Finish Lines & Milestones: Episode 150: Angela Kumar - Finding joy (and 100mi) in backyard ultras

March 13, 2026

Here's how people can enjoy this episode:
- Spotify (watch or listen)
- YouTube (watch)
- Apple Podcasts
- Amazon Music

Guest: Angela Kumar @angelaadelaidekumar⁠

Show Notes:

Angela Kumar⁠ and I met through the Indy running community. I got to witness some of her 100mi backyard ultra at⁠ Prairie on Fire ⁠in 2025.

During this episode, sponsored by⁠ Relay Active ⁠and ⁠Amazfit⁠, we talk about:

How we first met when Angela was holding a roll of toilet paper (this episode is unofficially sponsored by Butt Napkins)
The fact that she’s almost 50 🤯
What got her into running in the first place (she ran her first Boston Marathon 18 years ago)
Her first marathon at Chicago Marathon and using good ol’ Hal Higdon to train
Our shared fear of dementia
What it was like growing up as a twin (her sister rarely misses her races)
Going through IVF to have her two boys and not running while pregnant
Setting her sights on another BQ
Figuring out how to balance her desire to race with family life
The ultras she did before she had kids (after a guy broke up with her for turning 30)
The ⁠Prairie on Fire Backyard Ultra⁠ in Indiana
Mental health and dealing with anxiety and depression
Local races for kids in the Indianapolis area
Her family’s love of sports - especially basketball and going to Pacers games

Previous Guests Mentioned

Sponsor Details

⁠Relay Active ⁠- Use MILESTONES for 15% off
⁠Amazfit⁠ - Use ALLYB for 10% off

This is a ⁠SandyBoy Productions ⁠podcast.

Episode Transcript:

[00:00:00] This is a Sandy Boy Productions podcast.

Angela Kumar: I ran my first marathon to the day of when I went into the hospital and I carried Oliver over the finish line.

Ally Brettnacher: Welcome to Finish Lines and Milestones, a podcast for everyday runners. I'm your host, Ally Brettnacher, and if you run, you're a runner and every runner has a story. Join me each week as I share these stories and we celebrate finish lines and milestones together. This week's episode is brought to you by Relay Active.

Funny enough, at the start of this episode, Angela and I talk about when it's time to get new Sports brass, and one of my most favorite brands to shop for sports bras is Relay Active. It is an activewear brand that is made for women and made for running.

It is a small woman-owned business. 1% of all orders go to Animal rescue. What more could you want? The fabric is super high quality, buttery soft. They have unique mix and match colorways. A lot of them are tie dye. Those are my favorite sets, And if you use [00:01:00] code milestones, you can get 15% off of your order. this is probably a good reminder for myself as the spring season hits that I need to upgrade and get rid of some of the sports brass I've had for years. Dare I admit that. well if you wanna shop Relay Active, you can go to relay active.com.

Again, code milestones. Thank you Relay Active for supporting this podcast.

And now for this week's episode, I have guest Angela Kumar. Angela is one of the first four women to run a hundred miles in a backyard ultra in the state of Indiana. She did that last September. And so I've had these women on my radar. For those who hadn't already been on my podcast, Sarah Farney, who we talk about quite a bit in this episode has already been on, but the three other women I am interviewing in hopes of sharing those stories with you.

I find it so incredibly inspiring. These women who run. So far and so we talk a lot about that. We talk about how Angela got into running, ran her first boss in 18 years ago, and kind of the what running was like back then compared to her running [00:02:00] journey now, being a mom of two and how she fits it in to her life.

And we talk about mental health and finding and maintaining the joy of running. I hope you really enjoy this conversation with my friend Angela Kumar.

Welcome Angela.

Angela Kumar: Hi. Happy Monday. Happy Monday.

Ally Brettnacher: I actually showered before this, which is a miracle.

Angela Kumar: I did a workout this morning and I thought I should shower, but I didn't wash my hair, but that's okay.

Ally Brettnacher: so jealous that you don't have to wash your hair. And it

Angela Kumar: that, so I just put a quick roll through it.

Yeah. But you know what was funny is I was, I was, opening my drawer and, you know, your workout drawer, you're like, oh, it's time to replace clothes.

Ally Brettnacher: Oh

Angela Kumar: what I realized today. I was like, okay, maybe we're not gonna wear those. We'll find a sweater to wear instead.

Ally Brettnacher: That's funny. Well, I mean, I don't, I don't know. I'm the mileage you put on Angela. I'm sure your clothes have been through it.

Angela Kumar: I feel like I'm a creature of habit too, so I still wear the same ones over. Yeah.

Ally Brettnacher: I do that too. How, how often do you replace your sports bras? So it's not where I thought we would start, but I'm curious.

Well,

Angela Kumar: I don't actually replace 'em that often [00:03:00] because I don't wear one.

Ally Brettnacher: Oh,

Angela Kumar: don't wear one.

Ally Brettnacher: Nice.

Angela Kumar: wear one. I wear so many layers so that I don't have to Okay. So when I run, like people make fun of me all the time, I don't really care. Um, I wear a t-shirt, a long sleeve, a fleece, and usually a sweatshirt over

Ally Brettnacher: there.

Okay.

Angela Kumar: And even in the summertime, I always run in a sweatshirt. So

Ally Brettnacher: even in the summertime? Mm-hmm. Okay.

Angela Kumar: why I like eight hours so much. 'cause it's so hot. But I've done all my training in the heat, so

Ally Brettnacher: I wish I could handle the heat. Mm-hmm. So

Angela Kumar: I only wear sports bras like when I have to, like during races.

Okay. Yes.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. Well, I just, I need to, I'm in dire need of replacing some of my clothes.

Well, I'm so glad we finally got to do this. I know.

Angela Kumar: Do you know, I remember the first time I met you. Do you remember? You

Ally Brettnacher: Oh, I don't know where it would've been. Where was

Angela Kumar: Okay. It was the monumental mile. Okay. Uh, my coach, Sarah wanted me. It was right after I qualified for Boston. My, friend Sarah and I qualified and we went [00:04:00] to lunch with, Sarah and Tracy, and they needed a new mile time, and they're like, you should just go out and do this mile.

And I would rather run a marathon than run that mile that fast. Right? Yeah. Anyways, I was there and I had a roll of toilet paper 'cause I was so nervous. Yes.

Ally Brettnacher: Yes, I do remember that.

Angela Kumar: And the butt wipes. Mm-hmm. I take 'em every. Square with me now. They have saved me in so many

Ally Brettnacher: I, that's so funny.

Angela Kumar: I bought them right then and there. Like while we were talking, you were talking about, I remember looking on Amazon and I bought myself one and I bought a box for Sarah.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. That is so funny. I absolutely do remember that. Yeah. It was at the expo. Mm-hmm. Yeah. And those butt wipes, I actually have 'em, or Butt napkins. And I had some in my car actually this weekend. I gave one to my kid as a wet wife. 'cause I was like, well, it's all I got.

Angela Kumar: Well, it's all, yeah, right. It works out. I used it so much during Prairie, it's like I just kept them because not this year, but the year before, because I just had to go.

Yeah. And I'm like, well,

Ally Brettnacher: runners understand. Right. Yeah.

Angela Kumar: I had done full mow once and I remember I had to go and I [00:05:00] just kept looking at the leaves to see the size of them,

Ally Brettnacher: to

Angela Kumar: where I'm willing to break. And I remember. Pedro passed me and I was like, keep going dude. Keep going.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. I'm gonna need some privacy over here.

Angela Kumar: I did. I was like on the biggest leaves I could. I'm like, you do what you can and then you learn and you never leave without a role. Yeah. Or yeah. Wipes now. Yeah, so,

Ally Brettnacher: So shout out to Butt napkins. Actually, I had their founder on this podcast. He's from Texas, I think. Yeah.

Angela Kumar: What made him create?

Ally Brettnacher: he just, I mean, and he would have issues like you're in the porta-potty and you're like sweaty and using, even using the, I mean, the toilet paper in Porta-Potties is like one ply, right.

So it, and you're sweaty. It's like the worst. Yeah. So he looked and there wasn't really a product out there, and so he's like, well, I'm gonna create these. And now they have, deodorant wipes as well. they have this kit called Code Brown, which is hilarious. I've almost bought for my dad as a gift. But yeah, it's brilliant.

Angela Kumar: That is a brilliant idea. Yeah. It just takes one thought.

Ally Brettnacher: yeah. Yeah. And you're like, now I can't live without it. [00:06:00] Yeah. I usually always have one in my pocket.

Angela Kumar: Isn't it funny though, like what comes out of all that? Because I remember when I first started using Loom and I'm like, this is amazing. Like

Ally Brettnacher: the, are those the deodorant wipes

Angela Kumar: That's a stick. Okay. I remember listening to Sally McCray's podcast and so Loom was one of her things and then you could find it at Target.

And then I was like, okay. But then I felt like Dove came out with their spray and everyone came out and now where, where was this? 10, five

Ally Brettnacher: like, we could've used this.

Angela Kumar: Yes. 'cause deodorant was going in places. I'm sure it should not have people been going, but like again, you do what you have to where you're at.

Yeah. Yeah. So,

Ally Brettnacher: well, I cannot believe you're 50.

Angela Kumar: I'm almost 50. Insane. I'm probably 300.

Ally Brettnacher: gonna be

Angela Kumar: 50 50.

Ally Brettnacher: That's insane.

Angela Kumar: I don't feel that way, like especially mentally and how I ramble and talk. I mean, I was at my son's, Tea party at school, they had to learn fractions and so they had to split things up.

And anyways, I was so nervous and I just started rambling and we were talking [00:07:00] about, it got to the point we were talking about musicals and I take him to go see Wicked and all of these

Ally Brettnacher: Oh yeah, I've seen that. You're a big wicked

Angela Kumar: I love, and we took him to see EZ and I was telling people at the table, I'm like, well, I have to cut liquids off at noon 'cause otherwise I have to go to the bathroom.

And so then we started talking about peeing and my son's just like, can you not like do this? And, but I don't, I just ramble. And so I don't feel 50, but I'm so close. 300 and uh, oh, 32 days now.

Ally Brettnacher: Oh yeah. 'cause you're January. Mm-hmm. Yeah. I turned 40 this July. So, I just kind of wonder when I'll feel like a grownup.

Angela Kumar: I hope I never do. Yeah. Right.

Ally Brettnacher: it's so weird. I look around at some of people I've grown up with professionally and you're like, wow, we're really adults now.

Like we're really doing

Angela Kumar: We're in it. We're in it. And there, there are times now, especially with running where I don't feel 50, but I try to think about being 50 and older and how long to prolong the sport, right?

Yes. Like you can't [00:08:00] get, a, being a mom, you can't really get injured 'cause who's going to do all the things that you do and everything. Right? But also too, like you get one body in this world, so how am I going to take care of it? You know? And I read people on Strava or have group chats and they're like, oh, my hamstring.

I'm like, how do you do that? Like the PT in me knows, like the longevity of that, but it's one of those, I'm like, okay. So I just have to be smarter about it. 'cause I don't want knee replacements. I don't want any of that. yeah. Yeah. So that's when I feel 50. Yeah. But otherwise I don't. Yeah.

Ally Brettnacher: And okay, so I've had, you know, I've had Sarah Farney on this podcast. Yes. And I am getting ready to also interview Tammy.

Angela Kumar: Are you?

Ally Brettnacher: So I'll have all of the first four have on this podcast. Yeah.

Angela Kumar: Have you had, , Gracie too?

Ally Brettnacher: Oh, you know what? I have not. You're right. Oh, yeah. Gracie,

Angela Kumar: but see that's how, I mean,

Ally Brettnacher: I was thinking Fishers. I was like

Angela Kumar: I was segmenting it in my mind.

Right. Okay. But, um, in that, like, that, [00:09:00] like, I feel like those are my girls. Like those are our girls. Like Carly, Michelle, Sarah, Tammy, I mean, like, it's just my, aren't my crew.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. How, when did you join Fisher's Running Club?

Angela Kumar: I didn't join until Sarah was my coach. Okay. And I honestly didn't find Sarah's, uh, coach until my, our mutual friend Sarah.

she improved her time so incredibly for the mini marathon. I'm like, what are you doing? Like, what are you doing? Um, and I had run. Caramel that year, and I missed it.

Lemme

Lemme backtrack. I did Boston a lifetime ago. Right? And you just think like after you have kids, you can't do that anymore, right? Yes.

Like that's out of your scope. Mm-hmm. And then I missed, what was the qu time for Boston by like a minute and 40 seconds. And then I went like, oh, now you can kind of taste it, right? Yeah. So then I found a coach, but I have always been really envious. Or the girl who wants to be invited onto the playground when it came to Fisher's Running Club, because they [00:10:00] always showed up in social media or at races and they have their tent and they're all cheering for each

Ally Brettnacher: other.

