Finish Lines & Milestones: Episode 98: Christine Anderson - From Waffles to Workouts

March 7, 2025

Here's a link to listen to this week's episode.

Guest: Christine Anderson @organicpurefuel

Show Notes:

Christine Anderson and I met because she created my favorite running fuel, ⁠Organic Pure Fuel⁠. During this episode, sponsored by ⁠Anderson's Maple Syrup⁠, ⁠Previnex⁠, ⁠BITCHSTIX⁠, and ⁠Cure Hydration⁠ (pinch me), we talk about:

Her temperature limit for running outside
How I found Christine's product, ⁠Pure Fuel⁠
Growing up on a “sugar bush” in rural Wisconsin
Her family’s syrup business, ⁠Anderson’s Maple Syrup ⁠and how it’s nearly 100 years old
How she was an elementary school teacher for 25 years
The El Fernando Siesta Running Club (an entirely made up club with Christine and two of her college friends)
Running through McDonald’s (not the drive thru)
The device she would use to track her mileage in college
How her best friend, Elyse, got her into marathons
When that same friend, Elyse, ran the LA Marathon with active leukemia that had just come back after nearly five years
Life after losing her friend, Elyse, and saying “yes” to adventures she’d been considering like traveling with a band for a year playing the piano
Her time in Tokyo, Japan and running for mental health
Signing up for her first marathon with Team in Training for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society at the Twin Cities Marathon
Why she stays until the last finisher for every marathon
How her hope and dream before she dies is to run a marathon in all 50 states
Race stories from her 39 marathons: South Dakota, Alaska
Joining the family business, Anderson’s Maple Syrup, and launching ⁠Organic Pure Fuel⁠, maple syrup in a pouch for athletes
How she wants to love trail running but she’s a “chicken about falling”
The best post race experience she’s had at the Houston Marathon
How her parents are still living at age 96 and 90 and her dad still likes to work

This is a ⁠SandyBoy Productions⁠ Podcast.

Sponsor Details:

- ⁠Previnex⁠ - ALLY15 for 15% off your first order

- ⁠Organic Pure Fuel⁠ - FUEL20 for 20% off on their website

- ⁠BITCHSTIX⁠ -ALLYB for 20% off your order

-⁠ Cure Hydration ⁠- ALLYB for 20% off your first order

Episode Transcript:

This is a Sandy Boy Productions podcast.

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

I'm your host, Ally Brettnacher.

If you run, you are a runner, and every runner has a story.

0:16

Join me each.

Week as I share these stories and we cross finish lines and celebrate milestones together.

This episode is brought to you by new sponsor Prevan X.

They offer clinically effective supplements that promote longevity, performance and everyday health.

0:33

They are also a local Indiana company for everybody who listens.

That's local to the Carmel, IN area.

I've had the pleasure of meeting their founder, David in person a couple of times and now I use their products.

The one I want to tell you the most about is the Gut and Green Superfoods product.

0:48

It replaced a different one that I was using that we've all seen on Instagram, social media, everywhere, and it is a lot less expensive and higher quality when it comes to the ingredients.

So I have a huge fan of that.

I take it primarily for the natural energy it provides and the digestion benefits.

1:08

So I have been finding that I don't crave my coffee as much in the mornings now that I've kind of been on this routine.

Also, David, the founder, told me to mix it with their Nurify Plus vanilla powder, which is a vegan protein powder, and I was so skeptical of whether or not that would taste good.

1:24

And it does.

So it makes kind of like a tropical smoothie when you combine the two of those, which could be a great breakfast, and I've used it for that a few times.

I also use Muscle Health Plus after hard workouts to help with muscle recovery and build.

And I use their multivitamin probiotic Omega Pure Plus.

1:42

And you can give their products a try.

If you use Ali 15 at checkout, it'll give you 15% off of your first order.

So if you've been curious about greens, try the gut and green superfoods.

It tastes pretty good.

It is an apple like flavor, so almost like think like a sour beer.

2:00

And like I said, if you mix it with the protein powder, it's even better.

And I appreciate them so much for supporting this podcast.

Hello, and welcome to episode 98.

This is Allie.

And in the past weeks I've been going down this rabbit hole when it comes to this true crime documentary called Fox Hollow Murders Playground of a Serial Killer.

2:20

It's available on Disney and Hulu and it's a four part series about a local serial killer.

And this is local to Westfield, IN which is 5 miles from my house, this particular farm.

And it is also right off of the Monon Trail, which is a very heavily trafficked running trail in Indiana.

2:41

And it didn't exist when this crime spree took place in the early 90s.

But now you can run right by it.

And I have done that many times.

And there's even a Strava segment named after it.

And if you don't already follow me on Instagram where I've talked about this, you should Ally ALLYT, Brett.

3:00

Brett under score runs.

And you'll see I posted a video of when I ran by it.

It's so close.

It's wild to think that there are just human remains probably still there.

It is the largest collection of unidentified human remains in the United States, second only to 911.

3:18

I bet you didn't think you were going to hear about a serial killer right off the jump.

But there we have it.

Whether you're a local or not, go watch it's on Hulu, Disney Plus and report back.

It's crazy, just watch it.

Anyways, I am here to console anybody who did not get in to the New York City Marathon this year.

3:34

I have not been entering the lotteries for the major marathons for very long, so I don't really know how it feels to be rejected again and again and again.

But this week's guest, Christine Anderson knows, sadly.

I was hoping I would get to announce that she got in, but she was like many of you and did not.

3:50

If you haven't heard, it was 200,000 applicants and they only accepted 2 to 3% of those athletes.

So if you got in, congratulations and if you didn't, either run for charity, keep on trying, or come to Indianapolis for the Monumental Marathon, which is the weekend after New York.

4:07

It's on November 8th.

Super flat, super fast.

I know it's not the same, but you know, if you're looking for a fall marathon.

Anyways, I'm so excited to introduce you to Christine.

I tell Christine the story of how I first discovered the organic pure fuel product that she has.

The brains behind it is simply Maple syrup.

4:24

That's it.

Organic pure Maple syrup.

And I found it at an Erase Expo, started using it, and I still use it to this day.

And I'm so happy I got connected with Christine and got to hear the story of how she created it and what it was like actually being a part of a syrup family in Wisconsin.

4:43

So we talk a lot about that and her journey to becoming a marathoner.

And she is now chasing all 50 states.

And you're just really going to be inspired by Christine, who thought that she had nothing to share yet.

It was so fun talking to her and hearing all of her amazing stories.

5:00

So enjoy this conversation with Christine Anderson.

Oh, and of course, go try some organic pure fuel.

You can buy it on Amazon.

You're welcome.

Welcome.

Christine.

How are you?

I'm fine.

Thanks.

I'm so exciting.

I'm so excited.

This is going to be a blast.

5:17

OK, OK.

I promise.

So.

OK this morning it'll be good.

I have to tell you, I did my I did a treadmill workout 'cause it's cold here in Indy, but sure, it's colder where you are.

But I used my my pure fuel on my treadmill so.

I did not do any workout this morning.

5:37

I am doing it inside so I don't have a treadmill so I always run outside.

So there is no outdoor workout today.

Yeah.

What is the current temperature where you are?

Minus -15 Let me look exactly. -15.

5:53

Yeah -15 Now it's warm, it's -6.

Oh, getting up, Yeah.

So.

Yeah, I don't blame you.

I am.

I'm a fair weather runner because I have a treadmill.

I feel like if I didn't have one, I would go outside as long as I think it was above 0.

6:10

I feel like anything below 0 seems unnecessary, but.

That's my that's my limit is 0 usually but I will depending on the wind.

It's a little bit fluffy.

Yeah, yeah.

I got a bunch of gear.

6:25

I look great.

Yeah, my gears.

Are like that.

Ridiculous.

I yeah, same.

So absolutely ridiculous.

So I am really excited to get to know you.

I must tell our listeners the way that I found you, which is through pure fuel, through the Maple syrup that I use when I run.

6:44

I use it, I replace goo essentially with it.

And I found it in North Dakota at the Fargo Half Marathon.

Yeah, I don't, I couldn't tell you the names of the people that were there at the booth, but I just remember being like, oh, that's so interesting.

6:59

I never thought about syrup as a good fuel.

And then, yeah, I saw the chart and how it, you know, how the breakdown of carbs and etcetera relates to other types of fuel out there.

And I was just was like, OK, I'll give this a shot.

And it tastes like syrup.

7:16

So it's amazing.

So.

So good.

I always, I always say it's when you need it, it is surprisingly refreshing because you expect that it's going to be overly sweet and kind of thick because we're thinking about pancakes.

But it's it's it's like a refreshing blast of yeah, yeah.

7:34

I couldn't.

And it was probably me at Fargo.

Were you there?

No.

There was a guy.

It wasn't.

Well, that's my brother.

OK, yeah.

Well, then I, yeah, I talked to him briefly and I swear there was some.

Really tall.

Really tall guy.

