Finish Lines & Milestones: Episode 85

This is a Sandy Boy Productions podcast.

Welcome to Finish Lines and Milestones, a podcast that celebrates the everyday runner.

I'm your host, Ali Brettnacher.

Whether you're a season marathoner, half marathoner, ultra marathoner, prefer shorter distances or just getting started, if you run, you are a runner.

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And every runner has a story.

Join me each week as I share these stories and we cross finish lines and celebrate milestones together.

This podcast is brought to you by Athlete Bouquets.

Celebrate the finish lines and milestones of the people you love by visiting athletebouquets.com.

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Hello, and welcome to episode 85.

This is Allie Hope again.

You had a great Thanksgiving and that you got all the deals you wanted shopping over the weekend.

I frankly get so overwhelmed during this time of year when it comes to shopping that I almost just don't do anything.

1:02

It like paralyzes me.

And I forgot to even send an e-mail for my own business, athlete bouquets, which you'll hear about a couple times in this episode.

So if you also got overwhelmed and didn't do any shopping, if you have runners in your life you're shopping for, look no further.

But anyway, I am so excited about this season.

1:20

I do love the holidays.

I love being able to spend time with family and do the things that I love.

But yeah, it's just it's stressful.

So I wish you many good runs throughout this month and beyond.

And this week's episode I'm really excited about.

1:37

I have been wanting to have Gabby Bear on, frankly, since I started this.

Gabby and I originally met years ago when I we both worked at Fleet Feet here in Carmel, IN and she is the president of the Carmel Running Club.

1:52

And so we talked about that and all of the race adventures she's had so far.

And if you're listening and you're not from Indiana or Carmel, then if you have a race that the Carmel Running Club needs to consider in their upcoming adventures, you should reach out to Gabby.

But our conversation was really fun.

2:10

I enjoyed finally, you know, having a chance to really sit down and get to know her.

And I know that you're going to enjoy getting to know Gabby as well.

So enjoy.

We're there.

OK, awesome.

How are you?

Good.

2:25

A little.

Tired a little.

Tired.

Yeah.

Gabby Bear, everyone.

The Gabby Bear.

I can't believe you just did rim to rim.

I had no idea A, that you've done it before, which is a whole another thing, and then B, like right after monumental, you're just going to.

2:42

I feel like that's kind of been my fall, which has been awesome.

My goal race was in September, so I had to like, well, I'm kind of trained.

I might as well just do more.

Carmel Runners Club does this trip every year, so it's actually Craig Thompson in the group that organizes it, but he brings a group out to the Grand Canyon every.

2:58

Year.

Every single year.

Yes, to my knowledge, I didn't realize that.

So it's just kind of whoever wants to do it.

I mean, he kind of screens people with like, have you, have you run a marathon?

Have you, can you do the distance?

Because it's about 22 miles.

OK, which sounds like, oh, less than a marathon, but it took us about 10 hours.

3:16

It was a tough 10 hours, but it, I mean, it's incredible.

So, and we were just talking about your toenails because you now are down to seven.

Yeah, seven.

I'm actually going to say 6 1/2.

Yeah, because I think that that last one is hanging on for dear life.

Yeah, we'll see.

It's OK.

It was worth.

3:31

It the true, I mean the true.

What do you call it?

Like the badge of honor for like a honor.

Yeah, I think so.

I, you know, one of them came off this morning and I was like, do I, can I take a picture of this?

Who can I, can I send this to somebody?

I don't know?

Yeah, somebody really wants to see that, probably.

Yeah, I think I've only lost one once and it was, I think it's before an indie mini one year.

3:52

And we always went to my dad's friend's house before we met in the morning.

My dad's friend was a doctor and I remember just being like complaining about my toenail because it was hurting me.

Well, it turns out there was like a blood blister under it.

Oh yeah, that's happened to me, yeah.

And so he, yeah, yeah, he got that.

4:09

Sorry, that's gross.

But it was like a little traumatic.

And then my toenail fell off.

But that's the only time actually knock on wood.

I feel like it's just it.

I feel like it's when I do multiple races, which has been like this fall I've done a ton of.

Races all the Races all the.

Time, yeah, that's what I had.

Like, well, I'm trained and like my goal one's over, so it doesn't really matter how fast I go.

4:27

So I've just been doing other events.

And then that was the Grand Canyon too.

Like I feel like I was pretty trained for that, so why not go?

But yeah, I don't know how my body feels about that now.

Right, 10 hours.

So, OK, rim to rim, you just go.

4:43

You go down into the Canyon and up the other side.

Yeah, right.

So I've done it both directions this year.

We started on the South Rim at like 4:00 in the morning, hiked down, you cross the river, hike back up the North Rim.

OK, I've done it the other direction as.

Well too is there like which one?

4:59

What would you prefer?

That was like a really contentious topic on the trip.

I prefer the way that we did it this year because the South side is a little bit steeper, so I would rather go down that.

There's a lot of like stone stairs, so I'd rather go down all those stairs rather than go up them.

Yeah.

However, it is like a shorter decline then and you're going up longer on the north side.

5:19

I prefer that because I feel like it's more gradual.

But there was some discussion in the group because some people preferred like, OK, the uphill is harder on the South side, but it's also a lot shorter.

So I mean, both are difficult, but it's, I mean, it's incredible.

I love, I mean, any kind of trip that I can do to any kind of National Park or hiking, it's it's amazing.

5:40

And this one especially is really special because so few people do it.

So I mean, I was thinking that like crossing the bridge over the Colorado River, you know, like how how many people have seen this in the country and it right.

It's amazing.

I feel like there I always get a little bit emotional about it every time.

Yeah, I've been to the Grand Canyon, but I've never hiked down in it.

5:58

I recommend like so highly, even if so, like the first time I went, I just did like a few easy hikes.

And I mean, nothing is super, super easy there because obviously the elevation, but I did like, you know, a three or four mile hike and it was totally doable.

But like just amazing to get the views even just slightly under the rim is so different than what you see from like the visitor center.

6:19

OK.

Yeah, someday, someday.

The last time I went there, it was like really icy.

And so that we like walked down a little bit and I was like, I don't want to die.

No, that's that was probably smart.

Yeah.

So we got pretty lucky with the weather this time.

So it was pretty dry.

Nice.

6:35

Gosh, so 22 miles do you?

Like 10 hours are you do you stop as a group like at a certain point like when you get down to the bottom are you like stopping like?

Yeah.

I mean, we stopped for probably a good like 1520 minutes at the bottom.

I packed in a ton of uncrustables, yes.

6:51

So ate a pile of those which.

Flavor do you prefer?

I get the strawberry and peanut butter and then I also got, I don't know if it was actually the Uncrustables brand, but it was like a frozen sandwich brand that does a like ham and cheese.

It was wonderful.

OK, but same thing, like you carry it on frozen, it thaws as you hike.

7:07

Yeah.

So yeah, stop for snacks for sure, yeah, but not super long breaks 'cause we wanted to make sure we were out before it got dark.

Right now we had headlamps.

I mean, we started with headlamps, right?

But four in the morning, yeah.

But just, you know, the ideal situation is you get out before it gets dark and cold, which we did.

7:24

Wow.

So were there, was it just your group from Carmel that you saw starting, were there like other people around at the same time?

Not exactly when we started.

So when we started, there were eleven of us on the trip and I it was not nine of us that did the actual hike, OK.

7:41

The other two were our drivers, which was fantastic.

Oh right, because you have to be kicked up at the other.

Side yeah, yeah, we're not going to hike back.

Yeah.

So no, we didn't see anybody except ourselves, like, right at the start.

But as we hiked in, I mean, there are people that run this, which is insane to me because I was scared of slipping, like walking very tentatively with my trekking poles.

8:01

But no, we had several people like jog past us starting at kind of similar times and then we ran into some other through hikers as.

Well, so did you?

Did you run it at all or you were just hiking?

This time I didn't.

The last two times that I did it, we did do a mix of running and walking, which made it go faster.

8:18

So I don't know, kind of mixed opinions on that.

I've loved all the trips.

This group, we all stuck together a little bit more, so we were all walking.

In some of the past trips we had like some people running and some people walking.

I definitely feel like I got to see more of it this year, which I liked.

Yeah, yeah.

I mean, in either way, it's very like, it's not that hiking 22 miles is not challenging.

8:38

Dear Lord.

For 10 hours, man.

And then at what time?

OK, so math.

So you would have finished 4:00 AM, You'd finish at what time?

Well, I guess the 10 hours, I think that was actually like our moving time because I did pause my watch, like when we took a bunch of breaks and stuff.

8:55

So we probably got out.

So what would that even be like maybe 3:00 PM or 3:30 or so.

I feel like the actual time was probably more like 11 or 11 1/2 hours that we were in there.

Gotcha.

Still light out though which was great.

So I can immediately pass out in the van?

Basically, yeah.

9:12

What are you wearing?

Some like fireball shots and then celebratory.

I wear a lot of layers.

I mean, we all do.

So I was wearing like bike shorts, basically hiking boots, tall socks, and then like stacked layers of like a tank top, a long sleeve and a jacket and gloves.

9:31

Because it was it was pretty cold at the top.

Yeah, warm at the bottom.

Yeah.

And then do you wear a hydration pack?

Oh yeah, for sure.

Yeah.

So that's, I use that as like the only thing that I carry just since we're only doing it in one day.

So I use a hydration, little hydration backpack with like a bladder in it.

9:47

And then I just shove the snacks in like around the bladder.

And it has straps on the back so I can tie my jacket on there and my gloves when I don't need them.

That's so cool, I would love to do that.

Sometime come with sometime.

I mean seriously, it's I will probably do it again.

Well, yeah, well, no wonder you've done it.

So wait, how many total times?

10:03

I've done it three Times Now.

OK, Yeah, that's so cool.

Yeah, I mean, it's just nice to kind of have it planned out for us as well.

I mean, that's an awesome thing about being in a group and having friends that plan stuff like this that I can kind of say like, Yep, this is a trip I want to do.

And all I really need to worry about is like I am told what flights to get and where I'm staying and all I have to do is reimburse my friend Craig and I get to go on the trip and I have people to do it with.

10:30

I mean, this is a hike I would never do alone.

Just I would be too nervous.

I mean, if something happened, obviously I'm a cell service down there.

So it makes it so nice to have like a go to group to do this.

Stuff like, yeah, well, and I've seen you've done Ragnars too.

Yeah, I've done a few.

I love that too.

