Digital Social Hour
From Last Pick to Elite: How I Became a Top Ultra Runner | Harvey Lewis DSH #950
Thu, 05 Dec 2024
From last pick to elite ultra runner: Harvey Lewis's incredible journey 🏃♂️💪 Discover how persistence and dedication transformed him into a top athlete! Learn about the mental and physical challenges of running 100+ mile races, vegan nutrition for endurance, and pushing beyond perceived limits. 🌱🏆 Harvey shares mind-blowing stories from Death Valley's Badwater 135, the Barkley Marathons, and setting a world record running for 4.5 days straight! 🤯 Packed with valuable insights on training, recovery, and the power of mindset. Don't miss out on this inspiring conversation that proves anyone can achieve greatness with the right attitude! 🙌 Tune in now for an eye-opening look at the world of ultra running and life lessons that apply far beyond the trail. Watch now and subscribe for more insider secrets on the Digital Social Hour with Sean Kelly! 🎙️ Hit that subscribe button to join our community of go-getters and adventure seekers. 🚀 #injuryprevention #strengthtrainingforrunners #davidgoggins #trailrunning #trainingessentialsforultrarunning #lifesetbacks #motivation #spiritualawakening #trailrunning #ultrarunning CHAPTERS: 00:00 - Intro 01:03 - Love for Running 03:29 - Training for 100 Mile Race 05:00 - BetterHelp 10:47 - Is Running Bad for You? 12:52 - VO2 Max and Longevity 18:00 - Seed Oils 22:18 - Running Rivalries 24:59 - Fitness Impact on Mindset 26:50 - Las Vegas Running Scene 27:50 - Running Form and Shoes 30:27 - Injury Prevention Tips 34:23 - Races Not Finished 37:50 - Barkley Marathons Overview 41:17 - Swimming for Runners 42:50 - Teaching Techniques 44:25 - Education Insights 48:58 - Evaluating Teachers Effectively 51:38 - Public Education Challenges 53:00 - Standardized Testing Issues 56:32 - Badwater 135 Race Experience APPLY TO BE ON THE PODCAST: https://www.digitalsocialhour.com/application BUSINESS INQUIRIES/SPONSORS: [email protected] GUEST: Harvey Lewis https://www.instagram.com/harveylewisultrarunner SPONSORS: BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.com/DSH LISTEN ON: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/digital-social-hour/id1676846015 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5Jn7LXarRlI8Hc0GtTn759 Sean Kelly Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seanmikekelly/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Chapter 1: What inspired Harvey Lewis to start running?
This is back when I was like 15, 14, actually 13. I jumped into a marathon when I was in high school and that moment just really changed my life because I've discovered that if you're persistent, you can do anything on this planet.
All right, guys. Harvey Lewis here today. Been to 107 countries, right?
Chapter 2: What challenges did Harvey face in his running journey?
Yes. Yes. It's been an amazing adventure across life.
You ran hundreds of miles in all of them, I assume, right?
Yeah. Well, not all of them, but I've seen some places. And I was talking to your wife out in the lobby. I mean, we were, like, sharing some stories about Bolivia and La Salta de Uyuni.
your fiance i'm sorry right yeah yeah getting married next year so that's exciting yeah pretty much my wife at this point yeah i just got married myself oh nice my my fiance before my wife um we were together for 10 years so how long have you guys been together seven years seven years so like very similar very similar yeah so what drew you to love running so much
Man, I start off and I was like the very last person to ever be picked on teams while I was growing up. I was like chunking goonies. And somewhere it hit me that I just started like running for training for football. And I ended up going out for the football team and being third string, defensive tackle. But I liked the training and all the fitness elements to it and pushing myself.
So this is back when I was 15. 14, actually 13. And I like jumped into a marathon when I was in high school. And that moment just really changed my life because I've discovered that so much in this world is a matter of how much persistence you have. And if you're persistent, you can do anything on this planet.
Nice. So you like the results you saw from your training and your persistence?
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Chapter 3: How can vegan nutrition benefit ultra runners?
Yeah. I mean, I was still finishing towards the back of the pack.
Oh, really?
So at 15, you weren't? Yeah, yeah. I never won a race in high school. Whoa. In fact, I normally finish towards the back. And when I ran the marathon, it took me five years to break five hours. Damn.
So you had terrible genetics.
Yeah. Well, I wouldn't say I had terrible genetics, but I would say I didn't have the formula. Okay. And I've learned the formula across... decades.
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Chapter 4: What are the mental aspects of completing ultra marathons?
Got it. Because now people are running marathons in like two and a half hours, right?
Oh, faster than that. Like, I mean, the world record is like two hours and two minutes.
Holy crap.
I mean, it's like, yeah, it's pretty incredible. I mean, they just keep on pushing it lower and lower.
Wow.
But yeah, I got into running pretty young and I discovered ultras when I was actually 19 years of age.
and uh i've been doing ultras for now 20 28 years so an ultra is two marathons right the ultra is any race further than a marathon oh further than so uh i mean in this country they've exploded so i mean when i first started ultras back in the 90s there were fewer than like five percent of the people doing them today so it's it's grown by like uh exponentially and now there's like
You have 100-mile races. You have 200-mile races. You have backyard ultras that have no finish line. You keep going to the last person standing. That's cool. I love the sport because it is... It really brings you to – it removes all the layers that we have, and it gets you to your inner core. You discover what your purpose is, what your why is.