Yeah, maybe he fit.

It doesn't matter anyway.

7:50

Yeah, it's it was such a great discovery.

So I bought a few packets then and then I have a business athlete bouquets and I wanted to start putting pure fuel in my bouquets.

And so I reached out on social media and that's.

How?

I got connected with Chad, who you work with, and yeah, now the rest is history.

8:07

Now I'm like, well, I've got to have you on the podcast so I can get to know you and the story behind Pure Fuel, which I love.

And so, yeah, but you are.

You grew up.

On what is called the sugarbush.

I've never heard that term.

Yeah, I kind of was wondering, yes, that's what it's called.

8:25

It's a sugarbush.

It's like the Australian out in the Bush, right?

So which is so funny.

So where?

Where is that?

Rural Wisconsin, so on the northwest side of the state, so we're halfway through, halfway between Saint Paul and Duluth.

8:43

If you draw a straight line, there's a little nose of Wisconsin that sticks in there, and I am the booger in the nose.

Booger in the nose.

That's so funny.

What a beautiful part of the country, I'm sure.

Yeah, it's lovely.

Yeah.

So what is it like there?

Are you on a oh gosh, geography?

8:59

Are you on a lake?

Are you close to a lake or you're?

We're close to lots of lakes because it's it's like Lake Country vacation area for people that live in the metro.

So there's a lot of woods, a lot of small lakes, a lot of really beautiful lakes and then rolling hills and used to be a lot of small dairy farms.

9:18

So kind of picturesque, smaller, you know, You know, dairy farms are changing, but yeah, so a lot of trees.

Yeah, I, well, I that's what I picture too.

And so you were born into the syrup business.

Yep, Yep, that is just.

9:35

Like, that's what a cool.

I mean, I just, I don't know really anything about making syrup about the business.

But you said in your e-mail that it's just about time to start harvesting.

So I guess just, yeah, tell people a little bit about that life and about syrup and like, where does it come from?

9:57

And I just want to learn a little more because I find it so interesting.

You know, it's so interesting how the place where you grew up and the stuff you grew up around, you think there is nothing special about it at all.

And then you leave home and you go to college and everybody's like, Oh my gosh, I've never heard of that.

10:14

That is so cool.

And you think it's just like, it's the water you swim in, right?

So, so Maple syrup comes from the SAP of a Maple tree.

It's made only from that's the only ingredient.

So it's vegan naturally.

So in the time between winter and spring, when the temperature is changing from super cold like it is right now to super warm.

10:40

So when the night gets below freezing and the day gets above like 40 to 40°, then the pressure and the atmosphere and the pressure in the tree changes and the SAP starts moving up and down to begin to feed the growth of the of the leaves, right?

10:57

So this time is it is when the SAP starts to move more.

It's always there, but it's moving now to bring the nutrients to the tree.

But the tree doesn't need it yet.

So it's like prep.

And so that's the time that you tap it, tap a little hole in the tree, about 5 sixteenths of an inch round.

11:17

And used to be metal spiles with a bucket and now it's mostly tubing, plastic spiles with tubing.

And you harvest the SAP and the SAP usually comes out, it's coming up from the roots.

So it comes out at about 2% sugar and through a variety of changing technology and boiling and heating and evaporating, that needs to be boiled down to 66.5% sugar.

11:44

So it's a 40 to one ratio typically.

So it takes a lot of SAP from the trees to make one gallon of syrup.

So it's just a lot of condensation, you know, condensing it.

Yeah, a variety of methods, but mostly.

12:00

Heat, OK.

And so is there just one hole per tree typically like there's just?

One, no.

OK, like it depends on the size of the tree.

OK, that makes sense.

So typically, because you don't want to hurt the tree, you know, this is a, the tree needs to be about 10 inches to 12 inches in circumference.

12:18

And so if it's a huge old tree, you could have 3 or 4 taps on that tree every 10 inches or 8 inches.

Yeah.

Wow.

And so then is there AI don't know what you would call it like it's a factory where you like then all the boiling and whatever needs to take place happens in a in a facility.

12:38

And is it all there in Wisconsin where you are for Anderson's or do you have multiple other places?

So our history is a little bit, we're coming up to almost 100 years in a few years here.

So my grandfather started it and when we started it, we did everything here, of course, 'cause we were just doing it.

12:55

He was just doing it for family and then started driving the van around and giving it to selling it at local mom and pop grocery stores and blah, blah, blah.

So all of it we were harvesting and cooking it in, in our syrup house is what we called it, you know, brick, brick, wood thing all fired by wood that we harvest from the woods to keep it healthy.

13:20

And then throughout the years, the decades, it's changed.

So there was a time that we could not make enough syrup with the trees that we had here.

So then we worked with local producers, farmers in the area that are making Maple syrup and we started buying their syrup each season and then processing that and distributing it.

13:43

And then Fast forward a bunch of decades, the 80s and 90s was our biggest or the 70s and 80s was the biggest production.

We had 17,000 taps and we were cooking all of that down and we still weren't able to make enough for our supply or our demand.

14:00

So we were buying.

So then after my brother and his, well before he was married, before he took over and we were not able to shut down the processing plant for those three to six months to make the syrup.

14:16

So we had to make a decision whether we're going to continue making it or just go to processing.

So we now rent out our property, our trees to a local producer and then we purchase from producers of in the Midwest.

14:32

So most of the syrup comes from the Midwest.

And then if there's not enough there, we go further up, further afield.

So we purchased from over 80 small family farms who make Maple syrup in our region.

14:49

And they're often there are a few that just make Maple syrup, but they're often farmers who in the spring before they can get in the field.

This is a a great extra crop.

And they will tell you it's the fastest way to lose money.

15:05

But because it, you know, it's, it's a lot of work and it's a lot of investment and then they don't always want to spend the time marketing that.

And so they can choose to sell it to us.

We, we don't.

15:21

It's like a Co-op, but we don't have an agreement.

So people, they choose where they're going to get their best price from, when they're going to sell their service.

And so, so your grandpa started it and then was your your dad in the business as well?

Yeah, I guess naturally.

15:37

And then do you have just one sibling, a brother, or do you have?

OK, yeah, so my brother and sister-in-law are now the owners and I work for them.

Wow, Yeah.

And you didn't always.

So I find this so interesting.

So.

So you went, you already referenced earlier going to college elsewhere, right?

15:54

Where people were like syrup.

What in the world?

And so where did you go to college, Christine?

So I went to Concordia College in Moorhead, MN.

OK.

Homo of the cobbers, you know.

Corn cob, you know.

Fierce, fierce, very scary corn cobs.

16:10

Yes, yeah, yeah.

So yeah, I went there for elementary education.

Yeah, and you were a teacher for 25 years?

Somewhere around there, yeah.

A variety of iterations of teaching, So yeah.

16:25

So all elementary.

Yeah, yeah.

Wow.

I mean, I just feel like saying thank you for your service is appropriate for teachers as well as like those who have served in the military because man, I have a first grader and I, she's my first foray into elementary, you know, school and, and it's just man, teachers do us quite a service and don't get paid for it at all.

16:50

So.

That's where I started was first graders.

Really.

Yeah.

They're great, They're awesome.

They're so great.

Yeah, so did you.

When you were growing up, were you into sports at all?

Like what was.

No.

Yeah, I mean, because how the heck did you end up getting into marathoning?

17:08

Right.

This is really weird because I was not I was not any good at anything.

So I in highs, I played a little, I played volleyball.

I loved it.

OK, Finally made it onto varsity as a senior because that's what happens when you're a senior.

17:24

Not because I was any good, because.

That's where you go.

Yeah, you have.

To be right.

In a small town, we didn't have a lot of options for other things.

So I didn't ever play track, play track, run track, and we didn't have cross country.

17:39

I didn't even know what cross country was.

I never heard of it.

So I was active like volleyball.

I played a little basketball, biked, ice skate, cross country, ski, that kind of thing.

But there wasn't really options around here at that time.

17:56

Now there is more, but at that time for other stuff.

And so when I got to college, my friend was a runner and she had been in cross country in high school.

And she's like, Oh yeah.

So I'm, oh, OK, I'll try it, right?

Because she's cool.

I want to be cool.

18:12

So.

So I ran a little bit with her and then we were just silly, just silly college kids.

And I ran with 333 of us and started the Al Fernando Siesta Running Club, which was the brainchild of my friend Elise.

18:33

And it because we ran at noon.

And I just got together with my other friend this weekend.

And I told her about this conversation coming up, and she just laughed.

She goes, Oh my gosh.

Do you remember we used to run through McDonald's?

I was like, yeah, we did what?

Like through the drive?

18:50

Through stupid.

No, no, no.

At noon, through the through, you know where people are standing there waiting to place their order Through in the through McDonald's in.

Like.

In college town, you know, it's a college town, they kind of expect college kids to do stupid stuff.

19:07

So yeah, because the one woman, she worked there, you know, was her part time job.