10:46

I feel like it's honestly, it's a similar vibe.

I mean, it's a race instead of a hike, but it feels so similar to me.

You've got like you're there with a whole group of people.

You're all short on sleep, you're tired, but you're, I mean, it feels like a family thing.

It's so much fun.

Yeah.

I know I want to do now I just want to do all the things I want to do the Zion Ragnar.

11:06

Yes, I would love to do that one actually, if you make a team.

I know we're talking about 2026 because it's in May, early May, OK.

And then, yeah, I don't know, just kind of I got to spread out my running extravagance and I already have a race in Vegas in February of next year.

So I'm like, OK, so we'll see.

11:23

But yeah, just, you know, pencil that in.

Yeah.

I mean, I might be doing Boston a couple weeks before I thought, but if you don't mind if I'm a little tired.

Oh God, you'd be.

Fine, I would be in.

Yeah, you clearly you would be fine.

You just do back-to-back to back races.

All the time.

I mean, right now.

At least it seems like it.

Yeah, OK.

11:39

And then, so while we're still kind of thinking out West, yeah, I wanted to talk about your goal race at Big Cottonwood.

That was a 316 and change.

Yes, yeah, it was a three 1653, but I'm claiming that 316.

I mean, I'm rounding that 53 seconds down, yeah.

I mean it says 3/16.

11:56

So that, I mean, that was amazing.

That was a time that I never like in my wildest dreams.

Thought I would get I mean.

That's flying.

Yeah, it was.

It was crazy.

I had to remind myself so many times throughout the race, like, it's OK, You like you trained for this.

You can run this pace.

12:11

You belong at this pace.

Like, it's OK, but that was a scary pace for me.

Yeah, what is that pace?

I think it's like right around 7:30.

Yeah, hot.

I mean, my pace definitely varied mile to mile depending on elevation.

So it was a rebel race.

So they're primarily downhill, which definitely helped like adds its own set of challenges as well.

12:30

It did make it tougher to pace.

And then the end, I'm going to say like the last probably 8 miles or so, we're like rolling hills, which doesn't sound horrible.

But after going downhill, Oh my God, it was so hard.

So it was really hard to keep my pace up on that part.

But yeah, I did it enough to, you know, get well above what my even a goal was.

12:50

I was my like scary a goal for that race was I was going to try to break 320 and that's kind of what I was training towards all summer.

I this was probably the hardest I've ever trained for a race.

And so I had in my head like, OK, it's OK if I don't hit that Like I had.

13:06

I always have go into a race with like ABCD goals and last goal was always just to finish.

Yeah.

But yeah, it just, I mean, everything came together really, really well.

It's a gorgeous race.

I mean, you're running down like Big Cottonwood Canyon.

It's so beautiful.

13:22

I think that was part of it is on some of the harder miles I really would just like try to lock into a pace and then just take in the views which helped.

Yeah, yeah, I I did the half at Big Cotton.

Oh, that's right.

Yeah, a long time ago.

Yeah.

I don't know if it was before kids or after kids.

13:40

I don't know.

I just remember we did A7 mile hike the day before.

And I was that was.

Bold.

Really bold.

And it wasn't.

That was not my idea and I was only quotations because it's not only 1/2, it's a half.

But some of the women I was with were running the full.

I'm like why are we hiking 7 miles?

No, I basically sat down.

13:57

I actually went out to Utah, man, like four or five days early.

So nice to acclimate to.

This I just worked remotely from there to try to like get myself used to it, but I basically sat.

I mean, I went on like a couple walks and like super easy runs to try to see how the elevation was gonna hit me.

14:14

But beyond that, I chilled.

Yeah, smart.

Yeah, very.

Smart I.

Know I was like but it was still my my PR race because it was down a mountain I mean I I've said this before I'm like if I if when I BQ yes I'm going there and I'm just going to shut down yeah I mean it's incredible yeah that you can BQ there oh.

14:34

It's amazing, yeah.

You're almost 30, right?

Yeah, I've got 3 weeks.

Three weeks so close, yeah.

And So what what is Boston for you?

So you can you can use your 30 year old right that range.

I can, yeah.

So this time actually qualifies me or you know, fingers crossed, should qualify me for the 2026 Boston.

14:56

Yeah.

OK.

So I will be, oh, I'll be 31, which is wild.

Think about yeah when you get.

To that point, yeah.

But I mean, it's either way though, it's the same time because if you're 35 and under, that's all now it's a 325 that you get.

So they just changed that actually, like right after I ran that race.

15:13

So I'm glad that I was enough under it because originally up until like a couple months ago, it was a 3:30 for my age group.

Right, Yeah, yeah, They, that's, I'm struggling with that.

I kind of, I wish they, I, I heard on the Nobody Asked Us podcast with Dez and Kara, I listened to the episode where they talked about Boston qualifying stuff.

15:34

Because I'm now that I'm chasing that.

I'm like wanting to, I want to get it.

Yes.

And their production guy was like, I wish they would just move the times down.

And it's like, if you get this time, you're in like make them hard enough.

I do prefer that too because I'm actually not in for 2025 because of that.

15:50

So I ran last year at the Chicago Marathon, I ran A325O5, which was my PR and that did qualify me because at the time it was a 330 dated.

But now I think this year or so for this upcoming Boston, I think you needed to be 5 1/2 minutes faster than the time and I was like 4 minutes and 55 seconds faster.

16:11

So I didn't get in, which I was definitely bummed about.

I wasn't shocked.

I felt like I was seeing that trend.

So I was like, I've just under 5 minutes, like I'm probably not going to be there, but it's still disappointing.

And I I'm with you.

I wish like because I obviously I celebrated that time when I got it like crazy.

16:29

And I definitely was hoping that I could go to Boston with it.

But yeah, it's tough that you don't know until you submit it.

So I do feel good about this one though, because I mean, I'm a good like 8:00-ish minutes.

On right that I mean.

I mean, fingers crossed I should be.

There I swear if it's like they moved it down 5 and it's more than the 8.

16:47

Minute, I feel like there should be no way.

People would be like rioting.

In the street, I personally, yeah, I will, yeah.

Right.

Oh my gosh.

So wait, have you run Boston before now?

OK, Yeah.

I ran it in 2022.

OK.

And with a qualifier, yes, OK.

So you've been there, done that, but you continue to chase that and continue to.

17:04

Go.

Yeah, I as soon as I finished, I wanted to do it.

Yeah, I mean, it was.

I remember being a really little kid, like watching and hearing about the race.

And that was a life goal that I made myself.

And I did not think I was going to hit that life goal at like 25, which was why.

What?

17:20

So what age were you?

You think when you were like, I'm going to run Boston someday.

I don't know if I ever was confident that I was going to get there, but I feel like in probably in middle school is when I was thinking like, Oh my God, the what a dream that would be to be able to run that course and be with the with, but you know, behind all those elite runners and like, yeah, so it's always a dream.

17:41

I thought it was going to be like a life dream, but I got the qualifying time when in 2019, and then I had to wait until 2022 due to all the COVID stuff and the virtual race and like the smaller field the following year.

So it was amazing to finally get to do it.

17:57

I for sure, like, I cried at the start line.

I cried at the finish line.

I did not try to race it super hard.

I ran like whatever felt good on my legs because I figured that was kind of a victory lap and I just got to take it all in.

So yeah, I'm really, really excited to hopefully go back.

18:15

Yeah.

In 22, so that was when they were back to a full field.

Again.

Yeah, and it was back in the.

Spring in April, Yeah, yeah.

Wouldn't they did it in like what was it, October?

Yeah, in 2021 with like a super reduced field.

Yeah.

So that was interesting because I did try to submit for that year, but you needed to be so much faster than the time.

18:36

I don't even remember what it was.

It was a wild amount.

But then they let qualifiers use their tribe like to use their time again for 2022 because it was such a limited field that I don't know if they thought that wasn't fair or I don't know.

But I got to use my time again so I was happy I did.

18:52

I was in for 20/22.

Probably because there were like no races for you to go qualify at.

Yes, I mean, honestly, that too.

Yeah, I didn't race much during COVID, which was rough.

I did a lot of the virtual ones.

But yeah, there's something about like trying to push yourself so low on the Monon that just doesn't work for me.

19:08

Right.

Yeah, I did one.

I did in 1/2 marathon virtually and it was kind of fun because it was like the only one I did and I like mapped, got a route by my friends houses and I did it the day it was supposed to happen.

That is.

Fun and it was like a little fun, but then then it wasn't like, okay, I really just want normal races back.

19:27

Yeah.

So I can't imagine, yeah, doing a 26.2 right like that.

Yeah, not fun.

No.

So are you originally from Central IN?

No, but not far.

I'm from southbound area.

Oh, OK, gotcha.

So I moved down here after college for work and have changed jobs a couple times since then, but I've absolutely loved caramel so I've just made sure that I can work and stay here.

19:49

Yeah, Did you go to where'd you go to undergrad?

Purdue.

Purdue.

Oh, I just.

I knew that.

Good Lord, what a stupid question.

It's like every other photo you're.

At a game, yeah, that's valid.

Sorry, I forgot.

Yeah, I'm a Boilermaker by marriage, so OK.

Well, that counts.

Yeah, we'll accept.

You so I mean I went to maybe Ohio, so it's like OK, that's like a fun one though right now they play sometimes yeah, like the normal colleges, but it was the fun one.

20:11

It was really fun so, but not as much of A football culture like.

Purdue guys, yeah.

So, OK, so and you said middle school when you were kind of like setting the life goal of Boston.

So you ran when you were younger?

I did.

I was thinking about it.

20:27

I'm going to say I've been running since I was probably 9.

I mean, that's a guess.

But that's when I remember loving it, like just running in my neighborhood.

And then I did a cross country all through middle school and high school.

I was on the running club at Purdue.

And yeah, I graduated and moved here and had this like, Oh my God, how do I make friends as an adult?

20:45

I don't know.

And it's terrifying.

And so I was like, well, I mean, I guess I'll join a running club because that's what I've always done.

So yeah, kind of continuing it on I've I've been running in one way or another for some group or another for I mean like 20 ish years.

21:02

Yeah, that's wild.

Did at Purdue the running club?

Yeah.

What was it?

Was it just called the Purdue running club?

Did they have multiple clubs?

Was it just kind?

Of just the one, and it was a part of Nurka.

So it's National Intercollegiate Running Club Association and they actually do an awesome job with it.

21:18

So we had practice every day.

It was optional.

