I’m inspired by so many people in life and running, but specifically, Courtney Dauwalter. She has the most amazing attitude about running and pushing our limits, and she’s inspired me to be a more positive, curious person. I met Courtney at the Women of the Wasatch run club in Salt Lake City sometime late 2024. She came for a meet and greet with the club, and ran with us for 4 miles. I was determined to stay right behind her the whole time, and after 30 minutes of trying to find the courage, I finally said something to her. It felt euphoric to meet and run with a person who I look up to, and who basically got me interested in this sport.
Along with Courtney, I’m also inspired by my sister Kaylee and brother in-law James, who are doing amazing things with their career and hobbies, and I’m very inspired by my partner, Logan, who is a mountaineer, trail-runner, climber, and overall good human being.
3. What did you listen to when you started ultrarunning? What do you listen to now? If they are different, what do you think influenced that change?
When I started running, I felt like I needed to listen to music the whole time. Music is a huge motivator for me, and I grew up singing and writing music, so overall it’s a big part of my life. I made a playlist for the first marathon that I did, and it got me through some tough parts of the course. During the next race, which was just a 30k, I listened to music for about half of the course. While I wasn’t listening to music, I chatted with some other runners. I realized that motivation comes from other people too, as it distracts me from what I’m feeling, and the negative thought patterns. Now, I listen to music at the highlights of the race, like the start, the really tough parts where I want to quit, and the finish. I think the main thing that changed what I listen to is just the gained appreciation for the sport in how it changes your thought patterns. I used to be very self-destructive, and very negative. I needed something to drown out those kinds of thoughts, or else I would just quit. Now that I know each race is just a long day adventuring in the mountains, I’m able to clear up some of the negative thoughts, and instead, think about things that excite me, and think about the struggles as digging deeper into my pain cave, which I have Courtney to thank for that metaphor.
4. Do you have a specific running playlist?
I listen to whatever music I’m craving in the moment, but here’s my main race playlist: