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Guest: Michele Pettinger @p3runningcoach
Show Notes:
Michele Pettinger and I were introduced by a former boss of mine. She's on a big comeback and aiming to qualify for Boston at CIM and have her name drawn in the lottery for Western States this December.
During this episode, sponsored by Previnex, we talk about:
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How we connected through someone I used to work for that she grew up with - thank you, Scott Miller!
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The fact that she grew up in a house with runners which is how she found the sport
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Making her way from the Midwest to California
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Training for and running her first marathon in San Diego after college
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How she ran a marathon before running a half marathon
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Starting P3Running in 2009 to coach other runners
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Deciding to do her first ultra marathon
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Her Western States journey and how many tickets she’s racked up without getting her name drawn for the race
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Getting hit by a car during a 20 mile run
- Chasing a BQ for every decade she can - next attempt is CIM in December
Sponsor Details:
- Previnex - Use code ALLYB for 15% off your first order
Other Links:
- Michele's book, The Young Runner's Guide to Nutrition
THAT 5K Info and Registration (8/9 in Avon, IN)
Episode Transcript:
[00:00:00] This is a Sandy Boy Productions podcast.
Ally Brettnacher: Welcome to Finish Lines and Milestones, a podcast to celebrate everyday runners. I'm your host, ally Brett Knocker, and if you run, you're a runner and every runner has a story. Join me every Friday as I share these stories and we cross finish lines and celebrate milestones together.
This week's episode is brought to you by Previnex. Previnex offers clinically effective supplements that promote longevity, performance, and everyday health. If you've been listening to this podcast for a while, you've heard me talk about Pren X.
I use our products every single. Day and the product I'm going to mention today is their gut and green superfoods. It is a green. I usually take it before my morning coffee. Literally one of the first things I do when I wake up. If you've taken a green [00:01:00] before you're currently taking one, pren X is likely better.
It's likely less expensive than what you're taking and also has less junk than what you're taking. And maybe even tastes better too, ' cause it tastes pretty darn good for a green. It's got this like sour apple flavor. Anyway, I take it every morning and if you don't take a green today and you're like, why should I do that?
It's for natural energy purposes, digestive health, even some anti-aging benefits. So for me, I really notice the natural energy. I find myself not craving as much coffee. I find myself really wanting. To start my day with these greens. So if you'd like to give preen X greens a try, you can go to Previnex.com, and you can use code ALLYB for 15% off your first order.
Thank you so much to Previnex for supporting this podcast. Now for this week, we are now in August, which is crazy to think about.
I know everyone says that, but literally, where did the summer go? My oldest daughter starts second grade [00:02:00] next Wednesday, so we're less than a week out of school starting some schools close to us already started. If you can believe that, I am sure if people are listening to this from Western East Coast.
Perhaps very different, but it's wild. Here we are. So I have a second grader, and as I record this, my oldest daughter is eight. Her birthday is July 31st, and so we're gonna celebrate her. We've been celebrating her, I think, all month. So gonna continue to do that tonight and over the weekend. And I have been man, like a lot of you struggling through the summer running.
And then I feel bad when I complain about the heat because my friend Selena, in particular from Texas, is like, well, welcome to my life. And I have internet friends that run in Florida and everywhere else but man in the Midwest right now it is. Hotter than normal. So I think that's why we're all like, what in the heck?
The humidity? The dew point's super high. It feels like running inside of like a steam room. And yesterday I had my long run, which I do on Wednesdays, and those will switch actually I think starting next week or so [00:03:00] to Fridays. But I had 11 miles easy. Quotes, if you're watching Easy and decided with my coach that it would be a good opportunity for me to push my daughter Sydney before she goes back to school, and I have somebody to push because I'm training for the Marine Corps Marathon where I'll push for an organization called Ainsley's Angels.
So anyway, so I pushed Sydney for 11 miles. It's the most I've ever pushed, and it was probably the hottest I've ever run in. I mean pretty close to it. And where I run on the Monon Trail in Indianapolis, there are a few bridges and hills and I just, I mean, man, all I could think about was this splash pad that's kind of in downtown Carmel, and we made it there and I took off my shoes and we spent, I don't know.
10 minutes running through that. So it was great. I am acclimating, I think, to the heat. We did it. was really hard though, So I also wanna make you aware, if you're listening to this, the week it comes out, there is a 5K you should know about that's in Avon, Indiana, and it's called that [00:04:00] 5K.
Are you running that 5K? It's, uh, stands for Tori's hike for another tomorrow, and it was started by Tori's family in her honor. her sister Christina Hook was actually on episode 65 of this podcast. If you wanna know more of the story behind it, go back and listen to that. But if you're looking for.
Some miles with company. please join us, August 9th, and I will link that in the show notes and in my social media so that you can find that and, and register if you are local. And then. Speaking of hard things, this week's episode is with Michelle Pinger. I just met Michelle. We were introduced by somebody I used to work for, and so Michelle.
Is in the midst of a big comeback and she is gonna have the biggest December ever where she is gonna run CIM and qualify for Boston. She's wanting to do that for every decade that she's able, and then also is hoping to be at the live drawing for Western states. If you're not familiar with Western states, it's a very prestigious ultra [00:05:00] marathon.
It has a lottery that's really hard. I'll equate it to the majors that roadrunners typically deal with getting into those. so poor Michelle's been trying for a long time and in the midst of her journey in getting her attempts to qualify her tickets, if you will, she was hit by a car while running and so.
we Talk about coming back post babies. We talk about coming back from her accident and I'm really excited to be able to cheer her on at the end of this year. She also wrote a book which we discuss and is linked in the notes, for young athletes and nutrition because Michelle is now, outside of her day job.
She is also a running coach and a nutrition coach, and is supporting young athletes with that knowledge as well. So I'll link to that book So her website is p3 running.com and I hope you enjoy this conversation with Michelle Pinger.
Welcome, Michele.
Michele Pettinger: Hi, ally.
Ally Brettnacher: Good morning to you. You're on the West Coast?
Michele Pettinger: Yes. Yes. nine 30 is not a bad time. Last week I had a 6:00 AM [00:06:00] and that was that.
Ally Brettnacher: a little brutal. Yeah. I can't really form sentences that early in the morning, so. I wanna talk about how we got connected because I think it's so cool. This world is so small somehow. but I worked for a friend of yours, Scott Miller, back in the day, like early, what was it? Like 20 10, 20 11? I worked for Scott.
Scott and I have traveled to Brazil together of all things. Yes. so we were at a birthday party for what is it? My four year old's friend. And he was there with his kid and I was like, Scott, what in the world are you doing here? I never would've expected to see him, see him there. So we got reconnected.
I was telling him about what I was doing and he said, okay, I've got, I've got, you gotta meet Michele. Gotta talk to Michele. She has this amazing book. And I was like, you don't need to tell me anything else. Just please connect me. So here we are.
Michele Pettinger: Yes.
Ally Brettnacher: Remind me how you know Scott.
Michele Pettinger: So Scott and I grew up together and, our parents were [00:07:00] friends. Our families went to the same church, and he and my brother were best friends. And so our families just kind of naturally did a lot of things together. And then, my brother and Scott have, have stayed in touch and, I probably haven't seen Scott for like 30 years, but I just, I really, I really respect what he's doing with his coaching.
And so we've definitely been cheering each other on, in, in those endeavors.
Ally Brettnacher: That's so amazing. Yeah, I worked with him when we worked for the city. That's why we went to Brazil. We worked for the city of Indianapolis together for anyone who's like, wait, what? You just went to Brazil? It was for work and it was great. and you said you grew up with Scott, so I don't remember where he was from.
Exactly. Where did you grow up?
Michele Pettinger: Freeport, Illinois,
Ally Brettnacher: Okay, so Illinois.
Michele Pettinger: Northern Illinois.
Yeah. And my, and
my dad
coached him.
'cause he, did run in, in high school. I think maybe he transitioned to football at some point. But
Ally Brettnacher: That's funny to think about. [00:08:00] Just knowing Scott, but Well, I'm so glad he connected us again.
Michele Pettinger: yeah. So thank you Scott.
Ally Brettnacher: Yes. Thank you Scott. If you listen to this, we appreciate you, and now we're gonna nerd out about running. So you may, you might not wanna listen, I don't know, but, you've been a runner for a really long time, for most of your life, Michele.
So could you tell people just how you ended up in the sport?
Michele Pettinger: Well, I mentioned that my dad coached, he was the high school, track and cross country coach, and he also ran, and my brother ran. So I grew up in a house of runners and I grew up going to cross country meets and track meets my dad when I was little. And I just remember I have super fond memories of those times, you know, helping him set up the cross country shoot and those cold fall Midwest mornings and drinking hot chocolate and just,
Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. Ugh.
It sounds amazing.
Michele Pettinger: and, watching my dad and feeling close to [00:09:00] him in that environment and.
I know that subconsciously, there were so many things kind of sinking into me at that time that I didn't even realize the way he coached. how that environment was just in my, you know, starting to like sink into my blood, so to speak. So, I remember being 12 when I went on my first run and I asked my dad to take me on a run.
It was exactly one mile from our house to the stop sign and back. And that's what started it.
Ally Brettnacher: That's
Michele Pettinger: And so I ran in high school, but I did not run in college.
Ally Brettnacher: Okay. And my twenties. Do you want me to go on
Well, I selfishly, I'm like, okay, how do I get my two kids to love this sport? And so I love your story like growing up with your dad, being around the sport, kind of just naturally you ended up there too. And so my girls, you know, I volunteer at races, I spectate, I run. And so I'm just trying to show [00:10:00] them.
You know, as much as I can. but I haven't held, I didn't hel hold them off very long for running. We just did a race in Indianapolis that was a mile race together.
Michele Pettinger: nice. And how, how did they like that?
Ally Brettnacher: they love it. so that's good. I'm like, okay, like no pressure. We don't have to run fast. We can walk, we can do whatever. My 4-year-old was in the stroller and then she decided about a fourth of the way in she wanted to run.
And so I said, okay. You don't have to run the whole time, but if you'd like to run, go ahead and, uh, we did it and it was, it was great. So I just love being able to share my love of that with them, but also trying really hard not to push it on them. So it sounds like your dad didn't push that on you. You just kind of were around it so much that you ended up enjoying it as well.
Michele Pettinger: Right. He didn't push it. And I feel like I did the same in raising our daughter. It's like we've been living a certain lifestyle that she's observed, but she played club soccer growing up, um, until her junior and senior year of [00:11:00] high school, and then she moved to running. But we would do family five ks together and same thing, just we can run, we can walk,
you know, I'm going to feed you honey stinger juice as we go.
Ally Brettnacher: Yeah, let's Bri, I'll bribe you a little bit. These taste great. Yeah, that's so much fun. Yeah. So did your mom, what about your mom growing up? Did she run?
Michele Pettinger: She did not. And, but she was a walker. She was a fierce and fast walker. And, yeah, she'd get that out there and, and get her exercise in, but in a different way.
Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. And so you ran in high school. What was your favorite event? Did you like track or cross country
Michele Pettinger: country.
Ally Brettnacher: Okay. I should have guessed that. Given the fact that you run now very far,
Michele Pettinger: yeah, I like to go hide in the, in the woods. You know,
Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. Yeah.
Michele Pettinger: I didn't like to be front and center on the, the track. That was a really, uncomfortable [00:12:00] thing. For me in high school. And um, I think one of those things that influenced, you know, part of the book too
is,
Ally Brettnacher: absolutely. And so you decided not to run in college. Would you have had a chance to run in college if you wanted to?
Michele Pettinger: you know, honestly I, I, I don't know. It wasn't something I pursued. the college had a team my brother ran. Um, we went to the same college, but,
Ally Brettnacher: Okay. Where did you end up going to? Undergrad.
Michele Pettinger: uh, Cedarville University,
Ally Brettnacher: Okay. Where is
Michele Pettinger: actually the same. It's in Ohio. Cedarville, Ohio. Yep. Small liberal girl arts school,
Ally Brettnacher: I'm trying to picture where that is. I went to Miami of Ohio
Michele Pettinger: near
Dayton Springfield.
Ally Brettnacher: Yeah, yeah, yeah, Okay. Okay. And so what moved you to California then? How did you end up on the West Coast from the Midwest?
Michele Pettinger: Well, there is a, a journey there. So I did my, undergrad, uh, at Cedarville, and then I went from Cedarville to [00:13:00] Baylor University for my master's in Texas.
Ally Brettnacher: Okay. I was like, tell me where that is. I should know,
Michele Pettinger: Yep. Waco, Texas. And then from there I went to Nashville, Tennessee. I was in Nashville for about four years and then I, things weren't working out great and Nashville.
And so, uh, my best friend had moved to the Bay Area and she said, Hey, we've got a room in the house. Come join us. So I packed up everything I could in my Honda Accord and drove across country. And started my west coast life.
Ally Brettnacher: Wow. So what were you pursuing from a professional standpoint after school, like in Nashville and. Or, and what'd you get? Your ma? I should know what you got your masters in, but I
Michele Pettinger: was in, uh, communications and my first job out of school was for a local newspaper.
Ally Brettnacher: Oh, that's [00:14:00] interesting.
Michele Pettinger: And then I also worked for publishing house there
and for a local author and an assistant to a local author. So I did have writing,
but none of those jobs paid the bills. And so I was also waiting tables.
Ally Brettnacher: I mean, yeah, you gotta gotta make the money somehow. That's crazy that you, I didn't realize you'd worked with an author with a publishing house. That had to be so incredibly helpful when you went to go on and publish yourself, I would assume.
Michele Pettinger: It was.
it was helpful for sure.
Ally Brettnacher: So then what did you do when you got to the Bay Area?
Michele Pettinger: So, I started by waiting tables and then, and then, I got a job in the tech sector as a technical writer.
Ally Brettnacher: okay. Oh yeah, that's right. I did see that.
So like documentation type of
Michele Pettinger: mm-hmm. Software user manuals, the manuals that no one really ever reads, but are important to have.
Ally Brettnacher: Yeah, which shoot are now probably written by ai. Half the [00:15:00] time you're just gonna end up having proofreaders. Yeah. That's crazy. So I was in software for most of my career on the sales side, so I've definitely read a lot of that documentation.
Michele Pettinger: Oh, okay.
Ally Brettnacher: I could never write it, that's for sure. So that is impressive to me. And so weaving running into this. Michele, when you were in college, did you still run like for, for fitness and for fun? Like when did you start doing races?
Michele Pettinger: So I ran recreationally, just like you were saying, you know, for fitness, for fun, through my twenties. And then, in 98 when I was 28, I ran my first marathon, the San Diego Rock and Roll
Marathon, and that was inspired by my uncle he did not start running marathons until he was 40, but I was in, I was in high school at that time, so I was watching his marathon trajection and [00:16:00] his marathon story, and I wanted to have that. And so I decided to run my, he was the first person I called when I finished that marathon.
Ally Brettnacher: Oh, that's really cool.
Michele Pettinger: so that's really, once I ran that first marathon, that's what started my long distance.
Ally Brettnacher: Is it safe to assume that your uncle was your dad's brother?
Okay. I was like, well, with the running, probably safe to assume. And how did you end up choosing San Diego? Of all places.
Michele Pettinger: I was, I was in California.
I, I, yeah, I'd gotten to California.
Ally Brettnacher: Okay. Okay. Okay. I guess that's, that's, I was trying to do the math and did it wrong.
So after you were probably what, like 19, 20 when you graduate college, so, yeah. Okay. That makes sense. that had to be so fun for your first marathon. I love the rock and roll environment.
It's, it's
Michele Pettinger: it was, and my best friend ran it with me and all of our roommates at the time, you know, we made it a trip.
Ally Brettnacher: That's the best. What, what do you remember about that [00:17:00] training? Like how did you, did you rely on your dad and your uncle a little bit to be like, how the heck do I plan for this? Or what did that look like?
Michele Pettinger: You know, I think my uncle gave me some, this was a few years ago, ally,
Ally Brettnacher: Oh, I know. You're like, I don't know. I just did it. But,
Michele Pettinger: but, um, it's, it certainly I know that it didn't look like what it looks like now
Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. Yeah.
Michele Pettinger: and, uh, you know, struggling to get goose down and not taking in enough hydration with the goo
Ally Brettnacher: Totally wearing cotton probably,
Michele Pettinger: yes, I'm sure I need to find photos if there are any of that. I'm sure I probably had a cotton T-shirt and like the old school Nike shorts.
Yeah. Probably was the fit.
Ally Brettnacher: yep, yep. I can picture some of the older running photos for me. So my dad is actually the one who kind of got me into running too, because he started a little later [00:18:00] in life because my mom was running. She ended up having hip problems and then now she doesn't run, but he does, and he caught the bug.
And so he's how I got the bug as well. But when I think about old pictures, like you mentioned, I, I picture pictures of me and my dad. Race day. Morning wearing our cotton socks, our cotton shirts, and our old like, yeah, Nike shorts probably So funny. Yeah, please do find some pictures,
Michelle. That would be great.
Because 98, that's, I mean, that's great. The nineties running scene. I love to think about it.
Michele Pettinger: I'll let you go ahead. I'm just like, oh. I'm like, do you run with your dad
Ally Brettnacher: Yeah, well we have done marathons together and he has prioritized his golf game. That's what I usually say. So now he and I are both signed up for the Marine Corps marathon this October, and so he keeps saying One more marathon. One more marathon. So he's 69. so I'm hopeful that he'll be able to, he'll be able to train and get it done.
We'll see. We'll see. But yeah, so. After that marathon you [00:19:00] call your uncle. Did you still have your dad at that time too? Because I know he's since passed away, but he was still living at the time.
Michele Pettinger: I did,
Ally Brettnacher: Okay. So was he your second
Michele Pettinger: I, I called my dad too,
Ally Brettnacher: Yeah, like right after.
Michele Pettinger: yeah, I, yeah,
Ally Brettnacher: That's really special though to have that relationship with your I like that.
Michele Pettinger: yeah,
Ally Brettnacher: Did you catch the bug right away after doing your first marathon, or was it a slower burn?
Michele Pettinger: I did. I caught the bug and then think my next marathon was maybe Portland.
Ally Brettnacher: Okay.
Michele Pettinger: And, that would've been in 2000. It was right around the time that I met my husband
Ally Brettnacher: Okay. How did you guys meet?
Michele Pettinger: we met, here in Capitola where we currently live,
Ally Brettnacher: Okay.
Michele Pettinger: and it was a eyes meet across the bar type of
Ally Brettnacher: I love that.
Michele Pettinger: situation, and we've been together ever since.
Ally Brettnacher: Oh, I [00:20:00] love, that's so great. What a good story. Like we just looked at each other and we're like, yeah, yeah, I'll have you, you're the one.
Michele Pettinger: Mm-hmm.
Ally Brettnacher: Um.
Michele Pettinger: To simplify it, yes.
Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. Yeah. To simplify it. So Portland, I hear Portland and almost anything on the West Coast. And I'm from, I'm a Flatlander from Indiana.
So how, elevation wise, how's Portland it? That's gotta be pretty hilly, right?