Mm-hmm. And you

Angela Kumar: wanna be invited into the club.

And so, Sarah was my coach, and then, Fisher's Running Club was doing a practice run at Prairie two years ago. Okay. And so then Alan was doing it as well, and I'm like, so what's it take, like, do you have to live in a Fisher's to be part of Fisher's Running Club? He's like, well, actually you don't. And I'm like, okay.

Oh, I will pay the initiation fee.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. Where do you live? Do you

Angela Kumar: I live in Nora, so I

Ally Brettnacher: Oh, okay. Yeah. See, I didn't realize that. Yeah.

Angela Kumar: so I don't make it to a lot of runs, but I love to be part of the chat.

Ally Brettnacher: Yes. They're, I mean, the community they've built is just

Angela Kumar: I don't, yeah, it, they all support one another.

I remember at eight hour this past year

Ally Brettnacher: And we're gonna have to tell people what all these races are now, too. Okay. About half of the audience is local. Okay. So some people might be like, what in the heck are you talking about? Eight hour?

Angela Kumar: Yeah. It's a crazy race.

Ally Brettnacher: race. It's a crazy race. I haven't done that one yet. I went and Spectated last year or the year before. I [00:11:00] can't remember.

Angela Kumar: year was when it rained.

Ally Brettnacher: not last year then it

Angela Kumar: the year before. Okay. Yeah. It's a crazy race. I wish I had been at that one. 'cause so many people I knew finally, like I've been a loner for so long. I remember eight hours the first race that I think I got

back

into it with ultras and I remember reading the email and it said, you know, you could bring a tent.

And I'm like. Do you mean like a camping tent?

Ally Brettnacher: Like what, for what?

Angela Kumar: is it like? I, I remember taking pictures and snapshotting to whoever was, is the director, and I'm like, this kind of tent are you talking about? And he, he was just like, well, yeah, like a tailgate tent. I'm like, why do we need, I had no idea.

Ally Brettnacher: Why. Well, I mean, why

Angela Kumar: you need that? And then, and then I was the only one in my tent. And then you feel like that, you see just all the cool people

Ally Brettnacher: You're like, well, I went

Angela Kumar: I want friends. I want running

Ally Brettnacher: It's so much more fun with Yeah,

Angela Kumar: And that's what was fun about this year is like, I still had, I wasn't on a team, but I could at least go chat with people.

Ally Brettnacher: soak up the team. Yes. Yeah. So for people who don't know, eight hour is [00:12:00] a race where it's eight hours and you run as many miles as you can.

Yeah. And sometimes there's teams, right. Versus solo. Yeah. Right.

Angela Kumar: And I find it so interesting 'cause it's such like you have to flip your perspective, right?

Yeah. Like

Ally Brettnacher: weird to me.

Angela Kumar: It's so weird. You, you're, it's all comes down to the, you know, like which loop to do how often. And I would go there and train 'cause I don't live too far from

Ally Brettnacher: Right. That's it. It's on Butler University's campus. Uh,

Angela Kumar: and it's so pretty. So pretty, so pretty. and that was when I, I remember running that and people talking about trail shoes and that was the first time I've ever heard about trail shoes.

So in 40, 47 years old, I never knew about trail shoes. Yeah. Until, I'm like, what is that? What are they talking about? I remember we went out and I bought my first pair of trail shoes, then

Ally Brettnacher: I now own a pair too, which is funny 'cause I don't do a lot of trail running. But yeah, I didn't really real, I'm like, why would you, what's, yeah, what's that for? Right.

And then you get it. And now I've used them, well actually only once, but I should have used them multiple times this winter [00:13:00] because when it gets where it's snow covered and packed down the trail, shoes help with that too. So you're not like sliding all over the place. Right. Yeah.

Angela Kumar: I like to go to Eagle Creek once in a while and run trails there.

I did the women's race there once. Okay. It's in summer and it's in August. Oh,

Ally Brettnacher: I don't know if I know which that one that is. Um, and

Angela Kumar: was an all women's race. I had not done trail running, so I did eight hour and then I hear about these trail shoes, then I buy trail shoes and then I call my friend Sarah and I'm like, do you wanna do this race?

And she's like, okay. And we did it and it was a really good lesson of learning, like you follow the ribbon on the floor and not the person in front of you. Oh. Because like I got lost for like,

Ally Brettnacher: oh yeah. That's

Angela Kumar: a mile. Mile. I have a struggle. Uhhuh.

Ally Brettnacher: if it wasn't marked. Well,

Angela Kumar: I have such mad respect for the people who do night trail running.

Ally Brettnacher: Right.

Angela Kumar: Because I can barely keep my feet off of the stump from tripping. I don't, there hasn't been a run, I haven't fallen in like on a [00:14:00] trail, so I don't know how people do it at night. Even with headlamps, you know, like I, yeah.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. Well, and plus when you're like, I don't know, 50 miles in or whatever, being able to know what's going on at all is impressive.

Totally. Yeah. So you said friend Sarah is different than coach Sarah? Yes. What is your friend? Sarah's last name?

Angela Kumar: Maka Morris. Okay. Yes. All right.

Ally Brettnacher: I don't think I've, I don't think I've ever met her.

Angela Kumar: hasn't been running much. She does. She does more like coastal stuff now.

Okay. But we were on the board at our kids' school, so we got to know each other that way. Okay. And then she introduced me to Sarah and I was really excited. Yeah. Perfect. I remember, I felt like they were interview, I was like an interview, you know, for your coach. Yeah. And I'm like, God, I hope they let me, they take me on as a client.

Ally Brettnacher: Well, yeah. I, it's, that is, that's funny. Well, I bet they just have to gaze.

Okay. Are we gonna get along? Right. Right. Because it is such a personal relationship.

Angela Kumar: It is. And I'm, I got one because I feel like

Ally Brettnacher: I

Angela Kumar: I could get, I, I think, I feel like I, I know I have never been diagnosed, but with an addictive behavior.

Yeah. [00:15:00] So I could run and not like I, there's no structure to it, right? Mm-hmm. So I would be running 20 miles a day, but not working toward any goal. And so my husband had said, like, you, you probably need a coach. You're going to continue this way.

Ally Brettnacher: mm-hmm. You probably Yeah. To make sure you're right. Doing it right. And won't get injured and, right. Yeah.

Angela Kumar: And so I had a few friends that knew her. I didn't know her, and they're like, oh, you're gonna love her. Yeah. And I always say, I'm like, I wish she was my neighbor.

Ally Brettnacher: You know, like Yeah. Be so convenient. Yeah, I know. Yeah. My coach, Rachel Senders lives like two miles from my house.

Angela Kumar: She just did Tokyo, right?

Ally Brettnacher: in Tokyo right

Angela Kumar: in right now. When is that race?

Ally Brettnacher: Um, March 1st or eighth, I

Angela Kumar: March. Oh, so she's there for

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah, a whole week. Okay. A lot of people are go there a whole week in advance, which I didn't realize. Okay. Yeah.

Angela Kumar: Her, her nephew goes to our school and so I was talking to her sister.

I'm like, I don't know your, your sister-in-law very well, but she's amazing.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. Yeah. She really is.

So [00:16:00] that, I'm excited to, to follow her and see how it goes for so many people.

Angela Kumar: you find that so fun? I feel like now being part of Fisher's Running Club, I've met so many different people Yes.

In different areas. and I don't look so much at their workout, but I treat it as Facebook almost like reading their journeys. You know? I'm like, oh, I'm not alone. You

Ally Brettnacher: Right. Yes.

Angela Kumar: Yeah. And so it's just fun to see people's runs who had a great run, who doesn't.

And I love it when people are real honest, like, right. That

Ally Brettnacher: this sucked and I hated it. Right. Like,

Angela Kumar: come telling me that's the best run ever. Oh my God. Because we all know, like so much of that is, well, I hope it is for them. Right. But like for most of us, that's not the case.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah, absolutely. No, that's so true. So, you mentioned running your first Boston a lifetime ago and it really was. Yeah. How many years ago?

Angela Kumar: 18.

Ally Brettnacher: 18.

18 years ago. That's

Angela Kumar: That's crazy. 18.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. So how did you end up getting into long distance running?

Angela Kumar: I.

marathon. Yeah. Oh, [00:17:00] um,

Ally Brettnacher: I guess that's a good point. I should

Angela Kumar: Sorry, sorry.

When I was in PT school, I was a runner only 'cause my roommate, my best friend was a runner as well. Okay. I, I shouldn't even say I was a runner. I wasn't a runner. She made me a runner and like, we would go, we lived on the canal or near the canal, so we would run the canal.

I'm like, oh, this is kind of cool, you know, but it wasn't something I went out and really did. when I graduated from PT school, I felt very sad and very depressed and that's when I really started to run because. I remember I had moved right back to Indianapolis. I had one friend here, and I lived off of the Monon.

And it was the only time I really saw people was on the Monon. I'm like, okay, well they're not my friends, but they kind of are because I see them every

Ally Brettnacher: day. Right?

The same people.

Angela Kumar: And so you're having these, I don't know, crazy conversations in your head.

Like, oh, they have new shoes on today. Or like, oh, their dog's limping.

I wonder if the dogs,

you know, like, you know, like all these, it is funny, but that's what you do. You know? and when I would go out there, I'd be [00:18:00] real sad and I always use my analogy, like when I'm sad or when I'm feeling depressed, I, I go out there and I feel like a twig. And as my run goes on, my, my spirit picks up.

And so then you get to like a branch, then a tree. And then when you get to that oak tree

Ally Brettnacher: feeling

Angela Kumar: and you're like, Ooh, okay,

Ally Brettnacher: okay.

Angela Kumar: No. And so then those miles just.

Ally Brettnacher: kept building

Angela Kumar: and it's like, oh, well maybe I could do a race.

Ally Brettnacher: So what was your first, did you do a half marathon?

First

Angela Kumar: Uhuh,

Ally Brettnacher: Uhuh,

Angela Kumar: I went right into, well, did I,

Ally Brettnacher: I,

Angela Kumar: you know what I did, but I did it with friends and so we did a walk run.

I was just excited for them to come to Indianapolis and visit. Right. Because like, I'm living here by myself in a one bedroom apartment, and I just want more friends. Mm-hmm. So, I did that, but then I think there's, there went a few years where I didn't do anything and then I think I just signed up for Chicago.

Okay.

Ally Brettnacher: Okay.

Angela Kumar: When my, my sister was living there, my twin sister was living there So we signed up.

Ally Brettnacher: Signed up for your first marathon. Do you remember how you trained?

Angela Kumar: Hal, Higdon. I mean, doesn't everyone do[00:19:00]

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah.

Angela Kumar: Because you don't know what else to do. Like, you know,

Ally Brettnacher: most, I feel like most people I've talked to who, who started running Yeah.

Angela Kumar: Yeah.

Ally Brettnacher: A while ago, I feel like used halal higgin. Now people who start running right away, you're exposed to all these resources.

Angela Kumar: that none of that was there. No. Right. None of that.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. You just Google marathon training plan and there comes Hal Higdon.

Angela Kumar: But I mean, like, where did you even Google?

'cause I didn't have a cell phone. I mean, my cell phone didn't come until I was like 24

Ally Brettnacher: years old.

Yeah, yeah.

Angela Kumar: And then, I mean, Google, I mean

Ally Brettnacher: Like on a computer. On

Angela Kumar: none of it. Right? That's what you did. You went and printed off the directions and put it on the refrigerator and

Ally Brettnacher: check it box a hundred percent.

Yeah.

Angela Kumar: But I had never done like speed work or any of that until this, Sarah as a coach.

Ally Brettnacher: yeah. Yeah. Same.

It took me, I mean, yeah, I, I remember thinking about having a coach and being like, well, I don't need a coach. Like I know what to do. And that was very far from the truth.

Angela Kumar: Right. I just started using salt, running like.

Ally Brettnacher: Oh yeah.

Two years

ago,

you know, Sarah Farney at Monumental, was it last year? I can't remember when it was gave, like she saved [00:20:00] me. She gave me, so

Angela Kumar: I was That was the one. Yes. Yes. And she was giving them to everyone. She was like,

oh yeah,

I'm like, I'm like, I'm my drug dealer. Right. But like, yes, you need this to

Ally Brettnacher: get Yes. Yeah. Yeah. That was saved me. 'cause I just started off with a cramp somehow.

Angela Kumar: It never,

what the

hell? How does this

Ally Brettnacher: happen? Yeah.

How does this happen? So when you did Chicago, I'm gonna assume that you signed up before there was a lottery. Yes. Yeah.

Angela Kumar: I didn't even know. I mean, I had gotten out of the racing world for a while with my babies, and when I got back in it, I didn't realize that it had gone to a lottery, that it got that

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah.

Angela Kumar: I mean, that's great. But it wasn't the case then. You

just

signed up.