So we just decided we could run through there anyway.

Yeah, it was dumb, but that's what we did.

I love.

It.

So it was fun.

It was just a fun adventure.

Whatever and and then where?

19:23

Did El Fernando come so siesta means like it was like during the time people might be taking a nap, like at noon you'd run.

Where does El Fernando come in?

I don't know, I like the same thing honestly.

It's so cool.

That's just where it came from because I was talking to my friend Mel.

19:39

I'm like, where did that?

And she said I don't know.

Somebody made it up and we were just.

That's I think, I'm sure.

I'm sure it was Elise and we don't know.

Yeah, that's so.

That is so great.

So.

And wait, how, how big was your high school?

How many students would you guess?

40 in my.

Graduating class, OK.

19:55

So that puts that in perspective.

And then, and then you said Concordia, how, how large of a school?

It's, it's a small in the ELCA Lutheran tradition School.

So it's probably 20.

I don't know what it is now 2500.

20:11

I I don't know.

OK.

So like not huge, but big.

Obviously bigger than your high school.

Yeah.

Yeah, and running through McDonald's, I'm just picturing you.

I like picture almost like a dining hall, even though that's it was like just the best run, run through.

That's that's hilarious.

It was just yeah.

20:26

And we're yeah.

And, you know, cotton T-shirts and cherry class shorts or whatever, you know, totally.

Picture that.

Yeah, absolutely.

I I mean, yeah, when I started running, I remember wearing cotton.

That's what you did.

There was no performance apparel to speak of.

And so.

So during college, did you guys do any sort of races or were you just running around for fun during school?

20:47

Just running around for fun.

We actually, I think our senior year we did a triathlon where we each took a leg.

OK.

Oh, that's cool.

And that was, yeah, that was fun.

Which leg do you remember?

Which leg?

You I did yeah.

I was the bike yeah.

And I I missed the turn around because I was looking at a garage sale sign.

21:05

So I mean, like I said, we were just kind of dumb and loving life and trying to soak as much out of life is.

Good best did you have So aside from running through McDonald's on campus, did you like where would you would you run?

21:22

Would you be like, OK, we're going to run for like an hour or we're going to you had a, did you have a mile route that you would do or was it always different?

I really, I really don't remember that there, there we, the campus isn't very far from a park and the river in Fargo, Moorhead.

21:39

And so I remember biking along the river a lot and I, we, we would go and run down by the river and I, but I don't remember, it wasn't long, you know, like 3 miles at the most.

It wasn't long distances or anything.

21:55

Well, it's so interesting to think.

About like life before Strava and like watches and like, you know, I can't.

I don't go for a run without knowing exactly how far or where I'm going, you know?

Yeah.

And we had one of those clickers.

So when you run, it would bounce up and down and that and you had to measure your pit, your stride and plug it in to two foot stride, 3 foot stride.

22:17

You put that on the little box and then it would click.

So clearly if you're bouncing up and down at a stop sign, you're getting more mild.

Yeah, right.

Yeah.

Not, not like the ones now.

Yeah.

So wait, where?

Where would you put that on your shoe?

On your no on your waistband.

22:35

Interesting.

How would it click like?

So it's there's something in there so that when you do a strike on the ground, it would.

Bounce and then.

Yeah.

And then because you could actually hear it going, like if you could shake it and you could hear it anyway, that's old school.

22:52

I'd never heard of that, Christine.

That's.

That is old.

That's how old.

That's how old not.

Trying to call you old.

I'm just saying I feel like I would at least have heard about that.

I mean, I've parents who run, you know, have run, you know, that's wild.

How cool.

And so then after college, you and your friend Elise.

23:09

Did Mel also move to LA or just you and Elise?

Just the two.

Well, and a third, but a different person.

Yeah.

So just Elise and I adventure.

Yeah, it.

Sounds.

Like so we applied for places that were sounded awesome.

23:25

So we applied somewhere in Alaska, we applied in LA and we applied to somewhere in Colorado.

Yeah.

Wow.

Yep.

And and we landed in LA and it was just the best thing.

I mean, it was just the best place to begin a teaching career when you're young.

23:43

The staff was super supportive and there were about four or five of us that were new on staff 'cause they were kind of expanding, adding a grade level here, you know, here and there.

And so we were the newbies.

23:58

They called us and we could support one another.

And then they kind of the experienced teachers all supported, you know, all coached us along.

So it was really, I don't think it could have been a better step from college to to the real world.

24:14

You know, it was just a very.

Supported.

Step.

That's really cool.

Especially with such a great friend.

And so did you guys, did you live together and then you ended up at the same school?

Yeah, we applied at the same school and we both got hired.

At the same school.

Thinking about that to me seems pretty crazy that that was able to happen.

24:32

And it is, Yeah, it is.

And yeah.

And then, and that's when I was more introduced to like, the running culture, 'cause I, you know, this other thing was just our goofiness.

And then when we landed there, there was a couple people on staff who had done marathons, which was way outside of my realm of thinking at that point in my life, but it wasn't outside of Elise's realm.

24:58

And so she had kind of wanted to.

That was a goal in her life.

And so I ran a little bit and she was the real runner, right?

So we just kind of went along.

And then I did a 5K, which was like, huh.

Oh, this is like, like a lot of people in Griffith Park running A5 Ki just didn't, you know, like, anyway, yeah.

25:20

So that was fun.

And then she actually did make her goal to run the LA Marathon toward the end of our first year out there.

So that was that was awesome.

And we would we did the chase, you know, the chase.

And she was kind of slow.

25:36

So they were like, they're out of oranges.

Can you give me some oranges?

So then, yeah, I mean, it was just.

So an LA Marathon is during the school year, wouldn't it be?

Yeah, it was in April, I believe.

March or April.

Yeah, my memories.

25:53

So, yeah.

And she, so we didn't realize she had been kind of getting sick.

And so we knew.

We didn't know.

No, but after the fact, then she went to the doctor 'cause she knew she had relapsed to leukemia.

So she had had leukemia in high school and then.

26:09

High school.

Jeez.

Yeah.

And so she she was almost to the five year anniversary, which is when you're considered cured and then she relapsed.

So that was rough.

And that we kind of all knew because there was little signs of things that her training was a lot harder than it should have been.

26:27

And the race was a lot harder than it should have been.

But but then when she was in the hospital, my friend and I made a, my friend, I didn't do this.

My friend made a big poster to put over her bed that said ran the LA Marathon and whatever her time was with active leukemia.

26:43

How about you?

Yeah.

Exactly.

I mean the idea of that really is mind, it is mind blowing.

Like what kinds of symptoms do you remember, what kind of symptoms she was dealing with?

There was.

Pain in her joints, There were a lot of pain in her joints and then like a, a cold sore that wouldn't heal.

27:01

So it was like the immune system and the, the, the joint pain was the biggest that was in impacting her training.

And then energy, right?

You just don't have energy, so you're lethargic.

Yeah.

I mean, 'cause it's your blood, it's your blood supply, so.

27:18

Right.

Yeah.

Wow.

I mean, the fact that she did that is.

Right, right.

Mind blowing.

Kind of a remarkable young woman.

So yeah, in general.

Yeah, yeah.

Not to let that stop her then.

So this was obviously such a hard time for you watching your friend, who sounds to me more like a sister, frankly, because you spent, you know, college and your first adult years in the real world together.

27:45

Right, right.

So, so tell us about, you know, helping her through her illness and what that looks.

Like, yeah, well, well, that was looking back, it went fast.

We didn't, I didn't feel that way at the time.

So she got sick in the spring and stayed in LA for a little bit and then we were finally able to get her able to come back to her doctors in Minnesota, the same place where she was treated in high school.

28:12

So we were able to petition.

We, I didn't do that.

She and another friend and her family did that.

So it wasn't just me.

I mean, there was a community of people that were super involved and hanging out, but I so I went once school was over.

28:30

So another good friend came out and transferred her to Minnesota and and stayed with her until school was over.

And then I came back home.

And so then, then I was running every morning before going to the hospital just because it was like AI don't know a routine that was like normal or, you know, I had been running.

28:54

I I don't remember how regularly I ran in LA, but I know that summer it was a regular four mile run around the lake every day.

And it became more important, I believe then.

And then, yeah, that was rough, having to go back to school and she was still in the hospital and it wasn't going well.

29:14

And then so she passed away in the fall of that next school.

Year Oh yeah so that same so.

Yeah, yeah.

And so.

Yeah.

And then what was hard was some of those kids she had, she taught kindergarten and then I taught first grade.

29:30

So some of those kids were in my room and they would come and say, oh, I miss Miss Bo.

And I was like, Oh my gosh, yeah.

So yeah.

Yeah.

So yeah, that was a big but yeah, it.

But like I said, it wasn't.

29:45

There was a whole crew of us that were in this together and we were young.

We were 23, so we 23.

It was like our whole world.

It was our whole world.

So that's young.

Yeah, And I just imagine how much.

