It’s Never Too Late to Try Something New
I've always been a bit of a late bloomer. I didn't start running until I was in my mid twenties, and I didn't start ultra-running until I was in my late twenties. But why is is that we are afraid to try something new, especially if we’re older?
Listen to your Gut
There's a lot of noise in the world today
DO MORE
Be better
Be put together
Don't show weakness
Everything is a test and every interaction is a way to measure up.
Be faster
Train more
Rest Less
Are you hurt?
Run through it.
Are you tired?
You're just not training enough.
It's a competition after-all, one that's everyday and not just on race day.
But I know deep down, something is not right.
me: I feel burnt out
them: you must keep going
me: but I need a break
them: no one else will take a break
me: If I keep going like this my body will break
them: you don't have what it takes.
I'm deaf now
paralyzed by fear.
I know what I need to do
I've known all along.
It's been sitting in my gut,
I just have to find the courage
to say it out loud.
Why I Chose Writing
When I sit down to start writing I don’t always know what I’m going to write about. Sometimes the words just flow, while other times I feel stuck, like pulling my feet from drying cement. But I’ve learned that even the process of being stuck is important.
Resilience Isn’t Linear.
Resilience isn’t linear. I only write this again to remind myself of it. These words I wrote, these words I believe, these words, I’ve lived, that I’m living now as I sit down to write them. Resilience isn’t linear.
Mental Health: You are not Alone.
Running is a solo sport. I like it that way. I never feel lonely or disconnected when I go for a run. In fact, it’s the isolated and empty space, that makes me feel most whole, most alive and a part of this world.
How are you being?
The first time I was asked this question, I had to pause for a second. I was confused at the deliberate change of words, confused in fact, how to answer it.
On The Road to Oregon
Road trips are my favorite. It’s nostalgic for me, having grown up in a camper van, touring the United States every summer with my family. The feeling is the same as an adult, the anticipation of the open road and the freedom of having a loose plan.
The Best of Both
When I first got on a bike, I thought I had reached the end. The end of my running career, the end of my identity, the end of enjoying the mountains so freely and simply.
Don’t Do More, Trust more.
When I think of trust, I think of concepts. Testable, measurable predictions that are repeatable, reliable and accurate. When I think of trust, I hardly ever think of people.
For the Love of Sport
Running is an individual sport. Especially ultra running. Logging countless hours on the trail, to prepare for long, mountainous races.
The Colorado 14ers loop
One of my favorite ways to train or explore outside is by combining sports. After discovering gravel cycling two years ago, my mind has been blown by this whole new world of movement (cue the Disney music here).
The Journey to UTMB
Everyone has a story to tell of the trails and hardships of getting to a start line. The sweat, the shifting of priorities and juggling of all things in life to just to strap on a bib number.
When have we gone far enough?
The world of ultra-running is a beautiful amalgam where success is not guaranteed without an ideal combination of training, discipline, tenacity, problem solving and luck come together perfectly with the ability to ingest and digest sufficient calories to prevent physical and psychological breakdown as you cover extreme distances on foot. Not a single person I know that participates in this sport lacks motivation, work ethic or enthusiasm for a challenge. It’s one of the many reasons I love this sport and the community that it comprises.