#ponyexpress50

FIFTY MILES. 264,000 feet. 74,927 steps. 765 minutes. 12 dance breaks. 6 roadside emergency massages. 1 crazy day of pain and laughing and learning. ↞ • ↠ ↞ • ↠ One week ago today I was crossing the finish line, surround by the most incredible people, completing a journey of 50 miles on foot in a single day. I’ve spent the last week absorbing the experience and watching all the little ripples and changes I’ve brought home with me from that desert adventure, and I keep finding myself floored at human capacity. I’m not unusually athletic. I’m not a gifted runner, I’m not particularly physically strong, I don’t have an innate “iron will”. Running this crazy distance isn’t something I was “made for” at all, it’s something I built. But it’s something I built on a foundation of community and connection rather than athleticism. What kept me going and kept me happy every step of this race well after the pain set in was having people who are the salt of the earth by my side supporting me the whole day. Of all the things I experienced over 50 miles of pain and bliss, the biggest takeaway for me personally is that my years of feigned, stubborn “independence” has done me a disservice. Connecting with quality people, serving them, and especially allowing them to serve me provides more strength and staying power than any physical or mental training could ever measure up to. Needing people is not weakness. Being vulnerable is not the same as lacking stability or strength. We simply can’t reach our full potential without each other. And I’ll run 50 painful miles any day if that’s what it takes to remind me of that. ↞ • ↠ ↞ • ↠ To those of you who supported me that day, THANK YOU. You are my rock. All of you. And to those of you who support and encourage me from a distance, whether deliberately or unknowingly, I’m honored to be counted among you. 🏃🏻‍♀️⛰♥️ #ponyexpress50 #dohardthings #ultrarunning #personalgrowth #embracechallenges #butalwayseatmorefries https://www.instagram.com/p/BpawMQuBj1G/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1dwp7hmfwwzsb

The first time I ran 50 miles, I was still thawing our from a very cold and isolated time in my life and warming up to a group of people who had metaphorically - and sometimes literally - taken my breath away with their unquestioning acceptance and support. It felt like a privilege to do something so difficult shoulder to shoulder with people like that and I learned a lifetime’s worth about my strength and limits in that single day. ~ ~ ~ ~ Fast forward 3 1/2 years. I’m about to toe the line for my second 50-mile race and I can’t help but reflect on everything that’s happened and all the ways I’ve grown since then. Tomorrow I’ll run 50 miles again but this time with some of my most cherished family and friends alongside me the whole way. Life has thrown a lot of good and a lot of grief my way over the years, and I feel an intense sense of gratitude for the opportunity I have to voluntarily tackle huge challenges like this and to have the space in my life and peace of mind to explore my limits on my own terms. ~ ~ ~ ~ If I don’t die in the desert from overdosing on gummy bears and pickle juice or suffocate on dust from 50 miles of dirt roads, I’ll be back soon to tell you guys all about it. Thanks for being rad. #ponyexpress50 #dohardthings #ultrarunning https://www.instagram.com/p/BpFOwE-FuuX/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1gkgmd7s7fguw