FRISCO, a not so hidden gem about an hour west of Denver, warrants at the very least a two-day adventure, and more appropriately a full summer vacation smackdown of its own merit. After a rainy afternoon of travel in the monsoon that is typical of midsummer in the middle range of the Rockies, my friend Laurel and I finally landed …
Visit Maine Extravaganza Part 2: Boothbay and Bar Harbor
The next morning on my trip sponsored by Visit Maine included a sunrise on Mt. Battie. There was cloud cover which muted the pinks and purples. The marine layer slowly rising from the water and uncovering the city of Camden first, then island upon island was stunning to watch. It was here that I tested out my recovering knee by …
Visit Maine Fall Extravaganza: Part 1
Imagine a vacation where you fill up your car (the adventure-mobile) with your bike (if you’re like me and don’t have a bike rack yet) with all the necessities for a grand adventure, drive a couple of hours south east, and submerge yourself in endless lobster and all things blueberry. Yep, you guessed it, it’s Maine. I was asked by Visit …
My Body Is Not an Obstacle
I was in the second stage of the TransRockies Run, heading up to Hope Pass on the Sheep Gulch Trail, when I heard faraway rumbles of thunder. I should say “we”—I was with the sweeps, whose job was to stay with the last runner in the race. They hurried me, though I felt like I could move no more quickly than …
An Open Letter to Women Who Aren’t Putting Their Needs First
Over the past 2 1/2 years, I have been on the receiving end of this question more than at any point in my life. It isn’t only because I’m a runner who does races where there are aid stations with rad volunteers and generous helpings of salt tablets. It isn’t because I’m a runner who has done a bunch of …
Mirna Valerio redefines what a distance runner ‘should’ look like
Mirna Valerio has finished 10 ultramarathons and nine marathons. She is sponsored by a handful of sports companies and wrote her first book this past fall about her journey as a plus-sized athlete.
This Ultramarathon Runner is Redefining What an Athlete Looks Like
“I’M GOOD IN my big body.” That’s what Mirna Valerio—ultramarathon runner, author, and educator—wants her naysayers to know. In 2017, her story went viral and Valerio was…