How One Dad Trained for a 50K Ultra While Running a Business & Raising Twins

Balancing Fatherhood, Fitness, and Entrepreneurship with Clark Hibbs

Life gets busy—especially when you’re a dad, an entrepreneur, and trying to push your physical and mental limits. It’s easy to let fitness slip. But what if you could take on an epic challenge, something that scares you, and use it to level up every area of your life?

That’s exactly what Clark Hibbs did. He’s a dad of twin four-year-old daughters, a gym owner, and an ultra runner—and he decided to take on a 50K ultra marathon while juggling the chaos of family life and business.

How did he do it? How did he train, stay consistent, and push through when everything told him to quit? Let’s dive into his story.

“I Wanted to Do Something That Scared Me”

Clark had always been in the fitness world. He owned Yellow Rose Fitness and Local Cove Fitness in Houston, Texas, and had a background in coaching and nutrition. But he wasn’t a “runner.”

Sure, he’d dabbled—he ran two half marathons before his twins were born. But an ultra marathon? That was different.

👉 His reason for signing up? He wanted a challenge big enough that he wasn’t sure he could complete it.

That’s what a Misogi is all about—choosing an epic challenge that forces you to grow. It’s a test, a way to redefine what’s possible. And for Clark, the 50K was exactly that.

Training for a 50K While Raising Twins

If you’re a dad, you know how unpredictable life can be. Work, family, kids getting sick, sleepless nights—it’s all part of the deal. So how do you train for an ultra marathon when you have zero extra time?

1. Prioritizing Sleep Like a Performance Tool

Most people look for the perfect workout plan or diet hack. But Clark focused on something even more important: sleep.

"Sleep is the ultimate performance enhancer. If you’re not getting 7+ hours, nothing else matters. I made sure to get as much sleep as possible, even if it meant cutting out TV or distractions."

Takeaway for Dads: Don’t sacrifice sleep for training. Instead, optimize your schedule and eliminate the non-essentials so you can recover properly.

2. Training Smart (Not Long)

Clark’s training wasn’t about grinding out endless miles. It was about being intentional with his workouts.

✅ 5 days of running per week

• Long run Sundays
• Recovery run Mondays
• Intervals Wednesdays
• Speed work Thursdays
• Short recovery run Saturdays

✅ 3 days of strength training

• Focused on keeping his body strong and injury-free

Most importantly, he made his training fit his life—not the other way around.

“I wasn’t going to take time away from my family. I trained in the afternoons before I picked up my kids. I made it work.”

Takeaway for Dads: You don’t need 2-hour workouts. Find small, consistent windows to train and stick to them.

3. The Mindset Shift That Made the Difference

Training for an ultra marathon isn’t just about physical endurance—it’s a mental battle.

Clark knew this, so he framed his mindset in a positive way.

“Even when I was running 50k, I’d tell myself, ‘I’m 10% done’ instead of ‘I have 90% left to go.’”

&

"It's never NOT going to be scary. But that's the point. There's a side of your mind, a side of your potential, that will stay undiscovered unless you do these things."

Why? Because your mindset dictates your experience. You can either make things easier on yourself—or way harder.

Takeaway for Dads: The battle is won between your ears. Reframe challenges as opportunities, and you’ll push further than you ever thought possible.

Race Day: When Everything Went Wrong

You train for months. You do everything right. And then race day hits, and nothing goes as planned.

1. Poor Sleep Before the Race

• The night before his ultra, Clark’s power went out.
• He got barely 4-5 hours of sleep before running 32 miles.

2. Major Dehydration Issues

• An aid station was out of water at mile 18.
• Clark ran nearly eight miles with no water in the Texas heat.

3. The Low Point

• At mile 27, his body completely shut down.
• He vomited violently on the trail in front of a group of hikers.

But despite everything, he kept moving.

The Power of Pushing Through

Clark crossed the finish line.

Not fast. Not strong. But he finished.

“After the race, I swore I’d never do another ultra. But 48 hours later, I was already thinking about the next one.”

That’s what Misogi does.

When you push your limits, your baseline shifts. What once seemed impossible is now just part of who you are.

👉 Before the ultra, 10 miles felt long. Now, a half marathon is just a casual Saturday run.

👉 Before, hard days at work felt overwhelming. Now, they don’t compare to running 32 miles with no water.

Why Every Dad Needs a Misogi

You don’t need to run a 50K.

But every dad should do something that challenges them at their core.

Because when you push your limits, everything else in life gets easier.

• You show your kids what resilience looks like.
• You become a better leader, husband, and father.
• You learn that struggle isn’t something to avoid—it’s something to embrace.

If you’re reading this and thinking about doing something big, sign up now.

👉 Pick something that scares you.
👉 Find a way to train consistently.
👉 And when the moment comes, push through—no matter what.

Because at the end of the day, you either do hard things, or life becomes hard for you.

Ready to Take on Your Own Misogi?

🔥 Grab your copy of From Stuck to Savage: The Dad’s Guide to Epic Challenges and start leading by example.

👉 https://www.misogimission.com/ebook

You in? Drop a comment below with your next challenge. Let’s push limits together.