Michele Pettinger: I think it's, I know it's changed over the years. There were, there were a couple bridges, I wanna say St. John's Bridge
is one of 'em. I remember that being a little bit of a, a struggle, so it was more the up and over the bridges. And then when I ran, I ran it twice and there was also a, an industrial section that was just kind of, you know, the mind numbing
Ally Brettnacher: Yeah, just,
Michele Pettinger: industrial area.
Ally Brettnacher: Okay. And I guess before we keep going, I realize in context of the book that you have [00:21:00]
Michele Pettinger: Mm-hmm.
Ally Brettnacher: When you were in high school, did you have issues with, I mean nutrition, body image, eating disorders, anything like that? Because I know that's something that, you know in your book you're trying to help young people develop a good relationship with food.
Food as athletes. I just didn't wanna make sure, I just wanted to make sure I didn't miss that whole piece. 'cause we didn't talk about it when we were talking about your high school running.
Michele Pettinger: Right. Nutrition was really not at the forefront of conversation in the eighties around, you know, track and cross country. Um, you know, we, there just wasn't really conversation around it. And science has come a long way since then. But what I do have to say is that growing up the Midwest and two parents as school teachers, you know, I got, I had three squares a day.
I wasn't leaving the house without breakfast. I had a packed lunch. I had dinner on the table, you know, meat, [00:22:00] potato, veggie
every night. I understand that a lot of. People don't grow up in that type of environment. But I had that, I had that as a base. I did not have, any problems with disordered eating growing up.
I think that I had body image. I mean, I know that body image issues and I think that's just so common
and
relevant and, I didn't really necessarily understand at the time, but as I reflect, I see that, that I had that happening.
Ally Brettnacher: Right, right. For me, it's like as I reflect, I had disordered eating in college and I didn't even really realize it until now. I'm like, yeah, that was really not. Not a healthy relationship with food and with running even, as a matter of fact. So
Michele Pettinger: So do you, is there like a moment in time that you're aware where you shifted? That and what maybe allows you to move out [00:23:00] of that.
Ally Brettnacher: you know, I, I don't know for sure, but I bet you it was, being in a relationship is what probably shifted it. Getting, being in a relationship with somebody, feeling comfortable and supported and then not worrying about that as
Michele Pettinger: Yeah.
Ally Brettnacher: But I, I can't remember, I can't really remember to pinpoint it, but if I had to guess, that's what I would probably say.
but yeah, it feels like another lifetime ago. Okay. So sorry for that, like quick turn
And so you've done San Diego, Portland, we're in the early two thousands and. I mean, it's gotta be a blur. I looked and you have, I mean, just on ATH links, I just saw so many races that you've done, Michele. So many.
How do, do you have a spreadsheet? How do you keep track? Do you keep
Michele Pettinger: I, I, I, I have not been good about keeping track. I, athlete athletes helps the memory and ultra signup
Ally Brettnacher: Okay. Ultra sign up.
Of course. Yeah. Yeah.
Michele Pettinger: but I do from those early two thousands, what I [00:24:00] remember, 'cause I met my husband and he, he is, a gifted athlete in his own right in cycling and surfing. And he was cycling at the time.
And I decided I would do a sprint triathlon. And so he helped me get my bike. And, we were in Santa Cruz at the time, and so I took an open water swim class and I remember I, I wanted to go on a ride and he needed to, do a recovery ride. So we decided to go together.
Ally Brettnacher: perfect.
Michele Pettinger: which was a, his recovery was a complete suffer fest for me.
So it was soon
soon realized.
Ally Brettnacher: be like, not even recovery pace. I need you like sub recovery pace, please. Mm-hmm.
Michele Pettinger: Soon realized that that was not going to be a, a, something that we together. And I discovered that I, I, I like terra firma,
like being on the
Ally Brettnacher: that? Oh, terra firma. I've never heard that term in my [00:25:00] life, so now I know I learned something today. Thank you
Michele Pettinger: Anyway, um, feet on the ground and
Ally Brettnacher: Yeah, I can I, my triathlon career was short.
As was mine. I'm a horrible swimmer and I had a mountain bike. I didn't invest in a road bike, so it wasn't competitive, let's just put it that way. It was just an experience and I did it. So, yeah. So he, does he run? Has he crossed over into running at all?
Michele Pettinger: he runs recreationally, he's done some half marathons. talked about doing a marathon, gets to about the 18 mile training run, and then decides that he'd rather be on his bike or in the water
Ally Brettnacher: Wow. And you're like, man, you're so close. You could go run a marathon now. Like if you wanted to
Michele Pettinger: right? That's the desire needs to be there.
Ally Brettnacher: Marathon. Yeah, for sure. Oh my gosh. But that's impressive. Still getting all the way to that point in training. It's a long, that's a long way. Most people have not run 18 miles. So Wait, did you, okay. Did you run, you ran half marathons you [00:26:00] said in college around or when you were younger and then went to the marathon, or was the marathon your first like long distance race?
Michele Pettinger: the marathon was my first long distance race.
Ally Brettnacher: That is always so interesting to me how people start there. I did so many half marathons and
Michele Pettinger: I may have done a half marathon leading up to it, but I honestly don't remember.
Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. And then, okay, so
Michele Pettinger: yeah, early two thousands and then, we got married and. I was, and then we had our daughter in oh three
Ally Brettnacher: okay.
and
how old would you have been when you had her?
Michele Pettinger: 33.
Ally Brettnacher: 33. Okay.
Michele Pettinger: Yes. And, I did not run throughout my pregnancy. I started to, and I just didn't feel right for me. I did water aerobics,
Ally Brettnacher: oh, there you go. That's hard.
Michele Pettinger: so, um, I was, you know, [00:27:00] I was walking and, and exercising, but running wasn't a part. I also think that we have more information too around, running safely through
Ally Brettnacher: sure, sure. Yeah, I'm sure. Gosh, back then people would probably be like, you're gonna, you know, hurt your baby by doing that 'cause they didn't know any better. And like women running wasn't, I mean, as what it is today, certainly.
Michele Pettinger: Right. So then, but is after, after I gave birth, I thought I was just gonna bounce back and start running again. Well, it didn't, didn't, work that way. It was probably about six months. But then I started to train for the Des Moines half marathon,
Ally Brettnacher: Okay.
Michele Pettinger: the, the following October. So it was when she was just turning one, that was my first race back and my uncle was there and my parents, and.
So that's a really, that's a special memory that raised, you know, [00:28:00] first half marathon back after, you know, I'm pumping milk in the hotel room, you know, before and after. And, just, having the whole family together, that was, you
Ally Brettnacher: Does
your aunt, where did your, yeah. Right. And so where, what made you pick Des Moines? Did your uncle live there or was there family there, or was it just
Michele Pettinger: He was living in New Jersey at the time, and I think just decided to, you know, come at me. I don't know if I said, Hey, I'm gonna, do, you know, Des Moines gonna be my first half marathon back? And he decided to come, or he was, he was running it. And I decided, I don't
I don't
Ally Brettnacher: Yeah.
Yeah. You're like me. I if it, there's certain things I remember and then there's a lot of stuff I'm like, I, I just have no idea. I didn't write it down or I didn't put it in my spreadsheet, then it may not exist anymore.
Michele Pettinger: Yeah.
Ally Brettnacher: Okay. And so your first half marathon back, do you remember, did you get emotional when you crossed the finish line?
Do you remember that?
Michele Pettinger: Yes. And I remember I have a very vivid, I have a very vivid picture in my mind of the picture, you know, the [00:29:00] post-race picture, you know, holding Annika and, uh,
Ally Brettnacher: Oh yeah. I do too. I do too. I remember that. My husband brought, my husband came, his parents came too, I think, to help him bring our maybe downtown, which is funny to think about now. and, and I remember seeing her and she's still in her pajamas and it was so funny. And then you're like.
So I've got this picture of her, she's in her jammies. I've got my medal and I've got like a mic ultra in one hand, and yeah, it's just a different experience as a mom.
Michele Pettinger: It is
Ally Brettnacher: Yeah, yeah. To prove at least your, for me, it was like proving to myself, I can still do this, and I remember my first marathon back and just being like, okay, I'm not past my prime, which is what
I thought,
Michele Pettinger: Right. I can still do this. I'm back.
Ally Brettnacher: Mm-hmm.
Michele Pettinger: I'm loving this. Yes.
Ally Brettnacher: long did it take you then to end up doing a hundred? Milers.
Michele Pettinger: So let's see, that would've been oh four. And then, so life took us from [00:30:00] there to Bend Oregon
and we lived in Bent Oregon for about a year and a half, and that's really where I fell in love with trail running.
I joined a weekend group run, foot Zone, I think is the running store there. And we had trails right out our door.
So I started embrace trail running and, we, we were only there for about a year and a half, before life took us up to Seattle.
Ally Brettnacher: okay.
Michele Pettinger: And, when I got to Seattle, I was pretty cranky
Ally Brettnacher: You're like, I wanna stop moving. Please. You have a small kid at this
Michele Pettinger: about my, about my running. You know, I didn't, didn't know anyone. I was in a city. The trails were a 30 minute drive away, so we definitely kind of went through a little pity party around my running when we first got there. But, at the same time, west Seattle, where we lived, was getting their first [00:31:00] running store.
Ally Brettnacher: Oh,
Michele Pettinger: And, Tim and Lori McConnell, the owners, have just built a fabulous community there and I was able to plug into that. And then it was also at that time that. The technical writing contract work that I was doing for, um, company down in California that was coming to a close. And I thought, and I'd been working from home for, for years and, you know, Annika was just three at this time.
I wanted to continue to work outside the home, so I was like, what do I really wanna do? And I, I was already loosely coaching friends at the time and I thought, I, I wanna be a running coach. So
Ally Brettnacher: so cool.
