By Marah Hoffman ’22, guest writer

On December 31, 2021, James O’Brien, head cross country coach at Lebanon Valley College, was out on a run when a random trail-goer looked at him and asked, “Are you an ultra-runner?” O’Brien and his running buddy smiled at the question’s timeliness. An ultra-run is generally defined as any run over 30 miles. In that exact moment, O’Brien was taking strides toward the first ultra-run of his career. To the stranger, he replied, “I really hope so.”  

O’Brien’s love for running has infused much of his life. O’Brien explains, “It really just gives me a time and place to be myself, to untether from technology. I use running as a time to visualize my goals.” Soon after graduating from LVC where he was a political science major and athlete, O’Brien became an assistant cross-country coach. After one year of assistant coaching, O’Brien took over the head coach position and began the arduous task of implementing his vision for the program.  

O’Brien did not foresee continuing in athletics after graduation. The plan was law school, but O’Brien’s studies did not provide the fulfillment he had anticipated. Reflecting on signs for coaching aptitude, O’Brien says, “In college, I used to go to the library and take out books. I checked out all the running books.” Considering O’Brien’s career plan at the time, such invested reading would have been a waste of time. But now, he sees it as a funny, early sign of his passion for the intricacies of the sport.  

As a coach, O’Brien employs the problem-solving skills he once used to craft persuasive legal arguments. “I have always liked communicating with people. It comes naturally to me—helping people when things go wrong. I take the process personally and help them to the best of my capabilities. I enjoy finding out the why–scratching deeper than the surface.” O’Brien says.  

Describing O’Brien, Julia Resele, a captain and senior on the cross-country team, says, “Coach is calm and honest. The way he approaches his athletes is genuine. He remains collected in all circumstances which builds trust and respect from his athletes.” 

In addition to coaching, O’Brien loves the act of running itself. He says, “Immediately after college, I was running a lot and training a ton. I probably achieved my highest fitness level 3 years after college.” But slowly, the demands of a full-time job sapped his energy. “On the latter portion of my 20s and early 30s, the guilt heightened. I wasn’t as motivated as I was. Slipping into bad eating habits. Dealing with stress. It is hard to work on running all day and then come home to run,” O’Brien explains.  

Many retired athletes likely can relate to the loss of motivation. You are no longer training because your coach tells you to, because your team needs you to. You are training for yourself. That is a different feeling.  

To reinvigorate his drive to run, O’Brien had to flip a mental switch. He says, “A couple of years ago, I dissociated the runner I used to be with the runner I am now.” By deciding not to compare himself to his past and letting go of the guilt of taking time for himself, O’Brien was able to invest in his own running again. “I have realized slipping out to do a run is not me not being available to my athletes. I can still think about running while I run. If anything, it lowers my stress levels. It makes me better.” O’Brien has found “being back in the trenches” improves his coaching. 

As for his decision to try a 50k at the end of last year, O’Brien explains, “It was a lightbulb idea hinging on my weird, random goal to run an average of 5 miles a day every day for an entire year.” For the last three years, O’Brien has had this goal. The first year, he was on pace, but then he hurt his foot—eliminating his ability to run from October to December. The second year, O’Brien was playing catch up from his foot injury. Then, he got Covid early on, when people were still cautious about the virus’s long-term effects when coupled with exercise. That was a significant roadblock. Finally, this year, O’Brien was not in an optimal position to achieve his goal. He had a couple of small things arise, such as injuring himself while playing with his nephew on a pool float. O’Brien realized he would need about 60 miles per week to catch up to his 5-mile-a-day-average. So, he started thinking about doing something big. He’d always wanted to do an ultra and got a lightbulb idea to run the entirety of the Rail Trail. He chose New Year’s Eve as the date. O’Brien describes the decision, saying, “It would be a cool way to end the year. Plus, we had family visiting.” 

O’Brien planned out his mileage so that he would need at least 31 miles on New Year’s Eve to accomplish the goal he’d had for three years. He was forced to succeed or wait another whole year. 

“For anything you do that is that long, there is no guarantee. If you keep running while feeling off, you could get really injured. You have to be open to the fact that you could have to pull the plug,” O’Brien says.  

On the day, O’Brien had a lot of support. Alumni, current athletes, running buddies from over the years, O’Brien’s family, and an unexpected cross-country recruit all showed up to keep him company and cheer him on. There were 20 supporters in total. Dana Fronk, a cross-country assistant coach, accompanied O’Brien for the first 10 and last 3 miles. O’Brien’s brother-in-law biked the entire distance with him. On the bike, he had a cooler with water and snacks. O’Brien says, “I ate a lot of applesauce, liquid IV, and an energy bar at the half marathon. I don’t like eating before I run, but I forced myself to have cereal that morning. Fueling was key for me during that effort.”  

Throughout the run, O’Brien says, “I felt better than I thought I would. My buddy from college was also doing it, which was fun. My mind was a fun place to be.” O’Brien’s goal was to average 9-minute mile pace, but he ended up doing 8:40s. In the latter half of the effort, O’Brien says, “I really dialed in. That was when I ran some of my faster miles.”  

O’Brien purposefully planned a momentous finishing stretch for the ultra—Swatara bridge.  

During the last 2.5 miles, he struggled a bit mentally. There was big, chunky gravel that is hell on the soles of your feet. “I just wanted to get to that damn bridge,” O’Brien says.  

After 4 hours, 52 minutes, and 33.75 miles, O’Brien crossed the bridge. There was extreme excitement among all those who had come to witness this milestone in O’Brien’s running career. 

Dana Fronk says, “Coach O’Brien’s 50k accomplishment is nothing short of exceptional. I am so proud that I could play a part in that with him. However, the most outstanding part of the experience was the amount of people that came out to support him on that day…This speaks volumes on how much Coach has positively impacted so many people’s lives, and I am so grateful to be in that group.”  

For O’Brien, the key to consistent motivation is challenging himself. He suggests trying things outside of your comfort zone, things you haven’t done before.  

“It is really easy to get complacent. I see a lot of people fall into that pattern. I did it too. I’m not immune. But when you really challenge yourself, it makes you feel alive. Has the world changed because I did an ultra-run? No. But am I a slightly better person for having done it? I think so. I’m a better person, coach, parent, and husband when I’m doing something that makes me happy, when I carve out the time and make it a priority in my day,” O’Brien says.  

O’Brien plans to continue challenging himself. “When they finish the Rail Trail, I want to do it again in the other direction,” O’Brien divulges with a grin.