So I lost my best friend from college to cancer as well.

30:06

And she was 33.

And I just, I mean, it just changes a lot about how you think about life and your own mortality.

And like getting 23 and then having to explain to kids, like how that works.

It's that's just, it's tough.

30:22

And so when she ran that LA Marathon, you did not run that with her.

You supported her through that.

Correct.

Right.

OK.

And then.

But you ended up then running a marathon and now a lot of marathons.

Right.

After that.

So how did you end up?

30:38

How did you end up?

Doing that, yeah, that's a good question.

I, I, I know it's a lot of the things that I've done are inspired by Elise and our adventures together at that time.

30:55

And so a lot of the reason that I've done things that I've done is because we always said yes and, and why not to things that presented themselves.

And so I, I feel like that's maybe the biggest impact that all of that experience has had on my life.

31:17

Even though my natural, I'm a little more cautious.

So I have to work to to say why not?

But so, yeah.

So after Elise passed away, you know, my life is kind of you chunk up your life before this event and then after this event, then then those big events, right.

31:35

And so after Elise passed away, I did some things purposefully that I had had on my list in my head that, oh, maybe I want to do that.

Oh, OK.

So I, I did some adventures, took some adventures that I had kind of been dreaming about.

31:50

And one of them was doing this, joining this group that travels around for a year.

So I was in this band that travels for a year.

It's a Christian music organization, so I play the piano.

So I played the keys.

And we traveled up and down the East Coast for a year.

32:08

And running became really important there.

Because you're in a van with seven people.

Yeah.

Every day so and I was in a new place every day.

So it was fun to be able to explore where I was.

And you know, because we did evening events and then we would drive to the next location, set up, do the evening event, stay with host families.

32:30

So then I could run from the host family's home and then we'd meet back up, practice, pack up, go to the next event, you know, do our event, whatever it was, stay with the host family.

So it was this is, this is.

So it was also healthier because of when you're staying with host families and you're being fed by churches, you don't have a lot of control.

32:52

What you're.

Yeah, what you're eating.

Yeah.

Or of your schedule.

So I don't know if the running was a way for me to ground myself a little bit.

Yeah.

So that was that was that was that year.

That's crazy.

33:07

And then?

Before we move on from that Christine was that, what kind of events were those?

Was it all through the church?

So you would play like at a church for a church event?

Yeah, most of it were youth.

It was youth events.

So like, that's cool.

Lock insurance on the weekends or once in a while, like we would do like a community event.

33:24

They just wanted some music.

Yeah, it was a variety.

Whatever, whoever invited us to come organized it.

So it might be a church on a Wednesday night that had invited youth groups from all the neighboring churches, or it might be we did vacation Bible school in the summer.

33:40

We did concerts for like a fundraiser event, some sort of community service event.

That's so.

Cool.

So like Christian music or would you just play like that's?

That's yeah.

I mean, we did some covers, but most of it was they were all covers of Christian artists but and camp songs, you know, like the the whatever to get people involved, that kind of stuff.

34:04

And that's really and whatever, do you get paid to do that?

No, no, I mean, we got a stipend like for, I don't remember what it was, but no, because we were, it was a lot of grace because we were taken care of by whoever invited us.

34:22

Yeah, that's.

So interesting.

And then the organization paid for the gas, you know, so.

What a cool year to say.

Yesterday it was, it was a cool year.

It was it was a fun and the relationships and connections across, you know, are are really cool.

34:42

Yeah.

Did anyone else in the band run or were you the one were?

You.

No, I ran.

I I ran by myself.

OK, Yeah, Yeah.

So I got lost more than once, but I bet I can't.

Only on that.

One yeah, nobody else ran.

34:57

There was a Yeah So yeah.

And then I came back and I was in Appleton, WI and I met some awesome runners there who were just, you know, that was just a incidental blip.

And then I got married and I moved down to Texas and I met another fantastic runner there.

35:17

She had two kids and we just, it was so much fun to run with her every day.

And then I came back to Minnesota and worked at this school with some of fantastic community, and that's when I decided to join.

35:33

No, no, that's not it.

No, I came back to Minnesota.

Yeah.

And, and met a couple other runners and then we went to Tokyo, Japan and then I ran some there for mental health and then.

What brought what did you do while you're in Tokyo?

35:49

My husband at the time, we were both serving in the capacity, we were called missionaries.

And I hesitate to use that term because it has all these connotations of we're preaching that, yeah, that doesn't match with what we were doing.

36:07

So we were through the Lutheran Church, there is a short term, 3 year program where you go and do whatever they assign you to do in their in their church there.

So we were assigned, I was assigned to teach English at a university dormitory for young women.

36:25

And then he was at college, like a union, like a campus ministry kind of thing.

And then we did a variety of other things.

So one of the most fun things I did there was I was invited by one of the women to come and teach English at her daughter's school, which was a downshogako, which is a school for kids with Down syndrome.

36:52

So it was so much fun.

So I did this and I also taught for kids.

So I taught kids from 2 to 80.

Wow.

So the same things I did with the little preschoolers.

I often revamped a little bit for the the Down syndrome school, and it was just so much fun.

37:11

I even got to go on a camping trip with them and that was a hoot.

Yeah, I could only.

Imagine how fun that.

Would Yeah, it was, it was, it was really fun.

So that was one of my I came back a little bit early because there was a big crisis in my life and that was not fun.

37:29

So yeah, I came back a little bit early or than the contract.

There was some.

My husband at the time had some.

I don't even know how much detail to go into because you.

Say whatever you tell us, whatever you're comfortable sharing.

Yeah, it was, it was difficult.

37:47

And I, I just couldn't stay anymore.

And he, he stayed for a little while and then he was asked to leave.

So it was pretty significant stuff.

So then I came back and spent some time in counselling and that was good.

38:06

That was how long you been.

Six years.

OK, five years.

And did you have any children?

No.

OK.

No it didn't.

Somewhat of a blessing.

That was good.

Sounds like that was good.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

That was so gosh, I'm sorry you went.

38:23

Through so that was.

Gosh, after.

Well, thank you, but.

Already a hard time that you went through at a yellow beach and then going through that.

So that's the other, you know, before and after Japan, right?

So there's the before and after, Yeah.

So that's the other thing.

Yeah.

38:38

So but then I came back and I found my way back to the same school that I had been teaching at before we left and connected up with a great running community.

And then I decided that I wanted to run a marathon.

38:55

I was like, I wonder if I can do that.

And I had been running a lot and putting a lot of miles on and a lot of it, I think, because I was angry and hurt.

I, I ran a lot at that point.

And then I thought, hey, I think maybe I can do this.

39:11

And I decided to join team and training for the Leukemia Society.

So I ran with because of Elise's experience and kind of trying to reground and running was hugely important when I came back from Japan.

I guess that's really what I'm trying to say, because I was not in a good place with myself.

39:33

I didn't trust myself to make good decisions.

I didn't trust myself or I think that I could do the things that I maybe thought I could do before.

So I was, I just had lost confidence.

39:49

So running was a way to be be angry and let it be.

Let me just be angry.

And then it was a way to make plans.

Like, I would not listen to music on purpose and I still don't.

40:05

Sometimes I do, but I, I, I don't listen to a lot of music.

Sometimes I especially at the time right after coming back from Japan, I would think about a topic, like something I needed to make a decision about or something that had been rolling around in my head.

40:24

And I've used that time then to think through that.

So sometimes it was Lesson plan.

But yeah, so I didn't.

I used it as a thinking contemplation.

Time maybe is the better word.

Yeah.

So.

40:40

Yeah.

Well, and you mentioned running for mental health just when you were in Tokyo anyway, and then coming back, obviously to help heal somewhat.

I mean, I don't know how you fully heal from something like what you went through, but, you know, being able to get out that anger.

40:58

And So what?

What was the marathon that you signed up for to be your first?

Marathon.

Twin Cities Marathon.

OK.

Because, you know, that's where I lived, and I had been cheering it, you know, I'd seen it a bunch of times.

And yeah, it's the most beautiful urban marathon.

41:15

I have not.

I have not done it.

I would.

It's on my list.

It's on my radar for sure as a great.

Race.

Yeah, it's it's really lovely.

Yeah, I love it.

So you went from having done a 5K at one point to going to the marathon distance?

Was there any like half marathons to speak of or?

41:32

Yeah, I did AI did a few, I can't remember exactly, but I did in my training and I think I had done a few before that, but I don't.

I had done a 10 mile.

I know I had done a 10 mile race years before, but but training with team in training kind of was amazing too, because there's a coach, there's like a plan, there's like tips on shoes, like I had, you know, nutrition.

42:00

There was all of that because I, I mean, I had even like, I didn't think you're supposed to stop like.

Right.

I mean.

Like at the water stops, I'm like, how am I going to drink water and keep going?

So I, I, I know a lot of people do, but I, I still, I walk through the water stop.

42:16

That's just how I am.