I couldn't always go if I had labs or something, but we had daily practice.

We had meets against other schools.

I mean, it felt like you were legitimately part of a team what?

Which I loved.

I had no idea this, but it was.

21:33

Yes, almost every like big school husband.

I mean, don't quote me on that, but I feel like it's it's a really big organization and I I think it's fantastic.

And it was so great because for multiple reasons, I didn't even try to be on the Purdue cross country team.

Like I was not running any of the speeds that I'm running now.

21:51

Not even that now I would probably be able to make it, but I was, I was definitely not going to make it then.

And I also just like I knew my classes were going to be tough and I needed to spend time on that.

So it was awesome that I could feel like I was on a team.

I mean, it definitely felt like a team.

I lived with some of the girls for my last year.

22:08

Like that was my social group.

I still see them at least once or twice a year.

And we got to race together.

So that was, I mean, that was an awesome group.

Was it track meets or like cross country like we?

Did both, so there was cross country in the in the fall and track in the spring like normal.

22:25

I did more of a cross country.

I'm just I've always been more of a distance person and honestly I couldn't even go to a lot of the meets just because of school.

But I mean, just being part of the group was really cool.

Yeah, and what kind of engineer?

Mechanical.

Mechanical.

Yeah, yeah, My husband started as mechanical and immediately he's like, this is too hard.

22:44

I've heard him tell that.

Story.

I thought about that too.

Yeah, so super smart.

Obviously he ended up being, I don't know the name, but the Computer Engineering.

Yeah, so also really good minored in computer science, OK, with the thought of like, oh, I'm gonna like make robots or something.

23:00

And I'm not even sort of doing that.

But you know, the idea was there.

Yeah, yeah, for sure.

So, So yeah.

Running club in college.

That's so cool.

I had no idea that that was a thing.

Yeah, it's awesome.

I would have actually, I think I'm wearing their special right now.

Yeah, which was not intentional.

I just it's very comfy.

23:16

Yeah, and I've never done the half marathon at Purdue.

You should actually pace it every year I saw, I mean, knock on wood that they continue to let me do that.

But yeah, that was really special because that was actually my first sub two half marathon the first year that I was out of Purdue.

So it's 2017 and that was a huge goal, which is wild.

23:34

Now that like just that I've.

Yeah, how far it's come.

What's your half marathon PR?

Well, I think it was during my marathon.

I haven't competitively raised a half marathon in a really long time so.

I wonder what that would look like.

Well, yeah, I'm going to see.

23:50

I guess we'll know.

Yeah, so I think my half year is probably around a 136, but I don't even know like for sure because it's part way through a full honestly, my Rd. my road race from actually doing 1/2 is around a 138.

OK, I feel like, I mean, I'm hoping to get it faster.

24:09

But anyway, yeah, I did my first sub two at Purdue that first year out of school and with running with Carmel Runners Club for that entire year.

Then the following year I actually got asked to come back and pace the two hour group.

So that was a really special thing for me to be there the the very next year and be like, oh, this is actually a pace that I can just pace now, like at a comfortable talking pace.

24:29

And this was my huge goal from the year before.

I didn't have the turn around time for that is.

It was awesome.

So yeah, I try to go back there and pace it every year if I can.

And I usually now I usually do the 155 group just because I feel like that's a really fun one with people who are trying to get under that like solidly under that 2 hour mark.

24:48

And it's so fun to be there and to be able to like in the last mile be like, yeah, you got it.

Like you're totally under 2GO get it like see everybody take off.

So yeah, you should.

You should come do it.

Yeah.

What time is it in September, October, October?

Yeah, Well, like, to your point, like all the fall, there's like so much fall stuff.

25:05

We're lucky here in Central IN that we have a decent amount of fall races.

Oh my gosh, yeah, I'm pacing Zionsville this weekend.

Oh, yeah, There you go.

Yeah, I wanted to run, but, you know, I just did the marathon, so I was kind of like, I didn't want to be like, hey honey, I signed up for another.

Yeah, I know.

That's fair.

But I my tentative plan is to bring my depending on the weather.

25:22

How's the weather looking?

I actually haven't even checked yet.

I hope it's good.

I hope.

It's good.

Yeah.

Well, because I was thinking that I would just bring the girls out and cheer or or reach out to them and see if they need like volunteering or whatever.

I feel like last I heard they do.

Yeah, I'm sure they I'm sure.

I mean, you know, races will always be like yes, absolutely.

25:39

We'll take more help.

I just don't know how much help I could be with the three-year old and the seven-year.

Old.

I mean they could probably pass out water.

Yeah, I mean, yeah.

So anyway, so TBD, my friend Ashley is running.

She pushed with me for Ainsley's Angels at the Indy Mini last year, so she's one of my good running friends.

25:54

She did Big Cottonwood with me.

That's awesome.

So yeah.

So yeah, you'll have to meet her at some point, but she'll be out there.

Yeah, I'm, I have FOMO because I'm like, I want to run because I am just coming off the full.

And so today was the first day I got to work out.

Yeah, which you did amazing at that fall.

26:11

Thank you.

I was really impressed by that.

It was awesome to.

See, me too.

I was so excited to like look over and be like, Oh my God, that's Ally.

Yeah, OK, yes.

So anyway, OK.

So yeah, Gabby and I were both at the indie Monumental together, and it was so funny.

All of a sudden it's like, oh, there's Gabby.

And then I love that there's a photo now.

26:28

Yes, that's Oh my God, the worst face that I've ever made.

That's not that cannot be the.

Worst.

No, that's true.

It's not that.

It's not.

But yeah.

So, yeah.

That was so fun, though.

I had like, what I would say is like the honor of pacing, running with one of my best friends who was running her first marathon.

26:45

Oh, that's.

So cool.

So I did the half.

I ran the first like 7:00-ish with her until the split and then she totally killed it and I, you know, jogged it in and hung out at our cheer zone.

Oh, that's so fun.

That is so much fun.

So I want to talk a little bit more about Carmel Runners Club.

27:01

Yeah.

So you and I originally met actually when we both worked at Fleet Feet.

Yes.

Which I think people listening will all know because it's a very corporate, national right chain of running stores.

Do you still work part time there?

Like super part time, Yeah.

I work probably about two hours every Monday, so I just lead there like Monday Run Group, which is realistically Carmel Runners Club, but yeah.

27:22

Yeah, you know.

It's a great gig.

Yeah, yeah, for sure.

Well, I I miss my discount very much.

It's.

Really nice, yeah.

Yeah, it's, it's good.

But yeah, I I remember you and I, I don't know if we ever actually worked a shift together.

I don't think so because I'm passing like only a Monday evening person there, or like at least for the last several years, yeah.

27:42

So we would maybe sometimes I'd see you when I was like on the way out the door on a Monday.

But yeah, so.

And you're the president of the Carmel Running Club.

I am, yeah.

How long have you been doing that?

About four years now.

So which is wild.

It flew by.

And do you remember how many people were part of the club when you first joined?

27:59

So I don't know the actual registration numbers, but I would say like showing up at the group runs, we would get 15 people, maybe I mean 20 if it was a nice day.

The Wednesdays we're just getting started, which Wednesday evenings are our biggest day now?

And I feel like it was, it was me and these like, you know, 10 other like middle-aged dudes and I joined and I was like, OK, well, I'm here to make friends.

28:22

And those guys are like some of my best friends now.

I mean, this club is full of the nicest people that you'll ever meet.

And I got to see it basically like explode.

So I mean, that core group that I met when I joined is all still there.

But now there's so many other people and there's so many younger people, there's more women.

28:39

There's, I mean, what's such an awesome mix And it's, it's huge now.

I mean, we're getting to a point like on, especially in the summer, like summer Wednesdays with like over 100 people show up.

Like I'm starting to get stage fright when I stand on a bench to do announcements.

28:55

Yeah.

You're like, wow, this is a lot more people that I really want to talk in front of.

Thanks a lot.

Yeah, but that's incredible.

Oh, it's, it's been amazing to be a part of that and to see it grow.

Yeah, absolutely.

I've said this to somebody else that asked if Zionsville had a running club and I'm like, how do they not?

29:12

Name them.

Yeah.

We just.

If we find out somebody lives in science, well, we're like, no, you can drive over.

It's fine.

Yeah.

Right, cuz they don't have anywhere to be.

A problem.

I mean, I joke about that, but yeah, we do actually have a lot of people who live in science.

Yeah, I bet.

Drive over because we're not terribly far.

Yeah, it's super close.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Wow.

29:28

What a So what are the nights?

I guess talk about the club and like you just mentioned Monday, Wednesday, I'm assuming you do long runs and stuff like.

That so Monday or sorry, Wednesdays and Saturdays are kind of our big club days.

So those were the original days.

29:44

Those are our big ones.

Saturdays where usually we meet at like Java House, that's the long run day.

If people are training, we do, we offer like training programs for Monumental and Carmel every year.

So fall and spring, a lot of people won't meet up and do their long runs together.

Those days and then Wednesdays, I always say are like our fun run day.

30:01

I mean, we have training distances for those days too.

Obviously, like all optional, but that's that one.

We generally meet at a brewery.

People will hang out afterwards.

That's a really fun night.

That's our really social one.

And then Mondays and Thursdays we have like store sponsored runs, so Fleet Feet on Mondays and Athletic Annex on Thursdays.

30:22

So a lot of events, which is awesome.

Yeah.

How much of that now do you participate in?

Are you at every single I mean?

I would like to be.

I try to be at as many as I can.

I'm at most of the Mondays because partly because I work at fleet feet.

So unless I have a conflict, I'm at almost every Wednesday, unless I'm traveling Saturdays.

30:42

I feel like this fall I was just thinking like, Oh my God, they're not even gonna know who I am.

I've not been.

Cuz you've got a race every Saturday.

Yes, cuz I've, I've been racing like every week or I've been you know, I was just doing this hiking trip like yeah, so I'm gonna have to go back and like reintroduce myself, but not next weekend cuz I'll be at Zionsville.

30:58

So yeah, maybe Thanksgiving weekend.

Well, it's kind of nice to every local race you do, especially you got like this huge contingent of people that you know, or people that if they're not running, they might be volunteering or cheering.

And that is like the best part.

I mean, like I said, I so I got, you know, I got my BQ in 2019 and my you look, my friends in the club knew that that was such a huge goal.

31:21

And so to like around the corner and like I think word had kind of spread.

People were talking about like, oh, she's about to come through.

And like there was such a huge crowd there like screaming for me that like knew that I got my goal.

