Pam Reed considers time the most valuable asset. The ultra running legend structures her days as full as possible, going from thing to thing without wasting moments. At 64, she's still racing a full schedule while slowly learning to give herself grace for longer recovery.

She's won dozens of ultras including Badwater multiple times, became the first person to run 300 miles continuously without sleep, and in 2015 won Western States, Hard Rock, and Badwater all in one month. Her secret weapon? When you're tired, you're probably sitting. Start moving and you'll feel better.

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Reed was active in every sport growing up. At 15, she decided to play tennis in college and practiced four hours a day. Her high school coach told them to run to get in shape. That's when she started running three miles every morning.

In college she taught aerobics to hockey players. They put together a 10 mile run and all beat her. She did 10Ks and half marathons, which she hated. Then she found marathons and loved them. She trained for Ironman Canada and came off the bike third woman overall behind Paula Newby Fraser and Erin Baker.

She and her husband found ultra running with a 100K where they were dead last. Then came Wasatch 100.

At mile 50 of Wasatch, her husband's feet were trashed. She asked if it was okay if she kept going. Before the words came out of his mouth, she took off. She finished almost dead last in 35 hours out of 36.

That day she remembers thinking she wanted to do 10 of these because they made a big deal at the award ceremony about people who'd done 10.

"I just knew in my heart it was really a weird feeling. I was out there doing that hundred and it felt like I know I can do this."

That knowing just came to her. When her husband asked if she could run 300 miles without sleep after Dean Karnazes tried it, she said yeah. Two days later she had the whole thing planned on a certified loop near Tucson. She did it in 74 hours.

Reed is blessed with energy. She's about to turn 65 and it's changing, taking longer to recover. But she was born to bounce back quickly. It came naturally. She didn't get injured until after 45.

When she does get injured, she just keeps going and figures it out. Movement is lubricant. Motion is lotion. The more you move, the better it gets. After Arrowhead 135 recently, she wasn't recovered a week later. But as she jogs, she feels way better. Her body's so used to it that it feels better the longer she goes.

She's never done speed work ever. She listens to podcasts about rest and plays with what works for her.

In 2015, Reed got into Hard Rock and Western States. She called Badwater race director Chris and asked if she could enter if she felt okay after those two. He said they'd see.

She did both and finished. When she finished Hard Rock, she didn't have a crew for Badwater. At breakfast, people sitting across from her said their runner broke her leg and they were totally available. Seven days later she still wasn't ready. Nine days went by and she thought, you know what, I can do it.

Again, it just popped in her brain. That's what happened. It came in and said you can do this.

For heat training, Reed runs three times daily for an hour each. She freezes water bottles, puts socks around them, and never gets dehydrated between sessions. She's Finnish and grew up in saunas, but learned at 15 not to exercise in them after her entire body cramped. She sits in saunas to acclimate but doesn't work out in them.

For Badwater, she recommends 10-12 days before, go somewhere hot for three days. Run three times daily for an hour each. Wear cotton and get sprayed down every three quarters of a mile, not a full mile. Whatever you can get down for food, do it. Chewing is hard when it's that hot.

For cold weather racing, change shoe inserts at every aid station. Have multiple pairs of socks, fresh inserts, and foot warmers. Put warmers right under the tongue of your shoe. This prevented trench foot after it ruined her first Arrowhead. For clothing, you have to accept sweating when it's negative 24. Five hours in it warms slightly so you can unzip, but until then you suck it up and eventually dry out.

Reed was hospitalized twice with anorexia and shouldn't have survived. She wouldn't eat or drink anything and has no idea how she trained her body. It doesn't really ever leave. You still have demons.

After the second hospitalization, she decided the number one thing was being able to run. You cannot do that if you don't fuel yourself. Because of what she did to her body, eating and drinking is hard sometimes and doesn't feel great, but she forces herself to do it.

Listening to podcasts from pro athletes about fueling helps. They're reminders that you have to eat and find the right things.

Reed directed the Tucson Marathon for 30 years. When technology outgrew her, Jamil took it over. When he called to transition, he came with his truck and they emptied the storage unit in two hours working together.

A race director isn't somebody who stands there telling people what to do. They're able to do everything it takes to put on an event. You have to know every portion and know how it feels.

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Jon is a runner, cyclist, and podcast host from Boston, MA, who now lives in Boulder, CO. For The Long Run is aimed at exploring the why behind what keeps runners running long, strong, and motivated.

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