But because I'm not that coordinated, but I, it was such a foreign, it was such a foreign idea to me.

And then I finished it and I felt so great.

OK, here's here's an epiphany that happened during my first marathon.

I'm just running along and maybe the final four or three miles, somewhere on the opposite side of the road, there's all these people in pig masks.

42:44

And they're like, yeah, you can do it.

I'm like, Oh my gosh, It just hit me like a ton of bricks that all of these people are out here on the side of the road.

They don't know any of us.

Like, they maybe know one person, but they're cheering for all of us.

43:01

And I'm like, that is Grace.

This whole event is like strangers cheering on strangers because they want the best for that other person.

And I just was like, Oh my gosh, this is like, this is how life should be.

We are all supposed to be out here cheering each other on, wanting the best for the other person because everybody's working hard at whatever it is.

43:24

I just, yeah, yeah.

So that's why when I go cheer for a marathon, I stay out there till the last.

Yeah, right, because you're like every single person in this race matters as much as the first and yeah, yeah, I, I love spectating races as well.

43:39

Well, I also feel like it's a way to give back to to people who have cheered me on, you know, so in that first marathon, your Twin Cities you ran in in 2000 and. 5 Is that right?

I think so.

I've I've been trying to figure out if it's 5 or 6 but yeah.

43:56

So about, I mean 20 years ago now. 20 years ago.

And yeah, so and team in training and So what did that look like with team in training?

You mentioned the coach and stuff like that, but did you raise money like in fundraise like people do now?

Is it similar type of?

Yeah, OK.

44:11

Yeah, I don't.

So it's right.

And it's the fundraising arm for the Leukemia and Non Hodgkins Lymphoma Society.

And at that time it was kind of bigger events.

Now they're they've, they've focused a little bit and they do just a very few events.

44:28

And so we were required to raise a certain amount of money.

And then we met with a group and ran a couple times a week, longer runs on the weekends.

And then also, every meeting we had a team.

What's the word?

44:43

I can't remember it was, I can't remember what it's called, but some sort of moment where someone in the circle would share a story about why they're there, why they're running for the Leukemia Society.

Yeah.

That's.

Cool.

And so that was really inspirational as well to hear all the variety of things that people have gone through and and the support that people showed because everybody's life has been touched by cancer in some point, some way.

45:07

And the research that Leukemia Society does recently has been to help people tolerate the chemo.

So it's not necessarily developing new chemo, but it's to help patients tolerate and then also to provide support for families that are going through treatment.

45:26

So, yeah, so it was a great experience and it hooked me up with a bunch of amazing human beings.

Right, Yeah.

And what age would you have been at this point?

About 38 or 37, so not young.

45:42

I mean, that's.

Right.

That's pretty old to start running marathons.

See, now you're calling me old 'cause I'm 38.

I'm just.

Kidding.

It's all relative.

But you've been you've been running for a while.

Yeah.

Somehow.

And yeah, so that is later in life to start running marathons, especially given the number of marathons you now have under your belt, which is amazing.

46:05

So you're cuz you're going after all 50 states.

Yeah, that's my hope and dream before I die, yeah.

So when?

OK, So what?

At what point were you like, OK, why don't I just do all the states?

That was only recently.

OK, so like I, I did a few events with team in training and my friends like, Hey, you qualified for Boston.

46:25

I'm like, oh awesome, OK, so I'll run Boston.

And then, so I did some other things and then I, I, I think it was around the time I moved back home.

So in 2016 ish, I started looking and I have friends that have done all 50 states, right.

46:45

And so I'm like, oh, I wonder if I could do that.

I started counting up my States and I was like, hey, I have, I have like almost 10 already.

So yeah, that's how it started.

And it's a great way.

It's a great way to see the country and.

Yeah, and because I have met all these crazy people, I have met people who have done over 200 marathons.

47:04

I've met.

I have friends who are into the ultras.

You know, I've heard some of your interviews with people you're.

Like, wow.

Yeah.

So I'm like, yeah, I am not a big runner.

I I realize where I fall.

47:20

It's so funny to say.

That isn't it.

Like considering you've done, how many is it What, 30?

839 I think I've 39, so I've gone 28 States and 39 marathons.

Not much of a runner compared.

47:36

There's always somebody who's crazier.

This is what I've learned very clearly because it's like, and when I'm in this world of like just talking to a bunch of runners, it makes you feel you're like, well, I've only done 8 marathons, that's nothing.

But then you talk to normal people who don't run and they're like, you've done what now?

47:53

And you're like, OK, I guess it is kind of special.

You know, it is pretty hard to run 26.2 miles.

So yeah.

OK.

So which I would love to hear some stories from some of the races that you've done, like some of your favourites that might stand out places that you've you've been.

48:12

Yeah, so I think the Twin Cities is going to be my favorite just because of the, you know, the amount of support.

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OK.

So which I would love to hear some stories from some of the races that you've done like some of your favorites that might stand out places that you've you've been.

51:39

Yeah, so I think the Twin Cities is going to be my favorite just because of the, you know, the amount of support.

But recently there's been a lot of highlights.

My favorite that I keep coming back to is Spearfish Canyon.

It it's leading ladies.

51:54

And I ran it in 2020.

So I ran it.

It was one of the only ones that was still being held during the pandemic in in person.

And it was, you know, they say it's downhill and I never believed that, right.

So we drove, we drove the course the night before and it's just, it's, it's in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

52:17

OK, Spearfish.

Spearfish.

Canyon is north of the Black Hills, and it's just stunning.

And you know how when you drive in the mountains and you don't know if you're going up or down and you have to look out the back window to see what you're doing?

So it felt like that and then I, I still didn't believe it.

52:36

I'm like, this isn't downhill, this is uphill.

And so the, the day of the marathon, I was in disbelief the whole time.

My significant other, he's, he's my partner on the roller coaster of life.

He's driving along the course and I'm like, it's still downhill.

52:54

It's still downhill.

It was so beautiful and I, like I said, maybe I was just thrilled to be outside running during the pandemic with other human beings, but it was it was really fun.

And so it was downhill, the whole thing.

It was downhill.

53:10

Yep, that's pretty cool.

Yep.

Yeah.

Yeah, it was.

And it was just beautiful, 'cause it's a Canyon and the Jack Pines and the the mountain formations and there was just always something cool to look at.

Not a lot of spectators, but it was just beautiful.

Well, I think picture picturing South Dakota, people are like, well, what's what is even in South Dakota?

53:29

People are like, there's nothing there, right?

Mount Rushmore, that's about it, Right.

And so of course, I wouldn't picture a ton of spectators.

Yeah, I've only been there as a kid, not as an adult.

Yeah.

But I think it's really cool to do the 50 states thing so you can see like all these beautiful parts of the country that you had no idea even existed.

53:48

It's like, wow, that's pretty cool.

Yeah, yeah.

I've done one downhill race I did in Salt Lake City where they bus you up to the top and you run down.

And it was, I was worried it was going to really hurt.

My life it.

Was so fun.

I only I only in quotes.

54:03

I did the half versus the marathon.

I had some friends do the marathon and so it was my fastest half until last year.

I finally.

Took that.

PR 'cause I was like, well it was before kids and down a mountain, how in the hell am I ever going to run faster than that And finally did but.

54:19

Congratulations, that's awesome.

Thank you.

Thank.

You That's a big deal.

It felt like it was, it felt like such a big deal 'cause it was a lot of hard work that went into that, that's for sure.

Have you been to Indiana yet, Christine?

No Indiana's on my list and I see you're from Carmel and I haven't done that.

54:39

OK, well, I'm going to get you to come here, that's for sure.

So yeah, Carmel is amazing in April.

Yeah.

And then we also have the Monumental Marathon in November.

Right in November.

Super flat and we just were rated like the number one like net, I forget like all the stipulations for it, but like people BQ at our course is what we like.

54:58

You know, people come.

To I've been looking, I've been looking at the monumental for a couple of years now, so.

It's good.

It's now you're going to come, you're going to come that it's great.

It's.

That's probably the one to do or Caramel is also a fantastic event as well.

55:16

Yeah.

Which is right where I I am a little bit more rolling, a little bit more rolling hills, but nothing crazy to speak of at all.

OK.

Yeah.

So.

OK.

And so have you done like Alaska, Hawaii?

What, what other?

What other?

Ones so I did Alaska, yeah, I did Alaska so with my running club.

55:34

So when I did team in training, my coach at that time started a running club outside of team in training.

And so I joined and the club is so awesome it's just I, I like the community, right?

I like being able to run with people and that's what I miss now that I've moved home, I don't have anybody to run with on the regular.

55:55

So there's a few people in that club that are also trying to do the 50 states.

So some of us have traveled to oh, that's awesome multiple places together.

So it helps with housing and what whatnot.

So five of us from the club went or four of us from the club went up to Alaska a few years ago and that was really, really fun.

56:16

It was not the mayor's one in May.

It was in August, I believe, because I taught at a year round school, so I had to choose my races around our breaks.