Like I almost started sobbing.

I was like no you have to still make like the last .2 miles or else you don't get it but.

31:37

Like you can't fall apart.

It's one of my, so the cheering squad is one of my favorite things about the club.

So we've become kind of known for being there, the latest, the longest cheering for everybody.

I mean, we're there until the race tears down for every big race.

31:55

We just did that at Monumental.

We always do that at Carmel.

And I've had people reach out to the club, like via social media to say, you know, Oh my God, I was like one of the last runners.

I thought nobody would be there.

And like, you guys cheered for me like I was winning the race and like it's such a special thing.

32:11

So and I've actually, I shouldn't say that the other clubs do that too.

So I mean, it's it's the running clubs in the city.

I feel like really stick around and make sure that the runners feel appreciated, which is really cool.

Yeah, especially since, I mean, we're Indiana.

32:26

We're not like, you know, New York, Chicago, right, Majors, right, where there's.

But even those like, I mean, finally, I feel like there's more of a culture of like, people sticking around, yeah, to bring in the final finishers and like, recognizing that, yeah, you're, you're a marathoner.

Too.

Yeah, it's still a huge.

32:41

Deal.

Yeah, absolutely, Absolutely.

So does Carmel, do you guys do any like trips outside of the hiking one?

Because I've noticed, like some of the races, yeah, done are obviously not just local, but around the US And so tell us about some of those.

We do some official travel races through the club or we'll kind of talk about it as a board and like, hey, this would be a cool one for our members to do.

33:04

So that's what we've done like Madison, WI and we've done like Charlevoix MI in the past.

I actually didn't get to go to that one, but I would like to.

So we'll plan stuff like that.

Those are usually drivable.

But then we have club members who will step up and say, like, hey, I mean, I've got to go do the Anchorage Marathon in Alaska.

33:21

And that was actually when, oh, in 2021 in August.

That was awesome.

But that's because we have club members that step up.

And actually this was the same guy Craig, who planned the Grand Canyon trip that I just did.

So he's part of our board and does an awesome job like planning these kind of extra trips.

33:39

But that was one that he was saying, you know, hey, I'm going to I'm going to go up and do this marathon if other people want to come.

We ended up having I think like 18 of us up here, I'm guessing on that.

But it was still.

Yeah, that's a huge group.

So was it that race?

Is it light out?

Is it dark out?

33:56

Yeah.

And it's so I didn't know this either.

Since it's an Anchorage, I guess they don't have I don't think like the full.

Oh, because they're the.

Yeah, they're it's South.

OK, I don't know.

I mean, I've been there, but it's been a while and I don't know anything about.

Where these are, Yeah, It's South enough that it felt, I don't know, the time the daylight felt kind of normal.

34:14

To me.

Gotcha.

Yeah, that makes sense.

I just picture you're like, oh, Alaska, it's got to be like.

Right.

I mean, I definitely had that thought too.

Wait, is it going to be light the whole thing or I guess dark the whole time would be more different than?

But yeah, so we actually our Carmel Runners club has been doing like A50 state challenge.

34:32

I was going to ask you because.

That's been super cool.

I've gotten to do a lot of.

That gotten a lot of states.

Yeah, I know.

I need to actually sit down and count, see how many.

But as a club we've been doing like kind of gathering state, so trying to get all 50 and I think we we will get all 50 by the end of the year.

So the last one is New Mexico and there's a group going out there.

34:50

I'm not able to make it, but going in a couple of weeks to do one out there.

So we'll get all 50 by the end of the year.

It started a year or two ago.

And that's been really cool.

And it's, it's awesome to see people like, oh, I'm going on a vacation to, you know, visit my parents or something, and I'm going to make sure I find a race so I'm out there so I can claim this state.

35:08

And we've got this, like, stack of photos of everybody who's done the different states.

So that's really, that's what like I just got to go out and do Mount Desert Island Marathon in Maine a month ago.

Yeah, that was for state #49 that was awesome.

Have you and have you done that one more than I've?

35:23

Done it twice.

So wait, how have you done it twice?

Same thing.

It was another group trip and it was just one of the prettiest places I've ever been.

I mean, the race goes through Acadia National Park.

So yeah, it's.

Gorgeous.

It is hilly.

I was going to.

Ask that I did it remember the first time two years ago, so 2022.

35:41

And I went out there and did not look at the course at all.

And it was like, yeah, I'm pretty trained.

Like, I guess I'm going to try to go for a Boston time.

And I ran the first mile and 1/2 at, you know, the correct pace.

And I hit a hill that was so steep that I had to walk.

And I was like, well, OK, we're going for the finish goal.

35:58

Yeah, Yep.

Oh, we just skipped all three ABC.

Yeah, yeah.

And I finished.

The interesting thing is like this year I went into it, you know, it was one week after the Chicago Marathon, so I had 7 days.

Of recovery, Oh my God.

And I was hiking the day before, yeah.

36:14

And I was like, whatever, I'm doing it because it's beautiful.

I'm going to like, take pictures and make a little real and like, whatever I'm.

I made friends like along the course.

And I weirdly, I finished like 10 minutes faster than I did when I was trying to run it hard.

So I think, you know, maybe something to be said for just like, enjoying it, right?

36:31

Yeah, that is funny, isn't it?

Yeah, like how your body just can somehow just relax and.

Yeah, when I'm not stressed about it.

Now granted, like still a good, you know, half hour slower than my PR but.

Well, I bet it's I've, I've went there.

When did I go with my husband?

36:47

I don't know.

It's been a while now, but we did some hiking out there and is, I mean, yeah, there's, there's a lot of hills, Yeah.

Super hilly.

I was kind of thinking about that at the Grand Canyon, actually.

I was like, okay, it's fine.

You trained for this.

Like at that marathon, it's okay.

Yeah, okay, so we've talked about some places where I imagine there'd be some wildlife.

37:03

Have you seen any animals during Racing I.

Always want to no and I heard that people saw bears during the Anchorage 1 and I didn't see a single thing.

So I mean, we just don't know if I'd want to see a maybe for the better.

But yeah, I love I love finding critters.

I would have been very happy about that.

37:19

I did see a Condor yesterday.

What's?

That.

Big endangered bird.

I totally thought it was a Turkey, but people were really, really excited about it, which is how I found out it was not a Turkey.

I don't know.

Big black thing.

Yeah.

You're like, I was on my hike in Zion.

Oh, that's cool.

So that was cool.

37:35

Yeah.

I think.

Yeah.

I took a picture of it.

It looks like a BLOB.

You're like, yeah, I see.

Yeah, this Condor what a cool isn't.

It I mean, it sounds cool.

Yeah.

It really looked kind of like a Turkey.

OK, that's.

Fun.

Yeah, I well, the hike that we did before that big Cottonwood race, we saw a moose.

That was exciting.

37:50

I've always wanted to see one and it's I've been to Alaska and Maine and like I'm always looking for moose and I'd never get to see them.

So maybe that'll change.

I've seen another one while snowmobiling once, that was cool too.

That is cool.

It was a mom and a baby.

That's the.

Best.

Yeah, they're kind of scary though, because they're just humongous.

38:07

Yeah, I would want to see them from a.

Distance for sure.

Same with bears.

No, thank you.

So, and you haven't raced in Florida even though I thought you did, but it was really, it was Gabriel.

There, Yeah, very close, very close.

So what other?

OK, so you've done Arkansas, you've done Little Rock.

Yes, that was fun.

38:23

Giant metal.

Yeah, that's like a thing there, isn't it?

Yeah.

Which I didn't know until I was, you know, looking into it.

That was another group trip that I did, and that was why we went.

And Oh my God, those metals are insane.

They're like the size of your face.

They're super heavy.

I always like, you know, I'm proud of my races.

38:40

I wear my metal all day afterwards.

I go out to the bars and I'm like, oh, what do you mean?

What's this like?

So I did that.

My neck was so sore by the end of the day from wearing that huge metal.

By the end of the night I was like, because of course we stayed out all day afterwards.

By the end of the night, I was like carrying it like a purse over my.

38:56

Shoulder.

That's funny.

Oh yeah, that's hilarious because you're like, I cannot handle this anymore.

Yeah, well, I'm glad I get to talk about this again.

I got to hold Cole Hawkers gold medal.

Oh that's so cool.

I'm so jealous.

He immediately like, so I had the opportunity.

I'm on the board for mighty medal.

39:12

So I like just helping him walk from like point A to point B like with his security team.

We we get in this room, he immediately takes that medal off and there are two bright red lines across the back of his neck.

OK.

So they're so heavy.

I didn't even register that.

I guess that makes sense.

I mean, I just wouldn't have really thought about it, but yeah, like wearing your medal.

39:30

Like, of course, you know, you're the Olympic champion.

You want to wear your medal but it like for that long period of time.

That's so interesting.

OK, so basically my Little Rock one is, I mean it's kind of.

Like, it probably weighs, but it's.

Sort of like the.

Weighs about the same, yeah, definitely the same, same thing.

39:46

I find it so interesting that people go to races for medals.

I do too.

So honestly, I I don't do that.

I mean, that was I love that race.

It was a super fun like friend trip.

Is that a flat?

How's that?

Again, I thought it might be.

I'm always thinking that and I'm never right.

40:01

It's.

Like always wanting it to be flat.

It was not as hilly as like Maine, but it was definitely more hilly than anything in Indiana.

OK, which is Hill, I mean, I don't know Geist is we have here is a little hilly.

Yeah, yeah, neighborhoods, but yeah, yeah.

But no, I I didn't do it for the metal, but the metal was pretty cool.

40:19

I definitely did like a little photo shoot with it afterwards so.

Yeah, it's wild.

Well, when I worked at the info booth for Monumental at the Expo, people would come up, we have the metals displayed there.

And so people come up and look at it and and they'd be like, oh, where do you get your medals done?

Like I'm a race director or whatever.

40:35

Like we, you know, and they're like all about the medals because they have to make a metal that is like good enough to get people to want to do the race.

I do feel like that's a thing lately because I was looking back, I obviously have like a metal rack in my, in my house and I was looking back at some of them and I'm like, man, the races I did, you know, 10 years ago, it's like a little shiny disc, you know, right.

40:57

And it's they're crazy now.

All the races I feel like have these amazing huge medals.

I, you know, for me, I, I'm more of a simple creature.

I just I love the monumental ones this year.

Because I did too.

Actually very simple.