Ally Brettnacher: Right. I did my first, Chicago was my first marathon as well, and it was 10, 10, 10 was my first

Angela Kumar: marathon. Really?

Ally Brettnacher: Mm-hmm.

Angela Kumar: Now was it signing up then

Ally Brettnacher: too? Yes. Okay.

I think

the last time I did it might have been 2015 and like I think that year I had gotten in Via lottery.

Okay. I don't know.

Angela Kumar: I think

the last time I did it, I don't know when it was, but it had to be before [00:21:00] it was probably 2008. Okay. And so I'd never known it.

my god, that's not true. I did it when I was right before I had Oliver, it probably didn't go until lottery. I think I did 20, 13.

Ally Brettnacher: Okay. 2013.

Yeah. It had to be right around there. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Angela Kumar: Because we were living there at the time and I'm like, oh, I'm going to finally be able

Ally Brettnacher: to

to the race. That's cool. You know? Yeah.

Angela Kumar: Yeah. Um, or walk to the expo. That expo was a three mile walk. That was a long walk. I don't know if I would've, but it was, you can't get to that expo easily.

Yeah. Like there's just, so we were living right in that area

and uh, that's cool. Uhhuh.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. so the first half you did. which one was

Angela Kumar: it? was the Indie one.

Ally Brettnacher: Okay. The Monumental, no. Um, Indy Mini. Yes. Okay. Yeah. I feel like people who live around here, that's kind tends to be the first one because

it's the

Angela Kumar: only one monumental I didn't even know about until, when did it start?

Ally Brettnacher: Oh gosh. oh, shoot. I should know that off the top of my head.

Over 15 years

Angela Kumar: ago.

Okay. It was because I remember that race and then the, the mini on that

have run [00:22:00] that. I'm sorry. I have, sorry.

Ally Brettnacher: That's so, so do you, how do

Angela Kumar: My mother has dementia. I swear I'm not far behind with that.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. Angela, I could talk about that for a while too.

'cause my mom, my mom's mom, my dad's mom. Yeah. Like even his stepmom, I mean. All the older women in my life have had dementia, and so I'm so scared.

Angela Kumar: That is why when I am on social media, I write things

for better,

Ally Brettnacher: for worse,

Angela Kumar: so that I remember that feeling. Mm-hmm. So that when I don't remember, I can go back and hopefully it'll snap me

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. Oh

Angela Kumar: Back. Or to know that feels like, yeah. 'cause I, yeah.

Ally Brettnacher: right. It's like for me, I'll forget people's names or like, I'll forget what year, like years. You're like, wow, how do I not know that? But then also I read about perimenopause and like, there's all kinds of symptoms with that too. So I'm like, wow, I don't know

what's happening. real. Yeah. Like,

Angela Kumar: oh my God, is that so real? Like I,

Ally Brettnacher: yeah. We could probably talk about

Angela Kumar: for

Ally Brettnacher: a

Angela Kumar: oh my God, yes. Yeah. I mean,

Ally Brettnacher: I

Angela Kumar: fingers crossed that now that I am on estrogen and progesterone and all [00:23:00] the things I like

Ally Brettnacher: that that, yeah. Okay. Start

Angela Kumar: my memory again. Yeah. But I don't know.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. Who knows?

I know. I have a horrible memory. So,

Angela Kumar: but I just remember Oliver was, six months old. It was

Ally Brettnacher: when you did Chicago or

Angela Kumar: No,

no, no, no. When I did the mini, the monumental mini still? Yeah. He was six months old. I had co

Ally Brettnacher: And is Oliver your oldest?

Angela Kumar: Okay. So he is 12 now. And, he was six months old. It was the day after Halloween.

He was so sick. I was up all night and he didn't even, oh, that baby. He's a good boy now. But like, I, I was up every two hours with him. I used to syringe feed him, literally with a little syringe. 'cause he never, he was born at 35 weeks, so he never developed the sucking, reflux. Yeah. So, and I didn't want them to put an NG tube in because

Ally Brettnacher: that's a

Angela Kumar: having done, like, worked with children with NG

tubes, like it creates his own

problems. Yeah. But

I just remember like one of the feedings, I was like. I might as well just stay up and go downtown. You know what, [00:24:00] did

Ally Brettnacher: Did you?

Angela Kumar: get ready to

Ally Brettnacher: Right. You're like, well,

Angela Kumar: might as well. I'm up, you know? And

Ally Brettnacher: so, wow. Yeah.

Yeah. Moms are just,

Angela Kumar: it's something

different. Mm-hmm.

And I think, do you feel that way too though, with running?

At least? cause I've seen, you've, you run with your children.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. Okay. Mm-hmm. And

Angela Kumar: when you go out race day, don't you feel like the baddest ass out there because you are killing it

Ally Brettnacher: in

front of people.

Angela Kumar: Yeah. 'cause you're like, oh no, this is

nothing. Yeah.

Ally Brettnacher: No. Compared to that

story. Right. Okay. And so, one of my favorite stories to tell on this topic is at the Geist half Marathon, the last time I did it, which was several years ago now, the, the announcer at the end was like, congratulations, this is the hardest thing you'll do today. And I was like, sir, you are not a parent, are you?

Because the hardest thing I will do today is go home and be a mom the rest of the day. Staying

up.

Angela Kumar: You're not allowed

Ally Brettnacher: to

be scared.

Angela Kumar: Yeah. It doesn't matter.

I remember after the caramel marathon three years ago, the next day was Easter.

Ally Brettnacher: Oh, yeah. Okay. Yeah. Mm-hmm. And so

Angela Kumar: And so

my children believe in the [00:25:00] Easter bunny, or my youngest still does, but my oldest did too at the time.

And so getting down the stairs to hide the Easter eggs

Ally Brettnacher: because

Angela Kumar: my husband, he, I don't know why, but he does not partake in the Easter, but he doesn't believe in lying to our children. He says

Ally Brettnacher: that.

it is a

weird thing. Right. I'll

Angela Kumar: But like, sure. Hiding the Easter eggs outside, like being so sore, you know?

And I'm like, they don't know what love is like 'cause, but it doesn't stop. My point is like, it's funny, it doesn't stop. It doesn't stop for us, you

know? So. That's right.

You're like,

yeah, you don't even know. Oh

Ally Brettnacher: my gosh. You like drop one and you're like, well, I guess that's where that one's hiding

Angela Kumar: I hope something's in it.

I'm

Ally Brettnacher: not gonna bend

Angela Kumar: it's not gonna happen,

Ally Brettnacher: right?

Yeah. Oh my gosh. So how was your first marathon? Do you remember?

Angela Kumar: I, yeah, I do. Um, I started with a friend. We started running together and we ran a, we worked together and she, we both said we were gonna run our own race. And I,

Ally Brettnacher: I went

Angela Kumar: so much [00:26:00] faster. I didn't pace myself. 'cause why would you, you don't know

any

better, right? so much so that my twin sisters like, she. Has hardly missed any of my races. Like, ever. she never got to see me in my race. 'cause I mean Right. Technology wasn't what it is now. Yeah. And so I was ahead of every stop she was going to be at.

So now we like, have figured it out where she carries a balloon, like

Ally Brettnacher: certain problem. Super smart. I've seen people do that. That is

Angela Kumar: So I look for her instead of her looking for me.

Ally Brettnacher: oh, and it'd be fun to pick the balloon.

Angela Kumar: Yeah. Yeah. Because you can, the most obnoxious

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. You're like a SpongeBob.

Mm-hmm. Or yeah, I don't know why that was the first one that popped in my mind, but yeah. That's super smart. Yeah. And what's your twin's name?

Alicia. Alicia, okay. Yeah. Growing up as a twin,

Angela Kumar: I don't know, life otherwise. Yeah. So it wasn't until I had Oliver that I thought about that. I'm like, oh, like he needs play dates.

I didn't have play dates. we didn't do that. We always joke that we're not sure we, well, we didn't hang out in high school very much. I had my friends, she

had

her [00:27:00] friends, and our friends were friends. We were in the same group, but it's not like

Ally Brettnacher: we were always Yeah.

Angela Kumar: yeah.

But as we were in college, we would talk on the phone every day. And this is before cell phones, right? So it's like a penny of minutes, 10 minutes, 10 seconds a minute if you were not in the roaming stage. And so my dad would be like, why is your phone bill crazy? What do you have to talk to her about?

And

Ally Brettnacher: everything, Yeah.

Angela Kumar: you know? it wasn't ever silence, you know, like when you were on the phone with a boy. But we would like fight for space. And so then she's currently living with us, right? And with be, because she's getting her ACL repaired tomorrow and so, yeah. Yeah. But we like, yeah.

Yeah. She's even moved down here 'cause of my boys like, '

Ally Brettnacher: cause

yeah. That's so amazing. Yeah. That's so nice to have her close. Does she have kids too?

She doesn't. Okay.

Angela Kumar: My boys are her boys. Oh. And my boys treat. With the same respect. Mm-hmm. And so that's kind of fun, like here in the middle. Like they could call her TT 'cause they could never say Alicia and they're like, tt

And so like they, she answers to them and it's just, it's funny, [00:28:00] but I remember one mother's day, she got a better gift than I did. Not that it matters, but it was like, oh, okay. Yeah. So.

Ally Brettnacher: oh, that's fun. Yeah. And you had a hard time having your

Angela Kumar: boys. Yes,

Yes. So I remember, I think I get married around, I was 36.

I just remember we moved to Chicago and it should have been happening

Ally Brettnacher: and

Angela Kumar: wasn't. And so then I started fertility treatment in Chicago and It was the perfect time for us to be in Chicago because health insurance covered. IVF.

the only thing I had to cover were my drugs, for IVF.

But yes, Oliver's first round IVF, which I now realize is, that never really happens. No one gets it the first round. And I only had one so like it was him or nothing,

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah.

Angela Kumar: Wow. Yeah. And I remember going and in Chicago it was almost like, well, here you have your individual appointments and everything, and Chicago is like, because I think insurance covered it, it was like a meat market.

So you would go there, you would [00:29:00] have to find different ways of getting to the 14th floor because then you had to take a number and you waited in line and it was like a,

Ally Brettnacher: what Wow.

Angela Kumar: call? Wow. Yeah. So, he was first round, and then Alexandra was six runs later and we went to Colorado for him. Like I had one opportunity left and.

with

my husband Hari. that was it. He was giving me one more round

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah, that's gotta be, it's hard

Angela Kumar: Yeah. A marriage. Yeah. And, so I did all of it, the crazy stuff. Drank the oodles oil, ate the pineapple

core. Oh

Ally Brettnacher: I don't

Angela Kumar: Yeah. Oh yeah. It's crazy. You know. And then I went to, my doctor here, after a few miscarriages, he was just like, you either need to go to Colorado or you need donor eggs.

And,

Ally Brettnacher: what's in Colorado?

Angela Kumar: oh, I should know this. the place was, it is like where, at that time, Juliana Ransick had gone there. Okay. it's number one, with fertility. Interesting. Um, so you, if you, my doctor was cool enough that he was like, you can go Do your workup there, but I'll [00:30:00] let you do all your ultrasounds here and then when they monitor your egg growth, you have to be there. So I was there for two weeks on my own, just Okay. Growing eggs. But like you go there and they do an entire day of workup with you and then they decide whether or not it's worth it to them.

Ally Brettnacher: Right. If you're like a good candidate for them to help. Interesting. Wow. That's wild. Yeah. Well, amazing that you have two beautiful boys. They're just adorable.

Angela Kumar: I think that's what makes like.

Me think I mean, I don't feel 50, I don't ever wanna feel 50. But like with them, do you do yay time with your kids?

Like, yay time? Like,

Ally Brettnacher: no. I don't know what

Angela Kumar: means.

1 1 1 11 2 22 3 33. 4

Ally Brettnacher: 43. Oh, that's cute. I

Angela Kumar: And so anytime the clock is, it's yay time. Like it's yay time. And we just start dancing for the entire minute. And then the first person who doesn't say it's not yay time, but it's those kind of things. Like, I think you work so hard for your babies,

Um, that

you're like, oh yeah, every,

Ally Brettnacher: everybody right. I don't wanna ever be too tired

Angela Kumar: mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Ally Brettnacher: Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Not able to.

Angela Kumar: But it translates into real life too, you know? Like, I [00:31:00] want my workout to be done before they wake up. I still want snuggles in the morning. Yeah. You know, I,

Ally Brettnacher: yeah. Gotta take all that you can get now, right?

Yeah.

Angela Kumar: I can get it Uhhuh.

Yeah.

Ally Brettnacher: I'm feeling it. They just start growing so fast. And I know people listening have, you know, who have older kids, they're like, well just

Angela Kumar: wait.

They're not gonna talk. You're not gonna talk to like once a week. I just can't even imagine. Yeah. That's why I substitute teachers so I could see

Ally Brettnacher: day.