So I think it was in August.

It was.

Yeah, it was great.

Loved it.

Loved.

It.

56:32

Yeah, yeah.

So 9 weeks on, four weeks off.

So for the kids.

Right.

Teachers are a little more, but I feel like that.

Would be pretty nice for the kids because everybody starts getting a little cranky with each other then you have a break.

Yep.

And it's not so long that they forget how to do school like your first grader.

56:53

Yeah.

Right.

Would be able to remember the routines, yeah, When they come back, whereas over the whole summer they kind of forget.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

What school is so?

Yeah, yeah, that's so interesting.

Yeah.

Anyway, yeah, there's a whole lot we can talk about with school and how school.

57:09

With school, right?

Makes sense and doesn't make sense and you're just like, okay, guess this is how we do this, huh?

And you're like, who made this up?

I have no idea, but I.

Don't know, right?

Yeah.

All right, So I'm trying to get to the point where then pure fuel comes into play because that's what 2016, so almost 10 years ago.

57:26

So when did you that was 2018, sorry.

So you joined the family business at some?

Point in 20. 16 yeah, 2016 And did you always think you'd end up as part of the family business?

Like how did that happen?

57:42

No, I didn't always think that.

So my brother had been asking a few years before that, you know, hey, I'm going to need somebody to do XYZ with.

You know, I'm kind of joking.

And I'm like, yeah, that's a long commute because I'm living two hours away.

Yeah.

You know, so we were kind of, you know, it was a joke.

58:00

And then in 2016 ish, he said I need somebody to help us get this certification for food safety.

We are doing all of the things, but we need document and procedures because if business is by pure Maple syrup as an ingredient, they need a different level of certification to use in their thing.

58:24

And so there's a global standard that is easily accepted by bakeries and other other places, but it requires a lot of work and you need somebody dedicated on the staff to do that.

58:40

So he asked if I'd be interested in doing that.

And I at the time I was feeling a little burnt out from.

Teaching.

I can only imagine.

Yeah.

So I thought, well, is now the time, you know, there was a bunch of things going on.

So I just, yeah, I just decided, OK, why not?

58:59

We'll we'll see what happens.

Yeah.

Wow.

So I took a leave for I didn't resign.

I took a five year leave.

It was in because I've been there long enough.

It's in your contract.

You can you can do that and still go back if you choose.

So I, you know, no benefits or anything.

59:16

So I stayed here for five years and decided that yeah, I'll stay on.

So I resigned from there.

And so I, I have been here since 2016 and honestly, I had not used pure Maple syrup as a fuel until that point.

I had used other things because it just didn't think.

59:35

I just didn't think about it.

And then in around that time, there's there's a lot of research in the nutrition about what is existing in pure Maple syrup by the University of Vermont and Doctor Navendra Suram.

And he had been documenting all this stuff.

59:52

And I'm like, huh, that's like the same stuff that is in the other gels that I'm using, right.

And so I started putting in a baggie in a little zip lock baggie.

And then I would bite off, bite off the edge and corner first.

1:00:09

I tried to drink it and that didn't work.

But yeah, I'd bite off the edge and suck it.

Yeah.

It was a mess.

Yeah, I bet.

But that's when I'm like, Oh my gosh, that is surprisingly, again, that's surprisingly refreshing.

1:00:25

So yeah.

And so then he's like, I didn't know what, you know, if we should do this or not.

And and Stevens, like, yeah, yeah, let's try it.

So that's where we're at.

We're still trying it.

Yeah.

And I've gotten a lot.

I mean, we've gotten a lot of feedback from people because of the natural element and we don't add anything.

1:00:48

And so it's got all of this nutrition in there naturally and it people with stomach issue, you know, they say they can digest it better.

Yeah.

So now that's all I use.

I do mix it up.

I don't, I don't do just like on a in a marathon, yes, I get tired of it.

1:01:05

So I don't just do that.

I add in my other.

I usually carry three pure pure pure fuels and then one of something else 'cause I get hungry so I gotta have my chia seeds.

Oh, right, OK, so there's a spoiler.

1:01:20

I can picture what that might be.

But I, I do the same thing actually, because I find that mentally it just helps me to to have something different, right?

Like trading off and like looking forward to just that little change.

But yeah, I primarily do use pure fuel 'cause it's like you said, it's who would have ever thought that like Maple syrup would be something that it would be good during a run?

1:01:42

I mean, I just, and then I started doing it.

I'm like, this makes perfect sense.

And it's easy to get down.

Like you said.

I think people do like if you picture the very like not natural Maple syrup that's, you know, you picture it being like thick and, you know, not satisfying.

1:01:58

And it's just like, no, this is like it's super liquid.

It's super easy to take and it's great.

Yeah.

And you could also, like you said, you can use it on anything else.

So if you want to travel with Maple syrup you like, you can put it on your pancakes or people put syrup in coffee, Christine.

Yeah.

Oh, yeah.

We did not know that.

1:02:13

Yeah.

And tea.

I've got an e-mail last week from this person who's like, I put it in my tea all the time and they love it.

I put it in my oatmeal.

Yeah.

On your grapefruit.

Grapefruit.

Yeah.

OK.

Yeah, yeah, I mean, I could.

1:02:29

It's just so interesting.

So yeah.

The possibilities are they.

Really are but of course, like it's a small piece of your of Anderson's, you know, the Maple syrup business, which you can find, which people can find in like any grocery store.

I mean, their local grocery store all over the country carries Anderson's.

1:02:48

And so now it's just a matter of getting the word out about pure fuel, 'cause I feel like more people should be using it and more people are becoming more and more conscious too.

I think of what they're putting in their body, which I think also lends itself really well to the organic and vegan and just the natural side of of what you offer.

1:03:07

Right, right.

And people because it comes from the woods.

The woods is also really like a climate forward.

It's, it's so I've been, I've been tracking our carbon footprint, right.

And so when we think about the amount of carbon we use in our facility to package and compare it with the carbon that's absorbed by our woods, because we're not cutting these trees down, we're maintaining them.

1:03:34

They're old growth forests, they're not planted.

So there's a carbon absorption that goes on in a well maintained hardwood forest.

That is also when people buy Anderson's Maple syrup, they are contributing to maintaining those old growth forests.

1:03:52

So that's another element that I think is really important that people don't think about.

Yeah.

That's really cool.

Have you ever run in the woods?

That's a loaded question.

You probably have, I mean, but have you done that was a dumb question.

Have you done trail stuff or all your marathons typically like Rd. marathons?

1:04:10

I I want to love trail.

I need to.

I'm fine.

I do and I have, I have run on trails, but I'm a chicken about falling.

1:04:26

And so and because I'm old lady, I am even more of a chicken about falling.

But I live not far from the Ice Age trail here in Wisconsin, which is quite well maintained and underutilized.

So I have run on that a few times because it's like I said, it's well maintained.

1:04:44

Some places are not super technical but I've done a couple trail runs at the Berkey and and it's fun.

It feels so different than a road run it does.

Yeah, it feels a little different.

Mm.

Hmm.

Mm hmm.

So I enjoy that once in a while, but but all my racing recently has been Rd. racing because now I have this goal.

1:05:07

So I'm like, yeah, I gotta focus on that for a little bit.

So how many will you run more than one marathon a year then?

Or how?

How?

What's your planning?

Yeah, like.

Well, I'm not good at planning, but I I would like to do 4A year.

1:05:25

Last year I just got three and this year I'm hoping May, maybe I'll do more than four.

I did a couple back to backs, like not back to backs, but like a month in between.

And I think that if I can get trained up for the first one, then I can do two or three months in a row.

1:05:45

Yeah.

That makes sense.

Like use that training block and all that effort to just knock some of them out.

Mm hmm.

So one of my goals in the coming year is to be more consistent because I tend to like.

I tend to not be consistent after a race I like.

1:06:07

My last race I did pretty well staying consistent, but then it got to sub zero weather and I kind of fell off again.

So then I'm trying to do more strength training when I can't get outside and that's that's really helpful.

Especially as I get older, I need to do more strength training and weight bearing stuff to support my running.

1:06:32

Yeah, a good friend of mine said at one point she's probably 10 years older than me.

She said I used to run to be in shape.

Now I get in shape to run.

Oh yeah, that's that's pretty funny, really.

I mean, I mean, it's, I think it's pretty insightful actually, because she said this, you know, as she's getting older, it just changes the way you, yeah, think about your training.

1:06:56

Right.

Yeah.

I feel like it's so hard to start over when you, when you have to come back and you know, after having my second kid, that first marathon, after that it's like, OK, now I'm back.

And so I just kind of, I would say I maintain a level of fitness where I can go run 1/2 marathon.

1:07:14

That's kind of where I stay.

And then really, every other year I've done a full yeah.

Now that I'm in this world more, I find that I really want to do more marathons.

But also, you know, having a family and young kids makes that a little trickier.

The time is the time is hard.

