In this episode of the Everyday Ultra Podcast, I sit down with Everyday Ultra coach Ben Lehman — an ultrarunner whose journey into the sport started from a place much deeper than finish times and race results.

After losing his best friend, Ben turned to running as a way to process grief, rebuild himself, and eventually find purpose through endurance. What began with Spartan races turned into a passion for long mountain adventures — including completing his first 200-mile race at Cocodona 250.

In this conversation, we talk about the emotional side of ultrarunning, the mental skills required to survive multi-day races, and why endurance sports can become a powerful tool for healing, identity, and growth.

We also dive into Ben’s training philosophy, lessons learned from Cocodona, pacing mistakes, sleep strategies, aid station efficiency, and how he now coaches athletes preparing for their biggest races yet.

This is a raw, honest, and deeply human conversation — about pain, resilience, and learning how to keep moving forward when things get hard.

In this episode, we cover:
• How Ben got into running after losing his best friend
• Why ultrarunning became a form of healing
• Lessons learned from completing Cocodona 250
• The mental “system override” that helps during dark moments
• Why pacing and patience matter more than fitness
• How to approach sleep during multi-day races
• Training lessons for 100-mile and 200-mile athletes

If you’re training for an ultra — or navigating something difficult in life — this episode will remind you why endurance is about more than just running.

SHOW LINKS:

Want to work with Ben as your coach to help you crush your big ultra goals? Book a free consult call with him here to see if it's a good fit: https://calendly.com/benlehmanracing/new-meeting

Register for our race, The Desert Peak Ultra 100K + 50K at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠desertpeakultra.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Want to work with me to crush your next ultramarathon in our group coaching program? Sign up for our group coaching program here:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠https://www.theeverydayultra.com/group-coaching⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Want to be coached by me and my team to crush your next ultramarathon in our 1:1 coaching program?⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Book a free call here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with one of our coaches to see if we are a good fit!

Everyday Ultra YouTube Channel:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUelKGeptWZivD6yRIDiupg⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Get your FREE TrainingPeaks account to track, plan, and analyze your training easier at trainingpeaks.com/everydayultra

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How to Heal Through Ultrarunning and Find Joy in the Hardest Moments | Ben Lehman

Everyday Ultra

How to Heal Through Ultrarunning and Find Joy in the Hardest Moments | Ben Lehman