Race Reports

In the middle of 2022, roughly two years into my ultrarunning career, I decided it would be wise to start working with a coach. The number of injuries, amount of pain and difficulties I felt after my first ultra was too much, and it was obvious I wasn’t going anywhere, literally speaking, running by myself. 

Celebrating its 10th year, the 2023 Rock The Ridge took place in the scenic Hudson Valley of New York State about 90 miles north of New York City. Specifically, all of this goes down on the land of Mohonk Preserve, a nature preserve that spreads across 8,000 acres and is situated between the Hudson River and the Shawangunk Ridge.

I returned to run the Ironbull Ultra Trail to mark the profound distance I had traveled in one year in terms of human experience after the death of my husband, Corey. This year’s race took place the week of Corey’s memorial service and helped me process our life together and his abrupt 122-day journey through pancreatic cancer.

How do I top last year? Can I top last year? What if I don’t top last year? Those were the thoughts entering my mind as I prepared to race Strolling Jim this year. They are questions I’m sure a lot of people think about before a big race.  

After more than a decade of racing, I finally finished my first ultramarathon in the suburbs of my hometown of St. Louis. It’s true that you have to go away to come back, and perhaps you can’t fully appreciate the beauty of a place until you do.

Avalanches, white-out weather conditions and blocked roads were all par for the course at this year’s 6633 Artic Ultra Classic. The race is a self-sufficient, non-stop 380-mile foot race that race traverses the Yukon via Dempster Highway and Ice Road, finishing at the banks of the Arctic Ocean.