UltraVT Synchroblog: Why do you run?

What role does running play in your life?

Well… I can’t imagine life without running…

Running (or just being on a trail moving) IS life!

When did you start running and why? 

I started running when I was 13 after I quit doing ballet. I’d be doing ballet for 11 years and, after being told by my instructor that I would never be a professional ballerina (my life-long dream!) because my body was shapped wrong, I walked away. My mom had been running marathons for a while and was getting into trail running, so when I started going to public high school that fall for 10^th grade I joined the cross country team. I LOVED the days that we ran in Beaverdam Park – our local trail system – and especially LOVED the hills! The competitive side of cross country was kind of enjoyable, but I was still a little timid comparing myself to others, especially after 11 years of ballet. I just wanted to run on the trails forever, in the privacy of the woods, where no one was watching me. So that’s what I did.
But sometimes, I still love competing. :)

If you could only run one last run, where and with whom would it be and why? 

Hmmm…

I would want it to be someone breathtakingly beautiful. The John Muir Trail. Through the redwoods. Maybe along Big Sur. Across the Pyrenees, or the Andes, or Ireland, or Iceland. Somewhere absolutely gorgeous that’s I’ve never been before, because that’s why I trail run – so I can see more of the world, faster.  

I would like to do this “run” with my boyfriend Fletcher. We’d eat turkey sandwiches and take tons of pictures. It would be an awesome, multi-day adventure.

Which is better, trail running or road running?  Why? Groups or solo? Pick a side (for both) and defend it, or rather, advocate for it!

Hands down, trail running. It is so much more relaxing, both mentally and physically. The woods smell good. The trails are soft. You can hear birds and other wildlife enjoying the beautiful woods, just as you are. You can escape on a trail.

I haven’t run on the road since 1988.

I like to do about over half of my runs solo, and the rest with others. Solo runs are nice, especially on a hard day when you just want to escape and be alone to clear your head. I need my alone time! But group runs can be fun as well, especially when exploring a new trail or area where you don’t particularly want to be by yourself! Our team is always a fun time.