1:07:31

Yep, it takes a lot of time.

Takes a lot of time.

So yeah, OK, I'm so excited.

You haven't done Indiana, but you've done Boston.

Have you done Chicago or are you interested in the in chasing the majors?

Yeah, that, that is something I hadn't thought about either until recently when another friend of mine who you should have on your podcast.

1:07:48

Is amazing.

Sign me up.

He is doing the majors.

But I did Chicago and that's where I had my PRI.

Loved it.

I loved Chicago.

Yeah, it was awesome.

Yeah.

But I had APR there, so that's probably.

Part of it that helps, yeah.

1:08:03

What is your marathon PR, Christine?

33254 I'm so excited about that yeah.

And I was yeah, yeah, as.

You should be that is speaking.

I was very happy with that.

Well, it's not speedy compared to you know.

1:08:20

There's always me.

It's right.

There's always somebody.

I mean.

Unless.

You're the.

Greatest in the world, there's always somebody faster and I.

Find right.

That people will be like, oh, I don't really.

I'm not really impressive as a runner because I don't run this fast.

I'm like everybody, It's all relative.

If you run, then you are a runner.

1:08:37

Yeah, yeah, it'd be really cool for you to be able to go back.

Well, maybe not Tokyo, at least the beauty out of that part of the world.

Yeah, and I have gone back.

I did go back.

I did take a trip.

I did take a trip back because I needed to reclaim, you know, put my stake there and be like, because it was awesome.

1:08:54

It was a fabulous experience.

And, you know, and I'm grateful my marriage was.

I'm grateful for all of that, too.

So even though it was difficult, I can see the good.

There's a lot of things I miss about that little adventure.

So yeah, I bet.

Well.

I I've never been to Japan and in watching people I know go run the Tokyo Marathon and I'm thinking of my friend Jennifer Connor in particular.

1:09:17

She just got her 6th star there the last year of the year before and the stuff she did while she was there was just so incredible.

I'm like I need to add that on the list but add that to my like just long list of all the all the things going.

Right, you want to do.

1:09:33

Yeah.

Yeah, exactly.

Which races did you do last year and then which ones are you eyeing for this year?

So I did Maine Coast Marathon in May which was beautiful.

I was hurt and so that was not fun.

1:09:50

However, dry needling saved my butt.

Like, literally.

Say it was literally.

Yeah, literally.

You're not.

You're not So.

But it was.

It was.

I'm just pleased that I finished.

And then I just did Carlsbad.

1:10:08

That's right.

That was in 2025.

Yeah.

And that was so much fun.

And then let's see what else did.

Carlsbad is just north of San Diego.

OK, OK, nice.

That it was beautiful right out on the right on the water, like, and, and it was multiple out and backs, like 3 different turnarounds. 5 different turnarounds actually.

1:10:27

But it, and I thought I was going to hate it, but because I went with a group, I went with like 20 people from my running club and most of them were running the half we got to see.

You could see each other.

That's kind of fun.

And that was really fun, yeah.

I don't know that I would.

1:10:45

I feel like I would feel the same way going into it.

Like, not sure I would love it, but as long as you're mentally know that that's gonna be happening, you can kind of wrap your grounded, I guess, yeah.

And didn't feel because it started early, it didn't feel the same because the sun was at such different levels as you went to the second time it it didn't feel as as bad as it.

1:11:11

And because I was watching, you know, and then you see the half marathon.

When you're like, go by and then that.

Yeah, Yeah.

So it kind of and it was well supported.

Yeah.

What else did I do last year, Houston?

Was that last year?

Yeah, OK.

So at the start of Houston last year, I've heard great things at the beginning race.

1:11:30

I just want to say it was, it was great.

It was really the the race was good, the the support was good.

It was really cold.

I heard it was really cold this year too.

OK.

Yeah.

But it was the snow, I think.

It's supposed snow there.

That was when it was.

1:11:46

Like this year.

I think right after the race it's OK, maybe.

But it's still yeah, I do remember last year.

But the route was great.

I enjoyed it but the post race stuff was the best I've ever experienced in my life.

1:12:03

OK.

Tell me more.

Tell me more about that, because for Indy, we're trying to figure out how to make ours the best ever.

OK, well, this is what So they started in the Convention Center.

You didn't start there, but you met inside.

So there's lots of room, which was nice because it was really cold.

1:12:20

I mean, on any other day it might not matter.

And then when you finish, the finish line funnels you right into the Convention Center again.

So the finish line's outside, you get funneled in and you go through your, the normal stuff.

And it was, I looked for the massage tent, right?

1:12:38

I thought, oh, I'll take advantage of all this.

And usually there's a line and I make my call depending on how sore I am and how long the line is.

There was no line and there was like 200 students on tables from local colleges.

1:12:56

And so we just walked right in and got your nice long massage.

And then then there were private changing rooms so you could pick up your drop bag and go and change, like actually change in.

1:13:11

And it was just the curtains, you know, from a convention.

Yeah, you know, and they just had them set up in blacks.

And I thought it was like for elite runners or something.

There was a guy there, you know, I'm like, can I go in there?

And he's like, oh, yeah, totally.

So I went in there and changed my.

And then HEB had a spread.

1:13:28

They had like a buffet, which, whatever, I don't always feel like eating a whole ton of stuff, but it was the changing rooms and the massage that really made it.

And then a ton of porta.

Bodies yeah so in the fact that it's inside like we find, you know our race in November can be cold, right and so yeah, getting people to stick around the post race stuff if it's cold, I'm like OK, we need more like can we put heaters out there?

1:13:50

Can we like you know I think we're gonna upgrade our heat sheet type situation to more of like a jacket type thing, which would be nice nice to get people warmer.

I would love to have like something warm like hot chocolate or chicken broth or something at the at the finish line just to warm.

1:14:07

So yeah.

I love the chicken broth idea.

Twin Cities Marathon has that warm chicken broth and it's so good because that's in October.

And even if it's warm, because it has, it's the salt in there that's.

All I want.

Just give me all the salt when I'm done.

Yeah, yeah.

1:14:23

So we'll.

See.

Yeah, what?

What other memorable things from like what you've eaten or experienced post race?

I thought I'm so hungry right now, like my stomach.

You can't hear it, but it's growling.

I don't what did I Rehoboth Beach DE was really fun.

1:14:45

They had a really fun dance party.

Afterwards, you know.

Tent again, it was cold but they had a really fun tent dance party which was a riot, and they had a buffet outside too, but the food wasn't as memorable as the dance.

Party Picture myself trying to dance after running a full marathon and it would be pretty pathetic.

1:15:05

Oh, it was, it was, but it's hilarious.

I mean.

We're just, we're just all bouncing.

It's great, just like moving a little bit.

Yeah, Yep, Yep.

It helps.

It helps with your recovery, I think.

Yeah, I'm trying to remember.

Any others?

Charleston had grits, cheese grits afterwards which I did not feel like eating, so that's not.

1:15:26

I love.

That's not their fault.

Yeah.

I don't know.

After a marathon.

Have you ever had pancakes after a marathon?

Tying it back to syrup.

Yes, actually, yeah, they had pancakes a couple of places.

So at Rehoboth Beach they had pancakes and Aroboth.

1:15:42

I'm not sure I'm pronouncing that right.

But I don't know.

Yeah.

So at Carmel, we have pancakes.

With the finish line, well, you might need some Anderson.

'S we might, yeah.

I was just thinking that I should probably introduce you to them.

So yeah, I'll write that down because that would be a good, I mean, why not perfect.

1:16:02

Yeah.

I have not eaten the pancakes post race, but I've also just not just I've done the half and I've done the 10K at Carmel and so I've not done the full there.

And after half marathon I eat some but not as much as I would potentially eat after, you know, running a full.

1:16:19

So, yeah, yeah.

And it just depends on how you're feeling, you know, Usually I'm wanting the salt, yes.

And I don't really.

Pancakes don't sound great.

Right, because I'm kind.

Of dry sweet I want, yeah.

I want salty, yeah, or the combination, but is fine.

But I want a picture if I've ever had something like a combo.

1:16:38

Not really.

It's either you're eating the chocolate chip cookie or you're eating the potato chips.

Like and I'm going potato chips, right.

Yeah.

That and the chocolate milk man.

I live for the chocolate milk, Christine like, and our team knows this because I'm like, hey, one year for some reason we didn't get the sponsorship where it was for all the runners, it was only for marathoners and I did the half.

1:17:02

Marathon.

And you better believe they heard about that for me because I was like.

Exactly no.

No, that does not work right, especially when I.

Basically see.

Thinking about that, I've been dreaming about this.

Yeah.

So.

But there you are.

Milk is also a natural.

1:17:19

Right, exactly.

Way to replenish Yep.

And yeah, again, it's we, our bodies know what is natural and right, kind of crave that stuff.

So yeah, yeah, couldn't.

Agree.

I'm so glad that I found pure fuel and really like kind of by an accident at an accident, right so.

