A little backstory and context: 2025 didn’t start out as I had planned or envisioned. A meniscus tear deferred my first race of the year, in February. I pivoted & continued to show up as best I could by rebuilding with various cross training and strength training. By May I decided to “test” out the knee with a 50k. To my surprise all went well and the knee seemed recover well. I was beyond excited that the results of this confirmed I’d move to the next race on the docket. My plan to proceed to my 2nd 100miler in June seemed like a possibility.
Fast forward to June. 50 miles into my pursuit of 100 miles the knee seemed to be tolerating the distance. Then almost like a light switch, suddenly it wasn’t. I spent the next long 12 miles deciphering through the pain I was feeling. The biggest question I had to face was “is this the kind of pain I should endure and just to finish or jeopardize the rest of the year with a bigger injury?” It had me realizing all the questions in my mind were me wrestling with the decision I knew I needed to make and was afraid to admit. Pushing on wasn’t worth me giving up an entire year of running. When I finally made it through the 12 long miles and arrived to meet my crew, they confirmed my assessment was valid and agreed with my decision to drop. I accepted that this was the end of my race day. On a positive I had unofficially completed a 100k. So close yet so far. Feelings of defeat yet gratefulness flooded over me before packing up and leaving the rest behind.
In hindsight, it was obvious I needed more time to recover and rehab the knee. Maybe that 50k leading up to it was too much, too soon. All the “what-if’s” ran through my head. But you can’t go back and change what already happened. All I could do was continue to move forward. Following the race with the unplanned down time gave me time to focus on rebuilding even stronger. Some days my knee felt amazing and other days not so much. But then, I was stringing together a few weeks at a time without pain. I stayed hopeful.
With that hope and consistency of showing up I stacked 8 weeks of pain free running. I was growing eager to test the knee out sooner than later. I had my eyes on getting a qualifier for a bigger race the following year. There was still a possibility for that to happen. With the shorter training period I additionally focused on several alternative recovery options to expedite the healing process. That meant PT, massage, and mobility. Additionally, I utilized my Pranamat, red light therapy, and sound bed therapy. My body and mind were feeling the gains all the way around.
I decided to pull the trigger and go ahead with a 100k. This race was more technical than the last, so I knew I’d be moving slowly, cautiously and differently. Optimistic that my knee would appreciate the slowdown. With nearly 10k of elevation gain there were some obvious concerns though. I leaned into race day with a strong mind. Acknowledging I had done what I could do to prepare in such a short window. Reminding myself that it wasn’t just about the 8 weeks of training, it was the years of training and stacking that would contribute. My expectations shifted from time goals and centered on purely finishing within the course time. For the first time, I might have to be chasing cut offs, I thought.
Race day arrived. With a lot of KT tape and faith I felt “ready” as I could be. I had high hopes getting my body through the race and certainly without adding another DNF to the list. I focused on the positives. Years of training, years of stacking bricks, & building a strong mind. “You won’t know unless you try” is what I kept saying to myself. Finding belief and hope that this was just a hurdle in my journey.
It was finally racing day. I made the decision to run my own race from the start. Feeling focused on where to stay steady and strong and knowing that this was a race with myself really removed pressure. I had a lot to consider since I would not be relying on a crew team. The slowdown was an opportunity to connect with others on the trail. Listening and sharing stories. It was a bit of a tough pill to swallow the first few single-track miles that I found myself climbing slower than I would have liked but I was moving forward and that mattered. Before long, several female runners were passing me with ease. Tuning into EVERY step along the SHT (Superior Trail) ego set aside, poles in hands, I continued to move onward. Trusting my body and mind and staying the course. I climbed my way forward, never giving up. Aiding myself efficiently and seamlessly. Soon I was catching others as the race distance increased. I was feeling great for much of the race. Managing myself through the entire course. I even had a surprise visitor and friend join me out on course to pace me from one aid to the next. While the miles were slow, they also went fast.
Pain free miles were adding up. 20, then the 50k mark and soon enough 40miles. I found myself creeping up in positions from 7th to 6th, then 5th. With less than 5 miles left to go I was passing 5th female. Could this be? Focusing on one foot in front of the other and running my own race was paying off. Those last few miles I kept chanting “Don’t give up, keep going, one step in front of the other” and “you are doing this, you are really going to get through this.”
Crossing that finish line was such an emotional high. Finishing this race made me realize that I needed to find trust in myself, trust in training, trust in the process. The years of building fitness kept my body strong all the way through. Races come and go; Injuries happen but it doesn’t mean it’s the END. Rather it’s the end of one chapter and the beginning of another. Set your expectations aside and keep showing up. Learn to trust your body not just physically but mentally. It will take you far, quite literally.
Injuries are never fun, nor do I wish them on anyone but if there’s one thing I have learned is that I believe injuries happen to teach us something about ourselves when perhaps we don’t want to hear it. Keep showing up, keep training, stay flexible, and pivot when you need to. Cheering you on through injury friends. Keep going!