I just think they, they were like quality where it's like, yeah, they, you know, not quite the Olympic medal, but it's like it's heavy.

41:16

It's got some beep to it.

It would hurt.

It would hurt when I wore it out.

Then right, I agree.

And but yeah, but people were kind of complaining about how simple you can't make everybody happy anyway, but.

Yeah, no, I didn't.

I mean, I thought it was fine, but I'm, I'm with you.

As long as it's just something I can wear for that day, I'm pretty happy.

41:34

As long as it's metal, I really don't care that much actually.

But have you ever seen the buckets at that finish line where they want you to donate your metal?

Yes, and we've partnered with some of those groups before with, with CRC to do like metal donations because I feel like people have so many that they don't want.

41:50

I've definitely donated some of mine.

Really, yeah, for like my smaller races or races that I didn't really race, I guess I would say like if I'm pacing or just kind of doing it for fun, I've done a bunch of races where it's like, oh, my friends are all doing it, I'll sign up and we'll just run in a in a group at whatever pace feels comfy.

42:10

So stuff like that where it's more of a fun run.

I don't know.

I still don't think I could give a.

Fuck, I'm just running out of room.

I.

I I literally need to buy another rack.

Actually I saw this really cool on Instagram.

This girl, I wish I could remember her name or whatever off the top of my head, but she did this like huge peg wall in her basement where it's just like these pegboards from Amazon and then you just hang you like hang them so they kind of.

42:34

Oh, that's actually really cool because you could see all of them.

Because it could be like the whole wall.

I mean, for for somebody like you.

And I mean, I've done a lot of races.

I love that idea, actually.

So I'll send you the.

Yeah, please do.

I'll put the link in the show notes.

Perfect.

So fancy.

Yeah, I have.

I just made my metal rack.

It's a piece of wood with a bunch of screws in it.

42:51

There you go.

You engineer you, you know, not like wood burned a little clothe on it like it's cute.

Oh wow.

But it's not, it's, you know, it's not super big though, so.

You only have one metal.

Yeah, and it's it's it is going to tear down that wall.

43:07

I'm ready for it.

I'm nervous about it, but I keep putting more medals on it and it's just, we're just going to see.

Yeah, mine one of the ones I have, I have one at the map on it and like my PR times it is there.

It's close to like it needs.

I need another one.

Yeah, yeah, I actually used to have my record player sitting under it because, you know, that was cute.

43:26

It looked artsy.

Oh yeah, my records.

And look at my medals.

And I was like, no, I'm going to actually move that to the other side of the room because this is going to fall eventually.

It's going to fall on top of that.

We don't want that.

Hey, quick reminder, this podcast is brought to you by Athlete Bouquets.

Celebrate the finish lines and milestones of the people you love by visiting athletebouquets.com.

43:46

And again, use code podcast for 10% of your order.

Yeah.

OK, so couple things you said there, wood burning.

Oh yeah, I used to date a guy who was into wood.

OK, they actually.

Just borrowed his wood burning OK Wouldn't say it's like.

A passion.

44:01

About professional work, but you know, it's readable, so it's.

Fine.

No, that's cool.

I've never tried that.

It was.

Kind of fun actually, It's something I could see myself trying, but I also feel like I'm kind of bad about like starting hobbies and then not doing anything with them.

So one of my favorite things is to like, learn how to do something.

Yes, I love that.

44:17

Oh yeah, that was the best part.

Yeah.

The only thing I've ever wood burned.

Yeah, that's funny.

And then the other thing is records.

Yeah, you listen to records.

Yeah, my grandma got me a record player years ago, I think when I was in early college maybe.

And it's just, it's fun.

I mean, I wish I could say I use it more than I use Spotify.

44:35

I still use Spotify the most, but Oh yeah, I love that.

Especially like winter day, you know, have something warm to drink like put a record on so.

That's I've never used a record player, so I don't even know.

So when you play it, do you know where to put it so you can pick a song or you just kind of have to let it play?

44:54

I totally just guess.

I mean, you can like you can pick it up and move it and try to like, oh, this is close enough to the beginning of this song.

There's probably a way to do it that I've just never looked up.

Yeah, I just, it's so interesting.

I never really thought about it but I'm like if I were to go play a record I would.

Well I would just need to watch a video on how to do.

45:10

It Yeah, I can.

I can help you, yeah.

Well, it's really cool.

OK.

So what other races haven't we talked about?

Oh man.

We've talked about all the ones on my list.

I mean, I have the mini coming up.

Yeah, let's talk about that.

So for people who aren't from Indy, I feel like I need to do a better job now that perhaps there are more listeners to tell people what the Indianapolis races are.

45:34

Because I feel like we talk about, we're like, oh, everybody's guys.

We indie monumental, indie mini.

But yeah, the indie mini is 1/2 marathon.

It used to be the biggest in the country.

Yeah, I was just Googling that.

Yeah, I feel like, I don't think it's the biggest anymore, but I think it's still.

45:51

Up, it's here.

It's got to be in like the top 10.

It's it's a really big race.

And so for us, it goes, it's downtown, it goes around the Speedway, which is where the Indy 500 is.

It's often the hardest part of the race.

Yeah, but do you know how many times you've done the Indy Mini?

I think 5 or 6, OK, I would actually kind of look that up, but I've done it most years that I've lived in Indy.

46:12

OK.

Yeah, because I've done it.

I don't know 1213 a lot of times.

Well, I've lived in Indy I think for like 8 years now and I think I've I missed it this past year because I had a friend's wedding.

I did it virtually in 2020 I guess.

That's my yeah, that was my virtual race.

But yeah, so probably, yeah, maybe we'll say 6 times.

46:29

Yeah, so and now you're going to run next May as an elite.

Yeah, which is?

Wild.

So wow.

So you're going to all definitely see you because I am going to push for Ainsley's angels again.

I decided that I'm going to do that every year.

Oh that's so awesome.

I would love to do that sometime too actually.

46:44

Shit, it's it's well, it's a really cool way to like start the race.

I mean you get to start the race, which is super cool.

That is awesome because usually it's huge and you're like way back from the nose where and you I mean we had this girl named hope she's like nine years old.

She was just nonverbal but like you could tell like when she would get excited and it was really fun to to give her that experience.

47:05

So I'm do it every year, hopefully with the same family every.

Year that's so.

Cool.

But yeah, so you'll run past me because I remember seeing I, I remember seeing a couple of people like earlier on like Mark Geyer and my and Mark Glover, like flying by.

So I'll be getting to cheer for you as an elite.

Out.

Oh, that's awesome.

47:21

OK.

Yeah, I'll definitely.

Look for you.

I'll see you.

So how did that come to fruition?

It was actually from that marathon time that I got in Big Cottonwood, so I didn't even think about like, I've never been close to any kind of elite times.

Again, still super wild to me.

47:37

And my friend Gigi has run as an elite in the indie mini last year and she ran Big Cottonwood with me way in front of me and was telling me like, hey, I think your time is fast enough.

Like you need to look this up.

And I did.

And it I think it's a 318 or faster that you need to have as a woman to get into the elite field.

47:57

So I did, which is crazy.

So what does that mean?

Do you still pay or you don't have?

To pay so my race is comped, I get like my name on the bib, which is really cool.

I'm probably gonna frame that.

Yeah, I would 100%.

I start.

So like you said, I start in that in that first wave, which is awesome.

48:18

We get like AVIP area.

I hear that there's bathrooms with running water.

Oh, that's.

Which is amazing.

I mean, that's probably what I'm most excited about, honestly, because I've stood in those part of potty lines at the indie mini and they are horrible.

So yeah, yeah, it should be a really cool experience.

48:33

I mean, I'm not going to be one of the faster ones in the elite field.

One of the questions was like, have you ever won the indie mini?

And I was like, Oh no, I have not done that, but but it's going to be really cool to start with that group.

And I I'm definitely using it as my goal.

48:49

I mean, I actually didn't have a spring goal race yet because like I said, I've I've been kind of hoping to get into Boston, but with the cut off times I didn't.

So I was like, shoot, I have to find another one.

And then this opportunity came up.

I'm like, OK, I haven't trained for just a half and I hate to say just a half, but like all of my halves have been part of my full training.

49:09

So I've been running them more at like a full pace, right?

My half PR is from a fall like.

So I don't know what I can do if I actually train for specifically 1/2 and I'm hoping that I can PR at this one.

I mean that would be really cool to try to do that in this elite field.

49:26

But like I said, I mean as with always I'll have ABCD and E goals so.

I feel like full day with May in Indianapolis.

It always depends, too, on the weather.

Yes.

Like if it's not going to be because if it's like 8,000,000°.

Yeah, that's I'm not a hot weather runner so I will still do it, but it might be slower.

49:42

Yeah, it's and I would much prefer rain too, Yeah.

Oh, same.

Yeah.

To the hot because when you get on that blacktop, yeah, for 2 1/2 miles, super rough.

Yeah.

So if you see me walking in an elite, then it's it's the heat.

No way.

No, no way.

49:58

Oh my gosh.

Well, I'm so excited to cheer you on for that.

Thanks.

Yeah, I'm pumped for it.

Yeah.

That's so cool.

Did you look up any other?

Like did that make you think, oh, like are there any other races I could do as an elite?

It definitely did.

I mean, I think it's just going to be something when I sign up for races, I'm going to see if like, that's an option, yeah.

50:15

How cool is that?

Yeah, I mean, even if this is the only one I've.

Ever.

That's fine.

So cool.

That's so cool.

Yeah.

Like I would never even.

Yeah, like.

I said I didn't even think about it.

I would have never checked.

Right.

I would have never, I really would have never thought that I would be able to qualify for Boston, that it would be something that I'd chase.

50:31

Like my first two marathons were five hours.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And now you're I'm like, oh, OK.

You're getting close.

Getting closer so I'll do it, damn it.

You will for sure.

And even if I have to, like if I run a time and I don't get in somehow, maybe I'll go for charity or something like that, I don't know.

50:50

That's still a big.

I might go in April anyway, like, so kind of same.

I'm not running it, but I might go, like, do the 5K and cheer on my friends who did get in just so I can, like, be there to soak it up because I have this like, well, I earned myself a trip there, I think.

Yeah, absolutely.

51:06

Yeah.

You know, wear my old Boston jacket to try to fit in.

Yeah, yeah.

That's.

But yeah, you should.

I agree.

So like if you yeah, if you get a qualify fire time, you should still find. 100% sell and celebrate.

Yeah.

Oh, absolutely.

I mean, it's a it's a big deal for sure.

