1. How long have you been running and why did you start running? I started running when I was 12 after two bad gymnastics falls that led to me switching sports. In middle school, I tried all the sports after having to quit gymnastics – and after winning my first race in the 800m by over 100m and breaking the school record, I was hooked. Now I have been running for 28 years, and the passion is just as strong today as it was then!
2. How long have you been part of TRL, and what drew you to the club in the first place? I have been a part of TRL officially since December 2021, though I ran on TRL for Hood to Coast in August of 2021. The camaraderie and fun group of people to meet up with and travel with drew me to the club. And now that I am a masters, racing at the USA XC Championships was extra special with a team!
3. What do you do when you’re not running (job, family, school…whatever it is you’d use to introduce yourself outside of running)? I am a strength and correctional exercise coach as well as owner of Recharge Sport in Bend, Oregon. I am passionate about the outdoors and helping people get and stay injury free so they can do big adventures and stay active for life (as well as run FAST)! I also have a cute kitty and love epic fantasy novels.
4. What’s your favorite distance/type of run (5K, half-marathon, marathon, ultras, relays, track, trail, etc.)? Still the 5k, but by best event is the marathon and 50k distances. And increasing unfortunately!
5. Where is your favorite place to run in the greater Portland area? I love Forest Park (esp Wildwood trail when not too sloppy) for my easy and longer trail days, and Sauvie Island for hard and long road runs.
6. What’s your most memorable running experience (or experiences)? Hmmm, sooooo many! I have a fun one when I ran this huge 1500m in Europe when I was younger. I was a 5000m specialist at the time, and I was running this 1500m shortly after arriving in Europe. I had a big 5000m Diamond League a few days later, and I was entered in this 1500m as a blow out race after traveling and to work some speed before the 5000m. It was 100 plus degrees, and as we were warming up I found out the pace. The rabbit was going to pace at 62’s per 400m! I just stared to laugh and wondered if I should be in this race. It was actually freeing to just let go of any performance goals and just focus on doing whatever I could – esp knowing I would probably be in last place from the beginning! And I totally was on lap one, coming through in 66. But I held pace and was the most relaxed I had been racing since I had no expectations on me. And I started to move up each lap as others faded from the hot pace. I swear I was kicking in like crazy, passing people left and right the last 300m! I almost passed 2nd the last 100m in an epic battle! I ended up running 4:09 in exactly even 400m splits, and placing third and making the podium. It still reminds me that special things can happen when you let go of expectation, relax, and follow your own race plan! I went on to build from this race, to win the big 5000m race in Heusden, Belgium in 15:20 – ahead of a recent American Olympian and Olympic Trials winner in a epic kick! Positive momentum and confidence are very good things in racing – so remember small steps make big steps over time!
7. What’s the best running advice you’ve ever received? “Think of the 20 mile mark as the real half way in a marathon.” Seriously, remember that one!
8. Tell us one fun fact, hidden talent, or something we don’t know about you, but should? I have an advanced degree in Mathematics – I love numbers. Wish I could be better at figuring out splits – simple math is harder for me!