Michele Pettinger: I started P three running in 2009 and the West Seattle runner, the running store there was very influential in helping me get, my business [00:32:00] launched by doing, you know, group programs
Ally Brettnacher: And so how did that work with, with Annika? She's three, you start your own business. Did you still did? Was she in daycare? Did she have care or were you home with her and doing your business? How did that work?
Michele Pettinger: I was home with her. Uh, I had, you know, a sitter helping, she started preschool when she was four,
so, you know, soon she was in preschool and then.
Ally Brettnacher: Yeah, that's, I asked that partially Michele, because I started my own business I know, several years ago now, and I still send my youngest to daycare now preschool. But it was like, I had this guilt thing for a while because I was, you know, doing something that wasn't bringing in. Really any income and you know, still sending my kid to school, to daycare.
But thankfully, you know, my husband has a great job in tech and that helps support us. So I feel really lucky to be able to do [00:33:00] it. But as I've met more moms like me, it's interesting to hear how we kind of orchestrate what works best for our family and our, and our dreams.
Michele Pettinger: Right. Thank you for sharing that because I, yeah, there was definitely guilt
along the way. That's one thing I talk about is like, there's, there's too much guilt that we put on ourselves and we need, we need to fi have more grace for ourselves because we're, we're chasing dreams and part of our chasing dreams is to model that for our children.
And
Ally Brettnacher: Absolutely. I couldn't agree more. I love, I forget where I first heard the phrase like, be a model, not a martyr. Like, and that has just stuck with me ever since. It's like, yeah, I wanna see my girls grow up to do what they want and chase their dreams. And so, you know, hopefully this inspires them to do that versus me giving up on everything and waiting around until society dubs it okay for [00:34:00] me to then do something different.
'cause it really is just the societal pressure. That makes you feel like you shouldn't be doing that, so,
yeah. Mm-hmm. So P three running. What is P three? Where's the name come from?
Michele Pettinger: well it two things. The, our last name is Pinger and there are
Ally Brettnacher: Oh, there's the P Oh,
Michele Pettinger: But then train with purpose. Run with passion. Always persevere.
Ally Brettnacher: perfect.
Michele Pettinger: So, you know, when, when I was white boarding, um, the living room wall, okay, what are potential names? That's, those two things kind of came together and
Ally Brettnacher: Yeah, I love that. And so when you became a coach in that time, what did that landscape look like? I feel like now this is an exaggeration, but everybody's a running coach. Like there's so much more opportunity out there. It's much more common When you first started your business, like. How did you even get into coaching other people even casually, just like [00:35:00] on the side,
Michele Pettinger: So I, I got my certification level one through RRCA in 2009. And then I, I really, I started with the running store and advertising my coaching there, giving Run 1 0 1 talks, doing a half marathon training program, like group program. And then, and then I also started a Tuesday night, track workouts.
So I met people through those group environments, going to group runs at the store. Then the one-on-one clients or athletes came from, came from those, and then it was mostly word of mouth
Ally Brettnacher: Mm-hmm. That's amazing. I, I mean, I just think about, I wonder how many run coaches there were in the United States when you went through your Level one certification compared to now? Like, it's gotta
be
Michele Pettinger: That, that would be a really interesting statistic to look [00:36:00] up
Ally Brettnacher: 'cause it's,
you know, I, I ran my first half marathon in 2007, so I've been running for a while
Michele Pettinger: What and what was your first half?
Ally Brettnacher: I am in Indianapolis and I did the Indie Mini, which is the one that goes around the Motor Speedway in
Michele Pettinger: Yeah, I've had a, I've pushed an athlete for that
Ally Brettnacher: oh, it's, it's a blast if you ever wanna come out for that, but it's, it's, it's an amazing race, but I remember I did so many half marathons, even a couple of marathons.
Then it was post pandemic even that I was introduced to the idea of using a coach. So I had been running for so long and my thought was always, oh, coaches are for the elite athletes. Like elite athletes have coaches. That makes sense, but why would I ever have a coach? So I'm just so surprised like 2009, like that's, I mean that's, I feel like from my point of view, early in the days of CO truly like run coaching. So it would just be interesting 'cause it had to be, I don't know, I just wonder if it was like even in the thousands at all, like if it was just hundreds of coaches. 'cause now [00:37:00] surely it's like, I don't know. I don't even know. I should look it up.
I'm curious.
I'm gonna,
Michele Pettinger: our.
Ally Brettnacher: I'm gonna put that on my to-do list. So you got your level one, you started coaching people in this community and you're, let's see, so now you're in Seattle, so you're not Doing as much trail running. During the time you were in Oregon, did you end up doing your first Ultra? Is that the timeframe that would've happened or was
Michele Pettinger: it
was not till we, we were in Seattle and I,
I, one of the women I coached, that we became friends and she had done some trail running and she started showing me the Alps, it's the Cougar Mountain, squawk Mountain, tiger Mountain, the 30 to 40 minute drive outside of Seattle. So I started to dabble in the trails there and the, it's amazing single track,
Ally Brettnacher: mm.
Michele Pettinger: one of my, probably first or [00:38:00] second favorite place to run.
so I started to get my feet wet on the trails out there and. Understand that it was a 30 minute drive, but that was okay.
It
was, it.
was worth, it wasn't, yes. And then as part of the, it was right around the store's opening and they hosted a viewing of running the S Sahara, is that right? Running the Sahara, at the local movie theater.
And, I'd thought in the back of my head about doing a 50 K someday. I was turning, I was turning 40 and I thought, well, what am I waiting for
Ally Brettnacher: Yeah, not getting any younger. They, you know,
Michele Pettinger: what am I waiting for? And so I picked a 50 K in Oregon, the SICU Outback, 50 K. That was, yeah, 2010. And that was my first ultra.
Ally Brettnacher: Wow. 2010. And so for people who don't know, it's [00:39:00] what? 31.1 miles, give or
Michele Pettinger: Yes.
Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. That's amazing. And how old would, uh, Annika have been?
Michele Pettinger: Seven
Ally Brettnacher: Seven. Okay.
Michele Pettinger: turning. Turning seven. Yes.
Ally Brettnacher: Because that's, my oldest is almost eight, so I'm just trying to like visualize that timeframe of like, wow, doing an ultra at that time.
Michele Pettinger: Yeah. And so sh and I have, I have pictures her, of her at that race. So also part of her growing up was, crewing me at these.
Ally Brettnacher: and in this time, are you still. Doing marathons. 'cause you've run, I mean, I see the Boston, marathon, marathon medal in your, in the background and you've done others.
So New York City, you've done so. Yeah. When did those come in? Are those later or
Michele Pettinger: they, they are so I. Kind of put both feet in the, in the trail world there for a while. But I had a goal of, of running Boston in the back of my mind. It [00:40:00] had been there for a while, and so it was in 20 14, 20 15, I decided that I wanted to go after that goal. I was gonna be, I would be turning 45 when I, or I would be in that 45 age group when I ran Boston.
So it gave me five more at the time, it gave me five more minutes and it's like, okay, so I'm gonna, I'm gonna go for it now. So I, my first attempt was, LA Marathon in 2015 to qualify. did not. Hot. Just not my day. Did not have a good race, you know, but we get up, we wipe ourselves off, we pick the next, okay, what's gonna be the next mini goal that's gonna help me reach this dream?
And I picked Victoria, marathon,
that?
following, Victoria, bc, [00:41:00] so British Columbia.
Ally Brettnacher: All right. Up in Canada.
Michele Pettinger: Yeah, we were in Seattle though, so not, you know, easy to get to.
Ally Brettnacher: yeah. Yeah.
Michele Pettinger: And so that, that, let's see, that was the fall of 2015. I got my bq but I had, it was like a two and a half minute buffer. And I didn't feel confident in that.
I was like, I, I feel like I need at least five minutes. And so then in the spring of 2016, I went and ran Napa. Marathon and, ran a 3 45 and had, you know, almost a 10 minute
Ally Brettnacher: Wow,
Michele Pettinger: And so I
Ally Brettnacher: Michelle. Yeah, that's ama. Isn't Napa really a hilly marathon
Michele Pettinger: Uh, it's not, uh, more rolling in the first half,
but it's actually net down.
Oh, it's
Ally Brettnacher: actually
Michele Pettinger: the, you can see the,
Ally Brettnacher: Oh, that's the marathon route. Oh,
Michele Pettinger: [00:42:00] that's the, that's the profile. Yeah. So,
um,
Ally Brettnacher: Wait, would you quick, would you have needed that 10 minute buffer or would the two and a half minutes have been enough?
Michele Pettinger: yeah, I think the two and a half, I think that year it would've been
Ally Brettnacher: up, yeah. Hey, still. Yeah, that's totally, that's amazing. Well, and you never know. And how much would you regret then? Uh, now it's, anyway, yeah. I want, I'm going after it at some point and. I'll just, I just feel like you need a 20 minute buffer. I don't know. It's like,
Michele Pettinger: Well, I, I have more to say about that, but
I'll wait
Ally Brettnacher: Okay. What
Michele Pettinger: because it has to do with what, what's happening this year. But, um, also during that time, I, well, I had already run my first a hundred, I made my first a hundred at Mountain Lakes in 2014,
and
Ally Brettnacher: same year, at the same year you did your first, your 50 k.
Michele Pettinger: no, four years later. Yeah,
Ally Brettnacher: Okay. Alright. I, I mixed. Okay. But that's the same year that you ran Boston or you were ran your marathon to try to qualify for[00:43:00]
Michele Pettinger: it was the year before.
