The Ultramarathoner Racing Against the Course, and Himself
As a coach, de la Rosa champions the work of Steve Magness, whose book “Do Hard Things” focuses on how athletes can use positive self-talk when experiencing discomfort. De la Rosa now shows his clients that they need self-love to build resilience and mental toughness. He is trying to put those lessons in practice in his own training and life.
After struggling with depression and extreme exhaustion following Barkley, and with encouragement from Belzberg, de la Rosa has accepted that he cannot participate in multiday events and more extreme 100-mile races. For now, de la Rosa, who is a sponsored runner, will continue to work on his mental health and focus on single-day events.
Belzberg and de la Rosa, who have 21 rescue animals including cats, dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs, a rat, a 35-year-old pony and a pet crow, said that the moments of joy they have experienced running together far outweigh the tough days. One of their funniest memories is when de la Rosa paced Belzberg in one of her first 100-mile races and the couple hallucinated that they were seeing an aid station serving pancakes.
“I’ve always admired Nick’s determination,” said Belzberg, who is also a ballroom dancer and a writer. “I see it in aspects of his life such as his tackling B.P.D. He has such a strong willingness to try anything if it will help, and I think that’s a really commendable trait, and it’s there in his running, too. He has a remarkable capacity to blow up during races but still perseveres and even finishes very, very strong.”
If you are having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for a list of additional resources.
Source: The New York Times