Yeah, I mean, I know people have been trying for like a decade.

51:23

Oh, same.

Yeah.

And I mean, I had multiple failed attempts before I got it.

I I ran the Carmel Marathon in 2019, the year that it was Sweden.

Yes, that was a horrible one.

Oh my God.

My friend tried to.

My friend Ashley, she tried to be cute.

OK, we were probably near each other.

I did not hit it.

The pacer ran by me at mile like 20 or so, the pace that I needed, and I was just like I.

51:45

I can't have.

Nothing.

Yeah, so I finished like 2 minutes too slow, sat in a puddle and cried, you know, turned it around like several months later from monumental so, but definitely a lot of failed attempts.

Yeah, that's that's hard.

I'm hoping.

52:01

Well, here's the deal with having young kids.

For me, I it's hard to to do a marathon.

So it's like, it's hard to imagine, like putting so much pressure on myself too.

Like, I don't know, I want it.

I also feel like on one hand, you're like, life is short, I need to get it now.

52:18

And then on the other hand, you're like, OK, like when your kids are older and you're older, why wouldn't you do it?

So it's like this weird.

I don't know.

We'll see.

It'll happen.

It'll happen.

At some point.

Yeah, I can be patient.

That's the deal.

So do you have a run coach?

Do you have anybody coach you?

52:34

I don't so far I've just been running on my own, but I, I feel like being part of CRC, there's so many really, really experienced runners in it that I have a lot of people to give advice and to like bounce ideas off of.

And I mean, we had one of our members every summer does what what she calls a summer of speed.

52:52

Yes, yeah.

Holly Reid, who's a super talented runner.

She's been on this podcast.

OK.

Oh, that's right.

I don't know the episode number.

Yeah, so I did her summer of speed.

And I mean, that honestly helped me a ton for the for my goal race because I would, I would do a lap or, you know, whatever interval we were doing and I would finish and she would be like, no, you can do it faster than that.

53:13

So that really helped me to get out of my head of like paces that scare me.

I can still do them and it's it's OK that it's scary.

So that helped me a lot, even just mindset wise in the race.

So yeah, I feel like I use, I use the clause so far for my for my quote UN quote coaching.

53:33

Not that that may not change in the future, but.

Yeah, well, it seems to work pretty.

Freaking so so good.

So I mean, no complaints there.

I'm just curious.

There's got to be there's yeah, there's more in your tank.

I hope so.

Yeah, yeah, I it's just taking a while, but slowly but surely, like with somebody pushing me and holding me accountable, I've, I've gained a lot of speed.

53:53

And yeah, I used to be, yeah, scared at the paces that I, that I can run now and I'll tell my coach I'll be like Rachel.

This plan for the race doesn't scare me enough.

I like that actually.

That's.

Perfect.

It was good for that.

For any monumental this year, I had such a big window to PR.

54:12

My PR previously was like 357 and I wasn't going to go for a Boston time.

So it was like, OK, well, somewhere between 3:57 and like whatever.

So yeah, I was definitely pleased with the sub 345.

54:27

I never in my like, never ever would have thought that I could do that.

No, that's amazing.

I was so pumped to see you because I knew you were gonna have an awesome day.

Thank you.

I'm so glad I did.

Yeah, it sucks.

You know, people don't have good days.

It happens all the time.

And like I said, I'm like, I get this one, you know?

54:44

One day, right?

One race.

So hopefully I'll be able to do a full next year.

I've been kind of on the every other year.

OK, Yeah.

Are you typically, I mean certainly it seems like it you do one per season or multiple per season.

Yeah, lately I have.

So I did four this year, one in the spring and three in the in the fall.

55:04

Yeah, it's just I won't always do that, but I like to, I like to generally do one in the fall in one this spring.

Like I said with with focusing on the indie mini I, I may not do one this spring, but no promises because something cool might pop up.

Yeah, no promises, and then you could do it for fun.

55:22

Right, exactly.

I love racing for fun.

That's, I think that's really helped me because I for a while I was feeling a little bit burnt out on racing and I started signing up for more races or even like signing up to pace and just getting to like enjoy it and take it in.

And that's helped me.

55:37

So that's why I always sat like what's my goal race and what's my for fun races?

I think that's such a good message to share.

Like run for fun.

Yeah, I always used to like every race I would do, I'd be racing.

And I had no idea that that was well, it was like dumb because your body just.

55:54

You can't recover, Yeah.

You can't do.

That well, and then I would be so upset when I didn't hit my times too.

And it would be, it would I wouldn't.

I felt like I wouldn't even enjoy the race.

And so again, that's like the multiple goals.

So I've even had races like Carmel this past year was a maybe goal race.

I was trained, but I just wasn't sure what time I could do.

56:14

And so again, like the multiple goals I started off at a for me at the time, like a crazy pace and I ran it for like 1718 miles and I was like, you know what, Like I don't feel like this is the day.

So I slowed down and like jogged it in and enjoyed it and like took it in.

56:30

It was not upset about it.

I still finished with like a good enough time.

It wasn't APR, but that was fine.

So I feel like I like the the idea that, you know, I can change goals part way through.

Yeah, I can still be completely happy with it.

I finished that one with a open can of Miller Lite.

56:46

I love that.

For the last like quarter mile, yeah.

So much, yeah.

Which, yeah, that was so fun.

So like, I had an awesome day that day, even though it ended up not being a goal race.

Yeah.

Will you drink?

Will you do like fireball shots in the middle of a race?

No.

No, I will not.

I have had somebody, like, hand me one before and I've been like, oh, thank you.

57:04

And like, put it in my pocket until the end.

Yeah.

There you go.

I don't trust my stomach.

Yeah, there you go.

So what do you fuel with?

Morton.

Morton OK, yeah, the fancy gels, yeah.

It's the benefit of working at a running stores.

They are expensive.

It's.

True.

Yeah, like just working there basically to like get your fuel.

57:20

But yeah, those, I feel like those are so good.

They sit really well in my stomach, like the goose.

Sometimes I feel queasy, which like part way through a marathon is not good.

So, yeah, the Mortons, those are awesome.

I was running, I ran Chicago this year as a for fun race.

And they had, you know, I carried all my Mortons with me because I like to take them on my own schedule.

57:40

But they had them on course.

They did.

They were passing out.

Yeah.

And those are expensive.

Yeah.

And so I was running by the tables and I was like, oh, yeah, sure.

No, I'll take like four.

Yeah, OK, give me another one.

So I finished the race with my pockets, like bulging with Mortons because I was just collecting them, like, OK, I'll use these next week.

57:58

Right.

That's.

So funny.

OK.

Yeah, I bet.

Well, I knew that they had Boston, that they do Boston at the Morton.

Yeah, I didn't realize Chicago.

Now I wanna say it's new because I don't remember them having those last year.

Yeah.

But I haven't done Chicago in a long time, since 2015.

OK, so I've been I put in my name for the lottery last year, and now I put it in again just to see.

58:16

I love that race so much.

I do.

Too, It was my PR in 2022 and then this year, I mean, I, I went in to do it super easy and I ended up still doing it at like a 328I think, which I was thrilled with.

Like that's still for like a pretty good time for me.

58:32

But it was so fun.

Like it's just the energy on the streets is amazing.

Like I think that's why I went faster than I was planning to because I didn't even really look at my watch very much.

I just was running on vibes.

Putting on vibes.

Plus my watch was so off from all the buildings, so I was like, whatever, like I'll just see what my legs feel like doing today.

58:50

But there were people on the entire course, like cheering for me.

I mean, you know, for other people too, but but you're just like, yeah, it feels like it's for you.

It feels really special.

Like it's super exciting.

I had friends out there that like came out to cheer for me, which was awesome.

And so I just felt good for pretty much the whole race.

59:08

Which is also really fun.

It was.

Yeah, it was fantastic.

I have, well, I shouldn't say I've yet to have that happen at full.

I feel like my first full at Monumental was in 22 when it was really windy and.

Horrible, I didn't realize it was your first full.

Well, my first at Monumental.

Oh, sorry.

59:23

OK, yes, so the first time I'd done the full there and of course it was like the worst weather.

That year was rough.

It was a little rough, it was.

Very thankful to only do the half.

I wasn't really going for like a fast time, I was going post baby #2 so I was like, I just want to prove that I can cover the distance.

59:39

Yeah, yeah.

And it was the first time I did a having a coach and I finished and I didn't feel like I was going to die, which was.

Great.

Yeah, Now it's probably because I wasn't like really race it this time.

It was like I was not going to leave anything in the tank.

Right.

That hurts.

Yeah, it does.

59:54

Yeah, but racing for fun doesn't always have to be miserable.

Yeah, it's super nice.

I have like a fun video of me finishing the the marathon I just did in Maine where like, I'm smiling.

Like I put my hands up at the end, like went and got my ice cream after work.

Ice cream.

I was kind of ice cream.

1:00:11

Caramel.

I think it was from like a local Creamery.

Did they have like little cups of it?

Oh good.

Yeah, I've never seen a race do that.

But that's amazing.

That's why I'm like need to know more.

Yeah, it was awesome.

I don't think I'd want ice cream at the end of Monumental.

It's too cold.

But this one was kind of warm.

I mean, not horribly warm enough for ice cream, but yeah.

1:00:28

So that one, it's like, oh, my God, I look, I'm smiling at that.

Like I look, I look great.

Like, you know, don't look like I broke a sweat.

I mean I did.

But Oh my God though.

But the big Cottonwood photos at the end, I mean, you know, I saw my other friends finisher photos and I'm like, you guys look so strong and I look at mine and I look like maybe my legs are broken and I'm like gasping for air.

1:00:49

I have every now and then I get exercised induced asthma and it's always when I don't want it.

And so like mile 25 of that race, it hit me and I had to pull my inhaler out.

And so like by the end of the race, it ends on an uphill, of course, if you remember, I don't.

I.

1:01:05

Don't really blocked that out and so I'm like going up this uphill and I'm like Oh my God I like can barely breathe like the finisher photo definitely captures that so it didn't purchase that one that's.

Funny.

Yeah, I wouldn't be there.

Wow, having to pull out your inhaler.

Yeah, it's always, I mean, actually this probably makes sense.

1:01:24

It's like always on my goal races.

But I'm sure that's when I'm exerting myself the most, of course.

So I feel like that's in a way almost a good sign because you're like, well, I'm pushing myself to my limit, right?

Yeah.

I now have this thing where all of a sudden I will dry heave at the finish.