Sorry, I,
Ally Brettnacher: I mean, you know, we gotta try to keep track of this.
I can't, you've run so many races.
Michele Pettinger: but it was in 20. 15 that I ran, the MEWA a hundred K and the MEWA a hundred K was my first, Western states qualifying race.
Ally Brettnacher: Yes. Okay. So tell people, I know there's definitely trail runners that listen to this podcast, but tell the road runners what Western states is and how that journey started for you.
Michele Pettinger: Western States is, one of, I think it is the oldest, like most iconic, not most challenging, but iconic 100 mile trail races. And I was inspired to run it, from really when I first started running a hundred milers and, uh, watched some [00:44:00] documentaries on it and I was like, I really, really want that.
Someday.
Ally Brettnacher: Wow.
Michele Pettinger: And so I, when you, at that point in time, so you have to run a qualifying race in the year of the lottery. And then you, you get your first time in the lottery, you give, you have one ticket
and then the second year you get two and then it doubles. And then, so it's 1, 2, 4, 8, 16. And at the time you would lose your tickets if you skipped a year.
And then they introduced a buy year, like everybody got a buy year. and then they eventually changed it to where you don't lose your tickets.
But I ran qual, I entered the lottery from 2015 through 2019.
Ally Brettnacher: Which is just absolutely incredible. ' cause you're running, you have to run that a qualifying race every year. And how many. Qualifying races are there approximately
Michele Pettinger: [00:45:00] Ooh. I'd have to look it up, but there's 60 plus
Ally Brettnacher: okay. 60. That's a good, I mean, I was like, are there only like a handful? Is it.
Michele Pettinger: Also, somewhere it was changed that it had to be, I think back in the day, you could qualify with a 50 mile race, but then they changed it to A hundred K
Ally Brettnacher: K. Okay. That was gonna be one of my next questions because obviously a hundred K is not a hundred mile race, so as long as you do that distance at a qualifying race, is there a time element to that or you simply complete it and then you, the ticket
Michele Pettinger: Some of the races, it depends. It, some of them are, you just need to finish, you know, within a certain amount of
time. Or others have like some race. The, finish time might be 17 hours, but for Western you have to finish in 16.
Ally Brettnacher: Oh, okay. Geez, that's so much running. That's a lot of running, Michele. Okay, so you do your first a hundred mile race. What, I mean, what was that experience [00:46:00] like? Tackling? I mean, even the a hundred K we could talk about for the next 45 minutes.
Real quick, I wanted to take a second to tell you about a few more shows that are in the Sandy Boy Productions Podcast Network. Of course, you probably already know I'll have another with Lindsay Hein, hosted by the one and only Lindsay Hein. There are a couple other shows in her network that have to do with running, so if you like this podcast, you might like those as well.
There's also the Trail Network Podcast. It's hosted by Ultra Runners, Leah Yingling, Rachel Drake, Katie Asmuth, and Hillary Yang, and they talk all about magical moments in trail running. And then we also have the Miles With Moms podcast, Which is a podcast for moms who run by moms who run, and their goal is for mother runners everywhere to never have to run alone or feel alone in their mom life struggles or journey to accomplish big goals. So if you like this podcast, you're gonna like them too. Those podcasts are all available anywhere you listen to podcasts, so be sure to go check them out.
Okay, back to the show.
[00:47:00] Okay, so you do your first a hundred mile race. What, I mean, what was that experience like? Tackling? I mean, even the a hundred K we could talk about for the next 45 minutes.
Michele Pettinger: Well, the, my first a hundred miler is memorable in that, my husband Joe and, and Annika, my daughter Annika were there and my good friend John Wallace was my, he part of my crew and my pacer and he's amazing. He's part of the streaker, like he's run a mile for a day for like, he's way up there
Ally Brettnacher: so interesting. People are
Michele Pettinger: he started at
high school and so he was my pacer and the race, you know, it was going okay.
Uh, I was staying under cutoffs and then during the night, I started to hallucinate. I was hallucinating Joe and Annika on the side of the trail. You [00:48:00] know, tree stumps were bears. I kept thinking that. I saw the aid sta like the next aid station, and I kept thinking I saw white canopies, like
surely it's coming.
And uh, so I definitely slowed through the night and then, and I had headlamp issues. And then we got to the last aid station. I think I had, it was like three miles to go and it was an hour until the 30 hour cutoff. And I had to finish an under 30 hours to get the belt buckle.
And the, I remember the aid station volunteer, he looked at me and he said.
I know you can do this. He said, it's gonna, it's gonna hurt and it's gonna be hard, but you can do this. And I dropped my pack. I had my pacer go in front of me. I just put my eyes on his feet and just went for it. [00:49:00] Found something else in my body that I didn't know existed. And I was the last finisher and, or at least the last finisher under 30 hours.
And I had, I don't know, I'd have to go look. It might have been less than a minute to spare.
Ally Brettnacher: Holy crap. In a 100 mile race where it's 30 hours, it's like, what percentage is one minute? Like that's so time. Like the closeness of that is. Wild. That's amazing. And so after that, you're like, oh, okay. Like I just wanna keep doing this.
Michele Pettinger: Well I know the blisters after that race were pretty gnarly too. But I think that, that having ha like I carry that with me in so many races, the strength that I found and that, that I gained and that I still carry with me from that one hour experience has benefited me many times. Yeah.
Ally Brettnacher: Yeah, I could, I could see using that a lot. Like [00:50:00] remember how much you thought that sucked? Like, and you couldn't do it, but you did. Yeah. I actually used a moment in my most recent marathon for when I feel, I'm like, do you remember when you thought, you know, you had a couple miles to go and you thought you were gonna fall over, and then you just.
Pushed through that and you didn't fall over, like it's fine. So, yeah, and I mean, just thinking about how much of a rollercoaster that probably is over the course of 30 hours versus four, you know? so at this time, are you using a coach yourself?
Michele Pettinger: I was not at that time.
Ally Brettnacher: Okay. And have you ever,
Michele Pettinger: Yes.
Ally Brettnacher: okay. I find it so interesting 'cause it's like, well you obviously have all the knowledge to coach yourself, but, you know, do you still need that push and accountability and somebody to I don't Yeah.
Hold you accountable. Make sure you do. But I, I find it when runners are like running a hundred miles, it's like you don't need the motivation. It doesn't seem like to go chase big [00:51:00] goals. So, and now you've run every 20 15, 16, 17, 18, 19. And then in 2020 you were hit by a car while you were running, Michele.
Michele Pettinger: Yes,
Ally Brettnacher: That's so awful. I'm so sorry.
Michele Pettinger: it was during the pandemic had started and I was, just putting in miles for, for myself. And yeah, it happened. I was headed out for a 20 mile run. I was a less than a mile from home. And it was running through kind of a precarious intersection, like a three-way intersection, and one of those where drivers like to roll the
Ally Brettnacher: Yeah.
Michele Pettinger: stop sign like they're looking right.
And so yeah, it happened in the crosswalk.
Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. That's awful.
Michele Pettinger: and, um, yeah.
Ally Brettnacher: You know what blows my mind is you're not the first person [00:52:00] I've interviewed that's gotten hit by a car while running. I have at least two other guests and I'm probably forgetting somebody else. And it's just so, it's, it's infuriating and it's also terrifying, right? I mean, yeah. So in that moment, like, did you, do you remember like coming to, after that happened or?
I mean, what was that experience like? If you don't mind sharing.
Michele Pettinger: So I was, uh, my first memory is kind of like I'm on, I'm on the ground and I had people that saw it happen
Ally Brettnacher: Oh my gosh,
Michele Pettinger: coming towards me, and I had my phone on me, so I was able to give my phone to them and have them call. Joe, my husband and Annika, and they, you know, they called 9 1 1 and did all of that, and they wanted me to stay there and I did not, like I'm in the middle of the road, [00:53:00] like, no, I do not wanna stay here.
And I moved over to, um, I think the curb, most of my, honestly, most of my memories are of flashbacks that I've had of the accident, which those flashbacks slowly came in like a two year period of
Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. Yeah, that's, and so what was, did you then, I'm assuming you went to the hospital from there, like an ambulance came and picked
Michele Pettinger: I didn't, I had the, so the, the fire. Men came and did an assessment and there was a police off. Sorry, I'm kind of like, it was, you know, my memory's kind of like,
Ally Brettnacher: I'm sure you try not to think about it very
Michele Pettinger: yeah. Um, police officer came, you know, questioned me. The driver stayed behind and they gave me, they said, your vitals are okay, so we're gonna give you the option of whether or not you go to the hospital.
And I was in shock and my house was [00:54:00] two blocks away
Ally Brettnacher: I just wanna go to my house.
Michele Pettinger: I just wanna go to my house. And, so anyway, that's decision, decision I made in the moment. And, you know, I have people ask me all the time, you know, well, did you break anything? What was broken? And he's like, well, I didn't break any bones, but I was broken. And, you know, soft tissue, the soft tissue damage that I had was, you know, the healing of that is, is a long process. And it took me a really long time to find the right team of people to, to bring me back because I was in chronic pain for a good year and a half. a lot of it was, you know, like pel pelvis and tailbone.
I couldn't stand up or sit down without being in excruciating pain, and I, we don't need to spend a lot of time on that. But those were, those [00:55:00] were really, really dark days. But I found, eventually found through my massage therapist, this wonderful woman who practices what you call the berry method, and it's very gentle.
How would I describe it? gentle, uh, massage manipulation of soft tissue, moving things around to regain alignment and remove trauma from the body. And after my first session with her, I turned the corner.
Ally Brettnacher: Wow.
Michele Pettinger: And, eventually about just over two years later, I ran my first 5K back of my, the next new phase of the, of the story, um, at, uh, Napa.
