The thing about finishing a race at around 2:00 in the morning is that you nearly always cross the finish line alone. The only people who are there to greet you are the absolute, indisputable angels known as race volunteers, and whatever incredibly kind and supportive friends or family members you have conned into sacrificial…
Read moreThe In-Between
Adventures may not be necessarily be easy experiences, but they have the bonus of being adventures.
Whereas there seems to be very little upside to the waiting in between adventures – the forced rest, the mandatory recovery. This is a peek at the times in between.
Read moreFalling in Love
It was NOT love at first sight. The first time I tried trail running, I really, really, really hated it. A little over 5 years ago, I saw a race listing for a 15k at a local state park. I’d completed a half marathon at that point, so I felt okay with the idea of…
Read moreA Long Way to Go
You have to wonder about the crazy ones. The ones who say things like, “I’m going to row a boat across the Atlantic Ocean by myself.” Or, “I’m going to go into the wilderness with no supplies and live off the land.” Or, “I’m going to run across the entire United States.” Or, “I’m going…
Read moreThe Joy of Last
I signed up for the Fort Yargo 50k (31 miles) in a spate of optimism in February, because at that point June was at least 6 years away. But all good Mays must come to an end, and then I was at the starting line, knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that I was going to find out what I was made of.
Read more7 Truths About the Next Big Thing
A week from tomorrow, I’m going to wake up at 5:00 am, even though it will be a Saturday and I’m the sleeping late on weekends kind of a girl. I’ll only let myself drink one cup of coffee. I’ll eat toast, a banana, and almond butter, and put on SPF 100 sunscreen because my…
Read moreYour Why
You always have a reason. Sometimes the reason is a terrible reason, like, “I was drunk,” or, “I didn’t feel like paying my bills,” or, “I’ve always done it this way,” or “I don’t like myself,” or, “I was trying to punish everyone in my life by self-destructing.” Sometimes the reason is amazing, like, “It’s…
Read moreMaybe Yes
Imagine that tomorrow, a lawyer shows up at your house and tells you that finding you has concluded a 30-year search for a missing heir. You are the sole inheritor of a massive fortune that is large enough to transform not only your life, but the lives of every one of your friends and family….
Read moreThe First Step
I am reluctant to write the sentence, “I started running” because I feel like that may give the wrong impression. Like, you might think that means I put on tennis shoes and started running, just like that, just like someone who was capable of moving their body with some intentional forward momentum without dying, which…
Read more