1:01:39

But that's happened to me before just on a couple of races.

I feel like maybe only 5 case where I'm like really like dead sprinting it in.

I will feel like I need to throw up.

I knock on wood it.

Hasn't me either.

I haven't.

Actually threw up.

I haven't had to, like, put my head between my knees after a finish, Yeah.

Yeah, I've done that before now recently and I'm like.

1:01:58

Not like this, no.

I mean, thankfully I didn't actually puke, but it still does not feel good.

Yeah, yeah.

So at least I guess I'm like, well, I gave it everything I had.

Yeah, well, that actually too.

Like when I finished that Carmel Marathon with the Miller Lite, I ran in with it.

1:02:13

It was kind of just.

For show, Yeah, Yeah.

But I crossed the finish line.

I was like, I mean, I have to like, take a couple of sips, and that hit my stomach after running a marathon.

And I was like, absolutely not.

No, I had to sit down for a long time.

I remember in Chicago one year, I somebody had like Coors Light on the sidelines.

1:02:31

Yeah.

Was it a no, no, no, sorry, PBR, very distinct difference.

And I remember going running over to the side and like cracking it open and just like pouring it all over my face.

It was.

The best, which that's probably better than drinking it.

Yeah, I think I drank like some, but it was more just like, yeah, kind of for show.

1:02:49

It was before, like I don't know anybody really was going to capture that anyway.

So I like don't have any documentation which is sad but I have this like picture of it in my mind like you 2 the streets have no names playing and like pouring beer on.

My face, it's a moment.

It's.

Just like amazing.

1:03:04

Yeah, yeah, running it in with the Miller Lite.

I'm assuming you got that from the CRC.

Yeah, yeah, for sure.

I mean, I had said like, hey, you know, if I look like I'm trying to go for APR, then just, you know, cheer me on and go on with your day.

But if I look like I want a beer.

1:03:22

Yeah, do that instead.

Yeah, that's funny.

What else do you like to have?

Like if you have the club around, Like what do you like to eat during a marathon besides Morton?

Do you not because of your stomach?

Or I don't I I only do the Mortons, so I.

Caffeine or no caffeine?

1:03:37

Or both a mix.

I, I alternate so I've, I feel like I've done so many races now.

I'm so specific about like.

My pre and.

Pre enduring race routines.

So I have I have like a granola bar in the morning when I'm getting ready, usually a Cliff bar.

1:03:53

I do one caffeinated Morton at the start line before I start.

And then I do one generally every like 5 to 6 miles depending on feel.

And I usually have an extra 1 with me in case I'm needing a little extra boost at the end.

But that's all I'll do.

And then I do water on course.

1:04:08

I don't carry my own water.

Which is electrolytes on the course.

Depending on the day, if it's hot out I do, I'll grab like I like that monumental has noon, I'll grab that.

But otherwise, no.

I just do the Mortons in the water.

Yeah, I do salt tabs occasionally.

1:04:24

I'll bring those in my pocket if I need them.

Yeah, I got Sarah Farney from Fishers Running Club.

Gave me a salt tablet during mile like 1 1/2.

Yeah, they are super helpful.

I had a cramp for the first time.

In a race.

Oh that sucks.

Oh my God.

In the. 1st right away, first mile.

We got it out of the way.

Well, then it came back, but it went away again.

1:04:42

But it was just like, what is this?

Yeah.

So yeah, I and I had carb loaded.

I thought I had hydrated enough.

Like, clearly my body just didn't quite have enough.

Yeah, you just never know.

Yeah, yeah, I can't believe you only eat a granola bar in the morning.

I again, I don't know, I didn't even used to do that.

1:04:58

So I was at Chicago.

Well, I used to have a half a granola bar.

I was I was in Chicago last year in 2022 and I was walking to the race with my friend Gigi and she saw me eat this half a granola bar and she was like, no, you need to eat the other half.

And I was like, Oh no, no, I only ever do a half.

1:05:14

And she talked me into it and I had the whole granola bar and I PR D so thank you, Gigi.

I do have a whole granola bar now.

Wow.

So far I just it's not, I don't know, I just feel like my stomach, I already get super bad race nerves.

It's like no matter how many races I've done, I get awful race nerves.

1:05:31

My stomach hurts like I I feel like shaky.

Well, the nervous poops are the freaking worst because then you get to the bathroom.

Every 5 seconds I just feel like I'm careful with what I eat.

Maybe someday I'll be brave enough to have more than the granola bar, but I try to do like the high calorie ones at least, so hopefully it's enough.

1:05:50

And then the Morton at the start line, yeah.

Well, I've been clearly it works.

I mean, it's enough.

You're not passing out.

Yeah.

So yeah, I force feed myself a full either 2 pieces of toast or like a full bagel with peanut butter, honey, bananas and I don't wanna eat.

1:06:07

It yeah, No, I'm never.

I like force.

Feed myself and like you need this, yeah, but it's usually like enough in advance to where it's not like right before.

For sure, yeah, yeah.

But.

Wow, yeah, I don't do anything at the start line though.

Like I'll eat and that's it.

That's.

Been like a recent addition and it's mostly just because I, I mean, I notice right, how like after you take a gel or something, you I feel like I can tell like, OK, I'm getting a little bit more energy back in my legs.

1:06:32

Like, yeah.

So like, well, doesn't it hurt to take an extra as kind of a boost at the start of the race?

It doesn't.

It makes sense to me, yeah.

Yeah, well, and I, I'm normally a coffee drinker, but I don't drink coffee on race mornings like you said about the nervous poops.

I'm.

Right, you don't need the coffee.

Trying to add to that, yeah.

Wait till I'm older now so I have anyway we won't go into the issues but it's like I need the coffee and then.

1:06:52

Fair.

But yeah, that's what I'm like.

Well, I'll do the caffeinated more.

Yeah too.

It gives me a little bit of that caffeine that I'm used to.

I don't like the taste of the caffeine ones.

Oh no, I don't like the taste of any of them.

You don't, which I feel.

Like she kind of do OK, Tastes like kind of like marshmallows.

Yeah, like weird marshmallows.

1:07:08

Weird marshmallows like chemical marshmallows.

Yes, it's that.

So I feel like because I've had people like, Oh my God, you take those.

Those are gross.

I'm like, I'm not saying that I'm like looking forward to a little tree.

Like I just they, I know I'm not going to throw it back up.

So it's the one I'm going to take.

1:07:23

Yeah.

That makes yeah, that checks out right.

I've tried you can and I've only tried one flavor because it was so gross that I didn't want to try the other flavors.

I actually.

Still haven't tried that yet and I've had several people recommended.

I've heard that those are good for people that have stomach issues.

So knock on wood.

1:07:39

I've never had real stomach issues, so that's nice.

So I've been a goo girl like from the whenever I first start taking fuel and then I also I added in Maple syrup.

I do now.

Oh yeah, I've been seeing stuff about.

That yeah, there's a couple brands in the space.

1:07:55

Untapped is one.

And then Anderson's is what I use.

It's called Pure Fuel.

OK, And it's literally just, that's all it is, is Maple syrup.

That's so wild to me.

I feel like that's very.

Buddy.

And it's really good.

Yeah, it is very buddy bath and it's delicious.

I mean, it's like freaking just eating syrup.

Maybe I'll try that for like my Christmas ones.

1:08:12

Just for like, fun.

Yeah, Yeah, I know.

But it, you know, they've, they have the charts right where they show you like carbs, sugars, whatever.

And it's, you know, it's similar to what you would need or get in other jobs.

Makes sense.

So you're like, OK, yeah, why not?

So I alternate.

I have some syrup, some goose.

I usually do salted watermelon, salted caramel.

1:08:29

For OK because I like the salted ones aren't nice yeah I do wish Martin would come out with something salted yeah because then I wouldn't have to also carry salt out Although.

That would taste.

Oh God.

I mean, it would be gross, but it's already gross.

It's already gross or just like whatever.

Yeah, I'll occasionally eat a banana on course.

1:08:44

OK, I've never.

Tried eating I don't like food during I don't like.

Bananas, but I'll just.

Yeah, I mean, I'm sure it would help.

I was worried about cramping, you know, Yeah.

So, yeah, whatever.

Do you have other races besides the mini we've talked about in Boston?

You'll do.

Are you chasing the majors?

1:09:00

Do you have other like vacation trip ones that are like on the books or that you're eyeing in the coming years?

I would love to do the majors.

So I mean, that's I'm going to say that's another like eventual life goal.

But yeah, I, I do want to do all now.

Seven of them, which is wild but exciting.

1:09:15

Seven, I know.

Add that yeah, that they added Sydney.

I need to figure out how many are they going to add like.

I see, I don't know, because I feel like that does make it difficult because I'm only like starting the journey.

I only I have two stars right now.

So it's, you know, OK, I can change my goal from six to seven, but if I had already gotten all 6, I feel like I feel like, Oh my God, I was done.

1:09:35

Like now I have to do another.

So no, I have mixed opinions on it.

I am excited.

Like personally for me, that would be an awesome race to like hopefully someday get to go do.

But yeah, I am probably going to be annoyed if I finish all 7 and like hang my metal up or whatever.

And then they announce that there's two more.

Well, I would be a better I would I feel better about that because I would have completed the challenge, gotten my medal done.

1:09:55

But if you're like, if you have 5 and you look planning to do your six and then they announce Sydney and you're like.

Shoot, now I have to do 2.

Now I have to do.

Two, like I was just almost done.

Like, I don't know, but whatever.

I I don't know.

I like back and forth about the majors.

If I can somehow collect them over time, great, but I really just want to travel like the places I want to go and like, do that.

1:10:18

Like I just saw that Sarah Hall is running in Valencia.

Oh, that.

'D be so cool.

And I'm like, that'd be cool.

Or like, you know, run in Rome and eat a whole piece.

I can't.

I would be all my pizza.

Yeah, just like stuff like that.

But I don't know.

The majors are so freaking cool, too.

It's just so.

Hard.

I know.

I agree.

That's why I'm like, you know, who knows?

1:10:34

I would love to do them.

It's it's a it's a goal, but it's not something I'm like actively working towards right now.

I'm just going to kind of see what happens.

I feel like you're, you know, you're 30, Yeah, you don't have kids yet, but, you know, it's an easier time to to do that, too.

But also, yeah, you don't have to be in a rush.

1:10:51

Exactly.

And I love doing the vacation races too.