Oh, you substitute

Angela Kumar: Oh, you substitute teacher? Oh yeah. Oh, that's so, yeah. I love it. I should have been a teacher. That's what I should have done. Wow. But I wasn't a teacher. I went to PT school because my mother was she was a teacher and she's just like, I, yeah,

Ally Brettnacher: She's like, you need single mother to make money.

Yeah.

Angela Kumar: Should you do this on your own? Like, yeah.

Ally Brettnacher: Are you still a pt?

Angela Kumar: I carry my license. I mean, like, I still get it renewed and friends that have injuries.

Ally Brettnacher: I was like, that's a great uhhuh benefit for

Angela Kumar: sure. And so like, when I'm like, pick my brain, it's so fun, you know, but I loved home care.

I like going into people's homes. it reminds me of my grandparents, you know, but with IVF, I couldn't keep it up [00:32:00] because I could never. Hold a

Ally Brettnacher: job,

Right. Yeah. Because there's so many appointments and Yeah.

Angela Kumar: And then both my boys were failure to thrive babies. And so I just couldn't

What does, what does that mean?

They were always sick. they were always hospitalized. Oliver was supplies for over a week once. Geez. And they were in, they were, yes. So, he, they're so healthy now, but I never through though. Got to Right. I couldn't really go back because it was just

Ally Brettnacher: crazy. Yes. Yeah. Yeah.

Angela Kumar: And so

now, I substitute

Ally Brettnacher: it. Yeah. There you

go.

Angela Kumar: And make my own

Ally Brettnacher: hours.

Yeah. Right. It's the best. It's the

Angela Kumar: It is.

Ally Brettnacher: Making your own hours is the best. Did you run while you were pregnant with them at all?

Angela Kumar: did I run? No, I didn't.

Ally Brettnacher: in

Angela Kumar: fact, when I was pregnant with Alexander, I had, I forget what it's called now, but basically I had to be hospitalized for.

A month in advance because I wasn't able to walk I had to be bedridden. because whatever it is, The main blood supply was under him. So if he [00:33:00] came, then I had the potential to bleed out and die. Oh, I forget what it's called. Geez. I should remember the name of it.

Yeah. Gosh. But, so I was in the hospital, and a year later I ran my first marathon to the day of when I went into the hospital and I carried Oliver over the finish line.

was

like that

moment like, okay, everything is good in the world

Ally Brettnacher: again. Yeah,

Angela Kumar: of course Alexander kept me up all night.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. like

Angela Kumar: you don't care '

cause you're

able to run

Ally Brettnacher: again. Yes.

Yeah. And then you feel like, okay, yeah, I'm still me, me. Mm-hmm.

Angela Kumar: And that's right.

Ally Brettnacher: I do feel like, I'm sure some women get discouraged after having kids oh, I couldn't do it.

And, but it's just like, yeah, you, you can, you can, in fact, I'm faster than I've ever been in my life.

Angela Kumar: That's how wild, right?

Yeah.

You reach a level of fatigue that you and you persevere through 'cause you have no other choice. Yeah. And then you go to do your races and you're like, [00:34:00] I'll get through it. You know, like it, and then when a bad run turns good and then you're like, oh yeah, I really could.

Yeah. Like maybe I could go a little faster. Mm-hmm. Maybe I could try

Ally Brettnacher: Mm-hmm.

Angela Kumar: out. Mm-hmm. You know?

Ally Brettnacher: Mm-hmm. So you mentioned earlier missing Boston by like a minute and 40 or so. Yes. So when did you set your sights on Boston

Angela Kumar: Right then and there because I never, I mean, again, you have kids, you don't think this is in your scope again.

Right? Like, I've done that, that's in my past. This is my life now. And, I remember, I'm like, okay, let's get a coach. Let's, let's kind of figure this out. Actually, even when I had Sarah, I think Sarah and Tracy at the time, were like, well, we'll see how monumental goes, and then we'll see if like, and I'm like, in my head I'm like, no, no, no.

Monumental has to be it. I don't know if I could continue this training. Like,

Ally Brettnacher: you can almost get psychotic

Angela Kumar: it.

Like you mark the water spots, you run the course, you realize where you could breathe, you know where the, the mild incline is, you know, where you can make up some of the times, you know, you're like, [00:35:00] you can't keep that up forever.

Yeah. So, I remember I asked them if they could do Sarah, I asked Sarah if she could do, a plan. What would it take, what mileage would I need to do in order to get this time, and if I'm gutsy, if I could get this time. And if I'm really gutsy, if I can

Ally Brettnacher: get

this time. Mm-hmm.

Angela Kumar: Mm-hmm. And

just play with those numbers, because I didn't realize that once you qualify, then they cut off the time.

for me, I think it was a three 50. Yeah. So here I was aiming for a three 50, not realizing someone told me later it wouldn't have mattered if you hit the three 50 because it was at 3 47 or something. And I'm like, what is that? Yeah. What is that?

Ally Brettnacher: I feel for people who have come within seconds or whatever, or you get the time and then the buffer kills you.

Angela Kumar: Okay. So let's talk about that for a second, because I realized this year that, I qualified, but then when I entered it, I missed the time by 10 seconds.

Ally Brettnacher: No, I

Angela Kumar: did, But

Right. Like we have to look for the good and

Ally Brettnacher: all. Yeah. I guess. Okay.

Angela Kumar: So now I'm doing grind instead of Boston

Ally Brettnacher: and [00:36:00] Grind on the grid is a backyard Ultra.

Yep.

Angela Kumar: which is a few weeks later.

Okay. And, I'm probably going to volunteer for Prairie this year, and I'm going to do my backyard ultra in the spring. Not have the summer off, but not having to think. Yeah. All summer

Ally Brettnacher: about it's a lot

Angela Kumar: buildup to September. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. So

Ally Brettnacher: yeah, I'm

Angela Kumar: gonna have a summer where I'm not, not, not training, but the hard one is done.

Yeah. And the rest

Ally Brettnacher: that'll be nice. I've never done a spring marathon or like a spring race. That's my big race. Mm-hmm. In fact, you know, I, for a time I was doing marathons like every other year. 'cause I feel like, a marathon training block takes a lot of time every year.

It does.

and especially if you're only doing fall, it's like every summer, that's what you're doing. And so it is, I don't know. And I feel like in this world we're in, it feels like everybody's doing marathons all the time. And you're like, wait a

minute,

Angela Kumar: I'm allowed to pick four races.

Yeah. And they kind of have to be within a certain timeframe. Yeah. And that's all that my family

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. So you, yeah. That's such a [00:37:00] good. Thing to talk about too, because it is hard. Yeah. With family. With spouses who I don't may get it. May not get it. Like my, my husband kind of, he ran one marathon with me, he kind of gets it, but at the same time he's kind of like, really?

Do you have to do all these races? Like Right. So it is a strain if there's too much going on. Yeah. And so I have to be really careful about that too. I kind of like that you've set

Uhhuh.

here's our agreed upon

Angela Kumar: These are the four races. Like those are givens. Yeah. I do my training. I deserve this. Yeah. I'm not gonna feel guilty about it.

Right. But I mean, these are gonna happen. Like we go to Hilton Head every year.

I am.

At like four 30 in the morning because it's 90 degrees by like 8:00 AM Yeah. You know, and I'm like doing all my long runs then, you know, 20 milers whatnot. Mm-hmm. And because it's summer and like, you cannot not train when you're on vacation, but you also can't run that at one in

Ally Brettnacher: the

A. Right.

Well, 'cause your family will miss you too. Right? They're like, well, we want you

Angela Kumar: are at the beach. Where

Ally Brettnacher: were

you? Yeah.

Right. Exactly. Exactly. [00:38:00] It's hard.

Angela Kumar: It is.

Ally Brettnacher: but then, you know, you remind yourself as I do, it's like, kids aren't gonna be young forever. I know there's gonna be a time where, hopefully can still be running. Right. Uh, where it, you can do whatever you want, but these years are important. Yeah. But I do feel it's very important as moms that we or as parents, like that you get your time and are dedicated to something that is for you because it makes me a better mom.

Angela Kumar: mom. I'm better, I'm, I matter everything. I matter. You know, like I, I matter.

Like I, and I feel like, especially with Oliver Alexander's, he, he's not figured it out yet, but Oliver gets it. you have to work hard for what you want. he was trying out for a traveling soccer team, and he only did it because one of his friends did and he didn't know any of the positions.

Yeah. And the, some of the kids who had been on the team were like, he doesn't know the positions, you know? Yeah. And he's like, I'll figure it out. And I'm like, get over here. And I'm like, you run until they tell you not to run. You just go for the ball and you work your hardest out there.

Don't you stop until he tells you

Ally Brettnacher: stop. Mm-hmm. [00:39:00]

Angela Kumar: And everything else will fall into place. Yeah. So he gets the grit, you know,

Ally Brettnacher: Which is such a blessing that you've instilled that in him.

Angela Kumar: I consider myself a smart person, but I am not to the level that I think my husband is. but the grit and the hard work is undeniable.

And my kids they know that,

Ally Brettnacher: like mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah.

Angela Kumar: comes easy to them. I'm happy for them. I'm, I could not be more proud, but like, yeah.

yeah.

when I see my kids, it's when they're on the playing field, when they're playing basketball. Mm-hmm. Because they're short. We're short, I'm short, I am five one.

And like, they're always guarding people that are taller than, and I'm like, my dad used to say, dynamite comes in small packages. And so we keep going with that,

Ally Brettnacher: Mm-hmm.

Angela Kumar: You

are never going to be defined by your height, as long as you're fast and you put the work in and you work harder than anyone else there, like, yeah.

You cannot be disappointed. No one comes your way.

Ally Brettnacher: Have you taken them to see goat yet?

Angela Kumar: No.

Ally Brettnacher: It's a movie about literally a goat, but it stands for obviously Greatest of All Time.

But it's a basketball story, and this goat's really small and [00:40:00] all the animals are like, you're too small, you can't do this. And he

Angela Kumar: works Are you serious? Yeah. You gotta take 'em. Okay. It's

Ally Brettnacher: just came out not too long ago. It's really cute.

Angela Kumar: this is the reason why they should still have commercials or that we should stop and watch commercials. 'cause I haven't even heard

Ally Brettnacher: about

them. The only time I see previews for other movies is when I take my kids to the movies. I feel like, okay. which we do. whenever a new movie comes out, we typically will go see it, go take them, especially in the winter.

Angela Kumar: I know. Yeah. My boys love those Sonic

Ally Brettnacher: movies

Angela Kumar: all those and, and those movies make my

Ally Brettnacher: spin. Yeah.

Some of the movies aren't as fun to

Angela Kumar: watch.

Oh my God.

That Minecraft movie,

Ally Brettnacher: I didn't have to see

Angela Kumar: that one afterwards. I was like, we're going, mommy needs a cocktail. We went to get a good espresso martini. I was like, I have earned this one. Yeah. Here and there and oh my God.

Ally Brettnacher: that's so funny. so back to Boston.

Yeah. So you ran your first Boston though a really, like a long time ago, like 18 or so years ago. So how did you qualify for that first Boston? Because that was before

Angela Kumar: Yeah, that was before kids. I had run Chicago that first run, and then I [00:41:00] did Columbus. Okay. And then one of my best, one of my best friends, lives, lives still like near Louisville. So I went to Louisville and I did that race and I was running with someone and he and I just became friends.

I love that. Right? Mm-hmm. And I was off by 30 seconds and I'm like, wait, what? it was crazy 'cause you just meet someone and he was an older gentleman, you know, and we're just talking about life, you know, like al I just fa people fascinate me. Yeah. You know, and stories, you know? Mm-hmm. And so, um, I'm like, oh.

Ally Brettnacher: oh,

Angela Kumar: Maybe I could do this, you know? and then I used to teach Pilates on the side, and one of the instructors there, she was just a fast runner, and I'm like, can I just run with you? So that's how I did training. I'm like running with her

at her

pace and, you

Ally Brettnacher: know, there you

Angela Kumar: She

would talk and I would just, right.

Ally Brettnacher: I know. I'm like thinking about talking to somebody during a marathon. I'm racing and that does not happen very much. Yeah.

Angela Kumar: No. And so because of her I qualified is because I just, [00:42:00] let me just keep up with you as

Ally Brettnacher: best as I can.

Yeah. Wow.

now on the other side of kids, you have not. Been able to go to Boston. Have you?

Angela Kumar: I did Boston

Ally Brettnacher: years. Oh, you did? Okay.

Angela Kumar: Yeah. Okay.

I did do Boston two years ago.

Um, amazing.

When I got Sarah as a coach, then I did qualify for Boston. Okay. And so this past year, we all went to Boston and

Ally Brettnacher: and I probably saw this, oh my gosh,

Angela Kumar: treated it so differently than I did last time.