Ally Brettnacher: Oh man. And that had to, you know, it's like these moments where you feel that emotion again. Like you're like, okay, now [00:56:00] I'm back after being a mom, now I'm back after my accident.
Michele Pettinger: Yeah.
Ally Brettnacher: hard starting over, like as a coach and as an athlete. Like, could you share.
Some advice for perhaps somebody who's listening that's like, Ugh, I'm starting from ground zero. Like, I've had an injury, I've had a surgery, I had a kid. Like, what advice would you give that person?
Michele Pettinger: Ooh, that's a really good question. I think really being willing to meet yourself where you are. And I think it's okay to, like after my accident, like I wasn't even calling it a new chapter. I'm like, this is a new, this is a new book. I am a different person.
Ally Brettnacher: It's a good way to put it. Yeah.
Michele Pettinger: so. It is this gentle balance between, finding some excitement and joy and having a fresh start, but also trusting.
And I got this from, the woman who really helped me get back to running. She's like, [00:57:00] you have the neural capacity to run. All of those memories, all those years of running are in your body and you are going to, you're gonna be running again. And so it's having a belief that this new chapter or new book or what, however you wanna look at it, that you are going to get it back, but accepting that it is not, it's not gonna look like it did before.
And so It's like not being tied to what you were before, but also still having these big dreams out there.
Ally Brettnacher: Yeah,
Michele Pettinger: It's a very, there are a lot of fine lines in there,
Ally Brettnacher: totally. Ugh. Yeah, it's, I can't imagine, I mean, I, I only know it from coming back from having kids. That concept not, and, and that was traumatic actually for me, but it's like for people who have had experiences like yours and, and you're watching all your friends and [00:58:00] everybody else like continue to do it, and it's just hard.
It's really hard.
Michele Pettinger: I remember when I was still injured and, and not running and we were driving out east and we were driving by the cascades and just looking up at the mountains and it's where I have one of my most memorable hundred milers was in the Cascades there and just bawling, just This was before I believed that I could get back and was faced with, I might never have that lifestyle ever again.
Ally Brettnacher: Yeah.
Michele Pettinger: But, uh, it's also, so really then my, my thera I'll call her my therapist, talking to me about that neural capacity. I mean, that was so helpful. And she used visualizations of, when I was lying on the table and she was working on me of like climbing mountains and floating in the water and connecting with the environment that had [00:59:00] been supporting me through my journeys for the last several years, and finding strength in that.
So those are other things that I, I have to go back to if I'm having a bad moment in a race or feeling unmotivated, get out the door, whatever it is.
Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. Yeah. That's, that's really,
Michele Pettinger: I have no idea if I answered your question
Ally Brettnacher: No, this is No, you did well. I don't think there is like a real answer anyway. Like, you know, everybody's so different too in their journeys, but I think hearing your perspective and what has helped you get back, or it start this new book or whatever, however, again, you wanna, you wanna put it, I think it's really helpful to hear that.
And so it, it almost seems like just, I don't know, serendipity, a god wink, whatever you wanna call it, that you know at the time of your accident. Western states decided you didn't have to run a hundred K every single year to keep your tickets in the lottery. I mean, because you, like you said, your dream was still alive
Michele Pettinger: Right. I mean, that
Ally Brettnacher: that rule. [01:00:00]
Michele Pettinger: when I, I didn't, when I first, um, was hit by the card, that was the, the first thing that went through my mind was all my tickets are gone.
Ally Brettnacher: I mean, I get it. I get it.
Michele Pettinger: Not like, am I okay
Ally Brettnacher: Not like, am I gonna survive? It's like, where are my tickets? Please? Do you think they'll make an exception for me? Like, yeah, I mean that's, that's so much. Blood, sweat, tears, years,
Michele Pettinger: But it,
so what I learned that, that the rules had changed. That was, that was a, a game changer for sure.
Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. Thank
Michele Pettinger: But then my, getting back to the, the a hundred mile distance took longer than
I'd hoped. I had some kind of, you know, still working through some, some little injury stuff as I did start running again, I had a couple, couple setbacks.
I also chose to try and qualify at one of the most [01:01:00] difficult case. Which always lands on the hottest. Your first hot year in Northern California, Quicksilver a hundred k every year. It's like 90 degrees.
Ally Brettnacher: Oh my gosh.
Michele Pettinger: any, anyway, so I had a couple failed attempts there, and then this last year in October, I was like, I'm gonna go run the HA hundred, I'm gonna get this done.
I was injury free. I knew it was gonna be hot. I was heat training. I had my best friend, like my best crew. And, that race was going great until it wasn't. It was like I had everything dialed in. And then at mile 50, uh, I was at the, I think it's called, jackass Junction. I. I went in to use the porta potty, came out, I was lightheaded,
Ally Brettnacher: Oh,
Michele Pettinger: nauseous, but that happens in a hundred miler.
[01:02:00] I thought it's fine. I'm just gonna, I'll
Ally Brettnacher: keep
Michele Pettinger: little break here. You know, I just need to have some broth and sit out for a few minutes and it'll all, you know, it all worked out and that just, eventually I was, vomiting and made my way to the med tent. First time ever in a med tent. And,
Ally Brettnacher: that's saying something. After all those races
Michele Pettinger: and then, yeah, never left the med tent until they, you know, the, the truck came to, to drive us back down the, the mountain. But, that was gonna be my qualifier to enter the 2025 lottery. The only other race I could have done for the 2025 lottery would've been, Rio de Lago, which happens the next weekend.
I knew I couldn't do
Ally Brettnacher: yeah.
Michele Pettinger: It's like, no. But then I knew about Tunnel Hill in Vienna, Illinois. It was in two weeks. And I thought, okay, I just had, I, I recovered really [01:03:00] fast from Halina. I said, I just basically had a 50 mile long run,
Ally Brettnacher: Yep.
Michele Pettinger: and what if I go try and get my qualifier for 2026 out of the way at Tunnel Hill?
And I called my brother who lives in the Midwest. He said, I'll come crew you, a family member on Joe's side up in Chicago said, I will drive down pace you. So we just, we threw it together in a very short period of time, and it was the first time my brother had ever been to one of my ultras. It's really special to have him there and for
Ally Brettnacher: He's like, what are you doing?
Michele Pettinger: yeah.
yeah, with the two of them, we made it, we made it happen.
Ally Brettnacher: Oh my gosh.
Michele Pettinger: So I'll be entering the lottery this year for the sixth time. And Ally 2026, I have to believe is gonna be my
Ally Brettnacher: It better be Michele, we're gonna start a campaign [01:04:00] because I mean, good lord. Oh yeah. I mean, how many tickets are there in there now? Like, I mean, you've gotten so
many.
Michele Pettinger: well, I've had 32,
Ally Brettnacher: Yeah,
Michele Pettinger: but, but you know, there are people that have a lot more than that, that are still trying to get in.
Ally Brettnacher: waiting, I mean, that's like all the world
Michele Pettinger: and then there are the people that get in, you know, on their first year
Ally Brettnacher: Of
course,
because,
Michele Pettinger: in.
Ally Brettnacher: and you're like, cool, just don't tell me about that. Okay. I don't need to know. Oh man, geez. Two weeks prior. And I mean, I guess when you look at it that way too, you're already running long runs for your race. So it's like, I mean, for someone like me thinking about running 50 miles and then thinking about running a hundred miles, I'm like, what?
But that's, I mean, you're putting that time on your feet. Maybe not to that full extent, but.
Michele Pettinger: Right. I knew it was a, I knew it was a gamble, right? Knowing I wasn't going to be recovered from that effort, but my regret of not finishing was going to be [01:05:00] greater than not trying, so,
Ally Brettnacher: Yeah, that is well said. Yeah. I'm gonna put that on repeat in my head. okay. So all the good vibes for the ticket. Okay. When will you find out? When does that happen? December. Okay. I'll be thinking about you in December. You just better fricking get in, because you deserve it at this point.
My goodness. I mean, I just, you coming back from the accident and getting all the way back up to that distance, even you saying it's not as fast as you wanted it to be, from where I'm sitting, I'm like, holy crap. That is just incredible. So incredible. so I wanna talk about. we have to talk about Annika again and the book, and we wanna talk, I wanna talk about Boston qualifying stuff.
So maybe while we're still on the frustration of getting into Western states and lotteries and stuff like that, let's talk about Boston because that's a topic for me that it gets me going a little bit. 'cause I'm like, man, that's something I'm chasing. So, does that sound good?
Michele Pettinger: Yeah, sounds great.
Ally Brettnacher: Okay. So tell me your [01:06:00] thoughts on Boston Qualifying.
Michele Pettinger: So. a lot, most people don't qualify their first attempt at getting their bq. So it's being, it took me, well, two to three marathons, well, I mean several marathons, but two to three when I was like focused on getting that BQ to finally get it. So it's, it's being patient, I think that working with a coach who has experienced coaching individuals for that goal be helpful.
and just, you know, don't, so, so right now, when I ran it in 2017, I told myself that I would try to come back every decade that I could.
Ally Brettnacher: Ooh. Okay.
Michele Pettinger: So because, because I have my qualifier out of the way. November for the lottery. It opened up 2025 for me to return to road racing. [01:07:00] So, and I just turned 55. So I'm entering that new age
Ally Brettnacher: You're 55. I didn't do any math earlier if you gave me the hint, but I wouldn't have, I did not guess that. I was like, so you've gotta be like 50 now. 55. I would not even, anyway, sorry. Continue. Oh.
Michele Pettinger: So I'm like, okay, I have this year that I don't have to be on the trails. I could focus on the road. Why don't I go after that BQ that I said 10 years ago? I would try and get, well now my qualifying time is back to almost what it was 10 years ago. If I want a five minute buffer, because I think it's now four hours.
