part of my life I will say. But ever since the virus hit, I was reconnected with my true love and passion. I have been obsessed with running since June and I don't see my obsession slowing down. My history with running is an interesting one to say the least, but that's a story for another time. Running has given me new opportunities and has opened new doors that I wouldn't have discovered otherwise. Now it has led me here to start a blog.

    ...behind the blog name...

    Well I guess lets start with the name, "Get outside. Go Explore. Reconnect." This has been a phrase, quote, saying, etc. that I have been saying to myself lately. And yes, I am the author/creator. It seems to resonate with me so well. The phrase has become the basics of how I want to live my life and a guide to a happy one. Again a story for another time but, following that simple phrase got me out off a deep gutter I was stuck in. I was depressed, sick, and extremely unhappy with how things were going in my life. I took accountability for my actions and it all started with getting outside. I attribute most of my life changes due to a change in life style. In short I got outside, went out of my comfort zone, and reconnected with nature and my environment. This has helped me in a profound way and I have absolutely no idea where I would be if I hadn't done that starting this past June.

    ...about the blog

    So yes finally.. What's this blog all about. So the plan honestly is uncertain at the moment. I do know that I want to share some of my training in depth. Tips on how I stay healthy as an ultra athlete. I would love to write in depth race recaps about how things went mile by mile. Sharing photos along the way is a must. I plan on taking you all on my big adventures and letting you know how they went. This can include anything from hiking/backing trips, fkt attempts, fastpack trips, and anything in between. I can give some feedback on certain gear I use and maybe do a type of review. I do run in sandals and I know most people seem to be curious about that. Although I'm more of a minimalist, I use lots of other equipment that I can write up about. Oh and did I mention I loooooooooooove craft beer and whiskey? NO!? Well you will definitely be seeing a lot of the here too!

    To wrap it up, my blog will be about ME and my adventures. It will have a general theme of running, and most posts will likely have something to do with ultra running. However, this blog is far from limited to just that. I am extremely excited to share my personal experiences with everyone who would like to listen. As of right now I won't have a schedule for posts or anything like that. I just wanna see how it goes and have fun with it. It would be awesome to maybe post at least once per week but we will see about that! Look out for the next post soon though. It will be a write up on my personal experience with sandal running in the snow. As always thanks for reading. I appreciate each and every single one of you :)



    sincerely,

    ya boi mottsy <3