I mean, that's been a lot of what I've been doing this year and I don't have any on the books right now, but I'm positive that I'll find a few next year.

Yeah, and I will live vicariously through you as you go collect more.

And it's just one it's one of my favorite ways to see the country.

1:11:07

Yeah, I or the world, right?

Yeah, just running around, like getting a sense of where you are, right?

Yeah.

Vacation runs are the best runs.

Yes.

I need to do a race in Florida because I'm there enough now.

My parents are down there in the winter.

I'm like, I need to find a race in Florida.

Yeah, well, in the winter, it's the perfect time, right?

1:11:23

Although it's still like really hot.

I'm not great at the hot SO.

Nor am I.

You definitely have to be in the dead of winter down there for sure.

Yeah, you should come to Vegas in February.

That would be cool.

That one's fun.

That would be so fun for the Carmel Runners Club to do because it's just such a cool environment.

1:11:41

I have heard that one is so good and it's a pretty fast course.

Too, right.

There is not a hill or incline to speed up on that course because it's just like you're literally you run the end of the strip, you turn or you go to the airport, you run, turn around, go all the way through, like down through Old Vegas and turn around.

1:11:57

I'm trying to think if there's any incline at all is that.

I really don't think there is.

Is that the one that's like at night?

It is at night.

OK, so that's.

Wild to me.

I don't know.

I would totally try it.

I don't know how that would be.

I feel like I'm used to getting up, getting out of bed and racing.

Yeah, the first time well, and talk about for you have your like specific like routine.

1:12:15

I've become a creature of habit too.

And I it was hard.

I used it just for fun.

I tried racing the first time, it didn't go great because I think I just couldn't figure out how to fuel, like what to do.

I agree.

And, you know, you have the whole day in Vegas.

So like, my dad and I are playing crap.

1:12:31

So of course, OK, we should probably sit down for a while and then like, what do you eat for lunch?

You know, you don't want to eat too big of a meal, but you also want to be fueled enough.

And so it is tricky.

But you know, I think now I just go and like see what I can do and use it as a.

Fun.

I would totally do it for fun.

Because it would be, it's hard to figure out in the evening what to yeah, what to do.

1:12:51

And I always love running in my sunglasses.

I always wear sunglasses and so it's weird.

I'll wear them and then eventually we'll take them off and then I usually put them back on for the the finish line photos.

I always race in sunglasses but so my real glasses are gutters.

No, they're not.

Yeah.

And so like, because that's how I I bought a pair of gutters at.

1:13:11

Popped out the lenses.

I popped out the lenses, I brought them to Vision Works, and I was like, oh, I already have my frames, can you put my lenses in here?

And they did.

I love them, but it is.

I'm so used to having sunglasses on my face.

And so I wear these when I'm, when I'm working.

I usually, I wear contacts generally otherwise, but I have to stare at a screen, so it's nice.

1:13:31

It feels like I'm always wearing sunglasses.

So it's what I'm used to.

The only problem is I'm, you know, driving home or whatever and I go to like, oh, I need to see something or like, look at something and I lift my glasses up to my forehead and I'm like, no, those were my real glasses, not my sunglasses.

Put those back on.

1:13:46

Yeah.

I can't see.

Yeah, that's so funny.

I love that.

I do too.

That is so perfect.

I recommend they wear cheaper than normal glasses.

Too, Which is nice because lenses are nuts.

My kid, my 7 year old, wears glasses, so my husband and I don't.

Yeah, so I had no idea how expensive.

Right now, luckily like my insurance kicks in for him, but it was nice to just bring in like the gutter frames.

1:14:07

That's pretty.

Easy.

Well, you know, they're so comfortable.

Yeah, so it's great.

And if they if I break the frame, I can just pop the lenses into a different one that.

Is also a good point.

You are on to something.

There, I think so, yeah.

There's actually several of us in the club have them.

There's probably four or five of us that all have like gutter glasses.

1:14:23

That's so smart.

Which I think Gooder now actually makes them on their website.

I ordered them actually.

I personally started the trend.

I think Gooder copied it from me probably.

But I do think they have them where you can give them a prescription and they'll send you a prescription pair that.

Is wild.

That's so cool, it makes sense.

1:14:40

But yeah, so she raised to have a constant good or tan on my nose.

That's funny.

Yeah.

So you're like, now I can just always cover it up if I want, right?

Yeah.

Oh, my gosh.

Well, I can't wait to see what you do in the coming years.

I mean, thanks.

How are you going to celebrate?

Well, that's hold on.

We're going to ask that because it's a question at the end, so stand by.

1:14:59

OK, so I'm going to ask you the end of the podcast questions now.

Sure.

OK Favorite running song and or mantra?

Both SO my running song I've started every single race since high school with I got a feeling by Black Eyed Peas, which is like I love that.

1:15:16

Not even I didn't even like intentionally start that as a thing.

But that song came out my freshman year of high school.

I think like right before my freshman year and that B is like, it just matched my rhythm so well that I would start races with it.

1:15:31

I mean, not, you know, in high school cross country, you can start with headphones, but I would listen to it beforehand.

And then when I started doing Rd. races, I literally started every single road race with that song to the point that I have like a Pavlovian response to it.

And so I've been like out at a bar and that song has come on and I'll seriously like, I'll look at my watch and like my heart rate is up.

1:15:50

Like my body's like, OK, let's go, let's get ready.

Like.

That's so funny, I do love that song.

It's a good one.

It's a bop.

It is, yeah.

Gets the people going.

Yeah.

And then mantra.

Mantra lately has been basically just like you belong here at this pace, because I feel like especially when I started trying to go for Boston times I felt like, oh, I don't I don't look like all the other women who are doing this.

1:16:16

I don't feel like I deserve to run this pace.

I'm like faking it like but then I did it so I'm trying to just like Nope, you you belong at this pace.

You belong in this group.

You can run this and that has helped.

Yeah, it's, it's funny.

1:16:32

I do that to myself too.

I'm like, this is what it feels like to run with the fast people.

Yes, yeah.

Oh, I totally have that too.

And.

You're like, wait, I am doing this like, you know, and it's obviously all very relative.

Yeah, But like, for me, the fast people for me.

And you're like, wow, OK.

Yeah, And then I find out that my other fast friends seem to feel and say the same thing.

1:16:53

I'm like, OK, so we all feel like yeah.

Doing the same thing.

Yeah.

That's wild.

So I love that.

Yeah.

You belong here.

That's so cool.

OK.

And then next finish liner milestone obviously got again indie mini, but milestone, you got a huge milestone birthday.

So tell me, how are you going to celebrate turning 30?

1:17:10

I will run 30 miles.

So I run my age every year.

I started doing it when I was 26 because I had enough people joke to me about like O26, are you going to run a marathon?

And I was like, OK, sure, sure.

So that one I actually did.

My birthday is in December.

I actually did the 26th in February because I made sure that it was exactly when I was 26.2 so that it was a marathon.

1:17:30

That's I like that.

Yeah, thank you.

I was, that was a lot of fun.

But since then I was like, oh, I think I could do this every year.

So I've done it near my birthday every year.

So I'm going to do it on Friday, December 13th this year.

Friday the 13th.

Yeah, this should bring good luck.

1:17:47

Yeah, absolutely.

But yeah, I always, it's, it's been so much fun the last couple years.

I've done it.

I've kind of given myself like I've, I've kind of posted like, hey, I'll be at this place at this time and then I'll be at this place at this time.

And last year for 29 miles, I did not run a single mile by myself, which was so cool.

1:18:05

I had so many good friends show up to run, run a mile with me or run 20 miles with me or, you know, whatever the case may be.

It was so much fun.

So I'm looking forward to this year, whether I do it, you know, with people or partially alone or it's so fun because I don't, I don't look at the pace at all.

1:18:23

I mean, if somebody joins and wants to walk for a mile, I will walk for a mile.

Like I just do the 30 throughout the course of the day.

Yeah, that's so I'm excited.

That's amazing.

Yeah, 30.

So have you done an official Ultra?

I have not, so the age runs have been my longest runs.

1:18:41

I would like to though, yeah.

Yeah, I'm, I'm like kind of itching for that.

I keep saying that and then I run a marathon and I'm like, oh, that was so.

Hard yeah well, there's that Prairie on Fire backyard ultra every year and I've I've kind of done it ish the last couple of years, but it has always I've just always had a goal race too close to it.

1:19:01

So I mean this past year I was signed up and I was super pumped for it and it ended up that the Big Cottonwood Marathon I think was one week after.

So I was like, oh, there's no way that I so I mean, I went, I did I think 8 or 12 miles as just a taper.

1:19:18

But I'm itching to like try to do it for real.

So I'm hoping next year I'd love to go back and actually see how many laps I can do instead of having to like, Oh no, I have to make sure I don't overexert myself.

And for anybody who doesn't know, how does the Backyard Ultra work?

It is like 4.12 ish miles every hour on the hour and the race goes it's last man standing.

1:19:40

So the race goes until the 2nd till the second to last person drops out and you just have to complete the loop within the hour and be back at the start line for the next hour.

So it's a it's an interesting strategy because you can run it fast and give yourself like 20-30 minutes of rest time between or you can, you know, power walk it and finish it exactly in the hour.

1:20:05

I think people tend to do a mix of both.

It's nice because you then you know you can have time for like bathroom breaks and snacks.

But man, I mean, people do this throughout the night.

I mean, if you do it for 24 hours, it's 100 miles.

So that's where that four point, whatever distance comes from.

1:20:20

I don't anticipate that I will be doing that distance, but I'm super impressed by the people that do.

Same my God.

And so you always wear headphones too when you race.

Yeah, so the indie mini is going to be the first one where I can't.

Because.

You can't wear them in the elite field, so that's going to be super weird for me.

1:20:38

I always listen to music.

When I race, yeah, that will be.

Weird.

I'm hoping I'm just going to be like, so excited that I can just take it in.

And you're not out there that long.

Hopefully not it's.

Quotations just 1/2.

Yeah.

There you go.

Well, and in the indie they do a pretty good job.

There's a lot of bands and.

Yeah, I think so too.

1:20:54

I'll have plenty of distractions.

Yes, you will.

Well, thank you so much for doing this, Gabby.

I'm so glad I finally got to sit down and talk to you for a while too.

I feel like I always see you and I'm like, hey, Gabby.

Yeah, I know.

I'm always excited to see you, but we don't get to catch up much, so I'll count this.

Yes.

Absolutely.

All right.

Well, thank you everybody who has listened and happy running.

1:21:27

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