About the Author
Rafael Hidalgo
Rafael Hidalgo is the author of The Pain Cave: Start with Where Not Why, an ultra runner, and the founder of TalorAI. He is also a tornado chaser and former racing driver, and lifelong seeker of challenge whose path has taken him from the world of finance to the mountains.
After a career spanning two decades in international banking the COVID period called him towards a different kind of pursuit—one that led him to running the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc, a 100-mile trek across France, Italy, and Switzerland. That race, and the transformation it demanded, gave rise to this book.
Through ultra-endurance racing, storytelling, and reflection, Rafael explores the idea that purpose is not something we define in advance, but something we uncover by following what calls us. His work sits at the intersection of performance, philosophy, and the deeper search for meaning.
Rafael was born in Switzerland and raised in France. He now lives with his family, continuing to build, explore, and follow the next mountain…wherever it may lead.
