Sunday, October 18th, 2020
Marathon #165... 165 marathons and ultra marathons in only 5 years, 18 of those are 100+ mile runs!!!
(Some are unofficial/training runs, but I count my total for me, no one else.)
On my 5th anniversary of becoming a marathon runner, I helped a friend achieve that same goal. That was super amazing!! I am super proud of her!! 🤩🤩 The Detroit marathon may have been cancelled, like many races this year, but that's ok. We made our own race/course in Grand Rapids. Why not?! It was great! :)
Here's how it happened: ⬇️⬇️
This marathon was special in many ways too... Like I said, a lot of races are still cancelled, including the Detroit marathon. So, I helped my friend Caroline run her first ever marathon today!!!!! We made up our own course/race in Grand Rapids and ran a marathon. 26.2 miles!! She did AMAZING!!! I am so proud if her!!! (Yes, I cried.) I also ran my second fastest marathon!!! Sub 5 hour!!! 4:53 hours!!!!! OMG!! I am so proud of myself!!! (I normally run slower because I constantly train for endurance and 100 milers.) Running a faster marathon was fantastic! I loved it. I can do it. It poured down rain, and it was humid and chilly, but the fall colors on the trees were vivid and a sight to see. Downtown Grand Rapids was beautiful in the morning too. ❤
I am proud of myself. I am proud of my running. If you would have told me 5 years ago that I would be where I am, I wouldn't have believed you... I am so proud of how far I have come, in so many ways, not just running. I've really grown as a person.. If you would have told 5 years ago that I would be all over the news, all over the world sharing my crazy pandemic running challenges, I wouldn't have believed you. I am SO PROUD that I shared my story all over the world. I never thought I would end up coaching cross country either, and I absolutely love it. I love coaching. I love helping people. I also never thought that another runner would try to completely destroy me with rumors and relentless bullying, but it made me stronger in the end. Although, the shaming and mocking was out of control... (Note: there will always be haters and people who try to bring you down. I know I am a good runner, you can't take that away from me. I know I can run crazy long distances, you can't take that away from me.) I love running and crazy long distances. I love where running has lead me too. Honestly, YOU CAN DO ANYTHING!! Really, you can. I still may not be Boston fast, but I truly love helping and inspiring other people achieve their goals. ❤❤
My running history and journey!! ⬇️⬇️
(Long but worth the read, maybe. Ha ha)
As a kid, I ran fun races, and I ran cross country and track. Loved it! I was a fast run back then. Ha! I always had dreams of becoming a marathon runner or an ultra runner because I read about in a Runners World Magazine when I was a teenager. I always wondered what it would be like to run 100 miles. I figured that out many times though. Ha! I jokingly said I would run a 100 miler and run the Boston Marathon when I was like 14 years old. Little did I know that I would run a 100 miler, 18 of them actually!!! (Some unofficial 100 milers, but again I count the total for me.) I still have not qualified for the Boston Marathon, maybe one day when I am like 80. HA HA. 😂
Well, someone once told me that I couldn't run marathons because of my funky feet and many other reasons. (I walk like a duck because my feet stick out. They are crooked. I can't help it, I was born this way.) To run a marathon was my dream as a kid, but it was crushed. I believed this person for so long. I didn't believe in myself. Truthfully, I have been bullied a few times. We all have at some point. Then a series of traumatic events happened and kept happening, including my dad's suicide in September 2006, and I stopped running for 8 years. My dad's suicide hit me hard.. I fell apart. (Miss you, dad. Truthfully, his suicide still hurts. 💔) My spark was gone. Running was my passion too. I went thru many trials, tribulations, obstacles, and hardships along the way. Some bad situations, bad jobs/bad work environments, some scary stuff, bullying, and just bad luck in general. I survived. I am a survivor of many things. I have left some toxic situations too, and I am proud. We all have. I am seriously going to write a book.. You would be amazed at what you can survive. Seriously, you can survive a lot. We have all been through some crazy things in the past. It helps shape us.. You deserve the best too. One thing I learned is "keep moving forward." Fall 10 times, stand up 11 times. Seriously, keep going, keep trying, keep moving forward. There's nothing you can't handle. No storm is too big. You'll eventually get where you need to be, just keep moving forward.
