Two down, and another ultra marathon (a race longer than a marathon, which is 26.2 miles) on deck! In the past two years, I have run and completed the Charlottesville Marathon,  Bel Monte 50-miler, and the Prolyfyck 32-miler. These two races were something that people told me  as a sixteen and  seventeen-year-old I shouldn’t  attempt because of the difficulty and chance of injury while in-season for a high school sport. However, this made it more of a challenge and drove me to push even harder to finish. Now, I am looking to go even further and take the challenge out of the state!

I have come to realize that once you get the itch for competing in Ultra Marathons, you have to keep scratching that itch. After finishing one race, you want more of them, more that are challenging and competitive. That’s why in October, I plan to travel to Prescott, Arizona to compete in the Saddles 100, an ultra that runs through desert terrain with a max elevation of over 12,000 feet, and around the Lakes of Lynx and Goldwater.

Preparing for a race in a new state means I´ve got to set up my game plan early. The air  quality, high elevations, and the different communities will definitely be a change from what I’m used to. To get ready, I plan on adjusting my training routine. With the summer coming up, and living in a place like Charlottesville with mountains and hills all around me, It should be pretty easy to do. Instead of taking on my workouts in the morning, I’m going to do them during the hottest part of the day to simulate what it will be like in Prescott, since the temperatures can get up to 110 degrees during the day.

As race day approaches, I plan to set specific goals for myself in terms of my time and how I want to feel throughout the race. I want to enjoy the journey and appreciate every mile, rather than just focusing on crossing the finish line. I know that this race will challenge me physically and mentally, but I’m beyond ready to embrace all 100 of these miles.