The Everyday Ultra Newsletter

Ultra training tips to help you be a better endurance athlete, every day
by Joe Corcione

#ENDUREBETTER 🐺 

How to pick the right ultra goals for 2026

And no, this is not just another “new year’s resolutions are dumb” post

I’m serious: this is not going to be another post in your feed that lambasts New Year’s Resolutions 😂 That trope is so overdone.

Let’s be real though: you’re likely looking at your ultra race schedule next year and may be wondering what the final season will look like. And that’s good!

Because with all the social media hype for races and ease to impulse sign-up for races when they open (I’ve been there!), it can be easy to have a race season that makes you feel like “dang, why did I sign-up for that?”.

In fact, early in my endurance career when I did triathlons, I kept signing up for races that I inherently did not want to do, but did so because I felt like “I had to”.

It was only until I took a step back, asked myself some important questions, and intentionally mapped out my schedule where I really started to create the season that left me fulfilled.

That last word is important: fulfilled. Because I believe that is what we are going for.

So, for your ultra goals in 2026, they should leave you FULFILLED. And I developed a step-by-step process that allows you to determine what ultra goals for 2026 will be the most fulfilling to you. Here is the process:

The most fulfilling goals in life

When I was trying to find out what kind of races would lead to fulfillment, I did a full deep dive of all of the goals in life that led to the most fulfillment. I found that there were 4 things in common. And after working with over 100 athletes over my coaching career on a 1:1 basis, it also is true that these 4 things seem to be the same for most people.

In order for a goal to be fulfilling, it has to be:

1. Something that gets you incredibly excited

2. Something that scares you (and/or something you have a chance of failing at)

3. Something that forces you to grow and learn

4. You love the process of the goal more than the outcome

The first one is obvious: if you’re excited about something, you’re going to work towards it more. You’re going to put in the work, even when it’s hard, because there’s a level of excitement that, on a long term, outweighs the struggle or the low points.

The second one is less obvious, and I realized this after my first 100 mile race. I had signed up for the race, but at the time, I felt like I absolutely knew I would finish it. And that was my goal: finish the race.

I completed that 100 mile race and was so proud of myself. But there was something missing at the end of it. I felt like because I knew that I would finish it, and it didn’t scare me as much as my prior goals, there was something missing.

And I realized the thing was missing was that it didn’t scare me enough.

Fast forward to my next 100M race at Javelina Jundred, and I set the goal to go to finish in the top 2, which is absolutely insane considering it is one of the most competitive 100 milers in the world, and I had only ran one 100 miler before, I had only been running ultras for several years, and at the time, my results would not have put me in the conversation.

Did it scare the crap out of me? You bet.

And that training process was one of the most fulfilling training processes of my life.

When we go for things that have stakes, things we’re scared of, or an element of potentially not completing it, it makes us feel strong.

Why? Because when you do something that scares you, you gain courage. And even if you don’t get the goal, you feel PROUD that you faced something scary. That year, I finished 10th place instead of in the top 2; but I was so damn proud I went for it. And it’s the going for it that matters.

Pick goals that scare the crap out of you. And when you complete something you didn’t think you were able to do, it leads to the most fulfilling outcome you can get.

The third one is very important: pick something where you will grow and learn.

Think about a goal you achieved in the past that you were absolutely stoked on. Chances are very high that you learned something and grew in order to get that goal.

Ran the farthest you ever have in a race? That takes growth.

Nailed your aid station efficiency to spend less time at aid stations? You learned to make that happen.

One of the most fulfilling things in life is to grow and learn. Because when we do, we subconsciously realize that we can become anyone we want to become as long as we are willing to learn and put in the work. And that makes any goal seem achievable.

So, for your next goal, make sure you have an element of learning and growing along the process. How are you going to come out of this goal a better person than who you were before?

The last one is probably the most important one: pick a goal where you love the process more than the outcome.

The concept became clear to me with a conversation with my first running coach ever.

I had just completed my first Javelina Jundred and had lunch with my coach the next day. As always with us ultrarunners, I was already thinking about what’s next.

At the time, Cocodona was still really new and gaining a lot of hype.

“I think I want to do Cocodona”, I said to my coach.

“That’s awesome! What makes you want to do it?” asked my coach.

“It looks like the adventure of a lifetime and such an awesome race”, I said with eyes wide open.

“For sure”, my coach said as he smiled. “Now, with it being your first 200+ mile race, the training is going to be a lot of very low intensity work, hiking, and longer and slower days on feet. Is that something that would excite you.”

