The Exchanges

Q Was it always like that for you, or did that come about through some injuries, or, like, how did you land on that?

A Yeah, I think, I think deep down I always kind of realized it, but I allowed myself to stray from that. When I started having success, um, and thinking that, And really, when I started to have success through winning, and then thinking that that was the end goal, and that was all that mattered, and so I started to get fixated on it. You know, it's like, the more you win, the more you have success, the more you feel the need to stay successful, and you're so scared of falling from that. And it actually took me, it was, I was injured for a year. I ended up with a Stress fracture in my femur quickly followed by a stress fracture in my sacrum. So I was off running and competing for a year and it forced me to really step back and take a look at myself and say, okay, who is Amelia Boone outside of racing? Who's Amelia Boone outside of being an athlete, which is kind of a funny question for me because I didn't grow up an athlete. You know, this was an identity I didn't have until I was about 28 years old. But suddenly in a span of five or six years, I clung to it as my soul identity. And stepping back through that, I realized that the winning was and doing well and success was a great challenge for me. And I enjoyed the competition and I enjoyed getting there, but it was also making me miserable. And so I think having to step back from that and reframing and understanding and really K…

AI assessment note: “I was injured for a year... and it forced me to really step back”

Q So, you, you had an interesting habit as a young child, which was, uh, you collected quotes. Can you tell me about that? When did that start? What does that look like today?

A Yeah, I, the, the quote started With me and my reading habit. Um, so I'll never forget, you know, we were enrolled kind of in the, the summer reading, a library, local library reading programs, and I remember like reading 60 books in a summer or something like that, and I was probably got in like third or fourth grade, and I would just take quotes from books that really kind of stuck out to me, and I would, at that point, I mean, there was really no computer stuff, and so it was all just written down in a notebook. Um, and then as I got older, And, um, I was heavily involved in music as well, and very much so in that lyrics really talked to me, and so, um, I then switched to when lyrics would grab me, I created a document that had all the lyrics, and then that also put in all my book quotes, and, um, unfortunately, I You know, back in the day when your computers used to crash and you used to lose everything that along with the computer. So there have been a few times where I've lost all those documents, which has been really sad, but I've always kind of tried to recreate them and whatnot. Um, but I, to this day, whenever a quote pops up to me in a book or in a lyric or just anywhere, like I stick it into a document and, um, it's really interesting to me because I can go back through that list and then, and then kind of pinpoint what Moments in time based on that quote or that s…

AI assessment note: “the quote started With me and my reading habit... to this day”

Q Can you give me an example of something that, like, you're 50 miles into a hundred mile race, and you have to work through, and what does that look like to you, personally?

A Yeah, so I think, I mean, there are a number of things that come up, but for instance, if you have, I was in a race about two years ago, and I realized that I, at certain points of the race, you had drop bags, so you would have Areas where you would store, store your supplies and your nutrition in advance. And then you, you plot that carefully out to kind of know like, okay, if I need to change out shoes or I need to change out socks, like what am I going to do? And I remember I got to this aid station, a 60 mile aid station, and I didn't have, I screwed up my drawbacks. So I basically just Didn't have anything at that station. And I was like, I don't have my nutrition. I don't have the shoes that I was going to change into. And at that point you start your entire race plan starts to crumble and you start to think, oh God, oh God. But then I realized, like, look, like, it's not, there's nothing in that that you can't work through. So yes, I don't have the nutrition that I was planning on, but this is why I train, you know, long distance, sometimes fasted runs to know that your body can get through these things. And it's just so you kind of adapt. And I'm like, okay, well, I don't have my nutrition for the next 10, 15 miles, so I'm going to have to take it a little bit slower. Going to have to make sure that I don't get into that zone of bonking. And so you just kind of readjust…

AI assessment note: “I got to this aid station, a 60 mile aid station... screwed up my drawbacks”

Q How did you get started in this kind of branch of athleticism? And keep it, like, they're both super competitive, so being a lawyer and then being this ultra-competitive athlete on the same token. Walk me through a little bit about that.