I didn't realize the cockiness, I guess, or the arrogant ness of, thinking every marathon. Right. Every time is gonna be better than the last time. Right. And I thought my time was going to be better and I still had a time worth requalifying for Boston, but it

Ally Brettnacher: at Boston. At Boston, Angela.

Angela Kumar: But it wasn't the time I wanted in my head.

Okay. So that's the only thing I remember so much. So this time I'm not gonna worry about time. I'm going to have the best time. We are going to go do. All the things, you know, I'm not [00:43:00] gonna worry about just stretching. And, you know, and we did, like, we ended up doing it, but we went for cocktails.

We enjoyed Boston. it was Easter weekend, so like all of the stuff, the Easter Bunny came to visit us and, and Boston. and I went out there and I just ran my race. I remember the night before I got so giddy, putting new music together. I'm like, oh my God, I can't wait to listen

Ally Brettnacher: this song,

Angela Kumar: song, you know?

And, I

think I didn't, the first two miles Right. Are downhill. And, uh, it set a tone

and I, my kids were there and I kissed them when I

Ally Brettnacher: I saw them. Oh yeah.

Angela Kumar: Yeah. And I only saw them once, but it was right. I think Mile 18, 19. Oh, wow. And it was the perfect moment to see them. And I kept going.

And I remember the first person I called afterwards was Sarah. And I'm like, I had the best run. I have no regrets, whatever that time is. And even when it, I missed it by 10 seconds, I still thought back. And I'm like, I told Oliver, I'm like, I missed it by 10 seconds. And he had this look on his face and he's like, could you have made it had you not

Ally Brettnacher: kissed us?

Oh.

And you're like, [00:44:00] no, then I would've missed it by three

Angela Kumar: No,

Ally Brettnacher: And who cares.

Angela Kumar: have not kissed you. And that was you. Best moment of that race. Right. You know? So I have no regrets, you know? it was so fun. It was such a fun day. It was, I was so happy that I remembered it that way.

I, I had the time of my life,

you

Ally Brettnacher: know, Mm-hmm.

Angela Kumar: I tried to like theme songs, like Catch My Breath from Chloe Clarkson. I remember hearing it and I just, I just kept hearing in my Yeah. Yeah. Because I'm like, this is my time. yes. My moment. You know? And I think that's why I'm doing Grind this year, because even with Prairie, having had such a great run at a hundred Miles, I tell TJ this and it's so silly, but it's not, from being your first female finisher to going to Ty for third female finisher, I didn't think that would.

Affect me. Yeah. that's one of my biggest memories. Not that I'm, you know, one of the four females to ever do

like the backyard, which, which [00:45:00] should be what sticks. But what stuck was that I went from first place to third place. So a grind, I'm gonna go out if I hit a hundred, fucking fantastic. Yes.

And if I don't, it's okay. It's my race. Like the pressure's off, I'm doing it on my

terms. Yeah, yeah,

Ally Brettnacher: yeah. So let's talk a little bit more about Prairie On Fire. And so for people who don't know what a Backyard Ultra is, yes. You just basically run a loop every hour on the hour. That's like what, 4.1? 4.167. Okay. And you do that every hour on the hour until you can't anymore.

Marker

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And so for people who don't know what a Backyard Ultra is, yes. You just basically run a loop every hour on the hour. That's like what, 4.1? [00:47:00] 4.167. Okay. And you do that every hour on the hour until you can't anymore. Right.

Angela Kumar: And I had run the full MO two years ago. I didn't realize TJ does that

race. And he came to sit by me and was asking me about the race, and then he is just like, well, you should think about Prairie. And I'm like, okay.

Ally Brettnacher: Like,

Angela Kumar: Right.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah.

Angela Kumar: Like, I hadn't even done eight hour yet. So I just, I mean, like, I'm like, slow your roll. I mean, like, I just did a 50 K. Yeah. What on earth are you talking about? Is what I remember thinking. Yeah. and then I had done eight hour and then, I had, medical stuff that I couldn't, probably wasn't even on my mind, but I remember that day, like I knew like, bad things were happening and so I was just like, I guess I'm not going to, uh, I had enough friends that did it.

Yeah. But, but I, it wasn't in my scope. Yeah. and then seeing it on social media and people talking about it, it was one of the races. Of my four that I chose. So I was super excited to [00:48:00] do it because eight hour had gone so well and I didn't think I was going to have that good of a success

feel that good racing because who feels that good racing?

Ally Brettnacher: Well, and how many miles was your eight hour? And I don't really know what to compare it to. 'cause

Angela Kumar: Okay. So I had done, well, I didn't even know Ultras existed or I didn't know they were called that right. When I, after I did Boston, here's what happened. A boy dumped me because I turned 30. He was two years younger than me and he dumped me because I turned 30.

Ally Brettnacher: That's the dumbest thing I've ever

Angela Kumar: Right. It did happen though. And so I decided. Was going to do something for myself. So I signed up for a 50 miler on the lakefront, and it was a loop. It still goes on, but it starts at the south part of Chicago, and I think it turned around around the, planetarium

Ally Brettnacher: sweet, not even a 50 k, a 50 mile, a

Angela Kumar: miler.

It wouldn't, did a 50 miler. Wow. Mm-hmm. And, I remember, I didn't realize that those were ultras. Like I just remember like, this is a 50 miler, and so I had done two [00:49:00] of those before having kids. And so I had gotten, so I knew I could get to 50 miles, but

Ally Brettnacher: geez,

Angela Kumar: was also a lifetime ago, right? Like 10, 15 years ago, babies 12 at least.

And I think that one,

I think I, but it's a flat course, right? So I did it in, averaged

a nine, 10 miles,

so,

geez. Yeah.

Yeah. Or. Something like that. So, but now that having, I run trained on the course at Butler's campus in Chicago are incomparable. Right? There's, there's, it's, it's, it's, I mean, oh my God. Even the timing that rate starts at 6:00 AM Butler starts at 10:00 AM

Ally Brettnacher: right?

Oh, yeah. So you're

Angela Kumar: in the middle of the heat Yeah. Where that race was over by 11.

Ally Brettnacher: Wow. 12.

Angela Kumar: You know, like you're, you're almost done. And it's in October, so it's cool. the lakefront is cold, you know, where it's a heat wave. So I was aiming for [00:50:00] 43, I think. I think I did 46,

Ally Brettnacher: 40, geez.

Angela Kumar: 46. Wow. Maybe.

Ally Brettnacher: Wow.

Angela Kumar: I came in third.

That's all I remember. Wow. And that has never happened. I never knew there was a, that podium was a word, and

Ally Brettnacher: and that was

Angela Kumar: very cool to be like, oh my god. You know? Yeah. Um, But it was one of those like, Ooh, I could do this again. Like I could run these distances again.

And the trail part of it was kind of cool that I thought we were talking about Backyard Ultra. I'm like, why don't we give this a shot? Because now the race is not a race against the clock. It's not so much strategy you can just go and run. Right. It's like a tailgate. Yeah. It reminds me of a sober tailgate.

Except you're going out for 40 minutes of it and coming back for 10 minutes. Yeah. 10 to 20 minutes depending on your time. And I just thought it was a really cool concept. my dad had passed away during COV on September 7th, the year afterwards. I didn't realize how bad it would hit me. [00:51:00] I could not get out of bed.

I, I took my kids to school. I came home and I slept until I had to pick them up. And I remember thinking like, that can't happen again. I have got to figure this out. So fast forward to Prairie, happens to be on that weekend of his passing, and we were out to dinner with friends and someone's like, so how far do you think you're gonna go?

And I hadn't even talked it over with my family, and I'm like, my dad would be 75, I'm going to aim for 75 miles. And the moment it came out, like, you can't take it back. Right? Not that anyone would care, but like you, you, you care now. Like you put it out there. and so I remember talking to Sarah I remember, I'm like, is this crazy?

Like, am I? And I think you could do this. I'm like, okay. And so I, that was the goal. And I felt great. After 75, I felt great until I was asked to stop, until my family asked me to stop. I remember, 1 75, I went another loop. I think I ended up, I had to stop at 20. But on loop 18, I [00:52:00] remember thinking during those four miles I was playing every scenario out of could I hit a hundred? But what would that cause at home? Because I was already asked to stop. Yeah. They, my family thought that I was injured, that I was delirious because how do you run 75 miles and think you could go farther, right. the right.

So they didn't get that I wasn't hurt. I was really having a good time. and so I stopped at 83, 84 miles at 20 loops, and the moment I stopped, I knew I was going to

do it again

and I would hit a hundred.

Yeah. The only other part that I didn't mind stopping, my sister was in Ireland and she has. Always gone to my races. There was once, when I was in Chicago 10, 15 years ago, I did Columbus, Chicago Marine Corps, and then I did my 50 miler, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. Like all in the month of October. Um, October was just, and she went with me [00:53:00] to Washington, DC She went like, she went to all of them, you know?

And so she was, FaceTiming and I remember when I didn't hit, like, when I stopped, she's like, I'm kind of glad you did. I would wanna be there and I would want her to be there. You know? So it all worked itself out. yeah, I don't, I don't think I've ever done anything without her that matters.

And so that was one of those reasons like, okay,

Ally Brettnacher: yeah. Okay. I can,

Angela Kumar: I can do this. I can stop. Yeah. And I'm glad I did because. At this prairie at mile 92. Oh, was it painful?

Ally Brettnacher: Like,

Angela Kumar: yeah. Jesus. I only run in Hokas. I love my hokas, but I think I will cut off the back part of it because it just kept

pushing

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. That's actually why I can't run in Hokas. 'cause they get me good in the back. Yeah. Yeah.

Angela Kumar: And all I kept from thinking, again, being a mother and I'm like, I am no hella burden. I, I tear this Achilles I I have to drive, you know?

Ally Brettnacher: You know? I got it. Yeah.

Angela Kumar: I hit soccer games the next day, you know, I ended up not going to them, but like, I was in a Birkenstock shoe for a good month after [00:54:00] Prairie.

I could not put on a shoe for a month after Prairie. It was that bad.

Ally Brettnacher: I remember

Angela Kumar: going out and running a mile into my Birkenstocks because I'm like, I just wanna make sure I could

Ally Brettnacher: still

Right. I just wanna move my body. Right. Yeah. But

Angela Kumar: I just need to know that it's just this part that hurts, like nothing else hurts. Mm-hmm.

Nothing else will be as painful.

Ally Brettnacher: painful. Yeah.

Angela Kumar: So,

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. I'm in awe of everybody doing these races.

Angela Kumar: But you have to do it with the community, right? Yeah. Like you've gotta do it with your people. Yeah. You know, Sarah, like that, that will be the kicker for grind for me. 'cause Tammy's doing it.

Tammy's had, Tammy's got big goals, you know? she has taken it to another level, like she's aiming for 200 and she's put it out there. So, and she's fast. Where I am very much enjoying my 11, 12 minute pace these days. Like I put on a good audio book, I put on your podcast and I'm just running and time just flies by, but I don't have to worry about speed anymore.

And it's

nice. Yeah. Yeah.

Ally Brettnacher: I could see, [00:55:00] I, I mean, I, when I started this podcast, I was like, I'll never do an ultra, but I like think it's so cool and now I'm like, well I wanna do an ultra because

Did you sun one in No, no.

I've never done an ultra.

Angela Kumar: It's right up your alley. Literally.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. That's what everyone says. you'll love it.

Angela Kumar: You will love

Ally Brettnacher: it.

And the full mo for people who might not know, it's a 50 k, it's on a rail trail, so it's, on our Monon trail, which we, I mean, I train It's so pretty. Yeah, it's so pretty.

And I train on that. All the time. Right. I've run 20 miles on that trail. I've done the, what's it called? indie Runners, puts it on, run the Monon. I I think it's something like that. It's a in the fall, so you can do a training run like you're 20 miler with people. So I've done that

Angela Kumar: Yes. I've done that before. I've stump, I've jumped on with people who have trained. Yeah. You have not done a, why are you not doing the fomo?

Ally Brettnacher: Great question that, I mean, I'm sure TJ Dailey is listening.

Angela Kumar: You need to do that. It is the, the prettiest thing. I'm going to not race it this year. I'm going to be on the other side of it. And that's a different story, but I think it's the prettiest thing.

You see horses, you see the sunrise in the morning. Yeah. And then you go through caramel and it all the artwork, [00:56:00] and then you hit Broad Ripple, which I consider my hood. And like, it's so eclectic, you know? And then you go into the, the, the downtown area, and that's where my kids go to school. So I feel like I'm really at home there.

Yeah. And then you hit, all the buildings and it's, you have to do it.

Ally Brettnacher: Oh, I really, I want to. Well, it's one of those things. It's, it's the family

Angela Kumar: thing.

Yes.

Ally Brettnacher: It's figuring out, how does it fit in? Does it fit in Right? But yeah, I turned 40 in July and so I had been thinking about the idea of doing an ultra before I turned 40.