If I want a five minute buffer, I mean 3 55 obviously. so I am training for the California International Marathon in December where I will be going for a BQ to run Boston [01:08:00] in 2027. And it's, you know, we talk about that, you know, going back to look at times from previous years and races and really tempting to get caught up in that.
And so I'm just trying to stay focused on show up today, do the work, see what happens.
Ally Brettnacher: Yes, yes. That is another really well said. I'm like just making mental notes of these things that I will surely write down when I edit this episode. yeah, it's so hard. It feels like a moving target for me, and I get so frustrated because it feels so close, and then they're like, oh, now it's gonna be five minutes different, and you need a buffer.
And we don't know what that buffer's gonna be. It just feels like you're chasing something that you can't see. And I hate that about it.
Michele Pettinger: Yeah. One thing I'm wondering, and I think you mentioned the, the downhill on, maybe it was last
Ally Brettnacher: Oh [01:09:00] yeah. 'cause yeah.
Michele Pettinger: So I'm curious, and this would be a question for the projectors out there, the, the projectors that, um, like to
Ally Brettnacher: Project
Michele Pettinger: all the stats and, uh, if taking the, the downhills out, if that will change the buffer, they're
projecting,
Ally Brettnacher: You know, I hadn't even really thought about that, which is kind of funny 'cause obviously it's something I'm looking at, but
Michele Pettinger: Because it doesn't take more people out of the pool.
Ally Brettnacher: yeah, because it's a, that's a, I mean, those are big races. They have a ton of people qualify. So yeah. I wonder what that does, like if, what percentage kind of difference that'll make.
Yeah, that's a good point. But I was like, my plan, like I said, I was like I was gonna go back and run down the mountain because I mean, I need all the help I can get, but I also understand why they made that decision, you know? So, [01:10:00] yeah.
Michele Pettinger: So have you, how many marathons have you gone for? The bq?
Ally Brettnacher: So I have not, I have not done that. So I am, I like to say I'm being really, I, like you said earlier about patience. Like I said, when I got a sub four, or no, when I finished my first marathon, post second baby, I thought. I can still do this. And then I started working. I had worked with my coach. That was the first time I'd been coached in a marathon.
And I thought, okay, I bet I could work on my speed. And I've since progressed and I now, I finished, last November, the monumental in a sub one 30 or 1 30, 1 45. I was like, one or 3 44 something, I forget. And so I'm like, okay, like it's getting to where I can like see that happening.
I can start to visualize that happening, whereas before I was like, I, I did a, a sub four hour marathon before I had kids, and I was like, I'm done.
I don't need to ever run another marathon. Yeah. [01:11:00] We saw that. How that ended. I'm like, still going,
Michele Pettinger: That's amazing though, that you can, um, I think the key word there is visualize, right? You can visualize yourself running the bq.
Ally Brettnacher: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. I mean, if I, and I tell myself if I want it.
I mean, if at some point I decide that's not what I want because I'm not willing to put in the pain and suffering it takes to get there, then that's alright too. so it's just, it's such an interesting thing. It's just nice. I like that there's a goal out there to chase, because ultimately what I say is I'm chasing my best, the best version of myself.
And so if I still get there. That's great. I think it would be harder to run as a charity runner because of all the money that you have to raise, which is like, seems even harder. So props to people who've done that. So, okay, so now how old is, is your daughter Annika today?
Michele Pettinger: She's 21.
Ally Brettnacher: So now she's 21. Yay. so let's talk about her and the book in the, in the time we have left, because I wanna hear [01:12:00] about what inspired you to write this book.
And I also have the book, if people are watching, they can see it. But, the Young Runners Guide to Nutrition, how to Fuel Your Body to Train Smarter, run faster and Recover Quicker. Can Get it on Amazon. That's where I got mine. So tell us the story about, about the book.
Michele Pettinger: Well, I think some of the, some of the stories I've shared, all kind of led. To this book happening. I started, one thing we didn't touch on is that after I started run coaching, it was just three years later where I realized that, um, nutrition coaching was something I really wanted to be able to offer my athletes as well.
So, I started nutrition coaching adults in 2012 and
Ally Brettnacher: and will you pause and just say, okay, I don't have, oh, I do have the certification. So, so our ca level two run coach, and then so is the C certified nutrition coach, is that the other?
Michele Pettinger: the, certified, uh, specialist in fitness nutrition through [01:13:00] ISSA. That was my first one.
Ally Brettnacher: Okay.
Michele Pettinger: Yeah.
And then I also have, certified functional nutrition counselor just through
continued, continued education.
Ally Brettnacher: Okay. Wow. Okay. Sorry. Continue.
Michele Pettinger: So I had started thinking about a book probably 10 years ago. I didn't know, you know, at, at first I thought maybe it might be a cookbook. then I thought it might be something for the female runner, you know? It was just, it was kind of just always just percolating back there in my, in my brain. Well. on, like I said, Annika grew up playing club soccer and then during the pandemic she decided, I'm not having fun doing this anymore.
I wanna try running. So she started running her junior year of high school. She was schooling at home, you know, going on runs from the house. And then, you know, eventually that moved back into meeting up with her [01:14:00] team outside the home. But I was observing, you know, how she was eating throughout the day and how she was eating around her runs and, the ease of being able to, you know, make a, a breakfast at one o'clock in the afternoon.
'cause she was schooling from home to fuel her four o'clock in the afternoon run. It was great while she was schooling at home. But then you, you go back in school and then things look. Totally different. And so I was seeing the challenges that she was having her team was having. I was invited to do a nutrition talk for her cross country team, and I, I don't know if it was while I was giving that talk or right after, but I had that light bulb moment and that this is the population that I want to reach first because I see the struggles they're having and I want them to have a leg up in going into adulthood with knowledge that [01:15:00] they might not have not have had, because I, I've been working with adults who either didn't have the education when they were younger or they're new to the sport as an adult.
And so that, those are some of the things that led to the book being for. The young runner because my goal for the young runner with the book is to understand, physiologically what's happening in their body and to know that how they feel their body now is going to impact their adult health and wellbeing.
And part of my passion there is, as we've been talking, you understand the longevity that I've had in the sport and the richness that it's brought to life. And if an athlete chooses to have that, I want them to have that. And
Ally Brettnacher: So that's how it all started.
Michele Pettinger: that's how it all, that's how it all started. And then,
Ally Brettnacher: did you end up working with [01:16:00] Simon and Schuster? Because isn't that really hard? I don't know much about the publishing world,
Michele Pettinger: The publisher is, it's an imprint. Velo Press is an imprint of Ulysses Press
Ally Brettnacher: Okay.
Michele Pettinger: and Simon and Schuster is the distributor.
Ally Brettnacher: Okay.
Michele Pettinger: So when I was working on the book proposal, once, once I narrowed to it was like, okay, this is what I am, this is who I'm writing for. Then the book proposals started to flow and I've had velo press books on my shelves over the years.
'cause endurance sport is really what their niche is. And so I started following them and, and saw that Ulysses had bought them. And I was thinking this, like, this is who I want to publish the book. I think they would be the perfect publisher. So a lot of what I was, I was kind of writing to what they wanted in a proposal. So that [01:17:00] was, let's see, January of I submitted my proposal to Velo Press, and I think it was two weeks later, I got a response that they wanted to publish the book.
Ally Brettnacher: So wait, so you submit a rep a proposal, do you have a meeting, like a Zoom or anything? Or you just submit your proposal?
Michele Pettinger: um, eventually the Zoom happens, but I just,
it was not, the proposal just goes out to an email. And there they're also a publishing firm that doesn't, you know, some will not take a proposal from an author. You need to have an agent. And I wanted, I mean, I think that there, obviously pros and cons to having a literary agent.
I wanted to try and go the route of not going through an agent. And so I. That's what I did.
Ally Brettnacher: And you did it. It's amazing.
Michele Pettinger: And then, and then it was, eight months of writing and [01:18:00] timelines and edits and copy edits and
Ally Brettnacher: Now, would you ever, would you ever, like when you're out running on the trails, like have your phone and like talk to your phone, like do make cause I imagine on the run for me is where a lot of my ideas like percolate and how was that for you and how did you capture that? Or did you.
Michele Pettinger: no, that, that definitely happens. And then it's just, you know, at least making sure I write those things down when I walk in
Ally Brettnacher: Yes.
Michele Pettinger: Yeah. To write
everything down.
Ally Brettnacher: I swear I've had the best ideas and then I come back and I'm like, what was that?
Michele Pettinger: Yeah.
Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. Something could just read my mind. That'd be great. eight months.
Michele Pettinger: And then, and I was prepared for that process. And then there's the waiting game, waiting for it to actually come out. And then what I wasn't necessarily prepared for is what happens after the book launches.
Ally Brettnacher: Right.
Michele Pettinger: It's like, okay, I've written this book and then[01:19:00]
Ally Brettnacher: Here it is.
Michele Pettinger: I, right. I would like, yeah.
Ally Brettnacher: When did it officially come out?
Michele Pettinger: uh, March, early
Ally Brettnacher: March of this year.
2025. Yeah, it's, my mother-in-law wrote a children's book. She's now has two, but it's kind of similar. It's like, she's like, it's there, people can buy it. So I've kind of talked to her about, you know, I did a lot of marketing technology in my software days, and so it's like you have to, you have to figure out how to get it out there, and so it's been fun.
Brainstorming with her on things to do, um, to promote her book. But what have you done since March? Like what, and what are some of the things you're looking to do?
Michele Pettinger: Well through, I had a publicist through the publisher for 12 weeks. It was part of
Ally Brettnacher: Oh, that's cool.
