When we first met Mike, we found out that he had a dream to compete for Team Lebanon at the Cross Country World Championships. After some challenges and missed opportunities, we got word that Mike had moved closer to his dream. So, we caught up with him to go for a run and learn what exactly has been happening over the last couple months. On today's show Mike shares his journey of qualifying for and competing with the Lebanese national team at the World Cross Country Championships. He recounts the intense physical and mental preparation required to earn his spot, including a pivotal 10K qualifying race where he significantly improved his personal best. Despite facing challenges like illness and travel fatigue, he describes the profound experience of racing against elite global athletes on a grueling course in Tallahassee, Florida. While his performance was hampered by heat and obstacles, he emphasizes that the personal growth and the honour of representing Lebanon outweighed the final race time. We finished off by discussing how this experience will influence his coaching philosophy and his future goals in marathon runningFollow Mike on Instagram @thedaraziFind the full transcript hereSupport the showSubscribe to Running Scared Media wherever you get your podcasts for more episodes! RunningScaredMedia.comVisit our shop to purchase our jogcasts and other merchEmail us at: [email protected] us:Instagram @runningscaredmediaJoin our FB Running Group