But,

I don't know. We'll see. We'll see. I'm not a hot weather runner either. And it,

Angela Kumar: but you don't Okay. At the end it gets hot, but we're adding an another water stop there, like in that area where you feel like you could fry an egg on that pavement.

Yes. They're adding a, a water stop there, which I think will help a lot of people, and enough to look forward to. Mm-hmm. Um, but, it just, it's, so pretty. You need to do it. And I feel like then, well, because you do this, I'm sure you, you meet a lot of runners, but those are the [00:57:00] people that I'm like Pedro and Max and Carly and

net.

Mm-hmm. I didn't know any of them, but I, they were, again, they were Fisher's Running Club. I wasn't part of Fisher's Running Club, but I see them all doing their fireball shot and all of them hanging out. And again, I'm like, can I be a friend?

Ally Brettnacher: Can we be friends? I like

Angela Kumar: this. Yeah.

And Lindsay Welty

Ally Brettnacher: Ty is one of

Angela Kumar: of my besties.

I love her so

much. Her, I

miss her. But I met her there. 'cause I remember always being behind her and I'm like, I got to see your backside. Yeah. And you know so much. But I'm like, I just gotta know who you are, you know? And I'm like, can I run with you sometimes? And I remember when she, got on social media and we started to run together.

Like, I usually have to make sure I don't run two days before I run with her, because she can run and talk and I am busting my butt to keep up with her. But,

yeah. Incredible. She's so good.

Ally Brettnacher: on my, it's on my list. I feel like I will do it. And I keep saying that like every year I'm like, I'll do it next year.

Or, you know, I, I

Angela Kumar: know.

It will open your door to then you realizing. Why am I not doing this all the time? [00:58:00] Like these kind

Ally Brettnacher: races?

Yeah. 'cause road racing is intenses stressful? Yeah. And it's, it's stressful.

Angela Kumar: I enjoy trail running so much more, or the ultras because I was getting exhausted doing the math in my

Ally Brettnacher: Everywhere

Angela Kumar: of the race.

Right. Because for an entire, the entire marathon, 20, you're just mathing. It's an entire math problem. How much faster do I need to be to get to that goal? Yeah. And it's exhausting. I mean, nevermind your legs, your brain is exhausted. Yeah. And you

Ally Brettnacher: why isn't there an app you can talk to that does that for you?

There should be. There should. I don't know. But it's like, if you're running, be like, Hey Siri, how fast do I need to run? If I'm at this time and I wanna hit this time, maybe Siri

Angela Kumar: can

it. Maybe Siri can.

Ally Brettnacher: But even formulating that sentence and getting that out would be hard

Angela Kumar: me.

to, you can't, right.

Like, so Carmel had an app where you started so your, your friends could know where you

Ally Brettnacher: are, Yeah. Mm-hmm. And.

Angela Kumar: And I started it early thinking like I could pause it, but I did, I didn't realize, I didn't pause it. So my first smile it said was like, 20 minutes, [00:59:00] but that's 'cause it had been

recording. Yeah.

So everyone else thought oh, what happened on her first mile? But it became the on joke going joke in my head with my earbuds, but because it's like you've just cut down your mile time to 15 minutes and I'm like, oh, that's hysterical. You know? I'm like, well, I'm wondering if like, what's gonna be the next one?

I'm like, no, you've cut it down to 12 minutes. And so it just, there's nothing like positivity, right? Yeah. As long as it keeps going down. Yeah. Um, it's just kind of funny, but, but the math just exhausted me,

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. It is hard. Yeah. So I've found, the way that I've enjoyed road racing more is by doing other things.

Like whether it's pacing or running with ainsley's angels, which I do, or you know, whatever it, it that helps. Or if I'm volunteering or if I'm just having fun at the race and I'm not going for a time, it is nice to balance it

Angela Kumar: out. That's really, I envy you that you have figured that out.

Not even being 40, because I feel like that's what this last year has been for me. I'm like, I'm not gonna podium anymore. Or like, I, I've tasted it and it tastes great. Right. But it's not [01:00:00] realistic. Yeah. Um, but I've had this talk with Sarah. I'm like, it is what brings me the most joy running.

Like, I don't ever wanna lose

Ally Brettnacher: that. Yes.

Angela Kumar: No, but I don't want to always compare it to something else. Like, so she has said that, she's like, you should try the volunteer

Ally Brettnacher: aspect

of it. It is great. It

really

Angela Kumar: And so that's when I had a meeting with TJ and I'm like, I think I want. To start coming on that side of

it. Yeah.

And then Sarah's like, you should also look into or finding someone who wants to finish and finish a race

Ally Brettnacher: with them.

With them. Right. Yeah. Being a pacer and helping. Yeah. It is, it is really amazing to do a race for someone other than yourself. Yeah. Whether it's, you know, pacing or whatever. Um, there's a lot of ways to.

To do it, or if you're just running with a friend for the whole time, who just needs to be paced.

Angela Kumar: I listened to, it was one of the episodes, and she did Ainsley's Angels,

Ally Brettnacher: Shannon Spencer Yes. Was one of the Yeah. My recent, yes. Yeah.

Angela Kumar: And

Wow. Yeah. Just listening to all of that, I'm like, oh, that's really

Ally Brettnacher: cool.

Yeah.

She's amazing. Yeah.

Angela Kumar: And I, [01:01:00] and all that goes involved because again, you're racing with another human. Right. Pushing with all that happens

and

making sure they're

Ally Brettnacher: comfortable. Mm-hmm.

Angela Kumar: I, I can't imagine how. I hope one day I get to experience that and to see like how fulfilling that is to keep giving someone else that experience.

Yeah. Because then it's not for

Ally Brettnacher: you.

It's

great. Yeah, yeah. Yeah.

Well, you mentioned Marine Corps. I just did Marine Corps

Angela Kumar: Corps though. Did

Ally Brettnacher: you? And it was

Angela Kumar: fun.

Is that when you,

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah, yeah. I pushed with Ainsley's Angels for Marine Corps, but I,

Angela Kumar: How many miles?

Ally Brettnacher: did you, a full marathon? But I did, I did not push the whole time. I had a very kind stranger. Help me. I was so lucky because I was supposed to do it all by myself and I was freaking out.

Yeah. When it was come re I'm like, I don't think I can, I don't know if I can do it. What if I can't get this person at the finish line? Right. and so I reached out to somebody and he,

Angela Kumar: it's not flat either.

No.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah.

Angela Kumar: That's the part that gets me.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. So I was so lucky. So I pushed, I

Angela Kumar: probably How

much do you push? How much did you

Ally Brettnacher: push?

I probably pushed less than half the time.[01:02:00]

Angela Kumar: Okay. No, no, no, but.

Weight wise?

Ally Brettnacher: Weight? I

don't know. So the woman that we pushed, she was, 37, but she probably weighed 90 pounds. I mean, she was small.

Sure.

But that, so,

but the, but the chariots that they have are meant for racing. Okay. So they are like lightweight.

They're like made of, I don't know, carbon fiber. Right. Sure. So they're nice. They're made for that. So it's not even like pushing a stroller. It's easier than that. Is it?

Yeah.

Angela Kumar: because I was thinking about that. Like, a baby weighs about 10 pounds than the carrier then the stroller, like, I mean,

Ally Brettnacher: yeah, the strollers are, I feel like, pretty heavy compared

to this.

Okay. I don't know. That's just my, and then you're usually sharing the work with someone else, which obviously helps a lot too. But anyway, so I think I've been worried about burning myself out. Yeah. And I'm sure you feel that way too. You know, doing these big Yes. Races and all the, the training that goes into that, it's like, I don't wanna lose

the

joy that I

Angela Kumar: experience.

yeah,

That's exactly it. The joy, right? Yeah. So after grind, I don't have anything planned and I Good

for you.

Right. It's, I, at this point I feel like I'm treating things as an experiment, just kind of see how it

Ally Brettnacher: goes.

Mm-hmm.

Angela Kumar: [01:03:00] I have a hypothesis that I'm going to miss it, but it'll be on my terms, you know? Yeah. Instead of, 'cause it just, it's so much. Yeah. And I, after Prairie, I had

Ally Brettnacher: what, what

Angela Kumar: with every high comes a low.

Yeah. And my low was so low that I could not, I've always been a depressed person. but I could not snap out of it. Like it was hard. I'm starting to find my middle ground. Like Yeah. I remember. when I was inter interviewing for Sarah, for her to take me on as a client, I know, like I'm somewhat crazy.

Right? But aren't we all kind of crazy like we all are, right? Yeah. Like

Ally Brettnacher: who's normal?

Angela Kumar: Who's

Ally Brettnacher: normal.

If you think you're normal

Angela Kumar: Right. Come, I would like

meet you. explain

that. Right? I wanna hear what that sounds like or what that thought

Ally Brettnacher: process is

like,

Yeah.

Right. So,

Angela Kumar: yeah. So I want be able to now do races know that that still brings me joy, right.

'cause I don't want it to take away my joy. Mm-hmm. But that is also what I depend on when I am at my lowest. And so it [01:04:00] cannot, it cannot feel like work. Right. And that was my biggest struggle. And that's what I love about Sarah is like, I can call her and I'm just like having these conversations out

Ally Brettnacher: loud.

Mm-hmm.

Like, I,

Angela Kumar: what am I gonna do? I don't want to not, it's not burnout, right? It's just. I've gotta love

Ally Brettnacher: it.

Yeah.

Angela Kumar: Right? Mm-hmm.

you

gotta love it. And if I don't love it, that's what scares

me. Yeah, yeah,

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. Because then you're like, well then what do I do? Especially with all this like anxiety and like energy. Yeah. Negative energy that just needs to

Angela Kumar: work itself out.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. Yeah.

Angela Kumar: Work itself

Ally Brettnacher: out.

So back to your twin too, Alicia. Yeah. Does she also experienced depression? Is that

something that you share?

Angela Kumar: does.

we do

Ally Brettnacher: do.

Because

that's so interesting. And does it run in your

Angela Kumar: family? Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Okay. My, older sister is, bipolar.

Okay. And, uh, manic depressive. my mom has, I don't, I'm sure she was never diagnosed because of it, uh, because of, you know, society

and

Ally Brettnacher: just diff

Angela Kumar: different

Ally Brettnacher: secrets. Right, right.

Angela Kumar: Is what I call it

secrets. Right.

Oh, my older sister would be pissed if I [01:05:00] said that. It's okay. but, She, has done iron an Ironman, which is so cool.

Ally Brettnacher: Right. That's a whole

Angela Kumar: line. Yeah. Yeah. That's a guy I, yeah. And so, with now that her knee is a mess and she, she needs to have surgery, I think she's looking forward to being able to run again and 'cause the endorphin kick is like, you just can't beat it, you

know?

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. That's all, it's just all so hard. Mm-hmm. do you know Gordon Strain? No. Oh, you should know Gordon. He is running with bipolar on Instagram.

Angela Kumar: He

lives in

Ally Brettnacher: in

Franklin, Indiana, and he was on this podcast a long time ago, but he's wonderful.

So he's somebody too that experiences, the highs and the lows very much so. And it was just great talking to somebody and trying to, trying to understand, because I've dealt with anxiety, not as much depression as it's anxiety. and it's all been really in my adult life, for the most part.

But yeah, I mean, it's always helpful to understand what people are going through. And like you said, it's not always been talked about. And so finally just being like, okay, yeah, I need to share this because I know I'm [01:06:00] not the only one that's going through this.

Angela Kumar: And when you're in it and you're talking to someone who doesn't know you're in it and now you're trying to fake it so that you could get through it. Yeah. But you're almost like they have got to know something is up with

Ally Brettnacher: me. Mm-hmm. I

cannot

Angela Kumar: be more

Ally Brettnacher: awkward,

you

Angela Kumar: Yeah. And so I remember I had, I, um, after Prairie, I did all of it.

I did, I wanted to go see a functional medicine doctor. 'cause I'm like, I clearly gotta be in perimenopause. I went to go see my family doctor. 'cause I'm like, I, we need to do something about these drugs because it's not, they're not the right ones. It's, they're not the right ones. I got a psychiatrist to get into it and I'm like, it had gone to the point that.

I would tell my kids, you cannot talk to me when I am driving, because I would see the red light, but I would not, it would not translate to stop because I was so ever, I had gone, I always loved listening to audiobooks. I could not focus on an audiobook. It was too long. It was too [01:07:00] much of a commitment. I was so foggy.

I was even driving once and I thought to myself, if I make a left hand turn,

what

would that do? Like, almost like Russian roulette, you know? Mm-hmm. Um, and that's when I'm like, this can't be right. Mm-hmm. First of all, I've worked too hard for my babies, and I, I, yeah, would never, ever want to do anything like that.