1:17:38

Yeah, that's good.

That's good to know.

Yep, right.

Well, and now that people have heard this, they can go get some and you guys sell on Amazon primarily, correct?

Yes.

Yeah, Yep.

And then our website as well.

So Anderson's organicpurefuel.com is the organic or Anderson's Maple syrup?

1:17:58

Well, I feel like once people know that they can find it on Amazon, it's like, OK, easy enough.

I am guilty.

Of.

Buying too many things on Amazon like a lot of people are so but I love the idea too of supporting a family owned business that's 100 years old.

So are you, do you have ownership then too, Christine, as part of being part of the family or?

1:18:19

How does that work?

I'm on no, We're a corporation, so I'm on the board.

OK.

OK, but I don't have any.

It's not a share, you know, we're not holding shares or anything.

So my father, my mom and dad are both living and so your.

Mom and Dad, that's amazing.

1:18:36

And we we 96 and 90.

And so we feel very fortunate to have both of them.

Yeah.

And Dad still comes out and works.

It's getting a little less.

I shouldn't say that out loud.

If he hears this, he'll be upset.

1:18:51

But it's getting a little less.

He's getting a little more tired.

But he still comes out and helps, like, works.

He doesn't just sit around.

He comes out and works when he's out here.

So.

Wow.

Yeah.

That's like not heavy, not light stuff like moving barrels that are does that.

1:19:11

Drive your mom nuts.

So because no, my mom has more issues.

So she's not she's got memory stuff.

So she.

Well, yeah.

That's it.

Used to drive it.

Used to drive her nuts, Yeah.

But now she now she does.

So I guess that's, yeah, not a blessing because I've dealt with my grandma having that same issue and it's not fun.

1:19:32

But right, some little things, I suppose, are helpful.

Like she doesn't have to know that your, your dad is out there rolling barrels around.

Gosh.

Right.

Exactly so.

Yeah.

Wow.

That's amazing.

That's really amazing.

Yeah.

Oh my gosh.

1:19:47

Well, I can't wait to get you to come to Indy and we can meet, meet in person or like somewhere else together.

I'm, I'm heading this week to Vegas for the Rock'n'roll Half Marathon, which I'm really excited about.

So with my dad.

That's fun.

Yeah.

Oh, that's awesome.

1:20:03

Good luck.

Yeah.

Thank you.

Are you very excited?

About it, I'm so excited and my coach keeps asking me, So what are we doing?

What are you doing there?

I'm like, I, I don't really know.

Give me a plan that's challenging and I'll go for it.

But not not going to aim for APR in Vegas.

It is very flat, but it's at night, which makes it kind of weird when it comes to fueling.

1:20:24

Yeah, Yeah, that is different, isn't that?

But you talk about turn around.

It does.

It goes out and back, which is kind of fun because then I'll look for my dad when I'm.

On the way.

Back, yeah.

So it's kind of.

Perfect, Yeah.

And they have the weird is too.

It's on the strip.

It like runs.

It is on the strip.

1:20:40

It's wild.

So it's like the only they close the strip twice a year and this is one of the times that they close.

This, my gosh.

And so, yeah, that sounds so fabulous.

It's pretty cool.

It's a different experience for sure.

And the people watching is great.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

1:20:56

I went there a few years ago and just went for a run and I said I went pass the Eiffel Tower over the London Bridge to the stratosphere and.

Back yeah there you go well running there really sucks because you're basically just running upstairs because you're like got to get to anywhere you just have to like yeah it's kind of funny but but a very cool place to be so yeah and.

1:21:20

That'll be really fun.

It'll be really fun.

So I'm going to ask you, Christine, the end of the podcast questions because I want to hear more about what you're planning for this year too.

The first question is what is your favorite running song and or mantra?

1:21:36

I know you said you didn't really listen to music when you run, but if there's a song that gets you pumped up.

Yeah, I have a few.

I have a running playlist that I use when I need, when I need some stuff.

It's got a huge variety of stuff on it, but I'm trying to think what I didn't.

1:21:54

I thought, oh, I don't really have one song that really pumps me up.

I can't.

That's OK, you don't have to narrow it down.

I can't think of one right now, but I was.

But my mantra that I keep thinking about is forward is a pace.

1:22:11

I love that one isn't.

That true?

Because when you're tired, you just.

It shouldn't be this hard.

Well, it is today, so yeah.

It is right now, Just keep.

Moving.

Yeah, just go, just keep over.

1:22:27

So that's kind of my and you and the other one I say a lot is you have to start somewhere.

So because I'm not real consistent, like we said earlier, I get discouraged sometimes when I have to start over.

Yeah, so you have to start somewhere.

And then next finish line or milestone, obviously you're tackling 50 states at some point.

1:22:49

So what?

What is next for you?

Well, the next for sure race is May in Boise, ID.

OK, it's the famous potato.

I don't think it's not real big, but it's put on by the YMCA out.

There potatoes is immediately what I think of when I think of Idaho, obviously.

1:23:08

And so right do they serve them at the end when we were talking about finish?

Line.

I don't know that.

'D be interesting I don't know some mashed potatoes with like salty yeah yeah OK we'll we'll.

See, I'll see.

I'll let you know.

Yeah.

So that's my next one.

1:23:24

And then I've been looking after that again, kind of like what we were saying months, the next couple of months and I haven't made my choice yet.

One that I would like to do eventually is the Hatfield McCoy is that.

Georgia.

It's Kentucky and West Virginia, Kentucky, so you can choose which state you want to use it for.

1:23:43

But it's the hat, the famous Hatfield and McCoy feud.

But it's really hard and it's really hilly and it's really hot.

So.

So why do you want to?

I'm not.

Yeah.

Because.

Because it's a happy old McCoy.

1:24:01

Yeah, exactly.

Because it's really hard.

It's really hard that's.

High.

I run marathons Hello.

Yeah, but they just got hit pretty bad with the rainstorms, so I don't know if that's in the.

Works for this year or not, but gotcha.

1:24:17

So I've been looking out for June and July races and, and a few of them have been coming up that I've been looking at for a couple of years.

So I just need to.

So my goal is really to get stronger and consistent before my May rate marathon and then I'll see kind.

1:24:35

Of where that I can do after that.

Yeah, good.

Well, Indy, the invite is open in Indy, so that would be amazing.

Thank you.

And what was I just going to ask you?

Oh, I was going to ask you if you have a state you're saving for last.

I was going to save Hawaii for last because.

1:24:51

A lot of people do that, I hear, yeah.

And now I'm on the fence about that just because another person in our running club is going to do his 50th there.

So far.

This coming December, I believe so I thought.

Oh well, if it's a club trip.

1:25:08

Yeah, right.

Yeah, that's tough, cuz then you're like, well, I want to go with my friends.

Yeah.

And go celebrate.

That'd be really fun, right?

Yeah.

So that that was my original thought was saving that for last, but we'll see.

The other one that I'm really trying to get into is the New York City.

1:25:25

Yeah, that's hard to get in.

So.

Yeah, I'm glad I did it when I I did it in 2018, but I did when I did because I just think, yeah, it's hard to get into.

I I ran for charity though, and that, you know, that helps.

That's always an option.

1:25:41

I think that that could be the way to do.

It yeah, yeah, I'm going to keep going in for the lottery for a few years and then see what if I did to do that charity.

It's like, does anybody get in?

How do people get in?

I don't understand exactly.

Yeah, you know you can.

1:25:57

I, I didn't know this.

You can time qualify.

Yeah.

And I didn't realize that that was a first come first serve.

So a couple years ago I time qualified and then I applied, you know, I tried to get in, but it was after that window has closed.

1:26:14

So OK, that's a possibility if I can get my time down a little bit.

So that's that's what what?

Would you have to run to time?

Qualify for my age.

I think it's only four O 9 or 410, so it's not so far.

1:26:30

Yeah, very cool.

Well, I'm cheering for you.

I'm so glad we had a chance to meet and now I know you.

Yeah.

Yeah, how cool.

I love this community so much and I appreciate you taking the time to to share everything that you have.

Well, thank you for being interested.

1:26:48

I appreciate it, Courtney.

You kidding?

It's crazy.

So fun.

I love it.

Yeah, well, and.

Thank you to everybody who has has listened, of course and and happy running.

If you enjoyed this Sandy Boy Productions podcast, please go share rate review.

1:27:04

Special thanks again to all of my sponsors.

It's so weird to have sponsors and I love it so much.

Again, Prevan X Ali 15 ALL Y-15 for 15% off your first order.

You can use code fuel 20 if you go to andersonsmaplesyrup.com shop and pure fuel or again, buy them on Amazon.

1:27:23

Then we have Bitch Sticks where you can get 20% off your first order with Ali BALLYB.

And last but not least, Cure Cure hydration.

You can go to cure.com/ali B and use code Ali B for 20% off your first order there.

1:27:39

Thank you so much to everybody who listens and supports this podcast.

I appreciate you so so.

Much.

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