What do you do when your body is falling apart, your brain is seeing lions and wizards, and you're still 100 miles from the finish?Bear Lee "bear_lee_running" ran the Cocodona 250 on 35 minutes of sleep, fighting hallucinations, blisters, and brutal terrain — but his story goes way beyond the miles. In this raw and honest episode, Bear opens up about mental health, resilience, and the mindset it takes to suffer well — not just in ultras, but in life.🎙️ In This Episode:What it’s like to hallucinate mid-ultramarathonHow trail running became a lifeline for managing anxiety and depressionThe concept of “staying within the mile”Why Pre-Decisional commitment might be the key to real gritRecovering from 250+ miles — mentally and physicallyHow he went from avoiding warm-up laps in high school to chasing 100s and 200s“Grit is what happens between the commitment you made… and where you are.”Whether you run ultras or run from your problems — this episode will change how you think about struggle, discomfort, and personal growth.🎯 Thoughts from the Host:Bear has such a powerful mindset. If there's one thing that seems most consistent to me is his ability to surround himself with positive, powerful, people. What wasn't in the podcast was a powerful story he shared about being injured and working to get back into activity and had a really cool experience with James Lawrence, the Iron Cowboy. You'll have to have Bear share the story when you see him out on the trail.One thing we didn't dive into much is his coaching. Bear has helped many athletes achieve their goals and has supported runners on their big races. I'm always impressed with people who not only perform at a high level but are able to teach at a high level. I'm grateful for my time with Bear and I hope continue to cross paths with him.📍 Follow Bear:Instagram: @bear_lee_runningYouTube: @ChasingLifesAdventures 🧠 Keywords & Mentions:Courtney Dauwalter, Max Jolliffe, Cam Hanes, Rachel Entrekin, Michael McKnight, Cocodona 250, Moab 240, ultramarathon podcast, Bear Lee running, ultra running, mental health, trail running podcast, running with anxiety, mean grit podcast, James Julian podcast, grit mindset, ultra running hallucinations, training for 100 mile ultra, Moab 240 training, staying within the mile, running👍 Like, subscribe, and comment:💬 What’s the most uncomfortable thing you’ve ever done on purpose?
