I found my way to distance running in my adult post-college life and have run 10 full marathons and 12 half marathon since 2013. That's around 5,000 miles of marathon training, probably another 3,000 for my halfs and 'in between' training cycle running. The 26.2 distance is what got me hooked and why running is such a big part of my life these days.

Through the years, I've noticed myself wanting to document my experience with running - mostly so I have a journal to look back on, but also for friends & family to follow along my training, and most recently to build a deeper connection with the strong community of humans who also call themselves runners.  I am not a pro runner by any means or a health & fitness professional, but I am a runner with goals, a coach, and a good amount of miles under my belt. 

Why 'Streets & Startlines'? Since crossing my first finish line in 2014, I've been hooked - usually signing up for the next 26.2 as soon as I come down from the high of race day. As a result, conversations about running always start with "what are you training for?" because we hop from cycle to cycle always with a goal race in mind. And on those race days, no matter the distance, getting to the start line means SO much more than crossing the finish line. It means you put in the work, you committed yourself to a goal and pursued that goal, and for that reason you are a stronger human just for reaching the start line.

Don’t get me wrong - a 26.2 race day has the power to change your life if you let it, but the miles logged on the streets in between the startlines are really the ones that shape us. They predict how we will show up on race day and often create habits that bubble over into aspects of life outside of running. And what if there were no race days at all? (Looking at you, 2020). When there is no race calendar, we are showing up and training for life...instead of a finisher's medal. I've learned that this is what's shaped the things that are important in my life: the daily ritual of movement, consistency over time = progress, and true growth doesn't happen unless you are pushing the boundaries outside of our comfort zone.

The 4-legged runner you’ll see in my photos is my dog, Penelope. I adopted P as a 9-week old puppy from Midwest Animal Rescue in Minneapolis, MN. She is a mix of Border Collie, Husky, Pitty, and Race Horse….so as you can imagine, makes for the perfect running buddy!