But to know that that is actually in my head, I know it's wrong, but I, yes, it's in my head like something's. Got to

Ally Brettnacher: get,

No, I've, I've experienced almost the same thing, these intrusive thoughts that just pop in your head. You're like driving down the street and you're like, gosh, if I just swerved over here and just ran right into that car. Right. It's like, why, where does that come from? Where does that come from?

But it's, something that I have been talking to my therapist and my doctor about as well, because how do I figure out how to get rid of this? Because I don't wanna go my whole life where every other second. I'm just thinking of something like that.

Angela Kumar: I remember I wrote down one day and I, I read it to my psychiatrist. I'm like, I [01:08:00] mean, life is like a fun house, right? and you, you have your highs and lows with rollercoaster. And I get that. I, I'm on that a little bit because my mother, we just moved her down. Her, she was up in northwest Indiana.

We realized that her, dementia was getting worse. She needed to be closer, but we haven't been very close in the last few years.

Yeah. Um,

For other reasons. And so now she's two minutes from me, and now she's our responsibility and she doesn't remember any of the things that caused childhood trauma.

And so then I thought the hard part was moving her down here. Right? Yeah. And then I ran Prairie and I'm like checking the

boxes. Mm-hmm.

And then it's all done. And she's still here, and I shouldn't be feeling this way. And oh my gosh, now it's for now I need a new cocktail. Like now I need to get everything looked at because it is, I am snowballing.

Yeah. And I don't know how to make it stop.

Right.

Ally Brettnacher: yeah,

yeah. yeah.

Well, I just know that you're, you're definitely [01:09:00] not

Angela Kumar: Yeah.

But it, it is so much easier to say it now and with, even with friends, I'm like, I'm having a bad day. Yeah. And like, I don't feel like it's a secret and it's not something, and it's not something I am.

Ashamed of. Yeah. Sometimes I feel like on social media, I might be too vocal about it, but I have also gotten to the point where I just don't give a shit.

Ally Brettnacher: Well, yeah. It's like if you don't want to,

Angela Kumar: then

then fine. Swipe,

Ally Brettnacher: go away. Swipe.

Angela Kumar: There's so much,

but it's exactly how I'm feeling. Yeah. You know, so.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. I mean, just thank goodness people are talking

Angela Kumar: about it Right, right now.

Right? Yeah. And, and I thank goodness, like you have people on here too who talk about it Yeah. With running be and, and what it does for you and how it centers you and it brings you back to, the world is a good

Ally Brettnacher: place.

Mm-hmm. You know?

Yeah. And most, most runners are the best people. Right. Whenever I meet somebody who's like a runner, that's not the nicest. You're like, what are you

Angela Kumar: in

this

Right. How are

Ally Brettnacher: are you, we're supposed to be nice.

Angela Kumar: We're all here

for

each

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. Right, right. Yeah. So there's still some, but you know, that's,

Angela Kumar: that's cool. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Ally Brettnacher: yeah. Talking about [01:10:00] this is so good because I hope that it can help somebody else to realize they're not alone. That there's like, you described it as like a cocktail. I'd talk about it like, as like a toolbox

of like,

you know, running can't be your only

thing. but there's, you know, there's sometimes it's a lot of different things and sometimes it's really hard to figure out what all needs to be in there for it to be good, to your

Angela Kumar: point.

Yes. And I think once you come out and say it, it was so cool having so many, especially Fisher's running

club mm-hmm.

People reach out privately either to support me or to share something with me. Mm-hmm. And like Yeah. You know, 'cause I think, I mean, we all try to be the best version of ourself and I am a really cheery person.

I just, I just love. Oh, you know what bugs me these days when you go to a, a chase machine and you have to get your cash that way. I like going into the bank

and talking

to the teller. Like I just, Rhonda at Kroger is one of my favorite people. I like to go to the grocery store, you know, and I go in [01:11:00] pajamas.

I just don't care what I look like, you know? But I love to chat with people. And when you're sad, you can't, and, and I

Ally Brettnacher: just,

Angela Kumar: I, I am, I'm grateful when I'm not in one. Yeah. Like, and I'm not

Ally Brettnacher: in Yeah, Yeah, yeah,

Angela Kumar: yeah.

Ally Brettnacher: Absolutely.

Angela Kumar: Yeah. That's why I think about my knees. I'm like, I cannot not run. Right.

I'm sure I'll like walking one day. I'm sure I'll get to the point where I'll be grateful that I have a walker and I'm walking. Yeah. But who was it that you had recently? Her mo mother's like 70 some years old and she runs the mini every

Ally Brettnacher: year.

Oh yeah. Quincy. Yes. Yeah.

Angela Kumar: I'm like, I wanna

Ally Brettnacher: I

really wanna be that. My dad is 69 and we did Marine Corps.

He also ran Marine Corps. He did? Yeah. But now we're doing this weekend, is my first race of the year half marathon in Fort Myers. And he was supposed to do it too, but he had to back out. He's having some pain and I'm, that's the first time he's ever done that. And you're like, God, dad. Now, did you or getting old,

Angela Kumar: did you grow up being a runner? Like were, did your family run?

Ally Brettnacher: parents [01:12:00] both. My mom was the first real runner in our family. Okay. But then she, her hips, but she's still really, really active. Okay. And then my dad joined when she started doing the mini. He's like, I wonder if I could do that. And so then he got into it and then really caught the bug.

And so he's like done marathons and him and I have really shared that the love of running, which has been great. But yeah, I wasn't really, I was just, you know, I played soccer

and stuff as a kid. Okay. But I really didn't grow up a runner. Yeah. It was punishment for me.

Angela Kumar: I did a one year across country.

Ally Brettnacher: Okay.

Angela Kumar: I didn't realize, like that's essentially what trail running

is. Right. But I

Ally Brettnacher: didn't

Angela Kumar: know that, you know? and then I didn't do it the next year because I was old enough to get a job and I really wanted to, I needed money, I wanted to shop, you know, and so that was, that was the end of that, you know.

But, it's really cool to see young kids running

now. Mm-hmm. Um,

I remember, was it,

it had, I, I guess it was COVID? No, it wasn't, not COVID. There was going to be a mini, what is it? The little mini for the

Ally Brettnacher: kids.

The Rookie Run.[01:13:00]

Angela Kumar: Okay.

So we were signed up to do the rookie run. The mom, Chad. I got all of Oliver's friends signed up to do the rookie run.

We were, we didn't sign up as a team because we are not that organized or I wasn't, I'm not a very organized person. I don't even keep a calendar. and, It got canceled or for some reason they weren't having it. I can't remember what happened. All I know is that we made our own course on at Holiday Park and got medals off of Amazon and made bibs for all of them.

And I'm just like, I want all, I want my boys to love to do runs. I They're in soccer now. They're in basketball. Yeah. But I want them to realize that running is the one thing you can do by yourself if you want. Mm-hmm. You can do it with other people if you want. It will bring you joy with catching up with people.

It will bring you joy when you're having a bad day. Mm-hmm. But that is just not something I grew up with and I want them to learn it

Ally Brettnacher: now.

Yeah, I do too. And it's, but there's also this, like, I don't wanna force it on them. It's like [01:14:00] such a delicate balance of they see me do it.

So they wanna do it. Yeah. They wanna be like, mom. Yeah. I'm sure your boys are the same.

Angela Kumar: Oliver did cross country, last year at school. He didn't do it this year because of soccer, but I was almost like busting out with Joy, going with him to get running shoes. I had to contain myself. I'm like, so did you want running shoes?

Like acting really cool in nonchalant and Molly's putting on his so knees. I'm like, do you know those were mommy's first pair? Like geeking out, like

Ally Brettnacher: out. Yeah.

I've experienced similar for sure. Yeah. Yeah. And along with the rookie run is in May.

It's actually Mother's Day weekend

Angela Kumar: year. Oh

Ally Brettnacher: is it? So my girls are gonna do it this year. and then the holiday park actually has a trail run every year in March.

Angela Kumar: I heard about

Ally Brettnacher: You should. So they have a, a one mile trail run and my daughter, my older daughter did that last year and loved it.

She flew, I told her it was gonna maybe take her 20 minutes 'cause it's in a trail run. It's like up And I don't know, I just wanted her to, you know, be like, it's okay. Just take your time. she did sub 10 minute mile. Just flew through there. I missed, we've missed watching her [01:15:00] finish. '

Angela Kumar: cause we

Ally Brettnacher: just didn't think that that was gonna happen.

But she seems to be a natural runner, so I'm kind of like, oh, I hope she likes it. But yeah. And then my, my youngest, I took her to a 5K and a stroller last year and she wouldn't, she really didn't wanna stay in the stroller and she ran almost the whole three miles. Are

Angela Kumar: Are you kidding? See, my kids love the, drumstick

Ally Brettnacher: dash.

Angela Kumar: We do it every year. Uh, Oliver and I do, Alexander hasn't gotten into it, but he has no idea what pacing is,

you

Ally Brettnacher: know, Right,

Angela Kumar: bro. Exactly.

Slow it down. Yeah. You know, like, oh my God. You know? And like, I've started to pick out the clothes he wears for the race so that I could just see him ahead. Oh, good point. And there's enough people, it's such a family fun experience. I hope no one can naps you, but I'm sure I'll find you or someone will find me.

Or, you

know,

Ally Brettnacher: like,

runners are

Angela Kumar: you Right. Like, here's my cell phone number. Put it in your pocket. Should you forget and get, you know, I just, that's where I, I'm at. I'm like, you've gotta still have hope and humanity despite what this world

Ally Brettnacher: is in Agreed, agreed. it's hard, but Agreed. and then also the monumental mile during, [01:16:00] in June is, is great. We've done that as a family for the last probably five years.

Angela Kumar: I didn't even know they did that.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. Right.

It's, I mean, some people don't realize the other races that monumental does. Yeah. And they just added a 5K to that event too. So now there's like a series of five Ks. You can

Angela Kumar: do

what? I just think that's so cool.

Yeah. is there a dog race too? Or like you

Ally Brettnacher: could

that you can bring your dog to the monumental mile and there's a dog, there's different waves.

So you can do like timed, like competitive. You can do family, which we do, and then you could also do with your dog,

Angela Kumar: And there was pizza

Ally Brettnacher: afterwards.

if there's pizza.

Yeah. I

Angela Kumar: like, this is the coolest

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah, it's great. Yeah. It's a great event. So anyway, but yeah, we we're so lucky that we live in a community that has so many incredible events, so many great clubs to be a part

Angela Kumar: of.

I love

Ally Brettnacher: Just our community is, really

Angela Kumar: great. Yeah, I love it. I love everything about it. I love that You can go to Noblesville and do a trail there. You could go downtown and see a basketball game or a football

game. or Like

you, there's nothing this town [01:17:00] doesn't allow you to do. And though you might have to pay for parking or look at least, it's not like in Chicago, I just remember the parking was so stupid.

Ally Brettnacher: It's like a hundred dollars to park for

Angela Kumar: hours. You're like, you've gotta be kidding. You know? and you can park and you're not stuck in traffic for an hour. Right. You're, yeah. You literally can be anywhere in 30 minutes.

Ally Brettnacher: Like yes. I,

Angela Kumar: I love Indianapolis. I, I I don't think there's a better place you could live.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. So for people who are listening who are not from

Angela Kumar: here, come to Indianapolis,

Ally Brettnacher: run all these races we've talked about. Yeah, it's sometimes I wonder, I was like, do we talk too much about local stuff?

But then there's so much other stuff woven into everyone's story here. and you really can't beat doing an in person interview. And I just find that people overlook Indiana in general and

Angela Kumar: I geek out about

Ally Brettnacher: and it's the

Angela Kumar: best I'm

sure when you people ask, you know, if you talk to someone from California, like, why do you live in

Ally Brettnacher: Indianapolis?

Right. Or I'll be like, have you ever been to Indiana? They'll be like, no. They're

like, oh,

Angela Kumar: you're, you don't know what you're

Ally Brettnacher: missing.

Right. It's great. Except for, you know, the winter. It

Angela Kumar: has

been Jesus Christ.

The fact that it was 70 degrees last week and now we're at [01:18:00] 19 degrees this morning.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. I mean,

Angela Kumar: Talk talk about

Ally Brettnacher: about

Angela Kumar: seasonal

depress. I know.

Ally Brettnacher: Like, I don't realize that that really affects me until we have a 70 degree day and I'm like, oh,

this is how this is how I remember the sun. Yes.

Angela Kumar: I called Sarah and I actually said to her, I'm like, I'm actually getting really excited about grind now that I, you can

Ally Brettnacher: feel it. It's so close. Yes. So,

Angela Kumar: The, the weather is coming.

Yeah. You know?

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. Yeah. February is a short month. And then

Angela Kumar: look at their flurries.

Ally Brettnacher: I know. It's like a, we're in like a snow globe this morning, which is better than the blizzard that everyone else is getting out east. So, okay. The other topic that I had, for us to discuss you just mentioned was going to a basketball game. it seems like you really like local sports, especially the Pacers

Angela Kumar: I

Ally Brettnacher: fever. Lots of people. So where does that come from?