I feel like a closeness with like – when you're in that moment of like complete and utter like – Challenge. Sometimes people refer to it as like suffering or pain. I don't really like to think of it that way, but it really causes you to like dig into your inner side and like think about what is important in the world to you.
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Chapter 5: What is the significance of crew support during ultra races?
And you have a crew that follows you every mile, like in a vehicle or mile or two, and they hand off like ice or drinks. And so, I mean, without that crew, like you wouldn't be able to like survive. That'd be tough, right?
Because that's six marathons.
Yeah. Yeah. So it's like a lot of times there is a crew and like...
This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com slash DSH and get on your way to becoming your best self. My fiance Ariel plays a big role in my mental health, helping me realize my true potential. Everyone's trying their best around you, so take time to appreciate someone close to you.
I've tried therapy in the past and it helped me go through some tough times. When I was in college dealing with mental health, I was on prescription medication. I actually had agoraphobia when I was in college and therapy helped me figure out some answers to how to fix that problem. For two months, I couldn't even leave my house or I would have a full on panic attack.
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Chapter 6: What injury prevention tips does Harvey recommend for runners?
So I love companies like BetterHelp that can get therapy in front of the masses. But therapy definitely helped me get better. And I definitely appreciate companies like BetterHelp because it's completely online and it's conveniently suited to fit your schedule and accommodate life surprises.
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Other times you have even like teammates. Like I've been on the USA team for the 24-hour race where you're running for 24 hours. I've done that five times and I've been on the backyard, in the backyard world championship team. five times for the USA. So for that, like the last one we did, uh, I ran like 316 miles. Um, I had teammates, we were, uh, I was pacing our teammates.
Um, they were, we were each like supporting each other with like positive energy. And like, sometimes someone would like, would like be just falling back and fall asleep. Uh, like as they're running and I'm like, have to grab them and say like, we're going bad. So it's not always like an individual sport. Yeah. You have races where you are teamed up with people too.
316 miles. You ran that in how long?
That race is a race where you have to do 4.167 miles every hour. Okay. So it adds up to 100 miles every day. And so that was like three days and four hours. Yeah. But my best was last year I ran and set the world record on the biggest course for running four and a half days. Oh, my gosh. 450 miles. And it was a really – I mean –
The UFC fighting gets a lot of attention, but honestly, I'd say ultras are even more badass and require more toughness than even surviving in the UFC. Because with that, I mean, you're running nonstop practically. If you finish your loop within your 4.167 miles faster than an hour, you have whatever time that is
So you might get like if you finish in like 50 minutes, you get 10 minutes to like lay down to like eat whatever you can and then restart the loop at the top of the hour. And like, I mean, you lose toenails, you have blisters that you have to like sometimes pierce. You're like you have to fight through sleep deprivation. For that race, I didn't sleep for the first three days.
And then the fourth night, I started sleeping just like one minute, two minutes, because I was finishing my laps with 55 minutes. I only had five minutes to reset and get going again. Holy crap. So it was really wild. And there were... 75 other people that were like world or there were champions of their own countries who didn't want to give up either.
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Chapter 7: How does Harvey manage mental health through running?
Like, and so much limits us by what we think we can do versus what we actually can do. You know, we are our greatest strength and our greatest challenge. You know, if we believe we can't do something, that's the heart of it. You're never going to be able to do it. But... With that particular race, I always focus only on the lap I'm on, and I never think, like, oh, I've got 200 more miles to go.
Like, I just focus on, like, doing that very lap I'm on, and that's it.
Wow.
And eating a lot of food. Yeah. You got to eat a ton of food.
So you were just staying in the present?
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Chapter 8: What lessons can be learned from the Badwater 135 race?
Just staying in the present.
Because if you thought about the 200 miles you had to run, you probably would have gone crazy.
No, you have to really break it down into that particular hour. You just have to focus on the next tree, the next mile, and focus on what are you excited about when you get to the finish of that lap. And it's simple, stupid stuff. I'm excited I'm going to get some Coca-Cola. I'm excited I'm going to... You drank Coca-Cola? Yeah, I mean, I do, like, during the race. Wow.
Yeah, I mean, it's, like, it's really lots of calories, caffeine. I usually don't drink it until, like, the second day because I don't want to, like, use any caffeine the first night. Like, I want to make it through the first night without any caffeine. And then, like, the second, third, fourth night beyond, like, having some caffeine is helpful. So I like to mix up my drinks.
Like, I have, like, probably a dozen different drinks I like to have. But it's one I have.
That's impressive, man. And you won that race at 48. I'm assuming a lot of the competition was younger than you, right?
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I won the race at 48. And, you know, I think it is really interesting. Like one of the statements you you said, go for it. You remember what you said in the lobby?
Oh, is running this much bad for you because you're running hundreds of miles? Like, is that actually bad for the body?
Right. Well, no, I would say yes. And like that you can accomplish like and actually what you were saying, a lot of you were saying is running bad for you, like period. Right. You know, and I would say like a lot of people don't understand. They assume that running is bad for you, but like there's running. It can be excellent for you. but it depends where you're at.
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