Goal(s) for 2023:

My goals for 2023 look a little different this year, as I’m undergoing a hip arthroscopy to correct a CAM deformity and femoroacetabular impingement and labral tear. Therefore, my goals are to share my recovery process following surgery and get back to strong, balanced, pain-free running. I have already been fortunate to receive support from others who have undergone this process and am looking forward to seeing if I can make an impact on others who may be in a similar situation and hopefully inspire others to continue to seek answers to ailments and correct the viewpoint that running with chronic pain does not have to be the norm. I’m hoping by late 2023, I can do a celebratory race, but prioritizing and not rushing my recovery is my primary focus.    

Who is your favorite author and what is their best work?  

Brené Brown – The Power of Vulnerability    

How did you get started in your sport?

I grew up in a small town in northern Minnesota that bordered a state park. My coach instilled a sense of adventure, while also fostering the work ethic and drive to push hard and run well. I started running long distances in 9th grade and our team often trained in the state park, where I fell in love with varied, technical terrain and used running as a means to explore different areas. One of my favorite training runs growing up was a long run, deep in the state park, where our whole team got off the trail and did majority of the run through the creek. Some points were shallow, others were over my head. This instilled that you can work hard, while having fun and really shaped me into the runner that I am today.   

What’s the worst advice you’ve ever gotten?

“You can sleep when you’re dead” – I used to live by this motto, but as I have gotten older, and hopefully wiser, I’ve learned to look at balancing my life and prioritizing things that are important. I still struggle at times to not feel like I’m “burning the candle at both ends” but I prioritize sleep, time with loved ones and make sure I am living to my values and beliefs and being more conscious about not people pleasing or doing things that I don’t want to do.   

When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A horse 😊   

If you were starring in a movie, what would your theme song be? 

It’s My Life by Bon Jovi (also my favorite pump up song for speed workouts or races).  

Proudest sporting moment? Proudest life moment?

A few moments come to mind as my proudest sporting moment. Finishing second at the 2019 Western States Endurance Run remains one of my favorite and most proud accomplishments. Chasing in 3rd or 4th place for majority of the race until things changed at mile 80, where I was now in 2nd and chasing for first place. I was able to catch first place at mile 94, where we had an epic head-to-head and I ended up in second at the finish line. To share this moment with Clare Gallagher and see what we both could accomplish when pushed, that late in a race is still my favorite memory. The finish line hug was one of the truest embraces, celebrating what we both had just accomplished. 

Second to that, in my early ultra days (prior to being sponsored) I won a race outright (Tillamook Burn 50k in 2017). Finishing first across the line was pretty special, but what really made this memorable was a little girl coming up to me in pure awe of what I accomplished. Knowing that I was able to show that little girl what girls and women are capable of still makes me smile to this day.   

Guilty pleasure food item?

Brownies

Guilty pleasure song?

Sappy ballads that you can sing alone in your car  

Where is your “happy” place? 

I grew up in Minnesota and still feel strong ties to the areas that shaped me as a kid. I lived on the border of Jay Cooke State Park in Carlton, Minnesota. As a kid the Superior Hiking Trail was still being finished (connected from the Canadian border, through Duluth, Minnesota, and then just beyond my hometown). I was able to go back in 2020 and run the entire duration of the Superior Hiking Trail, which was very special, as it brought me back to so many places that my family visited while growing up (mostly along the north shore of Lake Superior). These are definitely many of my happy places.   

Tell us about your pet(s).

My two huskies are my most steady training buddies. I have a 6 year old and 1 year old husky and they love to be outdoors and they love going on runs. Being a good dog mom is very important to me and there is no greater happiness than a free husky running on the trails!  

Finish this sentence: “The world would be a better place if….”  

“The world would be a better place if everyone saw the good in others and leaned into love and vulnerability.”