Then, shortly after my son turned 2 years old, I expressed interest in taking up my old hobby again. (6 days of labor and an emergency c-section later. Thankful we were both ok. No wonder I waited until he was 2 years old to try running again. Ha ha.) Scott that I wanted to run a marathon. His response, "Just go for it." Ok! 🤷♀️🤔 It all started with trying to get our dog to lose weight. I didn't even have running shoes anymore but didn't care. I wore all the "wrong" clothes but didn't care. I hadn't ran in years (besides running a mile here and there or going for walks), but I went out and ran 9 miles on zero training that day in February 2015. That hurt the next day.. For real. Ha ha! Then, it became a regular thing, and I bought running shoes again. I took my dog for runs, and the spark I had came back. I worked hard and realized I CAN make my dream come true. I started running marathons in October 2015, and well you know the rest... Believing in yourself is key.. ❤❤
NEVER believe someone who tells you that you can't. YOU CAN!!! Believe in yourself and you are half way there. I once thought I couldn't run a marathon, but here I am. 165 marathons and ultras later.. I love marathons and ultras so much, I do them on my own now without races. I just love it... YOU CAN DO IT. Anything is possible. Your dreams are possible. The sky is the limit! YOU CAN DO ANYTHING. Also, never believe the doubters and the haters. Never believe the people who start rumors. Get rid of the negativity and hatred. You got this. You can do anything!! Trust me, you can do anything.
Running does so much for me, and so many adventures have happened in our lives because of it. I'm thankful for the relief I get from my anxieties when I run too.. Running is my sport, but it is also my therapy. Thankful. It's amazing.
I also became the cross country coach for East Grand Rapids middle school this year, and it brings me so much joy. I absolutely LOVE coaching and helping other runners too. I coach a very talented team. ❤
Harry also joined a homeschool cross country team this year!!! Ahhh!! So exciting!! Harry is a talented runner. I started homeschooling this year, because life is weird. Ha ha!
Now onto the craziness: ⬇️
As you've probably guessed too, I think "outside the box" when it comes to just about anything. I am super creative with everything too, and I love projects. I've always been a bit quirky, weird, and creative. It is fun!! So, this brings me to the pandemic. All of my races were cancelled from March thru June. Some in July, August, and September were cancelled too! Wow! To stay trained and motivated, I decided to use my creativity to create my own races at home with the help of my son. It turned into math lessons, running, and more! This was awesome. Running + creativity + your own unique races = total awesomeness!
This brings me to the Stay at Home Order of the pandemic. I created crazy running challenges and adventures too. I did this for 12 weeks. It helped with my anxiety over the situation, gave my family and I more adventures, and it brought me joy. I shared my story all over the world. I am featured in the the local Fox17 news twice, Aravaipa Strong Virtual Race YouTube show, Running 4 Soles Podcast, Canadian Running Magazine, Insider news, and Run Society Magazine in Asia!!!! I am forever grateful for that opportunity. I love being known worldwide. I love sharing my story. I truly believe that you CAN do anything, and I hoped to show people this. You are possible. Your goals are possible. You are good enough. ❤❤
Crazy running challenges in 2020: ⬇️⬇️
Stay at Home Order Running Challenges:
March 15th to June 7th. 1,631 miles
Week #1: 5 marathons
Week #2: 7 marathons in 7 days
Week #3: 100 mile run in my backyard/house
Week #4: 100 mile run in my backyard/house
Week #5: Staircase Mt. Everest climb and 50 miles
Week #6: Aravaipa 100 mile run inside my house
Week #7: Covid-19 mile run inside my house
Week #8: Mother's Day Backyard Ultra, 50 miles
Week #9: Roll the Dice, 131.53 mile run
Week #10: Head Goat 50k (31 miles)
Week #11: Double Mt. Everest climb and 120 miles
Week #12: Sasquatch 100 mile run
July Mileage Challenge:
945 miles in 30 days!!!!! 😮😮
50k a day for 30 days!!
(Running, walking, hiking, and biking!!)
970 total miles July!!
Diameter of Mars Challenge:
4,222 miles in 8 months!!!
(It takes 8 months for a spacecraft to reach Mars, so I decided to complete the diameter of Mars in 8 months! Running, walking, hiking, and biking!)
Believe in yourself!!! You ARE possible!! Be yourself too!! ❤❤❤
Rumor back story: ⬇️⬇️
(A few runners started a rumor about me a few months ago and tried to take me down. I was shamed and mocked. 🤦♀️ I run unofficial races/training runs. Well, this runner made up horrible lies about me. Who cares what I run!! The rumor was false, and there's a lot proof. Silly. Note: there will always be haters. Do NOT let anyone bring you down. You are good enough.)
If you don't like me based on the lies someone else total you and never bothered to talk to me, that is your problem, not mine!!! If you don't like because someone fed you lies, that says more about you than me. It's not my problem. I don't need to prove my worth to people who spread lies about me. Actually, I don't need to prove myself to other people. If you are spreading lies about someone too, that says more about you than the other person. Grow up. All those rumors are false. It only made me a stronger and better person in the end. I am a damn good person and good runner, and no one can take it away. I am proud. ❤