Angela Kumar: My boys, they could cure cancer if they knew as much about science as they do basketball.

My oldest son can hold grownup conversations with people about players and [01:19:00] years. And when they won this and won that, he just, it's incredible. It's it. And so he became a Pacers fan. Even we, we, what is it? U Indy, we go to u Indy games too, because he goes there for, um, summer camp. And so their players are the coaches.

And so we, we go down there so he could see them play. And he feels like, like they're movie stars,

Ally Brettnacher: know?

Right. Those are my,

Angela Kumar: Right. And I love it. 'cause you don't fight for parking, you know, it's a little farther, but like, it's not crowded. You can sit wherever you want. But Pacers games, it's just became our thing.

they love it. They love. Basketball and I love that. They love it. I grew up in Chicago, so I grew up with the Bulls.

Ally Brettnacher: Oh yeah. And you

Angela Kumar: grew up

during mm-hmm. Good

times. Yes.

We exactly, our Christmas night was at the Bulls game. That was our Christmas present from my mom. We would have standing row at the game and we were like

giddy

about it.

Like that was amazing. So to now be ticket holders Mm-hmm.

Ally Brettnacher: Mm-hmm.

Angela Kumar: we like, my privileged, privileged little children. Right. [01:20:00] We, I try to remind them all the time. Like this That's hard. Is not real life. Yeah. Like you,

Ally Brettnacher: you.

Angela Kumar: my son came home with a b plus and though that is great and like you kind of need, if that's the best you can do, I get it.

But I saw you on Xbox. Right. And I still, I know how you

spend

Ally Brettnacher: you

Angela Kumar: weekend. Yeah. You

could do better and you need to do better because you get to do all these really cool things. Yeah. Especially these Pacers games. Yeah. And. I love watching basketball. Now I've become such a basketball person because of them.

there's nothing like a Ben's pretzel at the

Ally Brettnacher: game.

Oh yeah.

Angela Kumar: Oh my God. Like, it just, I just love it.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. We need, so I haven't taken my girls to a game fever or Pacers. I know. It's bad. We need

Angela Kumar: go see, and now this is good that I know because we don't get to go to a lot of our games because of the boys' sports and they wanna go to their

sports. Oh yeah.

So I'm

always like, who?

Ally Brettnacher: oh yeah. Well

Angela Kumar: I

was

like, you a family of four,

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. right? Yeah. Okay, here you go. Okay.

Angela Kumar: am like, Sarah, you want my tickets? Like, yeah. Yeah. And [01:21:00] so, okay.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. Oh, that'd

be fun to my list. Yeah. Thanks. Okay.

Yeah. Yeah. There's a night coming up for our school, actually at the end of March, so we should probably do that. Yeah. Yeah, you should. Because they've been, I don't know how many sports they've been to Purdue football games.

My husband's a boiler maker, so they've been there, never to a Cols game. Yeah. We gotta we gotta start getting out. It's now the 4-year-old. Now is she can do it. So that was kind of the, the, the kicker there was she wasn't quite able

Angela Kumar: you're, you're, you're starting to enter that sweet spot.

I hope so. Where like, your kids are gonna totally love it and look forward to it, and then it's like the carrot you

dangle. Yeah. You know, in front of them. You

Ally Brettnacher: we can go to this,

Angela Kumar: but you need to be able to do X, y, and Z for us, you know, like, make your bed, which my kids don't do, even though I say that. I, I am trying to get them to put their laundry away that I fold and put on their

Ally Brettnacher: bed,

I know? Yeah. Yeah.

Angela Kumar: But I love, I love Mia Pacer game. Yeah. I love it. I love the music. I love dancing

Ally Brettnacher: there. I know.

I wanna ask you about the Jumbotron, because I've seen like 800 videos of you on the jumbotron at a Pacers game. So how do [01:22:00] you, how do you manage to do that? Every time you just get up and dance like an idiot, and you're

Angela Kumar: like, I dance. I dance

like an idiot. I just, I just, my, I, there are times where I think my children are like, can you stop? You know? But then once, like we start getting, now they'll

start

dancing then get into it. Yeah. But they make me do the legwork, but I'm like. I'm a nut when I go there.

Absolutely. It's so fun. The music is so good. I mean, I just love the environment of it all. People cheering on. I mean, this year we're not very good. Last year was way more fun to go to. Yeah. But this year still, it's fun. You know, you, fingers crossed, you know, we get so close and then we fall apart in the fourth quarter and it's so annoying, you know?

But yeah, I love it. We, even last night, we couldn't go and our friends that, took our tickets like they got on the jumble tron and I'm like, yes,

like you represented. It's no

Ally Brettnacher: to,

look. They're like, okay, when in doubt, just look over here.

Angela Kumar: Crazy. That

Ally Brettnacher: girl's

gonna

Yeah. She's gonna be

dancing,

Angela Kumar: so dancing.

Ally Brettnacher: that's so great.

Yeah. Yeah. Oh my gosh. Okay. Well, I'm gonna ask you the [01:23:00] end of the podcast

Angela Kumar: questions now. Okay.

Ally Brettnacher: for it.

There's just two. The first one is, what is your favorite running mantra and or song?

Angela Kumar: Favorite song is Kelly Clarkson. It is, it's Catch

Ally Brettnacher: My

Book. That's a good

Angela Kumar: one.

It's just so good. You leave the, the tempo, the

beat

Ally Brettnacher: too.

Oh, and Kelly Clarkson, I think is the best singer

Angela Kumar: of Right.

Ally Brettnacher: Our generation. I mean, she is unbelievable.

Angela Kumar: I remember when she was on American Idol. Do you remember? I remember

Ally Brettnacher: that.

And what was his name? Justin, the, the curly hair guy that got runner up. I mean, just think of how Kelly Clarkson has thrived. And how talented

Angela Kumar: is.

and just She's killing it still.

Yeah. You know,

Ally Brettnacher: if not, like, more now than

Angela Kumar: ever. Right?

Yeah. Yeah.

Like, and what was the song that she did for Trolls recently? I love that one

Ally Brettnacher: too.

Oh no, I should know that. 'cause I've heard it a billion times.

Angela Kumar: I just love the energy in when she sings. Like she's just, and she's, she looks like a real

Ally Brettnacher: person.

Yeah. And she can cover anything too. Mm-hmm. That's what I love. I love listening to her covers of other

songs.

Angela Kumar: Uh, you, I never, never really watched her show the Kelly Collector [01:24:00] Show, but I did try to tune into like, is it the beginning of the monologue or the end when she would sing a

Ally Brettnacher: little

bit.

Oh yeah. oh

gosh. I'd watch that. Yeah. I get bits of it from social

Angela Kumar: media.

She's got a show now in Vegas. I wanna go see

Ally Brettnacher: that show. That would be, that would be

Angela Kumar: be that would be fun.

Wouldn't that be fun? Yes. Yeah.

Ally Brettnacher: Okay. And then do you have any mantras you use?

Angela Kumar: I'm gonna get it wrong, but, it is, it's so true. It's, um, I stop looking for the light at the end of the tunnel and decide to light that bitch up myself.

Ally Brettnacher: That's perfect. Yeah.

That's what I go with.

Yeah. Yeah.

Angela Kumar: Because if you have to,

right? Yeah.

You find your own joy.

Yeah. You

Ally Brettnacher: light that bitch

Angela Kumar: up uhhuh

Ally Brettnacher: even on a bad

day. Yeah. Right.

Angela Kumar: you you're gonna figure it out.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's great. Okay. And then next finish line and or milestones. So you've got

obviously

grind.

Angela Kumar: Grind.

grind, grind, is it? Yeah.

Ally Brettnacher: And so that is, that is again a backyard Ultra. Mm-hmm. Backyard

Ultra

yeah. So I just had, Bob Rabu was on this podcast recently too, and he has done grind from the very

Angela Kumar: beginning.

Oh really?

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. So do you know Bob?

I don't know. Bob.

You need to know Bob. Okay. [01:25:00] Do you know Trina Rabu?

Sure don't.

Angela Kumar: I know Brittany though.

Okay. Cohor. Oh yeah.

Ally Brettnacher: Oh yeah. Oh yeah.

Angela Kumar: RA's fiance. Yep, yep, yep. And so I know her and I love her.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah.

She's

Angela Kumar: amazing.

I joke, I'm like, if I could have Sarah Farney as one living on one side of me and Brittany on the other side of me, God, how

much fun

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. Brittany is chaos crewing. And She's made

Angela Kumar: a

business She just went to, uh,

Ally Brettnacher: Barclay.

Yes. Yeah.

Barclay.

Angela Kumar: Is that it? Yes. Barley.

Ally Brettnacher: like, I don't, I'm

still

Angela Kumar: she's like sending pictures and I'm like, you get out. Yeah.

Really incredible.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. Really incredible. Okay. So grind, right? And then 50

Angela Kumar: next year. Yes.

Ally Brettnacher: It is a big milestone. Yeah.

Angela Kumar: I

kind of wanna go out to Colorado and do a race with Lindsay out

Ally Brettnacher: now

that she's, Ooh,

Angela Kumar: yeah.

Now that I know someone who's out there who can be like, this is what

you should expect. Yeah. Like, I'm not, I will be green, but someone I know isn't green.

Right. you know? Right. I wanna see what that's like.

Ally Brettnacher: like. I do love the

Angela Kumar: mountains, right? Yeah.

But I don't know anything about altitude.

Ally Brettnacher: Right. That.

Angela Kumar: that's the part that

Ally Brettnacher: I have gotten sick out there. [01:26:00] Yeah. At altitude before. And so I don't know how that would go for

Angela Kumar: when my family skis I run. So like when we were, oh, I just run, I don't even know what I run.

I run, I try to find a trail and if not, I just run this street real early. Like

Ally Brettnacher: just

out, out west. Yeah. Yeah. So then you're altitude seems to be fine,

Angela Kumar: but

there's a lot of stopping in between. Right. You're just like, oh, this is a different

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. Well I did a race out in Salt Lake City where they bust you up to the top of a mountain. What? It was a Revel race. Um, what's that? They, it's this series of races. A lot of them are very downhill. They just, made a rule last year that none of 'em can qualify for Boston anymore. So that was my half PR for a long time because you just run down.

I mean, gravity helps a lot. Yeah. and when I thought to myself, when I go to qualify for Boston, I'm coming back here, but now I can't. Anyway, I bought this stuff on Amazon called Acclimate. And it was like a powder thing. And I was like, I don't know if this is working, but it's Sure. Helping like the placebo.

Angela Kumar: yeah.

What do you think, you wanna get to Boston,

Ally Brettnacher: right?

I do [01:27:00] wanna get to Boston someday.

Angela Kumar: do you think you're gonna want to use?

Ally Brettnacher: Probably monumental, I mean, home course flat and fast. Like, I don't think there's anything better from my point of view. Yeah. I, I'm also not in a rush. At first I thought,

Angela Kumar: oh, you

shouldn't be for

Ally Brettnacher: I mean it's just like, I think talk about the pressure and the joy. I feel like I need to be in a place where I don't kill myself over that or get like put all my sights are set on that. ' cause if I don't like, that's fine. Right? But I would love to experience it

Angela Kumar: maybe. 'cause I'm old now, I will say in three to four years, when your children are a little older, you will have more freedom. Yeah. And that will

Ally Brettnacher: feel

it's like the sweet spot time. It is, yeah.

Angela Kumar: they need you less you're less exhausted.

Yeah.

You're lessed. so.

but they're, they, you can't beat the title, the voice, like all of that age right now. Let me ride.

Ally Brettnacher: oh, I'm putting my young one on the bus in, you know, I guess someone, oh, it's gonna be, it's gonna be interesting.

But yeah, it'll be good as they get older, for sure. Sure. well, Angela, thanks so much for doing this

Angela Kumar: with this is

Ally Brettnacher: It [01:28:00] flew

Angela Kumar: so fun. Thank

Ally Brettnacher: you.

It was so

Angela Kumar: fun.

Yes. This is so fun. Thanks for inviting me.

Ally Brettnacher: This is cool.

Angela Kumar: Absolutely. I've never done one, so this is really

Ally Brettnacher: cool. It's perfect. This

is my favorite and thank you to everybody who's listened and happy running.

Angela Kumar: Thanks. You too.

Ally Brettnacher: did it.

If you enjoyed this episode of Finish Lines and Milestones, please share rate review. That's a really easy way to support this show, and you also support this show by supporting brands like Relay Active and Amazfit If you are looking for other shows to add into your running podcast mix, you can go to sandy boy productions.com to check out the other shows in the network, And thank you again for listening, and I will see you next week. Bye bye.

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Finish Lines & Milestones: Episode 150: Angela Kumar - Finding joy (and 100mi) in backyard ultras

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