A Yeah, so I, you know, I, I went to college, I went to law school, I went there with the idea that this was all about academics, and this was all about, you Getting the best job I could. And so in college, I, you know, worked my butt off to graduate at the top of my class so I can get in the best law school that I could go to. In law school, you know, I worked hard so I could be at the top of the class to get to the best, into the best law firm that I could get into. And I got into, you know, one of the top law firms in the world. And I sat around that first year and I go, okay, What's next? Um, and it was one of those realizations where I thought I'd like, I'd work to achieve that goal and work to achieve that goal, but then there was something else that was still there. And so it wasn't until I was, you know, 27 at the time and, uh, decided randomly as people do for stupid events to, to run a Tough Mudder with, Uh, some coworkers there and they, we finished and they were like, okay, that was cool. Check that off the list, go back to our lives. But suddenly I found just this different niche, this different, I think, competitive outlet for myself. And one that I was really bad at. I mean, my first race that I went out there, I remember falling off of every single obstacle and being like, really Amelia, really used to do, used to do monkey bars all the time when you were a little…

AI assessment note: “decided randomly as people do for stupid events to, to run a Tough Mudder”

Q And in your, your corporate and your racing experience, do you feel like that that is a, um, a common belief that people have in terms of the self-sufficiency, or do you feel like people are prone to entitlement to the point where it impacts not only their happiness, but their ability to do things?

A I feel like the people who are the most content of And therefore kind of, I would say the most successful in it are the ones that, that don't have that entitlement. And I, you know, I'm in a sport where there's not a lot, there's little money, there's very few sponsorships. And so you don't see a lot of entitled athletes and, Especially in ultra running, you know, it's very under the radar. It's, it's, it's not on TV and people run a hundred miles to get a belt buckle for God's sakes. You know, like there's an, there's no, there's, there's very little ego in it. And so I think that that's partly why I was, why I was drawn to it. And so there is a lot of self-sufficiency out there, but you see it start to creep in when people start to think, well, but I should get so-and-so because I've been, you know, this successful of an athlete. And, and luckily, because it is still such a small community, there is kind of a A social norming effect when people's egos start to get out of control, and so it's kind of the, the checking by the social shaming of those folks that I think really keeps people in line.

AI assessment note: “the people who are the most content... are the ones that, that don't have that entitlement.”

Q So as a, uh, self-described, you know, type A personality, when you're reading a nonfiction book, how do you actually read that? Do you read from cover to cover? Do you, uh, jump around a bit? How do you process that?

A Yeah, I read, so I generally, one of the greatest, most freeing things that ever happened to me was when I gave myself permission to not finish a book. Um, and I used to think that if I started a book that I needed to read all the way through it, and if I didn't, then I was just a failure. And once I realized that there's nothing wrong with putting down a book that's feels like a slog, um, then I've, then I've kind of, you know, repurposed that. I generally read cover to cover, um, unless it's a book that's That's, you know, very chapter specific, and you can jump around, because there's sometimes, if I'm reading a book, nonfiction book about athletic performance, or sports psychology, or something like that, then I'm only really focused on one area, so I'll jump straight to that, and I don't feel bad about that. Um, but yeah, it's, it's generally cover to cover, and I don't try and overthink it either, but do definitely have no qualms anymore about putting books down.

AI assessment note: “I generally read cover to cover, um, unless it's a book that's”

Q What do you, what do you have to give up? There's an opportunity cost to this, right? So what are you sacrificing to live this way?

A I sacrifice, I, to be honest, I sacrifice a lot of my relationships and that's, As I said, it sounds funny when I say in 60 years, like, what do you want? And I say people around me that I love and, and that, you know, share time together, because I realize it is a very selfish act, um, and I don't get to see my friends and my family as much as I'd like to. Um, it's harder for me to, you know, go, all of my vacation time is taken up by racing, so I don't necessarily have time to go vacation with friends or, To go do other ventures that aren't related to racing. Um, so there's definitely, you know, that there's that part of me that I haven't really figured out, and I found a lot of connections and, and relationships through, you know, the athletic world and whatnot, but I definitely, you know, sometimes have that guilt that creeps in, um, around family and friends and, and things like that, and, and, you know, I give up Work happy hours and things along those lines that, but instead if I, you know, have to train early the next morning and whatnot, but I think there's a balance. I mean, I don't think by any means that I'm singularly focused on one thing to the detriment of others, because when people say like, I don't have time, it's not that they don't have time. It's just that it, you know, is it, it's just not the first thing on their priority list. And so I say, I say, for in…

AI assessment note: “to be honest, I sacrifice a lot of my relationships”

Q One of the questions that I really want to ask you, and I can't figure out a way to fit this in, so I'm just going to come out and ask it right away, which is like, what do you fear?