That's helpful.
Michele Pettinger: and so, they were booking podcasts and finding guest articles.
Ally Brettnacher: Perfect.
Michele Pettinger: That, that sort of thing. and [01:20:00] then it was really fun last month I was able to go up to Seattle and, do a, I had a cooking segment on New Day
Northwest,
Ally Brettnacher: that's so cool.
Michele Pettinger: morning show up there, so
Ally Brettnacher: Which recipe did you make?
Michele Pettinger: that was really fun.
The apple almond chicken salad
Ally Brettnacher: Ooh,
Michele Pettinger: if you, if you Google or not. Yeah, Google or go on YouTube. I think the video of
Ally Brettnacher: Is out
Michele Pettinger: is up
Ally Brettnacher: cool. Congrats. That's fun. That's so fun.
Michele Pettinger: So it was fun. and, but now I'm going, going it on my own
Ally Brettnacher: Yeah,
Michele Pettinger: and I honestly am going to, I think, take a little bit of a brain break,
Ally Brettnacher: sounds much needed.
Michele Pettinger: To get, to get clarity on some of those.
What's the clearest pathway here to reach the populations? I'd like to, because I want, obviously I want young runners to get the book in hand. I would love coaches to get [01:21:00] the book in hand so they can start communication around how do we get this nutrition education into our programs? And I want parents to feel supported,
you know, talking about guilt.
I beat myself up way too much raising Annika you know, I struggled with not having dinner on the table at five. It's just lifestyles just do not look that way anymore. Like, you know, you as
Your girls grow up, they're probably gonna be in two different sports, or one's in dance and one's in soccer or whatever they choose and you're just trying to.
Ally Brettnacher: Make sure they eat something
at some point.
Michele Pettinger: figure it out. So, so I try and give, I, you know, I try to give good, you know, practical tips to get everybody involved because I think common language, if the whole, if the coaches are talking about good nutrition, if the, the young athlete cares about it, if the parents are like, yes, I'm [01:22:00] signing, I'm creating a signup genius to bring these mini meals and snacks for the kids to their practices and their meats, then I feel like if there's going to be change, that it really needs to happen at this grassroots
Ally Brettnacher: right. Yeah. Yeah. Ugh. I could talk to you about the topic for quite a while too, just with, yeah. I mean, especially feeling, I mean, I feel guilty. I mean, some nights they eat, you know, you're like, okay, we're gonna get a cheeseburger and fries. You know, and, and I'm, but I also, you know, have taught that my 7-year-old can make a protein smoothie all on her own.
So I'm pretty proud of that. But then, you know, it just depends on the day,
Michele Pettinger: Yeah. And I think that, that's the other thing I've, I've talked about is, we wanna try and support them in getting it right most of the time. But, a burger and fries is okay. You know, I was joking with another podcaster about Taco Bell Drive-through, when they're in high school, they're gonna, they're gonna go through the Taco Bell, drive-through.
It's, [01:23:00] you know, it's, let's not have judgment around
that. Let's just help 'em.
Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. Well just, I mean, and also just setting the right example, so, you know, as I've learned more about nutrition, I, I know I have a lot of room to grow in the area, and, and I know that if they see some of that, you know, that just rubs off on them. So. Yeah, I, I,
Michele Pettinger: I feel like as my, you know, my daughter, you know, we would butt heads around energy drinks and that sort of thing in high school. And thankfully, I mean, she went on, she's running at, San Francisco State
Ally Brettnacher: Oh, she is. That's so cool.
Michele Pettinger: she's is, you know, she's sharing the book with her teammates. She cooks out of the book.
She now in her early twenties, is modeling what I modeled for her when she was in high
Ally Brettnacher: It's awesome.
Michele Pettinger: So even if it didn't a hundred percent resonate them, then, you know, they're watching, they're listening [01:24:00]
and
Ally Brettnacher: Yep. Well, congratulations.
I mean, I mean, I hope you're just so proud of everything you've accomplished so far, and I feel like you're about to have the best December ever. A BQ and a Western states draw. Right.
Michele Pettinger: I love the energy you just put into that.
Ally Brettnacher: That's gonna happen. Come on. Yeah. Visualize. How do you, how are you notified for Western states?
Is it via email
or do they do a live
Michele Pettinger: so they do a live lottery. So if I'm, because it's the day before CIM in the same area, I'm planning to go to the live lottery.
Ally Brettnacher: Okay. You're
Michele Pettinger: And if you're at the live lottery, you get one extra ticket.
Ally Brettnacher: that's amazing. I
Michele Pettinger: So, in my dreams,
Ally Brettnacher: my dreams.
Michele Pettinger: my dreams, I, I'm walking up on stage.
Ally Brettnacher: Okay. I can't wait to see that video. Ugh. All right. Well, we've been talking for nearly 90 minutes, so I'm gonna ask you the end of the podcast questions. One we just kind of already answered, [01:25:00] but the first one is your favorite running mantra and or song.
Michele Pettinger: So my mantra for this year is, no doubts, only dreams.
Ally Brettnacher: Amazing. I need a tattoo of that. And then I'm assuming you don't listen to a ton of music when you run. 'cause typically trail runners don't. But do you on like shorter runs or?
Michele Pettinger: I, I use it as a tool, you know, even on like a hundred milers, I'll have it available if I need it. If I'm going into kind of a dark space and I need to bring myself out, it's like, okay, I'm gonna let myself listen to music for an hour
Ally Brettnacher: And focus
Michele Pettinger: and I'll put it
away.
Ally Brettnacher: yeah. Interesting.
That's
Michele Pettinger: one song that's usually always in the playlist is, on top of the World by Imagine Dragons.
Ally Brettnacher: I like that one a lot.
Michele Pettinger: There's that phrase in there. it's, paying my dues to the dirt.
Ally Brettnacher: Mm.
Michele Pettinger: I'm on top of
the
Ally Brettnacher: dues to the dirt. Mm-hmm.
Michele Pettinger: Yeah.
Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. So good.
Michele Pettinger: yeah. So I've been, I've been paying my [01:26:00] dues for a while now. Ally.
Ally Brettnacher: You're like, how much more do you want from me?
Michele Pettinger: I'm gonna keep on doing it though ' yeah. I, I like to call my a goals or my big goals. I call them dreams instead of goals because there's so much emotion behind
Ally Brettnacher: Yes, yes.
Michele Pettinger: And then my goals or my mini goals are what get me to achieving that
Ally Brettnacher: That dream. And then the next question we just talked about was your next finish line or milestone. So. Next finish line, although it could be, I mean, we're only in June, so do you have other stuff that you're doing, before December?
Michele Pettinger: I have a 4th of July 5K, the wharf to wharf, which happens here in Capitola.
Ally Brettnacher: Okay.
Michele Pettinger: It's, uh, a six mile race. The, there's a bridge that's out right now, so the course is changed for this year, but it's typically you run from the Santa Cruz wharf to the capitol of [01:27:00] wharf.
Ally Brettnacher: Okay.
Michele Pettinger: That's end of July, and then I'll go hot into marathon training, and I may, I haven't decided on my half marathon lead up, but I'm leaning towards the Des Moines half Marathon.
Ally Brettnacher: Okay. Yeah. Excellent.
Michele Pettinger: My brother's out there, and so I can visit him and
I, know the course.
Ally Brettnacher: yes, absolutely.
Michele Pettinger: So I'm feeling really, and Scott has mentioned this before, like coming out that way and doing one of the races, and I was listening to you talk about , the marathon and it being flat and fast.
Ally Brettnacher: if you gotta come,
Michele Pettinger: it's November, right?
Ally Brettnacher: it is early November the eighth.
Michele Pettinger: Yeah. I need to, I need to put it on my list.
Ally Brettnacher: Just get it on your radar because it is, it's flat and fast. Nice and cool. Um. Yeah, it's, it's now my PR race, because that's where I got my PR last year, and it'll sell out this year [01:28:00] for sure. We usually do, but it sounds like it might be sooner rather than later or getting to be sooner. So come on out, be so fun.
Michele Pettinger: Well, it, it won't fit into CIM training this year, but I'll put it,
Ally Brettnacher: We'll be here for you. well thank you so much, Michele, for doing this. It was such a pleasure to meet you and get to know you a little bit. And congrats on the book again.
Michele Pettinger: you. It was great to meet you and I'm gonna enjoy continuing to follow along
and, um, give you shout outs where I can.
Ally Brettnacher: Thank you. I appreciate that.
Michele Pettinger: you. didn't get to talk about your bouquet business, but
Ally Brettnacher: Oh, but thank you. Yes, it does exist. People, if you need gifts for runners. Oh gosh. Thank you Michele. And thank you to everybody who has listened to this and happy running.
If you enjoyed this episode of Finish Lines and Milestones from Sandy Boy Productions, please share with a friend. Give us a [01:29:00] rating, it really helps to grow the audience for this show. You can find me on social media. I'm @allytbrett_runs, and there were a couple things I wanted to update you on from this episode because Michelle and I talked about how many run coaches there are certified by the RRCA and today there are 10,000.
As of 2011, there were 2200 distance running coaches, so that just shows you the growth. I was really curious about that. So anyway, fun fact for you and then if you are ever out in Seattle area and need trail recommendations, I cut that part of the episode for sake of time and the nicheness of it, but.
She has great recommendations. I went to Seattle for a wedding and was able to run in a couple of the places that she mentioned, So you can find Michelle on Instagram at P3 Running Coach. So if you're ever in her neck of the woods or the areas that she's lived, she makes great recommendations. So thanks so much for joining this week. Again, share rate review. I will see you [01:30:00] again next week.