I was nervous we’d be too far past peak bloom to enjoy much but I was so wrong!

1. Seep monkey flower at the headwaters of the San Diego and San Dieguito Rivers
2. Dwarf brodiaea
3. Zigzag larkspur
4. Camp Martin paintbrush
   5 & 6. White globe Lily
5. Monkey flower and Chinese houses… hottest couple on the trail!

We also saw mini lupine, grape soda lupine, purple owl’s clover, goosefoot violet, California buttercups, and many more I have already photographed this season.

In November 2024, I went for a 3-mile run and really enjoyed it which was… odd. I always hated running. Since that day, I have been running 5-7 days a week. Within three weeks, I had registered for my first 50k.

2025 race experience:

March 2025: Ran a half marathon in 1:56
April 2025: First 50k in 6:45
September 2025: Second 50k in 6:31 and first 50 miler in 12:08
November 2025: 48 miles at a backyard ultra

I also did a couple shorter trail races and timed events. Mostly, I just stayed consistent and built as much as volume as possible. A huge part of the draw was that I had moved to a new city and didn’t know how to make friends. I have been moving every 6-12 months for a decade so relationships have always been temporary and typically formed through temporary jobs. Running became my community and my social life. There is a huge run club / trail race culture where I live.

The build:

I meditated on my 2026 goals heavily after the BYU just sucked. I hated the format but I mostly just felt my heart wasn’t in it. I had learned a lot from my first year of dipping my toes in and racing different distances though.

I registered for my (current) hometown 100 on January 1 and got to work. It felt like my soul race. It was easy to show up for the training everyday. I ran a trail marathon in January and a 20 miler in February, placing in the women’s top 5 each time. This was my unofficial speed block and I picked up new skills in competing, running at threshold, and fueling while working HARD and not falling apart.

I went to 4 training runs for the event which was an amazing resource. I ran with my friends, there were aid stations on the actual course we’d be racing, and I had the opportunity to run a 50k at night! The specificity and support for longer efforts gave me the best shot at being prepared I could have asked for. I took intra run fueling very seriously and feel like I cracked the code. My gear was dialed. I don’t follow a training plan but run most days and have been strength training consistently for a long time. I love food and don’t have much life stress. I haven’t had any injuries or illness. I ran 1,000 miles from January 1 to race day with 120k feet of gain. Brick. By. Brick.

RACE REPORT:

What a profoundly unique and beautiful experience. I ran without crew or pacers but my solo run felt anything but lonely or alone. From fellow racers and their pacers, the best aid stations, friends at the finish line, and an abundance of texts from friends and family tracking me, I had so many people who believed in me along the way. I was SO well taken care of at the race and knew so many runners and volunteers. I didn’t fill a single bottle or pick up a single piece of food on my own. It was like table (vest??) service at every stop. True VIP treatment.

The first 60 miles were just hard lol, but I paced them expertly and conservatively. I passed a lot of people in the first 20 which included a lot of climbing.

Surprisingly, nighttime was the best once I got caffeine. I was able to run miles 60-80 pretty well which was my plan. I passed 24 people here. The full moon, cool weather, and running buddies made it easy. I loved hearing the frogs and just enjoying nature. Trail running at night is something I’ve grown to LOVE.

I kept a good attitude besides nearly falling asleep walking at one point and the final AS which is way too damn far from the finish line. In both instances, familiar faces saved the day. I “lost my legs” 20 miles before the finish and struggled to put down more than 3.5 miles per hour. Many others were in the same boat so despite falling off, the field median pace was also slowing significantly. Despite this not being my plan, it was not detrimental. I could walk it out. At no point was I chasing cutoffs. I also passed two friends who were at one point in the top ~10 and walking it out due to injury. So insane to witness their grit.

It was so hard and it was the best day of my life. What an accomplishment, a time warp, a spiritual experience beyond words. I have no real reflections on my pace or logistical lessons learned because those things pale in comparison to what I went through on the course.

I will say that nothing went wrong. I didn’t hit my A or B time goals but I knew they were sort of secondary anyway. I finished in 29:22 without having any GI issues, vomiting, injuries, or blisters. I had an incredible appetite and ate really well until about 6-7am. I had a little buttcheek chafe but I lubed aggressively and the pain was minor.

Again, I ran solo with no crew or pacers so a bit of an extra challenge. I finished W15 out of the entire women’s field and most other racers had support. I am absolutely thrilled with my performance and I cannot wait to do it again. I have cried happy tears like 30 times since the race began. I only had one real meltdown about 5k from the finish, but at that point it was in the bag.

The catharsis of finding out what the human body and mind can endure, the wilderness, and the friendship on that course… total magic. I’ll be riding this high for awhile.

Desert magic!!! My friend and I took on a massive day in the mountains this weekend, climbing sheep trails up three peaks and descending through a canyon. Over twelve hours, we observed 40+ unique plant species — many of which were new to me and a few of which were rare in this area. We also saw a horned lizard and a bighorn sheep who let us stare in awe for nearly ten minutes.

We had perfect weather for 15 miles and 7,300 feet of climbing and descending. The wind was extremely strong. The accompanying cloud cover not only offered reprieve from typical desert heat, but put on an amazing show all day. We didn’t take breaks from the strong gusts for granted. No rain, what luck.

Sheep are the ultimate trail builders following natural contours and gentle grades. It was a pleasure to walk on a mostly well-defined path all day. One of my favorite features was the small section of pinyon pine forest. There used to be more throughout the park (esp at the aptly named Pinyon Ridge), but its habitat in this region has been greatly impacted by climate change like so many species. I feel deeply thankful for all I get to witness and enjoy while it is still here.

What a truly spectacular adventure!!!

Some of the flashiest plants we saw are labeled. It’s really great how much you’ll see well past peak bloom if your eyes are open (and you have friends who are much more skilled naturalists than you are). Unlabeled tree is a California single leaf Pinyon.