A Yeah. Okay, so here's a funny, I'll answer this in a roundabout way. If you'd asked my parents when I was five years old, the answer is everything. Amelia fears everything. Everything. Um, I was that kid and I was petrified of, I couldn't like sleep over at my friend's house because I was afraid of, you know, like my parents' house burning down or something totally random. I had completely, I had so many fears and so many phobias. And, um, so it was very kind of, when I started to sign up for these races and these long, Um, for me and for what everybody in my family and my friends knew about me. And I think that it was actually through doing a lot of these races that I started to work through a lot of these fears and being fearful. But honestly, the, one of the big things that I fear is not being able to do what I love. And so, and that, that is why injury has been such a hard thing for me, um, is because, um, You, you fear the loss of something being taken away from you. And I think that so many people in life are driven by that fear of loss. That's, that's why we set up structures like we do is that we are so afraid of things being taken from us or losing. Um, but so it, not losing in scheme, like losing a race, but losing something, losing connection, losing a loved one, um, losing a relationship. And so those are things that are still, that I still have to work through and …

AI assessment note: “one of the big things that I fear is not being able to do what I love.”

Q So you, you have very, you know, firm obligations and very, two, two very complete lives. What might actually be full-time lives for other people, you fit two of them in, and you read. How do you sort There is a million books published each year. How do you sort through what you read?

A Yeah. So I, a long time ago, not a long time ago, I think it was when I was probably in college. Um, I decided I was going to read every book on the list of like the hundred greatest novels that everyone should read in their lifetime. And I don't actually know where that list came from. I think it was, I don't know if it was time or like the guardian. It was by no means a definitive source. But it was some, like, hundred greatest classics everyone should read, and I started doing that in college and working my way through, and so I still, when now, if I don't have something, like, in my If I, if I don't have a book, like, that's really calling to me, then I'll go back to that list and be like, okay, what have I not hit on there? Um, but I do take, I have a running list, I have a running, like, note on my, um, on my phone of books that people mention that come up, and I just, when, When people say something, like, or recommend it, like, I'll write it down, and so, I mean, I've just, I probably have 200 books that are sitting there that are waiting to be read, and then kind of when I need the next thing, I will take a look at that and be like, ah, that strikes me, because I go in waves of, do I want to read something fiction? Do I want to read a novel? Do I spend a long time doing solely non-fiction, and now I'm trying to get back to more into the novels, um,

AI assessment note: “I have a running, like, note on my, um, on my phone of books”

Q like, that was part of the appeal to it. That doesn't necessarily exist today, right? People, uh, there's tons of resources on how to train, how to compete. There's, there's tons of people like you to reach out to and be like, hey, can you help me? Would you still go about it the same way, knowing what you know now? Or would you, um, Try to more optimize that.

A Honestly, if, if I was starting out now, I don't actually even think I would get into it, because I think that there was already, you already have this roadmap, and I think that you already have this way of comparing, um, so for me, it's always been about what I've realized and come to accept and recognize is that I like the new challenge, I like the unknown, and, um, I And I like something, I like the challenge of where there is no map that's been written. And so, for me, like, if I, I, it's like, it's like, okay, well, what's the next thing now? What's the thing that no one else has conquered that, that people don't understand? Um, and then to try and, and to learn that. Um, so I, I, it's interesting to think about, for sure.

AI assessment note: “if I was starting out now, I don't actually even think I would get into it”

Q it limits me, or to what extent, where am I on that continuum? Um, because part of it does drive people to be better. I mean, it's facing reality and dealing with, you know, maybe things that you've done that you could have done better, and then part of it is, you know, you're, you're switching yourself into this negative mindset. How do you, how do you think about that?

A Yeah, I actually, I, I've had the same kind of struggle and battle in my head about that as well. But for me, what I've also realized is that I've, is, and this is a recent change, um, that I've really kind of a practice that I've tried to instill. Is that I've always kind of thought of these negative parts of me or these negative thoughts as, as demons or things to banish or things that are limiting me. But instead of recognizing that actually, if I look at the past 34 years of my life, just how old I am, that these thoughts and these processes in the way that I have worked and have actually contributed to my success. So the way, you know, the, for, even though people may say that it's, it's bad or it's a bad part of you or something to be banished, actually it's done pretty well for me.

AI assessment note: “these thoughts and these processes... have actually contributed to my success.”

Q How did you learn? Was it sheer, like, brute force on your part? Or was it like, oh, I'm going to seek out and talk to these people, and I'm going to read these, these books that might offer me tidbits, and I'm going to craft my own plan? Like, what did that look like?

A Honestly, it was, it was really just trial and error. I found that For a very long time, I didn't, so I didn't run with a watch. I didn't know what a tempo run was. I didn't understand the different training, you know, I didn't come from an athletic background. So there was almost this ignorance is bliss kind of thing, and just going out there and not knowing anything, and kind of having freedom from all of those inputs. And I've actually found is that now it's, it's almost harder because there is so much input coming in as this is how you should train. And this is if you're not doing it this way, and then you're doing it wrong. And this is the best exercise for so-and-so. Whereas when I first started, there was none of that. And it's actually has driven me bonkers to the point where, like, I've started to actually disconnect from a lot of that, and just to go back to, this was where I started with all of this, and how, and like, and it worked for me, so stick to that, as opposed to listening to all those inputs from other people about what is the best way to do something, because I think that No, no two athletes are the same, and one training plan isn't going to work for everyone. And so mine may be a bit more unconventional and a bit different than what the standard, you know, the, the standard thinking is now. But six, seven years ago, there was no thinking like that. So, um…

AI assessment note: “Honestly, it was, it was really just trial and error.”

Q Do you set goals for the year? What's your personal process for, like, accomplishment?

A Yeah, I, I do not set goals. Um, I don't set resolutions, uh, but I do kind of focus on themes. Um, so I will every kind of year review, review what happened or, or what I took from that and then, and then try and apply that into my life going forward. Um, and so I think This entire past year for me was kind of like reconnecting with racing and rediscovering joy, um, and, and understanding that, and, and what I realized from that, from racing and, and actually finding joy in it again, is that part of that joy was, is, is about, for me, is, Writing my own, you know, marching to my own tune. And, um, to do that, sometimes you have to be bold and you, I have to say, okay, well, this is what everybody wants me to do as an athlete, but it's not necessarily what I'm being drawn to right now. So I'm going to go off into this direction and having the ability to say that and to recognize that and realize like, that's okay. And so for me, I'm now like saying, okay, well, this year the idea is, um, Like as part of that capitalizing on that joy is to be bold and go in my direction and have that self-confidence. And so that's kind of what I do on a, on a yearly basis. Um, I have goal races, um, but I try to not get too Fixated on the actual race itself. Um, cause as I realized, as I realized, the joy comes from the building up to that race and the getting excited about it. You know, it's ki…

AI assessment note: “I do not set goals. Um, I don't set resolutions, uh, but I do kind of focus on themes.”

Q Yeah. Yeah. Does that make it more likely that you're going to accomplish a podium, or do you think it makes it more likely, like, are they mutually exclusive, or do they drive each other? I don't know. Talk to me about that relationship.

A I don't think so, because I actually think that sometimes the more that you I actually think it makes me more competitive as an athlete to then not be fixated on the results. I think that when people are able to step away from that end goal as the end all be all, that's when you actually really start to thrive because otherwise it's very, and it's true with any, any goal you set in life. And I always try to You know, make this people realize that this is applicable well beyond athletics is that if you get completely fixated on the outcome, you're going to sit there and drive yourself nuts trying to achieve it and beat yourself up if you're not achieving it. Um, and I think in a lot of ways that's really self-sabotage. I think that's why you see people always say the cliche things. It's, it's hard to get to the top. It's even harder to stay there. And I think that's because once you're at the top, people start to self-sabotage. Um, so there's kind of a great freedom in the whole being the underdog and kind of a great freedom and learning the mindset that the results don't matter. But I don't think that's something that is definitely a learned practice. Um, I don't think that anyone can just be like, I don't care about results anymore because I mean, we're, we're all high achievers and that's a huge lie. What it is. I mean, we care about results. But what it is, is, is choosing c…

AI assessment note: “I actually think it makes me more competitive as an athlete to then not be fixated”