I paused. At the time, I wanted to get faster. I wanted to crush speed workouts. And I wanted to run a faster time at Javelina the next year.

And hiking a ton? At the time, that did NOT interest me.

That’s when I realized what my coach was trying to do (and what I encourage ALL of my athletes to think about now, thanks to my coach teaching me this):

Even if the race is exciting, you HAVE to pick the races and goals where you will enjoy the training MORE than the race.

Training is 99% of the journey. It’s where most of your days are spent in the process. And you gotta enjoy it. Because if you don’t enjoy the training, not only is it going to be much harder to stay consistent, but you won’t be as happy, fulfilled, or excited throughout the process.

And since you’re putting in A LOT of time for ultra training, it should be fun.

So, if you see a race, ask yourself: “would this fit the training style I would love to train for?”

Meaning, if you want to train in the mountains and get a lot of climbing in, maybe pass on that flatter race.

Don’t want to run on roads? Don’t sign up for that road ultra.

Pick the goals where the process is more exciting than the outcome

Putting it all together

Now that we know the pieces, the process is simple:

Take some time and go through each of the 4 pillars, and write down all of the races that would fit that category. And even if they aren’t specific races, you can write the type of race that would fit it.

So, write down the races that would excite you. The ones that scare you. The ones that would force you to grow. And the ones you’d love to train for.

You’ll have some that only fit into one or two areas. And that’s okay.

But the ones that fit all 4? Those are the ones worth looking into.

And the last piece? Don’t worry about making the “perfect choice”.

I always say: running 1000 miles in the wrong direction is better than standing still. Meaning, at least if you run in the wrong direction, you know what direction NOT to go in now. Whereas if you stand still, you don’t know that at all.

So, even if you sign up for a race and it ends up not being your cup of tea because you didn’t know: that is okay! Now you know for the future, and your 4 categories will become easy to answer.

The point is this: be intentional with your goals, pick the most fulfilling ones, and you’ll have the best race season ever.

Then, write a plan to EXECUTE on your goals. Dreams without execution are just delusions. And the best way to execute? Train! I always suggest mapping out your training in TrainingPeaks (free account here) since it’s easy to plan, analyze, and track your workouts. And if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

Let’s make 2026 incredible and fulfilling 🐺 

What I’m loving in my current training

Running the first “long run race” of the season!

As you all know now, I am training for the Western States 100 miler next June! A dream race for me 😀 I’m documenting the whole training process in a new YouTube series we’re running (which you can view here).

I’ve been building my base back slowly, and since I was able to get my volume back up to normal levels since my offseason, I decided to have some fun and sign up to do a marathon race at Across the Years this past Monday!

The run was simply to be taken as a long run: easy and not a full send at all. But why did I sign up for a race instead of just doing a long run on my own?

Using races as long runs can be a fun way to break up the training. And also, to practice with aid stations and support.

Because let’s be honest: sometimes, running that same route over and over again for your long run can get monotonous. Or, if you’re running alone, it can start to feel a little lonely.

That’s why I always encourage, if you’re able to do so, to use races as long runs in your training for races!

If you do use them for long runs, just be sure to move your training around the race if it is a bigger than normal effort. And make sure that it is a distance and intensity that won’t derail you from training.

For example, I am starting a VO2 Max speed phase this week which consists of high intensity, short intervals. So, I wanted to make sure my body wasn’t wrecked going into them. If I had full sent this marathon, I probably would be toast for those intervals and not get the quality I’d like out of it.

So, make sure that it suitably substitutes a long run in your training that doesn’t risk putting you out of your training, and you can make an ordinary long run all the more fun! 🙂 

Did you know we’re putting on a race?!

That’s right! Everyday Ultra is hosting it’s first race this upcoming April 2026!

Introducing: The Desert Peak Ultra.

With 100K and 50K distances through the desert of Tucson, AZ, you’ll traverse a high peak, glide on mountain singletrack, and flow through panoramic desert views.

And the best part? This is not just a race; it’s a festival! We plan to make it a party at the start/finish, every aid station, and all along the course.

If you’re looking for an epic adventure with a community just like you, this is the race for you.

As a heads up: prices increase on January 15th, so if you want to lock in your best price, now is the time.

Hope to be partying with you in the desert in April 🏜️

Have questions about running, training, or anything else? Respond to this email and I’ll be happy to help.

Remember, endure better, every day.

- Joe 🐺