Scott Jurek question

With all your miles of training and during these intense 100 mile (20 + hour) races, have you ever had what you might consider a spiritual experience?

Definitely, there is something really magical that happens. In fact, its these little glimpses of what I call epic experiences that keep me going. I think this is a common experience for athletes of all kinds it just differs in how they describe it. For me it's when all the craziness around me, the pressure to win, the physical pain and psychological suffering build to an almost unbearable intensity, that I'm forced to dig deep within. It's at these junctures that something opens up and allows me this indescribable experience, and suddenly I feel not just unstoppable, but unlimited. Running these races has becomes a vehicle for reaching these states within myself that I haven't learned to access in any other way. I've come to see these races as a spiritual journey condensed into a period of roughly 24 hours. The demons of your own mind come out to torment you forcing you to come face to face with the deepest sense of self. In order to overcome the many obstacles over the course of 100 miles I'm forced to find the part of me that won't succumb to the suffering, but instead will rise above and be victorious. To do this I really have to dig deep.